Evelyn sat at her desk staring at the reports spread out in front of her. She tried to focus on the numbers, the dates, the signatures, anything that could give her a lead on Mia but her mind kept drifting back to last night.
Be my mistress. My arm candy for a year. I need someone to escort me to business dinners and parties. Since I don't have a wife, you're the next best thing.
Her stomach twisted again at the memory. She clenched her hands together until her knuckles tightened.
Mia had disappeared carrying his children.
And now he wanted another woman to stand beside him like it meant nothing.
She forced herself to look at the documents again.
But she read the same line five times without processing a single word.
Linda suddenly dropped a stack of printed sheets on Evelyn's desk.
"You okay?" Linda asked. "You look… off."
"I'm fine," Evelyn said quickly. "Just working."
Linda raised an eyebrow. "You barely blinked for the last two minutes."
"I'm concentrating."
Linda shrugged and leaned closer. "Mr. Voss is in a funny mood today. Be careful. He snapped at an intern earlier."
Evelyn nodded. "Thanks for the warning."
Linda gave her a small smile and walked away. Evelyn sighed and pulled one of the files closer. It was another contract, another deal, another set of numbers that meant nothing for her case.
Her phone vibrated on the desk. She picked it up and saw the message.
DIRECTOR:
Any progress? You've been inside the company long enough. We need results.
Evelyn's teeth pressed together. She typed back:
EVELYN:
There's nothing yet. I'm trying.
Another message came immediately.
DIRECTOR:
Trying isn't enough. You have access. Use it. If you can't find anything, we will remove you from the case.
Her stomach dropped.
She typed:
I understand.
But what she wanted to type was:
What do you want me to do? Break into his office? Crawl through the vents?
She put the phone face down.
Footsteps approached. She stiffened automatically.
Xander stopped beside her desk.
"You're not focused," he said.
"I'm working," Evelyn replied.
"You're pretending."
She looked up sharply. "I'm not pretending."
"You are." He leaned his hands on her desk, lowering his voice. "I can always tell when someone is distracted."
Her heart kicked in her chest.
She hated how he could read her so easily.
"I gave you the night to think about my offer," he said quietly. "Did you?"
Evelyn looked around.
The office wasn't full, but there were still people nearby.
"Not here," she whispered.
Xander straightened. "Then come with me."
He didn't wait for her. He turned and walked into his office, leaving the door partially open.
Evelyn sat for a moment, breathing slowly, then stood and followed.
When she stepped inside, he closed the door behind her.
He didn't sit.
Instead, he walked to the window and spoke without turning.
"Your answer."
Evelyn swallowed. "I didn't say I was ready to give one."
"You've had time."
"It's not that simple."
"It is," he said, finally facing her. "It's a yes or a no."
She looked away. "Why me? You barely know me."
"That's the point," he said. "You're new. You're quiet. You're dependable. You don't flirt with me like the others. You don't try too hard. You don't annoy me."
"That's a great compliment," she muttered.
"It is," he said seriously.
Evelyn rubbed her fingers together. "I'm not sure I understand what you want."
Xander stepped closer. Not touching her, but close enough that she felt the shift.
"I want you with me at events. I want you beside me when I need someone calm and controlled. You'll handle certain things outside work. You'll be part of my private life."
She couldn't look at him.
"And what do I get?" she asked.
"Everything you need," he said. "Access. Trust. Favors. Protection."
The word access made her chest tighten.
He didn't know how dangerous that offer really was.
She shook her head. "I don't think I can do it."
He studied her quietly. "You're scared."
"No, I'm…"
"You are," he said with surprising calm. "But that's fine. You can take more time. I won't force you."
She blinked. "You… won't?"
"No." He walked to his desk and sat. "I'll wait. But not forever."
Evelyn opened her mouth to answer, but his desk phone rang. He lifted a finger for her to stay quiet, then answered.
"Yes?"
Pause.
"No. Move it to next week."
Pause.
"I don't care what they think. I will decide the timing."
He hung up and leaned back in his chair.
"You can go," he said without looking at her.
Evelyn left the office quickly, her heartbeat uneven.
She sat at her desk and tried to breathe.
A moment later Linda returned, holding a cup of tea.
"This is for you," Linda said. "You look like you're about to fall over."
"Thanks," Evelyn said, taking it.
Linda sat on the edge of the desk and whispered, "Did he say something intense again?"
"What do you mean 'again'?" Evelyn asked.
Linda made a face. "He talks to you differently. I've never seen him walk someone into his office that calmly. Or close the door without snapping at them."
"I'm sure it's nothing," Evelyn said.
Linda didn't look convinced but didn't push further. She walked away humming again.
Evelyn opened another file, forcing herself to read.
After a few minutes, Xander appeared beside her again.
"I need you for a task," he said.
She looked up. "Right now?"
"Yes. Follow me."
She stood and walked after him. He led her to the conference room. On the table, there were stacks of folders.
"I want these sorted," he said. "But not just by date. I want them sorted by relevance."
"Relevance to what?" Evelyn asked.
"To me," he replied simply.
"That doesn't explain anything," she said.
Xander smirked. "Exactly. You have to figure it out."
She stared at the piles. "This will take hours."
"I know."
He walked out, leaving her standing there with fifty folders and zero instructions.
She muttered under her breath, "He's doing this on purpose."
While she worked, two employees walked through the corridor chatting loudly.
One of them said, "Did you hear they brought in someone new? Some inspector guy or something."
"Inspector?" the other asked.
"Yeah. They said he's going to work with the police or something. Ryan something. Ryan Cole."
Evelyn froze.
Her partner.
The two men continued talking casually about lunch options and bad traffic, but Evelyn barely heard them.
Her phone buzzed again.
DIRECTOR:
Your partner has been cleared. He will join you soon. You must keep Xander close. Whatever it takes.
Evelyn stared at the screen.
Whatever it takes.
Her chest tightened.
When she finished sorting half the stack, Xander returned. He looked at the papers, then at her.
"You're thorough," he said.
"I try," she said quietly.
Xander studied her face. "You're thinking too much. You always think too much."
She didn't respond.
He stepped closer.
"Have you made your decision?" he asked again, softer this time.
Evelyn looked at the floor. "Yes."
"And?"
She forced the words out.
"I'll do it."
Xander didn't smile. He didn't look shocked.
He simply nodded once, like he already knew.
"Good," he said. "Then we start now."