It was all so fake. Everything about Mia was an act, including her supposed friendships, and yet no one else appeared to see it except Laura. And as she stood there, still watching this stranger who had come in and stolen her job, she felt an unease washing over her that made her shudder. She had no idea who this person was that she was unwittingly up against.

‘Laura, how are you?’ Harry stepped out of the lift, which had just reached the third floor. ‘I’ve barely seen you in the last week,’ he said, pausing before adding, ‘You look good.’

She clenched her fists, glancing across the floor, embarrassed, but when she saw Mia look over, she wondered if it wouldn’t hurt to let her know that she was still close to the boss.

‘Thanks.’ She reached self-consciously for the ponytail that was loosely tying her hair up that morning. She hadn’t had time to wash it. She’d barely managed to streak some mascara onto her eyelashes in her haste. She knew she didn’t look good, but Harry was watching her with a sheepish grin, and she felt the rush of heat to her cheeks. ‘You’ve barely been here, that’s why you haven’t seen me,’ she said hastily. She was never going to be good at pretending to enjoy his attention.

‘I know. Lot going on up in London.’ He rolled his eyes.

‘Actually I’m glad I’ve seen you,’ Laura said. ‘Can we have a chat?’

‘’Course we can,’ he said and stepped back, gesturing for her to lead the way across the floor to his office.

Once inside, when he’d shut the door behind them, Harry retreated to the other side of his desk, glancing at Laura, who was still hovering by the door. ‘Everything all right?’ he asked, his head cocked, as if he already guessed she wanted to talk about Mia again.

She did, of course, but this time she was armed with facts he couldn’t ignore. ‘I attended the Coopers pitch last Friday,’ Laura started. She watched his eyes dip away briefly as he pulled out his chair and sank onto it. She thought she saw a small exhalation of breath, but she went on anyway. ‘I’m not here to criticise Mia’s ideas or what work she’s put into her presentation,’ Laura said. ‘But she made a big mistake. She missed out important things from the budget that she should have considered – things that are going to add at least twenty per cent to their spend. I’m surprised Tess hasn’t mentioned it—’

Harry held up a hand to stop her.

‘Harry, this is critical.’

‘I know. And Mia’s already told me.’

‘Oh?’ Laura said, deflated that her big build-up had been flattened so easily.