Chapter 16. Why Him?

Freya’s POV

For several long seconds after he walked in, I remained completely frozen in my seat.

My brain refused to process what my eyes had just seen.

Ryder Hawthorne.

Of all the places in the world… him.

The man strode into the office in a perfectly tailored dark suit, his long confident steps echoing faintly against the polished floor. His presence filled the room so completely that the air itself seemed to tighten around him.

My heart slammed violently against my ribs.

No… this can’t be happening.

My fingers curled against the edge of my desk as disbelief washed over me.

Of all the companies I could have applied to… of all the buildings in the city… I had somehow ended up working for him.

My ex-fiancé’s stepfather.

The man I had seduced.

The man I had slept with.

A wave of heat rushed up my neck as memories of that night flashed uncontrollably through my mind—the dim lights, the tension in the