"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.
"What does that mean?" I demanded, my voice barely above a whisper.
His lips curled into a grim smile, but there was no warmth in it. "It means you’re in over your head."
"Stop talking in riddles, Nathaniel!" I snapped. "If this is about my father, then tell me. What aren’t you saying?"
His eyes darkened, and for a split second, I thought I saw something raw and unguarded—a flicker of vulnerability. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual armor of arrogance and disdain.
"Your father has a way of destroying everything he touches," he said coldly. "And if you’re not careful, he’ll destroy you too."
The accusation felt like a slap. "Don’t you dare talk about my father like that."
"Why not? Because it’s true?" he shot back, his voice rising. "Or because deep down, you already know it?"
The room seemed to close in on me. Every word he said felt like a knife twisting in my gut, but I refused to let him see me break.
"You think you’re so righteous," I said through gritted teeth. "But you’re just as ruthless as he is."
For a moment, silence hung between us, heavy and charged. Then, Nathaniel stepped back, his expression hardening.
"Believe whatever helps you sleep at night, Tiffany. But know this—"
He leaned in, his breath ghosting against my ear. "If you ever try to cross me again, you’ll regret it."
A shiver ran down my spine, but I refused to look away. "You can’t scare me, Nathaniel."
"Then you’re a fool," he said flatly, turning on his heel.
My chest heaved as I watched him walk away, the echo of his footsteps a brutal reminder of the line he’d just drawn in the sand.
I glanced down at the scattered papers, my mind racing. Whatever this merger was, it was more than just business. Nathaniel was hiding something—something big.