Marcus doesn't ask for my help for the next two weeks. If I wasn't panicking about my upcoming mission, I would feel more deflated.

Work passes with hardly any issues. The looks and gossip fade and Serena leaves me alone now she thinks I'm not a threat.

Mr Salt comes into the restaurant a couple of times, without security thankfully. I flirt and work him as usual, but his dinners have been more about pleasure than business so there's been nothing new to note.

I am grateful for this moment of calm. I am also especially grateful I'm about to spend my weekend off in the middle of nowhere firing massive guns.

Today is going to go slow, I know it. I leave tonight. My bags are packed and I'm so ready to just let out all my frustration on the ranges.

"Eight hours, that's all you have left to do," I say to myself as I leave my flat.

The sounds of the screeching trains on the underground don't ease my sour mood. I sigh with frustration and step onto the hot and sticky train, squeezing in between other passengers.

I certainly won't miss this when I go back home.

Thinking about home makes my chest ache and a deep tiredness settles over my body. I shut my eyes and let out a long breath. Mother's face pops into my mind and I almost start crying.

I want to go home so badly.

The train screeches to a halt and I get off. As usual, I shove my way through the crowds and pray that I haven't been pickpocketed.

When I get out on the street, my mind goes blank as I walk to the MOD building, practically running on autopilot. By the time I'm at my desk, I feel completely deflated and empty. I rub my aching eyes and yawn.

"You okay Ivy?" Mia asks.

"Yeah, just one of those days, you know," I reply.

"You mean every day?" she asks, laughing.

"Pretty much," I reply.

"Eight more hours and then the weekend. You have anything planned?"

"Yeah, I'm going away camping. I need to get out of the city and away from people."

"Are we that bad?" she asks.

"Do I need to answer that?" I reply. She laughs and nods her head.

"Fair enough," she says, then pats my shoulder and leaves to go to her desk. I load up my computer and get to work. As I focus, time passes quicker, thankfully. Before I know it, it's lunchtime.

Mia, Leo and I head to the cafeteria and eat in there, wanting to get out of the office space for half an hour. The chat is light. We don't talk about anything meaningful. Most of what we talk about is just shit to fill the silence and take our minds off of work.

"Bring on the end of the day," Leo moans as we return to the office. My eyes fall on Serena and her little gang, standing and giggling in the corner of the room.

My rage toward them has somewhat dissipated. The urge to slap Serena still curses through me every time she's near me, but it is more manageable now. I just have to keep reminding myself not to stoop to her level.

"Let's get this over and done with," I say. They nod their heads in agreement and we separate to return to our desks. I get back on with my assignment – which is close to completion.

I don't bother lifting my head as the door opens. In fact, I barely notice that familiar hush that takes over the room when a certain someone opens. It only clicks when there is a shadow standing over me.

I look up and jump. A bolt of fear shoots through me as I remember the incident two weeks ago. Marcus raises a brow at my reaction. He looks like he's biting back a smile.

"I wasn't subtle with my entrance," he says lowly.

I force on a small smile and then look around the room. I nearly groan as I realise that all eyes are on me once more.

"Mr Kaiser, how can I help you?" I ask.

"I think we need to have a talk," he says, his expression souring.

"Okay," I reply and stand up.

I avoid eye contact with anyone as I follow Marcus to Zoe's office. He knocks on the door and we hear her call for us to come in.

"Ah, Marcus, you made it down today," she says, grinning, "and you already collected Ivy."

"Good afternoon, Zoe," he says charmingly as he closes the door behind me.

"Let's just cut right to the chase," Zoe says and closes the files she was looking at. Marcus lets out a frustrated huff and shakes his head. I take a seat and start picking at my nails nervously, my stomach fluttering. I don't want to relieve that situation again. I especially don't want Marcus to know about the comment Serena's father made about me sleeping my way into his good graces.

I feel heat build in my cheeks just thinking about it all.

"I know it's been quiet since the incident," Zoe begins, addressing me, "but I assure you, Marcus and I have been working hard behind the scenes to get this sorted."

"You have?" I ask, perking up a little bit.

"Yes, I didn't tell you about it because I didn't want you to get your hopes up that this could be resolved."

"Thank you," I say, letting out a sigh of relief.

"In short," Marcus begins, "Mr Dalmore doesn't get to dictate who I do or do not work with. Nor does he get to come in here to threaten and harass our staff."

I can't help but smile. I really am being looked after, they are trying to protect me.

"So, what happens now?" I ask, hopeful that there will be some sort of action taken against him.

"Well, Mr Dalmore has been privately reprimanded, but will face no further consequences for his actions," Zoe sighs.

The smile falls from my face, though I know I shouldn't be surprised. I've already got more than I expected anyway.

"And you are cleared to continue working on my translations, officially this time," Marcus says.

My eyes widen. "Really?" I ask.

"As I said, Mr Dalmore has no say in who I choose to work with and, to put it blankly, I am much more valuable than he is. The big bosses need to keep me happy more than him."

I can't help but laugh a little bit. Especially as I imagine how angry he was after being told no.

"We are so sorry that happened to you, Ivy," Zoe says, and she reaches out to touch my hand. She gives it a light squeeze. "We take the safety of our employees very seriously and that includes bullying and harassment. No one should be shamed or humiliated at work, especially by an authority figure. I know you've been having problems with a certain someone, but we promise to be more vigilant and keep you safe."

"Thank you," I say, my chest filling with warmth. I almost feel like crying again.

"We're going to keep an eye on Serena too and make sure she's aware that she is in a professional work environment and that she can't go running to her father every time something doesn't go her way," Zoe assures me.

"That is such a relief to hear," I reply.

"Honestly this is kind of embarrassing. This isn't how I want to run my department," Zoe sighs.

