Page 27 of Forty, Flirty & Framed

"So there is a jawline worth discussing!"

I grab a cheese puff and throw it at her.It bounces off her forehead and lands in her wine glass with a sad plop.

"Five points!"Viktoria declares.

"Cheating," Susanna pouts, fishing the now-soggy snack out of her glass."Look, we're not here to torture you.Much.We're just concerned."

"About what?"

"About the fact that you're clearly attracted to your boss, who happens to be the brother of the man who nearly destroyed your career," Viktoria says bluntly."And about what happens when he discovers the creative liberties you took with your resume."

The words land like a punch.

My already-shaky defenses crumble in the face of the one thing I can never hide from.

My sisters' unvarnished truth.

"He won't find out," I say quietly."The investigation is focused on the social media hack, not my credentials."

"For now," Viktoria cautions."But Kari, you've seen how thorough he is.How detail-oriented.What happens when the acquisition moves forward and they do a full audit?"

"Or when Duncan MacTavish's people start digging for leverage?"Susanna adds.

I stare into my wine glass."I'll figure something out.I always do."

"That's what worries us," Viktoria says softly."You always do—alone.You take on everything yourself, convinced no one else can or should help you."

My fingers tighten around my wine glass.“That's not fair.”

"Isn't it?"Susanna challenges."Remember when Mom fell last year?You didn't tell us for three days because you 'didn't want to worry us.'Or when your car died, and you took the bus for two months instead of asking for a loan?"

My teeth grind together.“That's different."

"How?"Viktoria asks.

"Because..."I struggle to articulate something that's always felt like breathing—instinctive, necessary, unquestionable."Because I signed up for this.”

"Says who?"Susanna demands.“The little fairies between your ears?A psychic healer?Who?”

"Says me,” I snap."I'm not going to end up like?—“

“Like who?”Viktoria prompts gently.

I shake off the question, taking another swallow of the wine.“Like no one.And I’m not sure I appreciate being hounded after the year I’ve been through.”

The fort falls silent.

Outside, an ambulance siren wails in the distance, then fades.

"Oh, hell," Susanna mutters, scooting forward to wrap her arms around me."We didn't build this fort to make you cry."

"I'm not crying," I lie, even as Viktoria hands me a tissue.

"Listen," Viktoria says, her voice softening."We're not saying walk away from this job.We're saying be careful with Callum.Either as a boss or...whatever else he might become."

"There is no 'whatever else.I’m not interested.”

"Because of the credentials thing?"Susanna asks.