Adrian's POV
Long after Samantha left my office, I kept hearing her confession. I kept going back over our talk, the weight of her words, the terror in her eyes. I had not noticed till Jared had his claws in her. I hadn't realized there was one right here, smoldering just beneath the surface; I had been so caught in keeping things together at the company, handling deals, and putting out fires.
How could I have passed over the warning signals?
Though I had much for Jared, my wrath was not aimed simply at him. No, I too became enraged with myself. Furious that I had let this go for so long without challenging it or considering the strain she was experiencing. I failed in my claimed protection of her.
That was going to change, though.
I stared at my phone while seated at my desk rubbing
