Sophia Laurent stood at the end of the hallway.
Silent.
Perfectly dressed.
Perfectly composed.
And completely out of place.
The penthouse seemed to shrink around her presence.
For several seconds nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The tension in the room became almost unbearable.
Amelia stood near Ethan.
Close enough to feel the sudden change in him.
His entire body had gone rigid.
Dangerous.
Cold.
Controlled.
The version of Ethan Black that terrified boardrooms and competitors alike.
Sophia’s eyes moved between them.
Then slowly lowered.
Directly toward their joined hands.
The hand Ethan still held.
The hand he had no intention of releasing.
Something flashed across Sophia’s face.
Pain.
Real pain.
Then it disappeared behind a smile.
A practiced smile.
The kind people wo
