During that original phone call, I must have asked Ana a hundred questions. While I was convinced I had to infiltrate Becker's penthouse to get the computer, I wasn't about to take unnecessary risks. The goal was to beat the asshole at his own game, not to get killed.

Everything she'd told me confirmed my decision. Aside from her Colombian friend, whose beauty had put her on the man's radar, Becker didn't pay attention to the house staff. He couldn't care less about the maids, and his housekeeper was in charge of hiring, managing, and firing the cleaning crew. Ana hadn't even been in the same room as Becker for over a month now, since the maids were usually to keep off the rooms he used the most whenever he was home.

In the eventually that Becker had some vague idea of what I looked like, from the busted picture of me that had been on TV a couple of times, he might never even come across me. And if he did, he wouldn't care enough to pay attention to me, or he wouldn't recognize me. I'd make sure of that.

Despite all the certainty I had, all the assurance I tried to muster, my insides were still twisted in knots, my stomach so clutched I could feel it in my throat. If only doing the right thing didn't mean I also had to do the wrong one...

During the two days I'd planned this, I hadn't told Lex a thing. He wasn't ready to hear it, still searching for another solution, still suggesting plans that were quickly dismantled for lack of viability. There was no way he would ever agree to this, so I had to go behind his back.

My throat was so tight with emotions, I could barely breathe as I watched him sleep. He seemed so peaceful in the white sheets, his face relaxed and serene. The evening before, I'd made love to him. Contrary to the rough sex we'd been having lately, it had been tender, slow, and sweet. In a way, I'd asked forgiveness for what I was about to do. Hopefully, his wrath wouldn't be lessened by my display of love.

On my side of the bed, laid on my pillow, I'd left a note for him. Only five words were written on it, but something told me I could have written a thousand, it still wouldn't have been enough. So upon waking up, he'd notice I was gone, pick up the small piece of paper, and read 'I love you. Trust me'.

Outside, dawn was almost breaking, which meant I needed to go. There was no way I'd arrive late for my first day of 'work'.

With a heavy heart and a heavier conscience, I ripped my eyes away from Lex's sleeping form to head to the common area. From the couch, I took my bag, which didn't have much in it. My phone, a small wallet with nothing but a few small bills and coins, and various items to make it look more real, like a packet of tissues, lipstick, earplugs...

As I reached the door that led to the hotel's corridor, I caught a reflection of myself in a mirror. The strange sight compelled me to check my appearance one last time. It was strange how I looked like the same person, but in a different font, somehow. My hair was slicked back tightly, held by products and tied with a hairband. To give the illusion of long hair, I'd attached a fake bun with a color that perfectly matched mine. I'd never really used foundation, and after I'd spent a large part of the day before training to blend and contour, I knew I wouldn't either in the future. But for now, it was a necessary evil, as it allowed me to hide another one of my recognizable features – my freckles.

Without the caramel spots dusting my nose and cheekbones, and the messy curls that I always sported, I looked very... ordinary. Nothing about me was striking, which was perfect. I'd blend in, not attract any eye, and it would all unfold the way I meant it to.

My hand trembled when it wrapped around the door's handle, but I ignored it, keeping it there around the cold, golden metal. A small, tiny, part of me wished Lex would wake up and stop me. I was scared, and would much have preferred staying here with him than moving on with my enterprise. But as much as I didn't want to do this, I had to. For us, for my family, for his, and for all the women Becker might hurt in the future if we didn't stop him.

Despite paying keen attention to the sounds inside the suite, there was nothing but silence. Lex wouldn't wake up, he wouldn't see the note and run to stop me.

Maybe it was for the best.

Summoning every ounce of courage I held within me, I opened the door and exited our suite. My chest felt empty and overcrowded at the same time, as if my heart was either beating too fast or not at all. The man guarding the door stood from his chair when he saw me. He was the nice one, with kind eyes, and even my favorite of the six.

