Evelyn Hart sat at her desk, staring at the stack of cold case files in front of her. Six months of dead ends. Six months of Mia Langford disappearing without a trace. Every lead had been followed, every witness questioned, yet nothing had come up.
"Evelyn?" her director's voice came over the phone. Sharp, impatient. "Do you have anything for me?"
"I… I'm still working on it," she said, forcing calm into her voice.
"Working it?" he barked. "You've had six months. One more wasted month and this case is off your desk. One more!"
She swallowed hard, rubbing her temples. "Yes, sir. I understand."
She hung up and leaned back in her chair. The office was quiet except for the hum of computers and the occasional shuffle of papers. Her fingers drummed on the desk. She hadn't been this frustrated in years. Nothing made sense.
The knock on her office door startled her. "Come in," she called.
Detective Lawson poked his head in. "Got a minute?"
"Sure," she said, forcing a smile.
He stepped in, holding a folder. "This just came in from corporate. It's an unusual assignment. You might want to sit down."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Corporate?"
Lawson nodded. "You're going undercover. Executive assistant to Alexander Voss."
Her heart skipped a beat. "Xander Voss?"
"The billionaire," he confirmed. "You're to observe, report, and find anything related to Mia Langford's disappearance. Be careful, he's… complicated."
Complicated didn't even begin to cover it. Evelyn had heard the rumors: controlling, cold, ruthless. Dangerous. Perfect suspect.
"Understood," she said. She didn't add that she already had a sinking feeling this assignment would ruin her life.
Evelyn stood in the lobby of Voss Industries, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. She adjusted her blazer for the fifth time, trying to calm the fluttering in her stomach. The assignment was simple in theory: get close, observe, and find anything about Mia Langford's disappearance. In practice… It was terrifying.
She glanced at the large glass doors separating the lobby from Xander's office. Beyond them, the city lights stretched endlessly. She told herself it was just a building, just a job, but every instinct in her body screamed otherwise.
A receptionist looked up as she passed. "Ms. Hart?"
"Yes," Evelyn said, keeping her voice calm. "I'm here for the executive assistant position."
The woman gave her a polite smile. "Mr. Voss will see you now. Take the elevator to the thirty-second floor."
Evelyn nodded and pressed the button. The elevator dinged, doors sliding open smoothly. As she stepped in, she tried to focus on her breathing, forcing her mind to quiet. This was just a meeting. Nothing more.
The ride up was silent except for the faint hum of the machinery. Evelyn's thoughts spun: Be professional. Observe. Don't let him see anything.
The doors opened. A large office space stretched before her, modern and cold. Xander Voss sat behind an expansive desk, typing something into his laptop. His posture was perfect, almost rigid. He didn't look up when she entered.
"Ms. Hart," he said finally, voice calm but commanding. "Take a seat."
She sat, trying not to fidget. Every instinct in her body wanted to measure him, understand him, gauge how dangerous he could be.
"You've worked in a corporation before?" he asked, eyes finally lifting from the screen to meet hers.
"Yes. For five years," she said. "Mostly executive support, scheduling, reports… general office management."
He nodded once, then returned to typing. Evelyn waited, unsure if that was the end or just the beginning.
After a moment, he leaned back, hands clasped behind his head. "Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work."
She blinked. "Uh… once, I scheduled two meetings at the same time. It caused some confusion, but I immediately corrected it and apologized to both parties. It was resolved quickly."
Xander's lips quirked slightly, but he didn't comment further. Instead, he tapped his fingers on the desk, staring at the city outside. "Good. Honesty."
She nodded, though the tension in her chest only grew. His gaze felt heavy, like it was measuring her every move.
"I work late if needed," she said, attempting to sound casual. "I make sure deadlines are met."
A pause. "Do you ever stay late because you want to?" His tone was neutral, but there was something in his voice that made her stomach tighten.
"Sometimes," she admitted, realizing she hadn't meant to say that out loud. She shifted in her seat, trying to smooth the edges of the lie.
He raised an eyebrow. "Sometimes… or often?"
Evelyn swallowed. "Depends on the project."
"Mm." He leaned forward suddenly, elbows on the desk. "You're observant, aren't you?"
"I try to be," she replied carefully. "It helps in my work."
"Good." He sat back again. "Observation is important. You'll need it here. People say one thing. They do another. The truth is usually in the small details."
Evelyn felt a shiver run down her spine. The first real rule of being undercover flashed in her mind: never let him see how much you notice.
There was a knock at the door. A young intern poked his head in. "Mr. Voss, your 10 a.m. call is on the line. They're waiting."
"Thank you," Xander said, eyes not leaving Evelyn. "Ms. Hart, can you handle the schedules for the next hour while I'm on the call?"
"Of course," she said, standing. She moved toward his desk, careful not to invade his space. Her hand brushed a stack of folders, and she caught herself, forcing her expression to stay neutral.
He studied her as she worked. "Be precise. Don't skip steps."
She nodded, filing papers exactly where they belonged. A bead of sweat prickled the back of her neck. Every small movement felt exaggerated under his gaze.
Half an hour passed. Xander was on the phone, deep in conversation. Evelyn kept her distance, observing. She noticed the way he frowned slightly when something wasn't right in the documents, how he tapped his pen against the desk in rhythm, how he occasionally closed his eyes and exhaled sharply. Small details she would never have noticed in someone else.
Once the call ended, he looked at her. "You're very quiet for someone who wants to impress me."
"I'm listening," she said. "Trying to understand the way things work here."
He leaned back, a small smirk crossing his face. "Good. Listen more than you speak. That's a useful trait. You'll need it in this job. And… it tells me if I can trust you."
"Understood," she said.
He stood suddenly. "Come with me. I want to show you something."
Evelyn followed him down a hallway lined with glass offices. She noticed small details: a coffee cup left too long on one desk, papers stacked haphazardly in another, a half-empty bottle of water on a shelf. Everything looked normal, but her detective instincts whispered otherwise.
They stopped in front of a conference room. Xander pressed a button, and the glass wall became opaque. "Privacy," he said simply.
Inside, a small group of employees were discussing reports. Xander handed Evelyn a folder. "Review these and summarize any inconsistencies for me by noon."
"Yes, sir," she said, opening the folder.
He lingered for a moment, then nodded. "Good work, so far. Keep it up."
Evelyn felt her chest tighten. Every interaction was layered. Every instruction came with a hidden test. She had to stay alert, this wasn't just about paperwork.
"Ms. Hart," he said suddenly. "What do you think of this team?"
"They seem competent," she replied honestly. "Focused, efficient. But… There are small mistakes here and there. Nothing critical, but noticeable if you pay attention."
He studied her. "I like that answer. Honest, but careful. You might survive here after all."
Evelyn forced a small smile, though her mind raced. Survive… That word echoed in her head. She realized the trap she'd stepped into. Not just a job, not just a case but something more dangerous.
Xander glanced at the clock. "Take a short break. Get some coffee. Then come back and continue with the files."
She nodded and stepped out. As she poured a cup, her hand trembled slightly. This was more than she'd expected. More complicated. More… intense.
And somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew: the first mistake had already been made the moment she agreed to step into Xander Voss's world.