Grayson’s POV

Grayson sat behind his desk, fingers steepled as he watched Isla pace the length of his office. She was angry, and rightfully so. But instead of backing down, she was digging in deeper, pressing every button he had.

“You went behind my back,” Isla accused, arms crossed as she stopped in front of his desk. “I had that deal under control, and you just—overrode me. Again.”

Grayson exhaled slowly, keeping his expression neutral. “It wasn’t personal. It was business.”

Isla let out a short, humorless laugh. “Right. Because disregarding my input and making executive decisions without consulting me screams teamwork.”

He clenched his jaw. “I made a call. One that protected the company.”

Her eyes flashed with fury. “No, you made a call that asserted your dominance. Just like you always do.”

His patience was thinning. “If you’re finished—”

“I’m not,” she cut in sharply, stepping closer. “You hired me to fix this company, and I can’t do my job if you refuse to trust me.”

Grayson stood, the air between them charged with tension. “Trust is earned, Isla.”

She lifted her chin. “Then let me earn it. Stop undermining me.”

They were close now—too close. He could see the frustration in her dark eyes, but there was something else there too. A challenge. A dare.

He should step back. He should end this conversation before it turned into something else entirely.

But instead, he reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “You don’t scare easily, do you?” he murmured.

Her breath hitched, but she didn’t move away. “Should I?”

His lips twitched. “Maybe.”

A sharp knock shattered the moment, and they both stepped apart just as the door swung open. Elena, his assistant, walked in, her gaze flicking between them with careful neutrality.

“Sir, you have a meeting in ten minutes,” she said. “Also, Miss Carter, there’s an urgent email for you regarding the Singapore deal.”

Isla inhaled, regaining her composure. “Thank you, Elena.”

Without another word, she turned on her heel and strode out, leaving a heavy silence in her wake.

Elena arched a brow at him. “Should I pretend I didn’t see that?”

He sighed. “Yes.”

But even as he returned to his desk, his mind stayed on Isla.

---

Isla’s POV

Isla stormed into her office, shutting the door behind her with more force than necessary. She hated how Grayson got under her skin—how one moment she was furious with him, and the next she was dangerously aware of how close he had been. How his touch had lingered just a second too long.

This was a problem.

A big one.

She needed to focus. Victoria was still a threat, and now there were whispers of internal sabotage within Sinclair Enterprises. Someone was leaking sensitive information, and Isla had a gut feeling Victoria had something to do with it.

Her phone buzzed with a new email. Scanning it quickly, her stomach tightened. The Singapore deal was falling apart, and if she didn’t act fast, they’d lose millions.

She grabbed her blazer and headed for the conference room, determined to prove to Grayson—and to herself—that she belonged here. That she could win this battle.

And if that meant going head-to-head with him again?

So be it.