Dangerously Mine

Thirteen

FIONA

He had to be messing with me.

There was no other explanation for why I was standing in front of Navarro Technologies again, the glass tower cutting into the sky like it had something to prove. Mr. Hale had told me to come straight here instead of the office.

The elevator ride felt longer this time.

His secretary greeted me with the same polished smile. “You can join your team in the conference room. Mr. Navarro will be with you shortly.”

Of course he would.

Inside, Mr. Hale, his associate, and two senior partners were already seated. I took a chair near the end of the table and opened my notebook, trying not to question why I’d been included.

Then the door opened.

Flavian Navarro walked in like gravity worked differently for him.

“Gentlemen,” he said, nodding at my coworkers. “Let’s get to business.”

He didn’t look at me.

A small, irritating sting hit my chest, but I pushed it down. I was here to work.

The conference room was glass on all sides, the city spread beneath us like a map. Mr. Hale began outlining the exposure Romano faced over alleged data misuse by third-party clients.

The discussion turned technical fast.

“We don’t sell misuse,” Flavian said evenly. “We sell tools. User conduct isn’t our liability.”

I kept writing, capturing key phrases the way Luna had drilled into me.

Then the room went quiet.

I looked up.

Everyone was staring at me.

“I’m sorry?” I said.

Flavian leaned back slightly, eyes on mine. “Mr. Hale believes opposing counsel will argue foreseeable harm. I asked whether you agree.”

Silence thickened.

“I think a jury won’t care how advanced the system is,” I said carefully. “They’ll care whether there was a clear warning and whether anyone actually saw it.”

A partner shifted in his seat.

“We have user agreements,” Flavian replied.

“Yes,” I said, “but if the warning is buried under pages of legal language, it won’t matter. If a product can facilitate large-scale financial damage, the risk disclosure can’t read like fine print.”

No one interrupted.

Mr. Hale watched me with open interest.

“So what’s the strategy?” he asked.

I didn’t hesitate. “Don’t argue perfection. Argue industry standard. Show every competitor operates the same way. Then shift the focus from individual blame to gaps in regulation.”

The room stilled.

“That’s-” one partner began.

“Smart,” Flavian finished quietly.

His gaze didn’t waver. “You’re not a lawyer.”

“No,” I said. “But I listen when lawyers start worrying.”

A low chuckle came from Mr. Hale. “Miss Carlisle is clerical, but she’s observant. That’s saved us before.”

Flavian studied me for a long moment. “Noted.”

I looked back down at my notes first.

The meeting ran another half hour before I excused myself to the restroom. I needed air and a second to let my pulse settle. I fixed my hair, reapplied lip gloss, squared my shoulders.

When I returned, the conference room was empty.

His secretary appeared beside me. “They just wrapped up. Your boss said to meet them back at the office.”

“Thank you.”

The elevator was thankfully empty when I stepped inside.

The doors slid toward each other.

A hand stopped them.

They reopened.

Flavian Navarro stood before me.

The space shrank instantly.

And suddenly, there was nowhere to look but at him