4

The moment we make eye contact, it feels like time has stopped. Daylight did a lot more justice to his looks as he is even more charming. His brown hair is well slicked and his jaw looks straight out of a sculptor's studio— so crisp and clean. 

He seems taller than I imagined. I keep wondering if it had been the alcohol or if I had felt a genuine connection with him.

"No... focus on the mission..." I try to get myself to concentrate as I look away from his gaze.

"Good morning everyone and Pamela." He walks to his seat. I count on the fact that he is smarter than letting everyone know that he screwed his new assistant secretary last night. 

"Good morning sir." Pamela seems happy to be called separately from everyone else. 

"Looks like we have a new addition." He looks at me again before the meeting proceeds.

I hold my breath all through the meeting, waiting for it to end so I can run and reassess. 

"That should be all for now." Hector's words brought my absent mind back into the moment. "But before then, I think our newest addition should introduce herself to us."

"Oh shit..." I feel my hair stand as he looks me with a stare that reaches deep down in my soul. 

Now I am trying to remember if I had told him my name in my drunken state. 

"Go ahead, Anne." Pamela says to me. It takes a while for me to stand and introduce myself with a confident smile.

"Well... I'm Anne, an assistant..." I was barely done when they all laughed at my unintentional joke of repeating "an" twice. I go on to tell them I had worked in Luxury Hills and that was it. 

Immediately he dismisses everyone, I leave with Pamela. After a few briefings, I'm dismissed and sent home to resume fully the next day. 

Back in the apartment the bureau had created for me, I'm glad I survived the day. I can only count the minutes before Hector would come looking for me. Except I'm not on his mind as much as he is on mine.

I call Hugh to tell him I'm in. The next day I am to proceed with getting familiar with the place so I can tap some key places with mics and micro cameras. But I tell them nothing about me having banged the Mafia boss as that could make things go from bad to worse real quick. 

“Here's your office.” The lady who had been with Pamela yesterday shows me around finally brings me to my office. It's not so large but the view is something to kill for. I get a very great view of the city through the glass walls. 

“Thank you so much.” I say politely. “I didn't get your name yesterday.”

“Brielle.” She says just before she gets to the door. She looks like there's a strict rule against having conversations. “Better be ready for when Pamela calls.”

I dislike how that sounds like a threat. But I keep my cool like there's nothing wrong and get ready like she says. 

My phone buzzes and it's yet another text from Justin. I finally decide it's time to block him as I don't know what he's still apologizing for. He and my sister have been texting me back to back like they need my blessings to do what they had been doing behind my back all that time. 

“No distractions…” I get myself on track as I get seated. The chair is comfortable but my bliss is short-lived as the office phone rings. 

Pamela calls for me with a rude tone. “Get over here, Wolfe…” 

I take note of every single detail in the hallway as I get to her office. I hear some voices from behind her door which is slightly open. My instinct tells me to stop and listen to what is going on behind the closed doors. 

“The president is back. Now would be the perfect time to get rid of Hector…” a voice that sounds like Pamela speaks up. “I think we can get him alone in an elevator with a fake emergency.” 

“But we would have to work fast.” Another voice that sounds like Brielle speaks up. “He’s scheduled to show up by 9 am today.”

“Then we get moving at once.” A stern masculine voice speaks up over the phone and sounds very urgent. “My boys will be with you soon…”

I take a few steps back from the door just in case they suspect someone has been eavesdropping. 

“Take a deep breath…” I am wondering if it's all a trap as I doubt anyone would intentionally leave the door open while having such a sensitive conversation.

While I'm backing away from the door, I trip over something awkwardly and I'm heading straight to the floor at an alarming speed. 

But I'm caught while I'm midair by what seems to be rock solid arms that didn't budge from my weight. The familiar scent of his cologne and the face that was soon hovering over mine sent me into a panic attack.

“You…” I can't believe I am staring at the face of the man I am investigating. Hector says nothing as he seems to be carried away by my very essence. He takes a very long stare into my soul that makes the whole world stop.

“Wolfe?” Pamela's voice cuts short the movie-like meeting we are having. “Oh… Mr. Reyes…” She looks away a bit as Hector props me back on my feet, slowly and carefully like I was some glass statue he didn't want to mess up. 

“Looks like your boss needs you.” Hector says with a slight smile as he walks away. 

“Having your boss embrace you on your first day. Seems your lucky charm is still working wonders for you…” Pamela remarks. 

While following her into her office, I still can't forget the awkward conversation. I take a look at my watch and see it isn't even 9:30 yet. Why had Hector shown up early? Did he have any idea of the plot?

I try to stay in the moment to listen to Pamela's briefing about the files I needed to get to Hector along with other things to be done that day. 

She dismisses me with a cold emotionless tone as usual. I decide to go to my office first to calm things down. There was just too much happening on my first day and it left me questioning if I was actually cut out for that. 

By the time I open my door, I almost let go of the files in my hand in fear as I see Hector sitting in my chair behind my desk. 

“M…Mr Reyes…?” I stammer as I quickly go in and shut the door. “Good morning sir… I hope I'm not in trouble.”

“Which is your real hair? Blonde or brunette?” He looks at the files on my desk. 

Now I know what he had been staring at when he caught me. “Does that disqualify me from the job?” I keep a calm composed demeanor while asking. 

“Well… it doesn't…” he stands up and walks over to me like every step he took is rehearsed. “But I happen to know what you are…”

I freeze right there. My mission looked like it's over before it could begin.