By the time Honey reached her office at Taylor Industries, her professional mask was firmly in place. Joy Smith, plain, reliable, and utterly unmemorable, nodded at the security guard and took the elevator to the executive floor.

Her assistant, Marjorie, greeted her with a concerned look. "Mr. Taylor's been asking for you. Three times in the last hour."

"I had a doctor's appointment," Honey lied smoothly. She did have one after work this afternoon, so not lying really. "The Boston presentation, I know he ended up emailing me."

"He's made significant changes to the proposal. The team's waiting in the conference room for a video meeting with him to go over it."

Honey nodded, striding toward her office to drop off her things. "Tell them I'll be there in a few minutes."

Her office was a reflection of Joy Smith... practical, organized, devoid of personal touches save for a single framed photo of her father on a fishing trip, sunglasses and hat hiding his face. But no photos of Riley.

She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. This was her domain. Here, she was in control, unlike the shambles of her personal life right now.

When she entered the conference room, six pairs of eyes turned to her. On the wall behind the head of the table was Grayson Taylor on the big screen TV, dressed in a charcoal suit, his expression impatient.

"Nice of you to join us, Smith," he drawled. "We've only been waiting forty minutes."

He seemed cranky but Honey didn't take the bait. "I had a medical appointment, Mr. Taylor. One that was scheduled weeks ago. We are all allowed lunch breaks as you are well aware. It's the law."

"More important than the Boston deal?"

"My health?" She met his gaze coolly. "Yes, actually. Had I had more notice I would have been here."

Something flashed in his eyes... surprise, perhaps, that she'd pushed back on something not directly connected to work. Good. Let him be surprised. Today was a day for changes. She was no longer taking shit from anyone including him.

"Well, now that you've graced us with your presence," he gestured to the room he could see on his screen, "we need to revise the entire proposal. They now want a more aggressive growth strategy and are asking for more money."

Honey took her seat, opening her tablet. "The strategy they presented was already at the upper limit of what their current infrastructure can support." She could see what the Nortons were doing. They wanted the highest possible payout for their business. Even though she had proved it wasn't worth the asking price.

"They've secured additional financing. They want to accelerate the timeline."

"By how much?" They wanted more money but had increased the liability by getting finance. It was a CFO's worst nightmare.

"Fifty percent."

Honey couldn't hide her shock. "That's not acceleration, Mr. Taylor. That's recklessness."

The room went silent. No one contradicted Grayson Taylor, especially not in front of others.

His jaw tightened. "The Nortons disagree, as do I."

"Then, with all due respect, both you and the Nortons need a reality check." She pulled up the original projections on her tablet. "These numbers don't lie. A fifty percent acceleration without corresponding infrastructure investments would collapse their supply chain by Q3."

Grayson leaned forward, his voice dangerously low. "Are you calling me reckless, Smith?"

"I'm calling the proposal reckless," she corrected. "My job is to tell you when the numbers don't add up, not to rubber-stamp bad decisions to make you happy. I'm no yes man... or woman."

The tension in the room was so thick that Grayson wasn't even here. The other executives shifted uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact with her. Fucking cowards.

For a long moment, Grayson didn't say anything, from his expression Honey thought he was about to blow. Then, unexpectedly, his lips curved into something almost resembling a smile.

"Show me," he said.

Honey blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Show me why it won't work. Convince me. Talk me through it."

She hesitated only a moment before sharing her screen to everyone in the room and Grayson remotely. For the next twenty minutes, she walked through the supply chain vulnerabilities, the cash flow implications, the market risks. She didn't hold back, didn't soften her assessment to spare his ego. He was wrong, and she was happy to show him.

When she finished, Grayson was watching her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable. Not anger, as she'd expected, but something else entirely.

"Everyone out," he said suddenly. "Except Smith."

The room cleared quickly, no one wanting to witness whatever was coming next. When the door closed behind the last person, Honey braced herself for the explosion. Was he going to fire her?

But the explosion didn't come, instead, she watched the TV screen as Grayson leaned back in his chair, studying her. "You've never spoken to me like that before. I mean, we've disagreed in meetings before. I know. But that was almost targeted."

Honey met his gaze steadily. "You've never proposed something this financially unsound before. I mean you take risks and I haven't always agreed but this could potentially be dangerous to the company."

"And if I override your objections?"

"Then I'll document my concerns in writing, as is my fiduciary duty to the shareholders." She gathered her tablet, preparing to leave.

"Smith, we are still buying this company."

"You're still going to buy them? Are you insane?" She realised her voice was raised. The man may be gorgeous, but he had a god complex.

Grayson lifted an eyebrow before nodding. "Yes, I'm still going to put in an offer. But with the information you have given me, the offer will be reduced by 20%."

