The chill of a dawn not yet broken clung to the apartment, mirroring the sudden frost in Tessa Hilton's heart. She stirred on the luxurious sheets, the lingering scent of last night's passion still in the air, a cruel reminder of what she thought they had. A crumpled paper, carelessly tossed, landed on her face, its crisp edge a stark contrast to the softness of her skin. She squinted, her eyes slow to adjust, and a name swam into focus: Aaron Wentworth.

He moved around the room, a phantom of cold detachment. The man who had held her captive with his desire just hours before was now a stranger, his body, once intimately known, now distant, untouchable. The sight of him, freshly showered, water trickling down his defined chest, sent a familiar warmth through her, instantly warring with a growing dread. He was her boss, her secret lover, the man she’d given two years of her life to, body and soul.

But the paper in her hand, a check for one million dollars, screamed a different truth. Her heart plummeted, a leaden weight in her chest. “What’s this for?” she mumbled, the words catching in her throat. No answer. Just a chilling silence broken only by the rustle of his clothes as he dressed. Then, his voice, devoid of all warmth, sliced through the quiet. “Take this and leave the company.”