Chapter 11 Hunted Hearts
Scandal Breaks
Ethan’s phone began vibrating before sunrise.
Still half asleep, he reached toward the bedside table, expecting a routine message from the research council or perhaps his sister sharing another photograph from her graduation celebration.
Instead, the screen displayed thirty-eight missed calls.
More than a hundred unread messages.
Dozens of news alerts.
His stomach tightened.
Nothing good ever arrived in that quantity.
He sat upright and opened the first notification.
The headline filled the screen in enormous bold letters.
THE UNCLAIMABLE ALPHA FINALLY CHOOSES AN OMEGA
Below it appeared a crystal-clear photograph.
Damien and Ethan walking beside the river.
Their fingers intertwined.
Their expressions relaxed and genuinely happy.
Someone had captured the exact moment Damien had reached for Ethan’s hand.
Another article followed.
BILLIONAIRE ALPHA’S SECRET ROMANCE EXPOSED
Then another.
RESEARCHER OR LOVER? QUESTIONS SURROUND ETHICS OF HIGH-PROFILE STUDY
Within minutes Ethan realized the photographs had spread everywhere.
National newspapers.
Entertainment websites.
Business magazines.
Television channels.
Social media.
Every platform carried the same images from different angles.
Some articles described the relationship as a modern fairy tale.
Others questioned whether Ethan had manipulated the research from the beginning to gain Damien’s trust.
A few suggested something even worse.
That Ethan had deliberately accepted the assignment hoping to become the first omega capable of claiming the legendary Unclaimable Alpha.
The accusations grew more outrageous with every headline.
His phone rang again.
Claire.
He answered immediately.
“Good morning.”
“I’m sorry to wake you.”
“I was already awake.”
A brief silence followed.
“You’ve seen the news.”
“I have.”
“Mr. Wolfe is calling an emergency board meeting.”
“I expected as much.”
Claire hesitated.
“He asked me to tell you one thing.”
“What?”
“Don’t face this alone.”
Emotion tightened unexpectedly in Ethan’s chest.
“How is he?”
“Angry.”
“At me?”
“No.”
Her answer came without hesitation.
“At whoever did this.”
After ending the call, Ethan dressed quickly before leaving his apartment.
He had hoped to reach the research institute before reporters discovered where he lived.
He was too late.
The moment he stepped onto the sidewalk, cameras flashed from every direction.
“Mr. Brooks!”
“Did you deliberately pursue Damien Wolfe?”
“Are you engaged?”
“Did you falsify compatibility reports?”
“Have you already completed a mating bond?”
Questions came so quickly they blurred together.
Microphones appeared inches from his face.
Camera operators walked backward in front of him.
Several reporters pushed against one another trying to get closer.
Ethan remained calm.
“I’m not answering questions today.”
“Did you begin a relationship while conducting official research?”
“No comment.”
“Are the rumors true that Mr. Wolfe is biologically compatible only with you?”
“I have no comment.”
The crowd continued following him almost to the institute entrance.
Security officers finally intervened, allowing Ethan to enter the building.
He exhaled slowly.
The relief lasted less than a minute.
Conversations stopped as he walked through the reception area.
Researchers who normally greeted him warmly now exchanged uncertain looks.
Some smiled sympathetically.
Others quickly looked away.
The atmosphere had changed overnight.
Professor Helen Morrison waited outside her office.
Her expression carried both concern and disappointment.
“Come in.”
Ethan quietly closed the door behind him.
“I assume this isn’t a social visit.”
“No.”
Helen folded her hands on the desk.
“The ethics committee met early this morning.”
“So quickly?”
“The photographs forced the issue.”
Ethan nodded.
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
She looked genuinely saddened.
“You’re one of our most respected specialists.”
“I know.”
“But public confidence matters.”
“I know.”
Helen sighed.
“The committee has received formal complaints.”
“From whom?”
“Several competing researchers.”
“One anonymous military representative.”
“And...”
She hesitated.
“...three advocacy organizations.”
Ethan looked surprised.
“Advocacy organizations?”
“They believe your personal relationship compromises every scientific conclusion you’ve published.”
The words landed harder than Ethan expected.
“My reports were written before anything became personal.”
“I believe that.”
“The committee?”
“They require an investigation.”
Ethan lowered his eyes.
“What happens now?”
Helen slid a sealed envelope across the desk.
“I’m truly sorry.”
He already knew what it contained before opening it.
Pending completion of an independent ethics review, Ethan Brooks is suspended from all active research responsibilities.
The words blurred briefly.
Not because he couldn’t read them.
Because he couldn’t quite believe them.
“I’ve never violated protocol.”
“I know.”
