Chapter 280

[ 1,103 words ]

Katia’s POV

The morning light through my office window was clean, but it felt entirely too quiet.

I was staring at the finalized public statement on my tablet, trying to anchor myself to the reality that the eighteen-month shadow of Victor Hale was officially gone. I had my freedom back. The state had apologized. But my hands were still cold, my mind still tracking the double-barreled countdown running in my chest.

The board meeting was in less than an hour. Jude’s forty-eight-hour clock was ticking toward noon.

The heavy, double-oak doors of my private office didn’t just open. They were thrown back with a sudden, arrogant force that sent the brass handles slamming hard against the wood stops.

I didn’t flinch. I slowly set my tablet down on the glass desk, my corporate armor locking instantly into place as I raised my eyes.

Tessa Sterling walked in.

She wore a dark, impeccably tailored blazer that radiated the aggressive, unbothered posture of a woman who was used to claiming space without asking. There was a faint, flushed heat in her cheeks, her hair slightly messy as if she had bypassed my security floor in a dead sprint.

But she wasn’t alone.

Right behind her, the door didn’t have time to swing shut before Sam stormed in. I had never seen Sam look like this. Her face was a violent, burning red, her chest heaving under her silk blouse, her breathing so sharp and shallow it filled the quiet room. She didn’t look at me. She didn’t look at the desk. Her eyes were locked entirely on the back of Tessa’s head with a lethal, concentrated fury.

Sam crossed the distance in two long strides.

Before Tessa could even turn her head to acknowledge the shadow behind her, Sam reached out, grabbed Tessa by the shoulder, and spun her around.

Crack.

The sound of Sam’s open palm connecting with Tessa’s cheek was incredibly loud, a sharp, ringing explosion of physical violence that bounced off the high concrete ceilings of my office. The force of the blow was so direct that Tessa’s head snapped to the side, her body stumbling a half-step back against my leather guest chairs, her hand flying up to cover the immediate, dark red print blooming on her skin.

My eyes widened.

I sat frozen behind my desk, my heart doing a sudden, violent thud against my ribs. I knew Sam. I knew her better than almost anyone in this city; I knew her limits, her fierce protectiveness, and the quiet, structured way she handled chaos. But seeing my cool, operations-driven friend physically strike a multi-million-dollar racing heir in the center of my corporate suite was a statement so massive it made my brain stall.

Sam didn’t look at the shock on my face. She stood her ground, her fingers curled into tight, trembling fists at her sides, her eyes blazing as she looked down at the stunned woman.

“Don’t you ever in your life push me again,” Sam said.

Her voice was quiet. The kind of quiet that carried no give in it, no room for negotiation. She turned on her heel, her heels clicking rapidly and violently against the hardwood floor as she walked out, pulling the double doors shut behind her with a sharp, heavy click.

The silence that returned to the room was just what I needed.

Tessa stood by the leather chair, her hand still pressed against her cheek, her chest rising and falling in rapid, frantic breaths. The pristine, elite racer had been completely shattered, replaced by a woman whose eyes were wide with pure, unadulterated shock.

Slowly, she turned her head to look at me, her voice shaking as she gestured toward the door.

“You are going to let your PA slap me?” Tessa asked, her tone rising in a high, raw register of disbelief.

I didn’t rise from my chair. I slowly leaned back against the leather, my hands folding calmly over my lap, keeping my face arranged into a flawless, untouchable mask of professional indifference. I didn’t show the panic. I didn’t show the shock. I met her furious gaze with a cold, level stare that went straight through her.

“Ms. Sterling, this is my office,” I said, my voice smooth, quiet, and entirely steady. “I decide who comes and goes, and right now, you walked into my office without an appointment. Do you think this is one of your circuits where you can race your toys whenever you wish? This is my office, and you will act accordingly p>

Tessa’s fingers slowly slid off her cheek. The dark red marks were already turning purple under her makeup, but she forced her shoulders straight, her eyes narrowing as she stepped closer to the desk. She looked at me, her gaze sweeping over my cream suit, my hair, and my face, tracking me from head to toe with a slow, highly critical appraisal.

“Aaah,” Tessa said, a tight, vicious smirk touching the corner of her lips. “You are not even all that p>

I let a cold, highly amused smile touch my own lips. I raised my chin, looking at her with the quiet, detached curiosity of a scientist studying a nuisance.

“If I am not all that, then what brings you to my office?” I asked, my voice dropping to a quiet, mocking murmur. “I must be all that for you to leave your expensive cars and find yourself here p>

Tessa’s smirk faltered, her jaw clenching so hard the muscle beneath her skin twitched. She leaned her hands flat against the mahogany of my desk, trying to project the physical dominance she was used to using on the starting grid, but the red print on her cheek made the gesture look desperate.

“Well, I heard something interesting,” Tessa said, her voice dropping to a low, deliberate speed dripping with venom. “Apparently, Julian is interested in Catwoman, not you p>

The statement landed in the room like a physical weight, but it didn’t hit the target she wanted.

Inside my chest, a dry, incredulous laugh escaped my throat. She thought she was hurting me. She had no idea she was looking directly at the face behind the visor.

I slowly stood up, my posture completely straight, my shoulders dominant as I looked down at her over the desk.

“You must be really desperate to leave your house and come to my office to tell me Mr. Windsor is interested in another woman,” I said, my voice level and entirely empty of warmth. “What are we? Are we in high school? Get the fuck out of my office p>

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.