What neither of them realizes is that, less than ten feet away, beneath one of the golden sconces lining the hallway, Adrian Beckett stands motionless, watching them.
His trench coat rests over his left arm, and his car keys glint between his fingers.
He doesn’t look surprised.
Nor scandalized.
His gaze slowly travels from Nerissa’s hand, still resting on Seraphina’s waist, to the CFO’s face.
Before leaving, without making the slightest sound, Adrian Beckett allows himself a faint smile, already aware of the new weapon now in his possession.
Chapter 10
Saturday morning dawns gray over Manchester. Through the large windows of the Chapman residence, the sky displays the same ashen hue as the coffee slowly cooling on the glass table, forgotten among papers and silence.
Seraphina has been awake since five. She has barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, the memory of Nerissa’s mouth returned with searing clarity, along with the overwhelming desire she’d felt for her.
In the home office adjacent to the main living room, Elliot is reviewing legal documents while seated beside Adrian Beckett. The two men discuss figures related to the firm with that matter-of-fact ease that, under normal circumstances, would have been comforting. For Seraphina, however, the scene takes on an almost cruel undertone, because with every passing hour and day, she feels more and more as though she’s sitting on a ticking time bomb whose countdown only she can hear.
“We need to rethink the protection clause,” Elliot says, tracing a line through the contract with the tip of his pen. “If the Leeds investors try to pull out before the end of the quarter, we’re going to need more flexibility.”
Adrian nods. He’s wearing an impeccable navy-blue shirt that complements his relaxed posture, though his calmexpression always seems to conceal something deeper and more calculating.
“I agree,” he replies. “People become unpredictable when they sense they can gain an advantage.”
Seraphina holds a folder in her lap and tries to keep her hands still. Ever since Adrian arrived an hour ago, she’s had the feeling that something has changed—a subtle shift in the way he looks at her.
“Though you know how these things are, Elliot,” Adrian continues as he accepts the cup of coffee his host hands him. “Sometimes you think you have a partner you can trust completely, and suddenly you discover they’re doing business where they shouldn’t.”
Elliot lets out a brief, gravelly laugh.
“That’s why I pay you obscene amounts of money. So you can track down those bastards before they cost me millions.”
“Believe me, I’m keeping my eyes wide open,” Adrian replies deliberately.
When Adrian looks up at Seraphina, her heart skips a beat.
“Respectable people are often the most interesting, actually,” he adds calmly, without taking his eyes off her. “Impeccable suits, perfect smiles... only to discover they have a surprising taste for forbidden things.”
The air leaves Seraphina’s lungs in a silent breath. Elliot, completely oblivious to the tension his wife is feeling, snorts with amusement.
“That sounded suspiciously specific.”
“Human nature usually is,” Adrian replies before taking a sip of coffee and shrugging.
A chill runs down Seraphina’s spine, and suddenly she has the feeling that the man sitting across from her is capable of tearing her life in half.
“You know a lot about risk management, Seraphina,” Adrian says then, leaning forward. “Tell me something. What happens when you discover that someone has been violating an important contract behind everyone’s back?”
Elliot continues flipping through documents, oblivious to the subtext. Meanwhile, Seraphina digs her nails into her palms until she feels a sharp sting.
“The contract gets terminated. End of story,” Seraphina replies with all the coldness she can muster. “No second chances.”
Adrian smiles slowly, completely satisfied.
“Exactly. No second chances.”
The rest of the morning becomes an exhausting exercise in restraint. Adrian continues making seemingly innocent comments. Elliot laughs, responds with his usual jokes, and keeps working. But Seraphina can barely participate. She feels as though Adrian is studying her, waiting for the precise moment her façade cracks.
