Page 22 of Baby For My Ex's Brother

As they disengage, Derek turns toward me, his hand outstretched. The expectation of compliance hangs in the air, but I can't bring myself to take part in this farce. My skin crawls at the thought of touching him, of pretending his actions are anything but despicable.

"Shiloh?" His voice is a cool drawl laced with a hint of surprise as I stand motionless.

I summon all the professionalism I can muster, my hands clenching into fists at my sides.

"Mr. Turner," I say, avoiding his gaze—and his hand. "If that's all, we should be going. We have other appointments to attend to.”

Liam's eyes flicker over to me, a shadow of something unreadable passing through them before he schools his features back to neutrality.

"Alright then," Derek says after a pause, retracting his hand and nodding once. "Until next time."

We turn to leave, and I can feel Derek's eyes on me, but I refuse to look back. There's a tightness in my chest that makes it hard to breathe.

I've never been one to shy away from standing up for what I believe in, even in the face of power or wealth, and I'm not about to start now, billionaire boss or not.

Liam leads the way out of the conference room, his strides confident. I follow in silence, grappling internally with the dissonance between my own values and the role I'm supposed to play here. The plush carpet muffles our steps as we navigate through the maze of offices and cubicles.

"Shiloh," Liam says softly once we're out of earshot, and there's a tension in his voice that wasn't there before.

I glance up at him, and I am met by the steel in his gaze. It's a look that demands answers without asking questions outright.

"Look, I know what you're thinking," I start, feeling the weight of his scrutiny. "But I just couldn't shake his hand—not after everything."

Liam's expression doesn't soften, but he nods curtly as if granting me this one concession.

"This isn't about personal feelings. It's business. Sometimes it's about playing the long game," he says, his tone measured.

"Even if it means ignoring what's right?" I can't help the edge of challenge in my voice.

"Especially then," he counters. We reach the elevator, and he presses the call button, his jaw set.

And as we step into the elevator, he lowers his voice.

“We’ll talk in the car,” he growls. “But if you want to keep your job, you’re going to start playing by my rules.”

Chapter nine

Liam

Atlanta's skyline blurs pastthe car window, but I can't focus on it. My mind is reeling, and my knuckles are white as I grasp my knees. Beside me, Shiloh is a storm, her gaze fixed out the passenger side.

"Shiloh," I start, my voice sharper than I intend, "what's your problem?" She's been giving me the cold shoulder since we left Aegis, and it's grating on my nerves.

She doesn't even glance my way, just shrugs and mutters, "It's nothing."

But I know better; it's never 'nothing' with Shiloh.

"Come on," I press. "This is about last week, isn't it?" The memory of grasping her arm, thinking about turning her around, bending her over, spanking her… the fantasy flashes through my mind, unwanted and yet stirring something deep within me.

Her lips press into a thin line, her jaw tightens, and she finally turns to look at me, eyes sharp. "No, Liam, it's not about that."Her voice is clipped, and I don't miss the quick flicker of heat behind her facade.

"Then what is it?" I demand, feeling the tightrope of our relationship strain with every word.

She crosses her arms, and her voice trembles with restrained anger. "I can't believe you just go along with Derek's cheating. After all that talk about integrity, how Chris was an asshole, how I deserved better."

I'm confused for a second before the penny drops.

"Shiloh, it's my job." My words sound hollow even to my own ears.

---