lately i have been completely motivated to write purely by the comments on my stories and i'm so very thankful for every single person who takes the time to read my works. you are all so special.

i sit at my desk facing the large windows, the city sprawled out before me as i chew on the end of my pen.

if asked, i truly couldn't tell what has gone on the last couple of weeks. a little bit of nothing and a whole lot of odds and ends. it's mostly consisted of learning and discovering all of the responsibilities vivian handled before she left. days filled with looking through old paperwork and files, handling all of the phone calls she used to, dealing with people who are accustomed to dealing with her, and directing a whole lot of people. it hasn't been fun but it hasn't exactly been awful either.

i find myself in a daze most days, my mind filled with flashbacks and daydreams. i wonder to myself where dakota and lillian are now. possibly in colorado somewhere cozy and beautiful as they enjoy one another and their time together. my heart still fills with happiness when i think of the wedding bands that were placed on their fingers only a short time ago. i recall how the snow fell and collected atop my lashes as i grinned, caught in such a surreal moment.

as i think of my best friend's wedding day i see mr ward's face in my mind. only that night he wasn't mr ward, he was jared and i suppose to him i was just "harris." i stare out at the cars passing the building below, feeling an odd sense of sadness for the man across the hall. i watch him work day in and day out and i wonder to myself if i have ever seen him waver in his work ethic and standards. i come to the conclusion that while i have watched him stay later than i and arrive earlier, i have only seen a glimpse of weariness and that was the day i walked in on him taking an accidental nap in his office.

i've done my best to hold onto the wariness i felt towards him in the beginning upon finding out about his dealings with the book store lillian loved so dearly. yet i find myself only feeling a respect and great regard for mr ward and a knowing that he may have a hard exterior but maybe he must? it's possible that so much has happened in his life that if he were to soften, he would be crushed and overwhelmed. maybe he's not willing to take that risk.

i jump higher in my seat than i'd care to admit when my office door opens and the man himself strolls in with his usual unreadable aura, his body halfway through the door as he peaks inside. today he wears an indifferent expression, a white button down shirt rolled up to his elbows, a pair of cream dress pants made of what looks to be an uncomfortable material, a deep brown leather belt, and a matching pair of dress shoes.

he clears his throat and my cheeks redden almost immediately. "miss harris, i require your assistance."

my mouth opens slightly, feeling dry. "yes of course, how can i help you?" i sit up straight, crossing one leg over the other to hopefully look more professional.

he blinks at me once before stepping inside and closing the door behind him. he remains standing as he says, "i should tell you that i have not disclosed the matter of my decision involving my father's company to anyone else but you and a small handful of others." for a moment i wonder why he calls it his father's company when it has been indeed his own for quite sometime.

"are you talking about your choice to cut ties with a few clients? and i suppose you're here to ask for my silence. don't worry, sir, i haven't told anyone about it." why would i?

his brows furrow slightly, "not exactly. i would prefer for you to keep it to yourself but your ability to do so and your character was never in question in my mind." i smile a little, wondering if he means this as a compliment of sorts, "my reason for bringing the fact up is that i need you to handle a few things for me. just a few legal matters."

"oh." i reply, "alright, very well. what is it you need me to do?"

he steps forward, placing a file on my desk. "this is roland west's file. i would like to cut ties with him along with a few others as you know but what's unique about my relationship with roland is that i am legally obligated to remain in business with him. however, there is a loophole and i believe an opportunity to take advantage of this loophole has arisen."

"and how can i help with that?" i ask him, confused.

he clears his throat, "he and my father wrote up a contract which his wife co-signed. she was against the alliance so she insisted that a section be put in on her behalf."

"what kind of section?" i raise a brow, wondering to myself how professional this is going to be.

mr ward shoved his hands into his pockets, looking a but uncomfortable, "let's just say that mr west is notorious for having beautiful assistants and his wife has been convinced for years that he has been...unfaithful with several of them."

"that's terrible." i mumble, eyes wide.

he nods but continues, "his business was going under due to some decisions and alliances and my father threw him a life raft, offering him some type of merger between the companies. roland's was significantly smaller than my father's so the risk of roland using our name to outgrow the alliance was slim. his wife also owns a business which was just beginning to grow at the time and produce profit. her name was getting out there so it would have looked very good for her to sign the contract as well as sort of a...reassurance to my father."

