Camille didn't like loose ends.
And Kade Wilder had become one.
It had been two weeks since her meeting with Mr. Black, and now the file lay open on the table in front of her, but she wasn't reading it anymore. She had memorized the important details, noted the inconsistencies, yet something about him about him refused to settle neatly into place.
Kade Wilder was a man who left almost no trace. Every search led to dead ends. It was infuriating, the way he seemed to exist in a world that left nothing for prying eyes. The more she watched, the more she realized how methodical he was.
Then, by coincidence, or fate, she discovered a vacancy for a secretary within his organization. The application process was far from ordinary: rigorous background checks, psychological screening, and a live assessment panel that studied her as much as she studied them.
When the confirmation email arrived that night, she allowed herself a small smile.
Finally.
The next step was simple.
Show up and blend in.
By the time morning came, Camille Devile no longer existed.
Only Camille De Luca walked into Wilder Nexus.
In her place was Camille De Luca, polished and precise, with just enough credibility to walk into Wilder Nexus without raising suspicion. The transition was seamless, as it always was, but this time she was more aware of it, more conscious of every detail she adjusted.
Not because she doubted the identity, but because she knew who she was walking toward.
Men like him were not easy to categorize on paper. Powerful, private, and influential. The kind of man who moved quietly and left very little behind.
But she had met him.
And that complicated things.
She stepped out of her car and took a moment to observe before moving. The building stood exactly as she expected it to. Tall and glass fronted, it was a fortress disguised as a corporate headquarters. Security cameras hung unobtrusively, scanners embedded in doors, reinforced steel panels, biometric access points. Security guards were present but understated. It didn't slow her down. If anything, it made her more certain she would find what she was looking for inside.
She was wearing a fitted black suit, the subtle lines accentuating her curvy frame, and a thin red scarf tucked neatly at her collar. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail. Her makeup was understated, designed to make her presentable but unremarkable. That was the goal. No one could guess the agent underneath, not from the surface, not from a glance.
At the front desk, she offered the receptionist a polite smile.
"Hi, I'm here to resume duties today as Mr. Wilder's secretary."
The blonde woman blinked, then quickly straightened.
"Oh. Yes. You're on the list. You'll need an escort for the upper floors. Please hold." She pressed a button.
That alone told Camille everything she needed to know. The presence of an escort was more than security. She noted it without comment.
"Miss De Luca?" A voice said from behind her.
Camille turned, her expression composed, and saw a smartly dressed woman.
"Yes."
"This way, please."
The private elevator swallowed them whole. As the doors slid closed, Camille's eyes flicked around. A tiny camera and a biometric scanner stood beside the panel, Kade Wilder sure as hell doesn't live carelessly.
The elevator opened to sleek black floors and a beautiful hallway. The walk to his office was short, but Camille feasted her eyes on everything. Moments later, they stopped outside a glass-walled office.
"Wait here."
Camille nodded once, watching as the assistant stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
For a brief moment, she was alone.
Her thoughts drifted before she could stop them.
The ballroom came back too easily. The music, the warmth, the way his hand had settled at her waist like it belonged there. He hadn't been trying to impress her. That was what had stood out. There had been no effort, no performance. Just quiet confidence and something else she hadn't quite been able to define.
It had unsettled her more than she had liked.
The door opened.
"Mr. Wilder will see you now."
Camille stepped inside.
Kade stood by the window, the city sprawling behind him like it belonged to him. It was an imposing view, but the man made it feel secondary. There was a quiet authority in the way he stood, relaxed yet alert, as if the world bent around him without effort.
He turned when she entered, and their eyes met.
For a heartbeat, she allowed herself the thought that maybe the universe had a cruel sense of humor. The memory of him was fresh, sharp, almost tangible. And yet, she kept her face perfectly neutral.
She waited to see if there was a flicker of recognition, but was stunned when he didn't react. There was no shift in his expression. Just calm assessment, as though she were nothing more than another name on a file.
Then realization dawned.
He doesn't remember.
Or worse… he was pretending not to.
Molten fury burned through her veins. It was him alright. She was staring into the same eyes she had looked into weeks ago beneath soft lighting and careless laughter. The same eyes that had held hers across a crowded room. The same eyes she had dreamt about.
She crushed the feeling immediately and forced her mind to work in a steady rhythm. This was a mission. Nothing else.
Steeling herself, she walked toward him steadily. "Mr. Wilder," she said, her tone professional.
Like she had never seen him before.
"You're late," he said.
She held his gaze.
"By three minutes," Camille replied evenly, voice smooth.
He raised a brow, and her stomach clenched. The grainy photo Mr. Black showed her had not prepared her for this unsettling familiarity that was sitting in her chest.
"Have we met before?" His voice was casual, almost conversational, but the weight behind it suggested it wasn't a question to be taken lightly.
"No." Camille lied smoothly.
He studied her, and for the first time, she noticed a small, subtle smile that barely lifted one corner of his mouth. She didn't let herself react, but the faint curl made something stir in her chest she didn't want to name.
"Right," he said after a pause. "I suppose introductions will do for now."
He moved toward the desk with unhurried steps, deliberate, almost predatory in the way he navigated the room, and gestured for her to sit.
Camille sat, her hands resting lightly on her lap.
"Welcome, Miss De Luca" he said. "I need my schedule updated. Confirm today's meetings. Cross-check all calls. Lunch should remain unchanged from last week. If anything is unclear, verify with the assistant downstairs."
"Yes, sir."
He slid a thin folder toward her. Their fingers brushed for half a second. She did not flinch. Training was a beautiful thing.
"Your office is directly outside mine," he added. "Close enough that I can reach you when necessary."
"Understood."
Damn... Camille clenched her fists, and groaned inwardly. He sounded dangerously attractive giving instructions. What else would he look this hot doing?
She caught herself before her thoughts wandered further.
"Miss De Luca?" Kade's voice jolted her abruptly.
"Yes?" She answered wide-eyed.
"You're staring," he said.
She straightened. "Just observing."
A beat passed.
"Good," he said. "You will need that skill here."
His indifference settled something cold in her chest. And something reckless right beneath it.
Get a grip, Devile.
She chastised herself. It was better this way.
"You may go."
Camille nodded once, walking out with steady composure. Only when the door closed behind her did she allow herself a quiet breath.
He did not recognize her. Or he pretended not to. Either way, it changed nothing. This was still a mission. He was still the target. And she was already inside his world.
Her office was minimalist. Glass desk, secure system, direct line to his office. She spent the next hour reviewing files, memorizing rhythms, absorbing the cadence of his schedule. Kade Wilder's world was structured, intentional, and controlled to the point of obsession.
Dangerous men always were.
A soft hum of the air conditioning was the only sound as she flipped through digital files. Her eyes scanned every page, every spreadsheet, every note left by assistants she had never met. She cataloged names, cross-referenced numbers, noted anomalies.
The phone on her desk rang once. Internal line.
"Yes?" she answered calmly, sitting upright.
"Bring the folder," Kade's voice said. "Now."
Camille stood immediately, anticipation curling in her bones. She pulled out her weapons, lipstick and mirror, got ready for her next encounter with her target, and walked out of her office, hips swaying seductively.
Game on.
And this time, she wasn't walking away.