"Well, there are forces out of your control," Marcus sighs. "Good people often get flattened by the egos of our fat politicians."

I raise my brows, not expecting Marcus to say something like that. Zoe just nods her head in agreement.

"Anyway, I need to be getting back to work," Marcus says.

"Thank you for coming down here," Zoe replies, smiling.

"Yes, thank you so much," I say, smiling widely at him.

"It was for selfish reasons really," he jokes, standing up. "I need my translator."

Zoe and I laugh and walk to the door with him. He opens it for me and I step out, the smile still on my face.

"Serena," Zoe calls out, her voice stern, "a word please."

Marcus and I walk down the steps and watch as Serena, slightly red-faced, walks quickly towards the office.

I bite my lip to stop myself from smiling. As she disappears into the office, Marcus gestures for me to follow him.

We step outside the main office and away from all the stares and listening ears of my colleagues.

"I am sorry I didn't sort this out sooner," he says.

"No, it's fine. I wasn't expecting you to. You have much more important work to be doing instead of sorting out petty office drama," I tell him.

He smiles charmingly. "That's very true. I also get the impression that you aren't the type who needs me to come and save the day anyway."

I laugh. "I think I'm quite good at handling myself," I admit, "but having the support is nice."

"I also don't think me rushing in to save the day would help the rumour that that moron encouraged," he says and shakes his head. I feel my cheeks flush slightly.

"You know that's not true, right?" I ask quickly.

"I know," he replies, his voice serious. "You're a very intelligent young woman, Ivy. We all see it. Trust me, no one really thinks that about you, don't worry."

"That's a relief," I sigh.

"Which reminds me, do you have any plans this weekend? I need some assistance with more translations. You'll get paid overtime, of course."

My stomach sinks and I grimace.

"Ah," I begin, "unfortunately, after everything that's happened recently, I've booked a small camping trip. I'll be off the grid over the next few days. I just need to get out of the city, you know?"

He smiles widely and my heart flutters.

"I didn't realise you were an explorer too," he says.

I smile. "Well, I'm just full of secrets," I joke.

He laughs and we fall into a small and comfortable silence for a few seconds.

"Well, enjoy your weekend away. You deserve it. My translations can wait until next week."

"Thank you," I reply.

"See you next week, Ivy," he says.

"Bye," I reply. He turns to walk away, then spins back around.

"Oh, a position on my team is opening soon. You should apply," he tells me.

"I will," I promise. He smiles once more, then walks away.

As I walk back into the office, I can't keep the smile from my face. When Serena leaves Zoe's office, her face is a picture of rage. She storms straight into the staff room. I bite my lip as I giggle to myself. Then, I get back on with my work.

Buzzing from the events of the day, the rest of my shift passes quickly. Soon, I am rushing home. Even the underground doesn't feel as horrible now.

Connor is waiting for me when I get in. I tell him excitedly about what happened, and he hugs me tightly.

"That's amazing, Ivy," he says as I jump up and down from excitement.

"I know, right?"

"You know what this means?" Connor asks.

"What?"

"It means that your mission with Kaiser is doable."

The smile falls from my face slightly. In all honesty, I had kind of forgotten about my mission with him. In some ways, I actually want to get the job and work by his side.

"Yeah," I say to Connor and force a smile back on. He doesn't notice and changes the subject.

"Are you ready for the weekend?" he asks.

"I am so ready," I groan.

"I am so jealous," he scoffs and slouches on my sofa.

"Well, become an assassin yourself and then you can get training weekends," I say.

"Yeah, we both know I'm not allowed. My family name is too prestigious to allow me to be an 'immoral' and 'unheroic' assassin," he scoffs.

I laugh. "Yeah, and me being an assassin is probably the least immoral thing a person with my surname is doing," I joke.

Connor laughs loudly and nods his head in agreement.

"Very true," he agrees. "Anyway, you need to get going."

"I know," I say and pick up all my bags.

"Have fun," he sighs as I get my coat on.

"I will," I say, and we hug tightly. Then, I'm practically skipping to the door.

I can barely keep the excited smile off my face as I make my way to the location. Waiting there for me is a taxi.

I say the code words and soon, I'm on my way. As we leave the city, I'm told to put on a blindfold. Reluctantly, I do so.

My stomach churns with a mixture of nerves and excitement as we get closer. Of course, I can't help but think of the worst.

What if this is some sort of trap? What if I've led myself to my own death?

I force myself not to think that way. This is just going to be another training weekend. It's nothing special.

Time passes horribly slowly and my head spins with disorientation as I completely lose track of where I am or even what direction we are going in.

Hours pass in silence and all I have are my own thoughts for company. Thoughts which are interrupted by the car suddenly lurching over very uneven terrain. I cling to the seat as I'm thrown around. My stomach churns again, but this time, it's motion sickness.

When the car comes to a stop, after nearly five hours of travelling, I practically leap out of it.

I remove the blindfold only to be greeted by darkness. The driver says nothing and as soon as I close the boot of the car, he is driving off.

I reach for the torch I packed and turn it on. I am standing in the middle of a field. It is so overgrown that the plants are all nearly as tall as me.

Still, I was briefed about this. I know exactly what signs to look out for to find the path. Sure enough, I find it.

The gap through all the plants is barely visible, especially in the darkness. If it weren't for the little red pebble just before it, I wouldn't know it was there.

I push my way into the shrubbery. I keep my mind blank and try not to think about how dark it is right now or that I'm in the middle of nowhere.

One step after another. That is all that is on my mind.

It takes twenty minutes for me to stumble upon the abandoned building.

When I see it, I freeze and nearly drop my torch in shock

Despite it being night, daylight shines out from one of the broken walls. Shimmering in the gap is a portal.

My heart leaps with excitement and tears of joy sting my eyes.

I'm going home.