Chapter 9
The SUV pulled up to the curb outside the Aethelred Group headquarters. Haylee stepped out alone, dressed in a sharp, tailored Tom Ford suit.
She pushed through the revolving glass doors into the massive, echoing lobby.
Before she could reach the executive elevators, a man stepped out from the visitor seating area, blocking her path.
Dallin Harrington.
He looked awful. His suit was wrinkled, his eyes bloodshot. He had clearly seen the news of her return.
"Haylee," Dallin gasped, reaching out to grab her shoulders.
Haylee stepped back smoothly, dodging his hands. Her stomach churned with physical revulsion.
"Get out of my way, Dallin," she said, her voice flat.
Dallin took another step forward, his face twisting into a mask of desperate, fake agony. "I knew you were alive! I never stopped loving you. Cynthia forced me to marry her, Haylee. I swear!"
Employees in the lobby began to slow down, their eyes darting toward the commotion.
Haylee let out a harsh, bitter laugh. "You crawled into her bed because Walter promised you a board seat. You make me sick."
Dallin's face flushed with humiliation. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a black credit card. "I can take care of you now! Just let me explain!"
Haylee raised her hand, signaling the lobby security.
Before the guards could move, the private CEO elevator at the end of the hall chimed. The doors slid open.
Benedict Keith stepped out.
His dark suit fit perfectly over his broad shoulders. His presence sucked the air out of the room. His gray eyes swept the lobby and instantly locked onto Haylee and Dallin.
Dallin, panicked by Haylee calling security, lunged forward and grabbed her wrist hard.
Haylee's eyes flashed with rage. She pulled her arm back to strike him.
Suddenly, a massive shadow fell over them.
Benedict's large hand clamped down on Dallin's wrist like an iron vise.
Benedict squeezed. A sharp, sickening crack echoed in the quiet lobby.
Dallin let out a high-pitched, agonizing scream. His knees buckled as he dropped Haylee's wrist, his hand hanging at a painful, unnatural angle.
Benedict threw Dallin's arm away like it was infected garbage. He looked down at the trembling man, his eyes completely devoid of mercy.
"You touch my employee in my building again, and I'll break your neck," Benedict's voice was a low, terrifying rumble.
Haylee rubbed her wrist, her eyes darting to Benedict's sharp jawline. The phrase my employee sent a strange, hot shiver through her chest.
Dallin cradled his wrist, crying in pain. "Mr. Keith... this is a personal matter..."
Benedict didn't even look at him. He snapped his fingers at the head of security. "Throw him out. Blacklist him from every Aethelred property globally."
Two massive guards grabbed Dallin by the armpits and dragged him backward across the marble floor. Dallin screamed Haylee's name until the revolving doors pushed him out onto the street.
The lobby was dead silent.
Benedict turned to Haylee. His eyes dropped to the red mark on her wrist. His jaw ticked.
He stepped closer, his broad body shielding her from the staring crowd.
"The board is waiting, Dr. Mathews," Benedict said, his voice dropping an octave.
Haylee pulled her composure together, her spine straightening. "Lead the way, Mr. Keith."
They walked side by side toward the elevator, an undeniable, electric tension pulling between them.
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