“I documented every observation.”
“I know.”
“I disclosed every conflict of interest.”
“I know.”
Helen’s voice softened.
“This isn’t a judgment.”
“It feels like one.”
Neither of them spoke for several moments.
Finally Ethan carefully folded the letter and returned it to the envelope.
“When does the investigation begin?”
“Immediately.”
“Until then?”
“You cannot access institute archives.”
“You cannot publish findings.”
“You cannot continue official research involving Mr. Wolfe.”
Every sentence felt like another door quietly closing.
Research wasn’t simply Ethan’s profession.
It was his purpose.
His identity.
The work that had earned respect through years of dedication.
Now strangers who had never spoken to him questioned everything he had accomplished.
When Ethan left Helen’s office, the corridors seemed strangely unfamiliar.
People watched him without approaching.
Some offered encouraging smiles.
Others whispered after he passed.
None of them knew the truth.
None of them knew Damien had invited him to dinner only after weeks of research had already changed both of their lives.
None of them knew the impossible compatibility report remained locked away because Ethan had wanted evidence before making extraordinary claims.
The headlines had replaced reality.
As he stepped outside the institute, another crowd of reporters waited beyond the gates.
This time they weren’t alone.
Several elegantly dressed omegas stood nearby holding signs.
RESEARCH SHOULD BE FAIR
FAME ISN’T LOVE
One young omega shouted loud enough for every camera to capture it.
“You stole what every omega deserved!”
Another raised a phone displaying Ethan’s photograph.
“You planned this from the beginning!”
“You wanted his money!”
Ethan kept walking.
He refused to answer.
Every response would only become another headline.
A black sedan quietly stopped beside the curb.
The rear door opened.
Claire sat inside.
“Mr. Wolfe sent me.”
Ethan hesitated only briefly before getting into the car.
The reporters surged forward, cameras flashing wildly as the vehicle pulled smoothly into traffic.
Only when the noise faded behind them did Ethan finally allow himself to breathe.
He looked down at the suspension letter still resting in his hands.
Years of honest work.
Years spent protecting scientific integrity.
Years building a reputation through careful research and unwavering ethics.
All of it had been reduced to one accusation.
That he had never been a professional.
Only an omega chasing the country’s most famous Alpha.
For the first time since accepting Damien’s assignment, Ethan felt truly defeated.
Not because strangers doubted his relationship.
But because they doubted the integrity of the work he had devoted his life to.
Choosing Ethan
The emergency board meeting began at precisely nine o’clock.
No one commented on the unusual urgency. No one needed to.
Every director seated around the polished walnut table had already seen the headlines dominating every business channel in the country.
Every financial analyst was discussing Wolfe Industries.
Every investor wanted answers.
The enormous screen covering one wall displayed a seemingly endless stream of articles.
THE UNCLAIMABLE ALPHA FINALLY CHOOSES AN OMEGA
WOLFE INDUSTRIES CHAIRMAN ACCUSED OF ETHICS CONFLICT
BILLIONAIRE’S ROMANCE SPARKS CORPORATE QUESTIONS
The photographs appeared again and again.
Damien holding Ethan’s hand.
Ethan smiling beside him.
A quiet walk transformed into national news.
Richard Hastings switched off the display before silence settled over the room.
“We have a problem.”
No one argued.
The company’s legal adviser spoke first.
“Three institutional investors have requested clarification.”
“Our share price opened down nearly six percent.”
“The media has connected Mr. Brooks’ suspension to Wolfe Industries.”
Another director adjusted her glasses.
“Whether the accusations are true is becoming irrelevant.”
“The perception alone is damaging.”
Damien listened without interruption.
He had chaired enough difficult meetings to recognize when people were carefully choosing their words.
No one wanted to offend him.
They wanted him to solve the problem.
Richard finally looked directly at Damien.
“What exactly is your relationship with Ethan Brooks?”
The room became completely silent.
Damien answered calmly.
“We’re getting to know one another.”
Several directors exchanged uneasy glances.
“So the reports are accurate.”
“They are.”
The legal adviser leaned forward.
“Damien, with respect, this creates a significant conflict.”
“How?”
“Mr. Brooks was conducting official research involving you.”
“He has now been suspended.”
“The public believes he manipulated the assignment.”
Damien’s expression remained perfectly composed.
“The public is mistaken.”
“Perhaps.”
Richard sighed.
“But public opinion influences investors.”
Another board member spoke.
“We’re not questioning your personal life.”
“We’re questioning timing.”
“If this relationship continues publicly...”
She paused carefully.
“...the company could suffer.”
Damien folded his hands on the table.
“I understand the concern.”
Relief briefly crossed several faces.