CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Valentina Ríos believed there were three things a good lawyer should never do.

Arrive unprepared.

Lose her temper.

And underestimate the person sitting across the table.

She had built most of her career by avoiding all three.

That morning, however, she was four minutes late.

Which was unacceptable.

Not catastrophic. Not career-ending. Not even unusual in a city where traffic seemed to have a personal vendetta against anyone with somewhere important to be.

But unacceptable nonetheless.

The elevator had stopped on almost every floor between the lobby and the twenty-fourth, and by the time the doors finally opened, Valentina had already reviewed the opening arguments in her head twice.

She adjusted the cuff of her white blouse, picked up her laptop, and stepped out.

Her heels clicked against the polished marble floor.

Four minutes.

She could live with four minutes.

What she couldn’t live with was looking nervous about it.

So she didn’t.

Valentina walked into the conference room as though she had arrived exactly when she intended to.

Twenty pairs of eyes turned toward her.

She didn’t slow down.

At the head of the long glass table sat Richard Sterling, senior partner and the kind of man whose silence could make an entire room reconsider its legal strategy.

Two executives from the client company were already seated beside him. Three associates had laptops open, documents spread across the table.

And then there was the man standing by the windows.

Valentina noticed him before anyone introduced him.

That annoyed her.

He was tall.

Not just tall enough to make her look up.

Tall enough that she immediately registered the difference.

Dark hair, neatly styled but not excessively so. A short, well-kept beard. Broad shoulders beneath a charcoal suit that looked as though it had been tailored specifically for him.

Probably had been.

His tie was perfectly knotted. His watch was understated. His posture was relaxed.

Too relaxed.

Like a man who had never had to wonder whether he belonged in a room.

Then he turned.

Their eyes met.

Green-gray.

Cool at first glance.

Amused at second.

Valentina stopped herself from looking twice.

She failed.

His mouth curved slightly.

Not quite a smile.

More like he had noticed her noticing him.

Oh, absolutely not.

“Ms. Ríos,” Richard said.

“Good morning.”

“You’re late.”

Valentina placed her laptop on the table.

“Four minutes.”

Richard looked at his watch.

“Four minutes is still late.”

“I’ll try to recover from the trauma.”

One of the executives coughed to hide a laugh.

Richard didn’t react.

The man by the window did.

His eyes stayed on her.

Valentina took the empty chair.

“Everyone,” Richard said, “I’d like you to meet Adrián Blackwood.”

Of course.

She knew the name.

Everyone in corporate litigation knew the name.

Adrián Blackwood had spent the last several years building a reputation for being brilliant, aggressive when necessary, impossible to intimidate, and annoyingly good at finding weaknesses in arguments other lawyers hadn’t even finished making.

He was representing the opposing side.

Naturally.

Richard continued.

“Blackwood & Cole is representing the other party in the acquisition.”

Adrián walked toward her.

Valentina stood.

He extended his hand.

“Valentina Ríos.”

His voice was lower than she expected.

Smooth.

Measured.

The kind of voice that never needed to become loud because it already assumed people were listening.

She placed her hand in his.

His grip was firm.

Warm.

Brief.

Professional.

Except neither of them released immediately.

It was barely a moment.

A fraction of a second.

Still, Valentina noticed.

So did he.

She withdrew her hand first.

“Adrián.”

His eyes remained on hers.

“It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Valentina tilted her head.

“I’m not sure ‘nice’ is the word I’d use.”

His smile appeared.

This time, unmistakably.

“Give it time.”

She sat down.

I already dislike him.

Across the table, Adrián took his seat.

And Valentina had the deeply inconvenient realization that she was going to have to look at him for the next two hours.

She opened her laptop.

Professional.

Focused.

Unbothered.

That was the plan.

By the twenty-minute mark, Valentina had forgotten about being late.

By the forty-minute mark, she had forgotten about almost everyone else.

Because Adrián Blackwood was good.

Very good.

That was the problem.

She had expected arrogance.

She had expected charm.

She had expected the kind of polished confidence that came from knowing exactly how many people had already been impressed by you.

What she hadn’t expected was substance.

He read everything.

He listened.

He didn’t interrupt simply to hear himself speak.

When someone made a weak point, he waited until they finished before dismantling it.

And every time Valentina challenged him, he looked more interested rather than less.

