Chapter 6: A Game of Control

Philadelphia's city lights shimmered in the distance as Emma Carter sat in her office, the skyline stretching beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was late—too late—but she wasn't one to leave a task unfinished. A half-empty cup of coffee sat beside her laptop, long gone cold, a testament to the hours she had poured into refining their proposal.

Their proposal.

Her fingers hovered over the trackpad as she reread the document, her irritation simmering just beneath the surface. She hated that she had to share credit for this deal with Alex Kingston, a man who operated with more charm than caution, more impulse than precision.

The memory of their earlier exchange outside the office replayed in her mind. The way he had looked at her—not with arrogance, but with something else. A question. A challenge.

Do you ever just… stop?

Emma scoffed, shaking her head as if to rid herself of the thought. Stopping wasn't an option—not when she had fought this hard to build Carter & Associates. She wasn't about to let someone like Alex, with his effortless confidence and frustrating smirk, distract her.

Her phone buzzed.

She sighed, expecting another email alert, but when she glanced at the screen, her brow furrowed.

Alex Kingston.

She hesitated. It was nearly midnight—what could he possibly want?

With a reluctant exhale, she answered. "Kingston, unless you have a groundbreaking idea to revolutionize our pitch, this can wait until morning."

A low chuckle filtered through the line. "Emma, do you ever relax?"

Her grip on the phone tightened. "Do you ever get to the point?"

"You left something in the conference room," he said smoothly. "Thought you might want it back."

Emma frowned. She had gathered her things before leaving. "What is it?"

"A notebook."

She blinked. "I don't use notebooks."

"Exactly."

Her stomach sank. If she hadn't left anything behind, then—

"You went through my things," she accused, her voice sharper now.

"I wouldn't say went through," he said, sounding entirely too pleased with himself. "It was just sitting there. And what do you know? Your meticulous little notes look an awful lot like a pros-and-cons list."

Emma closed her eyes briefly, heat creeping up her neck. Damn it.

She had jotted down a quick list earlier—a habit she had since law school. It wasn't meant for anyone's eyes but her own. And now Alex had seen it.

"Kingston, if you so much as breathe a word—"

"Relax, Feisty," he cut in, clearly amused. "Your secret is safe with me."

Emma exhaled through gritted teeth. "Where are you?"

"Lobby."

She pushed back her chair, already reaching for her coat. "Stay there. I'm coming down."

—

The elevator ride felt longer than usual as Emma descended to the ground floor. By the time the doors slid open, she was already scanning the lobby, eyes locking onto Alex near the entrance.

He was leaning casually against the reception desk, one hand holding her small black notebook, the other tucked into his pocket. His dark blue dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal strong forearms. He looked effortlessly put together, yet entirely too comfortable, like he belonged everywhere he went.

Emma strode toward him, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. "Give it."

Alex held the notebook just out of reach, his grin widening. "Where's the magic word?"

Emma didn't humor him with an answer. She simply grabbed the notebook, snatching it from his grip.

Alex laughed, hands up in surrender. "Easy, Carter. You act like I read all of it."

She flipped through the pages, ensuring nothing had been disturbed. "You had no right—"

"Come on," he interrupted. "You can't expect me to not be curious when I see something titled 'Kingston: Strengths and Weaknesses.'"

Emma froze for half a second before snapping the notebook shut.

Alex leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "So tell me, which list was longer?"

Her heart pounded. She knew that if she looked up, she'd see amusement in his green eyes, a challenge in his expression. He wanted to push her.

She refused to give him the satisfaction.

With perfect composure, she tucked the notebook under her arm. "That depends," she said coolly. "Do you really want to know?"

Alex's smirk faltered just enough to be noticeable, and for the first time, she saw a flicker of uncertainty in him.

Emma took a step closer, closing the space between them. "I analyze everyone, Kingston. You're not special."

His brows lifted slightly, as if intrigued. "Not yet."

She refused to react, refused to let the tension get to her. Instead, she simply turned on her heel and walked away, her grip on the notebook firm.

But as she stepped back into the elevator, she allowed herself one glance back.

Alex was still watching her, his smirk replaced by something else.

Interest.

She exhaled slowly as the doors slid shut.

This was going to be a long game.

And for the first time in years, Emma wasn't sure she was in control of the outcome.