Li Wei's brief peace after the bookstore incident vanished like mist at sunrise. In its place came a tightening dread.
He buried himself in work—extra tutoring, longer hours, every naira saved like armor. He knew how the Chen Group operated. The storm always came. The only question was when.
A week later, it arrived.
He was grading essays in the staff room when his phone buzzed. One look at the subject line made his stomach clench.
[Meeting Regarding School Sponsorship and Personnel]
The blood drained from his face. He remembered the signs. This was how it had started last time—not with direct confrontation, but with carefully orchestrated steps. Chen Lihuan never forced his way in. He bought his way in—and renamed everything he touched.
The principal, Mrs. Anya—a kind Beta—burst into the room, beaming.
"Mr. Li! Did you see the email? We've secured a major sponsor—the Chen Group!"
Li Wei forced a smile. "That's... excellent news, ma'am."
But dread coiled beneath his ribs. His Omega instincts stirred.
An Alpha was coming. Not with growls, but with smiles and contracts.
---
The meeting happened on a humid Monday morning. The conference room buzzed with excitement. Li Wei sat at the far end of the table, posture rigid, eyes downcast.
Then the door opened.
He didn't have to look.
Chen Lihuan entered like a shifting storm front—cool, composed, commanding. His presence was a pressure on the room, his scent a subtle but suffocating blend of authority and power.
"Good afternoon," Chen said, smooth as silk. "The Chen Group is honored to support this esteemed institution."
The principal gushed. Teachers whispered. Li Wei remained still, hoping to go unnoticed.
It didn't work.
He felt it before he saw it: the slow, deliberate sweep of the Alpha's gaze. It stopped—on him.
Too long.
Too deliberate.
Too dangerous.
Then came the real blow.
One of the executives stepped forward. "Mr. Chen has expressed interest in one of your staff members. With our partnership, he believes certain individuals should benefit from closer ties."
He handed over a document.
Li Wei's blood ran cold.
Then, Chen spoke directly:
"Mr. Li Wei."
The room hushed.
"My legal team will present you with a marriage contract. It offers benefits—security, housing, career support. It's a mutual agreement designed for both our futures."
It wasn't an invitation.
It was a move.
Li Wei rose slowly. The air was heavy. His instincts screamed—run, submit, hide. But he stood tall.
"Thank you," he said, voice calm, "for the... offer."
He swallowed.
"But I must decline."
Gasps. Silence. Chen's brows twitched. His scent shifted—dominance laced now with disbelief.
"I'm here to teach," Li Wei said firmly. "I don't need your contract. I already have a future. One I choose myself."
That last line wasn't for them. It was for himself.
For the version of him that once gave in.
Chen's eyes narrowed. Cold. Calculating.
---
This wasn't the end.
But for the first time, Li Wei drew the line.
And this time, he wouldn't step back.