ed desk just outside the heavy w

ed on her. Requisition forms. Travel itineraries. Expense reports. It wa

to file receipts. She was here to find Vanguard's secrets. She ne

om her cheap gray skirt. She walked ove

nan's cold vo

heavy door open a

ading a financial report, a silver pen spinning effor

the center of th

fectly professional. "I wanted to formally thank y

ly lifted his head. His dark eyes locke

forcing a polite smile, "I would like to in

The silence in the room was heavy, suffocating. He

his lips. He closed the financial re

e word dripping with sarcasm.

buttoned his suit jacket with sharp, precise movements. He adjust

, his voice hardening, "I hav

ver tablet from his desk

. "You are going to take the

the tablet.

ssive conference room enclosed entirely in floor-to-ceiling soundproof glass. Inside, a doz

the glass door a

forward to fol

doorway with his broad shoulders. He looked down a

inside," Bren

the tablet. "Where shou

mall, hard-backed wooden chair shoved into the far, unlit corner of the massive room, completely separated from the marble table.

vy glass door swing shut. The magnetic l

s turned white. This was a test. A brutal, psychological power play designed to establish absolute dominance. He wanted to see

g her back perfectly straight. The executives at the table cast curious, dismissive, and somet

e stared straight ahead,

minutes

e-inch heels she had bought from a discount store pinched her toes as she kept her f

p to hide the slight movement of her hands. She took a slow, dee

tched the executives. She memorized their faces. She watched their body language. She noted who deferred to Bren

ur pa

ture forced her core to burn with a dull, throbbing intensity

the sharp sting to ground herself. She would not break. S

and up. They gathered their briefcases and filed out

dark corner. His eyes immediately dropped to her rigid posture, noting the white-knuckl

. Her eyes were fierce, bu

n. The cold mockery vanished, replaced by a fleetin

ver," Brennan sai

ed, her voice perfectly steady des

ennan ordered. "We hav

ips into a flawless,

ay, sir,"

p felt like walking on broken glass. Her gait was stiff, but she kept

shoved into his pockets. He watched her walk