That was irritating.

More irritating still was the fact that she found herself enjoying the challenge.

“Your interpretation of the indemnification clause assumes the acquisition agreement was negotiated under a different risk allocation than it actually was,” Adrián said.

Valentina slowly lifted her gaze from the document.

“No.”

His eyebrow rose.

“No?”

“My interpretation assumes your client understood exactly what they were signing.”

Silence.

One of the executives shifted in his chair.

Adrián leaned back.

“I see.”

“Do you?”

“I do.”

“Good.”

He glanced at the document again.

“You’re giving their negotiating team a lot of credit.”

“I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt.”

“That’s generous.”

“I try to be.”

“Even with opposing counsel?”

Valentina smiled politely.

“Especially with opposing counsel.”

His eyes held hers.

There it was again.

That almost-smile.

“You’re difficult.”

“I’ve been told.”

“Frequently?”

“Only by people who prefer being wrong.”

Someone at the far end of the table laughed.

Adrián looked down.

For the first time, Valentina saw him smile without trying to hide it.

It changed his face.

And she hated that she noticed that too.

Focus.

She returned to the document.

“Section seven.”

He looked at the page.

“Already there.”

“Then you should know what I’m about to say.”

“I usually do.”

Valentina looked at him.

“Arrogant.”

“Prepared.”

“There’s a difference.”

“I’m sure you’ll explain it to me.”

“I might.”

His gaze stayed on hers a beat longer than necessary.

“I look forward to it.”

Richard cleared his throat.

“Can we get back to the acquisition?”

Valentina looked down at her notes.

“Absolutely.”

Adrián did the same.

But something had changed.

Not much.

Just enough.

The meeting had stopped feeling like a negotiation between two legal teams.

Now it felt strangely personal.

And Valentina didn’t like that.

Not even a little.

Two hours later, Richard closed the folder.

“The next round of negotiations will take place in Chicago.”

Valentina looked at her calendar.

“When?”

“Wednesday.”

She nodded.

“I can be there.”

Richard looked at Adrián.

“So can you?”

Adrián picked up his jacket.

“Of course.”

Richard leaned back.

“Good. You’ll both lead the negotiations.”

Valentina looked up.

“Together?”

“Yes.”

She glanced toward Adrián.

He looked entirely too pleased.

“Problem?” he asked.

“Yes.”

His eyebrow lifted.

“You don’t like me.”

“I barely know you.”

“And yet you’re already certain.”

“I make efficient assessments.”

That smile again.

“Apparently.”

Richard sighed.

“I knew this was coming.”

“Then why do it?” Valentina asked.

“Because you’re both the strongest people I have for this negotiation.”

That should have been reassuring.

Instead, Valentina felt a small knot form in her stomach.

“Together,” she repeated.

“Together,” Richard confirmed.

Adrián stood.

“Looking forward to it.”

Valentina gathered her papers.

“You shouldn’t.”

He slipped his jacket over one arm.

“That’s exactly what makes me curious.”

Their eyes met.

For one brief moment, neither moved.

Then Valentina walked past him.

As she did, his hand shifted slightly, as if he were about to reach for the door.

He stopped himself.

She noticed.

She wasn’t sure why.

Outside the conference room, Valentina walked toward the elevators.

She heard footsteps behind her.

She didn’t turn.

“Ríos.”

She pressed the elevator button.

“What?”

“Your argument about the indemnification clause.”

She looked over her shoulder.

Adrián stood several feet away.

His jacket was draped over one arm, his tie still perfectly in place despite the two-hour meeting.

“What about it?”

“You were right.”

Valentina blinked.

That wasn’t what she expected.

“Excuse me?”

“You were right.”

“You’re admitting that?”

“Apparently.”

She studied him.

“I didn’t think you did that.”

“I don’t make a habit of being wrong.”

“Neither do I.”

“I noticed.”

The elevator doors opened.

Valentina stepped inside.

Then stopped.

She looked back at him.

“Why tell me?”

His expression changed slightly.

The teasing disappeared.

“Because being competitive doesn’t mean I can’t recognize a good argument.”

For the first time that morning, Valentina didn’t have an immediate response.

Adrián’s eyes stayed on hers.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

“Don’t look so surprised.”

The elevator doors began to close.

