Chapter 7: The Assistant Who Saw Everything

Monday morning arrived far too quickly.

I had spent most of Sunday convincing myself that the café disaster was over.

Daniel hadn't recognized me.

Adrian hadn't uncovered the truth.

The wig had stayed attached to my head.

Considering my usual luck, the meeting had gone surprisingly well.

Then I walked into the office and saw Nora standing beside my desk.

Every bit of confidence disappeared.

Adrian's executive assistant was always perfectly composed.

Her dark hair never moved out of place. Her blouses never wrinkled. Her expression suggested she had personally organized the universe and was disappointed by the results.

This morning, she held a tablet against her chest and stared directly at me.

"Good morning, Miss Hayes."

"Good morning."

"Mr. Carter would like to see you."

My bag slipped from my shoulder.

I caught it before it hit the floor.

"Now?"

"Now."

Lily looked over the divider between our desks.

Her eyes widened.

I gave her a tiny look that said, Prepare my funeral.

She silently mouthed, Good luck.

Traitor.

I followed Nora toward the executive floor.

She walked half a step ahead of me without saying anything.

The silence was unbearable.

By the time we reached the elevator, I couldn't stand it anymore.

"Did Mr. Carter say what this was about?"

"No."

"Nothing at all?"

"He rarely explains his instructions twice."

"Right."

The elevator doors closed.

Nora tapped the button for the top floor.

I stared at our reflections in the polished metal.

She looked calm.

I looked like someone being transported to court.

Then Nora said, "Did you enjoy your weekend?"

My heart stopped.

"My weekend?"

"Yes."

"It was quiet."

"Really?"

"Very."

She turned her head slightly.

"No cafés?"

The elevator suddenly felt too small.

"I drink coffee sometimes."

"With wigs?"

I nearly screamed.

Instead, a strange sound escaped my throat.

Something between a cough and a dying bird.

Nora looked at me.

"Are you all right?"

"Fine."

"You don't look fine."

"Seasonal allergies."

"In November?"

"They're aggressive."

The elevator doors opened.

Nora stepped out.

I stayed frozen inside.

She looked back.

"Coming?"

I forced my legs to move.

She knew.

There was no other explanation.

She had seen me at the café.

Now she was taking me directly to Adrian.

I imagined the conversation waiting inside his office.

Miss Hayes, thank you for your service. Security will return your personal belongings.

Perhaps he would ask for the seven thousand dollars back too.

I didn't have seven thousand dollars.

Most of it had gone toward student loans and rent.

Maybe prison would be cheaper.

Nora stopped outside Adrian's office.

"Wait here."

"Nora."

She looked at me.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You may."

"Were you near Central Park on Saturday?"

Her expression didn't change.

"Why?"

"No reason."

"Then no."

She opened Adrian's door.

"Miss Hayes is here."

Adrian looked up from his desk.

"Send her in."

Nora stepped aside.

As I passed her, she quietly said, "Your wig was crooked."

I almost walked into the doorframe.

Adrian frowned.

"Are you all right?"

"Perfectly."

Nora closed the door behind me.

I stood in front of Adrian's desk, fighting the urge to turn around and run.

He looked normal.

Too normal.

Dark suit. White shirt. Calm expression.

No visible signs that he knew his employee had spent Saturday lying to his face while wearing synthetic hair.

"Sit down," he said.

I sat.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes."

He pushed a folder across the desk.

"The Morrison Group approved our proposal."

I blinked.

"They did?"

"This morning."

"That's good news."

"They specifically praised the risk analysis."

"The section you said was too cautious?"

"The revised version."

"Right."

His mouth curved slightly.

"I'm assigning you to the implementation team."

My fear briefly gave way to surprise.

"Me?"

"You earned it."

"Is this a promotion?"

"A trial period. If it goes well, we can discuss a permanent role."

This was not how I expected the meeting to go.

I had prepared myself for unemployment.

Instead, he was offering me career advancement.

"Thank you," I said. "I won't disappoint you."

His expression shifted for the smallest second.

The word disappoint seemed to affect him.

"I hope not," he replied.

My guilt returned immediately.

He opened another document.

"You'll work directly with me and Nora for the next six weeks."

The relief died.

"Directly with you?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No."

"You sound worried."

"I'm excited."

"You look terrified."

"That's how excitement appears on my face."

He studied me.

"You said something similar last week."

"Consistency is one of my strengths."

"So I've noticed."

My phone buzzed inside my bag.

Adrian glanced toward it.

Then his own phone lit up on the desk.

I knew what had happened before checking.

He had messaged me online while I was sitting in front of him.

Again.

"You can look," he said.

I opened my bag.

The message read, "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

I looked at Adrian.

He had lowered his eyes to the document, pretending not to care.

I typed beneath the desk.

"Not really."

His phone vibrated.

He checked it.

"Why?" he wrote.

"I kept thinking about Saturday."

