5

SOFIA

Sweat pours out of my palm onto the device in my hand. The pressure is worse than anything I had ever felt. My mind is doing so many calculations all at once about what I’d do next.

“You know what I am?” I decide to buy myself some time by stalling his question a bit. I am very cautious not to overdo it as I’d heard so many dangerous things about him and what he is capable of. “I don’t understand.”

“Don’t you dare play dumb with me.” Hector’s gaze makes me shiver. “I will give you the chance to save yourself and confess.”

“Confess to what exactly, sir?” I am shaking on the inside, even though I am calm and respectful outwardly. “You must have had me mistaken for—”

He walks towards me and holds me by the neck. In an instant, he goes from being a calm corporate boss to a mafia boss. 

“Don’t play games with me. I know you were the lady that came over on my birthday night. And now you're right here working in my company with a completely different hairdo. I have every reason to suspect that you are here with a hidden agenda.” He breathes out every word with intense anger, making him look nothing like the man who gave me the best night of my life. “Did my brother send you?”

“Your brother…?” I manage to mumble those two words, feeling some relief that his suspicion isn't of me being an undercover agent. “I don't know a thing about your brother…”

He let go of me. “Start talking.”

I feel resentment building up within me because of how bad his temper seems to be. Not even the memories of the night we had together can keep me from the hatred I feel for him in that instant. 

“I needed this job real bad. I had no idea you're the boss until the board meeting.” I cook up my story in the most believable manner. 

“So why on earth do you have a different hair color?” He asks, still looking like he suspects there's something off about the story I just told him.

“I think you are asking the least important question.” I try to find a way to tell him he could be walking into his death at any point from then. 

“You're not dodging that question. If you don't have anything to hide, why do you have a different hair color?”

“I…” it is time to put my feminine features to use. “I was going through a crazy phase when we met at the club that night. I was ready to screw anybody to get over a nasty heartbreak. I was drunk and it just happened that you were close by. It could have been anyone. So I just wanted to put it all behind me and I decided to turn a new leaf. Are you satisfied now?”

He takes a deep breath, and his eyes seem more relaxed. It looks like he's feeling a slight twinge of guilt for lashing out at me like some criminal.

“If there's anyone you should be worried about, then it's your secretary.” I see an opportunity to earn his trust and achieve the nearly impossible task of getting closer to him without making things awkward. “I think you might be in trouble.”

His eyes light up as he watches me take out the small recorder I had used for Pamela. Slowly,and suspiciously, he takes it from my hand. I don't expect him to trust me right away, so I am still a bit cautious.

“Do you always carry a recorder around with you?” He throws a question I don't expect.

“Well… I use it to record some important things about the job.” I have no idea how I'm able to come up with that lie on the spot. “I just record things and assimilate them later.”

After some moments of staring at me, he goes ahead to play the recording while he keeps his eyes on me. I can't stop wondering if the memories of the night stuck to him like they stuck to me. 

Or had I just become another addition to the endless list of his one night stands? He was young, rich and crazy hot so I was sure that list was long. I found myself wrestling with what felt like a toned down version of jealousy for a stranger whom I was meant to take down.

‘Get your shit together, Sofia… Anne Wolfe…’ I try to get myself to let go of my emotions while reminding myself of my undercover identity.

“I have a thousand and one reasons not to believe you.” He finally says as he turns off the recording and puts the device in his pocket. “But this sounds too real to be ignored. But then…”

I hold my breath to see what next he has to say. 

“To be sure you're not lying to me and that you're not actually working for my brother, I I'll make sure you're with me all through the process.”

“What…?” I can't believe his conditions but talking myself out of it will only get me in trouble. “Fine… I'll do it.” I can't exactly get if he is doing that out of suspicion or if he has a fetish for being possessive.

“Alright.” He says without wasting any words. “Follow me.”

I follow him like my life depends on it. It will take a while before my heartbeat would slow down and beat normally again. 

The danger of being identified by anyone as an agent keeps me more scared than anything else. All the eyes on me as I walk with him make me fear that someone can suddenly shout my real name out loud.

I notice two of his men are following behind. That leaves me wondering if the assassins would blend in with his men.

“Before we proceed,” he says to me as he turns to me. “I need you to—”

And suddenly, a shot is fired. They are already here.