Kurtis POV
The air in the room was thick with tension, a silent battle of wills playing out before a single word was spoken. I stood at the head of the table, my hands resting on the cold, polished wood. Every breath I took felt measured, deliberate. This wasn’t just a meeting, it was a war, and I had come prepared to win.
The door creaked open, and Alice Maddox walked in, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. Her black suit was immaculate, tailored to perfection, and her crimson lips curved into a smile that was more predator than person. But I wasn’t fooled. Beneath the surface, Alice was unraveling. I could see it in the slight twitch of her fingers, the way her gaze flickered before settling on me.
“Kurtis,” she said smoothly, lowering herself into the chair acro
