Husband With Benefits
Chapter 347: A Double Agent

Chapter 347: A Double Agent

Ian pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his frustration releasing in a fluent stream of curses. Out of the countless employees who could have been leaking information to Elena Winthorp, it just had to be his assistant.

The revelation left Ian seething with a mixture of anger and disbelief. He slammed his hand on the desk, causing a few scattered papers to flutter to the floor. Why? She’d been with them for almost five years now? She held a clean record and her regular investigation reports had come out clean as a whistle. Then why did she suddenly leak information to Elena? And how did he miss the signs?

Standing, the first thing he did was check his office for any listening devices or spyware. He had his office scanned often but it was usually done with his assistant in the know. Thus, giving her a chance to hide the things. Now, he’d have to do it himself.

Thankfully, there was nothing in the room, or he’d have made sure the woman never dared to hear anything again! As he finished checking under the desk, he slumped back in his chair with a thump, grumbling," Of all the lousy luck! My own assistant turning out to be a double agent. And now I have to pretend to know nothing and let her do her ’job’. How am I going to get any other work done if I cannot trust her?"

With a curt face, he walked out of the office, only to stare at the face of his betrayer. His jaw clenched. He wanted to question this woman how she dared to look him in the eye after cheating him. Their company was one of the most employee-oriented companies around, offering all sorts or support programs for troubled employees. Why then, did he have to deal with all this.

"Leave it here. I’m going out for lunch. No one is allowed in my office while I’m gone," Ian retorted, his voice sharp with frustration.

"Of course, sir. Where are you going for lunch?" she inquired, her tone sugary sweet.

"I didn’t realize I was answerable to you, Miss North," Ian bit out, his patience wearing thin.

The woman actually had the gall to look startled even as she apologized quickly," I’m sorry, Sir. I just meant if you needed me to make any reservations."

Ian breathed in deeply. He could not let her know that he was onto her," No need. Miss North. I’m going out for some personal business. Forgive me for being rude."

With that, Ian walked out of his own office, seething inwardly.

***

Ian stared at the coffee in his mug and sighed for the nth time. He still had trouble wrapping his head around this new problem. Miss North had been the one to pass Gabe’s information to Elena. Now, even as they would be using her only to pass on information to Elena and predict her next moves, he would have to function without an assistant for the foreseeable future. Maybe he could beg Demetri to lend him Nina for a few days. She could continue to work from outside of Demetri’s office.

Just then, Seb arrived and placed a file in front of him, "You can relax a bit. Miss North is clean in other areas. It seems Elena found something from her university days to use as blackmail."

Ian looked at the file with a furrowed brow before tossing it aside in frustration.

Ian: "This is almost inconsequential. She betrayed us for this?"

Seb: "It might not mean much to us, Ian, but if these details were to surface in the wrong way, they could..."

"I know, Seb! I’m just frustrated with the whole situation. Now, I have to find a new assistant and let a perfectly well-trained one go," Ian grumbled, his annoyance palpable.

Seb leaned against the desk, his tone sympathetic, "It’s a tough spot, but we’ll navigate through it. We can conduct interviews for a replacement quietly. And, who knows, the next assistant might even be an upgrade."

Of course, both of them knew that this was easier said than done, cause any type of new person would need training as well as shifting of personnel which would definitely alert Miss North and the others.

Snatching Ian’s half-eaten sandwich, Seb rose from his chair, a triumphant grin playing on his face. "Thank the heavens it wasn’t my assistant. I’d go nuts. The guy practically does half my job. Although, I should probably check with him about any ’wild’ videos from his university days floating around. Ciao, Ian."

Ian shot a disgruntled glare at Seb’s departing figure, his brow furrowing. "Showoff!" he muttered, and as he surveyed his now-empty plate, he tacked on another title, "Food thief."

Ian sighed in resignation and ordered another sandwich. There was no way he was going to make himself suffer more by starving through the afternoon. As the waiter left with his order, his gaze froze on a familiar face across the café. A jolt of recognition coursed through him. Isabella? Here?

The last time he’d seen her when he’d been unceremoniously pushed out of her house. Across her, with his back to him, sat a man with whom, she was having a heated argument from the looks of it.

Ian couldn’t hear the specifics of their conversation, but the intensity of their exchange was palpable from Isabella’s actions and expression.

He was almost halfway out of the chair before he stopped himself. He shouldn’t intervene in someone else’s personal matters.

Ian hesitated, wondering if he should probably leave, as he watched the intensity of the argument unfold. As the man rose from his chair, attempting to intimidate Isabella, a surge of protective instinct surged through Ian. The desire to stay out of personal matters clashed with a deeper sense of something... more.

Without overthinking, Ian stood up and briskly approached their table.

Isabella looked surprised, the man momentarily taken aback by Ian’s unexpected arrival but before either of them could say anything, the man banged his hand on the table again, startling her.

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