Artemis’s POV
Morning light slid across the city in ribbons of gold, catching on the steel and glass of Sterling & Quinn’s tower, spilling into my office. It was the kind of morning that should have sharpened me, made me feel invincible. The reports on my desk certainly said I should have.
The scandal had not destroyed me. It had crowned me.
The kiss that should have sunk us beneath waves of humiliation had turned into the very lifeline Sterling & Quinn needed. The stock price, which days ago had plunged under the weight of headlines, now soared higher than before. Investors were euphoric. Analysts called it “an ingenious display of confidence.” Mirelle’s couture orders had doubled overnight. Luxe Kitten had waitlists stretching weeks ahead.
On paper, everything was victory.
And yet m
