Chapter 1 #4
Exhaling sharply, I open the door to Natalie’s office.
Unlike other department heads who seem to be competing in an unspoken contest of who-can-display-the-most-family-photos-without-being-called-unprofessional, Natalie keeps a very minimalist office.
No personal effects, no pictures, nothing.
It’s the kind of space that whispers ‘I care about efficiency more than comfort’ in stereo. At least, that’s how it used to be.
She’s made one small change. A photograph stands on her pristine desk, the single personal item in a sea of organizational perfection.
As she gets up to greet me, she accidentally knocks it over.
I get a brief view of an older man leaning on a fancy-looking cane, gripping it with both hands, before she straightens the frame with a speed suggesting the photo matters more than she’d like to admit.
I glance at her, taking in the changes since I last saw her up close.
Her blue eyes look tired but have a new softness around the edges, like someone who’s finally found a reason to smile.
Her once-long red hair is now shorter, framing her face in a way that makes her look both more approachable and somehow more intimidating.
She used to look stern and elegant before.
Now she looks gentle and happy, but still just as professional.
She’s quite pregnant and it shows, her slim figure now sporting a rounded belly beneath her tailored blouse.
Everyone knows who the child’s father is. Nobody dares to mention it, despite the fact that Natalie wears a rock on her finger and Ethan Wilder takes her home every day. A tyrant CEO, yet a devoted fiancé.
“You called me?” I ask slowly, anticipating the very worst.
“Yes. Sit down, Eve.” Natalie gestures towards the visitor’s chair before struggling back into her seat. She winches.
“Are you okay?” My voice is concerned now.
“Fine, fine. My back is killing me. Sit.” She groans before settling into her chair. “I’m fine.”
There’s a serious glint in her eyes as she fixates them on me. “I believe you met the new addition to the Marketing Department.”
Everything inside me goes still, like a prey animal that’s just spotted a predator across the savanna. “Yes,” I answer slowly, calculating my words with the precision of someone defusing a bomb. “Caleb Reynolds.”
Natalie studies me, her gaze as penetrating as an MRI. “Yes.”
The silence that falls between us is almost stifling, and my fingers grip the edge of the chair hard enough to leave fingerprints in the wood. “What is this about again?”
Natalie sighs, looking slightly amused, like someone watching a child try to lie about eating a cookie while crumbs still cling to their face. “Caleb believes you have recognized him.”
I knew it! I knew he remembered me! That conniving, manipulative, two-faced—
Despite the situation, I feel a sense of smug satisfaction blooming in my chest like a particularly vindictive flower. My victory is short-lived, though, because Natalie leans forward, her gaze intensified. “Am I right?”
I purse my lips before admitting, “We went to the same college, Grandview International College. I know his name is Caleb Wilder.”
She closes her eyes briefly, leaning back in her chair and exhaling. Finally, she opens them. “I see. So you are aware of the link between—”
“I’m assuming there’s a family connection with the new CEO. I wasn’t born yesterday, Miss Thorne. You clearly sent him here to find out who the leak in the department is.”
Natalie’s voice is firm. “I understand your loyalty to your teammates, Miss Lopez—”
“If someone leaked the campaign plan we put our blood, sweat, and tears into, I have no loyalty to them.” I tap my fingers on the armrest of the chair.
“But I trust my team, Miss Thorne. We’ve worked together for two years now.
I’d like to believe no one would work so hard only to sell out our campaign. ”
Natalie gives me a firm look. “When it comes to corporate espionage, there’s a lot you have to learn. I have seen firsthand how the most hardworking individuals turn out to be the ones who are stabbing you in the back.”
There’s a knock on the door, and she calls out, “Come in.”
“Hey, Nat.”
Caleb’s voice has me stiffening like I’ve been dipped in liquid nitrogen.
He walks over to lean on the wall rather than sit down.
Of course he doesn’t sit like a normal person.
His hands are in his pockets, a casual pose, one I remember a little too clearly from college when he’d slouch in the back row, somehow absorbing information by osmosis while the rest of us mortals had to actually study.
The sun streaming through the window catches in his hair, turning it to spun gold, as if even the laws of physics bend to make him look better than everyone else.
‘Nat.’
That’s too casual. Almost like—
“Caleb’s my soon-to-be brother-in-law, Eve,” Natalie says lightly, her eyes trained on me. “He vouches for your work ethic.”
