LAUREN'S POV

With a wave of his hand, the bodyguards silently slipped out of the office, closing the door behind them. The soft click of the latch echoed faintly in the spacious room, leaving only the two of us inside. The sudden quiet pressed in on me, amplifying the faint hum of the air conditioner and the steady rhythm of my own heartbeat.

He gestured smoothly toward the chair across from his desk, the movement deliberate, almost practiced. His eyes never left mine, steady and ...