1.10

"This seems nice," Sam said, her words echoing through the empty office room. Classes had ended for the day for both of us and we were viewing offices for the new software company, Serpent Software.

Relying on Fay's skills and Sophie's helpful edits, I even created a black snake emblem for our logo.

In my previous life, I'd created a company once, not a very legal one either. Both my hacker friends were fairly local here, as well as that guy...

"Yeah, I like it," I nodded making the estate agent smile and fumble in her briefcase for the paperwork.

Using my new identity with a fake ID as Mrs. Fay Drake, I signed the deed and bought the two stories of office there and then. Thankfully, this world had a lot of similarities. This also meant the contacts I had in my last life, at least half of them, also existed here.

It hurt my pockets and my heart, to reach out and get what I needed. Before I could live my life happily on my island, I needed a good money-maker back here, run by people I could trust.

I could not do what I had done before, whilst on the run, the odd jobs for nefarious clients. Here I had a reputation to protect and needed to stay within the borders of legality, mostly.

Since our last communications, Lucien had not gotten back in touch, though he had sent me my marriage certificate via his sly fox of a lawyer.

There was no prenup, no marriage contract, and no expectations or rules. Just the certificate and a joint deed to a quite well-off property he had freshly bought in the area. Not far from Fay's grandparent's home she should inherit.

As hard as I tried to search for Lucien Drake online, there were no records. He was a ghost. I had married a ghost.

Once we had finalized everything, Sam and I returned home. She left again, eagerly going to buy some pizza, leaving me to rest in peace.

Sighing I leaned back on the bed, resting my aching feet. Opening the laptop, I checked over the email Sophie had sent me regarding our group project.

The chat pinged.

[Luficer: I like your new offices, need any help Mrs. Drake?]

I raised my middle finger to the camera.

[Lucifer: Now that's no way to treat your hubby]

[Eve: And spying on your 'wife' is?]

[Lucifer: Protecting, there's a difference]

I scoffed. He was more shameless than me, that was a feat in itself.

[Eve: Stay out of my business]

[Lucifer: Just keeping you safe at a distance, don't worry too much wifey or you'll gain wrinkles]

This man...

[Lucifer: Two sets of men tried to approach you today, I kept them at bay, but be alert alright?]

I suppose there were worse men to be randomly married to.

[Eve: Do you know who sent them and what they wanted?]

Had some other bigshot in the hacker community located me after the Global Tech infiltration?

[Lucifer: Just some pesky flies after something too good for them... So what will you reward me with, for being such a good hubby?]

Sam returned to the room, singing off-key.

[Eve: I won't divorce you, for now]

Closing the laptop, I joined Sam at the table, begrudgingly taking the pop instead of the wine.

***

"Come to my room after class Soph?" I asked her quietly as the cyber security lecturer finished sharing our marks. It was from an exam Fay had taken just before Christmas.

She had come second last. I guess I best be careful in the future and try to build her marks up slowly.

"W-why?" Her spine straightened in panic.

"Yes, why?" Ethan spat out from my other side. It was getting harder to push away this annoying brother of mine.

"Girl talk," I frowned at him, "mind your own business."

"So will you come?" My tone changed sweet for the little cutie blushing on my other side.

"Y-yes, I'll c-come." My heart ached at the thought as to why she had her stutter, though it only made her seem cuter in my eyes.

After class Sophie followed me back to my room instead of getting her bus home.

"Hello," Sam greeted her, then passed me my coffee. She was making me more and more thankful I assigned her as my personal assistant.

She turned back to the small kitchenette to refill the kettle, "do you want a drink?" She asked Sophie.

"T-tea please?"

We sat at the small round table and I rummaged through my bag to hand her a contract, "work for me, Soph?"

Surprised, she shakingly took the paperwork and scanned through it.

"It's just a start-up Sam and I are doing, I've seen your work these last few weeks and I'm convinced you'd shine brightly for me."

"B-but we haven't e-even graduated?" She put the papers down and took her tea.

I bit my lip in worry it would spill, the poor thing's hands were still trembling.

"Neither has a lot of people with start-ups. What matters is connections, and I have them," I winked, then handed her a printout of my business plan knowing full well she would understand it.

"Will i-it really be o-okay?"

I nodded, giving her my best reassuring smile, "yes, everything is going to go great."

She submitted and signed the paperwork, which I took and locked in my backpack straight away before she could change her mind.

"Now, it's Friday night? Why don't we go and have some fun to celebrate? My treat?"

Sam's eyes lit up.

"I-I have nothing t-to w-wear..."

"Don't worry I've got it covered," Sam's hands firmly gripped onto poor Sophie's shoulders. At least she didn't want to play dress up with me again. For hours I had endured her whims last weekend.

"Right, go play, I'll book us a table somewhere." I waved them away and took out my phone to text the lawyer and search for a certain someone's restaurant...