Chapter 10
Ryder
“L et’s park on the side, here.” Elara says, pointing to the empty spot near the curb. I pull in behind the car that’s worth more than my salary times three. Our rental looks a little out of place, but it’s getting dark, anyway. I step out of the car and walk to the passenger side to open Elara’s door. She is fixing her hair as I open it and gives me a surprised look. I offer my hand and she takes it as she gets out. “Playing the gentleman part well, husband.” I get goosebumps when she says that.
While we aren’t using fake accents, we are using fake names. Magnus and Seraphina Astor . Married for three years. Met in Greece four years ago when she was on vacation and I was on a business trip. I own six different multimillion dollar corporations in the States. She’s an interior designer for several A list celebrities.
“Only playing the husband part, wife .” I say before leaning over so my lips are almost grazing her ear. “The gentleman part is all me.” She shifts her weight on her feet as a small smile appears on her face. I bend my arm as she interlocks our arms together. The lights around the house are a soft, yellow-ish white color. Almost like stars. Flower arrangements adorn the grounds leading up to the house. I look over at Elara as her eyes twinkle under the hanging lights. She is immeasurably in her element and the smile on her face proves it. As much as I don’t want to pull her from her daze, the top step is approaching quickly and we need to fully get into our characters.
“Seraphina, my love, are you excited?” I ask, grabbing her attention. She meets my eyes, “Yes. Immensely.” She replies with a smile. “Although, Magnus, I’m a bit nervous.” I take her hand in mine and rub my thumb across her knuckles. “No need to be nervous, Ser. Forget about making any deals tonight. Let’s just enjoy ourselves.” I say as a staff member greets us.
“Good evening. May I have your names?” I smile politely at him. “Magnus Astor and this is my wife, Seraphina. There wasn’t a list we needed to be on, was there? My assistant told me about this event and I couldn’t pass up bringing my wife here.” I say as I put my arm around her waist.
“No, nothing like that, sir. Mr. Harper just likes to know who attends his events in case he doesn’t get to meet with them right away.” He gestures his hand towards the door. “Enjoy your night.” He smiles.
“Let’s just hope he doesn’t Google us.” Elara whispers. “Even if he does, we’ll be in and out before it matters.” I reassure her. “Let’s find Sebastian and then I’ll look for his computer.” I add as she nods.
We walk into the main room with close to probably two-hundred people. Finding Sebastian in this should be fun . A small orchestra is playing at the front of the room as people mingle and drink, some eating finger sandwiches. As we walk through the crowd, trying to scope out the room, we find ourselves at a small circular table near the drinks. “Do you see him anywhere?” I ask as Elara glances around the room. “Not yet.” She says as she smiles at a couple passing by. I reach out my hand and she takes it. “Care to dance, love?” I ask before adding, “We may have an easier time finding him in the crowd if we join it.” She may think I asked to dance, so we'd have a better chance of spotting Sebastian, but honestly, I just wanted to dance with her.
We make our way onto the dance floor and begin dancing to the music. No one is dancing specifically, so no need to be overly proper. This whole thing is giving me Bridgerton vibes and yes, I watch Bridgerton. I know a good show when I see one. A few songs play through and we still haven't caught sight of Sebastian.
Before I can say anything to Elara, I see everyone in the room shift their gazes to the front. The music stops, and someone turns on a mic, causing feedback. “Good evening everyone!” A man bellows into the microphone. Okay, I spoke too soon.
“There he is.” Elara says, pointing to the low stage where Sebastian Harper greets his guests. “Thank you all for coming tonight. I’ve always been a sucker for big events like these. Drink and eat as much as you desire, but I must request, if you need to vomit, don’t do it in the bouquets. I'm looking at you, Pierre.” He points at Pierre as everyone laughs. “Only messing with you, mate. I hope you all have a wonderful time tonight.” He finishes his speech and grabs a drink off a tray, walking in our direction. He stops in his tracks as soon as he gets a glimpse of Elara.
“Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met.” He announces, grabbing her hand and kissing the top of it. Yeah, I don’t like this already . “I’m Seraphina Astor. And this is my husband, Magnus.” She replies, placing her hand on my arm. “ Astor . I’ve heard of you, I think.” Doubt it, dude . “What brings you two here tonight?” I take a step closer, answering him. “My assistant told me about your extravagant parties and I had to bring my wife. She loves these kinds of events.” He nods and turns his attention back to Elara. “Do you think your husband would let me borrow you for a dance? So you can get the full effect of my party, of course. I encourage everyone to find a partner for the next song.” He says, smirking. Elara looks at me as I stare coldly back at Sebastian. “Dear, you did say you wanted to talk with some guests about doing some collaborations for your upcoming project. You know how much I dread how long those conversations can get. Why don’t you mingle for a bit?” She asks with soft eyes. I smile as I kiss her hand. “As long as you’ll be alright.”
She nods as she takes Sebastian’s hand. “Don’t worry Magnus, I’ll keep an eye on her.” He says, winking. Not in a way I’ll be okay with, you won’t.
Once they walk away and head to the middle of the room, I grab a glass of champagne, downing it in one gulp. I go up the stairs and towards the empty hall as I look over my shoulder before turning the corner. I take out my phone and open an app to find signal strength. For the amount of shit this guy is likely involved in, I’m thinking that wherever the modem and router is, the computer will be right there with it. Can’t have bad wi-Fi when you’re trying to wire transfer one hundred grand a day.
I make my way up the stairs and down another hall, following the increasing signal on my phone. I’m surprised by the lack of security on the floor. I haven't had to dodge anyone. I wouldn’t think a guy as powerful as Sebastian Harper would be trusting enough to not have security at every door, or at least at the top of the stairs. The signal is at the strongest point it can go, and I find myself standing in front of a pair of mahogany doors. I open the door and find exactly what I need.
This is turning out to be easier than I expected and I can’t help but feel like that isn’t a good sign. I sit down at the desk and the monitor screen flickers on. I’m surprised he even has a password given his lack of security up here, but I won’t need to bypass it, anyway. I insert the new USB drive into the computer tower and the code file appears. I begin inputting the code, copying all his files onto my drive. This shouldn’t take long, but I’m trying to avoid knocking out the power grid, so it might take a few extra minutes to do that. The copy code is fully initiated and all I can do now is wait. I hope El is doing okay down there.