“You really think you can talk circles around corporate bloodsuckers?” Blair’s sarcastic voice rings in my head, but she’s not here today.

She’s not the one in heels and under blazing lights while standing beside two men who’ve both bruised my heart.

As I smooth the front of my blazer and inhale deep, the first camera flashes burst across the conference room like tiny bombs. Microphones click on, and the logo behind us—Cuss Industries + Haverne Global—glows like it’s trying too hard to look calm.

Reo stands stiff beside me. Leo looks confident and unreadable, and his hands are folded neatly. And me? I’m just trying to keep my knees...