Chapter Eight: Coffee and Claws
912 Words
Alina stepped into Voss Tower on a mission and had barely enough sleep to function.
Her mind was still spinning from the rooftop.
From Damon’s voice, still in her ear:
“The closer you get, the harder it is to escape.”
She should have walked away that night. Should have shut the door on all of it.
But she didn’t.
Because part of her didn’t want to escape.
And that was the most dangerous truth of all.
Inside the elevator, Marla gave her a knowing look.
“You’re early. Something wrong?”
“Just prepared,” Alina said, keeping her voice cool.
Marla smirked. “Boss man’s in early too. Looked like he hadn’t slept. Or maybe he just didn’t want to.”
Alina’s heart skipped.
She didn’t ask why. She already knew.
Her inbox exploded the moment she logged in.
Meeting alert: Strategy Review — 10:00 AM
Required attendees: D. Voss, L. Grant, A. Cross
Alina blinked.
Her? In a strategy session with Damon and Leo?
This wasn’t a fluke. It was an invitation.
Or a trap.
By ten o’clock, she was seated at the sleek black table in the executive boardroom, the skyline glaring behind her like an audience.
Damon walked in last, no tie, sleeves rolled up, a silver pen in hand.
He didn’t look at her.
He didn’t need to.
His presence filled the room like tension.
Leo opened the meeting, but all Alina could hear was her own heartbeat as she waited.
Waited for the moment Damon would acknowledge her.
And when it came—it was razor sharp.
“Miss Cross,” he said, finally turning to her. “Let’s hear what you found.”
The others shifted in their seats. No one liked being surprised in front of Damon Voss.
She clicked her remote. The screen behind her lit up.
“In reviewing our overseas logistics,” she began, calm and clear, “I uncovered a trail of abnormal vendor payments—specifically in Taiwan, Osaka, and Cebu.”
Click.
“These regions reported inflated processing fees, but no formal audits or legal explanations. The funds lead to an unregistered third party, with zero documentation.”
She turned to Damon.
“In short: we’re bleeding money. Quietly. And someone’s covering it up.”
Silence.
Damon’s gaze didn’t waver.
“How much?”
“Approximately $4.2 million over eighteen months.”
No reaction.
But the temperature in the room shifted.
Someone cleared their throat. “We’ll check with legal. It’s probably a paperwork error—”
“It’s not,” Damon said, cutting the man off. His voice was calm, but cold.
“She’s right.”
He looked at Alina again. Really looked.
“Who else knows?”
“Only you and Leo. And now them.”
Damon stood slowly. “Then fix it.”
Someone else objected. “But she’s not in—”
“She is now,” Damon said.
The room stilled.
Alina swallowed. “You want me to audit the entire department?”
“I want you to follow the money,” he replied. “And I want the truth. If someone’s stealing from me… I want them buried.”
She met his gaze. “And if it’s someone close to you?”
His voice dropped. “Then I’ll bury them myself.”
The meeting ended with the weight of a loaded g*n. People scattered.
Alina stayed behind, gathering her notes.
She felt Damon before she heard him.
“Not bad,” he said behind her.
She turned. “You really want me digging into your own people?”
“I trust your instincts.”
“That’s not the same as trusting me.”
“No,” he said. “It’s not.”
They were alone now.
The air between them thick.
“You like pushing me, don’t you?” she said.
“I like seeing how far people go before they break.”
Her lips parted. “And what if I push back?”
He stepped closer.
“Then I’ll know you’re not just another pretty distraction.”
His eyes dropped to her lips—and stayed there.
Alina’s breath hitched.
This was wrong.
All of it.
But her pulse didn’t care.
She took a step back. “Be careful, Mr. Voss.”
“Of you?” he asked, voice smooth. “Always.”
She turned to leave, heels clicking on marble.
But his voice stopped her at the door.
“Alina.”
She paused.
“If you’re hiding something…” he said quietly, “I’ll find it.”
She didn’t look back.
“You’re welcome to try.”
That night, she sat at her kitchen table, Evelyn watching her silently.
“You’re in too deep,” Evelyn said. “I can see it all over your face.”
Alina rubbed her temple. “He made me lead the investigation. Gave me real power.”
“And you think that’s a good thing?”
“I don’t know,” she said honestly.
Evelyn’s voice was quiet. “You’re not just trying to ruin him anymore, are you?”
Alina didn’t answer.
Because she didn’t know if the answer would break her.
Elsewhere in the city, Damon stood on his balcony, the skyline glittering beneath him.
“She’s dangerous,” Leo said behind him. “You know that.”
Damon sipped his scotch. “That’s why I’m watching her.”
“Or falling for her.”
Damon didn’t reply.
He couldn’t.
- Writer
