Page 74 of Sunrise

He hears me coming. Turns around.

I slap him so hard my palm stings.

“How could you?” I scream. “How could you!”

He licks his bloody lip and smirks. “Don’tworry. You’re still listed as a contributor.”

Raising my hand to strike again, my arm’s caught in a vice grip. “Get off me!” I yell, spinning to rip my arm out to the security guard’s grasp and nearly twist my ankle. I fall into the guard’s chest.

“Maybe don’t wear fuck me pumps to work when you get another job,” James advises. “It sends the wrong message.”

This. Bastard.

I stomp on his foot, digging my Louboutin stiletto heel into his cheap ass loafers. He howls in pain, and the security guard picks me up by the waist and hauls me backwards.

“Stop, Sophie.” He sets me down and quietly utters, “He’ll sue if you keep going. Don’t make this worse for yourself.”

Worse? How the fuck could this getworse?

Tears spring free and I turn to leave. There’s nothing I need from my office that can’t be replaced, and any information on my laptop is no longer going to be considered mine. It never was. It’s always been the research center’s property and intelligence. I fear if I stay a second longer, I’ll make a chemical reaction and level the whole fucking building.

It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.

I’ve been through worse and survived.

It’s just a job.

A stupid fucking job.

I didn’t even like it here. I’d come from a better place and landed at this one after…

After.

Flipping that switch inside my brain, I shutdown and enter survival mode.

I don’t remember leaving the building.

I don’t remember entering the parking garage.

I don’t remember getting in my car.

I don’t remember…

Chapter 23

Knox

The rest of the afternoon is a blur, and I end up late for work.

Good thing I’m the boss.

Vault and I spent the entire afternoon together, and I think we both have massive weights lifted from our chests. I’ve never seen him more at peace in my life than when we finished kissing the hell out of each other before saying goodbye.

There was light back in his amber eyes, guys.

This ishuge.

We’re not at the finish line yet, but this breakthrough is worth celebrating. He and I discussed Sophie a little more and came up with a plan to romance the fucking shit out of her.

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