Wife by Day, Boss by Night by Thalia Quillspeak

Chapter 50
Her breath, light and ephemeral, tickled the palm of his hand, scratching an itch deep within his heart. A flicker of emotion
danced in his eyes for a moment.
Releasing her, he dipped his head, intending to seal the moment with a kiss. But at the last second, Natalie shot her hand up to
cover her lips, denying him access.
He had just been with Madelyn. Although he didn’t mind, she did.
Brian’s cool lips found refuge on the back of her hand instead, pausing momentarily.
Natalie stood still, feeling the soft pressure of his lips as they journeyed from her hand to the tender skin beneath her ear, along
her neck, grazing her earlobe.
Nate was nestled against Brian’s chest, and Natalie, fearful of waking Nate, dared not push Brian away.
“You broke your promise,” he whispered hotly against the delicate shell of her ear.
Her lips pressed tightly together and she couldn’t even bring herself to meet his gaze.
A sudden, awkward cough from upstairs broke the intimate spell.
Natalie’s eyes darted up, catching sight of Reid and a few of bodyguards from the Howard family on the landing. She quickly
sidestepped Brian and took a step towards the staircase.
Being kissed by Brian in front of the members of the Howard family was more than a mere embarrassment for her.

Reid quickly turned away, giving them privacy. The other bodyguards catching on did the same. Brian, looking intently at Natalie,
who had averted her face, took a deep breath before asking in a low voice, “Have you checked inside?”
“Yes,” Reid replied quietly: “The intruder has left. It seems nothing is missing. It’s possible they were after Natalie or the young
master.”
The security at Prestige Penthouses was known to be the best in Streamville, a go–to haven for those with delicate identities.
However, there was a flaw. The security system was networked, and a power outage could spell trouble.
Today’s blackout must have been linked to the intrusion in Natalie’s room.
Upon hearing Reid’s report, Natalie, momentarily stunned, forgot everything else and hurried upstairs.
The first thing she did upon entering her room was to check if her laptop was still there. Her lifelong work was on that device.
Despite having backups and encryption, a theft by a skilled competitor could be disastrous.
Seeing the laptop untouched, she exhaled in relief. She quickly powered it on to check if anyone
Chapter 50
had attempted to crack her password. After a brief inspection and finding no signs of tampering, she finally allowed herself to
relax.
Brian, holding Nate, watched Natalie as she busied herself with the computer, furrowing his brow slightly with concern.
Her attachment to the laptop seemed unusually strong.

Natalie, feeling his questioning gaze, met his eyes briefly. Without a word, she closed her laptop, turned around, and began to
examine her suitcase and the contents of her nightstand for any signs of theft.
Brian passed by her, delicately placing Nate on the bed. He glanced once more at the closed laptop, noticing a waterproof sticker
affixed to its lid.
He paused, then looked back at Natalie.
Pretending to be oblivious to his scrutiny, Natalie continued to check the inner linings of her
suitcase.
“After five years, you still keep it close,” Brian murmured from behind her.