ed desk just outside the heavy w
ed on her. Requisition forms. Travel itineraries. Expense reports. It wa
to file receipts. She was here to find Vanguard's secrets. She ne
om her cheap gray skirt. She walked ove
nan's cold vo
heavy door open a
ading a financial report, a silver pen spinning effor
the center of th
fectly professional. "I wanted to formally thank y
ly lifted his head. His dark eyes locke
forcing a polite smile, "I would like to in
The silence in the room was heavy, suffocating. He
his lips. He closed the financial re
e word dripping with sarcasm.
buttoned his suit jacket with sharp, precise movements. He adjust
, his voice hardening, "I hav
ver tablet from his desk
. "You are going to take the
the tablet.
ssive conference room enclosed entirely in floor-to-ceiling soundproof glass. Inside, a doz
the glass door a
forward to fol
doorway with his broad shoulders. He looked down a
inside," Bren
the tablet. "Where shou
mall, hard-backed wooden chair shoved into the far, unlit corner of the massive room, completely separated from the marble table.
vy glass door swing shut. The magnetic l
s turned white. This was a test. A brutal, psychological power play designed to establish absolute dominance. He wanted to see
g her back perfectly straight. The executives at the table cast curious, dismissive, and somet
e stared straight ahead,
minutes
e-inch heels she had bought from a discount store pinched her toes as she kept her f
p to hide the slight movement of her hands. She took a slow, dee
tched the executives. She memorized their faces. She watched their body language. She noted who deferred to Bren
ur pa
ture forced her core to burn with a dull, throbbing intensity
the sharp sting to ground herself. She would not break. S
and up. They gathered their briefcases and filed out
dark corner. His eyes immediately dropped to her rigid posture, noting the white-knuckl
. Her eyes were fierce, bu
n. The cold mockery vanished, replaced by a fleetin
ver," Brennan sai
ed, her voice perfectly steady des
ennan ordered. "We hav
ips into a flawless,
ay, sir,"
p felt like walking on broken glass. Her gait was stiff, but she kept
shoved into his pockets. He watched her walk
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