THE NEW TEAM CAPTAIN

CHAPTER FOUR

The floor was still wet when Mara stepped on the mop, and Olivia decided, right then, that she wasn't going to apologize for what happened next.

"Ew." Mara wrinkled her nose, stopping dead in the doorway like Olivia's presence alone had ruined her whole morning. "Seeing you first thing in the morning makes me want to vomit."

She strolled forward without looking down, her heel landing square on the mop head just as Olivia was pulling it back toward the bucket. Olivia yanked, harder than she probably needed to, and Mara stumbled backward with a sharp gasp, catching herself against the wall.

"The feeling is mutual," Olivia said flatly, not even bothering to look up from the floor. "Now leave me alone."

Mara straightened her blouse, smoothing down invisible wrinkles, and the shock on her face melted into something colder, something that made the small hairs on Olivia's arms stand up.

"Well," Mara said, her voice syrupy sweet in a way that never meant anything good. "Good news. I'm selling your mother's garbage team."

Olivia's hands stilled on the mop handle. "You're the garbage." She rose to her feet slowly, ignoring the ache in her knees, meeting Mara's gaze head on. "My mother spent thirty years building this company from nothing. How could you even think about tearing it apart?"

"I'm the CEO now." Mara shrugged, examining her manicure like the conversation bored her. "And the cow is running out of milk, so I'm sending it to the slaughter. Don't you get it?"

She leaned in close, close enough that Olivia could see the smug satisfaction dancing behind her eyes, and let out a mocking little moo sound directly in Olivia's face.

Olivia didn't flinch, though her jaw tightened so hard it ached.

"It's your fault, you know." Mara straightened, tilting her head like she was studying a bug under glass. "You had a bastard child. You destroyed everything your mother worked for. You broke Killian Ashford's heart." She let out a soft, delighted laugh. "And now look at the star he's become. His ship has sailed, Olivia.

The words hit exactly where Mara meant them to. Olivia felt the sting of it settle deep in her chest, the kind of wound that never fully closed no matter how many years passed. She said nothing. She had learned a long time ago that giving Mara a reaction only fed her.

Mara turned to leave, hips swaying with the exaggerated confidence of someone who had never once had to earn anything in her life, then paused at the door like she'd just remembered something.

"Oh, before I forget." She glanced back over her shoulder. "The new team captain is arriving today. I need this floor extra clean and shiny for him. Wouldn't want him thinking we let just anyone wander around in here looking pathetic."

"Who's the new captain?" Something in Olivia's voice sharpened despite herself, a flicker of interest she couldn't quite smother.

Mara laughed, short and cruel. "Even if I knew, why would I tell you? You're the janitor, Olivia.”

She crossed the lobby in three quick strides, snatched the mop straight out of Olivia's hands, and hurled it clattering across the floor before disappearing through the double doors, her laughter trailing behind her like smoke.

Olivia stood there in the sudden quiet, staring at the mop lying useless a few feet away, and felt something hot and furious twist beneath her ribs.Seven years of biting her tongue, of swallowing every single cruel word because she had Charles to think about, because rent didn't pay itself, because pride was a luxury she couldn't afford anymore.

She walked over, picked the mop back up, and got to work. What else was there to do.

Outside, a sleek black car rolled to a stop at the curb, and the driver's door hadn't even fully closed before Killian stepped out onto the sidewalk, sunglasses pushed up into his hair, looking like he belonged on a magazine cover instead of standing in front of a mid tier sports agency that had clearly seen better days.

His agent climbed out the other side, a heavyset man in an expensive suit that strained slightly at the buttons, already frowning up at the building's faded signage.

"You're the youngest MVP in league history," the agent muttered, adjusting his cufflinks, "and you've dragged both of us all the way out here to this underling agency. I hope you know what you're doing, because if you ruin my reputation along with your career, I will not be forgiving about it."

Killian's mouth curved into a faint, unbothered smile, the kind that gave absolutely nothing away. "Have a little faith in me, will you?" He rolled his shoulders, glancing up at the building with an expression that flickered somewhere between determination and something darker underneath. "I'm going to take this team all the way to the top."

"Whatever you say, boss." The agent sighed heavily, already heading toward the entrance. "I sincerely hope you're right about this one."

Killian lingered a moment longer on the sidewalk, one hand slipping into his jacket pocket where his wallet sat, where that small worn photograph waited between the folds like a splinter he refused to remove. His jaw tightened. Then he followed his agent inside, his expression smoothing back into practiced, unreadable calm.

Inside the agency, near the reception desk, Mara's parents stood waiting, dressed like they were attending some kind of gala instead of a routine business meeting. Mara emerged from the hallway a moment later, tugging at the neckline of her blouse, adjusting herself in the reflection of a nearby window with the focused intensity of a woman preparing for battle.

"What are you doing?" her mother asked, though the indulgent smile on her face suggested she already knew and approved completely.

"I heard the new star player is incredibly rich. And handsome." Mara giggled, fluffing her hair with both hands. "I'm going to make him fall in love with me."

Her mother crossed the lobby and gripped her shoulders with obvious pride, beaming at her like Mara had just announced a Nobel Prize instead of a scheme to seduce a stranger. "Isn't she wonderful?" she said, turning toward her husband. "Mara is worth a hundred of that worthless daughter of yours. Just look at her. What man wouldn't fall for a face like that?"

"Of course," he answered, though something tight and exhausted flickered across his features before he could smooth it away, the look of a man who had learned long ago that disagreeing cost more than it was worth.

The agent walked in just then, breaking up the moment. "Mara. Good, you're here. Your new team captain has arrived."

Mara's spine straightened instantly, her smile snapping into place like a mask, one hand smoothing down her skirt as she turned toward the entrance with barely contained excitement.

The doors opened.

Killian stepped through them, tall and composed, sunglasses now hooked into the collar of his shirt, his eyes sweeping the lobby with the quiet authority of someone used to walking into rooms and having them go silent.

And the room did go silent.

Mara froze mid step, her carefully rehearsed smile faltering for just a second before locking back into place, wider now, hungrier. Her parents exchanged a quick, delighted glance. The agent cleared his throat, already moving to make introductions.