Lola didn’t hear Yemi come in. She was too lost in her own storm, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window of his penthouse, staring at the city skyline as if the answers she needed would be written in the lights below. Desmond’s call still echoed in her mind. The way he spoke, like he was already three moves ahead, like she was nothing but a piece on his board. And Charles—someone who was supposed to be neutral—had been swayed. It was a betrayal she should have seen coming, but it still stung.
The soft click of the door made her stiffen. She didn’t turn. She already knew it was Yemi.
He didn’t speak right away, and somehow, that made it worse.
Then, finally, his voice broke the silence, quiet but edged with something she couldn’t quite name. “You’re thinking too loud.”
She exhaled shar
