by Trisha Grace
Liam adjusted his grip on his laptop and nodded. He would prefer if everyone left everything behind. That way he could check through all of the stalker’s devices the moment he found the culprit, but he could find another way to do that. He just needed to find the stalker first.
In the elevator, Cassian handed the management keycard to Killian. “This allows access to all the offices.”
Elias mumbled under his breath, repeating the instructions on how to find the MAC address on a laptop.
“Lead the way,” Cassian said to Killian when the elevator door opened.
Killian was the only one who had been to GS Inc., so the rest of them followed as he made his way down the narrow hallways. Once outside the metal-framed glass doors, he scanned the card. There was a beep, and the door popped open.
Liam stepped into the office after Killian and scanned the open office plan.
Rows of long wooden tables with computers set up side by side.
“As I said, I don’t think they have designated seats.”
“We’ll just have to check every one, then,” Cassian said with a shrug. “We have time.”
Elias clapped and rubbed his hands together. “Let’s get started.”
“You guys check the laptops. I’ll check the wi-fi to make sure the device is actually here.” Liam entered one of the four offices.
He went around the black desk and sat in the office chair.
The sudden forced departure had resulted in the staff leaving the computers idling, making Liam’s job a lot easier. No need to break any password to enter the system. In less than a minute, he was in the router’s system.
After just a few clicks, Liam sighed and strode out into the main office area. “It isn’t here.”
His brothers, who seemed to have decided to start their laptop checks from different corners of the room, all looked over at him.
“So what do we do now?” Elias asked.
“Wait.” Killian shook his head. “The device may not be on the wi-fi now, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t here.” He looked under the desk. “Check their bags. Maybe it’s one of the devices that isn’t on.”
Which meant Liam would need to do some hacking.
“We’ve got time,” Cassian said. “We’ll find this guy.” He got up and put a hand on Elias’s back. “You don’t need all of us here. Elias and I can go find Ronald.”
“Try not to attract attention,” Trevor said. “We don’t want questions, especially since we might need more time.”
Cassian and Elias nodded.
Elias raised his hands in peace when Trevor glared at him. “I’ll behave.”
Killian pulled out the laptop from a bag and opened it. “Password protected.” He left the laptop on the desk and moved on to the next bag.
Liam strode over and took over the seat Killian had vacated. He straightened his shoulders and got to work.
Cassian glanced over at Elias while they took the elevator down to the ground floor. Sitting down behind a desk and working on a computer was probably Elias’s worst fear.
“I’ll behave,” his brother said.
Cassian wasn’t too worried about that. While Elias loved fooling around, he knew when to be serious. As they stepped out of the elevator, he was wondering where he should go to find the evacuated staff when he noticed a crowded coffee shop.
Elias checked his phone and took another look at Ronald’s picture. Helena had pointed him out in one of her group photos, and Liam had cropped out the portion with Ronald’s face and forwarded it to all of them.
Seated at one of the round white tables was Ronald, along with two other men. All three of them were scrolling through their phones.
“Ronald Fraser?”
Ronald looked up from his phone. “Yeah?”
“We’d like to speak to you in private for a couple of minutes.” Cassian held out a business card, and Ronald’s eyes widened when he took in the information on the card.
“Di—”
“Just a couple of minutes.” Cassian flashed a smile and cocked his head to the side.
Ronald immediately stood. He dropped his phone in his pocket and exited the coffee shop with Cassian and Elias. “What is this about?”
“My brother is very interested in speaking with you,” Elias said with a smirk.
“Mr. Parker?” Ronald frowned and gave the business card another glance.
Killian would be interested in what Ronald had to say too, so Cassian nodded. “Half-brother, technically.”
The three of them stepped back into the elevator, and Elias pressed the button for the ninth floor.
“Mr. Pearce, our office is having some issues.”
“Don’t worry about that.” Cassian remained between Elias and Ronald, acting as a shield while his brother scrutinized the programmer, who was beginning to fidget at the silence.
“What is this about?” Ronald asked.
Cassian flashed another polite smile. “Family matters.”
“Family? Oh, you mean Mr. Parker.”
“More like Mrs. Black.” Elias crossed his arms and stepped forward.
Ronald tried to push himself farther into the corner of the elevator.
Cassian shot a warning glance over at Elias, then gestured for him to move ahead. “They’re in the office.”
“But—”
Elias sighed heavily and moved past them.
“My brother is just anxious to get this over and done with.” Cassian strolled next to Ronald.
The programmer swallowed and stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I don’t know any Mrs. Black.”
Elias scanned the keycard and opened the door. “You probably know her as Helena Shaw.” He grabbed Ronald’s collar and shoved the programmer into the office before the suddenly pale man could react. “Liam,” he called out and waved his hand toward Ronald. “Presenting, your stalker.”
“Stalker?” Ronald grew even paler than he already was. “I haven’t been stalking her.”
Cassian sighed and pulled the door closed. “This isn’t off to a good start.”
Elias grabbed Ronald’s arm and dragged him further into the office.
