Jayden was momentarily caught off guard by the sheer force of Herman's presence, frozen in place for a beat as the weight of it settled over him. He'd been so consumed by anger that he'd conveniently forgotten that Herman was not someone to be taken lightly, and that those who crossed Herman rarely came out unscathed.
Pulling himself back together, Jayden drew a slow, steadying breath to tamp down the fury still smoldering beneath his skin and said, his voice carefully measured, "I only want to see her once—just once. There's something I need to ask her."
Herman, noting the sudden shift in Jayden's tone, seemed to relent just slightly. "Since you've put it that way, Mr. Gibson, I don't see why I should refuse. If she agrees to see you, I won't stand in your way, but if she doesn't, then
