Undercover Love

Chapter Thirty: When Your Coffee is Stronger Than Your Resolve

Helping Cassie through her second trimester is a blessing and a distraction. Every day is filled with doctor's appointments, late-night cravings, and planning for the baby. I love being there for her, and it keeps my mind off of everything else—off of work, off of Ace. But after nearly a month of dodging my responsibilities, I know I can't hide forever. I have to get back to work, back to the life I left behind.

I walk into the office, the familiar scent of coffee and faint buzz of conversation hitting me. The place hasn't changed at all, but I feel different. Lighter, maybe. Or just more fragile, like a layer of armor has been peeled away, leaving me exposed. But I plaster on a neutral expression, the one I always wear at work, and get to it.

The assignment they give me is straightforward: interrogate a new arrival. His name is Marcus Hayes—a twenty-seven-year-old with a rap sheet longer than my arm. He is a former member of the Syndicate, one of the minor factions that operates under Helix. He got caught trying to hack into a Scale database, and we need to know if he is working alone or if there are more of them out there.

I walk into the interrogation room, the cold, sterile atmosphere doing nothing to soften my mood. Marcus sits there, his arms crossed, a smug grin on his face like he thinks he's smarter than everyone in the room. I know the type—arrogant, overconfident, and with just enough skill to back it up.

"Morning, Marcus," I say, sitting across from him. I keep my tone light, almost conversational. He expects a harsh approach, someone yelling in his face, trying to intimidate him. But that's not my style.

"Morning, sweetheart," he replies, his grin widening.

I ignore the comment, leaning back in my chair. "You know why you're here, right? And you know I'm the person you need to talk to if you want to make this easier on yourself."

Marcus raises an eyebrow. "And what if I don't feel like talking?"

I shrug, pulling out a folder. "That's your call. But I've got a list here of everything we found on you. You're looking at twenty years minimum if you don't cooperate. Maybe more if they feel like making an example of you."

He shifts in his seat, his grin faltering just a bit. "What do you want?"

"We know you weren't working alone. I need names. Who else is trying to breach our system? And why?" I ask, keeping my eyes locked on his.

The minutes tick by, and slowly, Marcus starts to break. He gives me names, locations—details that I know will be crucial to the higher-ups. I keep my face neutral, not giving away any emotion, but inside, there's a strange satisfaction in seeing his facade crumble.

By the time I'm done with Marcus, he's slouched in his chair, looking defeated. I leave the room, handing the file to a colleague, and let out a long breath. I need a break. Badly.

I step into the elevator, hitting the button for the floor where the break room is. As the doors are about to close, someone slips in, and I feel my breath catch in my throat.

Ace.

Of course, it has to be Ace. He nods at me, a brief acknowledgment, and I nod back, keeping my expression as unreadable as possible. We both turn to face opposite sides of the elevator, the silence between us thick and suffocating. My heart hammers in my chest, and I force myself to keep breathing evenly. I've been dreading this—seeing him again, being this close, without any distractions to keep my mind off what we've lost.

The elevator dings, and I see him step off at the break room floor. My stomach sinks. I pray he isn't going to the break room, but I have a bad feeling.