Cynthia sat in her office, her fingers absently tapping against the polished wooden desk. The tension in her chest hadn’t eased since her unexpected encounter with Collins. Seeing him again had been a shock, but learning that he was Mike’s best friend was far worse.

The way he had looked at her—with pain, betrayal, and something dark she couldn’t quite place—had left her shaken.

She exhaled deeply and glanced at the clock. Mike had been unusually silent since the morning, not summoning her to his office for one of his impromptu, infuriating orders. That alone made her nervous. It wasn’t like him to stay quiet. He was always barking orders,...