The Billionaire's Assistant

Chapter 75

Kat grimaced as the door shut behind her, her mothers parting words bouncing around in her head. She did have to be safe here. She had to be safe, and cautious, and pray she didn't seem suspicious as she reentered the building at this late hour to steal Thomas' badge. It was still before 5:30, so the fact that she would be in the office wasn't that unusual, but the fact that she'd be reentering it so late was, and she prayed to avoid any extra questions about her whereabouts or motivation when she passed through security.

After that she'd be done, truly done. She wouldn't go back to work and she wouldn't see Jove again. The stress and lies would end, the double life cut short, but it hardly seemed worth it to her. She'd trade a life of espionage, of secrets and stress, for just one more day with Jove, she'd trade anything for it.

That's why she knew she had to be strong, had to keep her mission and her friends and the planet at the forefront of her mind. She knew if she was just doing this for herself she would've caved a long time ago because even with all the people depending on her, she still wanted to give up and allow herself to fall thoughtlessly into Jove's arms.

She made her way up the street quickly, her thoughts propelling her legs faster than she'd typically travel. She wasn't sure how things had evolved (or devolved) with Jove so quickly.

She'd never felt this kind of emotional intensity with anyone, about anything, and she knew that the connection they had was mutual, she was positive of that now. But the fact that she could feel like she was falling for him, that the word love was on her mind and heart so quickly, that's what scared her. That's what's made her feel hesitant about the future, hopeless in her worst moments.

She may never get over Jove, she knew that. She may spend the rest of her life pining for a man she'll never get to be with, a man that would hate her if he knew what she'd done to him and his company.

The Tillibenton headquarters skyscraper came into view, and Kat forced her legs to maintain their pace, ignoring the gnawing pain in her stomach as she came closer. Just one more thing to do. One more time in this building, and she would be done, truly and officially done.

She made it through security with no issue and no extra scrutiny and made a beeline for the elevator, mentally calculating her next steps. She decided on taking the elevator to the 55th floor to avoid suspicion and then taking the stairs, unnoticed, down to 21. As a non HVA floor she would be fine entering and exciting 21 without being seen, and she was sure, based on his schedule, that Thomas was either home for the day or working in the labs on 11 or 17. The process should be easy.

The door dinged open to the lobby of the 55th floor and Kat breathed a sigh of relief to see all was quiet. She wasn't necessarily expecting to see Jove, but still felt the pit of her stomach drop in disappointment when she pulled open his office door a crack to reveal an empty, quiet desk and darkness.

She shut the door, crossed to the other side of her desk to retrieve her briefcase from that morning, and headed for the stairwell, wincing as she tried not to recall the way Jove had grabbed her hand as he led her to the helipad on the roof.

Kat made her way to 21 quickly, trying not to run, and exited the stairwell into another dark, quiet floor, the security guards and receptionists downstairs still the only people she'd seen in the building.

She wound through hallways to Thomas's office, looking over her shoulder periodically to confirm she was really alone, and twisted the knob of door 2211, realizing at the last moment that it may be locked. The door swung right open and Kat breathed a sigh of relief, thinking of the Belizeilbee.