The ride to the penthouse was shorter than Evelyn expected, but the silence inside the car made every minute feel like an hour. Victor kept his eyes on the road, his hands steady on the wheel, while Xander stared out the side window, his reflection ghostly against the glass.
They pulled into a private underground garage that felt more like a bunker. The walls were thick concrete, and the lighting was a dim, sterile blue. Victor killed the engine, and the quiet that followed was absolute.
"We're here," Xander said, finally looking at her.
"I can see that," Evelyn replied. She didn't move. "Xander, this is too much. I have a life. I have bills to pay, a neighbor who expects me to check in, a routine. You can't just erase my existence because you're paranoid."
"Paranoia is just a high level of awareness, Evelyn," Xander said, opening his door. "And right now, your routine is what's going to get you killed. Get out of the car."
Victor took her bags and led them to a private elevator. There were no buttons, just a small glass panel. Xander stepped forward, leaned in for a retinal scan, and pressed his thumb against a sensor. The doors slid open with a soft hiss.
"The elevator doesn't move without my biometrics or Victor's," Xander explained as they rose. "The stairwell door is alarmed and linked directly to a private security firm. You're safe here."
"I feel like I'm in a high-tech prison," she muttered.
The doors opened directly into the penthouse. It was massive, open spaces, dark wood floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows that made it feel like they were floating over the city.
"Victor, put her things in the east guest room," Xander ordered. He turned to Evelyn. "There's food in the kitchen. Don't touch the liquor cabinet. I'll see you in the morning."
"Xander.."
"Goodnight, Evelyn." He didn't wait for a response before walking toward his own wing of the house.
Victor led her down a long hallway to a room that was larger than her entire apartment. "The bathroom is through that door. There are fresh towels and robes. If you're hungry, I can make you something."
"I'm fine, Victor. Thanks," Evelyn said, sitting on the edge of the bed. It was too soft.
"I'll be right outside," Victor said. He paused at the door. "It's for your own good, Ms. Hart. Mr. Voss doesn't do this for just anyone."
Once the door clicked shut, Evelyn waited. She waited for the sound of his footsteps to fade before she went to her bag. She pulled out her laptop and flipped it open. The screen flickered to life, but before she could even click an icon, a small window popped up.
VOSS_PRIVATE: I'm watching the traffic on this machine, Evelyn. Don't do anything stupid.
She snapped the laptop shut. He was everywhere. She felt a surge of panic, but she forced herself to breathe. She went back to her suitcase, reaching deep into the lining of the side pocket. Her fingers found the small, hard shape of the burner phone.
She ducked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the sound of the water mask her voice. She dialed Ryan's number from memory.
"Evelyn?" Ryan's voice was frantic. "Where are you? I went to your apartment, the door was locked, but the neighbor said she saw you getting into a black car with two men."
"I'm with Xander," she whispered. "He moved me to his penthouse. Ryan, someone was at my apartment tonight. A guy in a hoodie. Xander has it on camera."
"Listen to me," Ryan said, his tone turning sharp and serious. "Don't trust him. He's trying to isolate you. He probably staged that footage himself to scare you into his house. Did you eat anything? Drink anything he gave you?"
"No, why?"
"He's a manipulator, Evie. He wants you to be dependent. I'm working on getting a warrant to check the building's security logs, but it's going to take time. Just stay alert. I'll get you out of there."
"I lost the files, Ryan. The drive was corrupted."
"Don't worry about the files," he said quickly. "Just worry about staying safe. I'm right here. I'm watching out for you."
Evelyn hung up and hid the phone back in her bag. She didn't sleep well. Every creak of the building sounded like a footstep.
The next morning, the penthouse was filled with the smell of expensive coffee. Evelyn wandered into the kitchen and found an older woman in a neat apron polishing the marble island.
"Oh, you must be the new one," the woman said, giving her a kind smile. "I'm Mrs. Gable. I handle the house."
"Evelyn," she said. "The 'new one'?"
"Mr. Voss doesn't usually have guests stay the night," Mrs. Gable said, sliding a plate of eggs and toast toward her. "Not since Miss Langford left."
Evelyn froze. "You knew Mia?"
"A sweet girl," Mrs. Gable sighed, leaning against the counter. "Always so busy, always looking over her shoulder. She spent a lot of time in the library, reading those old law books. She seemed sad toward the end. Sad but... determined, I suppose. Like she was looking for something she couldn't find."
"Did she ever say what it was?"
"No, dear. She was very private. Mr. Voss was very protective of her, too. Just like he is with you."
After breakfast, Evelyn went to the library Mrs. Gable had mentioned. It was a small, wood-paneled room tucked away from the main living area. She spent an hour pulling books off the shelves, looking for anything Mia might have left behind.
On the bottom shelf, behind a thick volume on Corporate Law, she found it. A small, crumpled scrap of paper.
It was a receipt from a pharmacy in a rough neighborhood near Scotland Yard. The date was six months ago, the exact day Mia had vanished.
The front door opened, and she heard Xander's voice. She shoved the receipt into her pocket just as he walked into the library.
"You're up," he said. He was wearing a different suit, looking as if he'd already worked an eight-hour day. "We have dinner tonight. A charity gala for the hospital wing."
"I don't have anything to wear to a gala, Xander."
"I took care of that," he said, gesturing to a box Victor was carrying. "Be ready by seven. People will be looking at us, Evelyn. They expect me to be with someone who fits the part. If we're going to make this cover work, you need to look like you belong to me."
He stepped closer, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers were cold, but his gaze was uncomfortably warm.
"Do you understand?" he asked.
"I understand," she said, her heart thumping.
"Good. Don't be late."
As he walked away, Evelyn reached into her pocket and gripped the receipt. The pharmacy was only a few blocks from her office. Mia had gone there right before she disappeared. Now, Evelyn just had to figure out how to get there without Xander's shadow following her every move.