Page 29 of The Kat Bunglar

End of discussion.

So why did her heart still skip a beat when she pictured Gabriel’s face?

Present Day

July 10th

Chicago

Kat Kar

The doorman barely glanced up from rifling through the morning mail to look at Kat’s face.

“Mrs. Malik, how was Jamaica?”

Kat’s heart jumped into her throat.She hadn’t expected anyone to notice her, let alone interact with her.

“J-j-j’amazin’!” Kat stuttered in her best Laila Malik impersonation.

The doorman chuckled heartily.

Kat winked at Christian from behind her oversized Bhavya Ramesh sunglasses.

As they rode the elevator up, they pulled off their fake Cuyana leather jackets and slid on their lace eye masks. Clad in nothing but black tank tops and matching pleather leggings, they approached the 24th floor with apprehension.

Slipping on her black gloves, Kat kissed the keycard for good luck before swiping it.

The lock blinked green. The door clicked open.

They gasped.

Stepping inside with two massive, empty suitcases, they carefully shut the door behind them—then gasped again.

This place was ridiculous.

Massive arched windows surrounded the living room, sunlight streaming in from all angles, illuminating sleek white leather sofas positioned around a grand fireplace. Golden chandeliers shimmered overhead. Beneath their feet, a thick red Persian rug absorbed the sound of their footsteps, its plush fibers cushioning their boots.

A turquoise Moroccan runner stretched into a chef’s kitchen, where a sprawling marble island gleamed beneath ornate gold fixtures. Every surface—from the cabinets to the oversized farmhouse sink—glinted under the light.

Christian let out a dreamy sigh, staring at the Rajasthani paintings on the walls. “Oh my God. I’ve never seen so many beautiful things in my life.”

Kat snapped out of her awe.

“Okay, let’s start by unplugging the security cameras.” Her voice turned brisk, all business. “We’ve got ninety minutes on the clock.”

“Wait, do we have time for a quick photoshoot?”

Before Kat could protest, Christian flopped onto the sofa, rolling onto her stomach with one leg extended behind her.

“How exactly does this pose pertain to God?” Kat asked, puzzled.

Christian smirked. “God gave medisbooty, that’s how. Now take the damn pic, Kat.”

Kat obliged—then froze mid-motion.

“Wait, we can’t do this.We can’t haveanyrecord that we were ever here. Quick, turn your location off. Go into airplane mode.”

She shoved the phone back at Christian.

---