The slow clap sent a cold shock through Lexy's spine.
She turned toward the doorway, her heart hammering. James tensed beside her, his body going rigid like a predator cornered.
And then the figure stepped forward.
Michael.
Lexy's breath caught.
Michael was a senior executive at the company—a man with power, connections, and a reputation for getting what he wanted. His smirk was cruel, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he leaned against the doorframe.
"Well, well," he mused, tilting his head. "I had my suspicions, but seeing it in the flesh? That's something else."
Lexy's stomach churned. How long had he known?
James stepped forward, his voice dangerously low. "What do you want?"
Michael chuckled. "That depends. How badly do you want me to keep my mouth shut?"
Lexy's pulse spiked. This was it. The threat made real.
Michael pulled his phone from his pocket and held it up, the glow of the screen illuminating his face. A video began to play grainy security footage.
James' office.
Her and James tangled together in the shadows, lost in each other.
Lexy felt sick.
Michael smirked. "Nice angles, don't you think? Your wife would love it. And the board? Well, I don't imagine they'd be too fond of workplace scandals."
James' hands curled into fists. "What do you want?" he repeated, his voice sharper.
Michael tapped his chin, pretending to consider. "Money's boring. No… I think I prefer something more interesting."
His gaze flicked to Lexy, and something dark slid across his expression.
Lexy's stomach dropped. She knew that look.
Michael wanted her.
The Unthinkable Choice
Lexy clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay composed. "You want me to do what, exactly?" she asked, her voice cool, steady.
Michael grinned. "Oh, nothing dramatic. Just… a little time. A little attention." He shrugged. "Call it an arrangement."
James moved before Lexy could react, grabbing Michael by the collar and slamming him against the wall.
Michael barely flinched, only smirking wider. "Temper, temper." He held up his phone again. "One tap, James. One little tap, and this goes exactly where you don't want it to."
Lexy swallowed hard. This was a trap.
And Michael was enjoying every second of it.