The negotiations had raged on for days, a relentless clash of wills and strategies that pushed both Brielle and Darius to the very limits of their endurance. Yet, through it all, a strange sort of exhilaration had taken root within Brielle, a heady rush that came with matching wits against such a formidable opponent.

As they broke for the day, the tension in the conference room thick enough to cut with a knife, Brielle found herself lingering, her gaze drawn inexorably towards Darius. He stood at the far end of the table, his broad shoulders tensed, his expression inscrutable as he pored over the notes and projections scattered before him....