Kyle looked up, ready to shout at whoever was interrupting him, but the moment his eyes landed on the man standing directly behind me, the color drained completely from his face. He froze mid-stride, his mouth hanging slightly open.

Kyle knew exactly who Arthur Vance was. Arthur’s company had recently purchased the logistics firm that had fired Kyle years ago, and Arthur was currently the primary benefactor of the regional task force that handled corporate fraud and harassment. More than that, Arthur’s sheer stature and unyielding gaze made it instantly clear that Kyle’s days of intimidation were officially over.

Arthur placed a gentle, protective hand on my shoulder, looking down at Kyle with cold, piercing eyes.

“Is there a problem here?” Arthur asked, his voice low and commanding.

Kyle swallowed hard, stepping backward involuntarily. The arrogant bravado he had carried for five years vanished in a single second, crushed under the realization of exactly who I had become, and exactly who was standing by my side.