Ethan’s brother? And when did the two have a chance to discuss anything, much less offer my character reference?
“Thanks,” I say dryly, looking toward him. He just smirks at me. God, I want to smack that face. Or maybe—No. Just smack it. Nothing else.
Steven was right when he described Caleb as having ‘surfer-boy-golden-looks.’ With his slightly tanned skin, dazzling blonde hair, and wicked good looks, he seems like he belongs with a surfboard under his arm rather than in an office setting.
The worst part is how aware I am of him standing there, his presence filling up the room like he owns it.
My skin prickles with alertness, and I hate that even after all these years, my body still reacts to him like he’s some kind of catnip for humans.
“I would appreciate it if you kept Caleb’s identity to yourself.”
“And if I don’t?” I test the waters.
Natalie’s smile fades. “You are the top performing employee in the entire Marketing Department. You exceed every target set for you. I would be very sorry to see you go, Eve.”
My lips press into a thin line. “So that’s how it is.”
“Only if you make it so.” Caleb’s voice makes me twitch in annoyance.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” I growl.
His lips curve in a half-smile. “Well, I was. Look, I won’t get in your way as long as you don’t get in mine.”
“Just treat him like an ordinary colleague,” Natalie advises. “He will be contributing to the projects you are undertaking.”
“And how long will he be around for?” I ask her, my tone condescending.
“As long as it takes,” Natalie responds. “Once he’s done, he’ll leave.”
I get to my feet, muttering, “I hope it’s soon, then. Preferably before I’m forced to commit a felony in the break room.”
I straighten my shoulders and continue with more volume.
“Alright. I’ll keep my mouth shut.” I glance at Natalie, adding, “As long as he pulls his weight. If we’re putting in extra hours, he doesn’t get to go home to catch up on his beauty sleep.
He’s getting dark circles and indigestion from the vending machine coffee with the rest of us.
I want to see him suffering through Gary’s homemade kombucha on Wellness Wednesdays just like the rest of the Marketing Department. ”
Natalie beams at me. “Don’t worry about it. Caleb doesn’t shy away from hard work.”
My eyes flicker to Caleb, and I try not to roll them. “I’m sure he doesn’t.”
Caleb just grins at me. “And I’m sure you’ll be there to pick up my slack.”
“Caleb.” Natalie gives him a sharp look, and he lifts his hands in an appeasing manner. “I was just kidding.”
I exhale sharply. “I’ll keep my mouth shut. Can I go now?”
Natalie nods. “Thank you, Eve.”
I give her a tight smile. “There is no need to thank me. It was either this or you give me my walking papers.” Not much of a choice—like being asked if you’d prefer to be pushed off a cliff or thrown into a volcano.
I see the guilt in her eyes, but she says nothing further. I walk out of her office, not even bothering to hide my agitation anymore. Caleb follows me.
“You’re supposed to show me around.” He falls into step beside me, his longer stride adjusted to match mine without any apparent effort. “Iris’s orders. Believe me, I don’t want to waste your time—”
I come to a halt and turn to face him. Taking a step towards him, I poke my finger in his chest, trying desperately to ignore how solid it feels under my touch.
“Let me be clear, Caleb Wilder. I know how you work. The last thing I need is a liability. So stay out of my way, and I’ll pretend I don’t know you from Adam. ”
He stares at me before a slow smile forms on his lips. Lifting his hand, he hooks his finger around mine. The brief contact sends an unwanted jolt of electricity up my arm. “Don’t worry. I have no intention of getting in your way. I wouldn’t want to piss off the Ice Princess.”
Hearing a nickname that I spent years forgetting has my eyes narrowing into tiny slits, and I hiss at him. “Well, at least one thing hasn’t changed. Your head is still stuck all the way up your own ass. Must be nice up there. Very roomy, I imagine.”
Jerking my hand free, I make my way back to the elevator, the lingering scent of his cologne—something expensive and woodsy—making my pulse quicken involuntarily. Traitorous body.
I hope he catches the mole soon because the last thing I need is a murder charge. Or worse, the distraction of having to work with six feet of walking temptation who also happens to be the most infuriating human being on the planet.
Two things are for certain: this is going to be the longest undercover operation in corporate history, and I’m going to need a lot more lipstick.