The Beta’s Killer Bride

Chapter 4: Carol's POV

What am I going to do? I feel so attracted to this man that I can’t focus on my freaking job. After our encounter outside of the elevator, he assured me the job was mine, but he still wanted to take me to a cafe to have a small interview so he could get to know me better.

I should have said no; I should have told him I had to meet someone or had a medical appointment. I could have come up with a good reason, but what did I do? I told him yes.

Stupid Carol. The worst part is that the lemon pie scent comes from him, making my mouth water.

I had never met a man who smelled this good before, and I didn’t even know there was a cologne that smelled that way.

“So, Carol, tell me a little bit more about out yourself,” Jace said while the waitress brought our food.

I asked for a dark coffee and a lemon pie, and Jace asked for a croissant and a mocha. I put some sugar in my coffee and started playing with the spoon.

Focus, Carol, you got this.

“I have been working with-” I said, but he lifted his hand to interrupt me.

“No, I can read that on your resume. I want to know you, Carol. What are your desires, dreams, and fears? Who are you?” He stared at me with such intensity that my knees weakened.

What should I say? Hey, I am an assassin hired to kill you, and I have to make you fall in love with me, but for some reason, I feel very attracted to you.

Oh, and by the way, I have no idea who my parents are, I was dropped in a strange house and that is why I became an assassin.

Yeah, I can’t say that.

“I love to sing, and cooking is one of my hobbies,” I replied timidly.

The first thing I learned was never to get involved with personal matters while on the job, including not revealing personal information, and here I was, breaking that golden rule.

“I would love to hear you sing one day,” he mumbled.

“Is that a conversation a secretary should be having with his boss?” I asked with an arched eyebrow.

From my understanding, Jace has never been seen with a girl, which means he is not the CEO who acts as a walking scandal. He’s professional, focused, and, by all accounts, a man who keeps his personal life private. So why does he feel so... different with me?

Especially since we consider he is a werewolf, one that has Alpha blood for that matter and who hasn’t found his mate yet.

Alphas are the ones who stick their d**k in any hole they find, but now him…

I heard a growl inside my head. Not again… I must be hallucinating.

Jace leaned back in his chair, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Maybe not. But I’m not exactly a conventional boss, am I?"

That smirk, combined with his playful voice, made my cheeks heat up. I focused on my coffee, stirring it needlessly as I tried to avoid his gaze.

"You’re not like most people I’ve worked for," I admitted cautiously, trying to steer the conversation away from whatever strange pull was growing between us.

His expression softened, and for a moment, I swore something deeper was behind his green eyes—a flicker of warmth and curiosity. "I try to see people for who they really are, not just what’s on paper. It’s important to me."

I swallowed hard. His words shouldn’t affect me, but they did. They made me feel exposed and vulnerable like he could see through the carefully constructed walls I’d built over the years.

I couldn’t let him see the real me, the one no one had access to, the one I was taught how to hide. Allen made sure I would never screw up on the job, but now…

Damn it.

"That’s... a good quality to have," I said quietly, finally taking a sip of my coffee.

"So, singing and cooking," Jace mused, steering the conversation back. "What kind of music do you like to sing? And what’s your specialty in the kitchen?"

I hesitated. This wasn’t part of the plan. I wasn’t supposed to be bonding with him, yet here I was, considering how much to tell him.

"I like older songs," I finally said. "Classics, mostly. And as for cooking, I’d say I make a mean lemon tart."

The corner of his mouth twitched, and his eyes lit up. "Lemon tart, huh? That’s ironic."

I blinked. "Why’s that?"

He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a more intimate tone. "Because you ordered lemon pie, you clearly have an obsession with lemon, but your perfume is sweet, not citric."

My stomach flipped. My perfume? No. That wasn’t perfume. I never wear perfume.

I couldn’t help myself; I stared at him in shock. "What do you mean?"

Jace tilted his head, his gaze sharpening. "It’s subtle, but it’s there. Every time you’re around, I smell raspberries and vanilla. It’s... unique."

