CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32 BUSINESS MEETING

Caroline’s POV

When I arrived at Draven’s building on Saturday morning, I couldn’t help but admire the sleek modern architecture. After checking in with the doorman, I made my way to the elevator. Despite this being a "business meeting," my mind wandered to all the ways I could tease my Alpha boss today.

Eleanor and I had stayed up late carefully selecting clothes, shoes, lingerie, and plotting what she called our "seduction strategy."

She’d convinced me to wear a silk off-shoulder white blouse paired with a knee-length pencil skirt that hugged my curves perfectly. The skirt’s daring side slit revealed just enough leg to be teasing yet professional. I completed the look with black pointed stilettos that made my legs look endless.

A delicate silver chain necklace adorned my neck, and my slim-framed glasses gave me that sexy secretary look Eleanor insisted would drive him wild. My hair was styled in loose waves, and my makeup was subtle but alluring. Underneath, I wore a matching set of black lace lingerie with delicate straps—my secret weapon.

My outfit managed to be both office-appropriate and tantalizingly attractive.

Now standing in this elevator, I found myself thinking about how to provoke my boss when I should be focusing on work.

The building had one apartment per floor, with the elevator opening directly into each residence. When the doors slid open, I was genuinely impressed—everything was bright and elegant without being ostentatious. It was modern and exuded power, perfectly reflecting my boss’s personality and status as an Alpha.

I walked through the hall, already hearing Ryan’s laughter echoing from somewhere inside. A man in his fifties approached to greet me courteously.

"Miss Caroline, good morning. I’m Jorge. They’re on the terrace, please follow me."

I thanked him and followed Jorge through the spacious apartment. When we reached the terrace, I found Draven, Clara, and Ryan engaged in conversation. As I entered, they fell silent, and I heard Ryan whistle while he started singing "Pretty Woman." This was becoming routine whenever I entered a room.

"Good morning, were you talking about me?" I greeted them playfully.

"Caroline, you look absolutely stunning in that dress!" Ryan complimented, his eyes appreciative but respectful.

"If I weren’t already looking at someone else, Carrie, I wouldn’t leave you alone for a second," Ryan added with a wink.

"If you weren’t looking at someone else, Ryan, and I didn’t know you had your eye on Emma from marketing, you’d be reassigned to branch right now!" Draven said with a smile. "And you, miss, will have to start wearing a burqa!"

He stood up, walked over to me, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and pulled me by the hand rather possessively, his touch sending warmth through our skin-to-skin contact.

I greeted Clara before sitting down. When I crossed my legs, I felt Draven lean in close, his cedar and musky scent enveloping me as he whispered in my ear:

"I’m going to have Jorge bring a blanket to cover those wonderful legs!"

I smiled, but he didn’t even have time to follow through as Mr. White arrived right after, his presence commanding attention despite the casual setting.

"Good morning everyone!" He greeted cheerfully. "Caroline, dear, how wonderful to see you again. How are you?" he said, kissing me on both cheeks.

"Very well, Mr. White, thank you. And you?" I replied, genuinely happy to see him again.

"Thanks to you, I’m getting back on my feet, my dear!"

"Oh please, I didn’t do anything. But I’m glad things are going well."

He squeezed my hand gently and turned to my boss:

"Draven, take good care of her. This young lady is a precious gem in your pack!"

"I know that, Arthur. I’m keeping a close eye on her," Draven replied and winked at me, sending my wolf into a flutter of excitement.

"And you, Clara, are you really going to London?" Mr. White asked with a sentimental look at Clara.

"Yes, I am, Arthur. To be close to my daughters and grandchildren," she replied with a smile, but the way they looked at each other made me suspect there was something more between them, a bond that transcended normal friendship.

"This territory will be sadder without you!" he responded gallantly.

I wondered if they had a history. I knew Mr. White had been widowed for many years and hadn’t formed a mate bond with anyone since his wife died. I was pondering this when I heard Draven say my name.

"So that’s it, Arthur. Carrie mentioned you went through something similar and suggested we ask for your help," Draven concluded.

