His gaze snapped back to mine. The confusion in his eyes cleared, replaced by a slow-dawning comprehension and something else. Something deeper. A crack in the ice, just for a second, showing not approval, but a raw, unsettling vulnerability. He hadn't planned this. He hadn't expected it. And for that one heartbeat, he was just a man with a woman's mark on him, trapped in an elevator, completely off-script.

 Then the CEO slammed back into place.

 He straightened, his jaw tightening. He didn't smile. He didn't nod. He simply turned away from me, facing the elevator doors, his posture rigid. But I could notice the slight redness crawled up his...