Third-person POV
Noah took a shallow breath, trying to steady his shaking hands as he reached out to shake the CEO's hand. "Good morning, sir. I am your newly appointed secretary."
Diamant released his hand, his sharp eyes evaluating Noah with a cool intensity. "You topped the interviews."
"Yes, sir," Noah replied, keeping his voice as professional as possible despite the heavy, intoxicating scent of the dominant Alpha pressing down on him.
"Are you familiar with this job?" Diamant asked, his voice even and demanding.
"Yes, I am, sir," Noah answered confidently, determined to prove that he belonged here.
"Very well then," Diamant said, turning slightly to gesture toward a stack of documents on his desk. "Here are a few files. Get them ready by afternoon."
"Okay, sir." Noah nodded, stepping forward to gather the heavy folders.
"Remember," Diamant warned, his tone dropping into a stricter register, "there is no room for mistakes in this office."
"I'll try my absolute best, sir," Noah promised, holding the files tightly against his chest.
Diamant turned and headed toward the door. Just as he was about to step out, he froze. His sharp senses caught something in the air, causing him to glance back over his shoulder.
"Are you an Omega?" Diamant asked bluntly.
Noah's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to maintain eye contact. "Yes, sir. I am an Omega."
Diamant's expression hardened subtly as he turned back toward the hallway. These pesky Omegas, he thought to himself, a flash of annoyance crossing his mind. If it weren't for the fact that he topped the interview with such perfect scores, I wouldn't have hired this Omega at all.
Without another word, Diamant walked out of the room, heading straight toward his scheduled meeting. Relief washed over Noah the moment the door closed. He quickly dropped the heavy files at his new desk and rushed straight toward the corporate washroom.
Stepping inside, Noah leaned against the sink as a sudden, sharp wave of heat rolled through his body. His heat cycle was kicking in fiercely. "Good thing I brought some suppressants with me," he muttered frantically to himself, fumbling through his bag. "Mr. Reed's pheromones are really tough to handle..."
He quickly swallowed the medication and waited a few moments for it to settle before heading back out to his desk. Unfortunately, because his body was becoming immune to the drugs, the suppressants didn't have much of an effect. Diamant's lingering Alpha pheromones were still heavily filling the room, bothering Noah's sensitive system and making his collar feel tight.
Trying to distract himself, Noah sat down in his section and began carefully organizing the files. But the scent was overwhelming.
Mr. Reed's pheromones are everywhere, Noah thought, his mind racing as he stared at the papers. How come it's not affecting the other workers at all? It sure is taking a heavy toll on me. Should I ask him to hold it back? Noah gasped internally, cutting off his own thoughts. What are you thinking, Noah?! Do you want him to kill you? Just let it be.
As he worked, a staff member walked past Noah's desk, but abruptly stopped when their eyes caught the designation on Noah's company ID badge.
"Woah! You're an Omega?" the staff member asked, their eyes widening in sheer disbelief.
"Yes, I am," Noah replied, looking up nervously.
Hearing the commotion, another employee wandered over, their face twisting into shock at the news. "What?! An Omega in this company?"
Noah frowned, completely bewildered by their intense reactions. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't you know?" the second employee whispered, leaning in closer. "Mr. Reed absolutely dislikes Omegas. That's the reason why every single employee working in this entire company is a Beta."
The first staff member nodded in agreement. "You only got lucky because you topped the interview so flawlessly. I guess you're the ultimate exception."
Before Noah could process the shocking revelation, the sharp footsteps of the manager echoed down the hall. The manager glared at the gathering crowd and clapped his hands authoritatively. "Get back to work, everyone!" The employees quickly scattered, leaving Noah alone with his racing thoughts.
Later that day, Noah walked into the quiet office kitchen to grab a cup of coffee, desperately needing something to ground him. But the moment he walked inside, his body betrayed him. His heat kicked in again, hitting him twice as hard now that the weak effect of the suppressants had completely worn off.
Trembling, he pulled out his phone and frantically typed a text to his boyfriend, Aiden Frost, explaining how much pain he was in and begging for help. A moment later, his phone buzzed. Noah looked down eagerly, only for his heart to shatter. Aiden's reply was cold, unpleasant, and ended with a harsh command to stop bothering him.
The emotional rejection combined with the excruciating physical pain of his heat was too much to bear. Noah's hands lost their grip, and his phone dropped to the floor. Sliding down against the wall, he curled into a ball on the ground, leaning his head against one half of the kitchen door as silent, heavy sobs tore through him.
Meanwhile, Diamant was making his way back down the corridor toward his office after his meeting. As he approached the breakroom, the faint sound of crying caught his attention. He paused, stepping closer to the kitchen door. The sobbing grew louder, laced with genuine agony.
Curiosity and instinct overriding his usual cold demeanor, Diamant pushed the door open slightly to peer inside. Through the crack, he saw Noah slumped on the floor, weeping bitterly. Noah was entirely consumed by his pain and didn't even notice the door moving or the shadow falling over him.
Why is this Omega crying? Diamant thought, his brow furrowing. As he scanned the room, his sharp eyes fell on the phone resting face-up on the ground. The screen was still illuminated, clearly displaying the cruel text message exchange.
Diamant's eyes narrowed as he read the words. So, he has a mate... he thought, a wave of cold disdain washing over him as he read the Alpha's dismissive replies. But does this mate of his even deserve to be called a mate?
Quietly, so as not to alert the crying Omega, Diamant pulled the door shut and walked back to his private office.
Sitting behind his desk, Diamant stared out the window, the image of Noah weeping on the kitchen floor burned into his mind. He could still detect the faint, sweet trace of the Omega's distressed scent in the air.
"It seems like he is in his heat," Diamant murmured to himself, his voice laced with a strange curiosity. "I can smell it clearly from his pheromones... but why hasn't he dealt with it yet?"