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"I’ risks is what gets you the greater rewards I’ about athe most basic of precautions?"

Suddenly, I felt very foolish

Lei saw that and gentled her voice "Jackson has already cost you the Mondego project Don’t let hi else from you"

The rest of my day went on as usual, but I wasgoodbye to Jax and saying goodbye to the life I’d built without hiet he’d co, it was excruciating to let it go now that it was inand I answered it with as reeteda bit breathless "Can I talk to Lei?"

My eyes closed, knowing he was going to ask to ith so the delay between his return to New York and his call ed his mind, or at least decided to wait it out a bit er "Let ot up and walked to the open door of her office She orking on her coether in a frown above her crihtly

She looked up at me "Yes?"

"Chad Willialasses off and nodded "Put hih"

I went back toelse besides the low murmur of Lei’s voice It was all too easy to think about Jax instead, re the way he’d sounded when he last told me he loved me

He’d consumed me froive hi to integrate intoto accommodate him

Why couldn’t I have fallen in love with soht a little fun into my life instead a whole slew of problems

"Gianna"

I looked up as Lei stepped out of her office, her lips pursed thoughtfully "Yes?"

I steeled ain to spearhead a project that had the h with a e," she said

My back stiffened and ain? "Why?"

"Jackson offered to make a three-million-dollar investment in Chad, for a 30 percent share"

Myto steal Chad? How could he, when Chad was under contract with Lei?

Lei frowned "Basically, Jackson is offering to guarantee that he’s not going to sabotage Chad, to the tune of a fewto process that news

She shrugged "Chad’s going to have his lawyers look over the paperwork, but he’s sending it toslowly, I glanced atinside it

"He didn’t say anything about wanting to ith anyone else," she added "There’s no reason to, if the offer is legit"

"Right" I said the word, but I was still trying to fully grasp the ramifications of what Jax had done

"I take it you told Jax about Chad’s concerns?"

Pushing slowly to h I swear"

"I can see that on your face" She studieda path to you"

"Yeah" It was crazy What was the catch?

It was just depressing having to askwhen I was constantly second-guessing hirateful for the distraction fro into deeper turht after the restaurant closes I’ve got a lot of work to do, so I’llfor you after work and he’ll stay with you until it’s ti up the things you’ll bring to the penthouse to get you through ’til the weekend, e can grab the rest Let me--"

"Jax Jesus Will you slon?" I slu exhausted

He was quiet for the length of a heartbeat "It’s taken two long years to get here"

"Yeah Two years of nothing Not a single word fro your way throughwrecked Wiped out I can’t think Can’t figure out anything"