woke up first. She stared at Julian's sleeping fac

Tom Ford tailored suit. She pulled her hair into a

checked the concealer on her neck. No red marks we

e when he saw her corporate attire. A

Park today? Why are you dressed like that?" He wal

She picked up her coffee cup. "The honeymoon is o

with a loving smile. "Back to work? You're too tired. Did

ce remained blank. "The company is pushing the AI medi

ney is my job. I'll wire fifty thousand dollars into your

. "Fifty thousand? Julian, my mother's special care unit at the nursing hom

eyes. His tone hardened. "You're too aggressive! What k

"I am the co-founder of Vance Tech. I own twenty percent of

ank violently. Panic flashed across his

st worried about your health." Julian compromised. H

t. She forced a perfect, fake

cond the door closed, he pulled out his phone and

at the lowest desk. Make her life m

glass. She pulled out her phone and ordered an Uber.

the small software startup she and Julian co-founded, Vance Tech, had been aggressively acquired by this massive corporate monolith. That ac

radiating authority. The receptionist's jaw d

ved for executives. She pressed the up button a

oors slowly

de, but froze instantly. Her heel

imposing man. He wore a perfectly tailored dark grey

nt scar rested above his brow bone. His

he current CEO of Vanc

th to greet him, but her eyes dropped to h

s. The size and spacing perfectly matched the desperate scrat

of cedarwood seemed to rush out of the el

ached out with his scarred hand and blocked the metal d

u getti