Ronald stumbled over his own feet, but managed to keep his balance by catching hold of a desk. “I haven’t been stalking her. I swear!”
Elias dropped him into an office chair and pushed it over to Liam. “This—” he pointed at Liam “—is Mr. Black.”
“I didn’t stalk Helena! She was the tease. She pretended to be all nice to me, pretended to be interested, then played hard to get when I asked her out.”
Cassian shook his head. He didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone this stupid.
Liam closed the laptop he was working on and turned to Ronald. He didn’t say a word, he merely leveled a cold glare at the programmer.
Ronald swallowed hard. “You’re not from Shadow Corp. Are you guys the mafia?”
Killian laughed and sat up after setting another laptop on the desk. “That’s a first.”
“Mr. Parker!” Ronald tried to stand, but Elias shoved him back into the chair with a hand on the programmer’s shoulder. The scrawny man dropped back into the seat with a start.
Killian didn’t bother to look over at Ronald.
Ronald swallowed again when he looked at Liam. “I didn’t do anything to that b—”
“That will be Mrs. Black to you,” Cassian interjected before Liam could slam his fist into Ronald’s face.
“She got married? I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend.” Ronald adjusted his black-rimmed glasses. “I didn’t do anything to her. She came on to me.”
Cassian sighed. He’d tried.
Liam grabbed Ronald’s collar and jerked him to his feet. “A no is a no.” He turned and slammed the man against the wall. “Do you understand that?”
“Ye … Yes,” Ronald stammered, his eyes wide. “But she—”
Liam lifted Ronald away from the wall and shoved him back. “No buts.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You do not speak with her ever again. I don’t want you anywhere within her sight. If she even thinks it’s you—”
“I won’t go anywhere near her. I already told Mr. Eolenfeld that.” Ronald turned his head, pressing his cheek against the wall.
“Edward Eolenfeld?”
Ronald shook his head, still not looking at Liam. “Bobby Eolenfeld.”
Liam’s grip on Ronald’s collar loosened.
“I haven’t spoken to Helena since he threatened me.”
Cassian rubbed a hand over his mouth before moving forward. He nudged Liam back and pushed Ronald toward Elias. “Make sure he doesn’t go anywhere.”
“I can do that.”
Liam glared at Ronald.
Trevor strode over and put a hand on Liam’s shoulder. “Find the laptop responsible for hacking into Helena’s. We’ll deal with Ronald.”
Helena took a selfie with her phone, then smiled awkwardly at the couple looking at her. She wasn’t used to taking selfies. She wasn’t one of those obsessed with updating her social media profiles, but she thought she should send one to Liam.
It seemed silly.
She had been with him every day for the last eight days. She’d been stuck in the mansion, then in the suite. She supposed she should be glad for a breath of fresh air, to be out meeting friends.
But she wasn’t.
Instead, she was worried about Liam. Perhaps she should have gone with him to GS Inc.
Helena licked her lips while her thumb hovered over the send button. Exhaling through her mouth, she sent it to Liam with a short message to let him know she had arrived at the restaurant.
He hadn’t asked her to do that. He did, however, ask her for the name and address of the restaurant she was going to. She didn’t know where they were going for lunch, so he asked if he could make a reservation for her.
She didn’t mind. Nice place, she typed and sent the second message to Liam.
The restaurant was posh. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, bathing the place in warm yellow light. The tables, laid with thick white cloths, each had a tea candle set in a crystal glass.
Liam’s reply was immediate. Glad you like it. Cassian recommended it. Have a good lunch.
Wish you were here. She wished she was here with Liam instead.
She shook her head as she thought about that. It felt weird that she barely knew Liam, but already he seemed to be an integral part of her life.
“Hey.” Judith leaned over and gave her a hug. “Nice place.” She sat down across the table from her. “Looks expensive,” she whispered.
It was the type of restaurant Helena would never enter. She would take one look through the windows and move on.
“Don’t worry. I got it.” It would probably put quite a dent in her budget this month, but she couldn’t bear to reject Liam’s effort.
Priscilla Morris grinned when she was led to the table. “Wow.” She gave Helena and Judith a hug. “This is fancy.” She smoothed down the bright red A-line skirt that she had paired with a black sleeveless button-down chiffon top. “Did you come into some money?”
“You look nice,” Helena said. “You didn’t come from work, did you?”
At work, Priscilla was usually in an oversized hoodie and ill-fitting jeans. Her auburn hair would be pulled back in a messy bun, and her face clear of any makeup.
Today, Priscilla looked completely different. Her lashes were beautifully curled and mascara made her eyes appear larger.
“You look really nice.” Helena smiled, glad that her friend had come out from hiding behind her ill-fitting clothes.
Priscilla’s lips curled back in a bright smile. “You look nice too.”
Helena had on a sleeveless dark blue dress cinched at the waist. The flowery lace pattern had a smooth, silky lining that made it comfortable to wear. “Thanks.”
“Is it new?” Priscilla asked.
“Yes.”
A man in a black suit and a white shirt came over with a bouquet of pale pink tulips. “Miss Helena?”
“That’d be me.”