"reassurance of what?" i cut in curiously, my interest officially peeked.

his brown eyes meet mine and i try to remain focused, feeling frustrated with myself for feeling nervous, mentally shaking the feeling off. "my father loaned him a substantial amount of money along with linking his name to west's. his wife was against this because, since she had to sign for it, her business was being put in potential danger. so she had a section put in stating that, if her husband were to be unfaithful to her with his assistant and confirm her suspicions thus resulting in divorce, she would be released from the contract, roland west would have to pay the remainder of the loan even if it meant dissolving his company, and we would no longer be associated with one another." he tells me this as he leans against my desk, looking unusually intense compared to his usually countenance.

my eyes widen further and further throughout the explanation. who knew business relationships could be so dramatic and scandalous? "so...you now suspect that he's cheating on his wife with his assistant?" i want to ask how messed up their marriage must have been for his wife to distrust him so much but i suppose that's none of my business.

"i hate to put it that way but...yes i'm afraid so. i can't just ask him but knowing one way or the other could be the deciding factor of how i move on with our business relationship. mr west has built his company up since then and could have very well paid off the rest of his debt five times over by now but unfortunately chooses to spend his money...elsewhere. if he is indeed doing what i think he is, we would no longer be associated with him or his wife and we would receive the rest of what he owes which may help in replacing whatever we lose in the process of dissolving other connections." mr ward tells me lowly as if someone may be listening in.

i look up at him, still bewildered. "sir...may i ask how i can help with this? it seems awfully personal and complicated and i would hate to mess this up somehow. i just don't see how i could be of any assistance." my hand comes up to tuck my curled blonde hair behind my ear. his eyes watch the movement for a split second before his eyes are quickly averted.

"well..." he stands up straight, releasing a long breath, "i was hoping you could do something...a little unorthodox." he avoids my gaze and my eyes narrow.

"sir, please don't tell me you want me to be bait?" i decide silently that there's nothing in this world that could convince me to throw myself into the clutches of some rich pervert just to prove a point.

"oh no." he laughs lowly which catches me off guard, my heart beating a little faster at the sound from the shock, "i would never put you in such a position. i just wanted to ask if you would be willing to hand deliver some paperwork to his assistant and maybe...somehow coincidentally find out if my suspicions are correct." he shrugs, once again placing his hands in his pockets as if this is a reflex to hide his discomfort.

"i see." i mumble, picking up my pen from my desk and placing the end between my teeth as i look out at the city, thinking. "and just how do you propose i would just stumble on some sort of evidence to prove or disprove your theory?"

i try to read his facial expression or guess what he's thinking as he stands there giving me no answer but the efforts are futile and i'm left just waiting for him to speak.

finally, he does. "i happen to know that he has a business lunch every monday afternoon."

"how do you know that?" i narrow my eyes.

"i have been calling his assistant every once in a while to check on his schedule and availability...just in case i stumbled upon a reoccurrence such as this." he explains.

i silently wonder how in the world mr ward has the time to do these things when he's already doing a thousand things at once most of the time.

"alright..." i sigh, "so you'd like me to - what exactly? go there with the paperwork and...?"

"and see if you can hand deliver the paperwork to his assistant. if she isn't there, we can assume they're together. after all, it's highly unusual he would let his assistant off on a lunch while he's out. there would be no one to answer or hold his calls while they're both gone. it would be absurd." he scoffs and my nose scrunches. so that's why i always get a late lunch...good to know.

"right." i purse my lips slightly, "and you definitely want me to do this?"

"i admit, it's rather unorthodox but i believe it's the only way to expose the truth. if i went there, he would find out i was there and it would be far too suspicious. whereas, he is unaware of what my own assistant looks like." mr ward tells me with an almost desperate expression. i can tell that this truth could potentially lift a heavy burden from his shoulders and, while i don't know why, i feel that if i can help lessen his load then i should. part of me wants to see what he would be like a little less stressed.

"alright, i'll do it." i tell him, standing up and running my hands over the lines in my dress suit pants, grabbing the matching blush pink blazer from the back of my chair, "what time does this lunch usually happen?"

mr ward regards me with what i'm assuming is slight shock before checking his watch, "you have half an hour before he usually leaves the building."

i nod, pulling my long hair out from under the jacket and walking to the coat rack to snatch mine, throwing it over my arm and shoving my cell phone into the pocket. "wish me luck, then."

i am waiting for the elevator when i hear my name being called.

"miss harris." i see him again, my brows furrowing when i spot his own coat over his arm and his cheeks slightly flushed from rushing.

"yes, sir?" i ask, watching the metal doors slide open.

"i was thinking that it may be best that i accompany you." he tells me as the door begins to close, his hand coming out to stop it and hold it closed.