Before he could tell me to wait while he got someone to replace him as he accompanied me wherever I was going, I told him I was only going to have tea in the lobby and didn't need anyone with me. It seemed good enough for him, as he nodded and waited for me to walk away.

It tore a little piece of my heart to realize that Lex trusted me when he shouldn't have. Had he imagined that I might go against his will, he would have ordered the security detail to stick with me no matter what. Instead, I still held some control over the men.

After a thorough analysis of the New York bus and metro system, I'd found the best possible route to head over to Becker's building. On my way to work, I could pick the fastest route, since it wasn't likely anyone would see where I arrived from. But when I'd leave after my shift, I would take a metro line that went all the way to the Hispanic neighborhood in the Bronx, only to get off earlier, after making sure I wasn't followed. If I was riding with someone else from the staff, I'd invent an excuse, like an errand I needed to take care of before heading home.

During the entire ride to Becker's, I ran everything in my mind for the hundredth time, making sure I had left no stone unturned. But the plan was solid. I'd have the best possible access to the penthouse for as long as I needed it, and I'd never come close to running into Becker.

Really, was there a better way to get to that laptop?

My internal pep talk wasn't quite enough to chase away my anxiety completely, though, and I could taste bile in the back of my throat as I came out of the subway station. As agreed, I went to the service entrance, where Ana-Lucía was supposed to meet me. She was already there, and she greeted me with a small smile and a nod. To make up for the risk she was taking by recommending me to her superior, I had offered to pay her. At the very worst, she'd lose her job from bringing me in, instead of her entire family if she'd helped us the way we'd originally intended. The one thousand dollars bonus I was giving her daily would make up if she lost her job over me. Because I didn't want to involve Lex in something he didn't believe in, I took that money from my own savings account, drawing from the quarter-million check I'd made with my app's sale.

After we'd greeted each other, she led me in, using a key fob which she said I should have as well by the end of the day. She'd spoken about me to her superior, telling her I was some distant relative in need of a job, and the housekeeper was willing to give me a one week trial, to see if I was as efficient and discreet as Ana had claimed. Well, I knew how to clean, but it had never been a passion of mine. I guessed now was time to get into it.

We rode a service elevator all the way to the third before last floor, and then entered what seemed to be an in-between room, with garbage bins and other things that could be stored in a less secured location. Ana went to a door, and after ringing the intercom on it, she looked at a camera.

"¿Quién es esta contigo? [Who's this with you?]" a masculine voice asked.

"[This is Perdita. She's starting today. I think Mrs. Reed notified you?]"

The man didn't answer right away, but a buzzing sound came from the door a few seconds later. Ana thanked the man and pushed the door open, entering what I recognized as the staff room we'd seen on the live feed we'd hacked into. I had to fight my desire to glimpse at the camera, knowing perfectly where it was. If the man from the intercom was watching us, it would be weird if my first reflex was to check on the security of this place.

Ana guided me to a door and knocked on it softly. The dry authorization to enter came back fast, and she opened the door to pass her head into the room. "[Señora Reed, my cousin Perdita is here.]"

"[Let her in.]" The feminine voice was intimidating, and the accent told me she wasn't Latina, like the rest of the staff.

Ana opened the door and stepped back, offering me an encouraging smile. Swallowing away the lump in my throat, I entered the room. It was an office, which I wouldn't qualify as small, but it wasn't large either. Shelves contained countless binders, there were little to no personal items, and in the middle of it, a large desk with a chair in the front, and another one with Mrs. Reed sitting on it on the other side.

She was typing something on her computer, which we had hacked into as well, back then. Nothing compromising in it, only schedules, notes, and emails. I'd seen Mrs. Reed countless times in the security feed, and it seemed she managed the staff with an iron fist.

"[Ana-Lucía told me you've worked for the Marleane Plaza for the past nine months?]" she asked me, still typing and never looking away from her screen.

