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She freezes, staring silently.

I wink at her again, barely recognizing myself, and stride past her into the hallway. She can use my bathroom; I’ll take another.

I don’t know where this is headed, or what this means for us, but I’m damn sure I’m going to find out.

THIRTY-NINE

Thalia

Of course, there was no way to convince him that we should arrive at the office separately.

And as if coming with him—in his car—wasn’t enough, he parked in the private underground garage, then guided me toward the elevator reserved exclusively for him and the guys… or for Sierra whenever she decides to show up.

On top of that, we walked in right at 9 a.m., at a time when everyone else was already there. The surprise on their faces was instant—Ethan being late was unusual in itself, considering he’s almost always the first one—but seeing me step out of the elevator with him only made it worse.

And, just to make everything even more obvious, the moment we got out, he wished me a good day with a smile—an actual smile—before heading straight for the meeting room, Irina trailing right behind him.

Thankfully, no one says anything about us arriving together, yet I don’t need words to understand the curiosity simmering around me. I catch the subtle glances, feel the unspoken assumptions pressing against my back—that I must be trying to secure my place here by getting too close to him.

That’s exactly why I wanted to come alone. Why I don’t want anyone finding out there’s something going on between us.

“Thalia, we were thinking of going out to a club tonight,” Tom says, stopping by my desk.

Tom is one of Ethan’s longest-standing attorneys, the one trusted with the company’s most important contracts whenever Kai isn’t available.

“We’re all going to Mayera,” he adds, leaning one hand against the edge of my desk. “Do you want to come?”

A club? Honestly… why not?

It might be a good opportunity to get to know them better. Our work rarely overlaps in any meaningful way, so aside from shared breaks and the occasional conversation, we don’t interact that much.

Still, I haven’t met a single person here I don’t like. They welcomed Jessica and me effortlessly, the same way they did with the rest of my team.

“Oh… sure, I’d love to,” I reply, a small smile curving my lips. “What time should we be there? And under whose name is the reservation?” I ask, already trying to piece together how the rest of my day will unfold.

If I’m going, I’ll need to head home first, get ready, then make my way back. Which immediately raises another issue—I have no idea how I would even get home, considering I came with Ethan. Maybe one of the guys could drop me off, or I’ll just take a cab.

“We were thinking of going straight after work, all of us leaving from here,” he explains. “We’ll grab something to eat first, then head to the club.”

Oh. Straight from here?

“I…”

“What are you talking about?” a voice cuts from our right.

We both turn simultaneously, only to find Ethan a few steps away, leaning casually against a desk, his arms crossed as his gaze settles on us with intensity. There’s no trace of amusement on his face—if anything, there’s a clear edge of irritation in the way he watches.

“Uh…”

“I was telling Thalia that we want to go out to a club tonight,” Tom answers without hesitation, his tone easy. “And I invited her too.”

I glance at him, a sarcastic smile playing on my lips, before an idea slips into my mind.

“Yeah, actually…” I begin, my voice turning deliberately sweet—too sweet to be genuine. “You could join us as well, Mr. Hardy,” I add, letting his name roll slowly off my tongue, almost like a purr.

His eyes lock onto mine, one brow lifting, his expression remaining completely unchanged. The only crack in that composure is the sharpness in his gaze, cutting straight through me.

Ignoring me altogether, he shifts his attention back to Tom. “Did you finish the contract I asked for earlier?”