Honey stared at him, disbelief warring with reluctant admiration.

"Why employ me if you're going to do whatever the hell you like anyway?" Heat rose in her cheeks.

Grayson's expression remained maddeningly neutral.

"To keep me honest," Grayson finally replied, his voice measured. "To force me to justify my decisions, especially when I'm about to do something... unconventional."

Honey stared at him, trying to determine if he was mocking her. The man was infuriating. One moment he seemed to value her expertise, the next he was steamrolling over her objections.

"So, you want me to tell you when you're making a mistake, but you'll do it anyway?"

"I want you to give me all the information. Then I make the final call." His eyes narrowed slightly. "That's how this works, Smith. I take the risks; you provide the guardrails."

"Those aren't guardrails. They're warnings of a cliff you seem determined to drive off."

A short, unexpected laugh escaped him. "God, he was... infuriating."

"It's an accurate one." Honey stood her ground, clutching her tablet to her chest like a shield. "This acquisition at the price they're asking is financial suicide, even with the twenty percent reduction."

"Perhaps. But there's something about the Nortons' operation you're missing." Grayson tapped something on his keyboard, and a new document appeared in her inbox. "Their R&D department has developed a proprietary manufacturing process that will cut production costs by thirty-five percent once implemented allowing us to put more money into the supply chain."

Honey quickly scanned the document, her financial mind automatically recalculating the projections. "This wasn't in the original information given to me."

"Because they don't know what they have. Their departments don't seem to have great communication." Grayson's eyes gleamed with the predatory satisfaction she'd seen whenever he outmaneuvered a competitor. "Their technical team was telling me during a factory tour this morning."

"Why wasn't this information given to us during the meeting?"

"Because I don't want the rest of the team to know just yet. Leaks happen."

Grudgingly, Honey had to admit this changed the equation. "Even so, the timeline-"

"Will be adjusted based on your analysis. Eighteen to twenty months instead of twelve." He folded his hands on the desk. "You've done your job, Smith. You've forced me to justify my decision with actual data. That's why I employ you."

She felt oddly deflated. He had been ten steps ahead of her the entire time. "I still wish you had shared this information from the beginning."

"And missed watching you tear apart my proposal with that surgical precision of yours? Where's the fun in that?"

The comment caught her off guard. Was Grayson Taylor actually... enjoying their confrontation? God, he was... infuriating.

"I'm glad my professional dismemberment of your business strategy provides entertainment, Mr. Taylor." She couldn't keep the edge from her voice. "Next time, perhaps save us both some time and just present all the relevant facts upfront. You could have sent the files to my email and told me you didn't want everyone to know."

"Where's the fun in that?" His eyes flickered with something that might have been respect. "Have the revised presentation on my desk by four. And Smith?"

"Yes?"

"Good work today." He cut the connection before she could respond.

Honey stood there, staring at the blank screen. Had Grayson Taylor just complimented her? The same man who'd been belittling her conservative financial approach for eighteen months?

She shook her head, gathering her things. She didn't have time to analyze her boss's strange behavior, not with the presentation deadline looming. She would still add her views in the presentation so if this goes south the stockholders will know she was against it.

By the time Honey finished the Boston presentation, it was just before four. She'd crafted a masterpiece of financial analysis that highlighted both the risks and potential benefits of the acquisition, excluding the information Grayson had uncovered. She sent it to him with minutes to spare before his deadline, but received no response, not even his customary terse "Received."

Her head throbbed from the remnants of last night's wine and hours of staring at a screen. The notification of her doctor's appointment flashed on her phone. Perfect timing. She needed to get those tests done, then she had plans to meet her friends for dinner. Plans she had made after leaving the meeting with Grayson. Maybe a girls' night was exactly what she needed after the last twenty-four hours she'd had.

She gathered her things, making sure to include the package that had been delivered... small, discreet cameras that would help document Riley's infidelity, she hoped. As she headed out, Marjorie looked up from her desk.

"Leaving already, Mrs. Smith? It's only four-thirty."

"Headache," Honey replied, smoothing down her oversized blazer. "I'll finish anything left undone at home over the weekend."

"What if Mr. Taylor calls."

"He has my cell if it's urgent." Honey paused, then added, "But I'm sure it won't be."

As she walked toward the elevator, her phone buzzed with a message. She expected it to be Grayson with some last-minute demand but instead saw it was from her friend Lauren.

So, looking forward to tonight. Maggie confirmed-7:30 at Nonna's?

Honey smiled. Lauren Gardener and Maggie Chase had been her roommates in college, and despite their different career paths, Lauren a rising actress and Maggie a dedicated surgeon... they'd remained close. They were also the only people besides her father and Riley who knew the real Honey Johnson, not the carefully constructed Joy Smith. She didn't see her friends as much as she would have liked. Riley had always made a big deal out of her spending time with them.

