MILES:
Her words echoed painfully in my mind. "I would like this to stop."
I shifted a little in my chair, acknowledging that her wariness was warranted. I cleared my throat. "As I said, I will only maintain this facade until the project is complete. I need to secure this deal quickly. I'm sorry if it's to your detriment, but we have to move forward – after all, we've already started down this path."
Her brow furrowed, but she remained silent.
"Unfortunately, Steele is a family man, and I need to portray that image to win him over completely. I've convinced him that I've changed."
"And he believed that?" she asked, her tone laced with skepticism.
"I was persuasive with my words and actions." I took a deep breath. "If you don't falter, this will be over soon."
She tilted her head, he
