It didn't take long for her to get back to Asher's place and change.
She'd wrapped up everything at the office—well, mostly. Even if she hadn't, she would've shoved it aside. This was her only chance to search the house without being disturbed. No way she was wasting it on paperwork.
Still… she couldn't help but wonder.
What was so important that he had to come home late?
Work? Business? Or something else entirely?
She shook her head.
Not her concern.
Why he came back late didn't matter. If it were up to her, she'd have told him not to come back at all.
But unfortunately, this was his house.
"Now, let's see," she murmured, making her way to Asher's study.
To her surprise, the door was unlocked.
That was... convenient.
Too convenient.
She frowned. What kind of man left his study open like this? Did he have nothing to hide? Or did he simply think no one would dare touch his stuff?
Arrogant or careless—it didn't matter. It worked in her favor.
She didn't need to waste time cracking the lock.
Whether he had secrets or not, one thing remained certain:
He was going to die.
She stepped inside, groping for the light switch in the dark. A second later, the room lit up with a soft flicker. The space was underwhelming. Typical study vibes.
Shelves with books filled in them was circled around the room. A table stood at the center, papers scattered across it. His laptop sat there too, just… waiting.
Odd.
Why would he leave something so important just lying around?
Or maybe this was a decoy—something he only used for unimportant tasks.
Still, this was perfect.
If she could sync the laptop to hers, she could track everything he was doing.
Of course, she'd need to bypass the password.
But that wouldn't be a problem.
She turned on her heel and went back to the bedroom to grab her USB drive—her little hacking lifesaver.
---
HOURS LATER...
The laptop was closed and placed exactly as she'd found it, wiped clean of any sign it had been touched.
She took one last look around the study, but there was nothing else worth snooping through. No hidden files. No secret folders. Just boring corporate clutter.
She moved on, searching other rooms. Still nothing.
By the end of her search, the conclusion was clear:
Other than the security system and a few cameras, there was nothing suspicious.
No hidden compartments. No shady documents.
Just a regular—suspiciously clean—house.
Maybe she was just being paranoid.
Or maybe she wasn't.
For now, at least, she could breathe.
Then a voice behind her sliced through the silence like a blade.
"Were you waiting up for me?"
She froze.
Her hand had been reaching for a glass of water. After all that snooping, she was parched.
But Asher—he wasn't supposed to be here yet.
She hadn't heard the door. No footsteps. Nothing.
Was she really that lost in thought?
"You seem surprised I'm back," he said, a grin playing on his lips. That same infuriatingly smug smile.
"You said you'd be home late, so..." she trailed off, caught off guard. Why was she the one flustered?
"Well, it's nearly midnight," he said with a smirk. "Isn't that late enough?"
Midnight?
Had she really been at it for that long?
"And here I thought you were waiting for me," he added with mock hurt, clutching his chest like a bad soap opera actor.
She rolled her eyes.
"Go upstairs and freshen up. I'll make you a quick dinner."
"Don't worry. I already ate," he said, turning to head up the stairs.
She stood there, watching his back disappear.
She never thought she'd offer to make dinner for anyone—especially not for a man.
And not like this.
It felt... strangely nice.
Too bad it wouldn't last.