Page 64 of When a Soul Cries

Perfect.

I stood behind my desk reading the email for the third time, one hand planted against the wood while the other rubbed slowly across my jaw. Months of negotiations, planning, revisions, meetings, and bullshit could disappear because somebody decided to entertain a better offer at the last minute.

A knock sounded against my doorframe.

“Rome?”

I glanced up at my assistant. “What?”

“You have a visitor.”

“I don’t have anything scheduled.”

“I know, but—”

“He’ll see me.”

I knew that voice.

My entire face tightened before Ulani stepped around my assistant and into my office like she still had the right to walk into any room I was in.

“Absolutely the fuck not.”

Ulani rolled her eyes. “Can you stop being an asshole for five minutes?”

“No. Get out.”

“Rome—”

“Whatever you came here to say, save that shit.”

My assistant was still standing in the doorway looking uncomfortable as hell. I waved her off and waited until the door closed before turning back toward Ulani.

She planted a hand on her hip. “You really hate me that much?”

“Hate requires energy. I don’t give enough of a fuck about you anymore to hate you.”

Her face changed.

Good.

I sat behind my desk and reached for the Hollis paperwork again. “Now get out. I’m busy.”

“You can’t even look at me?”

“I looked at you enough the day I caught you fucking another nigga.”

That shut her up. For a second.

Then she crossed her arms. “Are you ever going to let that go?”

I slowly lowered the papers. “Let me make sure I heard you correctly.” I leaned back in my chair and stared at her. “I walked in and saw you having sex with another man, and now you’re standing in my office asking when I’m going to let it go?”

“It was a mistake.”

“No. Sending a text to the wrong person is a mistake. Forgetting your keys is a mistake. You made a decision.”

Her eyes dropped.