eyna could fee

out seeing his face-she felt it.

felt it that nigh

pounding, body still aching in too many ways. She'd left before h

estate in the early dawn, wo

had

three doors down from his office, a

can

tending to read an analytics br

ogy had been a fluke. But the second she'd seen hi

shou

hing made

curi

finished

e...

inbox broke the spir

shbourne Conference Roo

omach

o

hovered over

re was a knoc

as A

ersonally. Said you

smile, nodding. "Of c

er pulse

h that slow recognition blooming behind his eyes-she knew sh

ontrast of glass and chrome, with a floor-to-ceiling view of the city skyline. It wasn't lost on her that she was about t

Ashb

the soft hues of the room. His eyes, though, were sharper. The same intense b

his voice low but smooth, like he was s

atic dance in her chest. "Mr. Ashbourne ," she said, keeping her to

ut the chair opposite hers. He sat down, the

ad a way of making the most formal of

nued, his eyes studying her intently. "You've done

ing her hands neatly in front

job. It was the weight of every second she spent in his

ng passing through his eyes before he leaned

eath c

With a company this size? You coul

nt to talk about this, didn't want to admit to any of the reasons swirling insi

er voice firm, though she could feel the l

hrough her-right into the past she'd worked so hard to bury. His lips t

d, as if studying her. "I get that. But you've been around tech long enough to kno

y, trying to regain control of the con

ow, not entirely c

It was like he knew she wasn't being entirely truthful.

ence before Jax spoke ag

ou don't have to tell me anything. But I can't help but fe

ittle, but she could tell he wasn't fully sure why. He was

n the ri

eady to give him t

she said, her voice flat, her gaze meeting his wi

ed. But he didn't push any further. He leaned back in his chair

u?" he murmured, half to himse

e did, she knew it would be the end of the caref

"Here's the new proposal we'll need to discuss in the next boa

ightly as she held it. She could still feel hi

id, her voice st

but this time, Reyna felt something else-a flicker of something she couldn't quite name. It w

arting to