Vincent sat in the dark of his office, the city lights painting long shadows across the walls. A knock at the door broke his concentration.
“I said I didn’t want to be disturbed,” he barked.
The lock clicked, and Sophia slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind her. She had reapplied her makeup, her burgundy dress perfectly smoothed. “You can’t hide in here forever, Vince.”
“I’m not hiding,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. “I’m strategizing. My father is threatening to remove me.”
Sophia walked up behind him, her hands gently massaging his shoulders. “Julian is bluffing. He needs you. The board loves your quarterly numbers.”
“The board loves stability,” Vincent corrected, pulling away from her touch. “And a very public affair with a VP is not stability. Why didn’t you stay in London an extra day like we planned?”
“I wanted to come back with you,” she said softly. “I didn’t think she would find out.”
“Someone tipped her off. My father,” Vincent said, turning to face her. “He knew our hotel. He knew the flight numbers. How?”
Sophia’s eyes widened, a flicker of genuine panic crossing her features. “I… I don’t know. He’s Julian Moretti. He knows everything.”
“He doesn’t know everything unless someone tells him,” Vincent stepped closer, towering over her. “Did you talk to him, Sophia?”
“No! Vincent, I swear to you, I would never—”
“Get out,” he said quietly.
“I said I didn’t want to be disturbed,” he barked.
The lock clicked, and Sophia slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind her. She had reapplied her makeup, her burgundy dress perfectly smoothed. “You can’t hide in here forever, Vince.”
“I’m not hiding,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. “I’m strategizing. My father is threatening to remove me.”
Sophia walked up behind him, her hands gently massaging his shoulders. “Julian is bluffing. He needs you. The board loves your quarterly numbers.”
“The board loves stability,” Vincent corrected, pulling away from her touch. “And a very public affair with a VP is not stability. Why didn’t you stay in London an extra day like we planned?”
“I wanted to come back with you,” she said softly. “I didn’t think she would find out.”
“Someone tipped her off. My father,” Vincent said, turning to face her. “He knew our hotel. He knew the flight numbers. How?”
Sophia’s eyes widened, a flicker of genuine panic crossing her features. “I… I don’t know. He’s Julian Moretti. He knows everything.”
“He doesn’t know everything unless someone tells him,” Vincent stepped closer, towering over her. “Did you talk to him, Sophia?”
“No! Vincent, I swear to you, I would never—”
“Get out,” he said quietly.
