d the first thing she saw was S

ing idly through her phone as if the space belonged to her. It

wered her feet and rose, a sacchari

ng with false concern. "You look a bit pale. Coming

opped his name was a deliberate p

ner of the desk that Selah had just vacated. "Let'

ith a businesslike air, her tone crisp and efficient, she began walking

She kept interrupting Jodi, not with questions about the w

and prefers hand-poured Blue Mountain.

e windowsill. "Lovely. Did Armand give that to you? H

tone. She refused to take the bait, giving no reaction to the pathetic psychologi

limit when they came to A

the phone last night for hours." She leaned in, her smile turning venomous. "He said he's looking

fee or flowers. It was a direct attack on Jodi's character,

opped s

er laptop. The soft click echo

ional courtesy fell away. The look in her eyes was no longe

elah's face. She ins

a guillotine. "I am here to conduct a professional transition. I am

rmand Taylor's preferences are fickle. A man who loves tulips today may develop a sudden, violent aller

It was in my ability to solve the problems he couldn't be bothered to handle. If your entire contribu

pliance for weakness. And never, ever play your petty, transparent games with me again. I survived in this building

r smugness had evaporated, repl

ool detachment. She opened her laptop once more. "Now.

convulsively. She did not speak another

er bag. "This is the final due diligence data set for Wexler. I

eld i

r hand closed around it, something in her eyes shifted. The fea

ake shape. A plan to ensure that the woman who had