Knew what made her laugh.What made her arch beneath him.What made her terrified.
And right now?
She was terrified.
Good.
“That’s a lie,” he said softly.“And we both know it.”
His gaze swept over her again, noting what he’d been trying to ignore since she walked in.The weight loss.The paleness.Her blouse clinging to her ribs.Her skirt hanging loose on her hips.Her breasts looked fuller—but it only emphasized how thin the rest of her had become.Her cheeks were hollow.She looked brittle.Worn.
Unwell.
She looked like she’d been drowning for a while now.
“I work for Sinstack Designs,” she said finally, her voice raw.“It’s owned by Overlock Corporation.Mark Sinstack runs it through a licensing deal, but he’s still in control of—”
She stopped.
He saw the realization bloom in her eyes just before her knees nearly buckled.
“No,” she whispered, taking a shaky step back, wet hair slapping against her face.“You… no.”
“Yes,” he said, voice smooth and final.
He reached out and tucked the wet strand of hair behind her ear, letting his fingertips brush her cheek.She flinched.
“I own fifty point three percent of Overlock Corporation,” he told her.“Which means…”
He let the silence hang between them.
“You work for me,” he finished, stepping into her space again.
The words hit her like a gut punch.He could see it in her face—the fear, the calculation, the dawning horror.
She wasn’t worried about the graffiti anymore.
She was worried aboutsomething else.Something deeper.Something she’d buried.
And now she was realizing just how exposed she was.
If he could dig this up… what else would he find?
Chapter 6
Jemma pressed her lips together.Hard.
No.No, no, no.
Saif couldneverdiscover her secret.
She didn’t know what he would do if he found out the truth—but she knew it wouldn’t be mercy.Saif didn’t do mercy.Not when he felt betrayed.And not with her.
Her life was already teetering on the edge of desperation.But now, with this crisis looming bigger, threatening to take away everything, Jemma rallied.She wasdoneletting the universe shove her deeper into hell.
She drew in a breath, willed the panic to stay buried, and forced herself to turn.
Not away.Toward him.
