Page 33 of Rival Desires

I shook my head, disbelief coursing through me. “You really expect me to believe that?”

Cory sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I know I screwed up. But can’t we just...move past this? For the sake of our businesses, if nothing else?”

I stared at him, trying to gauge his sincerity. Was he willing to let bygones be bygones, or was this just another ploy to get the upper hand?

Finally, I sighed, my shoulders slumping in defeat. “Fine. We’ll try to...coexist. But don’t expect me to roll out the red carpet for you, Cory.”

He nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Fair enough. I can live with that.”

We stood there for a moment, the tension between us slowly dissipating. It was a fragile truce, but it was something. A start, at least.

“I should probably check on Nat,” I said, breaking the silence that had settled over us. “I’m heading out, but she might want to stay with Fury.”

Cory chuckled, pushing himself off the wall with a casual grace that made me roll my eyes. “I’ll walk you out. Just in case you need help finding your friend.”

I caught sight of Nat outside, amid a passionate lip-lock with Fury. She glanced up as we got closer, her eyes sparkling with amusement and recognition. “Well, look who finally decided to come look for me! I was starting to think you’d forgotten about me.”

A chuckle escaped me. “It seems like I’m not the one doing the abandoning, am I?” I playfully nudged her shoulder. “Anyway, I’m heading out. You good here?”

Nat nodded, snaking her arm through Fury’s with a content smile. “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for looking out for me.”

I shot Nat a grin, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. “You know I’ve got your back, girl. Stay safe.” I turned my attention to Fury, giving him a look that could freeze lava. “And you better treat my bestie right or face the wrath of...well, me.”

Fury chuckled, “Yes, ma’am, I promise.”

Cory stood there, smiling like a Cheshire cat. I spun around and made a beeline for the street before I did something I’d end up regretting.

A cautious sense of hope bubbled up inside me as I waved down a cab. Maybe, just maybe, this shaky truce would stick. At least, that’s what I was telling myself, crossing my fingers behind my back.

NINETEEN

Cory

I was slouched over my desk, squinting at the quarterly reports like they were some sort of confusing, all-you-can-eat buffet, when Warner, my trusty assistant, burst into my office. His face was beet red, and his eyes were wide. “Boss,” he sputtered, “I just got an earful from BiosynTech’s CFO. They’re threatening to yank their investment by week’s end if our returns don’t magically improve immediately.”

“Seriously?” My stomach clenched. “Our analysts gave BiosynTech the green light in their last forecast.” My words echoed my bewilderment as I frantically tried to piece together this sudden plot twist.

I anxiously scoured the reports once more, my heart plummeting as I caught a glimpse of a discrepancy that could spell out a major blunder. If word got out, our reputation would be toast faster than a marshmallow in a campfire.

My heart pounding like a drum, I leaped into action. “Set up an emergency meeting with the account manager and finance team,pronto,” I commanded, my voice oozing with the urgency that was coursing through my veins. “We need to double-check if this is a genuine error and cook up a damage control plan before BiosynTech decides to walk out on us.”

Warner gave a firm nod, his face a blend of grit and resolve, before dashing out of the room. I ran my fingers through my hair, my nerves buzzing. This was a disaster. A full-blown, five-alarm catastrophe.

I stormed into Fury’s office to hash out this colossal mess and devise a game plan. But Fury was MIA, and his secretary, Jules, was the only one holding down the fort, clacking away at her keyboard.

“Hey Jules, do you know where Fury disappeared to?” I asked, trying to sound calm.

She looked up a mischievous glint in her emerald eyes. “Appointment, he said. He didn’t say where.”

Was that look meant for me? I brushed it off and wondered if this had something to do with Rose but dismissed the thought just as quickly. “When’s he due back?”

Jules shrugged nonchalantly, “No idea, but he mentioned he’d be reachable by phone if anything urgent popped up.”

Weighing my options, I debated whether to call Fury or tackle this mess myself. With BiosynTech breathing down our necks, time was of the essence, and I was already running late for the meeting.

“I gotta bolt; there’s an emergency meeting I can’t miss,” I said, pivoting away from Jules. I could still feel her gaze on me.

“Sounds serious,” she commented, her voice laced with curiosity. “Anything I can assist with?”

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