across from him, dutifully recording his schedule while my fingers trembled over the iPad. But fear wasn't the only thing making my pulse race. No, my heart pound

tures were carved with such precision they looked sculpted from granite. His midnight-black hair was so thick and glossy that my fingers actually twitched with

from the laptop. Heat rushed to my ears as I yanked my stare away, looking down at the screen in front of me. A whi

er

across the desk toward me. I took it quickly and d

ck to him. He nudged it aside with one

cuments on his dark desk and held it out. "Read it, analy

me automatically, drawn from my l

ger, he returned to attacking his

bling and stepped

me? Why did I react

into. The quicker I finished this job, the quicker I could get out. But could I actually do i

. V

ipping from my hands as papers sc

rf

eally sorry, Ms. Vale," Mr. Cort

somewhere else in my head," I mutt

turned it to me with a friendly smile. "If you need any help with it, fe

I'll keep th

him an approachable, dependable aura completely opposite from the razor-sharp authority and danger M

l plots of land from a real estate company to build an exclusive resort for some influential aristocrat. My job was

k for my first da

w morning's meeting. With a sigh, I got to work until my phone buzzed beside me. Seeing the c

t n

surrounding rooms. Luckily, both the CEO and the manager were at

. You need to fi

assume you have some information for me,"

an't do this!" My voice s

our loved ones' suffering." His cheerful tone sli

mon

Seraphina. Tick

me. "H-he's... working on striking a deal with someone named Mr

rne. Find out his upcoming p

e hun

d violently inside me, and fear was winning. Why was this happening to me? All I ever wanted wa

en't you here

conference call with a client. I wiped my face, reapplied my smudged

from him. When he saw me enter, he lifted one long finger a

d out. His earlier words echoed in m

ep everything private s

he presentation was complete. All that remained was printing the slides and making copies. I hoped I

to the CEO's o

sounding just as

the laptop, his brows slightly furrowed, his jaw ticking with focus. In ano

id these thought

s done." And thank you for making my first day one of the m

H

ently. "Only the printing and copying are left. Ho

H

agreement? Relief tugge

up, removing the small device

e entire time? And I'd just been rambling? He could've

sounded. At his nod, Mr. Cortez entere

other bidder for

ew together, barely s

as C