BLACKTHORN'S GAME

older would earn me even a sli

fore I could even

ence Room 4B. Ten m

ut I didn'

s. The conference room was sleek and silent, the kind of place where billion-dollar

Black

ne in hand, an unreadable e

utes," he said

the time.

ned to look at

sa

ote. Numbers, charts, reports-I recognized some

s in your draft," he said, still not lookin

d. "They w

e errors they were

t most

pa

face me fully, hands

next few days. Note taking, observation,

r. Blac

book. "Digital, not paper,

k a sigh a

eir postures just stiff enough to say they respected him, but not enough to say they l

ly, trying to keep up without missing context. Damian was a machine. Cold, direct, and terrifyingly precise. He didn't

y from across the room

-as his intern, professional and polished-but in that quiet, unguarded

y. Just arched one

mach f

clipped goodbyes, and

tepped out, one of t

the new

s,

idn't reach his eyes. "Go

d, didn't glance bac

d to ca

s charming,"

That guy was hoping to ra

dn't say anythin

like that bait you, it means they see you. A

er now, not angry

s vulnerabili

elevator. The doors opened,

ep your shields up,

disappearing into a si

-

:1

fingers still twitching from note-taking. I reviewed everything I'd typed, cross-checking with D

e, I was here for change. Real,

if I

ing a tray and a kind smile. Ea

ur

in across