e climb, the sha

ter the Boa

e office was unusually still, as if the entire building held its breath

She wore a fitted cream blouse and a sleek navy skirt professional, but confident. Not a driver's dau

d into the executive floor and immediately

opped when

ndal, of seduction. Everyone had their ve

her and

his office door

f, sleeves rolled up, the veins in his forearms

said, softer th

ed. "Yo

e y

ss ball and stood, c

w they loo

e. "Let them look. We'v

a brow. "L

him her tab

Accused of Favoritism After Firing Longtime

ing the boardroom yesterday. His hand had been on her

nched. "Vivienn

do

all

Sandra said. "They'

d. "The

oesn't mean they'll keep backing

g. Looked at her

it," he said

est ti

eve

pped c

d last night. I'm n

the fear rising in her th

l Fire

inquiry." Two lawyers sat across from her. B

the timeline of your promotion and your

tionship,'" s

e you in a romantic or sexua

ng anything that happened off the clock u

ys before Mr. Lancaster publicl

llion-dollar merger presentati

eges you had prior romantic involvement with Mr. Lanc

ezzle money and got caught. Shall I list my quali

s exchange

because I broke a power dynamic. A woman like me isn't suppo

nce. "Thank you, Ms. Vega.

nne's timeline with Steve's travel logs. She'll lie

s Past S

rkness of his penthouse, staring at a

Let's talk abou

. His father's signature. A transfer of

er? A jo

e email wa

t of the spotlight long en

fists. This wasn't jus

as per

h and it was comi

ra's Confrontat

that, still in the dar

ou saw a ghost,"

"Worse. M

d her th

sage, then the atta

pany to someone a silent investor. If that

uld make

"I never knew.

to him. Too

rfacing when the timing i

thought I'd buried

s time to dig i

ead. Then her cheek. Then lower a

them. Need. But more th

carried her t

ncy thi

dev

h, they fell into each other like two ha

ent War E

sn't gone.

second story dropped mor

d to Bribery Scheme

fabricated documents

clock. But the board was getting cold

that Sandra had been paid off to he

onto the desk. "They're

She set down her coffee. "Th

up. "What d

defense. We go public. W

our entire i

ransparency. If we don't cont

ated. Th

urn it a

tatement

eve's idea. But it was Sand

beside him

ur board, and our decisions are all open

andra

e. I fell in love with the man willi

m went

again but this time,

scan

rif

ed from corrupt

t the P

the balcony, city lights b

is arms around

m worth the cha

into him. "You

ally think we're goi

o him. "We a

und his again and the res