Chapter 3 Masks and Motives

Emily sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone like it might suddenly give her the answers she desperately needed. Instead, the screen remained stubbornly blank, the message thread with Nick silent and cold.

What am I even doing? she wondered, twisting the phone between her hands. Her mind was a mess of questions, and her heart-well, it was still doing that ridiculous drum solo every time she thought about the guy who was more than just her shirtless, pasta-cooking roommate.

She wasn't supposed to be interested. Roommate rule number one: no thirsting over the hot mystery man. Rule number two: don't dig into the secrets he clearly wanted buried.

And yet, here she was.

A soft knock on her door jolted her from her spiraling thoughts.

"Hey," Nick's voice came from the other side, low and casual like he hadn't just dropped a bombshell about being a CEO. "You up?"

Emily hesitated for a moment, then pushed herself off the bed. "Yeah. Come in."

Nick stepped inside, eyes scanning the small room like he was calculating every inch. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, crossing his arms.

"You okay?" he asked, voice softer this time.

Emily shrugged, folding her arms defensively. "I'm fine. Just... processing."

"Yeah, I figured," he said with a small, tired smile. "I didn't mean to drag you into all this."

She looked up sharply. "You didn't have to tell me anything. You could've kept your secrets."

"Maybe I should have," Nick admitted. "But you deserved the truth."

Emily swallowed, trying to keep her face neutral. "Why didn't you just come clean from the start? Why pretend?"

Nick looked away, jaw tight. "Because the truth is messy. Because I'm not just some rich CEO playing house in sweatpants. I'm running from more than just a company board."

The room felt smaller suddenly, charged with things left unsaid.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked, voice barely a whisper.

Nick hesitated, then ran a hand through his hair. "There's a lot about me you don't know. About why I disappeared in the first place."

Emily bit her lip. "I want to know. But I also want to protect myself. If I get involved, it's not just awkward roommate territory anymore."

He nodded slowly, a shadow passing over his face. "I get that."

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed on the bedside table.

She grabbed it, frowning at the screen.

A new message, from an unknown number:

We're watching. Don't trust him.

Her heart hammered.

Nick saw the change in her expression.

"Looks like the past isn't done with me," he said grimly.

Emily's stomach flipped. "What does that mean for me?"

Nick took a slow breath. "It means you need to be careful. And maybe... we should stop pretending this is just roommates sharing a space."

Emily's head swam with questions, but before she could speak, her phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID-Kendra, her boss.

"Sorry, I have to take this," she said, stepping toward the door.

Nick's eyes followed her, intense.

Outside the room, Kendra's voice was low and urgent. "Emily, can you talk for a sec?"

Emily nodded, stepping into the hallway.

"What's up?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Kendra glanced around, then pulled her aside. "Those men from Hale Enterprises are back."

Emily blinked. "Again? What do they want this time?"

Kendra shook her head. "They've been asking questions. About the book order. About you."

Emily's stomach twisted. "Me?"

"Yeah. They say it's 'important for Mr. Hale's safety.' Sounds serious."

Emily's mind raced. "Do you think Nick knows?"

"Probably. But he's not talking."

A chill ran down her spine.

Later that evening, Emily found herself back in the kitchen, trying to distract herself with the mundane task of chopping vegetables.

Nick watched her quietly from the counter, his usual easy smile replaced by something sharper-alert, wary.

"Who were those guys?" Emily asked, not looking up.

Nick sighed. "Company security. They're just doing their job."

"But they're watching me too now?"

Nick nodded. "Part of the package when you're living with a high-profile target."

Emily stopped chopping, setting the knife down. "That sounds dangerous."

"It is," Nick said. "And it's why I need you to be careful. You're not just my roommate anymore. You're... involved."

Emily swallowed hard. "I don't even know what that means."

Nick stepped closer, his eyes locking onto hers. "It means you're important. To me. And I'm not willing to lose you."

Her breath caught.

The air between them shifted, charged with something neither was ready to name yet.

Suddenly, the phone rang again-Nick's this time.

He glanced at the screen, expression darkening.

"Duty calls," he muttered, pocketing the phone.

Emily nodded, her heart pounding.

As he headed for the door, he paused.

"Emily?"

She looked up.

"Don't do anything stupid," he said, voice low.

"I won't," she promised.

And as the door closed behind him, Emily realized she was already deep in a world she didn't understand-but one she might not want to leave.