n the room was thick enough to choke on. Before he

arch of the family moved with terrifying grace. She wore a fl

ilent. Even Damien closed his mouth. The ingr

ghtly to give her the absolute center position. Her sharp eye

epped forward. He placed thick paper files in front of her. Cathe

sniffed the air delicately. "Your perfume," Catherine stated, her voice soft but sharp. "It

I apologize-" Two security guards immediately stepped forwa

in your left hand," Catherine observed without a hint of sympathy. "An unacceptable phys

trolled her breathing. She made sure her hands were fl

ya. She studied Maya's face. The silence stretched for a long,

... where is it? A decaying industrial town. Tell me, why do you be

. She kept her voice steady. "I excel in environments where failure m

ly intrigued. She liked the dark, pragmatic answer. It was

ya. Panic flashed in Diane's eyes. She desperately a

ed concern. "This woman has zero references from high-society families. She

the matriarch directly. "Rich references prove obedience, not competence," Maya s

ures in a toddler, and execute the protocol for an acute airway b

fingers stopped tapping the mahogany table. The subt

forward. "Theoretical knowledge is useless if the person is

onstantly dart to the exits. She's been assessing the room's security

yper-vigilance was a trauma response. She was used to protecting

omeone with a severely mentally ill family member. "Situational awarenes

er son and the applicant. Her eyes darted betwe

...?" She paused, deliberately forgetting Maya's n

salary bracket you offer. No bonuses

e said, turning to her. "Her blunt greed proves she's a massive security r

her chair. She believed Maya had just dug her

nst the wood. Her face was a mask of aristocratic in

. His posture was rigid with absol

inaudible words into Catherine's ear. H