Chapter 2

Izzy traveled a lot for work. These receipts should have been submitted to accounting for reimbursement.

But she was holding onto it herself, which could only mean it was for personal use and couldn't be shown openly.

I casually asked her, "Hey, babe, were you at The Grandview Hotel last Friday? A friend said they thought they saw you."

"No way. All my recent meetings have been at The Stellar Inn. If you saw me there, that's possible."

Her voice was soft and gentle. I used to joke that she sounded like she was flirting, not negotiating.

Now, I realized lying and flirting had something in common – they both made it hard to tell what was real!

The receipt wasn't from The Stellar Inn or The Grandview. I checked the map and found it was from a cheap, no-name motel right across from The Grandview!

She was always incredibly particular about her lifestyle, so why would she book a room at a place like that? And why lie about it?

This bothered me for ages. Still unsettled, I quietly checked her call logs and social media, but came up empty.

She seemed to have zero interest in men, with almost no male friends outside of work contacts.

Those two receipts were like a splinter, digging deep into my heart.

Finally, I made up my mind and dialed her assistant, Chloe Jenkins. I didn't even know how to start, but she brought it up herself.

"Leo, did you happen to find two hotel receipts at home? A couple of times, both The Grandview and The Stellar Inn were full, so I put the driver up somewhere else, but I can't find two of those receipts for reimbursement."

Oh, so that was it!

I quickly had someone deliver them to her.

I trusted Chloe.

She was someone I'd personally put on Izzy's team, and her loyalty was unquestionable.