"And you thought this was the way to do it?" he bit out, stalking closer. "By going behind my back?"
Each step he took seemed to sap the air from the room. I tried to stand my ground, but my knees threatened to buckle. His presence was overwhelming—like a storm about to unleash its wrath.
"You’re hiding something," I said, forcing steel into my voice. "This merger—it’s not just business, is it?"
Nathaniel stopped inches away, his gaze searing into mine. For a moment, I thought he might explode. Instead, he let out a sharp, bitter laugh.
"You’re unbelievable," he said, shaking his head. "You think you can waltz into my life, rifle through my things, and play detective?"
His words stung, but I refused to back down. "Maybe if you were honest for once, I wouldn’t have to."
His jaw tightened, the veins in his neck taut with restraint. "Honest?" he echoed, his voice dangerously low. "You want honesty, Tiffany? Fine."
"This deal is about survival. Mine. Your father’s. And whether you realize it or not, yours too."
The weight of his words hit me like a freight train. My grip on the papers loosened, and they fluttered to the floor like fallen leaves.