Page 40 of In Love and Revenge

‘Don’t you want to see it before you offer me a job?’

‘It’s a temporary contract,’ he clips.

‘Fine, I won’t be one of the prestigious Fairfax Guardian team,’ I huff, understanding his insinuation that I will be an outsider, not good enough to be considered one of them, ‘but don’t you at least want to see what it is I do to decide whether it’s what you’re looking for? You’re the CEO.’

‘What’s your answer, Aurora?’ he presses.

I grab my phone and scroll through my videos. ‘Look. This is my profile. Are you sure I’m who you want? Dove didn’t ... She didn’t make you ask me, did she?’

‘I don’t need to see your little black dress video.’ Rafael sighs like he’s bored. ‘And Dove has no idea about us hiring you yet. She’s been out of the office in meetings all day.’

‘Well, I don’t—’

‘Say yes.’

He holds my eyes in challenge, and I stare back, wondering where he gets all his arrogance from. I bet he’s never had anyone say no to him in his entire life. And as much as I really want to, just to see his reaction, I can’t turn down that kind of money, and not only that ...

I can’t turn down the opportunity.

Dove said Rafael and Dominic Ainsworth are friends and that he visits the office frequently. If I’m working there I might hear or see something that could help my father, or even get the chance to talk with Dominic myself and ask him how the hell the board ofdirectors thought that my father – one of the company’s highest-performing employees – was the one who stole from them.

Being in the same building as Rafael Fairfax is the fly in the ointment that I’ll have to suck up if I want the chance to see what I can find out from inside the walls of his company. And God knows the money will help when I get the next bill from the solicitor I’ve asked to assist with my father’s appeal.

But I hate that if I say yes, I’m giving him exactly what he wants.

‘I’ll think about it.’

‘No, you won’t,’ he replies smoothly. ‘People don’tthinkabout working for our company. They’d give up an organ for the chance.’

I wrinkle my nose at the image as Rafael pulls his phone from his pocket and taps something into it.

‘Your contract.’ He turns the screen towards me. ‘Sign it.’

‘I—’

‘Aurora, you’re living in a box unfit for vermin to reside in. Don’t pretend you don’t need the money. We’re being very generous.’

I hold his eyes.He knows he’s got me.

I hate him more in this moment than ever.

Without saying a word, I use my finger to sign my name on the screen.

He looks at it, studying my writing for a second, then pockets his phone.

‘Good girl. Wasn’t so hard, was it?’

I shake my head with a scoff.Condescending prick.

I open the front door to let him out, waiting until he’s in the hallway before I ask, ‘Why didn’t you rat me out me to Tanya?’

He tips his head. ‘Tanya? Ah, yes,’ he says, like he can barely remember her. ‘Didn’t see the point once she fired you. It’s not like you’ll be going back again.’

‘I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to tell her husband about you, you mean?’

‘It crossed my mind. I’d prefer not to take a punch over a woman I didn’t actually—’

‘Have sex with?’ I scoff.