While I lean on a pillar and do my best to stay away from conversations with everyone, essentially because I'm sick of getting pried for information on various matters, such as when Harry will be signing the new contracts, when the Christmas bonuses go out and when Harry will notify some of the staff they're fired. I had to assure two women that their husbands were not being fired and that they need to stop fretting.

I much preferred these things when I was merely a girlfriend and wife, not the fucking business Gooroo who just happens to be CAO and espoused to the CEO. If I had my time again I probably wouldn't have accepted working at Harry's company. It is becoming to be too much of a strain and hassle. I don't know how he has managed to deal with everything for so many years, it's no wonder he's cranky and a dick most the time.

A waiter endeavours me a smile as he displays a tray of champagne flutes, "ma'am, this is for you," he delivers me a white card, "from the man over there," he gestures towards Harry and I nod while I open the card to read it.

"Elise, meet me in room 21 on the 12th floor, I love you, darling. — Harry xx"

Perhaps this is his way of apologising for being an outright ass to me and not considering anyone else's feelings but his own. I was complaining to him that my back was giving me hell and he quite literally said, "Elise, you don't know hell until you've had shards of glass piercing into your skin while you're gasping for air. Take something for the pain and bugger off." He was an inconsiderate prick today, I guess not sleeping too well after last night has something to do with it.

All the broken pieces of the room still rest in the positions Harry left them in, I'm waiting for him to undividedly calm down and become level-headed before insinuating that he cleans it up.

I contemplate meeting him, he has been an ass and now isn't a time to whisk us away for him to apologise. I glance over to Harry, he's still at the bar on his own, watching and keeping to himself. We lock eyes and hold our stare for a moment before I take a breath and break our stare.

When I lose Harry in the area, I make way through everyone and exit through the heavy gold trim doors and into the marbled hallway.

*** ***

The elevator doors open and I step out into the carpeted hallway before I make my way down the corridor. I hear my name swiftly echo the walls' around me and I halt in my tracks and turn around to witness Anastasia.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I question, taking note as she seems just as equally as stunned to observe me here.

"I'm meeting Niall," her voice is low and delicate as she shifts a strand of hair behind her ear and I frown for a moment.

"Room twenty-one?"

Anastasia nods, staring at me with innocent and bewildered eyes; I presume the boys' are in this together. I am not sure what they are concocting, I can only assume I won't be getting that apology like I had anticipated.

I stand in front of the door and I hesitate for a moment. I chew on my bottom lip and glance towards Anastasia. I discover myself unsure of whether to open the door and wander in or to simply go back downstairs. Since this clearly isn't a one on one encounter with Harry and me, I don't foresee I will sustain the justification that he owes me.

I take a breath and shake away my thoughts, shaking them off as me being overly problematic and somewhat overly emotional.

I pull down on the handle and find it unlocked before I shift the door open.

My world freezes as my eyes meet the same tormenting rust-coloured eyes that I once stared into while pinned against a brick wall with a hand clamped to my mouth to keep me quiet.

I observe every inch of my body become paralyzed, every single vein and fibre of my being feels numb, the breath feels hitched in my throat as the devilish eyes intrude my skin. I swallow hard, striving to regain the air that has managed to become knocked out of me.

"Well, well, well, is that all it takes for you two broads to stumble in here? A letter from your lovers? This is almost like stealing candy from a baby," the man who appears familiar chuckles with an uncanny, nerve-rattling voice, "I expected it from doe-eyed Anastasia, but Elise, not from you," he clarifies with a grin that I perilously wish I could knock off his face with the back of my hand.

I turn around and clasp my hand to the door but my heart quickens as the handle refuses to shed a little bit of light on this disaster, it's locked.

"You can't leave without this special little key, you see, I scouted this entire building the best I could and I found that this is the only room with a faulty handle. Your very rich husband should presumably fix that, soon."

"Who are you and what do you even want?" Anastasia is the first one to speak between us.

My breaths are still appearing to succumb somewhere deep down in me. I seem to have disremembered how to even speak at this point.

It's when the man steps closer and I feel his touch caress to my skin that I sense as though my knees want to buckle and my whole body crumbles internally. His stroke brings nothing but invalidating fluctuations of revulsion, contempt and horror.

