‘Alex,” she said, her tone unusually sweet. “I need a favor.”
arched abrow, crossing my am. “What is it?
need your help getting a job at Graham Corporation,” he said, her smile widening as though she’d already won me over.
I stated at her, incredulous. “You’re joking, right?”
ALLKANIMER
There was no way in hell I was going to let Vanessa anywhere near Rains. The thought alone made my blood boil. Fixing things with Raina was hard enough without my meddling sister making it ten times worse Vanessa was trouble–always had liern, always would be.
“No,” said, my voice ti
tinn, leaving no room for guest.
Vanessa, being Vanessa, wasn’t about to let it go. She lamelied into our of her infamous cants, her voice grating on my nerves like a machalkboar
ΠΠ
-25 Bonus
“youdon’t understand, Alex! Dominie lied about being manded just to avold me. I low Batra’s behind it. She’calways been petty like that,” she spat, crossing her as like a petulant child.
I stared at her, unlimpressed. “Even if Raina did it which highly doubt she did nothing wrong. You can’t force a man to be with you, Vanessa. You need to let it
Her face twisted in frustration. Are you seriously taking her side? After everything
“Damn right, Tam,” I snapped, stepping closer. “And you’d better not do anything to jeopardize the project, or so help me-
My words caught in my throat as a nagging thought crept into my mind. Wasn’t I trying to do the same thing–force falsa to stay married to me?
|1 tomed on my beel, muttering, sander my breath, “This isn’t the same thing,”
It wasn’t. I wasn’t Vajnissa, and Haina and I were still legally manded. That made it different. Didn’t it?
I didn’t have time in linger on the thought. My day was packed, starting with a meeting I couldn’t afford to miss,
The conference mom was alive with chatter, the steady hums of voices blending with the clinking of coffee cups and the rustle of papers. The team was energized, their enthusiasts palpable as they discussed strategies and tipares. I should have been right there with them, focused and contributing, but my attention was elsewhere
It was on her
Raisa sat at the far end of the table, her posture straight; her chin slightly lifted, exuding a quiet confidence that demanded respect. She didn’t need to speak to command the room. Her presence alone was enough.
And God, she was breathtaking.
www
The light streaming through the window caught the soft waves of her hair, making it shimmer Like silk. Her skin glowed with an effortless radiance, her features so strong it was impossible not to stare. The faint curve of her lips as she listened, the determined glint in her eyes as she scribbled a note–it all hitt like a punch to the gut.
How the hell had het het go
Even when I thought she’d cheated, how had I convinced myself that losing her was deceptable? That she didn’t deserve my tight?
I couldn’t look away. My paze traced every line of her face, every movement of her hands, every subtle shift in her expression. She was so composed, so poised. It was as if the years apart had duly made her stronger, more untouchable. And yet, could feet the distance between us like a physical chasma rift thad created with my own damn hands.
The discussion around me faded into a blur. The voices, the figures, the charts projected on the screen–it all dissolved into meaningless noise. I couldn’t focus. How could I whenevery fiber of my being was tuned to be?
The meeting dragged on, and I sat there, pretending to listen, pretending to care, while my mind rail. I thought about the nights I spent searching for her, the years I’d spent convincing myselli was better off without her, and the moment I realized I’d been wrong all along.
When the meeting finally ended, I didn’t wall. As people stood, gathering their papers and exchanging pleasantcles, 1 zeroed in on her
“kala,” I said, my voice cutting through the buzz
