Chapter 3 The offer

"Mr. Sterling, I wouldn't dare to reject your offer," I said, my voice barely rising above a whisper in the cold morning air. "Who am I to do that? But... I'm still married. Whatever is going on, I can't just turn my back on my life and run away. I need time to figure this out. I need to think."

Darius's face didn't turn cold. Instead, a gentle smile touched his lips, crinkling the lines around his eyes.

"I knew you would say that, Veyra," he said softly, sounding like a man who had read people his entire life. "And it's all right. Honesty and loyalty are rare, especially when given to those who no longer deserve them. Take all the time you need. Whenever you're ready, we'll be waiting."

He reached into his dark suit jacket, pulled out a heavy gold card, and pressed it into my hand. The paper was thick, smooth, and cold against my skin.

"This is my personal number," Darius Sterling said, giving my hand a gentle pat. "Call me anytime, day or night. I know that day will come much sooner than you think." He gave a firm nod. "All right then. I won't keep you and your son out in the cold any longer."

"Mr. Sterling... thank you," I said, bowing my head as my knees shook.

Beside Darius, Cassian stepped forward. Up close, his presence was overwhelming, but his dark eyes were quiet and calm.

"Take care of yourself, Veyra," he said, his voice low and warm.

He opened the car door for his father and climbed in behind him. I stood on the porch, clutching my sleeping son to my chest and holding the card in my hand, watching the three black cars pull out of the driveway and disappear down the street.

Across the road, Mrs. Gable was still leaning on her broom, her mouth wide open. I ignored her, stepped inside, and locked the deadbolt behind me.

I leaned my back against the door, my chest heaving, heart pounding all the way to my fingertips.

I looked down at the card. A gold seal sat above three short lines: The Personal Office of Darius Sterling.

Why me? What could the most powerful man in the business world want with an ordinary woman in a rented house, wearing stretched-out sweatpants and covered in baby spit-up?

My phone buzzed on the counter. I flinched, set my baby in his playpen, and picked up the device.

It was a text from Thane.

I left my blue folder on the study desk. Bring it to my office by noon. Don't be late.

Not even a hello to me or our son.

For three years, a text like this would have sent me spinning into a panic. I would have ironed his papers, packed his lunch, and rushed out the door just for a nod of approval.

But today, the panic didn't come. I didn't feel afraid. I didn't feel guilty.

I walked to the kitchen trash can, picked up the cold plate of eggs and bacon I'd made him at dawn, and scraped it straight into the bin.

I walked into his messy study, grabbed the blue leather folder off the desk, and went to strap my son into his car seat.

"Let's go see your father," I whispered to the baby, my voice flat and steady.

The drive downtown took thirty minutes. Thane always said he was a middle-management executive at Sterling Global, complaining constantly about his low salary and how hard it was to keep our small family afloat.

I parked in the visitor lot, carried my baby in his seat, and brought the blue folder into the lobby.

When the elevator doors opened on the executive floor, I stepped into a hallway lined with polished wood and floor-to-ceiling glass. I expected to find Thane in a cramped cubicle because he never let me see his office whenever I came to deliver something to him. Instead, he was standing near the glass doors of a large corner office, wearing a tailored charcoal suit that looked far too expensive for a mid-level manager. He was barking orders at a young man with a tablet.

The moment Thane looked up and saw me, his face darkened. He snapped the tablet shut, muttered something to his staff member, and marched toward me.

Before I could speak, he grabbed my upper arm and yanked me into an empty conference room, shutting the door behind us.

"Are you out of your mind?" he hissed, glaring down at our son like he was a hazard. "I told you to bring my folder, not turn my workplace into a playground! What if someone sees you?"

I pulled my arm out of his grip and looked him in the eye. "You sent a text demanding I bring your folder by noon. Here it is."

I held out the blue folder. He snatched it from my hands without a word of thanks.

"Take him and go home before you ruin my reputation here," Thane said, pointing at the door. "I have real work to do, Veyra. Work that pays for the roof over your head."

I stood my ground. "Your reputation? You mean the reputation of a husband who leaves his wife at home to raise your child alone while you treat us like this?"

"Don't start your drama here!" Thane stepped closer. "You are my wife, and you will do as I say. Don't make me repeat myself."

A frantic knock rattled the glass door.

Thane turned around, ready to yell. But the door swung open and his secretary stepped inside. Her face was pale and her hands were shaking.

"Mr. Thane... I am so sorry," she stammered. "I wouldn't come in, but... this was just delivered by an executive courier directly from headquarters."

Thane froze. "A what?"

"A direct corporate courier," she whispered, looking between us. "They said this had to be handed to you immediately. It's addressed to you and your wife."

She held out a cream envelope with a thick seal of dark crimson wax, stamped with the Sterling Global emblem.

Thane stared at the seal. His arrogant attitude melted instantly into confusion.

"Hand it here," he said, his voice weak.

He took the envelope, broke the wax seal with clumsy fingers, and pulled out a sheet of gold-trimmed paper.

I stood beside my baby, watching Thane's face as he read the letter. The color drained from his face until he was pale as chalk.

"Thane?" I asked softly. "What is it?"

Thane swallowed hard. His hands shook so badly the paper rattled in the quiet room. He lifted his eyes and looked at me not with contempt, but with shock and rising panic.

"It's an invitation to the Sterling Global annual gala," Thane whispered. "Darius Sterling is hosting a banquet at the main estate tomorrow night... and he expects the two of us to attend together as his honored guests."