Since we were staying there, I'd thought it would be easier to hack into the system of Eva's hotel. Not much, just adding a Perdita Sanchez to the employees list, and faking checks for the period my alias had supposedly been there. If Mrs. Reed had called them to make sure of the legitimacy of my claim, she'd probably had the staff manager there, who'd checked the software, only to confirm it was true. Given the turnover and the amount of maids the luxurious hotel had, I was confident no one would ever notice an extra name.

"[Si, señora. They let me go when they realized I wasn't... documented. But Ana told me it wouldn't be a problem here.]"

She finally looked my way, but her piercing dark eyes only worsened my anxiety. It seemed there wasn't much this woman missed. "[It won't be, no. Have you had more experiences as a maid?]" she asked. Her Spanish was good, but as I'd suspected, she wasn't from a Latin country.

"[I worked for a family in Brooklyn for a year before that.]"

"[Why did they let you go?]"

"[I left, señora. A cousin found me the job at the Marleane.]"

"You people and all your cousins..." she mumbled in English. "[Right, I don't know if Ana-Lucía told you, but before I make a decision, you'll have a one week trial.]"

"[Yes, I'm aware of this.]"

She stood from her desk chair, making it roll behind her. Coming around the desk, she headed for the door without a word, apparently expecting me to follow her.

"[Ana-Lucía is the one bringing you in, so she'll be in charge of you during your trial period. You will follow her like a shadow, and learn what you need to know from her. The most important aspect of your job is that you must remain invisible. Mr. Becker likes his privacy, so if you happen to be in a room when he walks in, you leave it swiftly, regardless of what you're doing. If Mr. Becker sees too much of you, he will come to me about it and I'll have no other choice but to fire you. Do you understand?]"

"Si, señora Reed."

It was fucking perfect. Avoiding the man would actually be considered great behavior.

The housekeeper went to a built-in closet and opened it to reveal uniforms. She shuffled through a few of them hanging on a rail, and then took one out.

"[This one should be the right size,]" she let out, handing me the dress. "[Try to keep it as clean as possible, and when it needs to be washed, you can leave it in the basket in the locker room and come pick a fresh uniform here. I see Ana-Lucía already told you about the white sneakers, but try having them cleaner tomorrow. The standards here are much higher than what you're used to.]"

We reached a door which had a Women sign on it, and she opened it to step inside with determination. It was a locker room, and a few women, including Ana, were there, changing out of their clothes and into the grey dresses. "[Pick any available locker. You can bring a padlock next time if you'd prefer. But know that thievery is strongly punished in this household. Ana-Lucía,]" she continued "[You're in charge of Perdita this week. Make sure she has her own crate of cleaning supplies, and show her everything she needs to know.]"

"Si, señora Reed."

It seemed she was done with me, as she left the locker room to head back outside, returning to more urgent matters. Now that she wasn't here anymore, I sensed myself relax. A little awkwardly, I smiled at the other women in there, waving timidly.

"Hola, soy Perdita, la prima de Ana-Lucía," I greeted them, introducing myself as Ana's cousin.

They told me their names in return and welcomed me into the team. It was the weirdest thing ever to know them so well, from the hours of footage I'd listened to and studied, when I had to pretend I knew nothing of them.

After I'd picked an empty locker, I settled my bag in it, and hung the dress on its door. I changed in silence, listening to the women chatting together. Ana-Lucía was being silent, but I knew perfectly well she was rather talkative. It showed she was stressed as well, worried we might get caught.

Once I was rid of my outside clothes and done buttoning the front of my uniform dress, I soothed the fabric down my stomach. The fit was a little tight, but it was fine otherwise. The sleeves reached halfway to my upper arm, and the skirt flared just below my knees. As I settled my clothes in the locker over my bag, I felt something vibrate in it.

Already knowing what it would be, I pulled my phone out of it with a heavy heart. Lex was calling me, and it seemed he'd tried a few times just before as well. Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at the picture of him, and his name with the red heart next to it.

