Kiss Me Tomorrow

Chapter 6

Adrian's POV

Lena walked into my office carrying three folders, a notebook, and the expression of someone who had already decided she was going to prove me wrong.

I liked that expression.

I probably shouldn't have.

"You said I was missing something."

"I said you were staring at the same documents."

"That's not the same thing."

"It is when you've been staring at them for three hours."

She put the folders on my desk.

I looked at her.

"You've been counting?"

"I have a watch."

"Of course you do."

Her eyes narrowed.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing."

"It didn't sound like nothing."

"It wasn't."

She folded her arms.

I almost smiled.

Lena Hart had a remarkable ability to turn ordinary conversations into negotiations.

I walked around the desk.

"Show me what you found."

She followed me toward the conference table.

I'd had the staff clear it earlier. The documents she had been reviewing were already arranged in neat rows across the surface.

She stopped.

"You moved them."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you were looking at them from the wrong angle."

She stared at me.

"You're going to have to explain that."

I pointed to the first group.

"These are the transactions reported in the leak."

Then the second.

"These are the legitimate transfers."

She looked between them.

"They don't match."

"Exactly."

She pulled out a chair.

I sat across from her.

"Tell me what you see."

She studied the papers.

"Someone wants the suspicious transfers to look like they're coming from Vale Industries."

"Yes."

"But the money isn't actually leaving the company."

"Not directly."

Her eyes moved to the third group.

"The subsidiaries."

I nodded.

She leaned closer.

"These companies are all connected."

"Somewhat."

"Not enough to prove anything."

"Yet."

She looked up.

"You knew."

"I suspected."

"When?"

"Before I hired you."

Her expression tightened.

"That's becoming a very irritating answer."

"I know."

She went back to the documents.

For several minutes, neither of us spoke.

I watched her work.

She didn't rush.

That was something I had noticed almost immediately.

Most people looked for the most obvious answer because they wanted to be finished.

Lena looked for the answer that explained everything.

She tapped one of the papers.

"This company."

"Mercer Development Group."

"It was dissolved two years ago."

"Yes."

"But it received funding from Vale Industries eight years ago."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Property development."

"That's what the public record says."

I looked at her.

She gave me a small smile.

"But you don't believe it."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because my father didn't invest in property."

She sat back.

"Then what did he invest in?"

"Technology. Infrastructure. Manufacturing."

"Not real estate."

"No."

She looked down again.

"Then why would Vale Industries fund Mercer?"

"That's what I've been trying to find out."

She looked at me.

"And this is connected to my father?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

"You just said you don't know."

"I don't."

"Then why did you look at me like that?"

I paused.

Because she was becoming very good at reading me.

"Because you're asking the right questions."

She seemed satisfied with that answer.

For now.

She picked up another document.

"This transaction."

"What about it?"

"It happened three days before my father's case became public."

I nodded.

"Yes."

"Why didn't anyone investigate it?"

"They did."

"Then?"

"The records disappeared."

She looked at me.

"Convenient."

"Very."

She leaned back.

"This is going to take longer than six months."

"Probably."

"Good."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Good?"

"I hate easy cases."

I smiled.

"I noticed."

She gave me a look.

"You're enjoying this."

"Maybe."

"You really are impossible."

"So you've said."

She shook her head and returned to the papers.

I watched her for another moment.

Then I realized I was no longer looking at the documents.

I was looking at her.

The way a loose strand of hair had fallen near her cheek.

The small crease between her eyebrows when she concentrated.

The way she pressed her lips together when she was trying to solve something.

I looked away.

This was exactly what I had been trying to avoid.

Curiosity was one thing.

Attraction was another.

Neither belonged in this investigation.

"Lena."

"Hmm?"

"Take a break."

She looked up.

"Why?"

"You've been working since noon."

"So have you."

"I'm not the one who looks like she forgot what food is."

She glanced toward the lunch container I'd sent earlier.

"I ate."

"Half."

"You counted?"

"I saw it."

She smiled.

"You're observant."

"I have to be."

"Why?"

