THE boardroom soon grew colder with every passing second. Adrian's gaze never strayed far from Ryan, though he tried to mask it behind composed expressions and clipped responses. He noticed everything, the way Ryan leaned too close to Amelia, the way his hand brushed against her chair as if to remind everyone of his place beside her.

It burned inside him, a sharp coil of jealousy he hadn't felt in years. This wasn't business anymore; Ryan's presence was personal, it was deliberate. And though Adrian sat in silence, every fiber of him screamed against the smug assurance Ryan wore so easily.

Amelia, meanwhile, pressed forward with closing remarks, her voice...