His gaze lifted to mine.

My breathing stopped.

Then he looked back at his phone.

"Good thoughts or bad thoughts?"

I hesitated.

"Both."

A soft smile appeared on his face.

He typed again.

"I haven't stopped thinking about it either."

I was still reading when he spoke aloud.

"Something amusing, Miss Hayes?"

"No."

"You're smiling."

"My friend said something."

"The demanding friend?"

"He has his moments."

"He?"

There it was again.

The jealousy.

Adrian placed his pen down.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

I nearly laughed at the absurdity.

"It's complicated."

"Complicated usually means yes."

"Not always."

"Does he know you call him demanding?"

"Frequently."

"And he stays?"

"He is strangely patient."

Adrian leaned back.

"Sounds serious."

"It might be."

His jaw tightened.

My online boyfriend was jealous of himself for the second time in one week.

I couldn't decide whether it was adorable or deeply concerning.

"You should focus on someone available," he said.

"Are you giving me relationship advice now?"

"Just an observation."

"Are you available, Mr. Carter?"

The question escaped before my brain approved it.

Silence filled the office.

Adrian's eyes sharpened.

I forgot how breathing worked.

"That was inappropriate," I said quickly.

"Was it?"

"Yes."

"You asked a question."

"A stupid one."

"I didn't say that."

He held my gaze.

"For the record, no. I'm not available."

Something inside me warmed despite everything.

"I see."

"I'm seeing someone."

"That sounds serious."

"It is to me."

His voice had lost its teasing edge.

"Does she know?" I asked.

"I'm trying to make sure."

The guilt in my chest became almost unbearable.

A knock came at the door.

Nora entered carrying several folders.

"The board documents."

She placed them on Adrian's desk.

Then she looked at me.

Not a normal look.

A look that said, We are going to discuss synthetic hair later.

"Thank you," Adrian said.

Nora didn't leave.

"Was there something else?" he asked.

"No."

She turned toward the door.

"Miss Hayes, I need your signature on an access form after this meeting."

"Of course."

"In my office."

"Right."

Her tone left no room for argument.

When the meeting ended, I followed Nora down the hallway.

She closed the door to her office and faced me.

"Sit."

"I'd rather stand."

"Sit."

I sat.

She placed her tablet on the desk.

"I saw you on Saturday."

"I can explain."

"I sincerely hope so."

"It's not what it looked like."

"It looked like you were having coffee with Mr. Carter while wearing a wig."

"Then it is exactly what it looked like."

Nora folded her arms.

"Why?"

I opened my mouth.

Nothing came out.

"Were you following him?" she asked.

"No!"

"Trying to get confidential information?"

"Absolutely not."

"Blackmail?"

"Do I look capable of blackmail?"

She looked me over.

"Not successfully."

"Thank you. I think."

"Then explain."

I took a breath.

There was no clean way out.

"I've known Adrian online for two years."

Nora's expression didn't change.

"Go on."

"We started talking before I knew who he was."

"And then?"

"Then I found out he was my boss."

"And you continued?"

"It became complicated."

"You are dating him."

I covered my face with both hands.

"Please don't say it that clearly."

"Does he know you're Miss Hayes?"

"No."

For the first time since I had met Nora, she looked genuinely shocked.

"He doesn't know?"

"No."

"You sat across from him in a wig and lied about your name?"

"When you describe it like that, it sounds terrible."

"How else would anyone describe it?"

"Creatively?"

Nora stared at me.

Then, to my complete surprise, she started laughing.

Not politely.

Not quietly.

She laughed so hard she had to sit down.

I watched her in disbelief.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry," she said between breaths. "It's just... this explains everything."

"What everything?"

"The late-night messages. The sudden interest in casual clothing. The employee overtime after you ignored him."

"He told you about me?"

"Not directly. Mr. Carter believes privacy means refusing to provide names while displaying every other symptom of heartbreak."

I groaned.

"Is he very angry?"

"He doesn't know."

"Right."

Nora's laughter faded.

"But he will find out."

"Not if you keep this secret."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you're a kind and compassionate person?"

"Try again."

"Because if he finds out now, the entire company might be working until three in the morning."

Nora considered that.

"A fair concern."

"So you won't tell him?"

"Not yet."

Relief rushed through me.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me."

She leaned forward.

"You have one week."

"One week for what?"

"To tell him yourself."

"Nora—"

"Seven days, Miss Hayes. After that, I will tell him."

She picked up her tablet.

"And next time you wear a wig, secure the back properly."

I left her office feeling worse than when I entered.

I now had exactly seven days to confess the truth to Adrian.

Seven days to explain two years of lies.

Seven days before my relationship, my career, or possibly both fell apart.

When I returned to my desk, my phone buzzed.

A new message from Adrian.

"Dinner tonight?"

I stared at it.

Then at Nora's office door.

The clock had officially started.