“Kate.” Tristan cradled my cheeks between his hands. The warmth of his palms bled into my skin, bringing with it the calm I’d needed. Those dark eyes bored into mine. “Breathe, baby,” he said soft and low. “Just breathe. We’ll figure this out together.”
Following his guidance, I took a long drag of air to my lungs, held it there for three seconds before slowly releasing it through my nose. It took five of those slow, measured breaths for the jitteriness to leave my veins and my heart to find a steady rhythm.
“Let’s go back to when you first got sick,” Tristan said. “Does anything from that day stand out to you?”
How had it only been a handful of days ago? “Nothing,” I muttered. “I was here all morning and besides water, the bagel, and coffee you left on my desk, I didn’t drink or eat anything.”
The expression on his face sent a violent shiver down my spine. “I didn’t leave anything on your desk.”
A big ball of panic lodged in my throat. I swallowed it. “There’s been a bagel and coffee on my desk every day since the first time you brought me breakfast.” I shook my head. “It’s the same order too.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. The action mussed up the dark strands, leaving a few to flop over his forehead. He shook his head. Then again when he paced to the right.
“Everyday?”
“Yes.”
More pacing. “And it just appeared on your desk, or did someone hand it to you and claim it came from me.”
“It was on my desk. Tristan.” I grabbed his arm to stop him. “You’re freaking me out.”
His eyes softened. “I’m sorry, baby, but I think…” His Adam’s apple bobbed on a hard swallow. “Someone’s been watching you.”
“What?”
“And they had access to you every fucking day.” With a frustrated sigh, he parked his hands on his hips. “So, either they work here, or they have someone inside this building helping them.”
I was still processing his words when Wendy cleared her throat. Ugh, of course she didn’t leave. “I might be able to help.” Peeking around Tristan’s shoulder, she looked at me then turned her attention to him. “Julia’s the one who left the food on Kate’s desk.”
Julia? Why on earth would Lewis’s assistant want to poison me. It made zero sense.
This had to be a misunderstanding; it had to.
“She’s been seeing this guy,” she started. “The poor girl has been so starved for attention; she fell fast and hard.” Wendy rolled her eyes. “So hard. Which was why she didn’t even hesitate to take the food to Kate when he asked.”
An angry growl tore from Tristan’s lungs. His lips parted, but she held up her hand before he could spit out even one word.
“The guy’s just the middleman. He told Julia his friend has a crush on Kate and wanted to spoil her.”
My head hurt. Touching my fingers to my temples, I rubbed in slow circles.
“Where is she?” Tristan bellowed.
Wendy’s gaze darted to me before shifting to Tristan yet again. “She called in sick today. Instead of telling her boyfriend that Kate hadn’t come in the last few days, Julia kept the food.”
And essentially poisoned herself.
“We need to check on her.”
“Who’s Julia’s boyfriend?”
Tristan and I spoke at the same time.
The agitation in his tone mirrored the feeling in my limbs.
“I don’t know his name,” Wendy said, the apology in her voice clear as day. “But if he doesn’t know Julia’s sick, he might still be in the level one parking area.”
The words barely left her mouth when Tristan grabbed me by the wrist and bounded out of the room. We didn’t wait for the elevator, simply hurried down the fire escape instead.
