Page 9 of The Truth of Us

Before I could probe further, the door to Rowan’s office swung open, and a petite woman with olive skin and wavy black hair stepped out. She was gorgeous, though her beauty seemed to be intentionally downplayed by her wearing minimal makeup, an oversized black sweater, and matching trousers. Her head was down as she walked toward us, pulling her dark hair back into a loose, messy bun, nearly colliding with us.

Elliot extended an arm to shield me from the crash, and she stopped short. A faint blush crept into her cheeks as she looked up. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Vale. I didn’t see you there.”

Elliot shifted closer to my side. “Maybe I should tell Rowan to take it easy on you, Sofia. You look flustered. Is he working you too hard?”

Her blush deepened. I couldn't tell if Rowan was sleeping with her or if this was an unrequited crush on her boss, but I filed it away for further observation.

“No... I’m sorry, Mr. Vale,” Sofia murmured. “I was just lost in thought.”

Elliot chuckled softly. “Will you be joining us at the gala this weekend?”

The color drained from her face instantly. She shook her head, offered a quiet, firm refusal, and quickly excused herself down the corridor.

Elliot’s phone chimed, and he pulled it out before I could ask what was going on between them.

“I’ve got a meeting to get to,” he said, looking up from the screen, “but we’re continuing this conversation later.”

Reaching out, he gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear before turning on his heel.

I took a steadying breath, stepped up to Rowan’s door, and knocked.

“Come in,” came a sharp, clipped voice.

Stepping inside, the atmosphere hit me immediately. Rowan’s space was dim, guarded, and dominated by wall-mounted monitors, unlike the other partners’ offices, which had floor-to-ceiling glass and natural light.

Rowan sat behind his desk with a laptop open. Without glancing up, he noted, “I was expecting you earlier.”

I walked over and took the leather armchair across from him. “And what would I have interrupted if I’d walked in earlier?”

I knew most people found Rowan Black intimidating, but I had a job to do. If Rowan was sleeping with a direct subordinate in his office, especially given the corporate power dynamic, it posed a massive PR risk that I needed to manage.

Rowan didn’t offer a verbal reply. He simply shut his laptop, leaned back, and leveled a cool, unreadable gaze at me. After a long beat of tense silence, I broke it with a sigh.

“I ran into Sofia on my way in.”

Rowan looked away, clearing his throat as he picked up a tablet on his desk. “Ms. Cruz is none of your concern.”

Right then.

I exhaled slowly. These men were going to test every ounce of my patience. “Rowan, she is my concern if you’re involved with her. The media will tear this company apart if word gets out that you’re...”

His sharp gaze snapped back to mine, cutting me off instantly. “She is not your concern, nor is she the media's.”

“She becomes my problem if…”

“What did you want to meet about, Harper?” he interrupted abruptly, shutting down the topic.

Sofia Cruz was clearly a sensitive subject for him, but I’d definitely need to keep tabs on the situation to safeguard their brand.

My phone buzzed repeatedly in my blazer pocket, but I ignored it while handing Rowan the documentation I’d prepared. While he scanned the pages, I slipped my phone out to see who was blowing it up.

Elliot.

Since I’d literally just left him and knew he was supposed to be in a meeting, I put the phone away and returned my focus to Rowan.

We spent the next twenty minutes ironing out the specific data and security clearances I needed. Rowan denied direct access to their internal servers, but assured me Sofia would follow up with the requested records.

I was sitting behind the wheel of my Range Rover, waiting for the heater to kick in on the chilly afternoon when I remembered Elliot’s text trail.