"why is that? and i thought you and your assistant shouldn't be out at the same time? who will hold your calls?" i ask the question genuinely but it comes out slightly passive to which my cheeks redden. i hope he doesn't take is that way and it doesn't seem so when he steps inside, pulling his coat on.

"i told the front information desk to hold all of my calls along with yours for an hour or so." he tells me, "i was just thinking that it may not be the best idea to let anyone else know of where you're going or else they may get their own crazy ideas considering west's reputation. so it's best i drive you myself and avoid the possibility of people talking." he tells me lowly, keeping his eyes forward as he speaks.

i look up at him, feeling myself smile in amusement. "are you saying you're concerned for my own reputation, sir?"

he doesn't skip a beat, "of course. you're my assistant so, by association, your reputation may effect my own."

my smile falls, "right." i clear my throat, facing ahead, "of course." of course it would end up just being about him and his own character. i can't believe i'm doing this for him when it's probably for completely selfish reasons.

we are quiet as we wait for the valet to bring his car and i must sorely admit that i am excited to ride in such a nice vehicle though of course my father drives a fairly nice cadillac, it's just not my taste. whereas the black shiny beaut that pulls in front of us makes my eyes wide with wonder.

i reach for the handle of the car but the valet quickly opens it for me. i look over with a feeling of pleasant surprise to see a pair of beautiful blue eyes and a wide smile. the young man couldn't be older than nineteen, only a couple of years younger than myself.

"thank you." i tell him with a nod and a smile to which he replies with a wink.

"the pleasure is mine, beautiful." he says before closing the door.

i hear a mumbled scoff before mr ward says, "just toss me the keys, kid," before settling into the driver's seat and closing the door.

i don't say anything about his unwarranted rudeness towards the valet but instead stare out the window with angry remorse. why did i agree to this? why did i agree to help such a hard man with only his own self interest in mind?

as if correcting me, my own memories play out in my mind of mr ward helping lillian's father the day of the wedding and the moment he offered such genuine congratulations to my dearest friends on their engagement and marriage. i'm afraid it's impossible for me to believe the man beside me is completely consumed in selfishness and disdain for others. so far i cannot deny the respect he has treated me with as his employee.

i keep my mouth shut nonetheless, still upset and unhappy with my current predicament.

"here we are." mr ward speaks, breaking the silence. i despise how he seems so unaffected by my stubborn lack of conversation as if he's perfectly content with not speaking to me.

i open the door without a word, accepting the file containing the paper work from him, and step out of the car. as soon as the door is closed, he pulls away to park in the nearest parking spot, hopping out to pay the meter, discreetly hiding his face as he does so.

i roll my eyes at the action, holding the file in my hand as i stride inside confidently, knowing they will not believe me to be who i say i am if i act like it's unbelievable.

"hello, i'm here to meet with mr west's assistant on a matter of importance. i have some paperwork from mr ward directly i need for her to get to mr west right away." i tell the young man at the desk with a beaming smile.

he looks up at me with surprisingly kind eyes, "may i ask who you are?"

"my name is symphony harris, i'm mr ward's assistant." i explain with more ease than i expected.

he looks at me for a moment and i hold bold eye contact, praying he looks away first. luckily he does, picking up his phone and dialing a number.

"mr west is unavailable at the moment but monica should be up there if she's not out on a lunch. it's the top floor if you'd like to meet with her there. i am assuming you have an appointment, miss harris." he smiles, his intensely kind eyes now starting to look slightly scary and questioning.

"of course!" i say a little too confidently. he buys it, nodding me off with another smile and i turn on my heel, closing my eyes as i release a low shaky breath.

"why am i doing this again?" i mutter to myself, stepping into the elevator. i hit the top floor button with my thumb several times just purely out of annoyance before the doors close.

looking around the same confined space, i tap my foot against the floor nervously. i step out into a large corridor with marble flooring and extravagant light fixtures.

"woah." my voice echoes slightly back to me and i quickly place a hand over my mouth, slowly looking around to see if anyone heard me. as far as i can tell, i'm the only one in the entryway and i tell myself to relax as i walk towards a set of doors.

slowly pushing the dark wood, my hand on the handle, i peak my head inside and a spot an empty desk set outside of another door, several chairs and a loveseat placed in the small room almost like a waiting room.