Valentina smiled before she could stop herself.

“See you in Chicago.”

The doors shut.

She immediately stopped smiling.

“Oh, no.”

She stared at her reflection in the mirrored wall.

“No.”

The elevator began descending.

She exhaled.

Absolutely not.

She wasn’t attracted to him.

She was simply aware of him.

There was a difference.

At least, that was what she intended to believe.

Adrián remained outside the elevator for a moment.

Then he turned.

Ethan Cole was standing at the end of the hallway holding two coffees.

“You look entertained.”

Adrián walked toward him.

“I am.”

Ethan handed him a coffee.

“That usually means trouble.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re only entertained when something is about to become inconvenient.”

Adrián took a sip.

“She is good.”

Ethan stared at him.

“That wasn’t what I asked.”

Adrián looked at him.

“What?”

“You’re interested.”

“In her legal strategy.”

Ethan smiled.

“Sure.”

Adrián shook his head.

“Don’t start.”

“I haven’t said anything.”

“You’re thinking it.”

“That’s worse.”

Adrián glanced toward the elevator.

Valentina Ríos.

He remembered the exact expression she had worn when she challenged him.

The confidence.

The intelligence.

The way she never seemed to hesitate before speaking.

And, annoyingly, the way her hair had fallen over one shoulder when she leaned across the table.

He had noticed her perfume too.

Something subtle.

Clean.

Warm.

He had no business remembering it.

He took another sip of coffee.

Ethan watched him.

“Chicago is going to be interesting.”

Adrián smiled.

“Probably.”

That afternoon, Valentina was still thinking about the meeting.

Not the case.

Not the contract.

Not the strategy.

Him.

She was irritated by that fact.

She was even more irritated because she couldn’t decide whether she was irritated with him or with herself.

Camila Bennett appeared at the door of her office.

“You’re staring at the same page.”

Valentina looked up.

“I am not.”

“You’ve been staring at it for five minutes.”

“I was thinking.”

Camila leaned against the doorframe.

“That usually means you’re avoiding telling me something.”

Valentina closed the file.

“I’m going to Chicago Wednesday.”

“With?”

“Opposing counsel.”

Camila’s eyebrows lifted.

“And?”

Valentina hesitated.

“Adrián Blackwood.”

Camila’s expression changed.

“Oh.”

Valentina narrowed her eyes.

“What?”

“I’ve heard of him.”

“Everyone has.”

“Isn’t he the one who won that hostile acquisition case last year?”

“Yes.”

“And the arbitration before that?”

“Yes.”

Camila nodded slowly.

“Good-looking?”

Valentina stared at her.

“That is completely irrelevant.”

Camila smiled.

“That wasn’t a no.”

Valentina reached for a pen.

“I’m going to Chicago to negotiate a multimillion-dollar acquisition.”

“Obviously.”

“With an opposing attorney.”

“Obviously.”

“And I’m not interested in him.”

Camila’s smile widened.

“I didn’t say you were.”

Valentina threw the pen.

Camila caught it.

“Interesting.”

“Leave my office.”

“Gladly.”

Camila disappeared laughing.

Valentina leaned back in her chair.

She closed her eyes for a moment.

Then opened them again.

The problem wasn’t that Adrián Blackwood was attractive.

The problem was that she had noticed.

That night, Valentina stood in front of her bedroom mirror removing her earrings.

She had changed into a silk camisole and loose trousers, her hair falling naturally around her shoulders now that the day was over.

Her phone buzzed on the dresser.

She picked it up.

CHICAGO NEGOTIATION — TRAVEL DETAILS

She opened the email.

Wednesday — 7:40 a.m.

Passengers:

Valentina Ríos

Adrián Blackwood

She stared at the screen.

For several seconds, she didn’t move.

Then she laughed softly.

“Of course.”

She placed the phone facedown.

Walked toward the bathroom.

Stopped.

Looked back at it.

She picked it up again.

Read the names.

Once.

Twice.

Then shook her head.

“This is going to be a disaster.”

But as she turned off the light, one inconvenient thought followed her into the dark.

She had spent years learning how to recognize risk before it became a problem.

Adrián Blackwood had already been classified.

Brilliant.

Arrogant.

Difficult.

Unpredictable.

And, unfortunately...

impossible to ignore.

Chicago was going to be a problem.