Bonds

Chapter 45

-Maya’s POV-

Sarah waltzed away, leaving me staring after her with a mind blown wide open. Her revelation hung heavy in the air, the weight of her secret werewolf identity pressing down on me.

How had she figured it out?

Did

my wolf scent give me away somehow? These questions swirled in my head as I mechanically went through the motions of lunch, barely tasting the food in front of me.

By the time I returned to the office, the initial shock had begun to settle, replaced by a cautious curiosity. Ms. Edwards was perched on the edge of my desk, her sharp eyes scanning the designs I had spread out before leaving. She didn’t even look up as I entered, her focus solely on my work.

Tentatively, I cleared my throat. “Ms. Edwards?”

She finally lifted her head, her gaze sweeping across the office. “Ah, Ms. Stone. Back so soon.” A faint smile played on her lips.

“Yes,” I replied, still trying to gauge her reason for being in my office, “I went for lunch and-”

“These are some pretty impressive designs,” she interrupted, her voice devoid of any form of sternness. There was even a hint of genuine appreciation in her eyes.

“Thank you,” I managed, a flicker of relief washing over me. She stood up gracefully, her posture radiating an aura of power. “I see you’ve made yourself comfortable,” she commented, her eyes scanning the personalized touches I’d added to my workspace: a photo of Natalia and I, a motivational quote framed on the wall. “But before we get settled in, I have something I need to discuss with you.”

“Of course,” I said, eager to hear what was on her mind.

“Look,” She began, her voice turning serious, “given everything that happened with your father… the company scandal, his arrest, and the negative publicity it brought to the firm…” She paused, letting the silence hang heavy in the air.

voices urging me to let you go before you even had a chance to walk back into that door. The whole situation was a PR nightmare, and having you here, the daughter of a disgraced CEO, wasn’t exactly good for

after I had explained the situation to her but I guess this conversation

understanding crossing her face. “At the interview, there was a spark in your eyes, a raw talent that couldn’t be ignored. And these designs…” she gestured towards the spread on my

chance on you, Ms. Stone. But that chance comes with a price. You have to

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Chapter 45

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make–or–break opportunity for you, for me, and frankly, for the entire design team, I extended the time for your submissions because I understood your situation but you have to show

weight of her words settling on my shoulders. The excitement I felt earlier about the project was now tempered with a heavy

demanding, and their expectations are sky–high. You’ll be

voice surprisingly

satisfied smile spread across her face, “Good. That’s by the way. I need you to grab your things. We have

where

for

and scheduling meetings. I, on the other hand, couldn’t help but steal glances at her, my mind buzzing with questions about the upcoming client meeting and the revelation Sarah had dropped on me earlier. Another question rolled in, why was she bringing me along to

the rearview mirror. “I can feel your eyes

was just wondering where we’re going for this client meeting. Knowing the

of a smile played on her lips. “Not a fan

admitted with a sigh. The uncertainty of the situation gnawed at me. Having some information beforehand would allow

rarity. “Then I guess I can’t tell you just yet,”

project. Just as I resigned myself to silence, she took me completely off guard with a

broke about your father’s company…well, let’s just say it caused quite a stir. During that whole mess, I realized who you were, Amaya Stone. I was impressed you hadn’t added that. I like people like you that want to make a name for themselves away from their parent’s shadows. She paused, her gaze holding mine in the rearview mirror. “But something else caught my eye recently. I believe you recently married… Ivan McCall, wasn’t

last thing I expected

respond. She seemed to sense my hesitation, “Forgive me,” she said, a hint of apology in her voice. “Perhaps this is too personal, and it’s none of my business. But I noticed you haven’t taken his last

Fri, 21 Jun