The rain in Chicago always felt like needles against my face.

I hurried through the revolving glass doors of Romano Holdings, clutching my briefcase to my chest.

The lobby was quiet, save for the hum of the heating system and the click of my heels on the polished marble.

I looked at my watch.

Nine-fifteen.

I was fifteen minutes late for my morning briefing with Adrian Romano.

My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat sending a dull throb through my collarbone.

I adjusted the silk scarf around my neck, pulling it higher to cover the dark, purple handprint blooming beneath my skin.

The elevator ride to the top floor felt agonizingly slow.

When the doors slid open, the quiet elegance of the executive suite offered no comfort.

I walked down the carpeted hallway and knocked on the heavy oak door of Adrian’s private office.

“Come in,” his voice called out, deep and calm.

I pushed the door open.

Adrian sat behind his minimalist glass desk, a stack of financial reports open before him.

The gray Chicago sky framed his silhouette through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind his chair.

He did not look up immediately.

“You are late, Emily,” he said, his fountain pen moving across a document.

“I apologize, Mr. Romano,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “The traffic on Michigan Avenue was blocked.”

He stopped writing.

He set the pen down with a quiet click.

His dark eyes rose to meet mine, sharp and analytical.

Adrian Romano was a man who noticed everything, a quality that made him the most feared and respected CEO in the city.

“Sit down,” he said, gesturing to the leather chair opposite him.

I walked over and sat, carefully keeping my posture straight so the fabric of my blouse wouldn’t rub against my shoulder.

I placed my folder on the desk.

“These are the Q3 projections for the logistics acquisition,” I said, trying to sound professional.

He didn’t look at the folder.

He kept his eyes on my face, then let them drift down to my neck.

I instinctively reached up to touch the silk scarf.

“The temperature outside is sixty degrees,” Adrian said softly.