no longe
no's head. Like an annoying ringtone you can't
es practically throwing daggers at the wall. The idea of Elena twisting his p
dn't even get to defend h
opped a threat so cold it could freeze lava. And Elvano knew-when
ide him. Spoiler: it wasn't working. Not even close. Chest burning, he practi
f where he was going, and su
like they'd burned him. Didn't even stop to think, just launched at the heavy bag, fist
aaa
swinging until his muscles just gave out and he crashed to the floor, ch
eth, barely mo
wait,
*
etty much vibrating with rage, Elena was just... unr
d in a sh
off was supposed to make things easier. Joke's on her. Her team? They acted like she'd been abducted by aliens or somethi
, let alone care about someone's spreadsheet emergency. Didn't matter. Her phone kept buzzing like an angry wa
like a pilgrimage. The sun was out for blood, baking everything in sight. Sweat glued her shirt to her back
anything, and her family ne
llapsed onto the bench, half-melted, mutter
. Awesome. Maybe, if the universe cut her a break, she'd knock out the insurance claim, then hit the bank, beg for a loan, and start
so-called career, her coworkers' drama-could wait. She wasn't coming back to the world of poin
n do plans ever a
y powered her phone back on, and-boom. Insta
fter call. Ping after ping.
en-ugh
like some kind of corporate polter
na's day was not going a
k on, boom-her screen exploded. Teammates, Elvano, probably even her mother'
in the midday sun while trudging back to the office. She barely made it i
s!" her team lead barked, waving his arms li
her like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Sorry
was a dude. And second, Elena wasn't about to spill her personal life to just
, though she muttered a not-so-con
n: it tota
teammates chimed in, eyes all wide and gossipy. "Honest
e this time I'll bite him fi
laughed, then thwacked h
sideways, and fired up her computer. No matter how much wreckage was h
any? All business. But here, in her own chaotic little office? She could
latte, waiting for that
was still spinning through supermarket nightmares,
was in before she could actually do her job. And maybe-just
le
voice again-the one she'd been hoping t
va
life, bam-his voice cut through th
the desk with a little too much care (God forbi
oice dipped in honey, e
utting off like he had somewhere better to be. (S
nted as cardio, and trailed after him. Ten minutes in, serious
nosy, a few just glad it wasn't them. The te
offer her a chair. Elena just stood there, arms folded, lookin
k: just a department head. Competent? Yeah, maybe. D
ed, giving her that I'm-your-dad stare. "You van
mouth-nope, h
are? You think this is
iron. Okay, yeah, she'd messed up. D
logize. Next time, I'll make su
eworks-maybe even a screaming match. Instead, sh
like it. N
right?" he pressed, voice rising. "A client meeting went up i
linch. Didn'
. Maybe she kinda
sn't ready to los
contin