"Look, Draven, you know your father was a great friend of mine and a respected Alpha. Helping you protect your pack will be very gratifying for me, especially since it was recommended by this young lady who became like a daughter to me and dedicated herself to helping me so much," Mr. White said with sparkling eyes. "It was Caroline who alerted me about my accountant when we started reviewing the documents. I hadn’t realized he wasn’t being honest with me."

"Sometimes you need an outside perspective, Mr. White, because from the inside, you can’t see everything," I said softly.

We spent the rest of the morning sorting out how things would work. At lunchtime, Jorge announced that the table was set, and my boss invited everyone to join. While eating, we continued discussing work, the conversation flowing naturally despite the tension I felt whenever Draven’s gaze lingered on me.

"So, Draven, after we talked yesterday, I called Clara. We had lunch together, she gave me some information, and I mapped out the strategy for moving the finance department with her," Arthur spoke confidently.

"Yes, Arthur will help me with that," Clara confirmed.

"How will it work?" Beta Ryan asked curiously.

"I’ve already assembled the team we’ll need. All absolutely trustworthy wolves from my former pack. Clara and I are going to your building this afternoon, and the team will meet us there. While we’re moving, we’ll copy all documents. Actually, we’ll copy every single paper in that sector. We’ll go through accounting and do the same, as well as the commercial department, which were the first departments you suspected. These documents will go directly to our new floor."

"Excellent, Arthur. You work fast!" Draven was impressed.

"We can’t waste time, Draven," Arthur replied with a smile. "It’ll be hard work until Monday morning, but when business hours start, everything will be ready. Another thing, you’re going to hire strategic employees. I’m already selecting them, but the first is Marcus Paul. He’s tech-savvy, a first-rate hacker. He’ll install spy programs on all company computers, and we’ll have access to everything. But you’ll hire him as a nerdy guy who will supposedly just fix and update machines, basically a low-level IT employee."

"But I could make him department head," Draven responded, his Alpha instinct to elevate those with valuable skills showing.

"If you do that, it might raise red flags with the Rogues we suspect have infiltrated your company, and nobody will trust him," Arthur explained. "All the employees you need to hire will be brought in for less important positions. This ensures nobody pays attention to them, and they go unnoticed. You’ll also add an extra coffee server and janitor on each floor."

"And why’s that?" Ryan asked, leaning forward with interest.

"Explain it to them, Carrie. You taught me this," Arthur said enthusiastically.

"They’re invisible people. They’re everywhere, but nobody sees them," I explained. "People tend to underestimate those in humble positions, so they speak freely around them. The wealthy and arrogant often look down on service workers, assuming they’re incapable of understanding complex matters. Take Mr. White’s case, for example: one of the janitors actually discovered where the accountant was transferring the suspicious funds, but she didn’t have enough evidence to confirm the theft."

"And it was exactly this janitor who got me the evidence I needed to report the accountant, thanks to Caroline paying attention to what she had to say. Today, that woman is my personal secretary. She’s pursuing her education, and she’ll become an excellent professional. She has remarkable intelligence," Arthur added.

"It’s really a brilliant idea!" Ryan said enthusiastically. "At the office, I see how some people simply ignore the existence of general service workers and others. It’s great that you noticed them, Carrie." I smiled sheepishly, feeling my cheeks warm at the praise.

"Let’s get moving then. Arthur, give Ryan the list of everyone who needs to be hired and in which positions," Draven said, smiling at me with warmth. "Ryan, I don’t know how you’ll do it, but these people need to be hired without anyone suspecting."

"Oh, that’s easy. I can make sure Thompson from HR hires exactly who we want," Ryan said with a confident smile. "He owes me some favors. Our families have run in the same circles forever. He’s an honest guy, but I can find a way to make him hire without him realizing he’s being directed. I just think we should do the hiring gradually; it might look suspicious to hire several people at once."

"Perfect, Ryan. Thompson and the hiring pace are up to you," Draven nodded, his Alpha authority settling the matter.

We finished lunch, and everyone left for the company to handle the move and figure out the hiring process. Draven and I stayed at his apartment to analyze Thorne Enterprises’ bank statements, and there was a lot to go through.