Chapter 21

Allison's POV

Xander Black must have been born to distract me. Once again, he has me staring at my system for a full ten minutes without doing anything, and he didn't even have to be here to do it!

I sigh, staring at the screen to remember what I was doing before the memories of yesterday swept me away.

Memories of Xander's eyes, and the unusual softness in them. Memories of his concern and his kindness. He had gone to a noodle shop just because I wanted to, and let me spend a foolishly long time at the fountain without complaining, even waiting for me and driving me home afterwards. All rather small things to be gushing about, I know, but dating Peterson for four years does that to a person.

And that look in his eyes…

I had turned away from the fountain at one point, looking around to see if he had gone, and there he was, drawing my eyes like he always does. His warm gaze had been fixed on me, an alluring smile playing on his lips. It had looked… almost like he might maybe somehow love me.

Hah! I think with a snort. Love you, indeed. Silly Allison. I must be getting ill, if I'm going around imagining unrealistic things like Xander Black developing any kind of feelings for someone like me.

I know he's doing what he feels he should. He's noble like that. It would be foolish of me to start turning it into what it's not.

In my distraction, my eyes drift towards Emily. She's sitting at her desk, glaring at me, and I get the feeling that she has been trying to catch my eye for a while now.

Emily has been acting even meaner towards me ever since I started ignoring the taunts from and her gossip team.

Clearly, she feels that I've stolen her easy ticket to being popular with everyone. She did make a lot of friends by going around and announcing that she found out about my pregnancy before anyone else, and telling the exaggerated version of the story to whoever would listen.

The sight of her is what reminds me of what's at stake. Not just my reputation, but Xander Black's as well. If we're discovered, those are not even the worst things that could go wrong. So instead of sitting here daydreaming about impossible things, I should be thinking of ways we can make sure that our secret "relationship" continues to remain secret. Emily and her little gossip ring are the least of my problems right now.

With that being said, I divert my thoughts to more important things. Like the Tech Wizard competition coming up next month.

It's a competition for software developers that happens every five years, where each participant will be expected to make a presentation showing off their software developing skills. This will be my first one, and I'm determined to take the judges by storm. The winning prices are bigger than I could have imagined, but they are not all that's at stake here. I have already made my name as the best software developer in the company, even though there are people that would rather deny this, and now I intend to be known as the best in the whole city. I intend to keep rising. As long as there's a higher point somewhere, I'll reach for it. Someday, I'm going to be at a level so high that no one is going to dare try to look down on me just because I'm an Omega.

As if summoned by my thoughts, Amy, another of my co-workers, appears beside me. She perches on my desk without bothering to ask and flashes a smile so big and bright, it might have fooled me if she had not been Emily's champion during their "let's gossip about Allison" phase.

"Hi, Allison," she says.

"Hi," I reply.

It's either that or roll my eyes and shove her off the desk. And being accused of attacking my fellow employees isn't going to do me any favors for the Tech Wizard competition.

"How are you doing?" Amy goes on, still smiling with too many teeth.

Hell, no. I have more important things to do than play some word game with her of all people.

"Do you want something, Amy?" I ask.

She has the audacity to pout.

"Don't be like that, Allison!" she says with a high, false laugh. As if we had been sharing a joke. "I want to see how you're doing. Pregnancy can be such a hassle. Morning sickness and all of that, am I right?"

Ah, there it is. The good old search for gossip material. Did Emily send her, or is she trying to overthrow the queen bee?

"I'm fine," I reply, not bothering to hide the ice in my voice.

Amy cheerfully chooses not to notice.

"I know Emily and her friends have been such bitches about this," she goes on, "but I'm not that prudish, you know."

Emily and her friends, huh. You're her enemy then, Amy?

"Oh, really?" I say drily.

"Yes!" she replies, her smile stretching even wider. "I believe that a woman should get to decide what she does with her body. Slut shaming sucks, you know what I'm saying?"

All I know is that this nonsense has gone on long enough.

"And did you just pick up these beliefs on your way to my desk, or did you hold them the whole time you were literally slut shaming me?" I snap.

Amy's mouth forms an O of surprise, as if she has no idea what I'm talking about.

I'm this close to tossing all cares to the wind and shoving her off my desk when my phone rings. It's Elsa on the line.

"Allison," she says as soon as I pick, sounding worried, "this is really going to suck."

It's her tone, more than her words, that fills me with worry.

"Why? What's going on?" I ask. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she replies. "It's not me, it's…" she sighs. "It's Peterson."

"What about him?" I ask.

What has he done this time?

"I guess there's no better way to say this," Elsa says with another sigh. "Peterson has disappeared, Allison. It's like he has vanished into thin air."