I shrug his touch away and his chuckle infuriates me beyond belief, "Elise knows who I am, don't you sweetheart?" My body shudders at his voice, "Jack is the name. I had the pleasure to meet this lovely lady at an event that ended up with me being fired because she," Jack points to me as he looks at Anastasia, "just had to be a bitch and have Prince Charming swoop in and save her from having one bloody drink," ... "jus' one drink was all I demanded, couldn't even give me that," Jack laments before his scrutinizing eyes are penetrating back into me, searing into my skin. "Such a pretty face," his hand reaches up and I flinch out of anxiousness, the constant fear of not knowing what this man will do flows my mind. "Not going to hurt you," Jack murmurs before his fingers grace over my shoulder and towards my neck.

I mildly shove his hand away from grazing my skin which appears to abruptly unleash the shameful beast inside him, "don't," he raises his voice, as his fingers clasp the chain of my diamond necklace, he tugs on it which draws me closer to his repugnant body. I cock my head to the side, not wanting to glance at the repulsive man. "Defiant, as usual," he yanks on the necklace, tearing the chain before granting the diamonds to plummet to the floor. "Listen carefully. The two of you are going to give me what I want otherwise your two little lovers won't see daybreak." Jack's voice threatens Anastasia and I. "Now, what will it be, my darlings? Sink or swim."

I take a breath and look towards Anastasia who views as though she has observed a ghost. She's gazing at Jack, shocked and unmoved. "Anastasia, sweetheart, did the cat suddenly get your tongue?"

"Leave her alone, Jack," I steadfastly instruct, taking note of the fact that her hands are trembling as they stay beside her and there's no doubt in my mind she's inwardly panicking. I am too. But Jack is the classification of a man who thrives off of the fear of others. The more fear he sustains the more dynamism he receives.

"Your little leprechaun won't be bouncing with pleasure when I'm done."

"Leave her out of this Jack..." ... "Anastasia he's bluffing," I mutter in an attempt to reassure her.

Jack laughs a loathing roar, it is revolting and the type you wish you could just strike away, "you and I both know the damage I can do. If he wasn't for Logan that day there's no telling how many bruises I could have left on you."

"Leave her out of it."

"Why? Because she'd do anything for Niall just like you'd do anything for Harry? Why do you think you're both here?" ... "you're smart Elise, I'm sure you can figure out that you're just bait. Harry will go berserk when he discovers you missing. We all know he'd give his life for you."

"What do you want, Jack?" I challenge as he advances towards Anastasia but I intervene whatever his fingers were going to do, "leave her, she's innocent in this."

"You don't get a say in this."

"I do considering what you want is what I probably have access to," I respond, narrowing my eyes to him, "I'm sure you want the access code to the vault. Just like I'm sure you want to know where the vault is."

"Yes, where?"

"Why would I give it up so simply?"

"Don't fucking play games," he elevates his voice and goes to raise his hands to me.

"Uh-ah," I chime, "there are only two people who can give you what you want, me and Harry. Hurting any of us won't get you what you require." I inform Jack and he promptly launches his hands to his side while his jaw clenches in exasperation.

Defeat isn't something that appears to suit him.

"Let her go, she has nothing to do with this," I gesture to Anastasia who is presumably regretting ever becoming Harry's assistant, no amount of salary is enough to make up for the fact she somehow got dragged into this fuckery.

I don't even know how Harry and I got into it and why these people, Jack, Charles and god knows whoever else is determined to destroy us. Literally.

Unless Harry has done shady things, which to my knowledge, is astonishingly absurd, it just doesn't make sense.

"She isn't going anywhere. Tick tock, time is wasting and I'm not a patient man, Elise." ... "one word and your husband is free game, this isn't a one-man show, darling. Don't forget I never work alone." Jack informs me with his vindictive tone of voice.

I think for a moment, unsure of what the hell I'm meant to do. I can gamble screaming, but it's unpromising that it will benefit us, it'll only enrage Jack. I don't think I can play him at his own mind games. At the end of the day, I know deep down he isn't bluffing when he alludes to harm with Harry.

I'm not naive.

Enough hell has occurred in the last few months that I'm quite aware of the misery, anguish and destruct Jack and his mates can produce.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was Jack who managed to devise the accident with Harry. The accident that almost caused him his life. The accident that I thought consumed me until Harry came back to us.

"Why do you want the vault? Haven't you done enough?"

"That's up to be boss to decide."

