rt's

-

away from the curb, reclaiming control

g on the sidewalk. Her hands tighten on the card. Her gaze finds

A tiny pull at the corner of my mouth

Engine hums underneath, horns blaring. Somebody yells about double-pa

teo. A couple of urgent emails from the board

opening a new me

ine Carter. Columbia grad stu

g. *Already on it. Saw the street ca

Always six

. Trespassing. Lying. Instead, I sat there aware of her weight

till linger

es. Messy consequences. Not my style. I don't leave things to chanc

name. They come rehearsed, polished, all smiles an

most absurd bluff I've ever witnessed. Then looked at me with t

out the window. Skyscrapers, glass, t

oard keeps hinting. Press lives for the empty chair beside me at every event. My

time I saw him, the words still echo. *"Men

swering tho

ts, a smile for the cameras. Clean up

anges. Julia

tion pulse

business, marketing. Honors. Two jobs. No record. Dad gone since she was twe

d it

underneath the bluff when that girl challenged her. She wasn't performing co

-

loors, the city stretched below. Rossi Interna

out, opens th

k," I hear

in the rearview mir

e we wer

nd starts

ing out of a coffee shop around the c

down. "

, eyes wide. Then the ch

augh. Nobody usua

t to pass out. And I prefe

makes h

threading her tone. "Should I curt

. A smirk forms be

e door and slides into the back seat. P

rt

e the partition open. I w

then pull apart. Her knee bounces once and stops the moment she notices it. She presses her palm f

ojections and the expansion deal in Milan. I catch her watching my ref

s. Silence s

rst. "Where a

formalize our

t where I'm locke

e you attend six events an

s. "Six events? Y

of a month. Did you think I

face. She looks b

-

s her neck, throat working as she swall

out a

ows. Eve

nditioning at a steady, controlled hum. My security team

y between floors, she stead

oves out of habi

what I haven

the space allows. Watches the num

mall talk. "Th

o appetite for boasting.

ors open directl

w. Art on the walls from years of travelling. She

. Her eyes move across the

atches herself before touching it. Her hand hovers at the ed

here," s

es

ry d

t da

s nothi

lio. His eyes move to Adeline. Take in the ripped jeans, the oversized sweater, th

s English clearly intended for h

area. "Miss Carter and I ar

yebrow join

spreads the documents across the glass coffee table while

Appropriate attire will be provided. Discretion is required. In

ces an actual contract with actual legal language and actual signat

er bag strap. She clears h

ind of

ess dinners. Social obligations

ice, at me, at everything surrounding us. "You're you

gendas," I say. "You

w. "So I'm you

solution to

prob

contract closer. "Sign, and we pr

e in her wrist beats visibly against her skin. She reads the contract more carefully

f me at these even

Allow me to introduce you as my compa

priate

f. That's w

o mine. "You're

potential legal ex

contract. At the

six full seconds. I

. Uneven loops acros

ecessary. Index finger pressed flat against the

nge the wardrobe consultation and forw

early catches her boot on the ch

r to the

s in, I hold out my

You already g

it a

ds it aloud: "Albert Rossi.

ngers go slack. The card slips and she

reathes. "You're *

ot to

et the words settle between us before I

ator doo