The elevator glided smoothly down Blackwood Tower, but Emily's mind was anything but calm. Julian Blackwood wasn't what she expected dangerous, yes, but also… compelling. And that was a problem.
Back at her apartment, she kicked off her heels and dropped onto the couch, pulling out her notebook. She needed to focus on the facts, not the man.
Solstice Holdings. Offshore accounts. Julian's warning.
Her pen hovered over the page as flashes of their conversation crept back in his piercing gaze, the warmth in his voice when he said her name. She shook her head. Stay focused.
A buzz from her phone snapped her out of it. Another message.
Daniel: Did you get anything out of Mr. Billionaire?
Emily hesitated before replying.
Emily: Not yet, but he knows I'm digging. We need more on Solstice Holdings.
Daniel's response was immediate.
Daniel: I'll keep digging. But be careful, Em. Guys like him don't play fair.
Emily knew he was right. She couldn't afford to be distracted not by Julian's charm, not by the pull she felt when she was near him.
But as she tried to fall asleep that night, Julian Blackwood's words echoed in her mind.
"Sometimes the truth has consequences."
And she was starting to wonder if she was already in too deep.