Chapter 10
Freya's POV
Raw Materials Warehouse
I was carefully examining a machine-cut raw stone when Alexander arrived.
The warehouse manager nearly jumped out of his skin when Alexander walked in. He'd been nervous since I showed up—kept glancing at his phone and typing away. Wonder who he was texting?
Oh wait, let me guess... that bitch Tiffany.
I let him keep texting. Hell, I wanted her to show up and see the mess she'd made.
I kept examining the stones we were supposedly using. The texture was all wrong—gritty and rough. Real diamond rough should be crystal clear after cutting, smooth as glass, hard as... well, diamonds.
This piece of shit in my hand was cloudy and rough. Even discount jewelry stores would turn their noses up at this crap.
The thought of Tiffany destroying everything my mother built made my claws itch. God, I wanted to rip her throat out.
I tossed the stone to Alexander.
"Look at this garbage. This is what Crown & Gem is using now. Anyone with eyes can see it's trash—you could pick up a bucket of these at some flea market for pocket change. No wonder our sales are in the toilet."
"What, has Crown & Gem become so broke it can't even afford decent raw materials?" I taunted.
My sarcasm hit its mark—Alexander's face went black as thunder. He slammed the stone down and whirled on the manager. "Did you order this shit?"
Cold sweat broke out on the manager's forehead.
Alexander roared, "Answer when you're asked!"
The guy was shaking like a leaf. "Alpha, I just followed Miss Austen's orders! I only handle storage—I swear I didn't steal anything. Check all you want!"
His implication was clear: Take it up with your girlfriend, not me.
I couldn't help but laugh. "The Alpha's woman sure knows how to manage finances," I said dryly.
Message received loud and clear—his precious Tiffany was pocketing the budget and buying garbage instead of quality stones. No wonder the company was circling the drain. The Alpha sure knew how to pick them.
Alexander's expression could have curdled milk. Of course he caught my meaning—he wasn't stupid. I could feel his Alpha energy crackling with barely contained rage.
"You'll handle this matter. I want to see results in one month."
"Oh my, but her position is higher than mine. What authority do I have to change suppliers?" My tone carried a hint of playfulness, but more mockery.
'Nice try, asshole. You want me to clean up this mess? Then you better give me the power to do it,' I thought.
'Quality stones meant quality jewelry—something Crown & Gem used to be known for. If word got out that we were using bottom-shelf materials, our reputation would be toast.'
Tiffany knew exactly what she was doing. Five years at Crown & Gem would teach even an idiot the basics. She just didn't give a damn about the company.
I was getting under his skin—his jaw was twitching and his Alpha scent was all over the place.
Well, duh. I was basically calling him an idiot who couldn't manage his own company.
"I brought you here to fix things. Tiffany doesn't know jewelry—she can't tell a diamond from a paperweight."
Well, his temper really was a bit like Luke's...
His attitude reminded me of Luke when he got frustrated... Wait, what the hell was I thinking? Luke was nothing like this jackass. My son was perfect—this guy was just... ugh.
"Well, knowing she's clueless and still giving her management authority—that's really..."
Alexander looked ready to shift and tear my head off, but he kept it together. "Quit being a pain in my ass! Fix this company in a month or you're out."
"Oh, I'm so scared," I said with deadly sarcasm.
'What's he gonna do, fire me? Please. I've dealt with scarier things than him,' I thought proudly.
Right on cue, Tiffany came flying through the door. One look at Alexander's thunderous face and my shit-eating grin, and she knew exactly who to blame. Her scent reeked of panic and fury.
Looking at my smug expression, Alexander was furious, but he still patiently told Tiffany, "From now on, Freya will be responsible for raw stone sourcing."
Tiffany froze in place.
She looked at me, her eyes full of hatred.
That's right—it was me!
"Alex, what did I do wrong? I can fix it," Tiffany whimpered, turning on the waterworks like she always did.
Alexander looked at her, his expression grave. "Has the company been using this kind of inferior raw materials for years?"
He handed the stone to Tiffany.
Tiffany's scent shifted the moment she touched that stone—pure terror mixed with unease.
"I... I had no idea, Alex," she stammered. "You know jewelry isn't my background. Yes, I approved the purchasing, but I trusted they were the same quality we've always used."
I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing at her pathetic excuse. "Wow, Alexander, you really know how to delegate. Hand the company over to someone who doesn't know shit about jewelry—what could go wrong?"
I laid the sarcasm on thick—didn't want either of them to miss the point.
"Alex, I... I really didn't know." Tiffany was out of options and could only say weakly, "Alex, I might have been deceived. You have to believe me—give me another chance."
"Deceived? A trick that wouldn't fool a three-year-old managed to fool you?" I naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to kick her while she was down.
Alexander's scent was all over the place—like he was fighting some internal battle.
"Enough. Raw materials will be Freya's responsibility from now on." After saying this, he turned and left.
I pursed my lips. Seeing that I'd achieved my goal, I was about to leave when Tiffany grabbed my arm.
"You're deliberately targeting me, aren't you?"
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I know what you're up to—sniffing around, trying to get your claws back into Alex! Think you can just show up and steal him? Dream on, bitch!"
Her scent turned sharp and territorial—like a dog marking its territory.
I knocked her hand away and dusted off my arm like she'd contaminated it. "What, is he made of gold or something? Your precious Alexander? I wouldn't take him if you gift-wrapped him."
"Besides, he doesn't seem interested in you. Could it be he finds you lacking—no figure, no looks?"
"You!" Tiffany trembled with rage.
"What? Can't handle buying decent stones? Don't worry, sweetie—I'll clean up your mess. And when I'm done saving this company, I'm taking back everything you stole from me."
I turned and left without looking back.
Tiffany screamed behind me, "This isn't over, bitch!"