Isla POV

Liam glanced between me and Lucian, his eyes narrowing into slits, his hand clenched so tightly around the bouquet that the stems were starting to bend. The air between us was thick—charged with something sharp and uncomfortable.

Lucian, to his credit, remained calm. He studied Liam with a quiet, assessing gaze, like he was reading a situation he'd already anticipated.

Then Lucian extended his hand with an easy, practiced smile. "Hey, you must be a friend of Isla's?"

Liam's jaw tightened. He didn't take the hand. "And you're definitely not a friend. You're her boss."

"So why are you here in her place?" Liam's voice was clipped, barely...