“Briar,” he said, his voice low and breathless now. “Do not do this. Stay with me.”
Without answering, Briar Hollis got up slowly, forcing her trembling legs to steady beneath her. She straightened her shredded clothes, her fingers brushing over the torn edges of her blouse, and turned away from him. Her face was pale, but her resolve was clear. Without a single word, she walked to the door and stepped through it, letting it slam behind her for the very first time since she had started working for him.
“Wait,” Damien Thorne called out, his tone sharp with desperation.
But Briar did not stop. At her desk, she pulled on her jacket quickly and buttoned it all the way up, hiding the ruined state of her blouse beneath the neat fabric. Her movements were brisk and precise, though her chest ro
