There isn’t much time to get ready. Taking a quick shower feels wrong. It’s like I’m washing off the memory of Tobias, but I do have to go to work, so I have no choice. With my hair wet and clinging to my skin, I stare at myself in the mirror. My reflection is blurry because of the condensation in the room. Will Felix be able to see through my act? Do I look different from the girl who went to the gala with him?
Do I look like a girl who found out the boy she missed was right in front of her face? That the man she was falling for was the same person?
I hope not because our lives are at stake. My ability to fool the snake is imperative to the plan. By the time I’m dressed, it’s eight o’clock. Monday morning sucks on a good day, but when you are doing what I am, it’s unbearable.
I walk into the office an hour later. Nervous energy courses through me. It feels like my stomach is empty, and my heart is beating so fast it might explode. My hands shake at my sides, but one touch to the spot on my wrist is enough to calm me. I stride through the lobby and into the elevator.
The whole time I ascend, my eyes are focused on my wrist. On the little airplane. I’m not sure what will happen today, but I know from the bottom of my heart that Tobias won’t let anything happen to me.
I called in sick last week. Then the weekend came, and now I need to show my face and pretend I’m scared for Tobias. I walk through the office, head held high, but I thin my lips to show no emotion. It’s exactly how I would have looked before, not allowing anyone to see past my icy façade.
When I get to my desk, I see a note from Mr. Williams’s assistant on my desk, saying he needs to see me in his office right away. I don’t bother placing my stuff down before I head in his direction. By the time I’m standing outside his door, it feels like I might pass out, but I take a deep breath and pull myself together.
Standing in the entrance, I see that Mr. Williams is waiting for me.
“Skye, come in here and take a seat,” my boss calls out to me.
I walk into his office, and Mr. Williams is standing with his arms crossed. He gestures for me to sit.
“Have you heard from Mr. Kosta?” he asks.
I school my features before I sit down and let out a sigh. “No.”
Acting has never been a problem for me, and right now, my life depends on it.
He moves to pull out his chair, and then he is sitting in front of me. “From what the police told me, the building came down.”
“D-Do they know what happened?” I drop my voice, making myself sound sad and concerned. He looks up from his desk and shakes his head.
Hook, line, and sinker. I can tell by the way his eyes soften that he’s buying my act.
“I know this will be hard on you, seeing as you have been working with Mr. Kosta, but I need you to get back into the swing of things.”
I’m torn on how to feel right now. On the one hand, I need this, but I still wish there was another way. Felix Bernard is the last person I want to work with.
“I’ll do what I have to,” I tell him.
Mr. Williams pulls open a drawer and grabs a folder. “I need you to work on this file.”
“No problem. I can get started right now.” Taking the file from his hand, I give him one last small smile before I turn and walk back to my desk. Once there, I place the papers down, put on my headphones, and open the file. The plan is coming into play.
Now, I just have to wait. Draw him in and make him think everything is safe. Tobias is impatient, so I hope we don’t have to wait long. If my assessment of Felix is correct, the cocky son of a bitch will take the bait.
The plan is simple. Go in to work and lure Felix out. But after the initial part is over is where it gets tricky.
Time.
How long will it take for the snake to leave its hole? The police announced they haven’t found the body of billionaire Tobias Kosta, so that doesn’t mean he’s dead. As of right now, it’s still a search for his body. Eventually, it will either become a recovery or a manhunt.
Tobias has enough political sway that the latter wouldn’t happen, but we can’t act yet because Felix hasn’t left his penthouse. However, I will reach out to him.