Alpha's Twins Chapter 71

Well, wouldn't you know it—my very first day as CEO, and everything went sideways.

I was heading to my new office when I heard voices coming from the boardroom. A meeting was already in progress.

"I can only watch your back, but you're on your own in there," Eric warned me.

I gave him a quick nod and decided to head straight for the meeting room.

As I walked down the hallway, I caught pieces of their conversation drifting through the door. They were talking about how I was Alpha Martin's bastard daughter, apparently here to steal everything from my brother Jason—the "real" heir.

Eric pushed open the boardroom door, and I strolled in like I owned the place.

The shock on their faces was priceless. They all glanced nervously at Eric, who was giving them his best death glare. Within seconds, they were all on their feet, bowing to him—pack beta and all that.

"Yeah, I heard every word. My bad for eavesdropping," I said with a smirk.

The sarcasm in my voice made their eyes go wide. Eric was trying not to laugh, clearly enjoying the show.

"Our apologies, Miss Natalia," one of the board members stammered. "We didn't mean to speak so... loudly."

Right. They weren't sorry for what they said—just sorry I heard it.

I looked each of them dead in the eye and smiled.

"Well, hello there, everyone. Let me properly introduce myself. I'm your new CEO. And just so we're clear—I'm not a bastard daughter. Sorry to disappoint."

You could practically hear their jaws hit the floor. I could see the wheels turning: How the hell did Alpha Martin suddenly have a legitimate daughter overnight?

They all looked to Eric, who nodded to confirm what I'd said.

"She's Alpha Martin's lost daughter," Eric explained. "She didn't die—just went missing for a few years. Now she's back to claim what's rightfully hers. And just so you know, Alpha Jason stepped down willingly for his beloved sister. He's extremely protective of her. If he finds out what you just said about her..." Eric let the threat hang in the air.

Suddenly they were all bowing like their lives depended on it.

"Please forgive us! We were completely out of line. We never should have spoken about the Alpha's sister that way," one of them blurted out.

"We had no idea you were our lost princess," another added, still bowing. "No one told us you'd returned. We didn't even know you existed."

Watching them grovel was pretty satisfying, I'll admit.

"It's fine. If you're really sorry, then prove it by working your asses off for me. I'm counting on you to help me run this company the same way you helped my father."

The relief in their voices was obvious as they assured me of their loyalty.

Word spread like wildfire through the pack—Alpha Martin's daughter was back. Even though pack members had never seen me before, everyone was talking. Thanks to the company's strict no-phones policy, nobody could snap photos, but that didn't stop the gossip mill from churning.

Other pack Alphas started sniffing around, wanting to meet me. Jason shut them down fast—he knew exactly what they were after.

Despite being new to the business world, I found my groove within a few months. People started praising my instincts and decisions. The same board members who'd initially bowed to me because of my bloodline were now genuinely respecting my abilities.

"Boss, did you just say we're going to the docks?" My secretary Damia looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

I'd promoted her after taking over—sweet girl, always had my back.

"Yep. I'm done trusting other people to handle things. I've been burned before. From now on, I'm checking everything myself."

Our pack controlled the coastline and had always dominated the seafood trade. I wanted to personally inspect our warehouse operations.

The drive to the coast took forever. By the time we arrived, the sun was already hanging low in the sky.

What I found in the warehouse made my blood boil—tons of rotting shrimp and fish.

"Who the hell is running this place?" I shouted.

The manager came running over, bowing and scraping, begging for forgiveness.

Something didn't add up. This felt like sabotage—someone trying to tank my company from the inside. I fired him on the spot and put someone else in charge, making it crystal clear what would happen if this mess repeated itself.

People said I'd developed this commanding presence. Whatever it was, it worked—the entire staff suddenly found their work ethic.

By the time I finished at the warehouse and headed back to my car, evening had settled in.

"Boss, want to take one of those yachts for a spin?" Damia asked, pointing toward the marina.

I followed her gaze to the boats bobbing in the water. One yacht caught my attention—decorated with flowers and candles like it was set up for newlyweds.

The sight hit me like a punch to the gut.

Memories came flooding back of Adrian's parents preparing a yacht for us after our wedding. When Adrian refused to go on a honeymoon, they thought sending us out for a romantic dinner on the water would be the next best thing.

"Boss? You okay?" Damia's voice seemed to come from far away.

I forced myself to look away from the yacht, trying to push down the memory of that night—how Adrian had abandoned his brand-new wife, leaving me alone on that boat in the middle of the ocean.