Page 35 of Ruined By the Enemy
“I see,” I murmur, reaching for my drink. I swirl it once, then set it back down untouched. “So they’ve been selling smoke and mirrors.”
“Yes,” she replies without hesitation. They’re barely functioning. If you’d like,” she smiles, “I could look into other options for you. It’s my job to make your dreams come true, after all.”
Oh, she’s a good liar.
My tongue touches my teeth as I chuckle quietly. “Strange,” I say casually, my fingers drumming at the edge of the table, “because I had the finance department, alongside an independent audit company, run a quiet audit two weeks ago. Their accounts, assets, subcontracts—they all checked out.”
It’s a lie, much like her earlier statement, but it catches Sophie off guard. She blinks, just once, as her forehead creases. Then her expression flattens and her shoulders straighten. “They must’ve missed something then,” she says coolly. “Much like Blackwater. That’s possible, no?”
I nod. “It is.” Her chest rises slightly. Relief. “Which is why I’ll have them run another audit. Not because I don’t think you’re thorough,” I add, “but I think it’s best not to leave anything unchecked, don’t you?”
Sophie tucks the edge of her bottom lip between her teeth, and something in me snaps. A muscle jumps in my jaw before I can stop it… because I’ve felt those lips. I’ve heard the sounds she makes when she bites them forentirelydifferent reasons.
And now she’s using that same mouth to lie to me, while trying to make me believe it’s all business. My fingers curl around the glass, tighter than necessary. The liquid sloshes, and the ice clinks against the rim.
Her eyes drop to my hand. “I agree,” she says smoothly, as if she didn’t just see past the crack in my restraint. “Double-check everything. We wouldn’t want you making a misstep.”
That word.Misstep.It feels like everything I’ve done since she walked into my life has been a misstep, placing my foot on unsteady ground and making rash decisions.
I lean in slightly, ignoring the sharp pulse at my temple. “No. We wouldn’t.” For a second, neither of us breathes. Or maybe we just stop pretending we’re breathing normally and that the conversation hasn’t shifted from lies to the tension brewing between us. “Then again,” I say, raising my hand for a waiter, “you’re the ace. If you can’t hack it, I doubt anyone else can.”
The waiter arrives, polite and unaware he’s interrupting a slow, smoldering disaster. “Could you see to it that Miss Greco gets what she wants?”
My gaze flicks back to her long enough to let the double meaning hang between us like smoke.
“Put it on the company’s tab,” I add, already pushing back from the table. “Goodnight.”
Her voice follows me, startled. “Good—” She blinks. “You’re leaving?”
I pause, just slightly, enough to let her wonder. Then I look over my shoulder. “Would you prefer I stayed?”
Her lips purse. “I guess not.”
I nod. “Good. I’ll be expecting your report tomorrow morning.” As I walk away, I don’t look back. But I feel it—her eyes on my back and the image of her in the dress burned into my mind, teasing me all the way home.
***
“I’m not saying you have to consult me on every decision you make—” Raff steps into my office the next morning like he owns the air inside it and makes himself comfortable, “—but I would’ve assumed you’d tell me about making a move like that.”
He gestures toward the file on my desk, and I flip it shut before he can get a real look. “What move?”
“One Construction,” he says, watching me closely. “You’re thinking of making an offer, aren’t you?”
“How did you—?” I stop myself. It doesn’t matter how he found out. “I’m simply looking into it,” I say, leaning back in my chair.
Raff scoffs. “You don’t just look into something. Not unless you’re planning to pull it apart piece by piece. You asked Sophie to look into it, didn’t you? That means it’s something you’re invested in, not out of curiosity.”
Not One Construction, but Sophie.Everything revolves around her.
But I don’t say that out loud. “It’s due diligence, nothing more.”
He lets out a low laugh. “Sure. And I’m in this job for the pension.”
“Anyway,” he waves a hand, “I heard someone else made One Construction a better offer. Which probably explains why you’ve decided not to pursue it anymore, although that wouldn’t be the Domenico I know.”
He grins. “But… I might’ve found another way. There’s a party happening tomorrow night. Downtown. Very hush-hush, very exclusive.”
“I’m not interested,” I cut in flatly, reaching for the closed file like I’m already done with this conversation.
