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Before I could ask, the elevator doors opened. He stepped into the car and hit the button. The doors closed, and I released a shaky breath. That went well.
I nodded and murmured “good morning” to my colleagues as I walked through the large IT office. I sighed as I saw the pile of work cluttering my desk. I’d left it tidy yesterday afternoon, but it seemed my supervisor had dumped a shit ton of extra work there this morning.
A few more days, and this will be over. I’ll be out of here with a new ID and a new home, and this time, I’ll ensure no one can find me.
I spent fifteen minutes attempting to organize what I could before deciding to use the bathroom before the meeting. After taking care of business, I headed back to the elevator and up to the meeting room. Oddly, none of the other staff were milling around when the doors opened. Strange. I expected to see at least one or two of my colleagues making their way into the meeting room.
A secretary sat behind the desk outside, raising her head as I approached. She looked directly at me, an annoyed expression on her face. Huh. Not sure what I’d done to warrant her ire.
“Can I help you?” she asked coolly.
“Mila Andrews. I’m here for the IT meeting with?—”
The door opposite me opened, cutting me off.
“Come in, Miss Andrews.” Magnus Guardian’s deep voice beckoned me from within.
My brow creased with a frown. “Never mind. I’ll just…” I pointed awkwardly at the door, spun on my heels, and headed inside.
Mr. Guardian closed the door behind me and walked to the head of the large meeting table. The sun momentarily passed over his dark brown eyes, highlighting the golden ring circling them. I forgot how to breathe for a moment.
“Um, where is everyone else?” I asked hesitantly.
Mr. Guardian lowered his formidable weight into the leather chair. “It’s just you and me, Miss Andrews.”
“Oh, but?—”
“Let’s get straight down to business.” He gestured at the chair to his right.
“Right.” I sat down and nervously crossed my legs, smoothing my hands over my skirt.
“You realize that your position here allows you certain access and knowledge within this company,” he stated.
Was it my imagination, or did his words hold a veiled threat? I nodded, my mouth suddenly dry. “Yes. Is there a problem?”
He leaned forward, pinning me with his gaze. “When a new staff member is hired, I ensure their every keystroke is monitored. You’ve been here for three months, yet somehow, you slipped under the radar. Until recently.”
Shit. Did he know something? No, he couldn’t. I’d been too careful covering my tracks.
Tipping my chin, I narrowed my eyes and leaned forward, mimicking him. “I assumed as much. You don’t hire someone without ensuring they hold up to your standards at a company like this.”
Magnus smirked, and something warm fluttered through me as he stood and walked around the desk to stand in front of me.
“Your last name isn’t Andrews.”
His statement knocked the wind out of me. “Yes, it is. I don’t know where you?—”
He held up his hand, stalling me. “It’s Matthews. And you’re a hacker.”
Ah, crap. How the hell does he know?
“I don’t like to go by Matthews.”
“Tell me why you’re here, trying to undermine my company.” Magnus’s voice was dangerously low, as if he was reining in his temper.
I swallowed, my mind working overtime to find a way out of this. I’d messed up somewhere, distracted by the threat of exposure. I should’ve known someone with Magnus’s resources would pounce the second he saw something untoward, no matter how insignificant. I’d underestimated him. The man had sharp instincts. He could have the cops waiting for me outside right now.
Deciding that partial honesty was the best policy, I said, “Hacking doesn’t pay as much as you’d think without leading people to my door.”
