After waking up and grabbing a quick bite, ra felt like she was moving through msses. Everything tasted nd, and by the time she settled at her desk, she could barely stifle a yawn. She just wasn''t herself today.


    It wasn''t until Cole, adjusting his sses with a sincere look, suggested, "Ms. Bradford, maybe a turtleneck would be better?"


    ra, still foggy from the morning haze, sipped her coffee. "Why''s that?"


    Cole just gave her a knowing look.


    It wasn''t until her lunch break that she saw her reflection and noticed the rosy glow on her face and the unmistakable marks on her neck. Her cheeks turned crimson as she instinctively tried to pull up her cor, only to remember she wasn''t wearing a turtleneck today and it offered no help.


    Caught off guard by her own appearance, she quickly ordered a scarf online with a plea for speedy delivery.


    That afternoon, ra had a critical meeting with a new executive about a potential government contract. She was determined to nail it.


    At three on the dot, she wrapped the newly delivered scarf around her neck and headed to the meeting with Cole. The venue was a swanky hotel, perfect for business talks.


    But when she opened the door to the private room, she froze. Along with the new executive, Jared, was Jeffree.


    She''d just had a spat with Jeffree, and if he was tight with Jared, their project could be doomed.


    Jeffree looked equally surprised to see ra. His eyes widened before he cozied up to the person next to him. "Jared, is she the one we''re meeting?"


    Jared, only twenty-six, had climbed the corporatedder, thanks in part to his ties with the Warren family. He gently nudged Jeffree aside and nodded at ra. "Ms. ra, please, take a seat."


    Not quite sure of the dynamic between them, ra carefully took a seat. "Mr. Warren, I''ve heard a lot about you."


    Jared seemed a bit embarrassed, his lips twitching in a half-smile. "Not sure how much of it is worth hearing. If it weren''t for this project, you probably wouldn''t know me at all."


    ra quickly sized him up as someonecking subtlety. A savvy businessperson wouldn''t talk down about themselves.


    She smiled warmly. "On the contrary, Mr. Warren. You were the top student of your year. Back when I was hitting the books hard, I''d read about top students like you every year."


    Jared''s face brightened, a blush creeping onto his cheeks as he raised his ss. "I''m surprised you actually know that."


    ra picked up her ss, clinking it gently with his.


    Watching their easy conversation, Jeffree tightened his grip on Jared''s arm, frustrated. "Jared, you shouldn''t partner with her. Haven''t you heard about her? She even got on Mr. Dn''s bad side. Who knows how long the Bradford Group willst?"


    Anyone who crossed Dn got swallowed up. Justst night, ra had boldly sat on Dn''sp and kissed him in front of everyone. Audacious and shameless!


    Dn might seem aloof, but his actions were anything but gentle.


    Jared hesitated, visibly conflicted.


    Jeffree shot ra a smug look, confident that his presence would derail the deal.


    ra set her ss down calmly. "Two nights ago, I left The Grand Hotel, and Mr. Dn didn''ty a finger on me."


    Jeffree jumped to his feet, furious. "What''s that supposed to mean? The Grand Hotel isn''t for the likes of you. You''re just spinning tales!"