Ace Kane’s words were brutal.
Not sharp in a clever, witty way.
Brutal in the way they stripped a person bare and left nowhere to hide.
The blow landed straight on Julian White’s pride. His cheeks burned; his ears buzzed. For a moment, he almost forgot how to breathe.
But embarrassment or not, he had to swallow it.
As long as he still wanted this job—
as long as he still needed his salary—
then even if he had to keep pretending, he’d have to pretend all the way.
“Mr. Kane, I…” he started weakly.
Ace didn’t give him the chance.
“I’m not a magnanimous ‘bigger person,’” Ace Kane said flatly. “So don’t count on me being broad-minded. And if I do have any ‘generosity’ in me, it’s not reserved for you.”
His tone cooled even further.
“As for Colin Hawke, I’ll deal with him. But right
