Chapter 18 · Thirty Days

"Thirty days," Luca said, sliding the paper across his desk like it was nothing. "That's what the board's giving you before they vote again."

I didn't touch it. "The board already voted. I'm CFO. That happened three weeks ago, in front of a live camera, in front of you."

"And now Sabatini's saying the numbers you signed off on were cooked before you touched them." He tapped the page. "Thirty days to prove the books are clean, or they call an emergency session and pull your signature."

My stomach dropped, but I kept my face flat. That's a skill you learn fast, sitting across from a man who reads faces for a living. "And you're telling me this now because you enjoy watching me sweat, or because you actually give a damn if I keep the job."

"Both." He didn't even blink. "But there's a condition attached. My condition, not the board's."

"Of course there is."

"For the next thirty days, you sleep where I can see you."

I laughed, short and ugly. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me.