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Most people wouldn’t dare.

Most people understand where the line is and stop before they reach it.

Selene didn’t just cross it.

She erased it.

My fingers tap the desk softly.

New York.

5 a.m.

Unreasonable.

I don’t adjust my schedule for anyone. I don’t let myself get dragged across cities because someone wants to prove a point.

And yet…

A faint, humorless smile tugs at the corner of my mouth.

She wants me there?

What if I let her win this time? See how far she’s willing to take this when I’m standing right beside her.

I reach for my phone without hesitation.

“Beatrix,” I say the moment she answers.

“Yes?”

“Cancel everything for the rest of the week.”

Silence greets me from the other end.

“Everything?”

“Yes.”

Another pause, shorter this time.

“Alright.”

I end the call and look back at the screen, reading her email one last time.

Careful what you ask for, Selene.

You just might get it.

It’s the first time someone hasn’t followed my instructions. The first time someone has chosen to negotiate instead of carrying them out immediately, without question.

I know when I’m wrong. I adjust quickly. I never hesitate to correct my own mistakes.

But this isn’t one of those situations.

I gave her everything she needed. More than that, I made it clear she could ask for anything else at any time. All she had to do was let me know, and I’d make sure she had every resource necessary.

Instead…