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“Yes, Mr. Black.”
“You understand that her telling you about this was covered under attorney client privilege.”
“I do.”
His brow arches higher, his jaw tightening. “And?”
“I haven’t broken that confidence.”
“You’re using privileged information supplied by a client to compete against said client,” he growls quietly.
“I’m not competing against her. She doesn’t?—”
“Harper versus the State of Georgia would disagree.”
I swallow. “Mickelson versus the State of California overturned that ruling four years later.”
Gabriel’s lips curl slightly at the corners. He brings up a hand, the fabric of his Tom Ford suit straining at the shoulder as he rakes his fingers over his chiseled, clean-shaven jaw.
The seconds tick by agonizingly slowly as I wither under his fierce stare.
“So be it.”
Wait, what?
“I…I can audition?”
“Mickelson versus California would suggest so, Ms. Yamaguchi.”
My heart swells. Then suddenly, he steps closer to me, and my chest constricts as the same slightly spicy, clean scent with a hint of bergamot from last night invades my senses.
“You understand what you’re auditioning for, don’t you?”
I nod.
“And you understand what that will mean for you if I win the Governorship?”
It’s like getting slapped in the face. My lungs tighten. The blood drains from my face, and panic knots in my stomach.
I’ve been assuming this whole time that Gabriel was running for something like State House of Representatives, or a New York City position like alderman or city council.
He’s running for fucking Governor.
Which means—oh God…
He’s running against my monster. My trauma. The man who hurt me.
And if I win today, I’ll be right there at Gabriel’s side, forced to face that man all over again.
For a moment, I almost forget the whole thing. I almost tell him this was mistake, turn and run away, and hope Gabriel forgets I was ever insane enough to try and shoehorn my way into this.
But there’s no backing out now. Even if it rips me apart.
I need that money. My dad and I both do, or we’re dead. Literally.
“Ms. Yamaguchi?”
I paste on a smile and desperately try to force the color back to my face.