Absolutely. Need it more than you know. See you there.

After her doctor's appointment, where the doctor had expedited her tests with a promise to call with results tomorrow afternoon, Honey finally headed home. She needed to shed her Joy persona before meeting her friends.

The apartment was still empty, just as she'd expected. Riley had texted around 3 pm to say he would be working late again. She had scoffed as she read it. Working late... right. More likely he was with the teenage housekeeper again. Honey knew the girl was nineteen and legal, but it just felt wrong. Riley was 35 and married. If Brittany hadn't been a teenager, Honey may have felt a little better about it.

In their bedroom, Honey removed her wig first, sighing with relief as she placed it on its stand. Next came the glasses, then the frumpy clothes. She stood before her closet, considering what to wear. For so long, she'd defaulted to whatever Riley preferred when she was playing the part of his wife, modest, conservative outfits that wouldn't attract attention.

Tonight, she didn't care what Riley would think. He wasn't invited and she didn't want to wear what he would like.

She pulled out a little black dress she hadn't worn in years, one that hugged her curves and showed just enough leg and cleavage to be sexy without crossing into inappropriate. She paired it with strappy heels that added four inches to her height of five foot five. Another thing Riley didn't like because it made her closer to his height of five foot ten.

In the bathroom after taking a quick shower not getting her hair wet, she let her natural red hair cascade around her shoulders, brushing it until it gleamed. Her makeup highlighted her green eyes, defined her cheekbones, and added a touch of red to her lips that matched her hair.

The woman who looked back at her from the mirror was a stranger, at least she'd been a stranger for the past few years, Riley didn't like her wearing makeup. Honey smiled at her reflection. She didn't care what Riley liked anymore.

Before leaving, she took a few minutes to place the tiny cameras in strategic locations around the apartment, one in the living room with a view of the couch where she'd found the thong, one in the kitchen, another in the hallway with a view of the front door, and one pointing toward their bedroom, with another covering the spare bedroom. Before making sure all cameras linked to the app on her phone. All were motion-activated and would send alerts to her phone. The batteries should last a week.

Satisfied with her preparations, Honey grabbed her purse and headed out. On the way to the restaurant, she sent a quick text to Ben to let him know about cameras.

Honey: Set up camera surveillance tonight. Will keep you updated.

She hadn't told her friends about Riley yet. She wanted to wait until she had a drink in hand.

Nonna's was crowded when she arrived, the upscale Italian restaurant buzzing with Friday night energy. She spotted Lauren and Maggie at a corner table, both already nursing cocktails. She ordered a drink from the passing waiter, letting him know what table to bring it to.

Lauren saw her first. She stood up, waving enthusiastically.

"Holy shit, she emerges!" Lauren exclaimed as Honey approached. "The real Honey Johnson graces us with her presence!"

Maggie, more reserved but equally pleased, stood to embrace her. "You look stunning. What's the occasion?"

Honey slid into her seat. "I'm getting divorced."

Both women froze, martini glasses halfway to their lips.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lauren leaned forward, lowering her voice. "You're divorcing Riley?"

"Found another woman's underwear in my couch last night." Honey accepted the gin and tonic the waiter brought, taking a generous sip. "Found a hot pink thong in our living room. Extra small, definitely not mine." She was small but not that small.

"That motherfucker," Maggie hissed, her medical professionalism momentarily abandoned. "I knew something was off with him. God, men are dogs."

Lauren shook her head. "Are you okay? I mean, obviously you're not okay, but... how are you handling it anyway?"

"Surprisingly well," Honey admitted. "I think I have suspected for a while. Finding the evidence was almost... relieving. I've already hired a PI, had my blood tested just in case, and set up cameras in the apartment. He will not get a penny out of me."

"Wow... Cameras?" Lauren's eyes widened.

"I need evidence for the prenup. If he's caught cheating, he gets nothing." When her mother had died twelve years ago everything had been left to Honey. Her father had set everything up in a trust. Which she had access to on her 25th birthday two months ago. She didn't need the money, so she had just let the investors manage the lot. It included shares, gold and property. She knew it put her on the Forbes List - The richest people in the world. It was another reason for her Joy disguise.

Maggie raised her glass. "To taking out the trash. And making him pay for it by getting none of your money."

They clinked glasses, and for the first time today, Honey felt the tension in her shoulders ease slightly. She had a plan, she had support, and she had the beginnings of freedom from Riley. They placed their food orders with the waiter.

"So, the PI, the cameras... you're not confronting him?" Lauren asked.

