Page 39 of The Billionaire's Masquerade Ball

Wyatt shrugged. “I haven’t made it my business to find out. I don’t think anyone knows him really well. He keeps his emotions in some kind of iron fortress. The only one who seems to really know him is Judy. And Jake, his old partner. It’s a very small circle. I think the fact that he is trying to connect with you—”

“With her.”

“With you. Anyway, it’s significant. Just tell him it’s you.”

Cynder glanced at Xander again. “You heard how he just talked to me, right?”

“And you remember how he came down to your work this morning?”

“And got me fired.”

Wyatt gave an exasperated sigh. “He couldn’t even stand being in the office this morning. Pacing, raging, totally unable to focus. He never goes to other people’s offices. But he went. For you. Not for the woman in the mask.”

Cynder glanced at Xander, who was now on a phone call. His face was blank and focused. As she watched, he got up and walked to the windows closest to his desk. Watching the firm line of his shoulders and back, she remembered the way his shoulders shook as he stood in the cemetery. Wyatt was right—Xander definitely kept his feelings locked up.

“Even if he did like me, now I’m his employee. How’s that going to work? He might think it was a setup or something. I mean, pretty coincidental that now I’m here working right in front of his face.”

“Yeah, that is weird. But life is weird.”

“That’s what I’ll tell him. Hey, Xander—remember that woman you wanted me to find. I found her. Because it’s me. And now I work for you. But it’s okay, because life is weird!”

Wyatt laughed. Xander shot them both a glare. “Yeah, don’t say that. But you should definitely not drag this out. I could always tell him.”

Cynder grabbed his arm. “Wyatt, please. Promise me you won’t tell him.”

“Then you tell him.”

“No.”

He let out an exasperated sigh. “This is so stupid. But I promise not to tell him. For the record, honesty is my recommendation. You have seen movies before, right? Read books? Half the plots would be irrelevant if people just told the truth from the beginning. The truth solves all the problems. You can end this right now by just being honest. I can’t see how it would be that big of a deal.”

“I have my own reasons. And if you tell him, I’ll find some way to make you pay.”

Cynder’s voice had a hard edge, despite the fact that she had no idea what she could possibly do to make Wyatt pay. But she had noticed how he seemed to cower anytime Xander gave him so much as a hard glance, so she figured she could try it. When he sighed a moment later, she knew that she had been right. Good. She can at least count on that.

“Fine,” he said. “I won’t tell him. But I don’t understand why. Or what you’re going to do for the next five days when you’re supposed to be looking for yourself.”

“I’ll just make myself useful around here. Indispensable, if I can. Now I think you’re supposed to be printing up the guest list and all that for me.”

As Wyatt made his way out of the office, Cynder caught a brief look from Xander. She had caught him looking at her several times that morning, but he always shifted his gaze away. The laughter she had been able to elicit from him before was totally gone.

Maybe it was being in his office. He might need to appear much more rigid and controlled to run this level of a company. She had seen the power behind it—the beautiful office building in one of the nicest parts of the city. The way people dressed and how they admired him as he walked through. The amenities that Wyatt had showed her: indoor fitness center and pool, a private restaurant with a farm-to-table style menu. Massage therapists who came twice a week. His wealth and power hadn’t been real to her until she walked through the doors of Obsidian.

His personal office was the size of Looking Glass’ entire office. They almost never had high-end clients come to their office because Looking Glass wasn’t impressive.

Xander’s office was on the corner, with two walls of floor-to-ceiling windows. The view was incredible. His desk was massive and looked to be hand-carved with Art Nouveau flourishes—a surprising touch. There was a small informal seating area with an entertainment center. Cynder had been surprised that he set her up to work at the conference table with Wyatt rather than stuck out in a small office or one of the few cubicle-like clusters out on the main floor. She should probably be more thankful. Maybe he resented the fact that he had done so much for her, including paying her urgent care bill, and she hadn’t shown enough gratitude.

She made her way over to Xander’s desk.

“Yes?” He looked up at her. The brown eyes that had looked so kind and soft before now were flat and cool.

Cynder took a small step back. Somehow just his hard gaze hurt her. It felt like rejection. He had flipped a switch and she didn’t know what she had done wrong. It was more than just being professional. He acted like he hated her. She tried to blink back the tears before he saw them.

“Nothing, I—”

“Xander!” The door burst open and a beautiful woman in a fitted suit swept into the room.

“Olivia,” he said, standing as she moved forward to kiss his cheeks.

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