lumped against the cracked seat, her body throbbing with every turn of the wheels. Each pothol
er face, breathed through her f
ghost of his touch, and when she shifted, she felt the tender ache deep inside-a
he summit video already viral. She swiped them all away. Opened her banking app. The red deficit glared ba
d stepped out into the cold, the wind biting through her wrinkled uniform.
the faint bruise at her neck. The doors opened to the open-plan office-and silence. Conversat
nd immediately dropped his gaze to his keyboard. Others did the s
lders, pages out of order. She booted up her computer. Her digital workspace had been tampered
ood ch
peared at his glass door.
he door behind her. Preston stood behind his desk
ed a change in project leader
he leather back of the chair. "Give me one logical reason, Preston. My
ft cited a sudden lack of confidence in
r Angus-was tied to that account. If she was pulled off, she
m nothing," she said, her
nd to silence her. "Upper manage
memos on his desk. A thick manila folder stamp
reat echoed in her ears: I will pers
ital. Fallon Kirk pulled strings, didn't she? She thr
ved it into a drawer. "Drop the conspiracy theories. Y
u're sacrificing your best e
rattling his coffee mug. "You're
. The silence was deafening. She returned to her desk, grabbed her personal notes, shoved them int
-thousand-dollar bonus line. Hit Enter. The balance cell flashed red-a five-fig
gh the floor. Pain shot up her arm, but she welcomed it. Anything to drown out the
her coat and
sped in her lap, watching the clock tick. Her body still hummed with residual exhaustion-and something else. Ever
daline, I'm sorry. Angus's latest experimental treatment was d
five thousand dollars due by the end of the week. She folded it mechanicall
hest rising in slow, shallow breaths. She took his cold hand, squ
he whispered. Her voice cracked.
d bodies. She changed into her black uniform in the cramped breakroom, her reflectioning into the rhythm-pour, shake, wipe-the p
l above the e
d up, rag
fr
alked throu
room with cold precision. No fever, no dishevelment. He moved through th
station. Took the stool
r across the mahogany until
ng through the bass, "to properly res
knuckles white. "How did you find
" he stated flatly, adjusti
h her. This man wasn't just arrogant. He was dangerous. He'd tracked
forcing steel into her v
is dark eyes held
etly. "I believe you'll find i
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