The quiet of the private elevator's hum was overpowering. As they climbed to Steele's secret data center, Isabella stood with her arms folded, watching the floor numbers increase. Her severe face, with its sharp cheekbones and lips forced into a hard line, was reflected back at her by the mirrored walls. She was accustomed to glaring at foreign militants, generals, and men who attempted to break her. None had been successful.
What was the reason behind her irritation with Alexander Steele?
It was more than simply his conceit. She had previously dealt with strong men. It was the way he stared at her, as if he was studying her and using his calculating gaze to get past her barriers simply by standing there in that very expensive suit. She was no book, and she detested anybody who believed they could study her.
With a soft chime, the doors slid open. Leading the way into a modern, minimalist space with glass walls and touchscreen screens, Alexander emerged first. Harris, his broad-shouldered head of security, was waiting for them. Without introducing himself, Alexander stated, "Captain Reyes will be reviewing our shipping data." "As agreed, restricted access." With a nod, Harris gave Isabella a safe tablet that was already filled with encrypted data. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at the restricted categories on the interface. She held up the screen and remarked, "This isn't enough." Half of the shipment records have been filtered by you. Instead of this edited version, I need to see the entire manifest.
Alexander's face remained unchanged. Not even a glimmer. "Captain, you need that information to perform your duties. You're not an auditor; you're a soldier. If there is a breach, those records will reveal it.
She clenched her jaw. This individual. Always in charge, establishing the rules all the time.
Her voice lowered like a weapon pulled from its scabbard as she took a step closer. "Steele, do you think this is a game? That since you are wealthy and powerful, you can control every piece on the board? People lost their lives. I lead men. More lives could be lost if there is something hidden in these files that you are not telling me.
The air between them was electrified for a second. Alexander remained unflinching. He appeared, if anything, calmer. As if he flourished in this stress. "Captain Reyes, this board is mine. Furthermore, I don't grant unrestricted access to a billion-dollar operation because of sentiment or threats.
Feelings? Her laughter was humorless and resentful. "You think I'm sentimental because I'm grieving? She took a step closer, close enough to smell his fragrance, which was crisp and clean, something pricey that made her angrier.
"Let me tell you something, Steele." "Grief sharpens you." brutal. It enables you to see through the nonsense that others are trying to offer you. It allows you to take charge.
Quiet.
Unspoken but pervasive was the storm. Alexander's head cocked slightly, as if assessing her. Making calculations. And it infuriated her. Because she wasn't a problem he could figure out.
However, he uttered something unexpected to her in that intolerable silence. "People have left you." There was no question. It was a discovery. Keep quiet. managed. Her lips parted as she blinked, but the words stuck in her throat. Indeed. She had. Too many.
However, that wasn't his concern. "Yes," she answered firmly as she recovered. "And I have no intention of losing any more." A rhythm.
There was a change in his eyes. Almost imperceptible—so subtle that if she hadn't been trained to read people, it would have gone unnoticed. The wall returned as fast as it had appeared. "All right." He sounded calm once again. Unmoved. "I'll grant a higher degree of access. But Captain, you have 48 hours. I expect you to leave my building after that. It was a dismissive statement. As though to silently challenge him to break the stare first, Isabella maintained it for a heartbeat longer.
He didn't. She didn't either. With her pulse still pounding, she turned around and walked out of the data center without saying another word.
She detested him. No— What he stood for, she detested. Command. Strength. As uncompromising as her own walls. And yet... She released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as the elevator doors closed behind her, enclosing the area where his presence persisted.
Because she didn't want to acknowledge the truth? She also saw the flaws in his armor. She
was also frightened.