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The soft light of morning spilled through the curtains as Zayn stirred awake to the sound of little feet pattering outside his bedroom. Before he could even sit up, the door creaked open and a tiny voice called out:

“Mommy!”

Zayn smiled and sat up, stretching. “Good morning, baby,” he said, reaching for Ari as the boy jumped into his bed and hugged him tight.

“Let’s gooo! I’m hungry!”

Zayn chuckled. “Alright, alright, let’s make breakfast.”

Soon, the kitchen filled with the cozy clinks of plates and the warm scent of toast and eggs. Zayn stood at the stove, flipping pancakes while Ari sat at the counter, swinging his legs and sipping juice through a straw.

As they sat down to eat, Ari’s bright eyes looked up with curiosity.

“Mommy... what is ‘alpha’?”

Zayn paused for a moment, then smiled gently.

“Why do you ask, baby?”

“Everyone at school calls me alpha,” Ari said proudly. “So what does it mean?”

Zayn reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind his son’s ear.

“Well, because you are an alpha,” he said. “Alphas are brave and strong and take care of others. Just like you do.”

Ari grinned. “And you, mommy? Are you an alpha too?”

Zayn shook his head. “No, sweetheart. I’m an omega.”

Ari tilted his head. “Then I wanna be omega too! I wanna be just like you.”

Zayn laughed softly, touched beyond words. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Ari’s forehead.

“You’re already perfect, baby. And you know what? Alphas are super strong. You're my strong little boy, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Mommy! Look at my muscles!” Ari proudly pulled up his tiny shirt and flexed his arms, showing off what he clearly believed were very impressive biceps.

Zayn burst into laughter. “Oh no, I better be careful or you’ll carry me to work!”

“I can carry you!” Ari declared, puffing out his chest.

Zayn kissed his cheek again. “Okay, strong man. Now hurry up or we’ll be late for school.”

---

A short while later, they were walking to the car. Zayn strapped Ari in, then leaned down to kiss his forehead before closing the door.

At the school gate, Ari turned back and waved furiously.

“Bye Mommy! Love you!”

“Love you more!” Zayn called back.

He stood for a moment, watching Ari disappear inside with his little backpack bouncing behind him. Then he turned away, took a deep breath, and headed to work.

---

The elevator ride up the glass building was quiet. Zayn straightened the collar of his shirt, glanced at his reflection, and sighed.

Alaric Corporation.

The company founded by his family. Now run by his brother, Adric Alaric.

But no one at the office knew his full name. He had never told anyone that he was Zayn Alaric, brother of the CEO. Instead, he simply worked as a regular employee in the design and planning department quiet, efficient, and unbothered by company gossip.

After everything that happened six years ago, Zayn had dropped out of college. But later, quietly, through late nights and silent mornings, he finished his degree online. For Ari. For a better life.

He had asked Adric to give him a job but not through favoritism.

“I don’t want special treatment,” he had said. “I just want to work. I want to earn it myself.”

Adric had agreed respecting Zayn’s wishes more than anything.

And so now, Zayn worked in the same building as his brother his past hidden behind a polite smile and the name tag on his chest that simply read:

Zayn E.

---

Inside the office, no one knew his story. They didn’t know he was a single parent.

To them, Zayn was just the soft-spoken guy with calm eyes, who always met deadlines.

But Zayn liked it that way.

He didn’t want the attention.

And that morning, as he walked through the buzzing halls of the company, nodding politely to people who didn’t know he owned part of the name above the building, Zayn smiled to himself.

Because sometimes... strength wasn’t in making noise.

Sometimes, strength was in growing silently, in holding on, and smiling even when the world thought you couldn’t.

---

The soft ding of the elevator echoed as the doors slid open. Zayn stepped out, adjusting the strap of his satchel as he walked through the polished corridor of Alaric Corporation. His heels clicked lightly against the marble tiles, and he nodded politely at the few people passing by.

As he reached his desk, he offered a soft smile.

“Good morning,” he greeted his colleagues.

“Morning, Zayn!” one of them replied, sipping coffee. “Ready for the CEO meeting?”

Zayn paused mid-sit. “Wait, what meeting?”

“You didn’t check the mail? We have a general meeting today with the CEO at 11. He’s going to discuss the next quarter’s expansion plan.”

“Oh,” Zayn blinked. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

“Make sure to gather all the presentation files you were working on,” his team lead added. “He might ask questions.”

Zayn gave a small nod. “Got it.”

He sat down at his desk, trying not to let his nerves show. Although he worked for his brother’s company, no one here apart from Adric himself  knew who he really was. He had kept his identity hidden carefully.

Zayn preferred being treated like everyone else, without the pressure, without the pity. Just another worker trying to do his job.

He opened his laptop, scrolling through spreadsheets, checking charts, and fine-tuning the product design brief. By the time the clock neared 11, he had a neat folder with all the documents required for the meeting.

“Let’s go?” one of his teammates asked.

“Yeah,” Zayn stood, taking a breath as he followed them toward the conference room.

---

The meeting room was large, with glass walls and sleek furniture. People had already started to gather, a quiet buzz of conversation humming through the space. The long oval table filled quickly as more employees filed in.

And just then, the door opened.

Everyone stood.

Zayn lifted his eyes slowly.

Adric Alaric walked in, tall and composed in his fitted navy suit, his presence instantly commanding the room. He looked around, giving a polite nod to the employees before taking his seat at the head of the table.

“Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here,” Adric began, his voice deep and composed. “As you all know, we’ve had an excellent quarter, and I appreciate your continued efforts. We’re planning to expand two new departments, and I’d like to go over the plans with the core teams today.”

He gestured to the screen behind him, where a slideshow began.

Zayn’s part came up soon enough. He stood quietly when asked, explaining the visuals, the color theory, and the product strategy. His voice was calm, confident even as his stomach fluttered.

Adric listened carefully.

“Zayn, that was well-articulated,” he said after a moment. “I’m impressed with the detailed breakdown of user interaction.”

Zayn blinked. Compliments were rare in such a formal setting.

“Thank you, sir.”

A few people turned to look at Zayn, a little surprised. It wasn’t often the CEO praised someone directly. Zayn sat down quietly, hiding the faint blush on his cheeks.

Adric continued the meeting, but from time to time, his gaze lingered on Zayn.

He could see it the quiet strength in his brother. The gentle resilience. The pain that had turned into purpose. Adric knew Zayn didn’t want to be known as the CEO’s brother. He wanted to be known for his work.

And today, he was.

---

After the meeting, everyone slowly left the room, chatting about future goals and changes. Zayn packed his file, ready to head back to his desk, when he heard Adric’s voice.

“Zayn, can I speak with you for a minute?”

His breath caught.

Zayn turned. “Yes… sir?”

Adric smiled faintly at the formality.

When the last person left and the door closed, Adric leaned back in his chair.

“You did good today.”

“Thanks,” Zayn said, a little awkwardly.

There was a pause.

Adric studied his brother’s face, noticing the faint shadows under his eyes the tiredness he tried to hide.

“How’s Ari, did he miss me?” Adric asked softly.

Zayn's lips lifted into a small, real smile. “yeaj he is fine, and yeah he is missing you and not gonna lie, he is missing Rhys more than you.”

“definitely rhys ,” he whispered. “Like always.”

Zayn chuckle.

---

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