Chapter 4The Unspoken Term

Carter had paid for my education since I was in high school. When I got into a university in his city, he became my legal guardian. During my junior year, I interned at his company for three months.

Serena was already overseas getting her master's degree by then, so I knew nothing about her. Carter took me under his wing, teaching me the ins and outs of the corporate world. He was a man who rarely showed emotion, but I remember one evening, when a sleazy investor got handsy with me at a business dinner, Carter kicked the man square in the chest.

Then, he took an empty wine bottle and pressed it into my hand. He stood behind me, his body shielding mine, his voice a low whisper in my ear. "Do you know what today's lesson is?"

His scent, a cool, woody fragrance, enveloped me. I forced myself to breathe shallowly, to stay calm. "You're... you're teaching me to fight back at the right moment. To maintain control of the situation instead of..."

His large, warm hand closed over mine, gripping the bottle. "Good student," he murmured, "but this isn't a word problem. There's no textbook answer."

He guided my hand, raising it high.

"It's just a fight."

CRASH.

The bottle shattered against the investor's head. The impact vibrated up my arm.

Carter pulled the silk pocket square from his blazer and gently wiped the sweat from my palm. "Don't ever forget," he said softly. "I'm here to back you up. Don't let anyone push you around."

I snatched my hand back, mumbled that I understood, and ran.

Any longer, and he would have seen the adoration in my eyes.