Chapter 84

(Mike's POV).

"Let him work for your company."

That was what Emily said to me while we were lounging on the couch, the soft hum of the city outside our window, and the steady rhythm of our breathing filling the quiet.

I looked at her, her face calm, as if she hadn't just dropped that bombshell so casually.

"Are you sure?" I asked, my voice coming out more strained than I intended.

She glanced at me, her eyes soft but unwavering. Emily wasn't the type to speak without thinking things through, but Ben—in my company?

It felt like a violation, like opening the door for a storm we had just barely survived.

She nodded, her fingers tracing small circles on the arm of the couch.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Her voice was steady, but I could see the flicker of something behind her eyes—maybe the ghosts of the past, maybe something else, but she hid it well.

"But not anything special," she added quickly, her tone shifting. "Put him at the bottom, not an office boy or anything, but just... a regular em