Raj’s heart pounded as hard and fast as a freight train. “Can you forward us the article? We need to see what we’re dealing with.”

“Sure. Texting it to Ajay’s number now.”

“Thanks, Hem,” Ajay said and hung up.

They waited for the link to come in, then Raj took the phone with steady hands and began to read.

Married for a green card . . .

Cheated on her spouse with hookups at the Ice Palace . . .

Uses information to bribe . . .

Daughter of a drug dealer . . .

Cutthroat . . . ruthless . . . cold-hearted . . .

Sleeping her way to a sale with Bharat . . .

Illicit affair . . .

Raj vaulted out of her chair. Her pulse raced as the words went around and around in her head like a carousel.

There were the ugly truths of her life written for everyone to read, for everyone to judge her. Her whole office would know her life and would now think that she was a corrupt sycophant willing to do anything to make money.

Ajay jabbed a number on the phone she’d dropped. “Rafael? I need you to do damage control right now.” He barked into the phone, his words clipped and full of malice. “Communications needs to put out a statement. Put together a task force. I want this shut down. No, I don’t care about timing, Rafe. This story dies.”

He tossed the phone aside and reached for her, but she held up a hand to stop him.

“I am so sorry, baby,” he whispered. His hands fisted at his sides. “I’m so sorry I brought you into this mess. This is probably Sri’s leak. I’ll get him, though. I should’ve listened to you from the beginning.”

“This has Robert written all over it,” she said, surprising herself at how calm she sounded. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips against her lids. “I need to stop this before it gets traction.”

“This is going to get some press. It’s better if you stay out of sight until you have a game plan, and wait until I can confirm how much of this came from Bharat. You might want to get—”

“Legal and Communications on the line. Yes, I know. And you should probably call—”

“Tushar and my father. Yup. I’m on it.”

This time when he reached for her, she let him wrap her in his arms. “I’m so sorry. I know how much your privacy and your secrets mean to you. We’ll figure this out.”

“I can’t believe he’d do this to me,” she whispered. Tears clogged her throat, and a vague part of her brain was horrified that it was the second time in two weeks that she’d cracked in front of this man. It was the most she’d cried in years.

Squeezing Ajay, knowing that he was giving her strength, she pulled back, wiping at her cheek. “I’m going to have to work from home.”