A hard working and ambitious man, Scott was nonetheless totally devoted to his family. Every month, he sent his earnings to his single mother for the tuition of his five younger siblings and to help her at home.

Ethan had gained his utter loyalty when he had helped Scott’s mother buy a much needed new house. Scott, from that time on, had included Ethan in his prayers.

He chuckled thinking about his secretary as he showered with Original Vetiver gel from Creed. He had started buying all his toiletries from Creed because it reminded him of Sophia. Since she had broken up with him, he had been obsessed with her. If he were honest, Ethan had been possessed by her since that fateful plane ride to Geneva.

He looked at his reflection in the mirror, studying his face and body as he dried his hair and shaved.

He still couldn’t understand why she had left him for Alistair MacCraig. He couldn’t figure her out. And he needed to understand. He needed her.

He went to his dressing room, with just a towel around his lean hips. Before choosing his suit, he buried his nose in the clothes he had bought for her. They still held her scent.

So good, so sweet, so Sophia. He inhaled more deeply. Don’t worry, Ashford, you will have her back. You just have to plan things carefully.

In a few minutes, he was sitting in the dining room, having his breakfast. An espresso, bread and fruits, while reading The Financial Times, when Scott knocked at the door, holding a black leather file in front of his chest as a shield.

“Sir, if I may?”

“Good morning, Scott. Come in, please.” He motioned to the chair next to him. “Sit. What have you got for me?”

“Sir, I’m trying my best-” Scott almost choked on his words as Ethan leveled him with a hard stare. “I already have a man on the inside, day in day out. He’s not perfect, since he works as security only outside her house. But I’m working on-”

“Scott, Scott...” Ethan shook his head, slowly. “Have you got the list of employees like I asked? From the house and Leibowitz Oil?”

“Yes, sir, it’s here.” As Ethan scanned the lists, Scott continued, “But the thing is, sir, she pays all her employees very well and she’s a very good employer. As you are, sir. She helps them when they need; she is very polite, calm and fair. They like her very much and are loyal.”

“She is a great woman. Monitoring her life is going to teach you a lot. Learn from her, Scott.”

“I will, sir, as I do from you. But I’m having difficulties discerning a bribable employee inside her house. They are, as I said, extremely loyal.”

“Loyalty, as you know, is not easily discarded, but everyone has flaws, vices, needs. No one is perfect.” No one but her. “How about the list of firms that provide services at her house?”

“Here, sir.” Scott opened the leather case and pulled out two sheets full of names and information.

“Ah! Very good, Scott,” Ethan relaxed on the chair as he sipped his coffee. “Do you have a pen?”

“Here, sir.”

“Not for me. Please, start taking notes. You are going to research the following... Hmm,” his eyes roamed over the list. “The laundry company, the pool cleaner, the restaurateur, no. Not him. Her youngest sister recommended him,” he mused. “Ah, yes, the gardening firm. Look for employees who have debts, mortgages, kids or parents who are ill. I want all the information you can gather. Call James and Carter. Work with them. Only with them,” he said dryly, “and, Scott, I don’t need to remind you-”

“No, no, sir, of course not.” The thin man mopped his forehead with his handkerchief.

“And her schedule? Have you obtained it?”

“Yes, I took the liberty of making a timetable for you, sir.” Another sheet appeared from inside the black leather case. “She teaches at Cambridge, once a week, on Wednesdays and she stays there doing research until eleven o’clock usually. Once a month, she stays until four o’clock for her PhD. She goes to therapy, in South Kensington, twice a week. With Dr. Guilhermina Kent, a very renowned psychologist, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at nine fifteen in the morning. She goes home after work at around five o’clock. Once a week, on Wednesdays, she has private fencing classes, at home, at four-thirty”...

“Who is the teacher? I want a full report on his life. In fact, I want a full report on her secretary, Sarah and on the ones that work with her at Leibowitz and at the Foundation. Don’t bother with Davidoff. He’s as loyal as a dog. Professor Holbrook and Dr. Kent won’t be useful either. I want all these by the end of the week. Send all the information,” he waved his hand over the sheets Scott had given him, “to my personal e-mail. Encrypted, of course. I don’t want you doing this work from Ashford Steel. Do it here at my home office, always using the private network. Also, I want to know how her PhD is going and who are her supervisors.”

“As you wish, Mr. Ashford. And... If I’m not intruding, sir...”

