Chapter Five.

It's a busy street and everywhere is crowded and bustling with people...noisy too. Cassie and I stood underneath a tampolene, directly in front of a fast food restaurant, covered in sweat.

Drained would be an understatement to describe how we were, but we were determined to find anyone putting on a Mickey mouse shirt.

"Are you sure about the place?" I asked for the seventh—maybe more, time.

"Yesssss, Elina, Yes!" Cassie replied, not taking her eyes off the road.

I squeezed my face, feeling frustrated.

Apparently, our 'hacker' friend told us to come and wait for him under a tampolene in front of a fast food restaurant and check out for anyone wearing a Mickey mouse shirt.

A 'Mickey mouse' shirt.

At this point, it seemed like a joke and I'm frustrated and sweaty and tired of standing under the scorching sun.

"If I lay my hands on that tech friend of yours, I'm so going to—" I am interrupted by a voice.

"To do what?" Cassie and I both spinned around to find a skinny guy standing behind us. A bottle of soda on his right hand and a doughnut on his left.

He was wearing a red cap on his head and on his shirt is printed the famous Mickey mouse cartoon.

"Please don't tell me—" he takes a long sip from his drink with his straw, interrupting me.

"—that I'm the hacker that asked you to come and wait for me in front of a fast food restaurant? Okay, I won't." He says in a dull voice as he takes a small bite from his doughnut.

"Jerry," Cassy says in a cherry mood. "Nice to see you after a long time."

"Yes, you too. I assume you've broken up with the well muscled dude you broke my heart for." His voice still sounds dull as he takes another sip from his drink.

"Jerry.... I said I was sorry about that." Cassie replies, leaving me to watch the weird scenario going on in front of me.

"I know." Jerry takes his eyes off Cassie and it falls on me. "So you need help finding someone. Well, come on in." He turns around, leading us inside the restaurant and I open my mouth in shock as I see other workers wearing the same Mickey mouse shirt.

"You fucking work here?" I asked, taking a step closer only to be held back by Cassie.

"It's okay, baby bear, it's okay. Jerry can be a prick at times." She whispers in my ear as I watch Jerry walk, choosing to ignore the threat behind him.

We picked a seat at the far end of the restaurant as Jerry drops his half eaten doughnut and pulls out a laptop from a bag.

He clicked on the laptop the moment he turns it on and pulled out his phone to check the number from Cassie's text.

My stomach is tight with nerves. Every minute feels like another chance for that secret to explode.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I fumbled to pick it. “Hello?”

“Miss Hemsworth?” Amelia's voice says. “You need to get down to the project site, now. There’s been... a situation.”

"Shit!" I almost forgot. Today's the day for residential design. Cassie and I placed Amelia in charge till we got back. But it seems she's not capable enough. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

I gave Cassie a restrained smile and she understood, giving me a nod as I bolted out of the restaurant.

It didn't take me long to get to the site but I was panting like a dog on the run.

I found Amelia standing at the entrance with a tab in her hands and a nervous smile on her face.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Well.... One of the workers had an argument with the CEO's liaison. She was trying to tell him something but he thought she was trying to teach him his work. She slapped him when he called her a bad word and it took a few other workers to restrain him from doing the same to her." She says.

"Jesus Christ, Amelia. I left you in fucking charge." I rubbed my face, knowing the complications of what has happened.

I could very much lose the project.

"One other thing." Amelia pipes in, her voice barely audible. "The CEO wants to see you." She said and my heart almost stopped beating.

Of course, he's around. I'm so lost on this project.

I rubbed my head and took deep breath as I try to calm myself.

"Thank you, Amelia, you can leave. You've done a really great job today." I smiled sarcastically at her as I turned to where she directed me to where Noah is.

Apparently, he's waiting for me in a black SUV. The door opened as I got closer.

"Get in." I heard him say from inside.

Taking a deep breath and after a gulp, I got in.

"Randolf, can you excuse me for a few minutes?" He asked his driver.

"Of course, sir." I watched as Randolf unbuckled his seatbelt and alighted from the car, shutting it behind him, leaving me with Noah.

He kept his face firmly on his tab but I could see him tense and his face still hardened.

"There was a situation over here and you weren't around." He said.

"Yes. I—" I began but he interrupted me.

"You don't think this project is important enough to give your all to it?" His gaze was finally off the screen and on me.

"It is, it really is. And I'm sorry. Something came up and I had to go there. It wouldn't happen again. I'm sorry." I can't afford to lose this project. It's the only way I can cement my brand and put it at the top of all competition.

Noah takes a few minutes to observe me and it's not until his gaze falls to my lips that he looks away. "Alright, one more chance. Don't let there be a recurrence of what happened today again, Ms. Hemsworth."

I winced as he spoke to me professionally. "Alright......boss" I watched him have the same effect as me and I feel a pang of satisfaction.

I was about to step out of the car when he held my arm.

I turned to face him but I saw him looking at me intently. He became closer than he was before and I could feel his breath on my face.

"Noah," I began but I faltered as I closed my eyes.

I opened my eyes and my lips drifted to his. I was about to move in when my phone rang.

Cassie.

I pulled back and picked the call.

“We got something. An address.”