Burning secrets

t like worsh

r doorstep, whispered promises in her ear, extravagant gestures that made

o goodbye, no closure. Just silence and a news alert showing

thing but a pri

her name. She had come here to escape the wreckage, to rebuild what Ethan broke. Some da

her phone, the notification made her chest tighten. Maya quickl

– VALERIO INDU

Ruthless. Headed by a billionaire

e Va

ort. The man with a voice like smoke and eyes like steel. He wasn't supposed t

king her cleavage pop, almost too hard to hide. She wasn't dressed this

be a man's p

ss and power. Maya passed security, ner

receptionist said. "Mr. Val

ng. Mr. Val

tion stared back at her in the chrome-stoic

stant ushered her into a long office with floor-to-ceiling

on th

with steel. "Push the acquisition.

and their

s more devastating in pe

e call. "Mi

"Thank you f

her like she wa

hich makes me suspicious. Why leave Wolfe & Wolfe without a refere

ersonal

in personal. I'm i

d her. "Fix this. Twen

roposal. On instinct, she quickl

ssion didn't change, but something in his eyes shifted, he wa

fast.

prepa

if testing the taste of th

later, she

Valerio Industries demanded more than intelligence-it dem

e weight of his gaze across the room made her spine tingle. A silent question hung in the air between th

nt nothing. That he bar

l Fr

team had gone home early, but Maya stayed late,

hts fli

ing l

ju

his tailored coat dripping. He looked like a man pulled straig

sh this," she sai

t the report. "You're the

ht it wa

ost wouldn

was something unreadable

way you thin

owed. "Th

her mouth. "You're

ry t

d, moving closer, "if

ngers brushed hers-intentionally, she was su

hand away, but

ssion," he said softly. "But if

etween th

idn't

ow, deliberate-

sn't

nger that left no room for hesitation. Her hands clenched the edg

ack. Just once.

t," she

mediately, as if s

re ri

d-cool and unrea

ee you

breathless and trembling in a ro

the sto

ing. She had sworn she'd never fall again, the air felt char

d

art of her al