Aria's POV
They both walked into my office, and the air immediately changed; it became thicker, charged with something electric and uncomfortable. I watched them enter and saw the way they measured each other with their eyes and the way their bodies tensed like animals establishing territory.
The hate was palpable. Instant. They'd known each other for all of thirty seconds, and they already despised one another.
"Nice to see you, Julian," I said, forcing a smile that felt tight and false on my face. "This is my COO…"
"And ex-husband, Damien Cross." Julian interrupted smoothly, settling into the chair across from my desk with the kind of casual confidence that suggested he owned the place. “Nice to meet you."
His smile was lopsided, lifting only one side of his mouth in a way that w
