One Night With My Alpha Professor

Chapter 29

Audrey & Third Person

Audrey's POV

I sank down behind the potted plant, peering cautiously around the leaves as the sleek black town car pulled up to the curb. My heart pounded in my ears as the passenger side door swung open and Linda stepped out, her brunette curls bouncing as she sauntered up to the restaurant's glass doors.

A moment later, a well-dressed woman with impeccably coiffed gray hair emerged from another car, and I felt my breath catch in my throat as she and Linda exchanged polite handshakes. Claudia Klein, the Luna of Silverbite Pack.

I knew Claudia's history well; she had been a fashion designer many years ago, although she had abruptly stopped producing work. Some speculated that she decided to stop when she had her daughter.

But I always loved her work; she was another one of my biggest muses, right next to Brooks Designs.

And now... Linda was having the opportunity to speak with her thanks to my design.

Gritting my teeth, I watched as the two women disappeared through the doors, vanishing into the dimly lit interior of the restaurant. I couldn't let Linda get away with this-not after all the hard work I had put into that uniform design. This was my chance to finally expose her for the thief she was.

Steeling my nerves, I pushed myself up from my crouched position and marched up to the doors. But before I could even reach for the handle, a burly-looking man in a crisp black suit blocked my path.

"Invitation, miss?" he rumbled, eyeing me up and down with clear disdain.

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment and frustration. "I... I don't have one," I admitted begrudgingly. "But I need to speak with-"

"No admittance without a membership card," the man interrupted brusquely. "Members only."

I opened my mouth to argue further, but a familiar voice suddenly called out from behind me. "Ah, Audrey! Fancy seeing you here."

Whirling around, I found myself face-to-face with Edwin, looking annoyingly amused as he approached with his hands tucked casually into his pockets.

"Professor Brooks," I greeted him, a hint of desperation creeping into my tone. "It's good to see you. I was just waiting for you."

Edwin quirked an eyebrow. "Were you, now?" he asked, shooting the bouncer an amused look. But seeing the desperate look in my eyes, Edwin nodded his head over to the side and I followed him until we were out of earshot.

"Edwin, please, I need your help," I whispered. "Linda stole my cheerleading uniform design, and she's in there right now meeting with Claudia Klein to—"

"Ah, so that's why you're loitering outside a private restaurant," Edwin interrupted, his lips curving into a wry smile. "My apologies, but I'm actually here for my own dinner reservation. Alone."

My shoulders slumped in defeat. "Please, Edwin," I begged, reaching out to grasp the sleeve of his jacket. "You have to help me. I need to get in there and expose Linda for the fraud that she is!"

For a moment, Edwin simply regarded me in silence, his expression unreadable as his eyes flickered down to my quivering lips. Then, with an exaggerated sigh, he shook his head. "Fine. I suppose I could take you in as my guest," he relented. "But don't expect me to do something like this for you again. And you'd better not cause a scene.""

Relief flooded through me, and I couldn't stop the bright smile that spread across my face. "Thank you, Edwin! I promise I won't-"

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Chapter 29

"Ah, ah, ah." He raised a hand to silence me. "No need for the flattery. Let's go."

Rolling my eyes, I followed closely at his heels as he strode up to the burly doorman. "Evening, Robert," Edwin greeted the man with a jovial nod. "This young lady is my guest."

The doorman eyed me skeptically for a moment before stepping aside to allow us entry. "Very well, Alpha Brooks."

As soon as we stepped inside, the aroma of the restaurant's food hit me, making my mouth water. But I didn't have time to appreciate the atmosphere-my gaze was immediately drawn to the back of the dining room, where I could just make out Linda and Claudia seated at a private table.

Without a word, I started to make a beeline in their direction, but Edwin's hand on my arm stopped me.

"Wait a moment," he chided, holding me back. "Remember, I said no causing a scene. You'll wait here until I give you the signal."

Frustrated, I opened my mouth to argue, but one stern look from Edwin had me huffing out a sigh and folding my arms across my chest. "Fine," I muttered, glaring at him as he settled himself across from me.

Clearing his throat, he leaned over to me and lowered his voice. "Now, tell me what exactly did Linda do now, and why are you so hellbent on confronting her here?"

I wasted no time in launching into a detailed explanation, my voice low and urgent as I recounted the events leading

Edwin's eyes were wide. up to this moment. By the time I was finished,

"She... Stole your design?" he asked incredulously.

I nodded. "Blatantly. It was denied for the contest, but then..."

Edwin grit his teeth. "That little..." He turned his head to look at Claudia and Linda, who were still in the midst of an animated discussion. Then, without warning, he grabbed my arm and pulled me toward their table.

Third Person POV

Across the room, Claudia Klein sat back in her chair, eyeing Linda with a considering gaze as the younger woman prattled on about her design process. Truth be told, Claudia was only half-listening. There was something about this girl that just didn't quite sit right with her, although she couldn't seem to place her finger on it.

"And that's why I feel we could make an excellent team, Ms. Klein," Linda was saying, her voice dripping like honey. "I believe you'll find I'm a hard worker, and-"

"Enough." Claudia raised a hand, cutting Linda off mid-sentence. Her brow furrowed slightly as she studied Linda's narrow face. "Tell me, my dear-how is it that you managed to complete this design in such a short amount of time? From what I understand, you were recently suspended until... Three days ago?"This is property © NôvelDrama.Org.

Linda blinked, momentarily thrown off by the unexpected question. "Well, I, uh... I've always had a natural talent for fashion, you see," she stammered. "And once I set my mind to something, I-"

"Hmm." Claudia hummed thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "I see..."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps caught Claudia's attention. She looked up to see none other than Alpha Edwin Brooks striding her way-with a young girl on his arm, no less. "Edwin," Claudia breathed, blinking dazedly. "What a pleasure-"

"That design is mine, you thief!" the girl blurted out before Claudia could finish, pointing an accusing finger at a startled Linda. "I submitted it myself, and you stole it!"

Linda's eyes went wide, and she opened and closed her mouth uselessly for a moment before whirling around to face Claudia. "S-she's lying! This is my design, I swear-"

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Chapter 29

But Claudia held up a hand, silencing her. "What was your name, young lady?" she asked the girl on Edwin's arm. "And why don't you show me the proof of your design, if you claim it was yours?"

"My name is Audrey Thatcher." Audrey immediately began rifling through her bag, pulling out page after page filled with detailed schematics and sketches. "Here, look!" she insisted, thrusting the pages towards Claudia. "I have timestamped documents showing when I submitted this design."

"And you, Edwin?" Claudia asked, shooting Alpha Brooks a curious glance. "You vouch for this girl?"

Edwin simply nodded. "Indeed I do," he replied evenly. "Miss Thatcher is a student of mine. I know her work quite well."

Claudia didn't need any more convincing; the look on Linda's face was enough to reveal the truth. With a sharp nod, she turned to the security guards flanking the door. "Escort Miss O'Malley off the premises immediately," she commanded. "And make sure she is banned from this establishment."

As the security guards converged on Linda, Claudia's features softened slightly as she turned her attention back to Audrey.

"Young lady, I must say, I'm quite impressed by your work," she said, leaning across the table. "Perhaps we could have a chat..."

As Audrey took her seat and they began to talk, a warm affection stirred inside of Claudia. There was a spark in Audrey that Claudia couldn't help but be drawn to.

In fact, Claudia couldn't even recall feeling such a connection to even her own daughter, Fiona..