The lobby of Kensington Tower was a cathedral of capitalism. Marble floors, vaulted ceilings, and the hush of serious money. Elodie's heels clicked sharply on the stone as Caroline dragged her toward the private elevator.

The receptionist saw Caroline and immediately buzzed them through. She didn't even look at Elodie. To them, she was just a shadow.

The elevator ride was silent. Elodie watched the floor numbers climb. 20... 30... 50...

The doors opened onto the executive floor. Geoff was standing at the reception desk. He looked up, his professional mask slipping for a fraction of a second when he saw Elodie. His eyes darted from her to Caroline, then down to his tablet.

"Ladies," Geoff said. "They are waiting in Conference Room A."

"Thank you, Geoff." Caroline breezed past him.

Elodie followed, keeping her head down. Geoff didn't say a word, but she felt his gaze burning into her back. He knew. He knew everything.

They entered the conference room. It was a glass box suspended over the city. A long mahogany table dominated the space. Three men in grey suits sat on one side-the Spanish delegation.

Braxton wasn't there yet.

Elodie took her seat next to Caroline. She opened her notebook, her hands trembling slightly.

One of the Spaniards, a younger man with dark eyes named Mateo, leaned forward. "Hola," he said, smiling at Elodie. "You are the translator?"

"Sí," Elodie replied in flawless Spanish. "I am here to assist with the contract details."

Mateo's smile widened. "An unexpected beauty in a room of sharks."

Caroline let out a sharp, fake laugh. "Careful, Mateo. She's paid to talk, not to flirt."

Before Mateo could respond, the heavy double doors swung open.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

Braxton walked in. He was wearing a navy suit, cut to perfection. He looked powerful, dangerous, and utterly in control. He walked to the head of the table, shaking hands with the investors.

Then he turned.

His eyes landed on Caroline. He gave a curt nod. Then his gaze slid to the person beside her.

Elodie felt the impact of his stare like a physical shove.

Braxton stopped. His hand, reaching for a file, froze in mid-air for a microsecond. His eyes narrowed. The pupils contracted.

He looked at her suit. The suit she was supposed to be wearing while sick in bed. He looked at Caroline, who was beaming with malicious delight.

He didn't say a word. He pulled out his chair and sat down.

"Let's begin," Braxton said. His voice was gravel.

The meeting was a blur of legalese and numbers. Elodie went into autopilot. She translated complex clauses about equity splits and liability caps. Her voice was steady, professional. She was good at this. For a moment, she forgot the fear. She was just Elodie Sinclair, the brilliant linguist.

Mateo noticed. "She is excellent," he said in Spanish to his colleague, looking at Elodie with admiration. "And she has a fire in her eyes."

Elodie translated the business part, ignoring the compliment.

Braxton tapped his pen on the table. Tap. Tap. Tap. A slow, rhythmic sound that grated on Elodie's nerves.

"Ask him," Braxton said, staring directly at Elodie, "if he understands the penalty for breach of contract."

Elodie turned to Mateo. "Mr. Kensington asks if you are clear on the breach penalties."

Mateo laughed. "Tell him I never break a promise to a beautiful woman."

Elodie hesitated.

"Translate it," Braxton ordered.

"He says... he honors his commitments," Elodie said.

Braxton slammed the pen down. The crack echoed in the room. Silence fell.

"That's not what he said," Braxton growled. He stood up. "The meeting is adjourned. Geoff, take the gentlemen to lunch."

The Spaniards looked confused but stood up. Mateo winked at Elodie as he left.

Caroline stood up, smoothing her skirt. "Well, that went well. Lunch, darling?"

Braxton didn't look at her. He was staring at Elodie, who was frantically packing her bag.

"Caroline, go with them," Braxton said. "I need to clarify a few clauses with the translator."

Caroline paused. Her smile faltered. She looked from Braxton to Elodie. "She's just a temp, Brax. I can hire-"

"Go," Braxton said. Soft. menacing.

Caroline's jaw tightened. She shot a venomous look at Elodie, then turned on her heel and walked out.

The door clicked shut.

Elodie was alone with him.

The silence in the room was heavy, suffocating. Elodie clutched her bag to her chest like a shield.

Braxton stood at the head of the table. He slowly unbuttoned his suit jacket.

"Sick," he said. One word. Flat.

Elodie took a step back. "Braxton, I can explain."

"Fever. Chills. Contagious." He walked around the table, moving with the predatory grace of a jungle cat. "You looked remarkably healthy flirting with the Spaniard."

"I wasn't flirting! I was working!" Elodie backed up until her heels hit the base of the floor-to-ceiling window. Behind her, the city dropped away for fifty stories.

