The Bargaining Chip

Declan abruptly looked up, staring coldly at Dean, his face dark. "Did I hear wrong, or did you misspeak?"

Dean swallowed hard, steeling himself. "I didn't misspeak, and you heard right. He indeed demanded that Mrs. Hawthorne spend a night with him and promised he'd sign the contract right after that."

With a loud "bang," Declan's hand slammed down on the coffee table, rattling the cups on top.