Breaking the Arrogant Alphas

The chandelier lights glittered overhead, casting soft golden beams across silk gowns and pressed suits. Waiters drifted between guests with silver trays, and the clink of fine glass echoed against the high ceilings of the Debonair estate ballroom.

Krishna sat at her table, swirling the untouched champagne in her glass, pretending to care about the hors d'oeuvres spread in front of her. Aaron hovered at her side, silent but watchful, glaring down any Alpha stupid enough to stare at her for too long.

And at the center of the room?

Lucius Vale.

Flanked by business elites, political figures, and ambitious corporate sharks pretending to laugh at jokes that weren't funny.

Krishna was halfway through zoning out when she heard it.

"Debonair's… charity projects are commendable," Lucius said smoothly, sipping from his glass, "Though, one wonders if charity is simply a convenient distraction from internal… mismanagement."

The air around their side of the ballroom shifted.

Conversations paused. Eyes darted toward Lorenzo. Toward Lucian. Then… Krishna.

Lorenzo stiffened in his chair. Lucian's expression darkened, already taking a step forward.

But Krishna…

Krishna stood first.

With a slow stretch, she set her glass down, smoothed her skirt, and walked toward the fire.

Her heels clicked with lazy authority, and when she finally reached the edge of Lucius's circle, she smiled like she had all the time in the world to ruin someone's career.

"Mr. Vale," she said, voice low and dripping with fake sweetness, "I hope you're not confusing targeted slander with small talk."

Somewhere near the back, someone audibly choked on their wine.

Lucius turned to her, calm and unbothered, giving her that cold, practiced boardroom smile.

"Not slander," he corrected mildly. "Just facts."

"Oh, facts?" she parroted, tipping her head. "I wasn't aware cherry-picked quarterly reports counted as facts these days."

The people around them froze. Several business execs turned slightly, eager for blood.

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "I deal in verifiable data, Miss Debonair. I suggest you review your father's last earnings call before making baseless assumptions."

Krishna took one step closer. "Funny you mention earnings calls. Tell me, Mr. Vale… did you review your own before coming here tonight? Or were you too busy explaining to your shareholders why your Southeast Asia market shares dropped seventeen percent after your last restructuring gamble?"

Lucius's glass paused mid-air.

The air thickened.

Krishna kept going.

"And let's not forget the HR lawsuits your board is quietly settling under the radar. Workplace discrimination… improper termination… sound familiar?"

A low gasp rippled through the nearby crowd.

Lorenzo stood frozen, blinking like someone had swapped his bratty half-sister for a corporate assassin overnight.

Lucian… Lucian just smirked into his drink.

Lucius's stare hardened. "Watch your tone, Debonair. You're playing in waters far above your depth."

Krishna chuckled, soft and wicked.

"Oh sweetheart… I grew up swimming with sharks. Your depth?" She leaned in, lowering her voice to a purr only he could hear. "I measure it in inches."

Lucius's jaw flexed.

"Let's get something clear," he bit out, dropping his mask of indifference just enough to show a sliver of teeth. "Your place at this table is ornamental. You're a Beta, with no board seat, no corporate vote, no political leverage. Stay in your lane."

Krishna's grin widened like he'd just handed her the match to burn him alive.

"I'm ornamental?" she repeated, turning just enough to let the rest of the guests hear. "Then tell me why you're bleeding points on the international board for failing to close the Sutherland logistics merger? Or how your personal stock options took a hit after the last quarterly dip?"

Lucius inhaled slowly through his nose, now visibly tense.

"Oh, and by the way…" She tilted her head, playful but lethal. "It's cute that you think Beta means powerless. You of all people should know… some of us do just fine tearing down Alphas for sport."

A burst of muffled laughter came from the investor table near the corner. Even some of the government officials stifled grins behind their napkins.

Lucius's face stayed still… but his grip on the wine glass tightened, knuckles whitening.

Lorenzo… didn't know whether to be horrified or impressed.

Leevah looked like she might faint.

Lucian? Watching it unfold with the kind of slow-building pride he'd never admit out loud.

Krishna dusted imaginary lint off her sleeve.

"Now if you'll excuse me, Mr. Vale," she said sweetly, "I've got better things to do tonight than educate men with fragile egos and failing stocks."

With that, she turned on her heel, walked back to her table, and took her seat like she hadn't just dragged one of the most untouchable Alphas in the country through a verbal shredder… in front of half the nation's elite.

Aaron?

Already handing her a fresh drink like the loyal little dog he was.

And Lucius?

He stood frozen… glass trembling just slightly in his hand… as everyone around him politely pretended not to stare.

But in the corner of his eye…

He never stopped watching her.