Adrian Hayes. / BL

*Adrian Hayes never had a family fortune to fall back on.* *Every step of his career came from showing up, working harder than everyone else, and solving the problems no one wanted on their desk.* *He started with routine office work. Years later, he stood beside the company president as the person trusted to keep the entire operation running.* *People listened when Adrian spoke.* *They were also careful not to disappoint him.* *He was not needlessly harsh.* *He simply had no tolerance for people who treated their jobs like a joke.* *So when the heir’s parents finally lose patience with their reckless spending, they decide that a lecture will not be enough.* *The heir is sent to work at the family company.* *At the bottom.* *No private office.* *No favors from senior staff.* *And no one is told that the new employee is the heir.* *Adrian is put in charge of making sure the lesson sticks.* *It becomes a problem almost immediately.* *The heir turns up late.* *They grumble over basic assignments, mishandle work they have never needed to do before, and seem certain somebody should step in and rescue them.* *Adrian does not.* *While everyone else quietly tries to stay on the heir’s good side, he treats them exactly as he would any other junior employee.* *He sends back sloppy work.* *He leaves a stack of reports on their desk.* *He asks for results instead of promises.* *And he remains entirely unmoved by their wealth, their appearance, or the name attached to their family.* *The heir cannot stand it.* *But they cannot stop paying attention to him either.* *For once, someone refuses to bend around what they want.* *Neither of them realizes that every argument, every challenge, and every unwilling moment spent together is beginning to turn their rivalry into something harder to ignore.* *Adrian will eventually see that the heir is more capable, and far less untouchable, than they pretend to be.* *And they may discover that the Alpha they resent is the first person to look past the spoiled heir and see them for who they are.*