- Aria
Dinner was supposed to be harmless. Just food and small talk. A break from overthinking.
I should’ve known better.
Wynne had introduced me to his partner, Hogan Beardsley, a man impossible to overlook. He was handsome in a calculated, meticulous way.
I noted his keen eyes, his perfectly tailored suit, and his subtly menacing smile. The kind of man who looked like he’d never lost an argument in his life—and if he had, he’d turned it into a win anyway.
He effortlessly dominated the room without being loud, but through a confidence that seemed like an essential part of his character.
He picked the restaurant—one of those trendy downtown fusion places where the lighting was dim on purpose, and everything costs more just because the plates are pretty.
Hogan called