"Because people lie."

She looked at me for a moment.

"Do you think I'm lying to you?"

"No."

The answer came too quickly.

She noticed.

Something changed in her expression.

I looked away first.

"Let's get coffee."

She blinked.

"Coffee?"

"Yes."

"You're asking me to take a break?"

"Yes."

"From work?"

"Yes."

She studied me suspiciously.

"Why?"

"Because you're beginning to look at those papers like they're going to personally apologize."

A laugh escaped her.

I hadn't expected it.

It was soft and completely unguarded.

And for a second, the room felt different.

"Fine," she said. "Coffee."

---

The executive floor had a small private lounge that most employees rarely used.

It was quieter than the main cafeteria and had a view of the city.

Lena walked beside me.

She looked around.

"You have a coffee machine that costs more than my first car."

"That's an exaggeration."

"I looked it up."

I glanced at her.

"You researched the coffee machine?"

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

"I can tell."

"From what?"

"The buttons."

I laughed.

She looked surprised.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You laughed."

"I do that."

"Apparently not around other people."

I poured coffee into two cups.

She added milk.

No sugar.

I remembered that.

She noticed me watching.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You keep saying that."

"You keep asking."

"Because you keep looking at me."

I stopped.

She had caught me again.

"I'm trying to understand you."

Her hand paused around the cup.

"Why?"

"Because you're working for me."

"That's a convenient excuse."

I took a sip of coffee.

"Maybe."

She looked toward the windows.

"Do you always work this late?"

"Usually."

"Why?"

"I like quiet."

"You said that yesterday."

"I meant it."

She nodded.

For a while, we simply stood there.

No investigation.

No accusations.

No family secrets.

Just coffee and a view of Manhattan.

It was strangely peaceful.

I wasn't used to peaceful.

My life had become a series of problems waiting to be solved.

There was always another meeting.

Another board member.

Another decision.

Another person expecting something from me.

But Lena didn't seem to expect anything.

She wasn't trying to impress me.

She wasn't trying to gain access to my world.

She didn't care that my last name was Vale.

That was rare.

"Why crisis management?" I asked.

She looked at me.

"What?"

"Your career."

She smiled faintly.

"I like fixing things."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the answer."

"You could have chosen something easier."

"Easy is boring."

"That's the second time you've said that."

"Maybe it's true."

I studied her.

"Did you always know what you wanted?"

She laughed.

"No."

"What changed?"

She looked down at her coffee.

"My father."

I said nothing.

"I learned early that one bad story can change someone's entire life."

Her voice was quiet.

"People stopped seeing him as my father. He became the man who stole from Vale Industries."

I felt something tighten in my chest.

She continued.

"Even people who barely knew us looked at my family differently."

"I'm sorry."

She looked at me.

I rarely said those words.

She seemed to notice.

"You don't have to be."

"I know."

"Then why say it?"

"Because I am."

She looked away.

For several seconds, she didn't speak.

Then she said, "I don't want pity."

"I know."

"I don't want anyone treating me differently because of what happened."

"I know."

"And I definitely don't want your family deciding what my life should look like."

I held her gaze.

"They won't."

"You can't promise that."

"I can."

She gave me a skeptical look.

"You sound very sure."

"I am."

"That's another one of your problems."

"What?"

"You think you can control everything."

I smiled faintly.

"Maybe."

"You don't have to."

I looked at her.

She didn't know how much I needed someone to say that.

"You sound like you know me."

"I don't."

"Good."

"Why good?"

"Because knowing me is complicated."

She smiled.

"You're not the only complicated person here."

For some reason, that made me smile.

We stood there until her phone buzzed.

She glanced at the screen.

"Mia."

"Your friend?"

"Yes."

"Answer."

"Why?"

"She'll keep calling."

Lena laughed.

"You're right."

She answered.

"Hey."

I walked toward the windows to give her privacy.

I could hear only pieces of the conversation.

"Yes."

"No."

"I'm still at Vale."

"Because I'm working."

A pause.

"No, Mia."

Another pause.