"hello?" i say dumbly, silently kicking myself.

when i receive no reply i step inside, quietly closing the door behind me. tip toeing across the marble floor, i cringe with every tap my heels make, every step making me more nervous than the last. setting the folder onto what i'm assuming is his assistant's desk, i feel slightly saddened to find her absent.

does this mean mr ward's suspicions are correct and roland west is indeed cheating on his wife? i don't know the man nor do i know his spouse but this was definitely not the outcome i wanted...even if it helps my boss in some way. i feel horrid as if i've done someone's dirty work, my safe scrunching up in disgust.

i hear a small noise come from his office and i freeze, eyes wide. maybe she's in there? maybe she's not out to lunch with him after all? i'm about to make a run for it but force myself to stay calm. all it takes is a small peak in there to put all of my mind and its curiosity at rest, right? how hard can it be to just look inside without being detected? plus, if worse comes to worse, i have an alibi.

swallowing anxiously, i place my hand on the knob and slowly turn it, peaking my head inside. i almost scream when i see something i definitely shouldn't have, my hand coming up to my mouth to contain the shock.

closing the door quickly, i make a dash for the door and soon i'm in the elevator, my face red as a tomato. i practically sprint to the exit and make a beeline for mr ward's car. i find it exactly where i saw him park it, the cold wind nipping at my nose and whipping my hair about as i tuck myself into my coat, jerking on the handle of the passenger side door.

as soon as i'm inside the vehicle i feel like crying.

"miss harris, what on earth is the matter?" my boss immediately regards me with a look of discomfort as if my wave of distress is too much to handle.

i gasp, feeling out of breath from running and from the stress of the moment. "i-i saw..."

"what? what did you see?" he asks me calmly, waiting for me to catch my breath.

i look at him, his rich brown eyes locked on me as he awaits a response. "i saw him kissing his assistant...in his office." the words feel vile in my mouth.

he blinks at me, taken aback by my words. looking away, his hands slide off the steering wheel and he sits back in his seat. "i owe you an apology, miss harris. i had no idea it would play out in such a fashion. i take full responsibility."

i watch him, feeling awkward now that i've calmed down a bit, "no..." i sigh, "i agreed to go in there and i should have mentally prepared myself a bit more. i just...i just feel awful for mrs west. what are we going to do?" he looks at me and i immediately correct myself, "i mean, what are you going to do?"

his mouth ticks slightly as he thinks, "i suppose i must tell her considering i'm legally obligated to hold him accountable in this matter."

i say nothing for a moment, finding this situation all too weird to be real. it's like something right out of a scandalous film. my hands are still cold and i rub them together to create some sort of warmth. the sound must distract mr ward because his thought are interrupted, his gaze directed at me and then my hands.

"you're cold?" he inquires softly, catching me off guard by the genuine normalcy of the question.

"yes." is all i say, wanting to make a sarcastic remark about it being winter and that of course i'm cold. yet of course i don't.

he wordlessly starts the vehicle and cranks the heat up. soon my cheeks are rosy and warm and i am content with the temperature. at the same time i am so uncomfortable thinking about what i saw, seeing flashes of long brown hair, the two of them squished onto one seat. they didn't even notice the door opening let alone me standing there gaping like an idiot.

"wait..." mr ward leans forward, squinting. i follow his gaze but cannot see what he is seeing.

"what? what is it?" i stare out the window, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

"there." he points to a young blonde woman walking quickly into the building with a sway in her step.

"the woman? what about her?" i ask with a sigh. is he seriously checking women out at a time like this? i have to say i would be surprised to see him behave as such but i suppose it's not impossible.

mr ward slowly looks over at me and i am shocked by the almost amused expression he wears. i almost jump out of my seat when he begins to laugh, his straight white teeth peeking out between his lips.

"sir, i don't see what's funny." i respond.

he shakes his head, composing himself. "miss harris, that was mr west's assistant."

"up there with him? i know, i was there!" i reply. why is he bringing this up? i really don't want to talk about it.

he chuckles once more and i feel an odd sensation spread from my chest to my lips as i fight a smile though i have no idea what is so amusing. "no, harris, the blonde girl we just saw is his assistant."

i blink, "then who was up in his office with him?" i ask, completely bewildered.

"did she have long brown hair?" he asks me with a raised brow.

"yes." i respond slowly.

"that would be his wife." he looks at me, waiting for it to sink in.

reliefs floods my entire mind and body and i release a sigh, "oh thank God."

"thanks for the false alarm." he mumbles, putting the vehicle in drive.

"how was i supposed to know?" i reply, feeling very much finished with this entire ordeal. we don't speak on the drive back to the office which i'm more than okay with.

there's only one thought that seems to ring in my mind like a bell. he called me harris.

☆★☆

i'm so sorry that my updates take so long, my life is low key insane right now. thank you so much for reading! please comment your thoughts!

DISCLAIMER: i know nothing about contracts and legal matters, this is purely fictional.

*will fully edit later.*