The file landed on the mahogany desk with a satisfying thud.
Darius Alderton didn't look up from the quarterly report spread across his lap. His corner office on the forty-second floor of the Alderton Tower offered a panoramic view of Manhattan, but he hadn't glanced at the skyline once in the past three hours. Numbers held his attention far more reliably than scenery.
"You're going to want to see this." Dominic Ashford dropped into the leather chair across from him without waiting for an invitation. He'd known Darius long enough to dispense with formalities.
Darius raised one dark eyebrow. At thirty, he carried himself with the quiet authority of a man who'd built a multinational empire through equal parts brilliance and ruthlessness. His suit jacket hung on the back of his chair, his shirtsleeves rolled to the elbows, revealing forearms that suggested he did more than shuffle papers for a living.
"If this is another security briefing about the Frankfurt office, I've already handled it."
"Not even close." Dominic slid the file closer. "Alexander Blackwood."
That got his attention. Darius set the report aside and opened the folder. On top sat a photograph -- a young woman, dark-haired and striking, caught mid-laugh with her head thrown back. She radiated defiance even in a still image.
"His daughter," Dominic said. "Sophie Blackwood. Nineteen years old. And before you ask -- yes, this is the same girl whose father floated that arranged introduction idea to you two years ago."
Darius studied the photograph. "Blackwood mentioned it once at a dinner. I didn't take it seriously."
"You should start." Dominic leaned forward, his expression shifting from casual to conspiratorial. "Word reached me through my channels that Miss Blackwood has a plan. She found out about the arranged introduction and she's decided to torpedo it before you two ever sit in the same room."
"Torpedo it how?"
"By destroying her own reputation so thoroughly that you wouldn't touch her with a ten-foot pole." Dominic couldn't quite suppress a grin. "She's creative, I'll give her that. The girl intends to make sure that by the time you meet her, the scandal will be so loud you'll run in the opposite direction."
Darius leaned back in his chair. A slow, dangerous smile crossed his face -- the kind that made rival CEOs nervous during negotiations. "She's going to sabotage an introduction with a man she's never met."
"That's the plan."
"Interesting." He picked up the photograph again. Sophie Blackwood stared back at him with dark eyes full of mischief. "And how exactly did you come across this information?"
Dominic waved a hand. "I have my sources. The point is, Alexander has been vetting you for years as the man who can handle his daughter. And his daughter is currently scheming to humiliate you before you've even shaken hands."
Darius set the photograph down carefully, precisely, the way he did everything. "What do you propose?"