Then Lena laughed.

I turned before I could stop myself.

She was smiling.

Not the polite smile she'd given me.

A real one.

I looked away.

When she ended the call, she walked over.

"Sorry."

"About what?"

"She wanted to know why I was still here."

"And what did you tell her?"

"The truth."

"Which was?"

"I'm working."

I looked at her.

"Good."

She rolled her eyes.

"You really like that word."

"Which word?"

"Good."

"I suppose I do."

She picked up her coffee.

"Can we go back to the documents?"

"Of course."

We returned to the conference room.

This time, the atmosphere felt different.

Not dramatically.

Just easier.

She sat across from me and began sorting the papers.

I watched her for a moment.

Then she pointed at one of the documents.

"Wait."

"What?"

She moved the paper closer.

"This date."

I looked.

"What about it?"

"Look at the other transactions."

I leaned over.

She arranged four documents side by side.

"These all happened around the same time."

"Yes."

"But they're not connected by the companies."

"No."

"They're connected by the people who approved them."

I looked again.

Three names appeared repeatedly.

My expression hardened.

"You're right."

She smiled.

"I know."

"Don't get too excited."

"I am absolutely going to get excited."

She pointed at one name.

"Who is this?"

I stared at it.

A senior financial officer.

He had worked for Vale Industries for more than fifteen years.

Reliable.

Quiet.

Almost invisible.

"Jonathan Reed."

"Do you trust him?"

"He's been with the company a long time."

"That's not what I asked."

I looked at her.

She was serious.

"I don't know."

"Then investigate him."

I nodded.

"You're learning."

She smiled.

"No. I'm teaching."

I almost laughed.

She gathered the papers.

"I'll start with his financial history."

"I'll have security pull his access records."

"Good."

She looked at me.

I raised an eyebrow.

She smiled.

"See? You're rubbing off on me."

"I was going to say the same thing."

She stood.

"Don't get used to it."

"Too late."

The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

She froze.

I froze too.

For one second, neither of us moved.

Then she looked down at her watch.

"It's late."

"Yes."

"I should go."

I nodded.

"I'll walk you down."

"You don't have to."

"I know."

She didn't argue.

We left the conference room together.

The executive floor was nearly empty now.

Most of the lights had been turned off.

Our footsteps echoed through the corridor.

When we reached the elevator, she pressed the button.

Neither of us spoke.

The doors opened.

She stepped inside.

I stayed outside.

"Goodnight, Adrian."

"Goodnight, Lena."

The doors began to close.

At the last second, she looked at me.

"Eat something too."

I smiled.

"Was that an order?"

"Advice."

"I'll consider it."

The doors closed.

I stood there for a moment.

Then I turned back toward my office.

The strange warmth I'd felt earlier hadn't disappeared.

It had settled somewhere deeper.

And I didn't like how much I wanted to see her again tomorrow.

I walked back into my office.

The security chief was waiting.

His expression was serious.

"What happened?"

"We traced the unauthorized access."

I stopped.

"And?"

He handed me a report.

"It wasn't Jonathan Reed."

I looked at the page.

"Then who?"

"We don't know yet."

I scanned the information.

The access had been routed through several systems.

Professional.

Careful.

Expensive.

Whoever was doing this knew exactly what they were doing.

"There's something else," he said.

I looked up.

"What?"

"The person didn't just access the files."

My stomach tightened.

"What did they do?"

"They opened one specific document."

"Which one?"

He handed me another page.

I read the title.

My blood went cold.

Thomas Hart — Internal Investigation Report.

I looked toward the elevator.

Lena had left less than a minute ago.

The security chief continued.

"They didn't download it."

"Then what?"

"They changed something."

I stared at the report.

"What?"

"The final page was previously blank."

He swallowed.

"Now there's a message on it."

I took the page from him.

At the bottom, someone had typed six words.

She was never supposed to find out.

I read it twice.

Then I looked at the closed elevator doors.

For the first time that evening, the quiet between Lena and me no longer felt peaceful.

It felt like the calm before something neither of us was ready for.