Camille walked the short distance back to Kade's office and knocked once.
"Enter."
She stepped inside. He was seated behind the massive desk, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his attention fixed on a laptop.
"Folder," he said without looking up.
Camille crossed the room and placed it neatly on the mahogany surface. "I reviewed the schedule and updated the inconsistencies. Your 3 p.m. has been moved to 4. Lunch arrangements are confirmed. No changes from last week."
His fingers stilled on the keyboard. Slowly, he looked up, his gaze sharp and unexpected.
"You're efficient," he said, the praise sounding more like a question.
"It's my job to be," she replied.
Kade leaned back in his chair and just stared. Camille felt a phantom itch to squirm under that look, but she kept her spine straight and her face a blank slate.
"Sit."
It wasn't a request. Camille hesitated for half a second before taking the chair opposite him. Kade studied her openly now. It wasn't rude, but it wasn't subtle either. He was looking at her like she was a puzzle he intended to take apart piece by piece.
"You adjusted the order of my afternoon calls too," he noted.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because the third caller is lying."
He frowned, leaning forward slightly. "Explain."
"The timestamps on his correspondence don't align with his stated availability. His assistant writes his emails, but he usually edits the ones that involve negotiations. Those messages came unedited. It means he's delegating this conversation, not prioritizing it. He's stalling."
A beat of silence passed.
"You checked metadata?"
"I did."
Something unreadable crossed his face. "You weren't instructed to do that."
She gave an elegant shrug, her tone easy. "It's part of the job description as I understand it."
The corner of his mouth twitched, almost a smile but not quite. "Not many people would notice that on their first day."
"Not many people survive my line of work without noticing details."
The words slipped out before she could catch them. Camille felt a spike of ice in her chest. She'd messed up. She'd used the language of the agency, not the office.
Kade's gaze sharpened instantly. "Your line of work?"
She realized a second too late she'd said too much. She decided to meet the moment head-on instead of flinching. "My prior employment demanded that kind of attention."
He studied her for another long second, flicking the switch of his pen. It was a rhythmic, annoying sound. "And you left because?"
"I wanted a bigger challenge. They weren't offering enough of one."
Kade looked at her speculatively, then gave a slow nod. "Fair enough."
Relief didn't touch her face, but internally she was screaming at herself to get it together. One more misstep and she was done.
"You anticipated the security protocols faster than I expected," he said.
"Is that a problem?"
"It depends." His gaze never left her. "You notice more than you should for a first day, Camille. Are you hiding something?"
The question was delivered lightly, almost casually. But they both knew it was a probe. Camille kept her expression neutral. "Everyone is hiding something, Mr. Wilder."
He smirked. "True." Then he closed the folder with a definitive snap. "You can go."
Camille stood smoothly. "Of course."
She turned toward the door, her heart finally starting to slow down.
"Miss De Luca."
She stopped, her hand hovering near the handle. "Yes, sir?"
A long pause followed.
"Ever been to a ball?"
The question rattled her. Her chest tightened, the memory of the music and the balcony flashing through her mind like a lightning strike. She turned back slowly, forcing a look of mild confusion. "No."
He watched her for a moment longer, searching her face for a crack she refused to give him. Then he nodded once.
Camille left the office without another word. Back at her desk, she exhaled slowly, her hands trembling just enough for her to notice. That had been too close. He was observant, calculating, and far more dangerous than the file had suggested.
Half an hour passed. Her screen blinked with system access codes, and she memorized them instantly. Then the phone rang.
"Miss De Luca," Kade's voice came through. "Bring coffee."
She blinked. "Yes, sir."
The request was mundane, but it felt like a power play. She prepared the coffee personally. Black. No sugar. Exactly how his profile said he liked it.
When she returned to his office, she didn't knock. The door was slightly ajar, so she entered quietly. He was standing by the window again, hands clasped behind his back. She placed the cup on the desk and straightened up.
He didn't turn around. "You didn't knock."
His voice was quiet, but it filled the room.
Camille didn't flinch. "The door was open."
Kade turned slowly, his grey eyes landing on her with unsettling precision. "That wasn't an invitation. Or do you usually enter spaces without permission?"
Her pulse kicked once, hard, but her face remained a mask. "Only when I'm certain I won't be stopped."
The words felt heavier than she intended. Kade's eyes darkened slightly. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then he stepped closer and reached for the coffee. His fingers curled around the cup, but his eyes never left hers.
He took a sip and stepped toward her. The shift in proximity caught her off guard. He was firmly in her personal space now, his height towering over her. She held her ground.
"Did you always follow instructions at your previous job exactly?" he asked.
"Yes," Camille replied. Her skin felt electric with him this close, but she forced a look of bored professionalism.
Kade stared down at her. "What about when they conflict with your instincts?"
She hesitated, then chose a careful version of the truth. "Instinct keeps you alive, but instructions keep you employed."
"I see." He cocked his head slightly. "Which one do you value more?"
"Whichever keeps me breathing."
The silence that followed was long and suffocating. Kade was staring at her, his expression unreadable. She wondered what was happening behind those grey eyes. His cologne, that scent of cedar and cold air, teased her nose. Subconsciously, she closed her eyes and took a breath of it.
Then, his breath brushed the shell of her ear. She hadn't even seen him move.
Suddenly he was standing behind her. He didn't grab her, but he held her arms lightly, leaning closer until she could feel the heat radiating off him.
"You're either very confident," he said softly, "or very reckless."
"Am I?" Camille turned in his hold to face him. She had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze, refusing to be intimidated. "I've learned they often look the same."
Kade chuckled softly. "Fair."
He stepped back, the sudden loss of heat making the room feel cold again. He picked up his coat and briefcase.
"Be careful which one you are, Miss De Luca. Confidence can be useful." His voice dropped an octave. "Recklessness gets people eliminated."
He didn't look at her when he said it. The word lingered in the air like a threat.
Eliminated.
Camille steadied her breathing. Every conversation with him was a chess move, and he'd just put her in check.
"Noted, sir."
He finished the coffee and set the cup down. "We're meeting an important client this morning. Bring what you need and meet me downstairs."
Back in her office, she packed her things and stared at the dark glass wall between them. Her reflection was faint, a ghost of the woman she used to be. She had no idea what he saw when he looked at her, and in her line of work, that was the most dangerous unknown of all.