The next day at the Imperial Hotel, the atmosphere inside the executive floor was unusually quiet, wrapped in the kind of silence that always seemed to settle before something unpleasant happened.
Zoey Sterling stepped out of the elevator with her usual poise and grace.
Everything about her exuded unquestionable control. Her calm expression, her graceful posture, and the effortless authority that made people instinctively lower their voices around her.
But the moment she opened the door to her office, that sense of control slipped away.
Someone was already inside.
Seated comfortably on the single sofa near the tall windows was a man who looked entirely too relaxed for someone who had entered the CEO's office without permission.
Zoey was speechless when she saw Riley so early in her office.
He didn't stand when she entered. He didn't greet her. He didn't even bother pretending that this situation required an explanation.
He simply looked at her nonchalantly.
