Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

T roy Kringle's piercing blue eyes locked on to Angela's. She had never had occasion to be the single source of his focus. That had always been her supervisor. Now Angela understood why Maya had fallen for the co-executive of the company. But it was the excitement practically vibrating through the air between them that was making her happy.

"Angela, your work on the male toy line has been nothing short of revolutionary."

The words wrapped around her like a warm embrace, invigorating and terrifying all at once. "Thank you, Troy. My goal was to push boundaries. It's what drives innovation."

"Pushing boundaries is an understatement." Troy laughed, a sound that filled the room with its rich timbre. "You've bulldozed them. Because of that, I want to promote you."

"Promotion?"

"I want you at the helm of the entire male toy line."

Angela's words caught in her throat. Her fingers fluttered behind her back. This was it—the recognition she'd craved, the validation for those long nights spent sculpting pleasure from silicone and circuitry.

From the corner of the room where numbers and equations were her world, Maya Turr looked up, her clipboard momentarily forgotten. Her eyes sparkled with pride, and when her gaze met Angela's, no words were needed. Maya's smile, wide and genuine, spoke volumes. It was the kind of support that came without envy, without condition. A silent cheer from the sidelines that echoed louder than words ever could.

"I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we can't wait to see where you take us next."

Troy extended a hand to her. When she clasped it, Angela felt like she'd just signed the contract. She was stepping into the next chapter of her life. And the only thing she wanted to do was tell Holden.

Maya sidled up to Angela after her fiancé had kissed her senseless and then left the lab. "Angela, this is huge. You're going to be fantastic."

"I still can't believe this is happening."

"Believe it. You deserve it. You're going to shake up the world, homegirl."

Angela winced at her friend. "Ohh, no."

"Too much? I've been trying to practice slang a bit more. But it's just not working for me."

No, it certainly wasn't working for the woman who screamed nerd. But she was shouting hot nerd more and more these days as she cuddled up with the boss of an adult toy company each night.

There was a knock at the door. Both women looked up to see Holden standing just outside.

"I didn't realize we had a molding appointment today," said Maya.

"We don't. He's here for me."

"For you? Like for you?"

Angela shrugged, not feeling in the slightest self-conscious about her relationship with the porn star. Former porn star, if all went well today. Not that Angela had any hangups about Holden's profession. She did, however, worry over the professionalism of his castmates. Particularly the one who had bulldozed her way into his loft this morning.

"I'll just head into my office," Maya said, heading to the far end of the lab and closing her office door behind her.

Angela's heels clicked a rhythmic beat against the sterile floor of the lab, her mind still adrift in a sea of accolades and possibilities. But the electric hum that had vibrated within her since Troy's praise began to falter as her gaze fell upon Holden. By the way he worried his lip, Angela doubted the resignation had gone well.

He leaned against a workbench, his usual towering confidence deflated into a posture of dejection. The harsh lighting cast shadows across his chiseled features. His eyes, darkened with distress, flicked up to meet hers, and Angela felt the air in the room grow thick with unsaid words.

"Hey." Holden's voice was a gravelly whisper, the one word heavy with something Angela couldn't quite place.

"Hi," she replied, her heart beating a cautious staccato. "Everything okay?"

She watched as he pushed away from the bench, his movements deliberate yet tinged with a vulnerability that was foreign on his strong frame.

"No... it's not." Holden's jaw tensed, the muscles working beneath the stubble that always seemed perpetually at the perfect length. "It's Kendra."

That particular storm cloud in the form of a woman was the last person she expected to be a topic of conversation. Holden took a step closer, the heat from his body doing little to thaw the sudden coldness that enveloped Angela's heart.

"She has something... a video." His eyes dropped to the floor as if the weight of his next words could no longer be supported by mere glances. " The video."

" The video?" Angela's hand flew to her mouth, her fingertips pressing against her lips as if to keep them from trembling. "Of us?"

Nodding, Holden looked back up, his gaze imploring her to understand without him saying it all. "And she's using it to... she wants me to do hardcore videos with her. It's the only way I can think of to protect you, to keep this from blowing up and..."

"Protect my reputation?" Angela managed to find her voice, though it sounded distant and frail to her own ears.

"Exactly." Holden's hands, those strong and capable instruments that had explored every inch of her, were now clenched into fists at his sides. "I don't want this to ruin everything you've worked for, Angela. You deserve the stars, not this... mess."

"Damn it," she hissed under her breath, feeling the weight of the situation bear down on her like a physical force. The thought of that video—intimate moments meant for them alone—becoming public fodder sent a shiver of revulsion through her. The fear of losing everything she had worked so hard for clawed at her insides, threatening to tear through her composed exterior.

Her career, her reputation—everything was at stake. Angela knew all too well how unforgiving the world could be, especially toward a woman who dared to explore her desires. She could already hear the hushed whispers and judgmental sneers, envisioning the condescending looks from her colleagues.

"So what? I just let you sacrifice yourself on the altar of my good name?" The dilemma seemed cruel, a choice between her own values and the vicious appetites of a society all too eager to devour the scandalous lives of others.

Holden's jaw tightened, the lines of his face hardening. "Yeah."

"Even if it means watching you with her?" The words slipped out more accusatory than she intended, but they hung in the air, an undeniable truth that neither could ignore.

"Yeah."

"Well, fuck that."

"Angela…"

"There has to be another way."

The idea of confrontation, of fighting back against Kendra's blackmail, was daunting—yet the alternative was unthinkable. She couldn't stand idly by while Holden fell on his sword for her sake. Angela was no stranger to adversity, having faced her family's disapproval head-on when she chose this path. Could she now, in the face of this new threat, muster the courage to fight once more?

"We're not going to let her win," she declared, the fire of determination lighting up her dark eyes. "Whatever it takes, we'll face it together."