The door had barely clicked shut before Tess spun around, hands planted on her hips, eyes wide like she'd just witnessed a scene from a crime thriller.
"Okay. What the hell was that?"
Gina still hadn't touched the food Adrian brought. Her fingers were trembling, her stomach now too tight with tension to even consider eating. She looked up at Tess, whose mouth was hanging open slightly, waiting for answers.
"I… don't know," Gina admitted, though that wasn't entirely true.
"No. No, no. You don't get to say that." Tess pointed dramatically at the door. "Gina, that man just came into our apartment like a storm god wearing cologne. He brought you dinner. He told your ex, who literally broke in, that you belong to him. Like, what?!"
Gina pressed her lips together. "I didn't ask him to come."
"Yeah, I kinda figured," Tess said, collapsing into the chair across from her. "But the question is: why did he?"
Gina stared at the table. "I don't know."
"Bullshit."
She looked up sharply. "Excuse me?"
"You know something," Tess insisted, softer this time. "Even if you don't know everything, you know more than you're letting on."
Gina let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping.
"Okay. Maybe I do. A little. But not enough to make sense of any of this."
Tess folded her arms. "Gina, I need you to level with me. Is Adrian Huntley your boss?"
"Yes," she said quickly.
"And is it normal for your boss to deliver hot chicken to your doorstep, step in between you and your crazy ex, and announce to the room that you now belong to him like this is the mafia version of The Bachelor?"
Gina blinked. "When you say it like that…"
"It sounds insane, right?" Tess said. "Like, I thought it was just town gossip. The way people whispered about Huntley. You know, the big building. The guards. The rumors. They say his business isn't exactly… above board."
"I've heard that too," Gina murmured.
"Well, I used to think it was just bored small-town talk. People exaggerating because we have one billionaire and nothing better to do."
Gina looked down at her plate. Still untouched. Her stomach finally gave a small, hungry growl. Slowly, she picked up the fork and played with the creamy chicken dish, but didn't take a bite.
"But now?" Tess continued. "I saw him. I felt him walk into this room. Gina, my brain froze. He's not just handsome, he's… otherworldly. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the one he was looking at like that."
Gina bit her lip. "You saw it too?"
Tess nodded slowly. "The way he looked at you wasn't just about work. That man was possessive. Like you're his property. Like you were already claimed."
The words made Gina squirm in her seat. She took a bite of the food just to distract herself, and instantly regretted it because it was delicious, and now she wouldn't be able to stop.
Tess leaned forward. "I'm not judging, okay? I'm just trying to figure out what's going on here. You're working at this super secretive company, in a locked-down skyscraper, and then your boss, your very attractive, very intense boss shows up in your apartment like he owns the place. And then he threatens Marcus with, and I quote, 'someone outside will handle you.' Gina… is this guy dangerous?"
Gina chewed slower, swallowing hard. "I think… yes. Probably. But I don't know how much."
"And you're working for him?"
"It's just medical work," Gina insisted. "I'm an in-house doctor for his people. That's it. That's all I was told."
"Okay, but his people… are they normal employees or are we talking… like, criminals?"
Gina pushed her plate away slightly. "Tess, I don't know. Nobody's said the word, but everything around it screams it. The security, the secrecy, the way no one talks more than they have to. The women dressed like Bond girls. I walked in this morning and had to use my ID at three different checkpoints just to get to my own office."
Tess frowned, absorbing that. "And then what happened?"
"I had two guys walk into my office without introductions. One lay down. The other sat down. Nobody explained anything. The receptionist handed me a file and walked out. I didn't even have time to ask where the damn stethoscope was."
Tess laughed dryly. "So… not your average clinic, then."
"Not even close."
Tess's tone shifted, softer now. "And Adrian? What's his deal?"
Gina shrugged helplessly. "I honestly don't know. He's powerful. Quiet. Intimidating. But he… pays attention. Like, too much. He knew I only ate once today. Who tracks something like that?"
Tess's brows shot up. "A man obsessed."
"That's not funny."
"I'm not joking. He didn't just bring you food, Gina. He watched you. Watched Marcus. Stepped in like it was nothing. And then, God, his voice? I felt it in my damn teeth. Can you imagine what it feels like when he directs that to you?"
Gina flushed. "Yeah. I don't have to imagine."
Tess gave her a look. "Girl, you better be careful."
"I'm trying. I didn't ask for this. I just needed a job."
"But this is not just a job," Tess whispered. "He said you belong to him. That doesn't sound like something you can just… walk away from."
They sat in silence for a moment.
Then Gina whispered, "Do you think I should be scared?"
Tess didn't answer immediately. When she did, her voice was careful. "I think… you should be aware. Adrian Huntley is not the kind of man you play with. He's the kind of man who decides things. And when he does, the world adjusts."
Gina stared at the plate again, suddenly not hungry.
"I don't know what he wants from me, Tess."
Tess looked down. "I think you do. At least a part of it."
Gina shook her head. "I can't. Not again. I can't get involved with someone who'll hurt me."
"Maybe he won't," Tess offered. "Or maybe he'll ruin you. But either way, I think you've already walked into his world."
Gina swallowed hard.
And the scary part?
She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to walk back out.