The conference room was huge and painfully quiet. All the executives sat stiff as boards, barely daring to breathe. Except for the man at the head of the table. He looked completely relaxed, scrolling through his phone like he had all the time in the world.
Oliver: “Pick one up for Aunt Patricia while you’re at it.”
Sara: “It’s so expensive. I can’t afford it!”
Oliver: “Just put it on my card when you get back.”
Sara: [Kneeling emoji]
“Thank you, Uncle Oliver!”
At ten thirty, Patricia crawled into bed and pulled the covers up. On her nightstand was a bottle of rose essential oil—a bit of a fail, since she’d bought the pure kind by mistake. You couldn’t use it straight on your skin. She thought about finding something to dilute it, but after searching around her room she came up empty.
Ever since her leg had healed, Patricia had gotten into the habit of massaging her joints. It kept her limber, and honestly, her legs had never looked better. It had just become part of her routine.
She stood in her doorway for a second, then decided to go ask Sara if she could borrow some oil. The moment she stepped out, she nearly ran right into someone.
She staggered back, almost losing her balance, but a strong hand caught her by the shoulder.
“You okay?” The voice was deep, steady.
“I’m fine,” Patricia said, a little breathless. She looked up. Oliver was standing there, perfectly put together in a sharp three-piece suit. Everything about him was crisp and expensive, but not flashy. Compared to Theo’s model good looks, Oliver had the vibe of an old-school British gentleman from the seventies.
“Heading downstairs?” he asked.
Patricia quickly looked away. “No, I just wanted to see if Sara had some essential oil I could borrow.”

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