Page 89 of All's Fair In Love & War

When he no longer spoke, I asked, “You done?”

He didn’t answer, which I took as a yes.

“You’re right. I did get a seat at the table, more territory, and business out of the deal. But let’s not rewrite history, as if it was handed to me out of generosity. Nothing was offered until you needed something in return. Your little empire was tanking, and you knew it. You needed this treaty just as bad as I did.”

I stepped in closer, matching his energy. “We went to war, and you lost as much ground as we did. My family hit your ports, bled your shipments dry, and had your empire scrambling for air. On top of that, your Don got hurt worse than I did. That treaty wasn’t a gift—it was your life raft.”

I paused, let that sink in.

“And as for that wedding,” I said, voice cool as ice, “if this alliance is what’s keeping both our houses upright, then the clock’s ticking for you, not me. The longer you hold it off, the more unstable things look, and when things start looking unstable... vultures circle.”

I stepped back and grabbed my glass again. “So if you want to posture, go ahead. But don’t forget, we both built gain from this, and I’m not the one dragging my feet.”

Khalil watched me in silence, the heat in his eyes letting me know he heard every word.

Then… “Stay off the thirtieth floor,” he said, his voice low and threatening. “And just know—I’ll blow this whole treaty to hell if you cross me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied with a chuckle as I took another sip. “Like I said. I’m only here for the view.”

He walked out without another word. Barely made a sound crossing the tile. The door shut, and I realized just how much tension he brought into the room—I could finally breathe again.

The movers filtered back in, asking where to stack the last two crates, and I gestured to a corner without caring. Khalil didn’t scare me one bit.

From the penthouse on the thirtieth floor, the exact one Khalil told me to stay away from, I stood at the stove, naked as the day I was born, flipping salmon in a cast iron skillet. I wasn’t just trespassing. I was making myself at home. The view from the floor-to-ceiling windows made the whole moment feel cinematic.

I flipped the salmon one more time and spooned the sauce over it, then let it finish resting on the cutting board. Afterward, I worked on the rice pilaf and sautéed spinach. I was fucking starving and figured now was a good time to eat.

“Happy feelings in the air. Happy feelings everywhere.”

I was singingHappy Feelingsby Maze, swaying my hips while butter popped in the skillet, when the cold press of a pistol kissed the back of my head.

And just like that, dinner got a little more interesting.

“Don’t move,” Sophia said, voice lethal enough to drop me on the spot.

Slowly, I turned, dick swinging like it had diplomatic immunity. “Damn. I knew you liked it rough, but this is some next-level foreplay.”

Though hilarious, Sophia didn’t laugh. Instead, her eyes locked on mine, then dropped—just once—before snapping back up as if nothing she saw impressed her.

“How the fuck did you get in my house?”

It was easy, actually. However, I wasn’t about to tell her that I’d been watching her routines for weeks. Even paid off a disgruntled maintenance guy to copy her key fob and provide me the elevator override code. That trick was worth its weight in gold. Access was a beautiful thing when you knew the right codes and the right people to bribe.

I reached over calmly and turned the burner off, because if she was planning to shoot me, I at least didn’t want to die with the salmon overcooked.

“I let myself in,” I said, keeping my hands where she could see them. “You should really update your security.”

Her eyes narrowed, gun still aimed at my head. “You hacked into my building?”

“Wouldn’t that be something?” I said playfully, but she didn’t crack a grin.

“You’ve got five seconds to explain why you're in my home.”

“Relax,” I said, flashing a flirtatious smile. “I brought wine.”

That only pissed her off more, and I could tell by the way her jaw tightened.

“All right,” I added quickly, “I came to talk.”

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