While I was upstairs playing "nursemaid" to a feverish billionaire, Tessa was in the trenches of the Vanguard accounting department. She was my only link to sanity, but today, her own world was fraying."You look like you've seen a celestial ghost," I whispered, meeting her in the basement cafe during my ten-minute break.Tessa gripped her latte like a lifeline, her knuckles white. "It's not a ghost, Arya. It's a shark. Marcus, Julian's head of security? He was in Accounting this morning. He wasn't looking for tax receipts; he was looking at my personal files. My bank statements. My history."My heart did a slow, painful roll. "Julian is suspicious. He's digging into everyone close to me.""It's not just Julian," Tessa hissed, leaning in so close I could smell the hazelnut on her breath. "I saw a black SUV following me home last night. Not Julian's sleek towncar—this was different. Heavier. It had the Belthazaar crest on the tinted glass, Arya."I froze. They were targeting the only person I loved on this planet."Tessa, you have to go to the safe house Doris mentioned," I pleaded."And leave you here with that predatory CEO?" Tessa shook her head, a stubborn glint in her eyes. "No way. Besides, Marcus... he's not just security. He's been 'accidentally' bumping into me in the elevator for a week. He thinks he's playing me for information, but I'm playing him right back. I'm going to find out what Julian really knows about you."Tessa wasn't just my "sister" anymore; she was becoming a spy in the house of Vance.
By 11:00 PM, the Vanguard headquarters was a tomb of shadows. Julian was still confined to the sofa in his suite, his fever broken but his body exhausted. I was at my desk, the glow of the monitor the only light in the room, when Sophiewalked in.She wasn't wearing her blazer anymore. Her silk blouse was unbuttoned at the collar, and she held two glasses of amber liquid. She didn't even look at me; she walked straight to Julian."Drink this," she murmured, her voice losing its corporate edge. "It's the vintage you like. It'll help with the aches."I watched from the shadows, my Soul Pull flaring with a jealous heat I didn't know a goddess could feel. Sophie sat on the edge of the sofa—my spot—and ran a hand through Julian's hair."You're pushing yourself too hard for a girl who doesn't even have a last name on her social security card, Julian," Sophie whispered.Julian caught her wrist, his eyes snapping open. "Her name is Arya. And she's still in the room, Sophie."Sophie stiffened, finally glancing toward my desk. Her eyes were like flint. "She should be at home. Or better yet, back in whatever hole the Belthazaars crawled out of to find her.""I'm not a plant, Sophie," I said, my voice vibrating with a low, dangerous frequency. The lights in the office flickered—just for a second.Julian sat up, his gaze swinging between us. He looked at Sophie's hand on his arm, then at me, standing defiant in the dark. The memory of my "drunken" request—How much for a groom?—was clearly playing in his head."Sophie, leave the glass," Julian commanded, his voice returning to its razor-sharp authority. "And take the Belthazaar files with you. I want Arya to stay. We have... unfinished business regarding her 'employment' contract."Sophie stood, her face a mask of cold fury. As she passed my desk, she leaned down, her voice a lethal whisper. "I've spent ten years building this empire with him. I won't let a hazel-eyed stray burn it down in a week. If you're a sacrifice, Arya, I'll be the one to light the fire."She slammed the door, leaving me alone with a man who thought I was a mystery to be solved, while my best friend was being hunted by the very monsters I was running from."Come here, Arya," Julian rumbled from the sofa, patting the leather beside him. "No more office talk. Tell me why can't I stay away from you "