Mistaken Alliances

Behind Closed Doors

I did not shake their hands for long.

The second I let go, I stepped back and put a smile on my face that I hoped looked more natural than it felt, because on the inside I was absolutely losing it.

"What a surprise," I said, and I meant it in the worst possible way.

Bendel was beaming between us like he had just introduced royalty to his daughter. "The Carter brothers have some exciting plans for the firm. Ms. Perez, as managing director of litigation, you'll be working closely with them."

Killian's eyes lit up at that. Of course they did.

Kade, on the other hand, was still looking at me like I was a puzzle he refused to give up on. It was the same look from the dinner table, like he was peeling back my face layer by layer trying to find something underneath.

"We look forward to it," Kade said, his voice measured, addressing Bendel but watching me.

Killian leaned slightly against the edge of Bendel's desk, casual and completely at home in a space he had owned for all of five minutes.

"Mia and I already know each other," he offered, his tone warm, and I saw Bendel's eyebrows lift with pleasant surprise.

"Oh, wonderful. Then the transition should be seamless."

Nothing about this was going to be seamless. I clasped my hands together and kept the smile intact.

"Absolutely. If you'll excuse me, I have a few client files to wrap up." I gave Bendel a nod and turned to leave.

"Ms. Perez."

Kade's voice stopped me at the door. I turned, one hand on the frame.

"We're holding a team briefing at three. We'd like you there."

It wasn't a request. The quiet authority in his voice made that clear without being rude about it.

"I'll be there," I said and walked out.

The second I turned the corner I pressed my back against the wall of the hallway and closed my eyes. My heart was going at a hundred miles an hour. They bought out my company. They bought out my actual place of work, the place I had spent three years building a career in, and somehow managed to do it without a single whisper reaching me first.

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling.

This was not a coincidence. I knew it wasn't. They knew exactly what they were doing.

My phone buzzed. I looked down.

Killian: Missed me?

I turned the phone face down and walked back to my office.

At exactly three o'clock, I walked into the conference room with my files under my arm and my game face firmly on. Half the office was already seated. People in finance, operations, admin, all crammed in and trying to get a look at the new bosses.

Killian sat at the head of the table on the right, jacket off, shirt sleeves folded to his elbows, grinning at something one of the senior partners said. Kade sat at the left, jacket on, pen in hand, reading something on his tablet without looking up.

I took a seat in the middle, away from both of them. It didn't work.

Killian's eyes found me the moment I sat down. Then Kade looked up, and for a brief moment, both of them were looking at me at the same time.

Across the table, I caught Clover staring too.

She was watching the twins with something I recognized but couldn't name yet. Then she looked at me and smiled.

The briefing began. Kade did most of the talking. He was thorough, organized, and didn't waste a single word. He laid out the restructuring plan, outlined new client acquisition goals, and spoke about growing the litigation arm specifically. Every point landed. The room was hanging on his words.

Then Killian spoke, and the energy shifted. Where Kade was precise, Killian was magnetic. He made people laugh, made them feel included, made the whole thing feel less like a corporate takeover and more like a fresh start.

I hated how good they were at this.

When the briefing ended and people began filing out, I moved to leave with them. I almost made it.

"Mia." Killian again.

I stopped and turned. Kade was still at the table. Killian was leaning against the wall near the door, blocking my path without technically blocking it.

"We'd like a word," Kade said from behind me.

I turned to look at him. He hadn't moved from his seat but he was no longer looking at his tablet. His gray eyes were steady on me.

I looked between them. Two identical faces, two very different agendas, and both of them wanting something from me that I wasn't ready to give.

I set my files on the nearest chair.

"Fine," I said. "Talk."

The door clicked shut behind us and the air in the room changed.

Killian straightened up and spoke first.

"We didn't buy this company to make things difficult for you."

"Could've fooled me," I replied.

Kade stood then, unhurried, and walked around the table until he was a few feet from me. He was close enough that I could see the sharp detail of his jaw, the way his gray eyes moved over my face.

"I've been trying to figure out where I know you from since the dinner," he said.

"You don't know me," I said again, quieter this time.

"I think I do," he replied. And then, just barely, his brow furrowed. "There's something about your eyes."

My chest tightened. I held his gaze and gave away nothing.

Killian watched us both.

"Look," I said, pulling my attention from Kade with everything I had. "Whatever personal reasons brought you both to my workplace, I'm asking you to leave them outside. I am professional here. I expect the same."

Neither of them said anything.

I picked up my files.

"Was there anything else?"

A beat of silence.

"No," Kade said finally.

I nodded and walked out.

I made it all the way to the elevator before I let myself breathe again. The doors closed and I leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling of the small metal box.

Five years of looking for one man. And now I couldn't get away from either of them.