Bound by boardroom

light softened him-bare feet, messy hair, a man she could almost imagine beyond the suits and commands. She was about to say something, maybe tease him about the eggs, when his p

us laugh. "Try it. See where it gets you." He ended the call, tossing the phone onto the couch with a force that made it bounce. Silence crashed in, heavy and jagged. Elena cleared her throat, forcing her tone casual. "Everything okay?" He didn't answer right away, just stared out at the city, hands braced on the window frame. "It's handled," he said finally, but the tension in his shoulders said otherwise. "Valentina Kessler," she pressed, standing and crossing to him, her bare feet silent on the hardwood. "She doesn't sound handled." He turned, eyes narrowing. "Eavesdropping?" "You weren't exactly whispering." She held his gaze, refusing to back down. "What's she to you, Damien? Really?" His lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, she thought he'd shut her out again. Then he sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "She's a ghost from the past. A partner I trusted once. Now she's a liability." "A liability with shipments?" Elena stepped closer, her voice steady despite the nerves twisting inside her. "What's Project Obsidian, Damien? Drugs? Money? Worse?" He laugh