lumped against the cracked seat, her body throbbing with every turn of the wheels. Each pothol

er face, breathed through her f

ghost of his touch, and when she shifted, she felt the tender ache deep inside-a

he summit video already viral. She swiped them all away. Opened her banking app. The red deficit glared ba

d stepped out into the cold, the wind biting through her wrinkled uniform.

the faint bruise at her neck. The doors opened to the open-plan office-and silence. Conversat

nd immediately dropped his gaze to his keyboard. Others did the s

lders, pages out of order. She booted up her computer. Her digital workspace had been tampered

ood ch

peared at his glass door.

he door behind her. Preston stood behind his desk

ed a change in project leader

he leather back of the chair. "Give me one logical reason, Preston. My

ft cited a sudden lack of confidence in

r Angus-was tied to that account. If she was pulled off, she

m nothing," she said, her

nd to silence her. "Upper manage

memos on his desk. A thick manila folder stamp

reat echoed in her ears: I will pers

ital. Fallon Kirk pulled strings, didn't she? She thr

ved it into a drawer. "Drop the conspiracy theories. Y

u're sacrificing your best e

rattling his coffee mug. "You're

. The silence was deafening. She returned to her desk, grabbed her personal notes, shoved them int

-thousand-dollar bonus line. Hit Enter. The balance cell flashed red-a five-fig

gh the floor. Pain shot up her arm, but she welcomed it. Anything to drown out the

her coat and

sped in her lap, watching the clock tick. Her body still hummed with residual exhaustion-and something else. Ever

daline, I'm sorry. Angus's latest experimental treatment was d

five thousand dollars due by the end of the week. She folded it mechanicall

hest rising in slow, shallow breaths. She took his cold hand, squ

he whispered. Her voice cracked.

d bodies. She changed into her black uniform in the cramped breakroom, her reflection

ing into the rhythm-pour, shake, wipe-the p

l above the e

d up, rag

fr

alked throu

room with cold precision. No fever, no dishevelment. He moved through th

station. Took the stool

r across the mahogany until

ng through the bass, "to properly res

knuckles white. "How did you find

" he stated flatly, adjusti

h her. This man wasn't just arrogant. He was dangerous. He'd tracked

forcing steel into her v

is dark eyes held

etly. "I believe you'll find i