Stephan knows that too, so he's instantly suspicious of my blunder. "What's wrong, Elena?" His voice is full of concern.
"Nothing," I immediately answer, not wanting my employer to think that I'm crazy or something. "I'm fine, Stephan."
"Don't lie to me." His voice comes over the line as a low growl, and I blink at the intensity of it. How does he know I lied? Then again, Stephan is nothing if not perceptive.
When I don't say anything for a long moment, he prompts me again with a simple uttering of my name. "Elena."
I swallow nervously before I finally answer, the words vomiting out of me in a rush I can't control. "I think somebody tried to break into my place last night. I mean, somebody did. A couple of guys. They broke into my place last night. But I'm okay," I rush to add. "But I don't know what happened to them. I can't explain it. Somebody saved me. But I didn't really get a good look at him, and I think I passed out or something. I woke up on my bed, but I don't remember how I got there..."
I trail off as my thoughts misfire in a thousand directions.
Oh God, what have I done? Why did I tell my employer this? He's going to think I'm on drugs or something.
Stephan is silent for a long moment—so long that I consider hanging the phone up and just walking out because surely, he's fixing to fire me. He's going to realize the little personal assistant he hired has lost her marbles and that she's not competent enough to do her job.
That's why I'm surprised as hell when his voice comes back over the line, and he tells me in that deeply controlled voice of his, "That will never happen to you again. I assure you of that."
He pauses before he adds, "Don't go home after work. Wait for my instructions."
Before I have a chance to say anything, the line clicks off.
What the—?
I stare down at the phone in my hand. It seems like Stephan always has me staring down at a dead phone line.
He believed me. No questions asked.
But what does he mean that something like that will never happen to me again? Why does he not want me to go home after work? Does he plan on calling the police and having me file a police report?
Why didn't I do that before? I'm feeling completely stupid now. Shouldn't I have done that first thing this morning?
But I didn't even think of it until now. Surely that's what he has planned.
The police are probably going to think I'm crazy for waiting so long, but then again, I have a powerful man like Stephan who believes me, so surely that will count for something.
My body relaxes as I ruminate on the words Stephan spoke to me.
Nothing like this will ever happen to me again. He assured me, and I believe him. Because if there's one thing I've found out about Stephan in the short time I've been working for him, it's that he has a lot of pull in this city. He can make things happen.
And just knowing that he believes me makes me feel better. Knowing that I have him on my side makes me feel safe. I spend the rest of my day entering data into the computer, accepting phone calls, and taking messages for Stephan.
The time flies by like usual, but an hour before I usually go home from work Stephan calls on the phone line again.
"Elena." He doesn't waste any time.
"Yes?" I answer back.
"Go ahead and leave for the day. I have a driver waiting outside to take you to your new apartment."
I'm silent for a beat.
"Wh—what?" I finally sputter. "New apartment? What are you talking about?"
"Just go ahead and go." His voice is patient, as if he's speaking to a child. "I assure you everything will be fine, and everything's taken care of. You don't have to worry about a thing."
"But Stephan," I begin, my head spinning again. What is he talking about? A new apartment? And what about all of my things from my old apartment?
As if he can tell where my thoughts are going, he repeats firmly, reassuringly, "Everything is taken care of. Just obey me, Elena. Please."