Damien's POV
The city blurred around me in streaks of neon and dusk as I tore through traffic like a man possessed. My foot was a weight on the gas, but it was nothing compared to the chaos in my head.
Every piece of the puzzle twisted in my mind like a knife. I gripped the steering wheel tighter, knuckles white. This wasn’t supposed to happen—not like this.
Cleo had played it perfectly. Used protocol, bureaucracy, and timing like a scalpel. And the worst part? She wasn’t bluffing. The agency she worked under didn’t tolerate breaches. No broken deals. No complaints. If I pushed her out now—especially without a legitimate reason—they’d pull every contract I had with them. I’d be blacklisted across half the sector before sunrise.
That couldn’t happen.
Not now.
Not with Osmond breathin
