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“Balls deep on Saturday night,” I respond with a wince.
“You’re fucking with me.”
“I wish I were,” I grind out. “Her name’s Cora Rossi. She was working Le Jardin on Saturday, and now she’s here, trying to play me. My guess is money. It’s always about money.”
Since she’s already stolen from me, a quick payoff should do the trick. But the idea of paying her off grates on me. Still, I’m not about to risk my company over some pussy.
Dameon leans back, rubbing a hand over his face. “This is a fucking nightmare—not just for the company, but for you personally. We need to be smart about this. If she’s playing us, it’s not just money we should be worried about. We can’t let this spiral—”
I cut him off. “I know. We can’t afford another PR disaster right now.”
“We need to contain this,” Dameon says, the strain in his voice stoking my worry. “Quickly.”
I grab my phone, dial my lawyer and put him on speaker. Sam is a grumpy old bastard, but he’s the best at what he does, and I pay him a small fortune to keep things like this from blowing up.
“Sam, it’s James. We have a situation,” I say as soon as he picks up.
“What’s the problem, sir?” Sam’s as direct as ever.
“A woman called Cora Rossi. She started today at Hayes & Hayward Media, and she was at Eden over the weekend. She’s here to blackmail me, I’m sure of it. You have my permission to offer up to one million if necessary.”
Sam’s silence stretches for a moment before he speaks. “I understand your concern, but I don’t recommend this course of action. You can’t pay off an employee without raising red flags. You’ll need to find a legitimate reason to fire her first, then we can talk about a settlement. My advice? Find out what she wants… but tread carefully.”
Fuck.
“Understood. Run a credit check on her, will you? I want to know what her financial situation is like,” I order, ignoring the questioning look Dameon shoots me.
Sam agrees and I hang up, frustration tightening every muscle in my body.
“Madame Sophia needs to know about this,” Dameon muses. “Unless she’s in on it too.”
“If she is, she’ll regret it,” I snap, though I quickly dismiss the thought. Madame Sophia wouldn’t risk her business like that. She knows we’d destroy her.
Dameon studies me for a moment, a corner of his mouth lifting into a grin. “I assume you’ve already spoken to Cora?”
I can’t help the smirk that crosses my face as I recall our confrontation. Her defiance, her willingness to stand toe-to-toe with me, ignited a powerful possessive urge—a feeling I’ve never had before. I’m almost glad I can’t pay her off. This might be more fun than I anticipated.
“She’s feisty, I’ll give her that,” I admit, reclining in my chair.
“That good, huh?” Dameon chuckles, shaking his head as he gets up to leave. “You lucky bastard.”
She was perfect on Saturday night—a natural submissive, pliant under my hands, her body responding to my every command. The way she obeyed, her desperate need to please me… she was mine to control, mine to dominate, and she loved every second of it.
Lucky? I’m not sure that’s the word I’d use. But as I sit here, my mind replaying our encounter, a part of me is looking forward to the challenge.
Cora Rossi isn’t just another problem to solve; she’s a game to be played.
And I always play to win.
Chapter thirteen
Cora
Back at my desk,I fall into my chair with a huff.
The nerve of that conceited jerk! Who the hell does he think he is?
I drop my head into my hands, trying to calm myself. The moment I saw him, my stomach twisted into a tight knot, my thoughts scattering, my pulse pounding.