Ryan Edwards
The office emptied with the slow hush of after-hours, but my mind kept hammering one truth: a single half-believable excuse wasn’t enough. If Lily stayed suspicious, every glance, every question would slice a little deeper until the whole façade bled out in front of her.
I needed something ordinary, something that looked like the real life of a mid-level employee who definitely didn’t own penthouses or private jets.
That was why I’d rented the small apartment in the first place.
Time to use it.
I found Lily at her desk around six, packing her laptop. She didn’t glance up.
“Hey.” I kept my tone light. “Small panic. Theo needs tomorrow’s payroll review sheets. I, uh, left the signed originals at my place.”
She slid her gaze to me. “You can scan them in the morning.”
“Fin
