Chapter 127

If what Grace said was true, then that mysterious person—was he sent by James to protect her, or was he there to keep tabs on her? The next two days were a blur—Timothy Hernandez rushed Maria to a last-minute promo shoot. Said it was a project James’s company had funded and just needed her face to stir up some buzz. Maria poured herself into the job, too busy to think about James and his intentions. Cold autumn wind kept sweeping through the streets, brittle leaves skittering across the ground like gold confetti. Maria wrapped her hands around a cup of coffee, watching pedestrians hunch their shoulders against the wind. She tucked her chin down and quickened her pace, not really warming up until she stepped into the toasty lobby of the Bennett building. The security guard greeted her like usual, and she gave him a polite smile and nod. Her contract was set to expire in a week—exactly the day after Victoria Lee’s wedding. Maria still hadn’t made up her mind about renewing. James hadn’t