Page 23 of Beautifully Scarred Omega

“Perfect.” Finn’s voice carries a note of relief. “The faster we find this mole, the better. Every day that passes is another day they could try again.”

Griffin doesn’t move to leave. Instead, he settles more firmly into his chair, his gaze sharpening.

“Before I let one of my own into an assignment,” he says slowly, “it’s important that I have all the facts.”

I knew this was coming. Sentinel doesn’t operate blindly. They’re professionals, which means they ask questions. And Griffin isn’t the type to send his people into situations he doesn’t fully understand.

“What do you want to know?” I ask, though I already know the answer.

“Why would someone break into Synthera just to disable a cooling system? That’s not theft. That’s sabotage. Targeted sabotage.” His eyes move between the three of us. “What are you working on that someone wants destroyed?”

I exchange a glance with Ethan and Finn.

“The climate-controlled storage room holds our most sensitive suppressant compounds,” I say carefully. “Temperature-sensitive formulations that take months to produce. Destroying them would set us back significantly.” I hold his gaze. “Someone clearly knew that.”

Griffin holds my eyes a beat too long, and I have the uncomfortable feeling he knows I’m not telling him everything. But he doesn’t push.

“Understood,” he says finally, and lets it go. “Where will she be staying?”

“Here on the estate. There’s a separate wing for staff members who live on-site, private apartments, fully equipped. She’ll have her own space.”

Griffin’s brows draw together for a fraction of a second.

“Don’t worry,” I add. “Each apartment has complete privacy and security. She’ll be comfortable.”

“I’m not worried about her comfort.” Griffin’s voice has gone flat. “She’ll be on suppressants, but she’s still an omega. I want to make sure that’s not going to be a problem.”

“We have a lot of omega employees,” Finn says. “That’s never been a problem.”

Griffin rises from his chair, buttoning his jacket with precise movements. He’s nearly to the door when he stops and turns.

“One last thing.”

“Yes?”

He fixes each of us with a stare that could strip paint.

“Don’t try anything with her.”

I blink. “Excuse me?”

“I’m saying this clearly so there’s no misunderstanding.” His voice is low and dangerous. “Don’t ever try anything with Sophie. She’ll kill you herself if you cross that line.” He pauses. “And if she doesn’t, I will.”

For a moment, I’m genuinely speechless.

He thinks—he seriously thinks we would make advances on an employee. On someone we’re hiring to do a job. As if we’re so desperate for women that we can’t maintain basic professional boundaries.

Finn bursts out laughing, the sound filling the office. Even Ethan looks shocked, his eyebrows climbing toward his hairline.

“Griffin.” I keep my voice steady, though I can feel irritation prickling beneath my skin. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about. We have never crossed that line with anyone who works for us, and we have no intention of starting now.”

“You do have a reputation,” Griffin says mildly.

“This is business.” I stand, meeting his eyes directly. “We’re talking about the thing we’ve worked on since we were barely out of university. Our life’s work. Everything we’ve built toward for over a decade. We would never do anything to jeopardize that.”

Griffin studies me for a long moment. Whatever he sees must satisfy him, because some of the tension leaves his shoulders.

“If anything,” Finn says, still grinning, “the danger is more likely to be her coming onto us.”