Page 76 of Money Reigns
Not a step.
Not a pawn.
Not a project.
She may be the only one who can handle me and what it cost to stand by my side.
And I’m not going to let her fall.
I stare out into the night, city lights blinking like distant stars, and make my vow right here in the ruins:
She won’t break.
She’ll fucking rise.
And when she does, she’ll do it as mine.
Chapter sixteen
Olivia
All weekend I’ve been sick over this.
Replay after replay in my head, like I’m some masochist who can’t stop pressing on a bruise.
Why did I kiss him?
Why did I lean in like some wide-eyed intern, practically begging for my boss,my boss,to kiss me back?
Stupid. Reckless. Dangerous.
I should have known better. Idoknow better.
This job is my lifeline, and I cannot,will not,lose it. Not over a man like Warren Beaumont. Not over lips that taste like wine and power.
My heels click on the marble as I walk through the lobby, and every step feels heavier. Head down. That’s the rule. Keep my head down, do my work, blend in. No one has to know I spent two nights staring at my ceiling, wondering if I’d ruined everything.
The elevator dings. I force my lungs to keep working, force my spine to stay straight. The doors open to my floor, and I walk fast. Too fast. Past Brody’s empty office. Past the buzzing phones and the low murmur of the staff already at their desks. Pasthisdoor.
Closed.
Thank God.
I don’t let myself look. Not even a glance.
I go straight to my office, twist the handle, and slip inside like I’m being chased.
The door shuts behind me with a click, sealing me into the only place I think might still be mine.
Then I turn.
And my heart stops.
He’s here.
Standing at my desk, broad shoulders filling the space, his hands tucked into his pockets as he looks out my window like he owns not just the skyline but the air in my lungs.
Warren Beaumont.
