"Conner..." I tried to keep my voice firm, but I was shaking from the inside.

"Tell him, Amber," Finlay said from behind and I shook my head lightly.

Conner will never believe it if I told him about Finlay.

He'll think I'm crazy.

"Amber..." Conner said, making me glance back at him.

I parted my mouth, and his eyes darted to them, making my mind click.

Amber, you're a f**king genius!

"Fine..." I sighed, keeping my hands in surrender. "You caught me."

"What?" Both Finlay and Conner frowned.

"I was trying to stay away from you, but it backfired," I said.

"What?" He raised his brows and took a step back.

It was like I could finally breathe. Clearing my throat, I continued with my lie.

"I was looking for an excuse to see you."

"Me?" His face scrunched in confusion, but I see hope flash in his eyes and knew my plan was working.

"I knew you'll be here. That's why I came here."

"How did you know that?"

Oh f**k...

"Um..." I darted my eyes around. "Because I've been following you."

"Why?" He narrowed his eyes.

"I don't know." I bit my lip and glanced down. "Maybe because I feel something for you-"

"Don't play with me, Amber." He growled and pressed the button, making the elevator move again.

"I'm not-"

"Bullsh*t. You went on a date last week and now confessing to me?" He scoffed and walked out of the elevator when the doors opened.

"What are you doing?" Finlay asked.

"Let me handle it," I whispered and followed Conner. "I went on a date, but the guy didn't show up and you know it already!"

"Whatever..." He ignored me and marched towards the parking lot.

"I did it to resent you!" Now that made him halt.

"What?" He turned towards me.

"You refused to go on a date with me that day. Out of spite, I got a date with a guy at that club." I rolled my eyes. "And the guy didn't show up."

"You asked me for that date because you wanted to know about the case-"

"I wanted this story because it was important for my promotion, but now I don't since it's 'confidential'." I air-quoted. "I didn't want to show you because it made me feel weak, but I..." I trailed off purposely and darted my gaze to my left to see Finlay staring at me.

"You what?" He stepped toward me, but I kept my eyes on Finlay.

"I like you," I answered. There was a different spark in his eyes, but averted my gaze to Conner and saw him stunned.

"You were the one who rejected me-"

"I was playing hard to get." I shrugged and then gave him a smirk. "And it worked."

"F**k Amber." He groaned, rubbing his hands over his face.

Conner is a good guy, and I felt bad for using his feelings against him, but I had no other choice.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled and peeked at him through my eyelashes.

"I... I can't do this right now."

"It's ok." I smiled at him. "I'll wait for you to finish the case."

"F**k..." He blinked his eyes at me as he digest the information, then groaned.

"How about you go take some rest? You look tired." And he did.

There were dark circles under his eyes, not that visible since he had chocolate skin, but you could see them from close.

He extended his hand and caressed my cheek with his knuckles. "It'll be over soon."

"What do you mean?" I asked, ignoring the glares Finlay was shooting at Conner.

"Reed is being deported to Scotland." He declared, making my eyes go round.

"What?"

"His case is being transferred to Scotland's Private investigative agency." He added, pulling his hand away from my face.

"Why?" I asked in disbelief. "I mean, don't they trust you to handle it? You are the most incredible agent I know of."

"Thanks for the compliment." He smirked. "But his family wants it that way."

Family...

He knows about Finlay's family.

"B-but he's in a coma. Are they even allowed to move his body?"

"They can when they're rich." He shrugged.

"How rich are we talking about here?" I raised my brow.

"They own a private jet kind of rich."

"Oh, wow..." I murmured, glancing at Finlay. "They must be well known then."

"I've said more than enough Amber." He sighed, and that's when his phone buzzed. He picked it out of his coat pocket and frowned. "I need to go. I think I found a lead."

"A lead?" I walked after him to his car.

"Yeah... Someone saw him with a blonde girl that night." He said, sitting in his sleek black car. "I'm sorry-"

"Oh, don't worry about me." I waved my hand in dismissal. "Go get that blondie."

He gave a sweet smile, and my inside clutched in guilt. "I'll call you."

"Sure." I watched him drive out of the parking lot.

"He found Candice," Finlay mumbled beside me. "Aren't you worried she'll tell them about you?

"They have only found a blonde girl, not Candice. I'm obviously a step ahead of them." I said, walking towards my car. "It'll take them time to find her address and after we raid her apartment. I hope she is not stupid enough to stay there."

"And if they find her?"

"Let's pray for now that they won't." I got in my car with Finlay and we drove towards the address Candice gave us.

• • • • •

"Come on..." I mumbled as I tried to pick the lock with a bob pin.

Finlay's apartment is in Greenwich Village. It was a peaceful neighborhood. I thought he might live in some kind of penthouse since he earned a lot from Knight Corporation, but it seemed he likes to live a simple life.

I parked my car a few blocks away from here and walked through the streets of the neighborhood. It was around noon and I saw people enjoying the Sunday. Some with strollers and their babies and some jogging with their dogs while I causally walked around the streets.

When I stopped at his apartment building, I wondered how to get in. Then I saw an old lady getting out of the door. I gave her my sweetest smile and slipped through the door with no worries.

It was a good thing that each floor had only one apartment, and I was carefully picking the lock. Though I was feeling nervous that anyone might come up or down the stairs.

"F**k..." I grumbled, rotating the bob pin.

"You know what you're doing, right?" Finlay asked beside me.

"I know... I've picked locks before, too."

"Should I be worried?" He snorted, and I rolled my eyes.

"Just let me do it," I mumbled, crouching in front of the door.

"You're misleading him." He said out of the blue.

"Excuse me?" I glimpsed at him and continued with the lock.

"Conner..." He sighed. "You gave him false hope."

"I didn't... I mean I do like him-"

"Do you imagine your future with him?"

"I..." I gulped and shook my head. "I haven't thought that far."

"Amber, the guy looks at you like you're the only beautiful girl in this world."

"No, he doesn't." I scoffed.

"The guy kisses the ground you walk on."

"How about we not talk about him and focus on the task in our hands?" The pin snapped, making me groan. "What kind of lock is it?!"

"Let me try," Finlay said, and I turned toward him with a smirk.

"You can't even touch it."

"But I can walk past it." He gave me a lopsided grin, showing off his dimple.

"Try, dear sir." I mocked and gestured at him.

He winked and walked past the yellow and black restrictions tapes that were placed on the door into the room. I tied my open red hair into a ponytail and heard the twisting sound of the lock.

CLICK!

My eyes widened when the door slowly creaked open and Finlay stood on the other side with a stupid, sexy grin on his face.

"Welcome to my home, Amber."

• • • • •