Chapter 1
Imperfect
Liora
"That's what you're wearing?" Mace asked, raising an eye. Annoyance shot down the bond.
I looked down at my pleated navy skirt and simple white blouse. "What's wrong with it?"
"You look like a schoolgirl. Go put on the blue dress I got you last month." He straightened his cufflinks and frowned, dark eyes darkening more. "Hurry up, we're going to be late to the opening."
I ran up the curved stairs to my room and straight into the walk-in closet. It took me a moment to locate the dress he was talking about among all the other dresses, but finally I grabbed it, pulled it over my head and left my previous outfit on the floor. I'd deal with it later.
"Good god, Li, you can't wear those shoes with that dress!" Mace huffed when I started down the stairs.
"Mace, come on!" Aiden called from outside. "We have to be there in ten minutes."
"Fuck, come on." Mace jerked his head toward the door.
I ran back down the stairs, already starting to sweat from nerves and exertion. He grabbed my arm and practically pulled me out to the limo waiting in front of the mansion. We piled inside and I tried to smooth my dress so I didn't flash everyone in the vehicle.
Aiden sat across from me, looking calm and relaxed in his tan suit that contrasted his darker skin. He was polished to perfection, looking every bit the accomplished millionaire he was. He gave me a quick smile before turning to Mace, who sat beside him.
I was sitting alone on the opposite side of the limo, staring out the window at the passing scenery and trying to get my breathing under control. It wasn't a long drive, but there were plenty of people waiting as the limo pulled up in front of the new building.
"Fix your makeup before you get out," Mace ordered.
I scrambled for my clutch, only to realize I'd left it in the heap of clothes at the house. Shit. He was going to be pissed now. His displeasure was already pulsing through the bond. Aiden's cooler demeanor seldom made a dent in the bond we had, but Mace was always a gushing fountain of feelings. Usually irritation towards me.
He pushed aside the irritation and focused on smiling and looking relaxed as he stepped out of the limo. Aiden followed, lifting a hand to the reporters. Then the two of them walked toward the building while I frantically dabbed at my face with a piece of tissue from the bar. Once I was satisfied there were nosmudges on my face, I stepped out of the limo, head raised high, a smile fixed on my face.
No one was watching me, though. All eyes were on the three men at the podium. I could feel Finn's pride shining like a light through the bond as he stood there, grinning out at the crowd that had gathered.
The three of them had worked so hard on building this project and now it was done. It stood as a testament to their years of hard work, a massive five-story building with a clinic on the first floor and labs on the next three. The top floor was all offices and where my men worked daily.
Standing to the side of the temporary stage, I smiled up at them. I was proud of what they'd accomplished in just six years. They'd gone from working at Mace's father's firm to building their own empire and they'd brought me with them. It didn't matter that Mace wanted everything just perfect, including me. He deserved it. They all did.
The three alphas each gave a short speech and I listened with rapt attention.
Aiden was first to the mic. "I just want to thank everyone here for showing up and being a part of this incredible day. It's not every day that dreams come true, but here it is, our dream is reality and we couldn't have done it without the support and love of this community, our friends, and our family." He flashed that charming grin that had everyone clapping and roaring out his name.
As Aiden stepped away, Finn moved into his place. "Like Aiden said, this has been an incredible achievement that just wouldn't have been possible without all the support we've been given. I want to shout out to Mr. Addall, for all his encouragement, even when it meant we were leaving his firm to do our own thing," he waved at Mace's dad in the back of the crowd. "And our early investors, for believing in us. We mayhave given you a scare from time to time, but I think you'll agree it was all worth it!" A cheer went up and I bit my lip to keep the stupid grin off my face.
"Thank you, everyone for being here. As you know, the ADP Group has been working very hard on this project for the past five years and the results of all that hard work are in front of you. We're proud to serve the same community that supported us and we look forward to helping many more people in the future." Mace stood there, proud and beautiful, his chestnut waves neatly slicked back, his suit perfectly pressed.
"My partners have thanked a lot of people, but I think we can all agree that without this one person, we never would have made it." His eyes softened and he smiled. "This lady is very special to us and without her encouragement and support, we would have floundered more than once. She kept us going and kept our dreams alive."
I smiled, moving toward the stairs, proud to be acknowledged. Happy to feel their emotions through the bond, their joy and love that had been fading over the past few stressful months.
"Please welcome Andrea Jackson!" Mace stepped back and started clapping along with everyone else.
Andrea? The smile faded from my face as the willowy blonde beta climbed the steps in a bright red, very short dress. She was just as polished as the men, her lipstick in place, no patchy spots on her face.
"Thank you, Mace. It's been an honor to be a part of the project," she said, her light voice carrying over the crowd.
"We want to make a special announcement today, then we'll cut the ribbon," Aiden said, stepping up to the mic. He grinned at Andrea. "We're officially making Andrea a partner in the ADP Group. Please welcome our new marketing and PR director."
Another round of applause. I clapped along, my stomach dropping. They hadn't even mentioned me. I'd been there everystep of the way with them and they hadn't looked my way or said a single word about me. But Andrea had been in the office with them, so she was the one who got the recognition. No matter how I tried to be happy for them, it felt like a betrayal.
