CONTRACTED TO HATE

ou, not in a cute, flirty way, but in a cynical, soul-crushin

mask of composure: calm, sharp, and prohibitively expensive. People practically flattened themselves against the walls as I passed, like w

ed a nervous smile that didn't quite rea

ls sounded like gunfire against the marble. "You

gh of someone who knows they are eas

d up, offering a paper cup like she was de

n name. Bless her soul; she was a tiny islan

"Strong enough to make me fo

on eggshells made of money around here,

e pretending to be comfortable. Kara, my assistant, was already there. She's the

ay?" sh

uncle in a room full of suits who confuse emotional suppression with power. But I gave her

media brief," she repo

st for the relen

was a lifeline in a shipwreck. "The press i

my voice a smooth, controlled hum. "We're giving the market

rstood." She bolted befor

ny more bad news before I

s the apocalypse is next on the calendar. "Dr. Michaels

nfirm my own funeral if it made hi

l it,"

alre

rd. Tell him I've spontaneously develop

tablet clutched to her chest.

uct launch, and look

es my afternoon. Efficiency was his love language, and it was driving me

hen deleted it. I wasn't giving him the satisfaction of my anger. An

vely, and a vibrant disruption to the

the patriarchy," I said

ng onto my sleek so

ate murder. Discreetly, of cou

body," she offered, a

emotionally unavailable musician. She vented, and I listened, nodding a

afford decent shoes, dump him. Unless he's truly

. "You're r

reali

ng fathers. I hadn't mentioned, Janice is Raymond's daughter. My only friend is the da

sband?" she

gure or the one in my imagination who occ

" she sp

ing the company, my schedule, and, ap

ced. "Stil

e now. That kind of polite that makes you wan

hey're asking for a follow-up quote, Miss Andr

ommitted to quality.' And then shut t

ing her jacket. "Sp

my desk. "Maybe. Depends if I'm still legally

d, a rare moment of

ll of them, Ruby.

ngeance is the only anti-agi

_____________

ootsteps, no fake smiles, no polite assassins. Just me and the obnox

ee. Wrong. I was just waiting for the perfect moment to de

red, flipping the phone fa

ed against the marble floor, each tap a declaration of war. And then I saw it. A shiny bl

llar empire would have something better to do, like ruin someone else'

t stood there and let out a short, unhinged laugh, the one you

?" I asked, my voice e

ce, eyes like a mathematical constant. "Someone forgot an appointm

nt. Like he was reading a weather

" I started walking. I'd

driver home. I kept walking, and the car started rolling s

in, R

hell, J

ated sigh. "Already t

an't m

his head.

e move, the one that made me want to thr

on't you? Playing Knight

ound. "Knight? Please. You los

we're doing this now? Ripping

droom thinking you can play with the big boys, a

sabotaged me, y

be so proud." He glanced out the window, his voice dropping into that infuriating calm he reserves for psychological warfare. "F

nto fists. "Go ch

e drawled. "It's b

e. I assume the sc

ing over me with clinical boredom. "Don't flatter yourself. Marietta and the re

," I snapped, ref

though it sounded lik

ng as a

side. It was ridiculous, like a bad movie scene with better lighting and a

nd perfectly timed, "Fine.

th hitched. "You

ready moving on his

e rang. My heart did that stupid, traitor

r, sharp, worried, and far too real. "Are

Joshua. His eyes didn't even fl

my voice laced with pure veno

trategic copulation with th

he absolute peak of victor

umiliation stung like a fresh cut, but I obeyed the oldest

on.

ause when I'm done, Joshua White is going to wish he'd driven himself straig