All the way from here, I could sense the utter agony he must have been in. I was hurting him so much. But I had to. My brief moment with Mrs. Reed had only confirmed that this was the best solution. It was expected of me to avoid Becker. I was just a tiny, unimportant piece in a big engine, so I'd remain undetected. In no time, I'd find the laptop and be out of here.

Everything in my system wanted to pick up. I wanted to tell him I'd be okay, that I was safe, that there was no danger... But there were seven women here with me. If I said any of this In English or in Spanish, I would blow my cover before I'd even started. And I couldn't do this.

But it might reassure him to hear my voice, to hear I was still doing well.

Impulsively, I picked up before the call could cut, and brought the phone up. Even though his tone was harsh and commanding, I heard the relief in it that I'd picked up.

"Andrea, you are not fucking doing this. Come back right now," he ordered. He sounded so distressed, it sent a stabbing sensation through my chest. "We'll find something el—"

"Te amo, mi amor," I cut him, fighting back my tears.

Before he could say more, before he could convince me to turn around and get back to him, to abandon our best shot at ever getting rid of Becker, I hung up on him and proceeded to turn my phone off.

My hands trembled so much, I struggled to put the device back into my bag. I blinked and blinked, adamant not to cry. Now wasn't the time to ruin the foundation I was wearing and expose my freckles.

A hand was suddenly on my shoulder, and when I turned around, I found Ana, giving me a small smile. "Vámonos, guapa."

I nodded, sniffing hard to contain the snot that threatened to drip down my nose, and closed the door of my locker. This might not feel right, but it was the right thing to do. Regardless of how much it hurt us both, I had to keep going.

• • •

Becker's penthouse was insane. What I'd seen of it from the footage was nothing compared to the real thing. The man basically owned a palace on top of a building, one that span over three floors and too much surface to count. There was a fucking home cinema, even. In the heart of New York City. Who did that?!

The decoration wasn't really my type, though. It all looked very old-school and oppressive, with dark woods and overly complex wallpapers. Everything was clearly expensive, from the furniture to the trinkets exposed all over the place. Something told me the art hanging on the walls was probably priceless as well, but I didn't recognize anything, too uncultured when it came to art.

The one thing that I had nothing to say about was the view. It was spectacular. This building was much higher than our hotel room, and the panoramic view all around offered an amazing venture point over the city. We weren't right next to Central Park, but still close enough to see it well.

Being paired up with Ana-Lucía was the best possible thing, and during my entire shift, I thanked whatever lucky star was up there, looking out for me. Since she knew why I was here, I didn't have to hide as I would have needed to if I'd been with another maid.

Whenever we were working in a room that I knew had camera surveillance, I pretended to do my work, dusting, cleaning, and sweeping. Still, I kept an eye out for the laptop and appeared to be very thorough, even cleaning the insides of cabinets and closets. When we were in a safe room, though, Ana handled the cleaning while I inspected every hiding spot.

The room I was most interested in, which was the one we'd seen Becker come in and out of with his dirty secret, wasn't on our schedule today. Ana told me it was his home office, which was where Becker spent a good portion of his time when he was home. She knew it well, since she was assigned to it, and told me she was familiar enough with it to affirm I wouldn't find the secret laptop in there. It was a room large enough to welcome a few people, like business partners or investors, and there wasn't an inch of it she hadn't dusted or swiped in the past.

On the upside, I was so incredibly busy doing two things at the same time, I didn't see the time pass, and I barely had a moment to think about Lex, about crossing Becker's path, or anything other than my mission. The lunch break had been effervescent with activity as well, and I'd listened to the other staffers talk – the maids, a driver, and a handyman. I'd barely eaten the salad I'd bought on my way to the subway this morning. On the downside, spending the entire day cleaning really taught me I didn't enjoy doing it. Especially not for rich cunts.

"[This will be our last room today,]" Ana declared as we entered a small parlor.

That made my heart race in my chest. "[Is it already five?]"

"[By the time we're done here, it'll be.]"

Oh, God... I