Chapter 69

VALERIA

"We really need to talk about this further. In my office,” he said his eyes lingered on me, a mix of focus and distraction pulling at his features. “I can’t concentrate right now.”

He raked his hands through his hair frantically again, heaving out a deep sigh containing the wariness of a thousand ages.

I could see the tension in his jaw and the way his brow furrowed as he tried to mask whatever storm was brewing inside him. It wasn’t the first time he’d looked at me like that—torn between business and something more personal. His gaze, intense and deliberate, was always unsettling, but it also kindled something in me I didn’t want to acknowledge.

Reluctantly, I followed him down the hall to his office. The hallway was quiet, save for the rhythmic clicking of my heels echoing off the marble floors. Reese’s office was tucked away at the far end of the corridor, away from prying eyes and idle gossip.

The door creaked slightly as he pushed it open, letting me step inside first.

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