Chapter 5 5

Keely stood outside the heavy doors of the penthouse. She closed her eyes and took one last, deep breath.

She adjusted her face into a soft, tired smile. She pushed the door open and dragged her suitcase inside, making sure the wheels clattered loudly against the floor.

Haden walked out of the living room. He wore a crisp silk loungewear set.

His face lit up with a flawless, gentle smile. He walked over and took the suitcase from her hand.

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"How was the West Coast, baby? You look exhausted," he murmured.

Keely smelled the fresh body wash on his skin. He had showered. Her throat tightened with a sudden urge to gag.

She forced her smile wider. She leaned her head against his shoulder.

"It was a long flight," she lied softly.

Haden wrapped his arm around her waist. His hand twitched, and he subconsciously adjusted the cuff of his silk sleeve-a small, nervous tell she knew meant he was tense or trying to hide something.

"Julian Carlisle is hosting a birthday party at Soho House this weekend," Haden said. "I want you there. I want everyone to see my beautiful wife."

Keely nodded obediently. "I'd love to."

Haden smiled. He patted her hair. "Let me make you some coffee."

He turned and walked toward the open kitchen.

The second his back was turned, the warmth vanished from Keely's eyes. They went dead.

She slipped into the walk-in closet. She stripped off her travel clothes. She pulled on a sharp, tailored black suit.

She grabbed a plain leather briefcase. She walked out the side door, perfectly avoiding the blind spots of the penthouse cameras.

She took the subway to Times Square, then transferred twice to make sure she wasn't followed.

She walked into an inconspicuous, brick industrial building in Brooklyn.

Beside what looked like an abandoned freight elevator, she swiped an encrypted keycard against a completely unremarkable patch of the wall. Instantly, a hidden iris scanner slid out from the brickwork, a red laser sweeping across her eye. Once verified, an entire section of the wall slid silently inward, revealing the true, high-tech elevator. She pressed the button for the top floor.

The doors slid open. The futuristic headquarters of Aeon Tech hummed with energy.

Massive holographic screens floated in the air. Dozens of elite engineers typed furiously at their stations.

Arthur Dalton, her COO, rushed toward her holding a tablet.

"You almost missed the core tech meeting," Arthur complained.

Keely tossed her briefcase to an assistant. She pulled her hair up into a tight knot as she walked.

Her posture changed. The dependent canary was gone. The ruthless CTO of a tech empire took over.

She marched toward the central glass conference room.

The engineers stopped talking. They watched her with absolute respect.

Keely pushed the glass doors open. The room fell dead silent. She walked to the head of the table and planted her hands on the glass.