Page 21 of Conning Her Dragonkin Boss

“Stop! She did great! All the execs were buzzing after the meeting this morning.”

Harla’s voice cuts through the noise, amused. “Which is exactly why we’re taking her out to celebrate.”

“Downtown, right?” Neve, the pixie from HR, chimes in. “I already made the reservation at The Velvet Olive.”

My brows furrow slightly. The Velvet Olive.

A high-end martini lounge known for strong drinks, a stylish atmosphere, and an unfortunate lack of security.

I take another sip of my espresso, disapproving instantly.

Alcohol. Crowds. Unpredictability.

None of which Sunny should be dealing with.

She isn’t streetwise. She’s too trusting, too bright to be in a place where she could so easily be taken advantage of.

I tell myself it’s not my problem.

She’s an adult.

She can make her own choices.

And yet, three hours later, I find myself outside The Velvet Olive.

The martini loungeis exactly as I expect.

Low lighting, sleek velvet seating, a bar stocked with glowing bottles of Rift-exclusive liquors.

The air buzzes with energy—a mix of humans, Otherkin, and a handful of creatures who probably aren’t on the legal entry list.

I stay to the shadows, slipping into a dimly lit corner booth where I can keep a careful watch without being noticed.

And then, there she is.

Sunny, sitting at a booth with her coworkers, laughing, her eyes alight with genuine joy.

She looks…soft here.

Not in the carefully poised way she holds herself at work, but relaxed, unguarded.

Her black hair, unbound, falls like a sheet of black silk down her back and gleams under the golden glow of the lounge’s chandeliers. Her skin is luminous like a gilt pearl, her lips curved in a smile that has no business being as distracting as it is.

I should leave.

I don’t.

Instead, I order a whiskey neat, take an idle sip, and observe from a quiet corner.

An incubus approaches their table.

Well-dressed. Confident. Smug.

I know his type.

Too much charm, too little awareness.

I watch—waiting, assessing.

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