CHAPTER 57: CAN I SEE HER

"Can I...can I see her?" Joey’s voice softened, vulnerability slipping through.

"I don’t think that’s a good idea, Joey." Sharona’s voice slid through the space. She tilted her chin up. Every inch of her screamed confidence.

"And who are you?" Joey’s glare darkened as he turned to her.

"I’m Sharona," she purred, not intimidated in the slightest. "And Sylvia told me about you. You aren’t exactly what she needs right now."

"She is right, Joey. You’ve done enough, man." Winn’s tone was softer.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Joey asked.

"Yeah." Winn nodded and stepped aside with him, leading him toward a quiet corner of the lobby.

That left Ivy and Sharona standing together. Sharona turned to her slowly, her gaze sweeping from Ivy’s modest blouse to her sensible heels.

Sharona’s smile was all teeth and polish. She folded one wrist over the other and cocked her head as if examining a curiosity behind glass. "So," she said, "you are the secretary, uhn?"

Ivy forced a polite nod. "Yes, ma’am," she replied.

Sharona took a step closer. "You seem awfully close to your boss," she said conversationally, as if making small talk while placing a knife on the table. "If I hadn’t known any better, I’d say he was fucking you."

Ivy’s mouth went dry. "Excuse me, ma’am."

"Like I said, if I didn’t know any better."

Sharona’s lips curved. She enjoyed the chess of it. "He likes more stable women," she continued. "Independent. You seem...a leech. Always on his arm, always seeking his attention."

Ivy’s throat ticked. "I do not... I do not appreciate this line of discussion, ma’am," she said.

Sharona closed the distance so that the whites of her eyes were visible, her breath almost touching Ivy’s temple. "If I sense any form of anything aside from a professional relationship between you and Winn," she whispered, "I am going to upend your life. I am going to make sure you cease to exist. Are we clear?"

Sharona wanted to remove anything that threatened the huge deal she would be getting out of Winn. Asides from the great sex, Tom would be paying her a lot of money.

"I do not take orders from you, ma’am," she said. "I do whatever Mr. Kane tells me to."

Sharona’s smile turned sharper. "As long as that does not include sucking his dick."

At that exact moment the men returned from their whispered conference — Winn’s broad frame first, then Joey’s shadow — and Sharona pivoted. She saw the men approaching and shifted into social polish. The predatory part of her tucked away neatly, leaving a smile for the lobby.

"I’m gonna go," Joey said awkwardly, the strain in his voice impossible to hide.

"I’ll come with you," Ivy said quickly. Her heart hammered—anything to get away from Sharona’s cutting smile, anything to avoid Winn’s probing eyes.

"Ivy?" Winn’s voice caught her. His gaze swept over her with concern, and his brows knitted slightly. "You settled in okay?"

Ivy kept her chin tilted down. "Yes, Mr. Kane. Mr. Winsford informed me of the things you will need ready when you come back to work." She refused to meet his eyes—because if she did, she was certain he’d see everything written there: the disappointment, the longing, the sting of betrayal.

"I hope..." she hesitated, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I hope your sister feels better."

The mention of his sister softened Winn’s expression, a flicker of exhaustion and worry crossing his features. He nodded once. He wanted to ask why her tone felt colder, why she suddenly built a wall between them when only hours ago she’d melted so easily in his arms.

"I’m gonna go. I’ll call to check in," Joey said, breaking the charged silence. He offered Ivy a small glance before walking out.

Her eyes stung with unshed tears.

If he had a girlfriend, why was he messing with me? The thought looped in her mind, burning with every repeat. Why had he kissed me? Why had he touched me like that—like I mattered

She felt stupid. She felt used. A plaything. A warm distraction for a man who clearly had his life already occupied by a beautiful, confident woman who didn’t even need to raise her voice to put Ivy in her place. Sharona had reduced her to nothing with a smile, with a few casual, cruel words.

*******

The next few days dragged. Winn stayed with his sister, rarely leaving the hospital.

Sharona was there too. She fluttered around the ward, all long legs and effortless elegance. She fussed over Winn’s sister, brought fresh flowers, spoke softly with doctors.

Of course, Sylvia knew it was all an act.

Sharona played her part beautifully. She didn’t come on too strong—no, that would’ve ruined the illusion. Instead, she let her fingers brush against Winn’s arm when she leaned in to pour him tea. She crossed her legs slowly, letting the hem of her dress ride just a little higher whenever she sat beside him.

She never said the words, never outright admitted she wanted him.

The irony was Sharona didn’t even like men like Winn. Men like him were too sharp, too dominant, too unwilling to be bent to her will. Her type was easier—submissive men who tripped over themselves to please her, who lived to be wrapped around her finger, who worshipped at her feet. Winn was the exact opposite. He didn’t bow.

He commanded. He wanted control, wanted to dominate, wanted a woman who would melt and sigh under his hands, not one who snapped her fingers and expected obedience. Sharona knew this, and it both irritated and intrigued her. He was a challenge.

So she planned to let him believe he was the one in control—at least until she and her allies got what they wanted from him.

Winn, meanwhile, was caught in a storm of thoughts that made sleep impossible and food tasteless. He found himself beginning to reconsider his choice of marriage candidate. Sharona was perfect on paper. She was here, in the hospital, fussing over his sister. She knew what patience was required to deal with his sister’s fragile moods.

She was consistent, dependable. And Ivy... Ivy was a wildfire.