Chapter 4

The air in the living room turned to ice.

Brenda scrambled off the sofa, her knees hitting the floor. She tried to hide her grease-stained hands behind her back, her chest heaving with panic.

Edward didn't even look at her. He walked straight past the trembling woman toward the massive marble bar counter.

He set Hayley down on the cold stone.

The chill of the marble seeped through the thick cashmere blanket. Hayley shivered, her eyes darting between Edward's rigid back and the terrified nanny on the floor.

Edward pulled open a drawer behind the bar and took out a sleek Bluetooth earpiece. He shoved it into his ear and tapped the side.

The call connected instantly.

A man's frantic, screaming voice bled from the earpiece, loud enough for Hayley to hear. It was Arthur Finch, a rival CEO.

"You bastard! You can't do this! You're destroying my life!" Arthur shrieked.

Edward leaned his hands on the marble counter. He stared blankly at the wall, his voice dropping to a deadly, monotone whisper. "Your debt-to-equity ratio was a joke, Arthur. I just expedited the inevitable. The acquisition is done."

"I'll kill myself!" Arthur sobbed through the speaker. "I swear to God, Edward, I'll jump off my balcony right now!"

Edward's lips curled into a cruel, humorless smile. "Make sure you pick a quiet street. Don't make a mess on the Manhattan pavement."

He tapped the earpiece, cutting the call dead.

Brenda let out a choked whimper. Her legs gave out completely, and she slumped against the base of the sofa.

Hayley swallowed hard. The system wasn't exaggerating. This man was a monster.

Edward finally turned his head. His gray-blue eyes locked onto Brenda. There was no anger in his gaze anymore, only the cold detachment of a man looking at a broken tool.

"Mr. McClure," Brenda stammered, tears streaming down her face. "I swear, I only sat down for a minute. The baby was fast asleep-"

Edward let out a short, harsh breath. He pointed a long finger at the cashmere bundle on the counter.

"Asleep?" he repeated, his voice dangerously soft. "Asleep enough to roll out of her crib and urinate on my suit?"

Brenda stared at the tightly wrapped baby, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. She realized the magnitude of her mistake.

"You're fired," Edward said. "You have three minutes to get out of my penthouse."

"Please!" Brenda crawled forward, reaching out as if to grab his legs. "I need this job! I have rent-"

Edward stepped back, his face twisting in disgust. He reached over to the wall panel and slammed his palm against the security button.

Less than ten seconds later, the heavy front doors swung open. Two massive men in black suits stormed in.

Edward didn't say a word. He just nodded toward Brenda.

The guards grabbed the screaming woman by her arms, hauling her off the floor. They dragged her backward toward the elevators. Her cries for mercy echoed down the hall until the heavy doors slammed shut, cutting off the sound completely.

The massive living room fell dead silent.

Edward stood by the bar, rubbing his temples hard. He looked exhausted, the kind of bone-deep fatigue that came from dealing with incompetence.

He turned around and leaned against the counter, looking down at Hayley.

Hayley knew she was on thin ice. She needed to diffuse his irritation. She forced her mouth into a wide, gummy smile and blew a large spit bubble.

Edward stared at the bubble. The hard lines around his mouth twitched, just for a second, before settling back into a frown.

He slowly raised his right hand. He extended his index finger, bringing it closer to her face. He looked hesitant, like he was reaching out to touch a strange, unpredictable animal.

Hayley held her breath. She didn't move a muscle.

His clean, long finger gently poked her soft cheek.

The skin yielded easily under his touch. Edward's eyes widened slightly. The extreme softness seemed to catch him off guard. He poked her again, a little firmer this time.

Hayley decided to lean into it. She turned her head slightly, rubbing her cheek against his finger like a puppy asking for affection. She let out a soft, happy coo.

Edward yanked his hand back as if he had been burned. He cleared his throat, looking away quickly.

Before the silence could stretch, a loud, rumbling growl erupted from Hayley's stomach.