"Working," Braxton repeated. He stopped a foot away from her. "For my fiancée."

"I didn't know it was her! It was a blind contract!"

"You lied to me." He stepped closer. He placed his hands on the glass on either side of her head, caging her in. He smelled of coffee and repressed rage. "You lied about where you were. You lied about being sick."

"I needed the money!" Elodie shouted, her voice cracking. "You know why! You control every cent I have!"

"Is that what this is?" He leaned down, his face inches from hers. "You're selling yourself to Caroline for a paycheck?"

"I'm translating! I have a skill set, Braxton. I'm not just your... your whore."

His eyes darkened. "Is that what you think you are?"

"It's what you treat me like."

He grabbed her waist, pulling her flush against him. The contact sent a shockwave through her body. "If you were just a whore, Elodie, I would have fired you months ago."

He buried his hand in her hair, tilting her head back. "You belong to me. Not the agency. Not Caroline. Me."

"Let me go," she whispered, tears pricking her eyes. "Caroline is coming back."

"Let her come."

He crashed his lips onto hers. It wasn't a kiss; it was a claim. It was angry, possessive, and desperate. He bit her lower lip, forcing her mouth open. Elodie tried to push him away, her hands flat against his chest, but he was like a granite wall.

For a second, her body betrayed her. She melted into him, the familiarity of his touch overriding her brain.

Then, the sound of heels clicking in the hallway. Fast. Approaching.

Braxton didn't stop. He deepened the kiss, his hand sliding down to her hip.

The door handle rattled.

Elodie's eyes flew open. Panic exploded in her chest.

"Braxton!" she gasped against his mouth.

The handle turned.

In one fluid motion, Braxton broke the kiss and shoved Elodie to the side. He hit a hidden panel in the wood paneling near the window. A section of the wall slid open silently.

He pushed her into the darkness.

"Stay," he hissed.

The panel slid shut just as the conference room door swung open.

Elodie stumbled in the dark, falling to her knees. It was a narrow observation room, used for monitoring negotiations. A one-way mirror spanned the length of the wall.

She looked through the glass. She was inches away from them, but invisible.

Braxton was standing by the window, looking at his watch. He looked perfectly composed, though Elodie noticed his chest rising and falling slightly faster than normal.

Caroline walked in. She looked around the empty room.

"Where did she go?" Caroline asked, her voice suspicious.

"I sent her away," Braxton said, turning to face her. "She was unprofessional. Attempted to solicit one of the investors for private work after the meeting. It's a security risk I won't tolerate in this building."

Elodie gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. The lie was so smooth, so corporate, so much more damning than calling her incompetent.

"Really?" Caroline walked over to him. She placed a hand on his chest, right where Elodie's hands had been seconds ago. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of disbelief that she quickly masked. "I thought she was quite... spirited."

"She's a liability," Braxton said coldly. "I don't want her in this building again."

"Fine by me." Caroline smiled. She ran her hand down his lapel. "I just came back to grab my sunglasses. And to remind you... dinner with my father tonight. Don't be late."

"I'll be there."

Caroline stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Elodie felt bile rise in her throat. She watched as the woman who had tormented her in high school touched the man who owned her now.

Caroline turned to leave. As she reached the door, she paused. She looked back at the mirror. For a second, her eyes seemed to lock directly onto Elodie's. A shiver ran down Elodie's spine.

Did she know?

Caroline smirked and walked out.

Braxton waited a full minute. Then he walked over and hit the panel release.

The wall opened. Light flooded in.

Elodie scrambled to her feet. She felt dirty. Used.

"Unprofessional?" she spat, stepping out.

Braxton ignored her anger. He walked to his desk and sat down. "You're lucky I didn't let her find you. Do you know what she would do to you?"

"I don't care about her!"

"You should. She controls the social scene in this city. She could make sure your mother never gets a bed in a decent facility again."

Elodie went still. "You wouldn't let that happen."

Braxton looked at papers on his desk. He didn't answer.

The silence was the answer.

"You're a monster," Elodie whispered.

"I'm a businessman, Elodie. And you breached our contract by working for anyone else." He looked up. "Consider your allowance suspended for the month."

"What?" Elodie gripped the edge of the table. "Braxton, no. The nursing home bill is due on Friday!"

"Then maybe you should ask your Spanish friend for a loan."

He picked up a pen. "Get out."

Elodie stared at him. The cruelty was breathtaking. He was punishing her for trying to survive.

She turned and ran. She ran past Geoff, past the elevator bank, to the stairwell. She ran down ten flights of stairs before her legs gave out and she collapsed on the concrete landing, sobbing into her hands.