Who's My Triplet's Alpha Daddy? Novel

Chapter 46 Dec 18, 2025 POV: Lysander I hear Caroline's voice through the conference room door before I open it. She's talking to someone-probably her assistant-about charts and presentation strategy and why pink is actually the most powerful color for negotiations. My hand hesitates on the doorknob. Last chance to back out, send Claire in instead, avoid this particular disaster for another day. But I'm apparently committed to self-destruction today. I open the door. Caroline's standing by the window, back to me, phone pressed to her ear. Pink suit that probably cost more than my car.

Hair up in that calculated professional updo that's completely different from the messy bun at The Pink Peacock ninety minutes ago. She turns when she hears the door. Sees me. And her face does this thing-shock, confusion, realization, something else I can't quite read. "I'll call you back." She hangs up without waiting for response. "Lys?" "Hi." Brilliant opening, Lysander. Really nailing this. "What are you-" She stops. Processes. I watch her brain connect dots in real-time. "Oh my god. You're the Fenris heir.

You're the person I'm meeting with." "Surprise?" I attempt, and it comes out exactly as weak as it sounds. "Surprise." She repeats it flatly. Sets her phone down with controlled precision. "So. When exactly were you planning to mention that?" "It's complicated-" "That phrase again." She laughs but there's no humor in it. "Do you have any other explanations or is 'it's complicated' your entire vocabulary?" Fair. "I didn't know you were Montgomery Legal when we met. The grocery store was coincidence.

And then you texted about coffee before I knew you were the competition." "The competition." Something flashes across her face. "Is that what this is? You've been doing reconnaissance? Getting close to the enemy? Very strategic." "No. That's not-" I stop because how do I explain this without sounding like a complete asshole? "I genuinely didn't know. Sunday was an accident. Monday your firm requested the meeting. I found out after we'd already scheduled coffee." She studies me with those blue eyes that are significantly less warm than they were an hour ago.

"And you didn't think to mention it? Send a text? Give me any indication that our cute coffee flirtation was also a professional conflict?" "I should have." No deflection. No charm. Just truth. "You're right. I should have told you." "But you didn't." She crosses her arms. "Because?" Because I wanted both. Wanted the spark without the complications. Wanted to keep the impossible thing separate from the professional thing and pretend they could coexist. Before I can answer, Claire walks in. Professional smile, documents in hand, completely unaware she's walking into a detonation.

"Sorry to interrupt. I have the quarterly reports you wanted-" She stops. Looks between us. Reads the room with uncomfortable accuracy. "Is everything okay?" "Fine," I say at the same time Caroline says, "We know each other." Claire's eyebrows lift. "You do?" "We met Sunday," Caroline explains with a smile that's pure professional courtesy. "Grocery store collision. Very dramatic. Organic produce everywhere." I watch Claire's face process this information. Watch her connect the dots between my weird behavior since Sunday and the woman currently standing in our conference room.

"Small world," Claire manages. Her voice stays level but I know her well enough to hear the question underneath. "Very small." Caroline's looking at me now. "Lysander didn't mention he was one of the Fenris brothers. Just said he was 'Lys' and had cute not-kids visiting. Very mysterious." "He's good at mysterious," Claire says, and there's an edge there I definitely deserve. "I'm getting that impression." Caroline pulls out her presentation materials with controlled efficiency. "Should we get started? I'm sure everyone's busy." She launches into her pitch before anyone can object.

Montgomery Legal's expansion plans. Market analysis. Client demographics. Potential synergies with Fenris Group. She's good. Really good. Confident without arrogance. Data-driven but personable. The pink suit works perfectly-disarming people who expect corporate gray while she systematically builds her case. Claire takes notes. I watch Caroline present and try not to think about how ninety minutes ago she was showing me custody case files while ordering me rose cardamom lattes. "So." Caroline clicks to her final slide. "My father's interested in either a merger or acquisition.

Fenris would maintain operational autonomy in Colorado. Montgomery brings resources, client base, national reputation. We'd both benefit from consolidated presence in the Western market." She looks directly at me. "Thoughts?" This is where I should be strategic. Protect my territory. Play the Alpha heir who doesn't cede ground to anyone. But she's looking at me with those eyes that were warm an hour ago and are now professionally neutral, and I can't quite make myself destroy her the way I should. "It's an interesting proposal," I say carefully.

"But I'm not interested in merger or acquisition right now. Fenris Colorado is growing independently. We don't need Montgomery's resources." "You mean you don't want them." She tilts her head. "Or you don't want me in your professional space after I've already invaded your personal space?" Claire shifts uncomfortably. She's definitely picking up on subtext now. "I mean the timing isn't right," I attempt, but even I don't believe it. "The timing." Caroline closes her laptop with deliberate precision. "Right. Because timing is so important in business decisions.

Nothing to do with personal complications or strategic positioning or the fact that I didn't know you were one of the Fenris brothers." "If I'd known you were running Montgomery expansion, I would have handled things differently." I'm trying to salvage something here. "The coffee, the texts-" "Would you have?" She interrupts. "Or would you have just avoided me entirely? Sent Claire to take this meeting while you hid in your office?" Direct hit. Because yeah, probably. She gathers her materials with impressive composure. "Well. Thank you for your time.

I'll let my father know Fenris isn't interested in partnership." She looks at Claire. "It was lovely meeting you. You have excellent organizational skills. The conference room setup was perfect." "Thank you," Claire manages. Then Caroline turns to me. "And Lys-or should I call you Lysander now? Since we're being professional." Her smile could cut glass. "Thank you for the cultural exchange. The fancy lattes. The mutual disaster recognition. It's been educational." She's at the door before I can respond. "Caroline-" "Save it." She pauses, looks back. "For what it's worth?

If I'd known you were one of the Fenris brothers when we collided Sunday, I would've handled things differently too." Her voice softens slightly. "I imagined you differently. Less charming. More corporate. Definitely not as handsome as your brother Kieran from the photos I've seen." The compliment lands wrong. Because she's comparing me to Kieran while simultaneously walking away. "If I'd known who you were," she continues, "I would've told you everything this morning. Over coffee.

Given you the chance to reject Montgomery professionally before we made anything personal more complicated than it needed to be." She leaves. Then Claire. And I sit in silence while her footsteps fade down the hallway. Archer