Fuck, I don’t need him telling me I’m smart.
I’m also too close to stop now, so I play Corm’s game. I’ll make partner. I’ll gain complete financial independence from my family.
I will help my sister escape her destiny. The path was designed before this asshole showed up.
“Scared you will lose?” I give him a saccharine smile.
“Just want to save your time, Thunder.”
He turns and leaves, and I let out a long breath, even though I don’t remember inhaling.
He glides confidently between the cubicles toward his office. What is it about this man that unsettles me this much?
Because when I look at it rationally, he showed up, took a cookie, and offered that we work together.
It was all calculated. I don’t trust his offer.
I’m the one briefing the team. I’m the one who will get the results faster. I’m the one who has the upper hand.
So why do I feel like I just lost a round?
I need to find out everything I can about this man. Why would someone like Liam Stone play Corm’s game instead of finding himself another venture?
Just want to save your time, Thunder.
What does that even mean?
Chapter 8
Liam
Iunwrap my chopsticks and open the sushi box on my desk. Three days in this office, and I’ve learned three things.
One: the coffee is of questionable quality.
Two: Roxy Moretti’s dismissals are a turn-on.
Three: She commands absolute loyalty.
She is very, very good at her job. I don’t like how much I admire that.
She moves through the office with effortless authority. No raised voice. No theatrics.
People pivot when she approaches. Conversations lower. Decisions get made.
She doesn’t look at me.
At one point, she assigned two analysts to a task I’d been reviewing earlier. They passed my office apologetically.
I watched her do it. I didn’t interrupt.
Getting closer to her is proving much harder than I anticipated. And yet, I’m glad I’m here.
I pick up a salmon roll and raise it to my mouth. I eat my lunch here every day, relishing the silence. Recharging. Avoiding. Thinking.
In my father’s office, people keep their heads down. It suits me.
Here, everyone is friendly. Unnecessarily. They are all chatty. Such a redundant infliction.
