OPHELIA'S POV
I thought we were taking my luggage to the lounge but we wheeled past it and went straight to his office. With my backpack and luggage in tow, he headed straight to his bookshelf and pulled on a vase, which seemed to be connected to the shelf from its base.
I heard a mechanism click and he pushed the bookcase, like a door that swinged sideways.
It opened to a room with a row of suits, shoes, and accessories. It had full-length windows and it was quite bright, even with the sheer curtains that ran from ceiling to floor. There was a coffee table and a five-seater white sofa in the middle.
"The couch opens to a bed. The linen, pillows, blankets are all in the ottoman." Zeus said, handing me my luggage and knapsack.
"Uhm—" I was about to refuse this— all this. Nothing good in life is ever free.
"I am saying," his words felt heavy and imposing but he continued, "that in exchange for your consulting services, I am temporarily offering you my office closet. You can spend your nights here."
He turned to exit his closet but stopped before the shelf that turned out to be a door, " Again, that is unless you'd rather go home with me every night." His gaze was teasingly sleazy.
I wasn't able to control the disgusted expression on my face and muttered, "ugh!" To which, he chuckled.
He faced me again, to leave more instructions, "Bathroom is over there. Beside that is a utility closet with a washer-dryer— you can only do laundry at night. Next, that closet over there is empty, that's yours for now. Whenever you leave, switch the dehumidifier on, switch the air conditioner off. Do the opposite when you're here. Dehumidifier off, air conditioner on. No food in my closet; you can eat in the lounge. Feel free to enjoy food supply in the refrigerator and pantry. Lastly, no visitors in my closet." He said looking me in the eye.
I nodded and with that, he left through the bookshelf door.
This place is amazing. What am I doing? Oh, but it's ok since I'll be paying for it anyway with sweat equity. Yes, it's totally ok. My mind was racing through the flurry of thoughts.
I started putting my things away in my closet. I looked around and smiled, giddy with such luck I am having right now. Of course, I can't stay here forever.
Before leaving his walk-in closet, which I think is a studio unit at this point, i checked the mechanism of the bookshelf and found that I can open and close it from the inside. There is also a way to lock it from the inside to keep people out if necessary.
"Busy?" I asked as I stood in front of Zeus's desk.
"Always." He said, rummaging through a stapled set of of documents. "But we have a matter to discuss so please take your seat."
"Right," I said, sitting down.
"As you know," he started, "there was a break-in very recently. But the other thing you didn't know was that there was another break-in before that. It was the espresso machine incident. Since you are privy to both incidents, I would like to offer you a temporary consulting job, which will happen after work hours."
"There is something going on and I want to know what it is, as it is obviously designed to take me or the company down."
"Wait a minute. sorry, sir, I—" I had a case to make but he stared at me, squinting his eyes, as if he heard something abhorrent. Oh! Fine, fine. I got it. "Zeus."
He nodded and smirked.
I continued, "this all sounds like a great opportunity but I have two big concerns. One: how sure are you that I am not involved in this? Let alone, have any interest to solve it. Why would you put your trust in me? Aren't you just swayed by your — feelings?" That last word I said with an eye roll. "TWO: after the investigation, what happens then? I mean if i accept this consulting job, I have to quit from The Patron. If this consultant position is only temporary then when it ends, what happens? This is not practical at all."
"I understand," he said setting down his pen on the table. "First, business is business for me. You are here because you are a witness to both incidents, it seems you have a knack for solving puzzles, you manage several teams well, and you are a workaholic. Second, I am not tasking you to solve a case. I just need information and critical thinking. I do have my cousin working out the case but several perspectives can be useful. Especially from one who snuck into my office undetected by security systems." He stared at me in an angle that made me feel guilty of what i did.
"Third, aside from the accommodations, you will be paid graveyard shift rate for the additional 4 hours of consulting services. The possibility there is that when this case is done, it would've been solved, which will earn you a bonus on top of the regular hourly rate after a promotion."