“Welcome to La Maison.” The man handed the bouquet to her.
Helena frowned at the flowers.
“Does the restaurant give out flowers to everyone who makes a reservation?” Priscilla asked, with what Helena thought was a tinge of sourness.
The man smiled politely. “Mr. Black had these delivered to the restaurant.”
“Oh. Thanks,” she said while Judith’s brows flicked up. She really should stop smiling like an idiot, but she couldn’t help herself.
“I’m Amos. I’m the manager here, and I’ll be your server today.” He took three menus from under his arm and put them in front of Helena and her friends.
Helena flipped through the menu. None of the selections showed prices.
“Mr. Black said to order whatever you ladies would like. It’s his treat.” Amos straightened and turned to look at Helena. “I will personally see to the food and bring it to your table.”
Helena wanted to grab her bag and leave now. She wanted to find Liam and kiss him, but Priscilla frowned when she heard that.
Helena had never told her friends about her food paranoia. Not even Judith knew about it.
She didn’t like talking about what happened. She didn’t like thinking about it.
“I’ll leave you ladies with the menu and come back to take your orders in a few minutes. For now, can I bring you ladies something to drink?”
“Just water for me,” Helena said. Judith and Priscilla echoed her.
“What was that about the food?” Priscilla asked when Amos strode away.
Judith locked eyes with Helena. “She’s a little weird when it comes to her food.”
Priscilla arched a brow.
“Had a bad case of food poisoning,” Helena said. She didn’t want to elaborate, so she was thankful it was enough of an explanation for her friends.
“So,” Priscilla looked at Helena and leaned forward on the table, “who’s this Mr. Black?”
“Someone I met.” Helena liked Priscilla. They had gotten to know each other while working at GS Inc., but she wasn’t that close to her. It felt somewhat awkward to tell her everything about Liam.
“He’s being really sweet,” Judith said.
Helena breathed in the scent of the flowers. “Yeah.”
“Seems like a player to me,” Priscilla said. “The flowers. This whole arrangement …” She glanced around.
Helena and Judith chuckled.
“That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Judith said. “Unless he’s a brilliant actor.”
“You’ve met him?” Priscilla asked.
“Yeah. We met up for work the other day.” Judith waved it off. “Let’s eat!” She flipped through the menu.
After they placed their orders, Priscilla folded her arms on the table. “So, this Mr. Black, you’re serious about this guy?”
“Considering he’s already asked Helena to marry him, I’d say yes.”
Helena grinned, but Priscilla seemed mortified.
“How long have you known this guy?”
“Not long,” Helena said. “But—”
“How much do you really know about the guy? Does he even know anything about you?” Priscilla shook her head. “What’s your favorite color. What’s happened to your family.”
Favorite color? Helena didn’t even know her favorite color, but she got what Priscilla was saying. That was what her rational mind had told her. She was jumping too quickly into this. She was being naive. Whirlwind romances didn’t work.
But hearing Priscilla talk about Liam that way made her want to defend him.
“We know the important stuff.” Helena frowned. “What do you mean, my family?” She’d never told them what happened to her family, either.
“You know.” Priscilla took a sip of water. “Just how you were brought up and all. This guy knows nothing about you. He can’t pos
sibly.” She looked at the flowers Helena had set beside her. “Are those even your favorite flower?”
“I don’t know.” She brushed her fingertip along the petal of a tulip. “But they are pretty.” And the steps he’d taken to make sure she felt safe eating here. She sighed and grabbed her phone to check it.
Priscilla snatched the phone away from her. “Oh, come on. You don’t have to report to him. We’re out. It’s girls’ day.”
Helena laughed and shrugged. “Fine.”
“Is he just moping around in the hotel?” Judith asked, closing the menu and setting it aside.
“No. He’s at GS Inc., actually.”
Judith’s eyes widened. “Whatever for?”
“Finding the stalker.”
“Stalker?” Priscilla blinked. “How long have we not met?”
Chapter 24
Liam closed the laptop and looked over at Killian.
“That’s it,” his brother said. “No?”
“No.”
“Are you sure there’s a stalker?” Ronald asked from the office chair, flanked by Trevor and Elias. “Maybe she made it all up to get your attention.”
Elias smacked Ronald on the head. “Shut up if you value your life.”
“Maybe it isn’t someone from here,” Killian said.
Liam shook his head. “The MAC address of the device has been logged onto this wi-fi. The stalker either works here or has been in here to use the wi-fi.”
Cassian, who was leaning against one of the desks, pressed his hands to the edge of the table. “Is the whole team here today?” he asked Ronald.
“No.” Ronald’s eyes suddenly widened. “Judith. Judith’s been fired.” He snapped his fingers. “Priscilla didn’t come in today, either.”
Liam’s sighed heavily. He slammed his fist on the desk and cursed. “They’re with her.”
Helena smiled and thanked Amos again before leaving the restaurant. She had no chance to peek at the bill. Amos made sure of it. He didn’t even allow her to leave a tip, and she dearly wanted to.
Amos had been fantastic. He even changed her glass of water when she got back to the table after a bathroom trip.
