Seconds passed. Rowan didn’t speak again.
The car’s engine hummed a low, steady rhythm beneath them, blending with the distant sound of city life, horns blaring, muffled conversations on the sidewalk, the occasional barking of a dog.
Rowan met her eyes again through the mirror, his gaze sharper this time. “It’s clear you’re not here for the job,” he said, voice calm but edged. “You seem more interested in pleasing Mr. Thorn than actually doing your job. Before I find out why you’re really here… why don’t you tell me yourself?”
Cassandra’s heart thudded.
That wasn’t a casual observation. It was an interrogation wrapped in casual detachment. Her fingers tensed in her lap, but she forced her expression into an easy smile, playing it cool despite the sudden shift in atmosphere.
“That soun
