Chapter 5 Allied in Shadows

The next day at the office, Riley sat at her desk alongside her co-workers, focused on her tasks. The quiet hum of work was broken when Vanessa, one of her colleagues, spoke up.

"Oh, Riley! We're going to a singles party tonight. You should come!"

Another co-worker chimed in, agreeing with Vanessa.

"Yeah, you really should come."

Riley shook her head. "No, I can't. I have a date."

Just as the words left her mouth, Wyatt was passing by and overheard her.

"Riley, my office. Now," he said, his voice calm but firm.

Riley's heart raced. Oh God, I hope he doesn't want to talk about last night, she thought to herself.

"Yes, sir," she replied, rising from her desk.

As they walked to his office, Wyatt's voice broke the silence.

"I think we need to get on the same page."

Riley stood attentively as Wyatt gave his instructions. "The project we're presenting-I need you to go through it and bring it to my desk."

"Okay, sir," Riley replied, turning to leave.

"Not so fast," Wyatt said, stopping her in her tracks.

She turned back, confused. "I need you..." he began, then hesitated. Riley raised a brow, waiting.

"...to help me pick out a handbag," he finally said.

Is he asking me to help him pick a bag for his girlfriend? Riley wondered. But she nodded and said, "Okay, sir."

At the mall, Wyatt let Riley take charge of picking the handbag. As she browsed the collection, she held up one and asked, "Is $2,000 an okay price point for you?"

"The amount isn't the problem. Just get whatever you like," Wyatt replied casually.

As they finalized the purchase, the saleslady smiled at them. "You're so lucky! Your boyfriend is really sweet."

Riley immediately shook her head. "Uh, he's not my boyfriend. He's my boss."

The saleslady chuckled. "Well, he must be a great boss then."

Riley simply nodded in agreement.

Just as they were about to leave, a particular handbag caught Riley's eye. She picked it up, inspecting the price tag.

"Holy... This is so expensive," she muttered.

Wyatt noticed her reaction. "You like that one too?"

Riley opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say a word, Wyatt turned to the saleslady.

package the two of them. "I'll take both."

Riley blinked in surprise. His girlfriend must be really lucky, she thought to herself.

Wyatt walked over to her, holding out the second handbag. "These are-"

Before he could finish, Riley spoke up. "These bags are really beautiful. I bet your girlfriend will love them."

Wyatt stared at her for a moment, realizing what she thought. She thinks I'm buying them for my girlfriend...

"You can have this one," he said, handing her the bag she admired.

Riley's eyes widened. "No, sir. I can't accept this. It's a $7,000 handbag!"

Wyatt simply smirked. "You're my personal assistant, and you represent me. Think of it as part of your uniform."

Before she could argue further, he turned toward the exit.

"Let's go," he said, leaving Riley speechless.

When they returned to the office, Riley immediately got back to work, immersing herself in her tasks.

"Your cookies, madam," a familiar voice teased from behind her.

She turned and smiled upon seeing Jay. Standing up, she gave him a quick hug. "Thanks for dropping this off for me. I'll meet you at dinner later," she said warmly.

Unknown to them, Wyatt had been watching from a distance. His jaw tightened slightly. That must be her date, he thought to himself. He's definitely not what I pictured.

Snapping back to the conversation, Jay sighed.

"I just wish Ivy was gonna be there."

Riley raised a brow.

"She moved out super abruptly, and now she's not picking up or returning my calls."

"Don't worry," Jay added with a smirk. "I'll work my magic on her."

With that, he turned and headed out, leaving Riley deep in thought.

Wyatt, who had been watching everything unfold, finally tore his gaze away and headed back to his office.

Once inside, he barely had time to gather his thoughts before Miranda walked in. She stumbled upon something on his desk and paused.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was here," she said, looking at the elegantly wrapped package.

"It's fine," Wyatt replied absentmindedly.

Miranda hesitated before asking, "Did you buy this for your girlfriend? For Valentine's Day?"

Wyatt exhaled, his mind racing. The less people know the truth, the better, he thought to himself.

"Yeah, sure," he said vaguely. Then, shifting gears, he added, "Actually, Miranda, could you deliver those to my house?"

Miranda's face lit up. "I would love to, Mr. Wyatt! Thank you."

Wyatt gave a small nod. "Okay, Miranda."

With that, he left the office, leaving her to handle the delivery.

Later that day, Miranda arrived at Wyatt's house where she unexpectedly met Ivy.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Miranda," Ivy said with a polite smile. Then, tilting her head curiously, she asked, "Do you know if Mr. Wyatt has any plans for Valentine's Day?"

Miranda hesitated for a moment before responding, "No, he's really busy and won't be back until late. But he did want me to bring this to you personally."

She handed over the parcel, watching Ivy's reaction closely.

Ivy carefully unwrapped it and let out a small gasp. "Wow... I helped pick this out myself," Miranda admitted, her voice carrying a hint of something unspoken.

Ivy's fingers traced the elegant material as she smiled. "It's gorgeous."

"Well, you're the first of Mr. Wyatt's girlfriends I've ever met."

Ivy eyes widened slightly. "You must be joking," she said, clearly caught off guard.

Miranda simply smirked.

Miranda's expression shifted, and she leaned in slightly. "You know, Miss Ivy, I have a feeling that we could help one another."