LOGINJoella’s POVRoman tried to smirk.“She hit me.”“Good,” Cavern said. “You earned it. Now get out of her way before I move you myself.”Roman’s mouth opened. Nothing smart came out.“You don’t know who I am,” he said, weaker now.“I don’t need to,” Cavern said. “Leave.”Roman looked at me one more time. His jaw was tight. His pride was louder than his sense, but not louder than Cavern.He stepped back.“This isn’t over,” he muttered.“It is,” Cavern said. “If I see you near her again, you won’t walk away smiling.”Roman scurried down the hall like the floor had gotten too hot under his shoes.The quiet he left behind felt huge.My arm still tingled where he had grabbed me. My palm stung from the slap. My heart was beating so hard I could feel it in my throat.I turned to Cavern.The words came out before I could stop them.“I didn’t need you to save me,” I said. “I had that covered.”It was already out of my mouth before I realized what I had said.I covered my mouth.Oh my God.Joell
Joella’s POVThe word was quiet. It still cut through the table.The man blinked. “I was only—”“You were asking my employee for her number at a business lunch,” Cavern said. His voice stayed calm. That made it worse. “She is here to work. Not to be picked up.”The man’s smile got thin.“It was a compliment.”“It was not right,” Cavern said. “Send the new terms by evening. That is the only thing I need from you.”For a second, nobody moved.Then the man laughed once, short and embarrassed, and put the card back in his pocket.“Of course,” he said. “No harm meant.”He did not look at me again.They left.And then it was just us at the table.The restaurant noise felt far away. A waiter came over and asked if we wanted anything else. Cavern shook his head, and the waiter left. I could feel Cavern across from me without looking at him. The same blank face that made me want to ask a question I had promised myself I would not ask.I kept my eyes on my water glass.“You didn’t have to do th
Joella’s POVThe payroll girl made a tiny sound, like a laugh she swallowed too late.I looked at all four of them.“Enjoy your break, guys” I said. Then I walked out.The hallway air felt cooler. My hands were steady now. The coffee was hot against my palm. Behind me, I heard a chair move and Joe start to mutter, but I did not stay to hear it.I took the elevator back up with my head still high.When I got back to my office, my phone lit up before I even sat down.It was a message from the executive assistant.Mr. Kingston would like to see you. Now.My stomach tightened. I set the coffee on my desk, checked my blouse in the dark screen of my laptop, and picked up my phone. My hands were steady. That felt like a small win after the break room. Joe’s voice was still sitting somewhere under my ribs, but I was not going to carry it into that office. Not if I could help it.I walked down the hall.The last floor was quiet in the middle of the day. Soft carpet. Low voices behind closed d
Joella’s POV“It wasn’t a typo,” a woman said. I thought it was Mara from accounts. “They said it was a big error.”“They always say that,” Joe said. “Makes it look clean. I bet she got on her knees in that penthouse office. Or better. Maybe she bent over the desk and let the new CEO fuck her in the ass. That would explain the private office.”He laughed.The sound hit me so hard I felt it in my stomach.Another voice joined in. A man. I knew that one too. Daniel from compliance. Always hovering near Joe when there was something filthy to repeat.“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Daniel said. “She’s always been a little slutty. Walks around like she knows she’s fuckable. I give it a week before she’s swallowing his cum between meetings.”Joe snorted.“Please. She probably already did. That’s why he dragged her upstairs in front of everybody. Reward for a wet mouth.”My heart sped up.I stood there in the hallway with the break room door half open and those words floating out like they were noth
Joella’s POV“Hey,” she said, warm and immediate. “I was just thinking about you. How did it go? Did they fire half the building or what?”I let out a breath I had been holding since the elevator.“I didn’t get fired.”“Oh, thank God.”“I got a promotion instead.”There was a short silence. Then Lia squealed so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear.“Joella! Are you serious?”“Yes.”“I knew it. I knew they were going to see you. You work harder than all of them put together. You deserve this. I’m so happy for you I could cry.”I smiled, even though my chest still felt tight.“Don’t cry,” I said. “It’s just an office.”“It is not just an office. It’s proof. Tell me everything. What happened? Did they call you in? Did somebody finally grow a brain?”I looked around the big room, the window, the door with my name on it.“There was a mistake in one of the records,” I said. “A bad one. I caught it. They moved me upstairs.”“Upstairs as in—”“Last floor.”Lia made another sound, hal
Joella’s POVMr. Ahmed stayed behind.He waited until the last of them were gone before he spoke.“Joella,” he said quietly. “I’ll send the paperwork this evening. You should start packing your desk tomorrow.”I looked up at him.“The last floor,” I said.“Yes.” He almost smiled. “You earned it.”“What exactly is the position?” I asked.“You’ll support the executive financial review directly,” he said. “Reports. flags. Anything that goes to his desk from this side of the company. It’s more responsibility. More visibility too.”More visibility.That was the part that scared me.I nodded, gathered my notepad, and stood.“Thank you, sir” I said.“You don’t have to thank me,” Mr. Ahmed said. “You did the work. I only told him who found it.”I walked out after the others. I could already hear it starting again.Last floor.Close to him.Must be nice.I kept walking.Aunt May’s voice followed me all the way back to my office.Men are not to be trusted.I sat down at my desk, stared at the b
Lia's POV"I know," Dante said. "But I still feel responsible somehow. Like maybe if I'd done more, been a better example, he would have turned out differently. Would have treated you better.""Or maybe some people just are who they are regardless of what others do," I suggested. "You can't take re
Lia's POVI dove back down, taking every thick inch until he pressed deep into my throat. My nose brushed the dark hair at his base, and I held there, swallowing around him, letting my throat massage his cock while spit ran messily down my chin. His thighs shook on either side of me. His hand fiste
Lia's POVBut even as I flew away from the island, even as physical distance grew between me and what had happened there, I knew something fundamental had shifted.I wasn't the same woman who'd boarded this plane days ago.I wasn't the same woman who'd accepted Rob's neglect and disrespect as norma
I spun around with a sharp intake of breath, my hand flying to my chest.Victor stood just a few feet away, watching me with those piercing blue eyes. He was so quiet I hadn't heard him approach at all. He'd changed since earlier—now he wore a dark suit, perfectly fitted, the kind that probably cos







