I sit on the edge of my bed, watching them swirl around me. My phone buzzes on the nightstand.
I pick it up. It's a text from an unknown number.
Unknown
Be ready at 8:15 AM Friday. My driver will pick you up. Wear something that doesn't look like you slept in a garden. - B.
I stare at the screen. Even his texts are arrogant.B.Like he owns the letter.
I type back before I can overthink it.
Ivy
I'll be ready. I have the contract ready from my lawyer. And Brooks?
I hesitate, my thumb hovering over the screen. I should be polite. I should be submissive. I should play the role.
But then I remember the way he looked at me from that hospital bed. The cold calculation. The way he called me an asset.
I finish typing.
If you ever threaten my friends again, I won't tackle you into a cherub. I'll aim for the gargoyle.
I hit send.
A moment later, three dots appear. Then a reply.
Brooks
Noted. Get some sleep, darling. You have a big performance ahead of you.
I throw the phone onto the mattress and groan, flopping back onto the pillows.
"What?" Savvy asks, pausing in the act of folding a silk scarf.
"He called me darling," I say, staring at the ceiling.
"Ew," Maddy says from the bathroom.
"Gross," Savvy agrees.
"It's going to be a long summer," I whisper to the empty air.
But as I close my eyes, I realize something strange. My heart is still hammering. Yes, the fear is still there. But beneath it, there's a hum of adrenaline. A spark of friction.
I've spent my whole life managing other people's chaos. I've spent years standing on the sidelines, holding the clipboard, watching the bride and groom take center stage. I'm the fixer. The invisible hand.
But this time?
This time, I step into the spotlight.
And if Brooks Taylor thinks he can direct me? He has another thing coming.
CHAPTER FOUR
BROOKS
My office is designed to intimidate.
