She caught my arm before I reached the office door. "Don’t."
I looked down at her hand wrapped around my sleeve. Her fingers were trembling.
"Please," she whispered. "He’s not worth it."
The bruise stood out against her skin in angry red fingerprints and something sharp twisted in my chest.
"Stay here," I said.
"Jace—"
"Stay here."
My voice came out calmer than I felt. That seemed to unsettle her more.
I walked out before she could argue again.
The corridor outside the executive offices was quiet. Most employees were still inside discussing the project, but I barely registered any of it. All I could see was her wrist.
The elevator took too long. Every second scraped against my nerves.
By the time the doors slid open into the underground parking garage, the anger had settled into something colder.
I spotted him immediately. Black sedan, driver waiting beside the rear door, and Tobias standing there checking his phone like he didn't have a care in the world.
Relaxed. Untouched.
He looked up when he heard my footsteps and smiled.
"Jace Hunter." His easy charm slipped into place instantly. "Great meeting today. I think this project is going to be something special."
"We need to talk."
His smile flickered slightly. I looked at the driver. "Alone."
The driver glanced at Tobias automatically. Tobias studied my face for a moment, reading something there. Then he nodded. "Give us a minute."
The driver got into the front seat and shut the door, and the garage went still. Nothing left but concrete pillars and the distant hum of ventilation.
Tobias slipped his phone into his pocket. "What’s going on?"
"You can start by explaining the bruise on Anna’s wrist."
He blinked once. Then let out a soft, dismissive laugh that made my blood heat.
"Seriously?"
"She walked out of that conference room without bruises," I said evenly. "She came back with one. Why did you grab her?"
His expression shifted into careful confusion. "I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding."
"I asked you a question."
"I heard the question." His tone sharpened slightly. "I’m just surprised she’s still doing this."
I held his gaze steadily. "Doing what?"
Tobias sighed like this conversation exhausted him. "Look, Jace. I’m going to say this because I respect you. Anna has a habit of twisting situations. She gets emotional. Dramatic." He leaned casually against the car. "When things don’t go her way, she creates narratives. She told you I hurt her?"
