The door closed behind him with a sound too soft for how loud it felt in my chest.
For a second, I just stared at the door waiting for it to open again. It didn't. Of course it didn't. I was the one that sent him away.
I exhaled and finally moved, sinking into my chair. The screen's light glared back at me, full of numbers I'd been pretending to study. The spreadsheet blurred; my reflection stared from the black parts of the monitor tired eyes, a mouth pressed into something that wasn't quite guilt but close.
"You shouldn't have called him."
The words still echoed.
Maybe he was right.
Maybe I was reckless.
But recklessness built this company.
I clicked the mouse, opened another window, then another, anything to drown the aftertaste of the argument. Instead, the silence just got louder. The office hummed air conditioner, city noise, but none of it touched me.
I'd done the math. Kai Louis was dangerous, yes, but he was also necessary. Blackwood's name had started showing up too often in contracts that were supposed to be clean. If I wanted to pry the truth from him, I needed someone who spoke his language and unfortunately, that someone was Kai.
Cyrus didn't understand that I wasn't trying to court danger. I was trying to control it.
A soft knock tapped the door. "Ma'am? Mr. Louis left his card." Mitchell slipped in just far enough to hand it over, then retreated like a cat sensing a storm.
The card was plain. No title, no address. Just his name and a number scrawled in ink too elegant for a criminal. I traced it with my thumb, a chill creeping up my wrist.
I'd met him a few times,and each memory still tugged at the edges of my mind: the polite smile that never reached his eyes, the handshake that lingered half a beat too long, the subtle weight of someone used to being obeyed. He'd promised answers. He'd also promised discretion, which was the part that made Cyrus furious.
I set the card down. "You're overreacting," I muttered to no one.
But even I didn't sound convinced.
Another notification blinked on my screen an encrypted message from an unknown sender. My pulse hitched. I clicked.
We should talk before Blackwood does. Tonight. Your office. 8 p.m.
No signature, but it didn't need one.
My stomach tightened. Kai was moving faster than I expected. Too fast.
I leaned back, staring at the ceiling tiles, weighing options. Cancel the meeting? Tell Cyrus? The idea of hearing I told you so in that calm, dangerous voice of his was somehow worse than facing Kai alone.
Still… maybe I didn't have to face him alone.
I grabbed my phone, thumb hovering over Cyrus's number. The cursor blinked on the screen like it was counting my hesitation. Finally I set the phone down.
Not yet.
I spent the rest of the afternoon pretending to work. When the sun dipped, painting gold across the glass, the office emptied. By seven-thirty, only the cleaning crew shuffled through the halls. I told Mitchell to go home early, locked the door, and checked my reflection again. Still composed, still calm. If fear was there, I'd buried it under foundation and lipstick.
At 8:02 p.m., the elevator dinged.
Kai Louis stepped out as if he'd always belonged there dark suit, easy smile, eyes that took in everything and revealed nothing.
"Ms. Hart," he greeted. His accent curled around my name, soft, deliberate. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."
"I assume you have something worth my time." I gestured to the seat opposite my desk. My voice didn't shake, thank God.
He sat, folding his hands neatly. "That depends on how much truth you're ready to buy."
"I deal in proof, not riddles."
A quiet chuckle. "Then you'll appreciate this." He slid a small flash drive across the desk. "Financial transfers. Offshore. Not yours Blackwood's. He's been funding acquisitions under various companies name. Using their reputation as a shield."
My throat went dry. "You're certain?"
How was I too know he was telling the truth from what Cyrus told me he was the one behind Blackwood so why...
"I never bring half-truths," he said. "Though your partner doesn't share my philosophy."
He meant Cyrus. I felt the temperature in the room drop.
"Cyrus is loyal to the company," I said sharply.
Kai tilted his head. "Loyalty is a currency. Eventually, everyone spends it."
I pocketed the drive before he could say more. "If this is real, you'll be compensated."
"Oh, I don't want money." His smile widened. "Just a seat at the table when the dust settles."
I met his gaze. "And what happens if I refuse?"
He stood, smoothing his jacket. "Then you'll find out why Blackwood keeps me around."
The elevator doors slid open, swallowing him whole.
For a long moment, I didn't move. Then I locked the office, drew the blinds, and finally let myself breathe. The city lights glimmered against the glass like warning signals.
My phone buzzed Cyrus again. I stared at his name on the screen. The safe choice was to answer. The stupid, brave choice was to keep what I'd learned to myself until I verified it.
I had to know why Kai was acting this way. Why he was pretending to be the one being controlled when he was actually the one controlling.
I chose stupid and brave.
"Not yet," I whispered, setting the phone face-down.
The rain started again, soft but steady, tapping out a rhythm that sounded suspiciously like a countdown.