Page 35 of The Silent Hour

That was the game.

Frankie looked up from the reception desk as soon as we approached, his nephew Tobias hovering beside him like a nervous shadow. I loved the old man like an extra grandfather. He always slipped me Werther's Originals at family barbecues and cackled at my dark jokes with that raspy smoker's laugh of his.

I swept around the desk and kissed his cheek and spoke to him for a few minutes before waving at the familiar security team stationed near the firm's main entrance. As the next lift climbed, digital numbers blinking upward in silent succession, I finally asked, "Does Serena know we're here?"

"No," Toya replied with a sly smile. "But I'm sure she will."

The doors slid open with a soft pneumatic hiss, revealing a space that looked like a glossy magazine spread brought to life. It hadn't been that long since I'd last visited, but stepping into Ethan's domain always hit differently. There was an unmistakable current of ambition and money running through the place, humming beneath everything like electricity before a storm.

We moved down the corridor toward Knox's office in the west wing, opposite Ethan's corner suite, the sound of our heels softened by the plush runner beneath them. A couple of associates passed us with quick nods, folders hugged against their chests, clearly on missions of their own. Phones buzzed faintly inside offices we passed, doors cracked just enough for snippets of conversation to escape. Legal jargon. Case updates. Deadlines. The cadence of a machine that never really stopped.

As we passed a side hall, a flash of movement caught my eye.

Lila Marino slowed when she saw us, her mouth stretching into a smile that revealed perfect teeth. A stack of cream-colored manila files rested against one hip, and as always, she was dressed to kill. A charcoal pencil skirt hugged every contour, paired with a silk blouse the color of fresh blood. Her dark chocolate hair fell in a sleek curtain past her shoulders, and her flawless olive skin damn near glowed beneath the recessed lights.

"Hello!" she greeted brightly.

For the record, I'd never had a problem with this woman. I'd heard plenty about her, of course, and we’d met once or twice. Serena kept me caught up on office gossip, and Lila's name had come up a little more often than I particularly cared for, but nothing she'd done had ever given me a legitimate reason to dislike her.

Until maybe now because that cheerfulness was manufactured as hell. Too sugary, like artificial sweetener leaving a chemical aftertaste.

"Hello. Lila, right?" I greeted, keeping my tone even.

I hated how close her name was to mine.

"Hey, girl," Toya drawled.

I swear she was channeling some over-the-top sitcom diva, and it took everything in me not to laugh.

"Can I help you with something?" Lila asked.

Her eyes moved over me. Subtly, but not quickly enough for me to miss it, and not casually enough for me to mistake what she was doing. I was a confident woman. I also knew bitch when it presented itself. She was taking inventory like a jewel thief casing a display. Her gaze traveled from head to toe before lingering on my ring stack.

The six-carat cushion-cut diamond in my custom platinum engagement ring sat nestled against Ethan's mother's vintage sapphire heirloom, my pavé wedding band, and the emerald-studded ring he'd given me for our fifth anniversary. Together, they formed one flawless, blinding constellation. Not that the size or cost of my rings mattered, but I wasn't going to pretend Ethan putting them on my finger didn't make me feel special.

Her gaze shifted next to the slim gold chain at my throat, where two tiny diamond-encrusted letters, A and E, rested against my collarbone. Then something else registered. She'd barely looked at Toya. She dismissed her like yesterday's news. That calculated little slight didn't escape me.

I opened my mouth, but Toya beat me to it.

"We're just fine on our own." Her hand settled against the small of my back, guiding me forward.

"I'm afraid this floor requires an escort," Lila called softly after us.

Toya stopped and I caught her eye. The slight arch of her brow said everything. I smiled and turned partially back toward Lila.

"Security measures are important," I agreed pleasantly. "But since my name is on the building, etched in gold on that plaque you pass every morning, I think I'm free to wander." I paused, letting my smile brighten. "Perks of being married to the owner and boss. You know my husband, don't you? Ethan?"

Her smile remained perfectly in place, but her eyes betrayed her. A tiny flash of dislike beneath the polished professional veneer. Gone almost as quickly as it appeared.

"Oh, of course," she murmured.

"Of course," I echoed brightly. Then I turned and guided Toya away, leaving Lila standing there with her files and that fake-ass smile behind us. Once we were safely out of earshot, I leaned closer. "I don't think she likes me."

Toya laughed. "She doesn't like either of us. I did some digging on her, by the way."

"Naturally."

"Lila Marino," she began, sounding like she was giving me the specs on a car I was considering buying. "Ambitious to a fault. Comes from a wealthy background. One younger brother. Parents are still married and seem grossly in love, but you know how looks can be deceiving. Graduated top of her class. She's smart, strategic, knows how to turn charm on and off like a switch. The kind of woman who's always looking for leverage."