"See? Now, I still feel like it's too generous." I was still skeptic. This is just too good to be true.
"That's because it is going to be dangerous. You essentially have a target on your back." He said, examining my face.
"Why would I do this if it would put a target on my back then?" I asked, holding my hands up in protest.
"You have already been targeted." His eyes bore into mine.
I blinked at his words. Oh my gods. "They were looking for my laptop, weren't they?" The realization dawned on me as if it was a bucket of ice being dumped on my head.
"Figuring that out was bittersweet." He said glumly. "While I relish the fact that my instincts were correct about your deduction skills, you now also recognize the dangers of the task at hand."
I shook my head at the ridiculous situation I am in. "What are the chances a nobody like me would be tangled up in the Aurelion web?" I sighed, slumping in my seat.
"It is dangerous, and that's why it is safer if you resign at The Patron. Let's hammer out the details after breakfast." He said as Henri came in the office.
"Good morning, Mr. Aurelion, Ms. Ophelia" he greeted in a cheery note. "Your breakfast meals are all arranged in the Lounge."
"Did you get one for yourself?" Zeus asked his cheerful secretary.
"Of course, but it's a working breakfast for me, I'll have to eat at my post." He said walking past the lounge.
Breakfast in the lounge was milk and honey oats and a green veggie drink.
We discussed while having breakfast. Turns out my new office will be in the 10th floor. The smaller storage room will be transformed into my office. I called Beth to send over three people to get the job done in two hours. Ralph, the team leader for supplies came up after that to deliver the supplies I asked for. Everything was approved my Zeus but none of the crew knew for whom the office was. He refused to let me have my old chair and cork board. He says to get a new one and leave the old set where they were. So, I had Ralph and his team bring over furniture and office supplies.
By the time everything was done, it was 30 minutes before lunch. Zeus and Henri are both out for a meeting so I had the 10th floor to myself.
Perfect, I can take a shower before having lunch. I still can't believe I signed up for this. It's a bad situation to have a target on my back; Nothing left to do but make the most of it, I guess.
After that hot shower, time for some skin care. I missed my routine! I opened the medicine cabinet and saw that Zeus set all his grooming items to one side. Guess the other half of the cabbie is mine.
I started populating the mini storage behind the illuminated mirror with my skin care products, one by one— after using them on my face, of course.
Last for now, day moisturizer. After using a pea-sized amount on my face, I set the tube in the cabbie. That's when I noticed a blue perfume bottle. Blue so dark that at first glance, you'd think it's black. So, that's the perfume.
It was as if my hands had its own mind, I suddenly took the bottle from its spot, sprayed it on my wrist then returned it. I sniffed on my moist wrist and almost instantly, my face was as red as it can be.
What did I do? Oh, no, no, no, I flushed my wrist with water but it was no use. My skin was warm and moist from the shower when I sprayed it that my skin might have absorbed it at once. Great. Now I smell like a man.
Trying to rub it off made the scent stronger. Damn it. Annoyed, I went out of the bathroom and changed to office clothes behind the folding screen near my closet.
My phone screen says it's 12:07PM, it also says 3% left on its battery.
I looked around for an outlet so that I could plug my phone in when I realized there was a bookshelf across the bathroom. In that bookshelf were, of course, books and a suspicious vase that looks a lot like the one outside. The one used to open the door to this secret room.
Intriguing. I wrapped my towel around my head since my hair is still dripping wet, and I wouldn't want to be reprimanded over water droplets. I walked over to the shelf and grabbed the vase in the same manner as the one outside.
It was a lever.
My heart pounded a little louder as the mechanism sounded off and the shelf was released from its position.
Seriously? A secret room in a secret room? As with the shelf outside, I felt the shelf was released from its position so , I gave it a shove and it swung open like a door.
The tiny room behind the door was only as wide as the door. But it was long and at the end, there was a pedestal. I padded in a few steps as my eyes darted to an old manuscript in a glass enclosure about 12 steps away. My heart started to pounding louder and louder with every step.
