Aaron’s lips curled into a thin, cold line, his voice icy and emotionless. “Not going to let me off? I’d love to know, Mrs. Ryker, how exactly you plan to not let me off?”

He pulled a cigarette from his pack, lit it, and took a slow drag.

Seeing Sophia furrow her brows and stay silent, he spoke again, his tone flat. “Sophia, you’re not seriously thinking of using Elliot to deal with me, are you?”

Sophia froze. “No, we’re not involving anyone else in ...