“Deviana, come in.”

The deep, commanding voice came from behind the frosted glass door.

Deviana swallowed hard, straightened her blazer, and carefully pushed the door open. Her boss’s office—Armand, a man in his early forties with an aura of unshakable authority—was always pristine and cold, every detail reflecting his uncompromising discipline.

Armand sat with folded arms at his desk, his piercing eyes fixed on her the moment she stepped inside.

“Sit.”

She obeyed, though her heart pounded against her ribs.

Armand didn’t waste time. “I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors about you, Deviana.”

The air grew heavy. Deviana parted her lips, but Armand’s voice cut sharper than her breath....