Mag-log in"Is this everyone?" Liam asked as he glanced around the small conference room, counting heads."These are the people I trust the most," I said as I shut the door behind me. "Amy and Ralph. Both of them have worked with me long enough to know when something's off.""Good," Liam said as he set a thin folder down on the table and took the seat at the head of it. "Then let's get into it."Amy slid into the chair across from me, pulling out a notepad, while Ralph leaned back with his arms crossed, watching Liam carefully."What exactly are we dealing with?" Ralph asked as he tapped his pen against the table."Camilla," Liam said as he opened the folder and turned it so everyone could see the first page. "She's been feeding information to a rival company. Pricing models, vendor contracts, internal projections. We confirmed it yesterday in a meeting that went about as badly as it could have gone.""Confirmed how?" Amy asked as she looked up from her notepad."The rival executive knew things
"Are you ready for this?" Liam asked as he straightened his tie outside the elevator bank, his eyes fixed on the doors like they might open on something dangerous."As ready as I'll ever be," I said as I shifted my bag higher on my shoulder, my heels clicking against the marble floor.The elevator arrived with a soft chime, and we stepped inside, the doors sliding shut behind us with a hush that felt heavier than it should have."Walk me through it again," Liam said as he pressed the button for the twelfth floor. "What do we actually know Camilla took?""Client projections, at minimum," I said as I counted off on my fingers. "The Q3 pricing model. Possibly the vendor contracts, based on what Drew's company quoted last week.""That's not a possibility, that's a pattern," Liam said as he exhaled hard through his nose, his jaw tightening."It's still circumstantial," I said as I crossed my arms, watching the floor numbers climb. "We can't accuse him outright without proof.""I'm not goin
"Hey, girl. Are you okay?" Ralph asked as he slid into the chair across from me, glancing once over his shoulder before settling.I had my lunch spread out in front of me, the little plastic container of noodles still steaming, and I speared a piece of chicken with my fork before I answered."What's the problem?" I said as I popped the bite into my mouth. "Life is good."Ralph studied me for a long moment, the kind of look that made it clear he wasn't buying a single word of it."Nina," Ralph said as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. "You don't have to do that with me.""Do what?" I said, keeping my eyes on my food as I stabbed at another piece of chicken like it had personally offended me."Pretend everything's fine," Ralph said as he tilted his head, watching me chew. "I know about the restraining order. I know about the rumours. That's a lot for one morning.""I'm handling it," I said as I shrugged one shoulder, reaching for my water. "Restraining order's done.
"I got a restraining order against him this morning," I said into the phone as I pushed through the front doors of the building, my coffee cup sweating slightly against my palm."Good, you should have done that the second he showed up at your car," Amanda said as her voice came through sharp and certain. "I still can't believe he grabbed you like that.""Neither can I," I said as I shook my head, weaving toward the elevators. "I keep replaying it. The whole 'you belong to me' thing.""That man needs serious help," Amanda said as she huffed. "Did the judge give you any trouble?"I was about to answer when I caught the way two women near the reception desk went quiet and turned their heads, watching me cross the lobby like I was something they'd been discussing seconds before. I slowed, frowning, and felt my stomach tighten."Amanda, I'm at work, I have to go," I said as I lowered the phone slightly, scanning the room."Okay, but call me at lunch," Amanda said as her voice rushed to get
"You really look like you had a good time out there, Ralph," I said as I glanced up from my desk to find him already leaning against my doorframe, bag slung over one shoulder, grinning like he'd been waiting there for an hour."I did," Ralph said as he pushed off the frame and strolled in like he owned the place. "My mother cried four times. Four. I counted.""Happy tears, I hope," I said as I shut my laptop and started gathering papers into my bag."Mostly," Ralph said as he dropped into the chair across from my desk, watching me with an exaggerated patience he clearly didn't feel. "She kept grabbing Marcus's face and saying she finally got the son in law she always wanted. Marcus just stood there and took it like a champ.""I like Marcus already," I said as I laughed, zipping my bag shut."Everyone likes Marcus," Ralph said as he stood and stretched, rolling his shoulders. "He brought his own playlist for the reception. Curated. Labeled. My mother almost proposed to him a second tim
"Do you think we're all going to lose our jobs?" Amy asked as she wrapped both hands around her mug like it could anchor her to the table."I don't know," I said as I shook my head slowly, watching the steam curl off my coffee. "But Liam wouldn't let that happen. He's been working nonstop trying to contain this.""Easy for you to say," Amy said as she let out a short, humourless laugh. "You're sleeping with the guy who's supposed to fix it."I felt my face go warm and pressed my lips together to keep from smiling too wide. "That's not fair," I said as I nudged her foot under the table. "I'm just as scared as you are.""Are you, though?" Amy asked as she tilted her head, studying me in that way she did when she already suspected the answer. "Because right now you look like someone who just got good news, not someone worried about unemployment.""I'm not glowing," I said as I rolled my eyes, even though I could feel the heat creeping further up my neck. "I just think things will work ou
"So,” Kevin said casually, rocking back slightly on his heels. “Your place isn’t that far from here, right?”I narrowed my eyes immediately. “That sounded suspicious.”He laughed. “It was a question.”“A suspicious question.”He grinned wider. “Fine. Let me rephrase it. Would you like to walk home
The knock came without warning, followed immediately by Amy pushing the door open like she owned the place. Ralph trailed behind her, coffee in hand, already looking like he had something to say.“Tell me you’re not buried in spreadsheets again,” Amy said, walking in without waiting for an answer.
I leaned back against the mirrored wall, sunglasses still on even though I was indoors, my head faintly throbbing from last night. Elena and I had talked too much, laughed too much, and apparently poured more wine than either of us needed. I exhaled slowly, pressing my lips together as the doors sl
“So,” I said, narrowing my eyes slightly. “Marco.”Elena laughed softly. “You’re not wasting any time.”“I’m not here to waste time,” I replied. “Start talking.”She took a sip of her wine, clearly enjoying herself. “What do you want to know?”“Everything,” I said. “Where you met, how long you’ve k







