“Your internship will be completed. You’ll receive full credit for it. But going forward—you’ll transition to a full-time employee of Blackwood Enterprises. Effective next week.”
She stared at him.
“Your salary and benefits will reflect your permanent status. Your schedule will be adjusted to accommodate your remaining classes. I’ll have James take care of all the paperwork.”
He said it like a business proposal.
But it wasn’t.
It was something else entirely.
Maya’s pulse thundered as she searched his face.
There was no arrogance there. No smugness. Only quiet authority and the sharp edge of need—not just for control, but for her safety. Her comfort. Her place in his world.
Maya didn’t speak right away.
She couldn’t.
His words—his offer—hung in the air like something too heavy to