"Boss?" I challenge, cocking my head to the side, now there's a boss?

What is this? The fucking Godfather remake?

"The vault, Elise. Tell me. I'm getting impatient," his hand wraps around my wrist like it did when I was propelled against the wall that one day.

I take a breath and nod, giving in.

I surrender.

If Jack gets what he wants, everybody is left unscathed.

"You'll have to let us out so I can take you."

"No."

"The only way to access the vault is with my thumbprint," I inform Jack and his eyes abruptly ignite at the perception of getting what he has had his eyes on.

Anastasia and I convince Jack to allow the two of us to walk with him.

I lead down one of the numerous hallways and lure Jack to the main offices.

I make eye contact with Anastasia and narrow my eyes towards her desk, she's intelligent, she knows what to do.

"It's in here, Jack," I distract him as I shift open Niall's office, the only one I know is unlocked. Jack treads inside Niall's office and glances around, "all you need is in the drawer, my thumbprint was only needed in the elevator," I lie, striving to keep Jack occupied for a few extra seconds. He nods and shuffles towards the drawers Niall has neatly set up on the left. As he opens the drawers, I take the time to step outside of the office as the shuffling of feet become known.

Thank the heavens.

Security make their way in as Anastasia and I step back and watch, our nerves calming down.

Who would have thought Jack would be so easy to mislead? Amateur.

My eyes catch Harry as he barges his way around the corner, Niall, right behind him as they both strike their feet against the flooring to reach us.

The first thing Harry does is bring me into an embrace, he holds me tighter than a conventional squeeze and longer, too. I hold onto him, the tips of my fingers engraving into the fabric of his suit jacket as I inhale his scent. Despite everything and our dissimilarity, mainly his lack of care and love towards me recently, I'm content to be safe in his arms. And to have him flawlessly fine.

When I married him I had no idea our worlds would collide and become this chaotic mess. I knew the honeymoon phase would end, as they all do, but I didn't expect for all this to happen. We were so happy, we were doing well, then everything just started to fall apart and all at once we kept going downhill.

I didn't sign up for this division of aversions. I didn't sign up to become apart of scandal after scandal, it seems like there's just a layer of secrets and unexplained circumstances.

I tear away and glance at the man that I fell in love with, the man that I don't think I know anymore. When I gaze into his eyes, I don't recognize the tender loving care that used to grace my stare, I don't really perceive anything anymore.

He hasn't been the same since the accident, I understand why, but I am not sure this is something I can get used to.

If this is how my life is going to be, launched into a business world of secrets, desolation, instability and a man who isn't who he was when I married him... then I am not sure I want it anymore.

"What's wrong? Did he hurt you?" Harry cocks his head to the side as he glances into my eyes in an attempt to read me.

I shake my head, "I'd like to just go home," I respond as his arms stay draped around me.

His arms have always been my safe haven, but now I am not sure if I have just deluded myself to believe he is my safe haven or if he sincerely is. It seems like the more I am in his arms the more serious things occur.

Harry nods, "I'm going to finish up a few things."

I clear my throat before I begin to speak, "Harry, I want to go home."

"Elise, I have things to finish up, then we can go. Just thirty minutes." Harry's voice is polite and considerate but he's just not getting it.

"Harry, I want to go home, I'm done for the night."

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

"Nothing," I shake my head, "go do what you need to do. I'm going to the penthouse. You go home whenever you're ready."

There are somethings some people never learn, perhaps he will never learn how to disconnect himself from the business world long enough to realise the business isn't the only thing disintegrating.

Harry profoundly sighs as though I am hindering him and inconveniencing him. "Are you going to be like that? I'll meet you in the penthouse when I'm done."

"Whatever." I respond bitterly— I'm not going to fight him on something he should already have figured out by now.

"Don't be like this."

"Go tend to everyone else and everything else."

Harry benevolently grasps my wrist, "Elle, please don't do this." Harry whispers and I tenderly draw my wrist away from his grip.

"Just once I wish there wouldn't be an excuse or something else you have to tend to."

"Elise, this is my job, I can't drop everything at your demand."

"Well, your job is what got me stuck with psycho, to begin with," I gesture towards security who are currently hauling Jack towards the elevator, "your business is what is straining our relationship, your career is what's going to get you fucking killed and you're okay with it because you don't know any better."

