Page 13 of Detective Daddy Next Door

"Good. I'll be your boyfriend from now on."

"What? You must be crazy. I don't need a boyfriend."

"A fake boyfriend, I mean. That way I can go to these functions with you and get a closer look at Micha’s life."

I can tell she's struggling hard inside her head. She presses her lips together, then bites on her bottom lip. "I can't do that. I'm sorry. Micha has been nothing but nice to me. I can't."

"You could have handled some of the fraudulent files. That means you’ve been involved in one way or another without even knowing it. That's if you're not lying. But I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. I’m offering you a lifeline here. Think about it."

She doesn't say anything more but looks at me blankly as I get off the sofa.

"Oh, and nice place you've got here. I could use some of your design ideas at mine." When I reach the door, I open it and turn to her. "You have three days to think about it. You know where to find me when you've got your answer ready," I say as I step out and shut the door behind me.

Chapter 7

Bria

Eversincefindingoutwho Myles is, I've been unsettled. I wanted to know who he was and why he moved to the house next to mine so badly, but now that I do, I wish I didn't. Like they say, be careful what you wish for.

But how was I to know that he came to turn my life upside down? I still find it so hard to believe that moving next to me is a coincidence. If he's investigating Micha and the firm, then surely, he should have known I worked there. Didn't they do their research? But it could also be that Myles truly didn't recognize me in the picture on our website. I don't recognize myself in that picture either. Fresh out of school, I had my hair cropped close to my head. The only thing I recognize from that picture is my honey-blond hair color. Even my eyes look like they're smaller due to the way I used to wear my makeup.

When I arrive at work, I see that my parking spot has been taken. Well, I don't have a designated parking space, but I have one I claimed for myself. The car in my spot is Fern's. She knows it's my space. She's looking for a fight. I decide not to indulge her, so I look for another spot. The only vacant space is in the far corner. I doubt my car will fit as I maneuver into it, but thankfully, it does.

When I get upstairs, Daisy is in the office.

"Did you see that Fern parked in your spot?" she greets me.

"Good morning to you too, Daisy."

"Good morning. I'm sorry, but I can't stand her. She thinks she’s all that. Everyone knows that's your spot."

I shrug my shoulders. "She can have it for today. She's begging for a fight, and I won't give it to her."

Daisy nods firmly. "Don't."

Thirty minutes later, we’re on our way to the conference room for a meeting. When we get to the door of the conference room, as I'm about to push one of the black double doors open, Fern comes out. She looks Daisy and me up and down and says a casual hi, but doesn't even wait for a reply. She marches away from us as fast as she can and doesn’t look back.

Daisy shakes her head and pushes the door open.

In the afternoon at lunch, I'm seated beside Daisy, pushing my food, my regular rice and chicken, around on the glass plate.

"You don't look like your appetite is intact. "

I look to the side to see that her plate is half empty already. I look back at mine that's still full, the chicken staring back at me.

"I had a lot to eat this morning," I say, knowing it's a lie. In fact, for breakfast, I only had a cup of coffee. A cup of coffee I couldn't finish. I washed the rest down the kitchen sink.

She arches one brow at me. "You had breakfast a hundred hours ago," she says. "It's a few minutes past two now. There must be something wrong with your digestive system."

I want to tell her that although I haven't eaten much today, I'm not hungry. I want to tell her that just like Judas in the Bible, I've been asked to betray Micha and the firm. But the only difference is I don't know if I'll be going down that route. Maybe, if I tell Daisy all about what Myles proposed, she could suggest a way out. She works at the firm. Maybe we could tell Micha. Maybe, Myles is lying.

But he didn't look like he was lying. He looked serious as hell.

I stop pushing some of the rice around with my fork and open my mouth to tell her everything, but then the restaurant door opens, and I shut my mouth. A few seconds later my phone rings. I drop the fork from my fingers and pick it up. It's Ava.

"Hi, Ava."

At the mention of her name, Daisy perks up. "Hi, Ava!"

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