There's something about that old book… My senses started to sharpen; I can hear the scrape of my bedroom slippers against the marble floor. I can smell Zeus' perfume on my wrist getting stronger by the second.
I stopped at 7 paces from the book. Someone's behind me.
"I didn't know you liked the scent that much that you'd use it." Zeus' voice was so soft and low in that room. I turned and stepped back a few paces. He walked forward and caught my back just before it could hit the pedestalled encasement. "Careful." He said.
"The same vase design for the same security system, is seriously unsecure."
He chuckled. "Noted. I'll have a new vase in here by next week.
"So, what's this?" My eyes landed on the closed manuscript that lay inside its casement.
"Priceless family heirloom in an acid free vacuum glass encasement." He said casually. They say it's the only manuscript of Elias Vine left in existence.
"What's it about?" I asked, walking around the pedestal.
"Not even my dad has opened it. The last eyes in our family to over see it open was my grandfather when he was 38, he is now 87 years old."
"Come on." He said. Grabbing my hand and guiding me out of the narrow dimly-lit room windowless room."
As soon as we were back out in the walk in closet, I shook my hand gently from his grip. And clutched the towel wrapped around my head.
"I have to dry my hair." I said. "Oh, ok." He said making his way out of his enormous closet. "By the way, you can use my perfume as much as you want." He winked at me before leaving.
"Right. I understand, sir." Anyone could hear the disappointment in my voice as I ended the call with The Patron's owner.
Zeus was looking at me as I pocketed my phone and exited his walk-in, no doubt waiting for me to explain.
So, I did. "That was Peter, my boss at The Patron," I started to explain as I closed up the hidden closet. "He's allowed me to resign but I still need to report for the next two weeks according to contract."
"I can just pay him off." Zeus said nonchalantly, as if it was just such a simple solution.
"You can be the darkest knight you want to be at any other time but this time no, thank you. That would be too suspicious and it might— Peter's buddies with my former landlord. I don't want to know what jack would come out of that box if they compared notes."
"Then I'll pay him off, too." He said twirling that limited edition pen in his hands.
"Funny. No. I don't know what you're playing at or why you seem to be bending over backwards to impress me with your swagger, your smooth talk, your gifts, or— or your perfume. But you can stop now. You don't interest me as anything more than my boss. As I have said— "
"Yes, yes, yes. Fine. Go to work later." He pointed his pen at me, "But take my driver."
"Five blocks away barely needs a driver." I snorted at the absurd idea.
"That is my condition. Take my driver and I won't have to buy The Patron."
"You wouldn't." I crossed my arms.
"Try me." He said with one corner of his lips tugging upwards slowly.
I scowled at him and left his office without saying a word.
I went to my new office, instead. Considering it was practically next door to the Aurelion office, I got there pretty quick. Either I can smell the perfume on my wrist or the guy's right behind me. Geez. that scent is... persistent.
"Knock, knock!" his voice almost made me jump. I whipped a 180 and there he was stepping in the office with a tiny succulent in a tiny pot. All the leaves were dark and nearly black with the base of each leaf fading to green.
"This is what they call a black prince succulent." He handed the tiny thing to me. The whole thing was not even bigger than my closed fist.
I looked at him.
"A house-warming gift for your new office." He said smiling, his iris seem to shimmer in between the glint of his smiling eyes.
I stared at him with only one thought in mind. I have no time for wandering thoughts like this but why is reality so temptingly stubborn?
I lightly shook my thoughts away but I am pretty sure that gentle smile is etched in my mind.
Stubborn, stubborn reality.
"Thanks. I like the color." I turned to position the plant on a low bookshelf right next to a window.
"I thought you would. Celebratory meal for your new office?"
"Nah, all we do is eat out lately. Let's do some work. I have to do some work." I walked towards him trying to shoo him out of the office. He did not move.
I held his shoulders, one in each of my hands. He froze and straightened. Totally misunderstanding my gesture, he started to step forward to close the gap between us.
