Scarlett’s POV
I raised a brow. “You’re not on the executive roster.”
“No,” he smiled slightly. “But I’m on the new partnership list. Let’s just say Jasper and I have mutual… interests.”
I didn’t take his hand. Not yet. “Rival interests, I assume?”
“Touché.” His smile widened. “Your reputation precedes you, Mrs. Carrington.”
The way he said it didn’t sound like flattery. It sounded like a warning.
“I’m not interested in games, Mr. Dane.”
“Good,” he replied coolly. “Neither am I. I’m interested in strong allies. People who know how to take something broken and make it work again.”
He looked at me with unsettling clarity, like he already understood more than he should.
“You took a role meant to intimidate you,” he said quietly, “and you flipped it on its head. That was impressive.”
