Then she turned and slipped out of the vehicle, walking to the apartment building with a newly proud spine, her stride confident.
For the first time in a very long time, Jemma felt powerful.
Chapter 13
“Your Highness?”his bodyguard prompted.
Saif blinked, realizing he’d just been standing there, motionless, the SUV door open.He didn’t know where he was going.
Scratch that—hedidknow.He just wasn’t sure heshould.
He wanted to see Jemma.Talk to her.Or just… watch her.Last night, when she’d walked away with that sexy little swagger—thatwas the Jemma he remembered.The confidence, the spark—she’d finally gotten some of it back.And damn, it was hot.
Was there anything more irresistible than a woman with a sly, knowing smile?Her hazel eyes, her long dark hair—Saif could barely remember why he’d been angry.
But hehadbeen angry.Furious, in fact.For a year, he’d stewed over the way she’d left him—no explanation, no closure.Just that pitiful smile and a vague line about “wanting different things.”
And now?After only two days in her presence and he was ready to forgive her?
He clenched his jaw.He remembered every night of their affair.Remembered the ache.The fury.He’d come back determined to punish her—and her brother.
But yesterday, he’d learned the truth: Jemma’s mother had died of breast cancer.Jemma was raising a child.She’d been targeted by predatory debt collectors wholiedto her.And suddenly, the fire in his chest wasn’t rage anymore.
It was something else.
He exhaled slowly and climbed into the back seat.“Sinstack,” he ordered.
Fifteen minutes later, the SUV pulled into the parking lot of Sinstack Designs.Rain drizzled steadily.No sign of Jemma’s car—until he remembered: she didn’t have one anymore.
She’d sold it.For her mother’s debts.
And that apartment of hers—it made sense now.Cheaper rent, more money toward a debt she didn’t even owe.His jaw tightened again.
He’d already ordered his legal team to go after the collection agency.The lies they’d told Jemma were illegal, and he was going to bury them.Their licenses, their jobs, their future—gone.
But that was for later.
Right now, he stepped out of the SUV and looked around.It was 8:15 a.m., and no one else had arrived yet.Not great.Morale was clearly in the gutter.
As he considered how to fix it, a delivery truck pulled into the lot.A man hopped out, carrying boxes of donuts, bagels, and a stack of coffee thermoses.
Saif watched with a flicker of approval.
Jemma had ordered breakfast for the team.
Excellent start.
Chapter 14
Jemma scanned the room.Several department leads wore tight, irritated expressions.Most would need to go.They’d been under Mark’s tyrannical thumb too long and resisted change.Some, though, were just caught in a bad system—and if they could shake off the complacency and do the work, they could stay.
At the back of the room, Saif stepped in, offering her a brief nod.A signal of support.
She straightened, bolstered by it.
“Good morning,” she began, noting that few people had touched the donuts or coffee.Mark hadn’t exactly encouraged generosity.That would take time to change.
“Thanks for coming to this early meeting.As you may have gathered from yesterday’s… interesting events, Mark is no longer running Sinstack Designs.”