I took that chance to turn him around with a push on one shoulder and pull on another. And just like that I was closing my door behind him. That scent is gonna be the death of me.
Right. Let's get to work. I exhaled as I strode towards my new table. It's polished solid wood, from what I can tell. Glass topped, like those usually seen in executive offices. this is ridiculous. I pushed off the thoughts away as notifications beeped on my phone. Damn these bills.
Yesterday's hard work was reflected in my report as the first three parts, sanitation, building maintenance, and supplies are done. Logistics is halfway there, and archival is the last one. I wondered why each department was suddenly called to do presentation reports.
Meh. As long as I am getting paid, I guess, I thought as another bill notification made my phone buzz. Ugh, I rolled my eyes and turned my phone face down on the table.
I dove into work for the next hour, hacking away at delivery records for published material, team member logs, and lorry logs. Phew! That's done. just one more part. I blew out air as I looked up at the off-white ceiling.
This office is so bright that I don't miss my old gloomy office one bit. I still have to take trips there from time to time. Nobody except Henri and Zeus knows that I have a new office space in the building.
Time to stand up, anyway. I got my tumbler and walked out of my office, noticing that the Aurelion office was closed.
"Ah, Ms. Ophelia," Henri beamed as he saw me walking down the hallway.
"I told you, Henri, you can drop the Ms.' Just 'Ophelia' is ok." I said as I entered the lounge.
"And you know that's against my grain." He shook his head once and followed me into the lounge.
"This is your dinner and these are your afternoon snacks, please don't forget to take your medication." Henri gestured to two trays, both with metal food covers.
"Thanks!" I said chuckling under my breath. "You know, you should convince your boss to stop this. I mean, I can handle my own food. He's already done so much, I might get used to this -- and that's not good." I set my tumbler down the table, noticing that the scent of Zeus' perfume is still on my wrist.
I gave it a quick sniff and I did it at the wrong time because at that exact moment, Zeus walked in.
His smug look said it all as he eyed me with my wrist still less than an inch from my nose.
Henri looked up at us, nodded once and exited the lounge.
"Your boss," He started. I hurriedly hid my hands behind me. "Won't be joining you for lunch today." He continued.
Ridiculous. "I wasn't expecting you at all. Also, I can handle my own meals. You don't have to--"
He handed me a folder, "It's in your contract. Go over this and I expect it signed before you leave for The Patron this evening."
I accepted the folder. "Ok, sure."
He left the 10th floor with Henri in tow and I froze for a moment on the spot. I opened the folder to see a Work Agreement file with my name on it.
Seven, eight, wow, eleven pages. Damn. That's a lot of conditions. Fine then, I'll go through it while having lunch.
Hmmm, he wasn't joking. Lodging with three meals a day IS included in the contract. He also added being chauffeured by his driver for two weeks to and from The Patron.
I chewed on my buttered broccoli.
Indefinite length of job duration... four hours a day for corporate investigative tasks on top of regular office hours. Night shift hourly rate... Damn.
I stared at the amount, my eyes widened at the numbers in boldface. At this rate, I'll be able to pay half of my debts by end of next year.
What's this? Monetary bonus for solving corporate case... My wide eyes went from the papers to the perfectly seasoned and seared tofu steak on my plate, and back to the numbers on the paper. I blinked at the numbers.
Where was this agreement a week ago? I could've kept my apartment...
That was dumb. I scoffed at myself. I only landed this opportunity because I sneaked in after losing access to my apartment.
Forget half, my debts will be nearly paid off if I get that monetary bonus!
Dangerous... I remembered Zeus' warning. Hmm... but he might just be exaggerating. How could there be a target on my back? For a laptop? I don't even recall putting any sensitive information in there.
Objectively, if the monetary incentives are any indication of the possible danger, then I hope I'm not in over my head. My brows furrowed at the thought.
I swallowed a huge gulp of the cold pineapple juice I have transferred to my tumbler.
I set down the signed agreement beside my plate and finished my lunch, elated and lost in premature celebration, imagining a debt-free life.