Page 11 of Cold Carnage

"What do you need, Mr. Wolfe?" I asked, masking the anxiety Ryker had left simmering under my skin.

"Mr. Wolfe is my father," he said with an affable smile. "You can call me Leo."

I cocked my head to the side. I was sure he wanted some kind of response to his obvious flirtation, but I wasn't interested in giving him one. Especially not with Ryker breathing down my neck, dead-set on getting rid of me.

"Can I help you?" I asked again when he remained silent.

He glanced back at the now-empty boardroom before meeting my eyes again. "Just wanted to say you handled that meeting well. Not everyone can stand up to those sponsors like that."

I offered a small smile. "Thanks. It’s part of the job."

His expression softened slightly. "It’s more than just part of the job, Paige. It’s about knowing how to navigate this world."

I tilted my head slightly, studying him. There was something in his tone—a hint of something more profound than just a casual compliment.

"And you’re good at it," he continued. "Better than most people give you credit for."

"Appreciate it," I replied cautiously. Compliments from Leo felt like gifts wrapped in barbed wire—attractive but dangerous if handled wrong.

"I mean it." His eyes held mine for a moment longer before he straightened up and glanced down the hall where Ryker had disappeared.

"Keep an eye on Ryker," Leo added, his voice dropping slightly. "He’s not one to let things go easily. Honestly, he's kind of a dick."

"I will," I assured him, though my mind raced with what that truly meant.

"Oh," he said, almost as an afterthought. "There is one sponsor that isn't pleased with Mathers' forced departure. I hear they're going to pull funding unless there's a meeting or something. I thought you should know."

"What?" My eyes went wide. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Leo shrugged, his expression indifferent. "People here don't trust outsiders," he said. "I should know. But I figure, you and me, we stick together, huh?"

A suspicion crept into my mind. Were they purposefully keeping something like this from me because of how Ryker felt about me? Did they want to show where they stood? And how did Leo know?

Then again, with his father being who he was, maybe he was privy to that kind of information.

Or maybe I was the only one who didn't know.

My teeth clenched as frustration bubbled beneath the surface.

"You're cute when you're angry," Leo remarked, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "You get this wrinkle across your nose?—"

I realized he was still there, watching me closely. This wasn’t the time or place to react. Not in front of an audience that could easily misconstrue my emotions as weakness.

"Well," I said, my voice slightly strained but steady, "thanks for letting me know."

His smirk widened, but he didn't push further. "Anytime," he said before turning on his heel and walking away.

As soon as he was out of sight, I exhaled slowly, trying to release the tension coiled within me. I needed to address this sponsor issue immediately and figure out who else was keeping secrets around here. My role required trust and communication; without it, everything would crumble.

I straightened my shoulders and made my way down the hall, my steps purposeful and resolute. There was no room for hesitation now—I had to confront this head-on and prove my worth not just to the team but to myself.

I walked briskly down the hall, the success of the sponsorship pitch now a distant memory. The swirling politics and news of an unhappy sponsor weighed heavily on my mind. Leo’s connections, Ryker’s tension, and the sponsors' unease—all of it more than I had anticipated. If I was going to succeed here, I needed to figure out exactly what role everyone played.

And more importantly, who could be trusted.

First on my list was Gideon. He’d introduced me to the team, vouched for me. He might have some insight into this mess. I headed to his office, my footsteps echoing in the otherwise empty corridor.

Gideon sat at his desk, engrossed in paperwork when I entered. He looked up, eyebrows raised in surprise.

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