Page 15 of Ring in the New Year

"Yeah, just one."

He didn't believe her. But what choice did he have? Expose himself or expose Angela. The only real choice was to let Angela go.

He shouldn't have touched her in the first place. Not with his dirty hands. To think that she would pay for his mistakes—no. Just no. But he had to stall Kendra first before he could enact his plan.

"Fine," Holden gritted out, despising the taste of defeat on his tongue. "But this is where it ends, Kendra."

Her laugh, sharp and cold, echoed off the walls as she set the terms of their sordid bargain. As Holden left the office with the heaviness of the choice he'd made settling into his bones, he promised himself that no matter what, he’d shield Angela from the darkness of this world—even if it meant stepping back into the shadows himself.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Troy Kringle's piercing blue eyes locked on to Angela's. She had never had occasion to be the single source of his focus. That had always been her supervisor. Now Angela understood why Maya had fallen for the co-executive of the company. But it was the excitement practically vibrating through the air between them that was making her happy.

"Angela, your work on the male toy line has been nothing short of revolutionary."

The words wrapped around her like a warm embrace, invigorating and terrifying all at once. "Thank you, Troy. My goal was to push boundaries. It's what drives innovation."

"Pushing boundaries is an understatement." Troy laughed, a sound that filled the room with its rich timbre. "You've bulldozed them. Because of that, I want to promote you."

"Promotion?"

"I want you at the helm of the entire male toy line."

Angela's words caught in her throat. Her fingers fluttered behind her back. This was it—the recognition she'd craved, the validation for those long nights spent sculpting pleasure from silicone and circuitry.

From the corner of the room where numbers and equations were her world, Maya Turr looked up, her clipboard momentarily forgotten. Her eyes sparkled with pride, and when her gaze met Angela's, no words were needed. Maya's smile, wide and genuine, spoke volumes. It was the kind of support that came without envy, without condition. A silent cheer from the sidelines that echoed louder than words ever could.

"I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we can't wait to see where you take us next."

Troy extended a hand to her. When she clasped it, Angela felt like she'd just signed the contract. She was stepping into the next chapter of her life. And the only thing she wanted to do was tell Holden.

Maya sidled up to Angela after her fiancé had kissed her senseless and then left the lab. "Angela, this is huge. You're going to be fantastic."

"I still can't believe this is happening."

"Believe it. You deserve it. You're going to shake up the world, homegirl."

Angela winced at her friend. "Ohh, no."

"Too much? I've been trying to practice slang a bit more. But it's just not working for me."

No, it certainly wasn't working for the woman who screamed nerd. But she was shouting hot nerd more and more these days as she cuddled up with the boss of an adult toy company each night.

There was a knock at the door. Both women looked up to see Holden standing just outside.

"I didn't realize we had a molding appointment today," said Maya.

"We don't. He's here for me."

"For you? Likeforyou?"

Angela shrugged, not feeling in the slightest self-conscious about her relationship with the porn star. Former porn star, if all went well today. Not that Angela had any hangups about Holden's profession. She did, however, worry over the professionalism of his castmates. Particularly the one who had bulldozed her way into his loft this morning.

"I'll just head into my office," Maya said, heading to the far end of the lab and closing her office door behind her.

Angela's heels clicked a rhythmic beat against the sterile floor of the lab, her mind still adrift in a sea of accolades and possibilities. But the electric hum that had vibrated within her since Troy's praise began to falter as her gaze fell upon Holden. By the way he worried his lip, Angela doubted the resignation had gone well.

He leaned against a workbench, his usual towering confidence deflated into a posture of dejection. The harsh lighting cast shadows across his chiseled features. His eyes, darkened with distress, flicked up to meet hers, and Angela felt the air in the room grow thick with unsaid words.

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