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Wait, I’m frickin bleeding?!

Oh, Jesus. Oh, it’s everywhere.

“That’s right!” Tina shouts as the three guys bolt for the backyard, brandishing a wallet like a trophy. “You better run, motherfuckers! I’ve got your ID!”

“Shit, Shilo.” Carpenter drops to his knees in front of me, his eyes wide and frantic. “That’s a lot of blood. You need a hospital.”

“Ngh,” I try to respond, but the blood pooling in my throat makes me gag. A garbled groan escapes as the pressure in my face builds, my eyes beginning to swell shut.

He yanks off his beanie, pressing it into my hand. “Hold this to your nose.”

“Can you drive?” KC asks, panic edging his voice as he loops an arm under my shoulders. “Can anyone drive?! I think I drank too much.”

“P-Paige,” I manage to rasp, nausea rolling through me. My head throbs, sharp pain stabbing through my temples as my stomach churns. Bile rises in my throat, and the room spins dangerously.

KC’s arms tighten around me just as the lights blink out.

Ryann

Fuck Ronin and these God-forsaken dinner parties.

One of our executives is droning on at the far end of the table, his monotone voice dragging like nails on a chalkboard. A quick glance to my left confirms Olivia’s just as bored as I am, her chin propped on her hand as her eyes glaze over. Across from us, Declan and Paige look like they’re one deep breath away from passing out.

Must be nice.

As the soon-to-be new head of the company, I have no choice but to pay attention, but it’s hard. I’m hard, thanks to Shilo. Christ, he’s all I seem to think about.

My gaze sweeps over the dining room in my father’s manor as I try to distract myself from the picture he sent me earlier. The extravagant dinnerware gleams under a chandelier, velvet drapes covering the arched windows screaming wealth. This room has never seen warm family suppers or casual laughter, only lavish business meetings I’ve been forced to endure. Even as a child.

One thing’s for certain—the word frugal has never existed in Ronin’s vocabulary when it comes to personal comforts. The company, on the other hand? Different story.

“Now, about our budget for the upcoming quarter,” he starts, barely sparing Declan a glance as he slides a binder over to me. “Let’s discuss the areas where we can downsize.”

I really fucking hate these parties. If you can even call them that. Sure, there’s wine, music, and the finest desserts his live-in chef can whip up, but everyone at this table has a stick shoved so far up their asses they’re practically muppets.

All I want is to get home to my little doll and kiss my way down that cute-as-fuck belly he’s flaunting in his crop top.

“Is downsizing necessary when AVA’s doing so well?” asks some analyst whose name I can’t remember even if my life depended on it.

Ronin’s cold gaze cuts to me. “I think I’ll let my son answer that question.”

Fucking kill me. Please.

“Our pre-orders are promising, that’s true,” I agree, forcing the annoyance from my tone. “We’ve more than made up for the overtime hours with those sales alone. However, once we launch, our Tech Support crew will—“

Paige’s phone interrupts my words, blaring the Bee Gees, and her face drains of color as she fumbles to silence it.

“I am so sorry. Please, continue,“ she mutters, cheeks flushed as Ronin shoots her a disapproving glare.

My lips twitch in bemusement. She’s so much like her brother. “As I was saying, Tech Support is going to have their hands full when AVA goes live, which means we’ll have to allocate more hours to the budget—“

Stayin’ Alive blares again, cutting me off mid-sentence. Paige huffs in frustration, excusing herself as she steps away to take the call. My gaze trails her from the corner of my eye while I try to continue, but I falter when I catch her reaction.

Her breath hitches audibly, and she goes rigid, hissing something under her breath before ending the call abruptly. When she returns to whisper into Declan’s ear, her face is pinched with worry, and my gut twists uneasily.

“Apologies,” my brother says, rising from his seat. “My girlfriend is having a family emergency we must attend to. Excuse us.”

Family emergency?