Chapter 36
\nMarked By the Pureblood Alpha (Deanna and Luis) novel Chapter 36<\/p>\n
Chapter 36 Let\u2019s Pretend Last Night Never Happened<\/p>\n
Deanna\u2019s POV:<\/p>\n
I was lost in thought and didn\u2019t notice the wall in front of me.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, a warm hand slipped around my waist.<\/p>\n
I flinched, snapping back to reality. When I looked up, Luis was staring at me with a teasing glint in his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cW\u2013what\u2019s wrong?\u201d My voice sounded shaky.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat were you thinking about? You almost walked into the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced at the wall just a few feet away, and my cheeks heated. \u201cThanks,\u201d I mumbled.<\/p>\n
He raised a brow. \u201cYou think you can drive?\u201d<\/p>\n
+20 Free Coins<\/p>\n
His hand was still resting on my waist, the warmth seeping through my thin blouse. A car rolled past in the parking lot, making me even more aware of how close we were. I instinctively stepped back, putting space between us.<\/p>\n
I hesitated, then gathered my courage and looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cLuis, last night was an accident. We\u2019re both adults. Let\u2019s just pretend it didn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
The moment the words left my mouth, his expression darkened.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what you\u2019re saying is\u2026 last night was just a one\u2013night stand?\u201d<\/p>\n
His tone carried no emotion, but the weight of it pressed down on me until my chest tightened.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t bring myself to meet his eyes. I dropped my gaze in silence.<\/p>\n
Luis let out a sharp laugh. \u201cFigures. Once you put your clothes on, you act like you don\u2019t know me\u2013that\u2019s just your style.\u201d<\/p>\n
My lips parted; I wanted to rebuke him, but no words came out. All I could do was watch as he turned and walked away, his back cold and unyielding.<\/p>\n
By the time I got to the mall for inspections, I still couldn\u2019t shake the angry look on Luis\u2019s face. The thought left me both frustrated and upset.<\/p>\n
Why did I say that? Things had just started to get better between us.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Wiley? Ms. Wiley?\u201d Kylie\u2019s voice jolted me out of my thoughts.<\/p>\n
\u201cHmm? What is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
She handed me a cup of hot coffee and lowered her voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Pope said this store isn\u2019t performing well. It\u2019s dragging down the mall\u2019s numbers. She wants to know if headquarters is willing to end the contract instead of renewing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the storefront of Muses. It was a brand selling women\u2019s apparel.<\/p>\n
1\/2<\/p>\n
1:43 am D<\/p>\n
Chapter 36 Let\u2019s Pretend Last Night Never Happened<\/p>\n
+20 Free Coins<\/p>\n
I remembered this brand.<\/p>\n
When Cloudview Mall first opened twenty years ago, they were one of the very first tenants.<\/p>\n
Because of the rise of online shopping, this women\u2019s clothing brand had slipped into a gray area\u2013not well\u2013known, but not obscure<\/p>\n
either.<\/p>\n
Their prices were high, and the customer base was small. Inevitably, sales had dropped year after year.<\/p>\n
I pulled my eyes from the storefront and turned to Trina Pope. My voice stayed calm. \u201cMs. Pope, what\u2019s your personal view?\u201d<\/p>\n
She cleared her throat. \u201cTheir contract ends at the end of this year. Even though Muses\u2018 distributor says they want to renew, their revenue keeps falling. They\u2019re dragging the whole mall down. My advice? Cut them.\u201d<\/p>\n
I lifted my gaze, letting it rest on her with meaning.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Pope, as the operations director of Cloudview Mall, did you try to help them through this slump? For example, did the mall promote Muses during events?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes flickered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did, but there are so many stores in the mall. The effect probably wasn\u2019t as strong as expected.\u201d<\/p>\n
I knew right away it was a lie.<\/p>\n
I had started as a sales associate and climbed step by step to regional manager. I knew mall operations inside out.<\/p>\n
Every mall had funds set aside to help stores boost visibility and sales.<\/p>\n
But those funds always went first to the big brands that were already successful.<\/p>\n
Muses clearly hadn\u2019t been a priority. To Trina, investing in them probably seemed like a waste.<\/p>\n
My tone turned cold as I cut straight through her excuse.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Pope, before you ask me to terminate a store, I expect you to at least try to help them recover their sales. Not just kick them out to make your numbers look better.\u201d<\/p>\n
I swept the room with my gaze. \u201cMuses has partnered with us for twenty years. When we were still a small mall, they helped us build our reputation. Now that their brand is slipping, we owe it to them\u2013not just for our credibility, but for simple decency\u2013to give them support.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room fell silent. The managers around me exchanged uneasy glances, but not one of them spoke.<\/p>\n
1:43 am D<\/p>\n
Chapter 37 1 Blocked You All<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-2119","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/icuow.top\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/2119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/icuow.top\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/icuow.top\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/icuow.top\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}