Harry stares at me for a moment, his lip twitching as he keeps his mouth sealed. He has something to say, it's rattling around in that brain of his but he's holding back. He clears his throat, "you don't get to do this, you don't get to blame this on me. This isn't my fault, I never asked for it so don't damn well blame me."

"I don't think I can do this anymore."

"And what do you mean by that?" Harry questions. "Don't you think you're being a brat? I have shit to do and you're pissed I won't go home with you."

I shake my head, "it's not just that," I murmur with a sigh. I don't think he's going to understand that I don't recognize the Harry I fell in love with. I perceive a man who can't draw a line between business and family. I see a man that has become broken. "Goodnight, Harry."

This isn't about the fact he won't leave with me, it's about the fact that he didn't think twice about choosing to finish up a few things, once again putting business before anyone else.

Harry shakes his head, he isn't ready to just let me go upstairs. "No." His voice is firm but low enough to keep the word spoken between the two of us. "Tell me what it is."

"You're not going to fuckin' listen so there is no point."

"Tell me."

I feel like I am not going to get anywhere with him if I speak my thoughts right now, but he is demanding it, so be it. "When I married you, this was meant to be me and you, not me, you and your business. When I married you, you didn't tell me about this shit. When I married you, you promised to give your all to me... I get a half-assed Harry now." — "You have a choice to make, it is me or this business. I'm not going to continue with this, it is dangerous. If you want work to kill you — fine — but I am not raising a kid with all this tragedy. You tried so hard not to be your father, look in the mirror... you're becoming him in certain ways. I love you more than anything but I can't watch this all be the end of us."

He is becoming like his father to a certain extent, cynical and ruthless. He is changing. It's harsh, I know- but I don't think I have it in me to watch him turn into someone I don't know. I don't have it in me to continue this vicious course of danger where I don't know whether a note is from my husband or from enemies who seem to want his head on a platter.

"Elle-"

I cut him off promptly while shaking my head. "No. You used to say, 'even when you think you have it all—you don't.' Well, harry, you can't have everything."

*** ***

I make my way down the corridor I have toured numerous times before I reach the door of the penthouse. I unlock the door and step inside, somewhat relieved to finally be able to crawl into bed and sleep until I no longer feel drained from tonight. I kick my heels off and enable them to fall under the small table by the door before I make my way towards the bed, my bed.

There he is, resting on the bed with a Cheshire grin, "well hello, darling," his voice is similar to nails on a chalkboard or the sound of squealing tires when the brakes are hit too hard.

I gulp, my hand squeezing my phone in my hand out of retaliation. "Huh, not much of a talker, huh?" He questions while staring at me with malevolent eyes that feel as though they're seeking to take the soul from my body.

I grant him a soft and faked smile while my hand subtly unlocks my phone and calls Harry, "hello, how did you get in here?" I softly question, unsure of how in the world people are managing to get into locked rooms in this building. Harry has always had this building locked down with every security measure possible taken.

The man shrugs, "you know, you can change the locks but it's useless if you keep the same locksmith," the man responds as he continues to relax on the bed as though it is his.

"I don't understand," I clear my throat, anxiously calling Harry again since the first call went to voicemail.

"Never mind how I got in here. I'm assuming nitwit failed his task?"

"Excuse me?"

"Jack. Since you're here and not held captive with him, I assume he failed?" ... "of course he did, good fo' nothing moron. Well, I was hoping the final show would be of Harry, but two's a crowd, right?"

"Two's company, three's a crowd," I mutter, correcting this moron on the statement. "Why are you here?" I challenge, attempting to call Harry's phone once again in a subtle manner.

"Been waitin' on Harry... What are you doing?" He abruptly growls as he catches me while I send Harry 'Help, SOS' in a simple text.

I bounce back as my heart races at the movements of him lunging forward at me. He snatches the phone from my hands and hurls it to the wall before it hits the flooring. I can only assume it's shattered by now.

"Do you think you're going to run, Sweetheart? Do you think you can get away from me like you did Jack?" The man cocks his head to the side, his vindictive voice sending me into a state of internal panic. "You're such a sweet, innocent one. I have no idea why the hell you married Harry, the boy never knew his head from his ass." ... "stupid, stupid girl you were to marry him, now you're stuck in the family circle of hell. Welcome to the inauguration, dear." He, Harry's father, pulls a gun.