Page 23 of Theirs to Tempt: The Marriage Claim

I frown. “What do you mean, you can’t get in the office?”

She indicates the sleek panel on the wall next to the door. It hadn’t been there last night when I left.

“And my key doesn’t work,” she adds.

Fury, hot and fast, blazes through me.

Damn it.

Damn them.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Lucian and Caleb are behind this.

“I was going to call, but I didn’t want to wake you up if—” She cuts herself off, eyes flicking over my face, reading the exhaustion I wasn’t able to hide, no matter how much makeup I slathered on. “Soph… Are you okay?”

“Long night.”

“I thought maybe…” She looks back toward the door. “Are you firing me?”

“What?” Head spinning, I scowl. “No. How could you think that?”

As she forces a small smile, realization dawns. The locks were changed, and she didn’t know anything about it. Trying to sound calmer than I feel, I promise her that I’m as surprised as she is.

Her eyes go even wider.

“I’ll handle it.” My pulse racing into overdrive, I yank my phone from my bag. When I scroll to the recently added contacts, I swear. “Bastard…”

“What’s the matter?” Elena asks.

Infuriatingly he labeled himself as husband.

Reassuring Elena everything’s okay, I stab the button to call him.

“I see you’re at the office,” Lucian answers.

I glare into the camera.

“And you bypassed your driver.”

“I preferred to catch my own ride.”

“That’s the last time that happens.” His voice is flat and forbidding.

I’d argue, but Elena is staring, and the annoying light on the access pad is blinking.

Without being asked, he rattles off an eight-digit code followed by a four-digit PIN.

My mind latches onto the sequence instantly. And I commit it to memory. “I also need one for Elena.”

He doesn’t ask who that is. Instead, he supplies another code and a different PIN.

Without saying anything else, I push the End button.

No doubt he’s still watching me and is gloating. I hate him a little more, if that’s possible.

Annoyance making my finger shake, I key in the code.

With a small click, the lock releases.