Author's POV

A week later…

The dining room was quiet except for the soft clinking of silverware. Asher sat at the head of the table, his dark brown eyes flickering toward Ivy, who was seated opposite him. She refused to meet his gaze, her posture stiff, her focus entirely on the untouched plate before her. Marsha and Miles, their assistants, sat between them, and the silence was deafening.

Marsha dramatically cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "I'm glad you guys finally agreed to sit down and talk. We need to get ahead of this mess."

Ivy scoffed softly, her arms crossing as she leaned back in her chair. Asher's gaze...