“You finally decided to come home,” Misaki said the moment Keira stepped through the mansion’s grand doors.
Keira sighed, rubbing her temples. “Mom, please. It’s been a long day.” She headed for the stairs, her heels clicking against the marble floor. “I’m sorry I didn’t keep my word yesterday—something came up.”
“And that ‘something’ was more important than your soon-to-be company?” Misaki scoffed, crossing her arms. “Your father was disappointed by your absence.”
Keira rolled her eyes as she climbed the stairs, her mother following close behind. “We’ve been through this a thousand times.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Is Dad mad at me?”
Misaki exhaled, her expression softening slightly. “No. You could never do any wrong in his eyes.”
“Then we have nothing to talk about.” Keira reached her bedroom door and pressed her thumb against the biometric scanner.
“Actually,” Misaki said, tilting her head, “your in-laws and I have arranged a lunch tomorrow, and I’m making sure you attend.”
Keira paused, gripping the door handle. “I have work tomorrow.”
Misaki’s lips curled into a tight smile. “I expect to see you there at noon.”
Keira frowned, gripping the door handle. “I just told you—I have work.”
Misaki waved a dismissive hand. “It’s just one afternoon. I’m sure you can take a little break.”
Keira narrowed her eyes. “You don’t even know where I work or the nature of my job.”
Her mother’s expression didn’t falter. “Does it matter? Wherever it is, it’s certainly not more important than your future.”
Keira let out a laugh. “My future? You mean the one you’ve mapped out for me?” She shook her head. “I’m not skipping work for some forced lunch with people I barely know. And let’s not forget—he didn’t even bother showing up yesterday. What makes you think he’ll be there this time?”
Misaki sighed, as if Keira were a petulant child. “He had a business emergency, because he’s running a multi-billion-dollar company instead of scraping by like some mere employee.” She waved a hand. “Keira, don’t be difficult. This is important. For both our families. For your future.”
Keira scoffed. “My future? Or the one you’re so desperate to control?” Her expression hardened. “And for the record, I got promoted today. So, no, I’m not some ‘mere employee.’”
Misaki’s smile thinned. “I expect to see you at noon,” she repeated, turning on her heel. “Don’t let me down.”
Keira watched her mother disappear down the hall before exhaling sharply. She pressed her thumb to the scanner, and as the door clicked open, she muttered, “We’ll see about that.”
As soon as Keira stepped into the privacy of her room, she dialed Gianna’s number. The call barely rang three times before her friend picked up.
“Please don’t tell me you’re wasting your one jail phone call on me, because I’m not bailing you out.” Gianna’s voice was laced with amusement.
Keira rolled her eyes. “Hilarious. Does your friend still hack into security systems?” She put the call on speaker and started rummaging through her closet, tossing outfits onto the bed to take back to her own place.
Gianna sighed. “We don’t talk anymore, so I wouldn’t know.”
“Great. That’s helpful.” Keira muttered before Gianna added—
“Aren’t you the heir of a top-tier tech company? Why not ask your dad if he has someone on payroll who can do it?”
Keira froze mid-motion, then scoffed. “Oh wow, genius idea. Except for the part where my dad can not know about this.” She threw another dress onto the pile.
Gianna hummed. “Okay… What exactly do you need a hacker for?”
Keira sighed. “I need to erase security footage from the hotel. If he gets his hands on it, he’ll know it was me. Luckily, he put me in charge of figuring out who the woman was, but I have a feeling he’s doing his own research on the side.”
“Or—and hear me out—you could just tell him it was you and quit. It’s not like you need the job. The earnings from your company shares alone make our salaries look like pocket change.”
Keira groaned. “It’s not about the money! You know I’ve always liked Casper, and I just became his assistant—”
“Temporarily.” Gianna cut in.
Keira scowled. “Seriously, whose side are you on?”
“I’m on the side of common sense.” Gianna yawned. “Which, by the way, you seem to be severely lacking.”
Keira scoffed, shoving another dress into her overnight bag. “Common sense is overrated.”
“No, common sense is what stops people from committing corporate espionage over a crush.”
“It’s not espionage!” Keira hissed. “It’s… damage control.”
Gianna snorted. “Right. And I’m the queen of England.”
Keira flopped onto her bed with a groan. “Look, I just need a name. Someone who can wipe the footage, I'll pay well.”
“And if you get caught?”
Keira waved a dismissive hand, even though Gianna couldn’t see her. “I won’t.”
“That’s what everyone says before they end up on the news.”
“Gianna.”
A dramatic sigh came from the other end. “Fine. I might know someone. I’ll send you their contact information.”
Keira grinned. “Knew I could count on you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t drag me down with you when this inevitably blows up in your face.”
Keira smirked. “No promises.”
“No, seriously, Small. I don’t have a rich daddy to buy me out of the situation.”
Keira rolled her eyes at the nickname. “Oh, please. If I go down, I’ll make sure to leave your name out of it.”
Gianna let out a dry laugh. “Yeah, because that’s so reassuring. Listen, I’ll send you the contact, but after this, I’m out. I like my job, and I’d rather not risk it because you're swooning over a guy who never notices when you change your hair.”
Keira huffed. “He did notice, one time.”
“Sure.” Gianna deadpanned. “Has he recognised you since you lost weight?”
Keira’s jaw clenched. “That’s different.”
“Mhm. Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Gianna sighed. “I’ll text you the number. Don’t call me when this comes to bite back in your face.”
Keira smirked. “Not planning on it.”
“Good. Because I’d ignore you.”
After the call ended, Keira muttered to herself, “He knows who I am— right?”
