"Believe whatever helps you sleep at night, Tiffany. But know this—"
He leaned in, his breath ghosting against my ear. "If you ever try to cross me again, you’ll regret it."
A shiver ran down my spine, but I refused to look away. "You can’t scare me, Nathaniel."
"Then you’re a fool," he said flatly, turning on his heel.
My chest heaved as I watched him walk away, the echo of his footsteps a brutal reminder of the line he’d just drawn in the sand.
I glanced down at the scattered papers, my mind racing. Whatever this merger was, it was more than just business. Nathaniel was hiding something—something big.
I bent to gather the documents, a single page caught my eye. My father’s signature was scrawled at the bottom, but above it, in bold letters, was a name I didn’t recognize: Blackthorn Industries.
My blood ran cold. The whispers I’d heard about Blackthorn were enough to make even the bravest men tremble. This wasn’t just a merger. It was a deal with the devil.
And I was standing in the crossfire.
The sound of the door slamming shut snapped me out of my thoughts. Nathaniel’s final words echoed in my mind like a curse.