Harley’s P.O.V.

The iciness of that voice froze everyone in the store for a second, charging the air with suffocating tension. My heart raced, and I spun towards the voice, confirming my deepest dreads.

There he was!

Lucian Laynox!

He strode into the boutique flanked by two men in sharp suits who looked more like sentinels than guards. The world seemed to shrink around him, the silk-draped mannequins and glittering chandeliers dimming the shadows of his commanding presence.

Lucian stepped between me and the so-called manager, his broad shoulders eclipsing her completely. His voice was ice when he spoke again.

“You are fired, Miss Loretta. Effective immediately.”

He tilted his...