~Author's POV~
Tasha's brows knit. "What do you mean?"
"I'm making arrangements for you to start working at his company," he said. "A proper role for close proximity and daily interaction."
Her breath hitched slightly.
"You'll be where he can see you," he continued. "Where he can't dismiss you so easily."
"And if he still resists?" she asked quietly.
"Then you use what you have," her father said without hesitation. "Your charm. Your presence. Your intelligence. Men like Xade don't fall for weakness. They fall for women who fit into their world."
Her gaze drifted, unseeing, toward the set entrance. Toward where Xena had been standing earlier.
"I've already enrolled you in Xade's private gym," Mr. Zane added. "You start next week. Remember, your goal, pumpkin and make me proud."
Tasha exhaled slowly, the edge of her frustration easing into something sharper. "I suppose I'll need new work clothes."