Ethan shoved a hand in his perfectly combed hair, impatiently, “Shoot, Scott.”

“May I ask if you are satisfied with the... Ah... Your Sophia?”

My Sophia? She’s not my Sophia. Ethan sighed, “Scott, that woman is not even a shadow of Sophia. The real Sophia is unique and incomparable, but... All in all, I’m satisfied. Please, ask Mary to buy her a gift. Diamond earring studs, maybe. And some new lingerie. She can choose whatever she deems sexy. And more of the Sublime Vanille perfume. And, Scott,” Ethan eyed the pen his assistant was holding, “ask Mary to buy you a Montblanc. That pen isn’t acceptable for a man in your position.”

“Huh?” Scott swallowed and the pen vanished below the table. “Of course, sir. Thank you. Anything else?”

“Have you checked her phone lines?”

“Yes.”

“I want you to call a hacker-”

“A-a hacker, sir?” Scott stammered.

“Yes,” Ethan stated calmly as he looked for the hacker’s contact in his BlackBerry. “He is the best in his field.”

Scott’s eyes widened and he almost rubbed his hands together; he so loved spying. “Do you want him to bug her lines?”

“Of course! Here,” Ethan’s cell phone screen showed a cell phone number and a name, Ghost.

“And, sir, he can hack into her computers, too.” Scott got excited. “And break into the security system of her house. Surely, it’s controlled by a remote computer.”

“Scott, never forget this, information is essential. Always. Always listen. Even to gossip.”

“Of course, sir. Employees love to gossip about their employers’ lives.” Scott said eagerly not realizing what he was saying.

“Unfortunately,” Ethan said curtly. “I want everything done. Everything. But it’s crucial I’m kept informed of every step. And I want Ghost to wipe clean all traces of any research you do from my computer. In fact, buy yourself a new laptop. Start working with that, and don’t leave it here. Ever.”

“Mr. Ashford, I keep all vital information encrypted. I would never leave anything that could be traced back to us.”

Ethan smiled at him, his azure eyes twinkling. “Scott, you are the best.”

Scott puffed out his thin chest. “Thank you, Mr. Ashford. Do you want to meet with Ghost, sir?”

“Scott, people in his line of work are necessarily secretive. He will never meet a client and we will never know anything about him. If we want something done, we have to leave instructions in a p.o. box. Surely you can understand his fastidiousness.”

“Ah,” Scott was breathless. “Of course, I understand.”

“Good. Scott, no handwritten notes. Should notes be necessary, type them and use gloves to handle them.”

Scott’s eyes bulged with excitement and he bobbed his head. “Yes, yes, sir.”

“When working here, keep the office locked and don’t leave any research scattered around. As soon as you have all the details you need, burn all written or printed information.”

“Indeed, sir, indeed. Consider it done, as you instructed.”

“Good. I want to be kept abreast of everything she does. Every little thing. I’m giving you a big bonus if you get this first part of the work done properly.” Ethan turned his head to the newspaper, dismissing his secretary, “Thank you. That will be all.”

Scott picked up his file and started to exit the room as Ethan called, “Ah, Scott.”

“Yes, sir...” Scott halted and turned, opening his leather folder, ready to take notes.

“For tomorrow morning. I need Carter and the legal department to devise a taxation strategy so I can make contributions to her foundation. A huge contribution to start with. Directed to women and children in India and China. And I’ll have lunch with her to discuss the application of the funds.” Ethan paused, thoughtfully. “A business lunch, of course.”

“Of course,” Scott concurred, in a whisper.

“Only the two of us, in a secluded restaurant. I’ll think about it and let you know where it is going to be. Tell Carter to call me as soon as he has it done, so I can instruct him further.”

“Yes, sir. It will be done.” Scott left the room with a big grin on his thin lips, thinking about how easy and enjoyable his job was and the big bonus that would be in his bank account by the end of the week.

8.55 a.m.

Sophia paused at the door of her Jaguar and, looking at her reflexion in Steven’s aviator sunglasses, instructed, “Steven, our first stop will be at Dr. Kent’s. Then drive Mr. MacCraig to the bank and come back to pick me up, okay?”

“Yes, Mrs. Leibowitz.” He opened the door for her.

Sophia, waving good-bye to Gabriela, entered the car.

As the door softly closed, she turned to look at the handsome man beside her. Should I ask? “Alistair Connor?”