Page 48 of So Close to You
“Get out of my office right now,” she warns him. “Before I call security.”
Adrian doesn’t even blink.
“I know exactly what you’re up to with Dr. Ashcombe,” Adrian says calmly, “because I saw you two at the hotel.”
The humiliation hits her hard. Her heart starts racing. Adrian slowly circles the desk until he’s standing right in front of her, too close, invading her personal space.
“The Premier investors’ reputation clause is quite strict, Seraphina. You know how these things work: public image, corporate transparency, institutional integrity… Very fancy words for saying they don’t want sex scandals linked to a fifty-million-pound deal.”
Seraphina tries to hold his gaze, even though something inside her is starting to break.
“This is harassment,” she whispers. “And extortion.”
“This is pragmatism. Pure and simple,” he replies. “Nothing personal.”
Adrian rests both hands on the desk and leans forward slightly.
“If these images reach the board, the merger will enter an immediate crisis. The CFO having a relationship with the sports division’s top medical figure. Not to mention that you’re cheating on Elliot and your family. Investors would pull out in a matter of hours.”
Every word hits her like a blow, cold and precise. Seraphina feels her pulse pounding in her throat. She thinks of Helena, of the board, of the headlines that might appear, of Elliot opening a corporate email, of Oliver and Ivy.
A brutal wave of dizziness washes over her.
“What do you want?” she asks Adrian.
The man’s smile shifts, now satisfied, as if he’d been waiting for exactly this moment.
“I need you to modify the pre-merger share redistribution. Certain holdings in the fund need to be diverted before final approval.”
Seraphina stares at him, her eyes wide.
“That would be financial fraud.”
“Call it whatever you want.”
“Helena will catch on,” she insists.
“Not if you do it.”
Fear stirs inside her, mingling with a rage she is finding very difficult to contain.
“You’re crazy if you think I’m going to destroy my career to cover up your illegal activities,” Seraphina warns, raising her voice slightly.
Adrian shrugs with exasperating calm.
“Your career is already ruined. The difference is that you can still decide how much of it you want to save from the fire.”
She looks away for a second, toward the screen, toward Nerissa, toward that night in Chester when, for the first time, she stopped looking over her shoulder. How naïve she had been.
“Besides, you’ll submit your resignation once the merger is complete. Health reasons, stress, burnout… something elegant and credible that benefits someone I care deeply about.”
Seraphina feels a sharp pang in her chest.
“No.”
“Yes,” he replies.
“I’m not going to give in to your fucking blackmail.”
