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I tensed, waiting like a cat who was hiding from a wolf. With luck, the notification had popped up on his phone, and then disappeared, before he had gotten inside his office. If he had seen his phone light up, though…
I counted to sixty before relaxing. Then I returned to the Reset Password window I had opened earlier. I changed the password to something funny (giggling to myself as I typed it in) and then boom, I had access to Owen March’s LinkedIn profile.
There were about a thousand different ways I could sow chaos in here. I stared at the screen and considered my options for ten minutes before deciding on the best way to prank him. When I had made my change to his profile, I logged out and wiped it from my browser history.
Owen came by my office a little later. My heart raced as he stuck his head in. Did he know what I had done? Had I been discovered so quickly? I hadn’t expected him to notice the change fordays.
“Yeah?” I asked, my pulse pounding in my temple.
“I just wanted to say sorry about the birthday stuff.” His handsome face was blank as he said the words. “Maybe I could have handled it better. Next year, you’re welcome to have the rooftop deck for her party. Free of charge.”
His apology surprised me. I wasn’t sure what to say, so all I said was thanks. He nodded, then left. His sincerity almost made me feel sorry for what I had done.
Almost.
About a minute after Owen left, Jude sent me a message.
Cauthon, Jude: 1402 Market Street.
I was still puzzling over the message when I heard his door close. Jude slung his laptop bag over a shoulder, nodded politely to me, and then went down the stairs.
When I Googled the address, realization sunk in. It was a high-rise apartment building.
A smile filled my face.
I got up and left five minutes later, hoping that was enough time that nobody would be suspicious. Nancy was the only one still working, so I stopped and said hi to her on my way out.
“Everything I’ve reviewed has been flawless,” I said when she asked about her code. “You’re doing a great job.”
She sighed with relief. “That’s good to hear. You never know when you start somewhere new!” She leaned forward, looking around to make sure we were alone. “I heard there’s some big investor everyone is worried about?”
“The Series A investor,” I replied. “They’re signing the paperwork in a week or two. The deal is all but done at this point.”
“Who is it?” she asked. “I’ve heard about Series A investors coming into a place and throwing their weight around. Making changes. I would hate for things to get thrown into turmoil after I just started here…”
“You don’t have anything to worry about,” I said. “From what I heard, it’s some rich Italian guy. He’s probably old and knows nothing about technology. Those guys always have more money than sense.”
I walked two blocks to a cable car station and took it across town. The address led me to a huge modern skyscraper adjacent to a raised garden above a skybridge. I had to crane my neck to see the top of the tower.
“May I help you?” asked a gray-and-blue dressed doorman.
“I, um… maybe. I’m not sure. I’m supposed to meet…”
“Ms. Moltisanti?” the doorman said with a broad smile. “You’re expected.” He opened the door and gestured. “Elevators are to the right. He’s on the twelfth floor. Unit 12-C.”
“Thank you.”
I took the elevator up to a hallway that was nice, but simply decorated. I knocked on the door marked 12-C. When it opened, Jude was standing there, smiling at me.
“Did Jeeves let you in okay?” he asked.
“Jeeves?” I laughed. “Is that seriously your doorman’s name?”
“No, but it’s a small joke between us. Come in, come in.”
I stepped into his apartment. It was quite nice, with wide windows and a view of the city, but it was not large. I saw a single bedroom through a door to the right, and the living room and kitchen weren’t any larger than mine back home.
“It doesn’t look like a billionaire lives here,” I blurted out.
