Chapter 5

• NOVEMBER
• I stare at Mr. Spiridon with my mouth open for a few seconds. I can't believe what he is asking me, and he must see the confusion on my face. He clears his throat when I don't speak, and that snaps me out of my thoughts.
• “If you can't do it, then there's nothing you can do for me,” he tells me, glancing at the expensive Rolex strapped to his wrist.
• I'm still standing there and looking like a fool. This isn't what my boss at the agency wanted from me. But I didn't fumble up too much if Sean Spiridon is still choosing to offer me a job, right? Albeit not the one I planned for, but that just makes it better, right?
• The wheels in my head are spinning and my thoughts are jumbled. But I know without a doubt that this is the best shot I will have to get closer to this man. I can't say no. Jacob will send me back to Korea if I do.
• So, I nod.
• “Yes,” I mutter.
• He raises a silent brow at me as if asking me what I'm consenting to. It almost makes me smile, but I don't. Instead, I straighten and look him in the eyes.
• “Yes, that's fine by me. I'll take the job. Thank you very much sir for the opportunity. I promise to do my job diligently,” I add.
• He stares at me quietly for a few seconds, before he nods his head. “Alright. I will have the NDA drafted. You start tomorrow.”
• I nod. “Okay, sir.”
• “Be here by 9 AM. And come with your things as you'll go from here to my house. Im case it's still not clear, you will be living under my roof for the duration of the contract,” he says again.
• “Understood, sir.”
• He starts to move toward the door, hands shoved into the pockets of his pants when he suddenly stops and turns toward me. “Any mistake, a single mistake and you're gone. Understand that.”
• A shiver snakes down my spine at his cold words mixed with the way he stares at me coldly. He must be grumpy, and strict. I swallow nothing before I nod quietly because it's all I can do.
• “Understood,” I add when he doesn't stop staring.
• Sean doesn't say anything again as he leaves the room. Now alone, I can breathe properly. I've been so nervous all day that I don't know what I'm doing. I bend over, my hands over my knee while I breathe out a laugh. I can't believe I almost messed up my mission.
• I rub my face and move out of the room to grab my things so I can leave. I don't see Reina or any of the men I saw earlier so I just walk out of the restaurant the same way I came. I manage to flag down a cab to take me back to the motel just in case anybody is watching me.
• I haven't really been to Chicago before until now so every sight we drive past amazes me. It's still a bit surreal to me that Jacob finally called me and I'm here. I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life withering away in Korea because I couldn't come back here.
• “Thank you,” I say to the cab driver as I hand him some dollar bills.
• I don't wait for him to respond before I turn around and head into the motel, going straight to my room after grabbing my keys. The room I'm staying in is small and tastefully unpleasant and un-aesthetically pleasing. Whoever had come into my room must have left the blinds open which brings lots of sunlight into the room.
• I wince as I walk over to the window to close the blinds. After that, I drop onto my bed. I am tired and I've barely slept in two days. Four days and a lot more, if I am being honest with myself.
• I start to pull off my clothes. I know I should eat first, but I'm so tired that all I want to do is just sleep. Plus the motel's not my cup of tea.
• I draw the covers over my body as I sink into the bed, my curly hair falling over my face like a soft blanket. Sleep finds me easily and I don't pull my eyes open until the loud ringing of my phone shakes me awake.
• “I should have put you on do not disturb node,” I say with an annoyed hiss as I sit up. My phone is on the bed stand table so I just reach for it.
• My eyes are so clouded with sleep that it takes me a few seconds to realize that this is a new phone and the only person who can be calling is Jacob. When I realize, I sit up immediately and answer the call.
• “Were you not planning on answering my calls?” Jacob asks as I press the phone to my ear.
• “I'm sorry. I fell asleep.”
• His disappointment shines through his words. “You shouldn't be falling asleep, Nova. This is too important a job not to inform me of your development every minute.”
• I wince and rub my face. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was just so tired.”
• “This behavior is unacceptable,” he continues speaking, which makes me frown. I hate that he isn't listening to me especially as I haven't done anything particularly wrong.
• “I was going to come over after I woke up from my nap. You know I have to be careful just in the case I'm being watched. A lot is at stake here.”
• “What do you mean?” I sense his confusion which makes me sigh. He is not particularly going to like this. “Nova, what trouble have you gotten yourself into?”
• “No trouble, sir. I just did what you asked me to,” I grit, already getting annoyed. “I'm going to be at your place in forty minutes or less. Can I have food waiting before I arrive?”
• I don't wait for him to reply to me before I end the call. I'm not going to let him put me on the spot while on the call with him, treating me like I'm a teenager or something.
• “Fucking Jacob,” I say with a hiss again as I shove my phone away.
• I climb out of bed and stare at the mess of clothes I have laying around. After doing a mini stretch, I start picking the clothes one after the other. I fold them and put them in the closet for the meantime.
• I don't need to take a shower so I just pull out a casual outfit of matching sweats. I put on the clothes quickly and grab a mini purse which I shove my phone into along with some dollar bills I own. I pull my hair into a clean ponytail, dab my lips with some lip gloss before I leave the motel again.
• I put on the only pair of shades I have and stand outside for a few minutes observing my surroundings. Sean must be looking into me. He would want to confirm if I'm who I say I am. And judging my the impression I left him, he might have a few of his men watching me.
• It's not my first job as a spy to dangerous men and women but this one certainly takes the cake.
• I act completely natural and get a cab again. I ask the driver to drive around for a few minutes and after I'm sure that we are not being followed, I give him the real address of where I'm going.
• “You're not being paranoid,” I mutter to myself quietly. It's a thing I do whenever I start to second guess my decisions to be extra careful. In this line of job, one can never be too careful. Surprises can spring up from anywhere.
• “We are here,” the driver mutters, pulling me out of my thoughts.
• I look through the window and recognize the roguish old restaurant building. I smile and alight from the car after paying the driver. Again, I look around to be sure I'm safe before I head in.
• The environment is safe anyway. Nobody would guess the old restaurant serves as am office for the FBI dark special forces, particularly spies. It functions as a normal restaurant from the outside. Anyone looking in would think I am just a girl stopping by to eat at my favorite restaurant.
• I walk into the place and immediately get hit with different aromas of food. It makes my hungry stomach rumble. Some of the people around look at me and I can tell they recognize me. Without hesitation, I dive into the kitchen and come out on the other side where Jacob is waiting for me.
• His grey eyes ghost over me as he pulls at the scuff of hair shadowing his jaw. He is an old man, nearing fifty. And he is my handler, my boss at the special dark forces at the FBI. The place I'd somehow ended up in since I was twelve.
• “What did you do?” He asks me as he leads me into the large space that is a fill blown apartment.
• “Nothing. I landed the job, but there's a twist.” He turns and looks at me expectantly. “A private chef for Sean Spiridon.”