Chapter 189

Ella

A few more days passed, and much to my surprise, there were no incidents. No calls or visits from Marina, no more calls from Mr. Lawrence, and all the while, Daisy was home with my parents, safe and sound as ever.

I was beginning to think that things were looking up. Logan seemed to have everything under control, and my job was to keep the charade up, to make it appear as though I was still working for Marina.

I kept building my secret dossier against Logan, but on the side, I was building a dossier of my own. I felt like a double agent, building one case against Logan and one case for Logan; but did it really count if he knew about both?

Either way, things were looking up. And although I missed my apartment, I didn’t miss the constant fear and uncertainty of being in a place that, for all I knew, was chock-full of hidden cameras.

One day, however, that feeling changed.

It was Friday, and I had spent the day going through the usual motions. Little came out of the details regarding the suspicious overseas accounts, but I had everything saved that I possibly could, and I was ready for the weekend.

However, just as I was about to gather my belongings and head home, the secretary entered my office, wearing a nervous expression. She cleared her throat before speaking.

“Ella, there’s someone here to see you.”

I furrowed my brow, puzzled by the unexpected visitor so late in the day. “Who is it?” I asked.

The secretary hesitated for a moment before replying. “She didn’t give her name, but she insisted on seeing you.”

I nodded, feeling my heart begin to pound in my chest as I began to realize just who it might be.

Marina.

All at once, my mind began to whirl with possibilities. Had she realized what I was up to? Was she onto me, onto us? Had she realized what was happening from the get-go and was just letting me go on thinking that I was safe, that I was going to be able to get away with this? Had she just been waiting to strike?

“Ella?” the secretary repeated. I blinked, realizing that I had been sitting there, frozen, and my face had likely gone a shade of paper white.

“Um… let her in,” I managed, somehow keeping my voice steady despite how my hands had already begun to tremble.

With a nod, the secretary stepped out and closed the door behind her. The moments that passed after that felt like an eternity. I slowly sank back down into my chair, my movements stiff as I stared at the closed door.

And then there was a knock that made me jump in my seat.

“C-Come in,” I called out.

The door opened slowly, and I watched as a figure stepped into my office. She wore a wide-brimmed hat that cast a shadow over her face, but I knew who she was immediately.

“Marina,” I breathed. “What brings you here?”

She didn’t respond right away. I watched as she slowly removed her hat with her oh-so-perfectly manicured hands. Once the shadow was no longer cast over her face, her cold gaze met mine. There was a smile on her face that didn’t even come close to reaching her eyes, and it made me feel like a frightened, helpless rabbit beneath the killer gaze of a hawk.

“Ella,” she replied, her voice lilting in that way that made me feel sick to my stomach. “How lovely to see you. May I sit?”

I nodded a bit more quickly than I meant to. “Of course,” I replied, gesturing to the seat across from my desk.

With slow, calculated movements, Marina sauntered over to the chair and took a seat. She paused for a moment, looking around my office.

“I must say,” she cooed, “I thought you would be neater than this, Ella.”

I blanched a bit at her words and let out a nervous chuckle as I shuffled some papers into a pile. “Things have been hectic,” I admitted. “Between all of my smaller cases, and of course your case—”

“Oh, I don’t care,” she interrupted, checking her nails nonchalantly. “Save your breath.”

At her words, I swallowed and struggled to maintain my composure. “So,” I repeated, “what brings you here? Did you need something?”

Marina had never been on to mince words as long as I had known her, and today proved to be no different. She leaned forward, dropping her voice. “You disappeared the other night, and now it seems like you’re living with Logan. Care to explain?”

I took a deep breath, my mind whirling to come up with a lie. Logan and I had discussed it once, but I hadn’t been expecting this conversation today, and so I felt even more caught off guard.

“I…” I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady. “I have a roach problem at my apartment. I couldn’t stay there.”

Marina’s eye bore into mine. “You’re lying,” she hissed. “Do you take me for a fool?”

I almost cursed out loud. I should have known that the roach infestation was too simple of an excuse. But maybe, just maybe, that would mean she’d be more likely to believe my second lie. I managed to steel myself, sitting up a little bit straighter.

“You’re right,” I said. “I am lying.”

She chuckled and leaned back in her chair. “Go on.”

“Logan started getting suspicious,” I began, my resolve hardening with each word. “He coerced me into going out with him, and then he made me ditch my phone so he could drive me out into the desert. He interrogated me.”

As I spoke, Marina listened intently. Her eyes flashed momentarily, but it seemed like she was buying it.

“I convinced him that I had no ulterior motives,” I continued, “that I was just an attorney doing my job. He... he bought it, but he insisted that I move in with him not only so he could keep a close eye on me, but also to make himself look good to Leonard.”

Marina’s gaze remained fixed on me, her expression inscrutable. It felt like an eternity before she finally spoke, her voice laced with warning. “Ella, you had better not be playing any games. Understood?”

“Of course,” I replied with a nod that betrayed none of my terror at the moment. “I’m loyal to you, Marina.”

She leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing. “And one more thing, Ella,” she said in a hushed tone. “Don’t you dare breathe a word of this to Logan. If you do, Daisy will pay the price. Don’t you ever forget that.”

My heart raced as I absorbed Marina’s threat. The room seemed to close in on me, and I felt a bead of sweat forming on my forehead. I had to maintain the facade, at least until she left.

“I won’t say anything,” I replied, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I promise.”

Marina held my gaze for a moment longer before straightening up and turning to leave without another word.

I watched her exit my office, my hands trembling, unseen, beneath the desk.