My heart raced, and my mind scrambled for a response. Was he trying to tease me? Or was this something more?

I laughed, hoping it didn’t sound as nervous as I felt. "Maybe you’re imagining things. I don’t wear perfume."

His brows knit together, and for a second, it looked like he was about to press the issue. But instead, he shook his head, a small smile returning to his face. "Maybe I am."

The conversation shifted to lighter topics, and I tried to relax, but my thoughts kept circling back to his words. I didn’t have a single product in my routine that smelled like raspberries or vanilla. I won’t say I didn’t like that scent, but I preferred lemon. Even though my shampoo was meant to smell like lemon and orange, why did he smell something different?

And now I couldn’t stop wondering what it meant... or why my instincts whispered that this man, my target, was so much more than just another job.

I heard my phone buzzing in my purse, so I took it out. Of course I saved his name with another name, I couldn’t risk someone looking at my phone and finding out who I really was.

“Can you excuse me for a second?” I asked Jace. His eyes turned to my screen, and he saw his name. They instantly darkened, but then he cleared his throat, and they returned to normal.

Was that his wolf?

“Sure, take your time,” he said with a smile, but it wasn’t the same one he had given me moments ago. This one was a fake smile.

I got up and answered the call.

“Dad, I am sorry I didn’t call you, but I got the job,” I said quickly before Allen spoke. I couldn’t let him speak; Jace was an Alpha. Thus, his hearing abilities must be crazy good.

“That’s alright, sweetie, I will wait for you at home, are you alone? So I can go pick you up,” he asked; this was a hint to tell him if I was with Jace or not.

“Don’t worry. I brought my car, and I’m currently with my boss. He wants to get to know me better,” I replied. "I will pick up the cake after this,” I added.

This was our signal to tell him I was still within hearing range of our target, so he should keep up with the act.

“Thank you. I forgot about it. Please try to come home soon. Your cousin is dying to see you,” he replied, which meant he wanted to speak to me at home, so I should cut my reunion with Jace soon.

“Sure, Dad, see you at home.”

“See you at home, darling,” Allen said, cutting the call.

Damn it, I am never this careless. I knew I would take my time with Jace, so I should have sent a message to Allen informing him, but I was too focused on the Beta before me and not on the mission.

Perhaps it was a good thing we were interrupted; this way, I could go back and organize my thoughts and probably find a man to satisfy my urges.

Yeah, I’m not a virgin, surprise, surprise. Who is one at my age, though?

I returned to our table and saw Jace was on his phone. When he realized I had returned, he put it over the table, and his smile returned to his face.

“Sorry, my Dad called,” I apologized. “I must go, but I will be here first thing tomorrow morning.”

“That’s fine, Carol, but perhaps you should be in the office, not in the cafe,” he joked, making me blush.

Again, his eyes darkened, and I got lost in those profound green orbs for one minute.

I need a freaking cold shower after this.

“Yeah, the office; I will be at the office,” I said nervously.

Jace called the waitress to pay the bill. I offered to pay my part, but he told me it wasn’t necessary. After that, we walked to the office. I had left my car there, and he still had a job to do.

“Thank you for accompanying me, Mr. Hills, and for the opportunity; I won’t let you down,” I said as we stopped in front of the office building. My tone was professional, but my heart was still racing. Jace Hills had me all tied up in ways I couldn’t even begin to explain, and I hated that.

He gave me a small smile, the kind that made my stomach flip. "I’m sure you won’t, Carol. I have a good feeling about you."

A good feeling. If only he knew how wrong that was.

"Have a good evening," I said, walking to my car before he could say anything else that would make me question my existence.

But then his voice stopped me. "Carol."

I froze, my hand halfway to my car door, and turned to face him. "Yes?"

“Why do you have your Dad saved as Elliot? It’s a weird question, I know, but you are the first person I have seen that has her Dad’s number saved with their name,” f**k, f**k, f**k.

Jace was waiting for an answer. And here I am, standing like an i***t. f**k!