The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband – Episode 33
The coffee shop counter disappeared beneath cups labeled with names Natalie barely knew. Serena had framed the errand as team building, but it consumed the first hour of Natalie’s day and cost money the company had not yet reimbursed. Several colleagues had apologized when giving their orders, making clear they recognized the punishment but feared refusing it. Natalie photographed every cup and the printed receipt before leaving, determined to preserve evidence of what she delivered.
Daniel Walter’s cup was an Americano, exactly as Serena’s written list specified. Natalie checked the message a final time and carried the tray upstairs.
Serena intercepted her near the sales floor. “You got Mr. Walter an Americano?”
“That’s what you ordered.” Natalie displayed the label.
Serena pretended to discover a typing error. She claimed Daniel preferred a hazelnut latte and insisted Natalie replace it personally. “It’s your chance to appear useful in front of the CEO.”
The timing was suspicious, but refusing a direct instruction would give Serena another accusation. Natalie saved a screenshot of the conversation and returned to the café. When she came back, Serena directed her toward Daniel’s private office.
The executive floor felt removed from the company below. Thick carpet absorbed every footstep, and glass walls revealed conference rooms larger than Natalie’s former home. Original art lined the corridor, while digital dashboards displayed transactions large enough to reshape entire businesses. Natalie wondered whether Bash Myers ever walked here unseen, passing employees who treated him as rumor. An assistant tried to stop her because she had no appointment.
Natalie explained the delivery. The assistant checked Daniel’s empty calendar and allowed her to leave the drink inside, warning her not to disturb a confidential meeting in the adjoining room.
The office door stood partly open. Natalie entered, placed the cup on the desk, and heard Sebastian’s voice beyond the partition. Her hand froze above the cardboard sleeve.
“Make sure the final documents are ready,” he said. “I want the entire plan secured before Friday.” His tone held the authority she had overheard at the penthouse, but here it belonged naturally. He spoke of voting shares and a final transfer, subjects far beyond an assistant interview. Daniel answered by listing completed tasks, never once questioning Sebastian’s right to demand them.
Daniel answered with deference. Natalie moved toward the sound just as both men emerged. Surprise crossed Sebastian’s face; Daniel’s expression came closer to panic.
“What are you doing here?” Natalie asked her husband.
Sebastian recovered first. “Interviewing to be Daniel’s executive assistant.” The lie arrived with enough detail to sound prepared. “I wanted it to be a surprise in case I didn’t get the position.” He gestured toward a folder Daniel quickly closed, presenting confidentiality as the reason for their secrecy. Natalie wanted to celebrate his initiative, but the explanation did not match the command she had just heard.
Natalie looked from his inexpensive clothes to the private executive suite. Employment explained his presence, though not the commanding voice she had heard. “You could have told me. I would have helped you prepare.”
“I didn’t want you disappointed.” The excuse borrowed her own fear of failure, making it difficult to challenge without seeming unkind.
Daniel introduced himself too formally, then corrected to her first name. He nearly called her Mrs. Klein with the ceremonial respect used for an owner’s family, catching himself halfway through. Sweat gathered near his collar despite the cool office. Natalie wondered why the CEO of B.M. appeared more nervous than the supposed applicant, and why Sebastian seemed to be directing the rescue of Daniel’s explanation.
She explained Serena’s coffee request and set the hazelnut latte down. Daniel stared at it as though she had delivered poison—because, for him, she nearly had.
“I don’t really drink coffee,” he said quickly. “Perhaps Sebastian would like it.” Sebastian recognized danger in Daniel’s urgency.
Natalie frowned. “Serena said hazelnut was your favorite.” Daniel’s face lost color. He began to warn her, but the lid had loosened during the walk, and a splash struck his hand as he moved the cup.
Within seconds, red welts rose across Daniel’s skin and his breathing tightened. His chair struck the wall as he tried to stand, and the cup fell across papers marked confidential. He reached for the emergency kit in his bag while Natalie called for help. Sebastian’s calm vanished beneath focused urgency. The office doors opened to Serena’s horrified performance, and her first accusation cut through the chaos: “Natalie, what did you do?”