Camille didn't like loose ends. And Kade Wilder had become a glaring one.
It had been two weeks since she sat across from Mr. Black and his expensive cigars. The file was still open on her table, but she wasn't reading it anymore. She had the details down. She knew the shell companies and the weird gaps in his travel logs. But Kade himself was a ghost. He lived in a world where no one left fingerprints, and it was driving her crazy.
Then, the opening appeared. A personal secretary job at Wilder Nexus. The timing was almost too good to be true, but Camille didn't care. She survived the background checks and the psychological tests that felt more like an interrogation.
By the time the sun came up on Monday, Camille Devile was gone. Camille De Luca was the only one left.
She stood in front of the Wilder Nexus building, a massive tower of glass and steel that looked like a middle finger to the rest of the city. It was a fortress. Cameras everywhere and security guards who looked like they actually knew how to use their guns. It didn't intimidate her. It just made her more certain that whatever he was hiding was worth the effort.
She was wearing a black suit that hugged her curves in a way that was professional but definitely not boring. A red scarf was tucked at her neck, her only nod to the fact that she wasn't actually a corporate drone. Her hair was pulled back tight and her makeup was just enough to look polished without being memorable.
At the front desk, she gave the receptionist a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Camille De Luca. I'm here for Mr. Wilder."
The woman behind the desk perked up immediately. "Oh. Right. You'll need an escort for the top floor. Hold on."
Even the secretaries needed a babysitter. Camille noted that and kept her face blank.
The elevator was a box of chrome and mirrors. She caught her reflection and shifted her "De Luca" mask into place as the scanner hummed next to her. The walk to his office was short, but her brain was already mapping the floor. Three guards. Two blind spots. One way out.
"Wait here," the assistant told her outside a set of heavy glass doors.
For a second, she was alone. Her mind slipped back to that balcony before she could stop it. The smell of cedar and the way he'd looked at her like he was solving a puzzle. He hadn't been trying to impress her that night, and that was the problem.
The door opened. "He'll see you now."
Camille stepped inside.
Kade was standing by the window, looking out at the city like he owned every brick of it. He looked relaxed, but there was a stillness to him that felt dangerous. He turned when she walked in, and their eyes locked.
She waited for it. A twitch in his jaw or a flicker of surprise. Anything to show he remembered the woman he'd kissed until she forgot her own name.
Nothing.
His face was a wall. Either he really didn't remember her, or he was the best liar she'd ever met. A flash of pure irritation burned through her, but she shoved it down. This was a mission. If he was going to pretend they were strangers, she could play that game too.
She walked toward him, her heels clicking on the floor with a steady rhythm. "Mr. Wilder," she said, her voice smooth and cool.
"You're late," he said.
She didn't look at her watch. "The security downstairs is thorough. I assumed you preferred accuracy over speed."
He raised an eyebrow. The surveillance photos hadn't done him justice. There was a gravity to him that made the air in the room feel heavy.
"Have we met before, Miss De Luca?" His voice was casual, but the way he said it felt like a trap.
"No," Camille lied. She didn't blink. "I think I'd remember a boss who started a conversation with a clock."
He studied her for a moment, a tiny smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth. He walked over to his desk, gesturing for her to sit. Camille took the chair and kept her hands still in her lap.
"Welcome," he said. "I need the schedule updated and today's meetings confirmed. Cross-check the calls. Lunch is at one, no interruptions. If you're confused, ask the staff downstairs."
"Understood."
He slid a folder toward her. Their fingers brushed for half a second, and a jolt of heat went straight up her arm. She didn't flinch. Training was a beautiful thing, even if her heart was currently trying to kick its way out of her ribs.
"Your office is right outside mine," he added. "Close enough that I can get a hold of you whenever I need to."
"I won't be far," she said.
She caught herself before she could think about how that sounded. He had a way of giving orders that made her feel like she was being challenged.
"Miss De Luca?"
"Yes?"
"You're staring again," he said, leaning back in his chair.
She straightened her spine. "I'm observing. It's what you're paying me for, isn't it?"
A beat passed. He didn't look away, and neither did she.
"Good," he said. "Keep doing it."
His indifference was annoying, but there was a reckless spark growing in her chest. This wasn't just a job anymore. It was a game.
"You can go."
Camille nodded and walked out, keeping her movements steady. Only when the door shut behind her did she let out a breath. He hadn't blinked. If he was playing her, he was damn good at it.
Her office was simple. A mahogany desk, a computer, and a direct line to the man in the other room. She spent the next hour digging through his files, trying to find the rhythm of his life. Everything about him was controlled and obsessed with detail.
The phone on her desk rang.
"Yes?" she answered.
"Bring the Baltic folder," Kade said. "Now."
The line went dead before she could say a word.
Camille stood up and felt that familiar hum of adrenaline in her bones. She checked her reflection in her compact, not for the makeup, but to make sure her "agent" face was still on straight. She picked up the file and headed for his door.
Game on.
This time, she wasn't the one walking away.