Undercover Love

Chapter Eleven: Keep Calm and Pretend to Focus

I wake up with a jolt, the early morning light streaming through the curtains, filling the room with a soft glow that does absolutely nothing to ease the tension coiling in my stomach. Today is the day. Nexus' grand opening. The day I have to put everything I've worked for into action. The day where nothing—absolutely nothing—can go wrong.

I roll out of bed, my body moving automatically as I stretch my arms over my head, but my mind is already elsewhere. The plan. I go over it in my head for what must be the thousandth time. Every step, every little detail that I've mapped out over the last few days is etched in my brain, replaying on a loop. I need to be perfect today. There is no room for failure, no room for surprises. Not with the Helix Syndicate involved. I can't afford any slip-ups.

I catch sight of Ace, still asleep on the other side of the room, his face half-hidden by the pillow. It's almost peaceful—if I didn't know better. If he didn't make everything feel so complicated, maybe I could appreciate the silence for once.

I shake the thought out of my head, turning away from him as I head to the bathroom. He and I aren't in a good place right now. The tension between us has only grown worse over the past few days. Every time we've tried to talk, it's ended in a shouting match. We're not on talking terms. No, we're on arguing terms. And it's exhausting.

But at least I've been able to use that anger to fuel my focus. I know he thinks I'm being reckless. Ace has made it painfully clear that he doesn't think I can handle this alone. He's wrong, though. I've worked hard for this. I know every trap, every camera angle, every escape route. I have thought through every possible scenario, and I have a backup for each one. I have to believe that I'm prepared.

The thought of Ace tagging along today makes my skin crawl. He'll only get in my way, only argue with me at the worst possible moment. So I did what I had to do: I left his name off the guest list. It was risky, but it's better this way. The mission is a partner assignment, technically. But if I can make it through without him, I'll prove to everyone that I don't need him—especially not him—to get the job done.

I splash cold water on my face, letting the chill shock me into the present. Focus. I have to focus. Today is not about Ace, not about whatever mess we've found ourselves in. Today is about the mission, about proving to myself and everyone else that I'm capable. I won't let anything get in my way.

After getting dressed and pulling my hair back into a tight ponytail, I glance back over my notes. The floor plans. The list of traps. The sequence of events I need to follow. I breathe in and out slowly, my heart pounding in my ears. I've got this. Nothing can go wrong. It can't afford to.

Ace stirs behind me, letting out a sigh as he stretches his arms above his head. I don't look at him, my eyes glued to the notes in front of me. I can feel his gaze on me, though, and I know he's aware of what today means.

"Morning," he mutters, his voice rough with sleep.

I don't respond, pretending to be too focused on my work to hear him. The truth is, I don't trust myself to speak without lashing out. He's made it clear what he thinks of my plans, and I have nothing left to say to him.

He gets out of bed, moving around the room as he starts to get ready, and the silence between us grows thick, almost suffocating. I can feel the unspoken tension hanging in the air—everything we haven't said to each other, everything we've shouted instead of communicated. But I push it away, locking it up in some corner of my mind where I won't have to deal with it.

Today, there is no room for mistakes. No room for distractions. No room for Ace and his doubts and the feelings he stirs up in me that I can't afford to feel. Today, I am nothing but the mission. And I have to believe that's enough.