chapter 6

Third pov

Kylie knew she was in trouble the second she walked into her father's study and found Roberto there instead. He was standing by the window, his big frame blocking most of the light, making him look like a dark shadow against the sunset. When he turned to look at her, his eyes were cold and hard, like ice.

"Miss Morgan," he said, using her last name in a way that always made her stomach do flips. "Just the person I wanted to see."

She tried to back up, to leave the room, but he was faster. Before she could blink, he was there, right in front of her, so close she could smell his cologne—something expensive and spicy that made her head spin a little.

"Your father hasn't been keeping what's his safe." The words came out soft, almost gentle, but Kylie could hear the threat hiding underneath.

Her mind started racing. *Oh God, Oh God, Oh God*. What did he know? What had her father done? She needed to think fast, needed to find a way out of this conversation before Roberto said anything else. Her hands got sweaty as she tried to look calm on the outside while freaking out on the inside.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, proud that her voice didn't shake.

Roberto smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. It was the kind of smile a wolf might give right before it pounced. "I think you do," he said, taking another step closer. Now she was trapped between him and the door. "I think you know exactly what your father's been up to. And I think it's time we had a real conversation about it."

Panic made Kylie's chest tight. She couldn't let him keep talking. Couldn't let him say whatever he knew about her father. Without thinking it through, she did the first—and probably dumbest—thing that popped into her head.

She kissed him.

For one scary second, Roberto went completely still. Then everything happened at once. His big hands grabbed her waist, pulling her so close she could feel his chest against hers. He made a sound deep in his throat, like a pleased growl, and took over the kiss. What was supposed to be her trick to distract him turned into something much more scary—and exciting.

His hands moved over her sides and back, and even through her dress, it felt like they left fire in their wake. She couldn't help the little sound that came out of her mouth, and she felt him shake a bit in response. A weird thought hit her then—this man was supposed to be her future husband. Her fiancé. She didn't want to think about that, but she could tell he was thinking it too. His grip on her got even tighter, like he was claiming her.

One of his hands moved up to her neck, pushing aside her scarf to touch her skin. His fingers were rough and calloused, making her shiver. She found herself pressing closer, even though her brain was screaming at her to pull away. This was dangerous. This was stupid. This was...

The door flew open with a loud bang. "Well, well, what do we have here?" 

Daniel 's voice cut through the room like a knife, making Kylie jump. Roberto moved fast, turning his body so she was hidden behind him. She used those few seconds to fix herself up, wrapping her scarf back around her neck to hide the spots where Roberto's mouth had been.

"Hi, Daniel ," she said, trying to sound bored, like he hadn't just walked in on something super intense.

"Don't let me interrupt," Daniel said with a smirk. He leaned against the doorframe, looking way too amused. "Just came to remind Roberto about the meeting in ten minutes. But clearly, he's busy with... other business."

In Roberto's head, everything suddenly felt cold and clear. She'd tricked him. Used the fact that he wanted her to distract him, just like his mom used to do with his dad to avoid getting hurt. The thought made him feel sick.

But even though he was mad and frustrated, he found himself making a promise in his head. No one would ever hurt Kylie like his dad hurt his mom. Maybe he wasn't a good person. Maybe he was the last guy who should be trying to protect anyone. But he was selfish, and he wanted to keep her safe anyway.

As he watched her smoothly answer Daniel 's questions, Roberto thought about how this whole engagement thing had started as just business. Now it was turning into something else. Something bigger and more dangerous than either of them thought it would be.

"I should go," Daniel finally said, looking between them with that knowing smile still on his face. "Seems like you two have some... talking to do."

As soon as the door closed behind Daniel , the air in the room felt thick with tension again. Kylie turned to face Roberto, lifting her chin like she was getting ready for a fight. But Roberto just looked at her, really looked at her. He saw the fear she was trying to hide, the way she was trying so hard to be brave.

"We're not done talking about your father," he said, his voice low and rough. "But for now, let's get some dinner. You look like you could use a meal."

The surprise on her face almost made him smile. She'd been expecting him to be mad, to call her out on her tricks. Instead, he was playing the long game. Because that's what this was now—a game. And Roberto was very, very good at games.

"I'm not hungry," Kylie said, but her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, betraying her.

This time Roberto did smile, just a little. "Liar," he said, but his voice was almost gentle. He moved to the door and held it open for her. "After you, Miss Reynolds."

As they left the room together, Roberto let his hand rest on the small of her back. He felt her tense up, then slowly relax. Yeah, this was definitely more than just business now. It was a dance, a fight, a game of cat and mouse. And neither of them knew who was the cat and who was the mouse anymore.

Walking down the hallway, Kylie's mind raced. She'd bought herself some time with that kiss, but she knew Roberto wouldn't forget about whatever he'd found out about her father. She needed to figure out what he knew, and fast. But right now, with his hand still warm on her back and the memory of that kiss making her lips tingle, she couldn't think straight.

All Roberto knew for sure was that he wasn't letting her go. Not now, not ever. Whether that was good or bad for either of them... well, that remained to be seen. But as they walked to dinner together, looking like any normal engaged couple, they both knew this was just the beginning.

The real game was about to start