I whip my head back around to Ant. He still looks frightened rather than menacing.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“That's what I was trying to explain,” he says as the elevator doors open. “This is my company.”
I glance at the hallway outside. The fancy top floor waiting room, a woman in a sleek blouse, wearing a headset, sits behind a desk. She looks at me strangely.
“Everything alright, Mr. Pleasant?” The woman asks. Her eyes flick between me and Ant as he cowers in the corner of the elevator, one finger still pointed in his face.
“Everything is fine, Tonia,” Ant reassures over my head.
Pleasant. Crap. Mr. Pleasant. Pontius Pleasant. Ant. Pleasant.
I look at Ant, and then back at the woman who’s expression is somewhere between amusement and concern.
Crap.
I pull back from him instantly.
“Crap. You own Cryptech?” I whisper loudly as the elevator doors close again. “This isyourcompany?”
“Yes. Piper. Why are you here?”
“Like you don’t know.” I accuse.
“I haven’t seen you in months. Do you work here now?”
I shake my head and stab my floor number on the wall, pressing the button repeatedly even though I know it won’t do anything. “I can’t believe you. Pretending you didn’t plan this.”
“Please,” he says, “I didn’t. Please. Can we talk?”
My heart is pounding. My stalker controls my company. He owns my livelihood. He could ruin me. Take everything I’ve worked so hard for. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes.
“You have until we get back to the third floor,” I say. “And then I’m gone. I don’t care. I’ll break whatever contract I signed. I will ruin my life to get away from you. This is so completely fucked, Ant.”
“Piper. Please believe me. I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“Likely.” I mutter as the elevator door closes. I watch Ant’s reflection in the doors. “You offered to fund Penpoint just to get closer to me.”
Floor number nine.
“No, no, Piper. That isn’t it.”
Floor number eight.
“Ness and Sacha, they must have signed the contract while I was gone.”
Floor number seven.
“Fucking Ness—” his hand clenches into a fist at his side. “I told him I found my fated mate, he must have taken matters into his own hands.”
Floor number six.
“I didn’t know about this, Piper. I promise.”
Floor number five.
I stew in silence.