"Not yet. I need undeniable proof first." Honey sipped her drink. "I'm sorry I haven't told you any of this but... he's been gaslighting me for years. Making me think I'm the problem. I'm paranoid, I'm too focused on working, not sexy enough, too cold in bed. If I confront him now, he'll just deny everything, and he is so charming when he wants to be he would have any judge believing him not me. I need photo or video evidence."

"Bastard," Maggie muttered. "I always thought you were too good for him."

"You both told me that before I married him," Honey acknowledged. "I should have listened. I'm sorry now I didn't."

"Hey, no self-recrimination," Lauren squeezed her hand. "We've all made relationship mistakes. The important thing is you're fixing it now." There was a shadow that fell over Lauren's face but before Honey could ask her about it, the waiter returned to take their dinner orders, and the conversation shifted to lighter topics... Lauren's latest audition, Maggie's new position at the hospital.

It felt good to laugh, to be herself, to let her guard down completely. As their entrées arrived, Honey realized how much she'd missed this.

"So," Lauren said, twirling pasta around her fork, "now that you're getting divorced, are you going to drop the whole Joy Smith act at work too?"

Honey nearly choked on her wine. "God, no. It was never there for any other reason than keeping an eye on the business I own 10% of and stepping away from being known as Gage Johnson's daughter. I loved numbers and I love being a CFO. Joy is not connected to Riley at all. Could you imagine Grayson finding out."

"The infamous Grayson Taylor," Maggie mused. "The way you talk about him at times, he sounds like a corporate supervillain."

"He's..." Honey paused, considering. After today's interaction, she wasn't sure how to characterize him anymore. "Well, it feels like it sometimes. He is brilliant but arrogant. Today he actually complimented my work, which was new."

"Maybe he's not as bad as you-" Lauren stopped mid-sentence, her eyes fixed on something over Honey's shoulder. "Holy shit."

"What?" Honey turned to follow her gaze.

"Don't look!" Lauren hissed, but it was too late.

Near the entrance, being led to a table by the maître d', was Grayson Taylor himself. And he wasn't alone. A tall, elegantly beautiful blonde woman walked beside him, laughing at something he'd said as she clung to his arm.

"That's Grayson Taylor?" Maggie whispered, impressed. "That man is sex on legs."

"And that's definitely not Morgan Fairchild with him," Lauren added. "Everyone knows he's engaged to her. She tells everyone she meets. He is a real catch for her." Both Lauren and Morgan were actresses. Lauren had never worked with Morgan but they both went to some of the same parties and auditions.

Honey stared, unable to look away. Grayson with a woman that wasn't his fiancé. Maybe it was innocent. Honey felt like snorting. She had zero trust left in men right now.

"I need another drink," Honey muttered, signaling the waiter again.

The waiter seemed to be taking his sweet time noticing Honey's signal, and her empty glass sat mockingly in front of her. Meanwhile, Grayson and his mystery blonde were being seated at a prime table near the window.

"That's it," Honey muttered, rising from her chair. "I'm going to the bar myself."

"Want me to come with you?" Lauren offered.

"No, stay put. I'll be right back."

Honey strode across the restaurant, conscious of her appearance in the black dress that hugged her curves. Without her Joy Smith persona, she moved differently, with more confidence, her natural grace no longer suppressed. At the bar, she leaned forward, catching the bartender's attention.

"One gin and tonic, and two martinis, please."

While waiting, she didn't look towards Grayson's table.

The bartender nodded at Honey's order, quickly mixing the drinks. As she waited, she felt a presence beside her, someone sliding onto the stool at her right. From her peripheral vision, she caught sight of a dark suit and the scent of expensive sandalwood cologne.

The bartender looked up.

"Scotch, neat," came a deep voice she recognized instantly. "And a sparkling water."

Honey kept her gaze fixed on the bartender's hands as he prepared her drinks, willing herself not to turn. Of all the bars in all the restaurants in New York, Grayson Taylor had to pick this one. She shifted slightly, angling her body away from him.

"I'll pay for the drinks now," she told the bartender, pulling out her credit card. No need to charge to their table.

The bartender nodded, but before he could take her card, Grayson's voice cut in.

"Add the lady's drinks to my tab."

Honey stiffened. He hadn't recognized her, had he? No, he couldn't have. Not with her real hair down, no glasses, and in this dress. Still, she wasn't about to accept drinks from him.

"That won't be necessary," she said, her voice pitched slightly higher than normal, still not looking his way.

"I insist," Grayson replied, and she could hear the smile in his voice... the charm he switched on when he wanted something. It was nothing like the clipped businesslike tones he used with Joy Smith at the office.

The bartender glanced between them, caught in the middle of their standoff.

She was not going to create a scene. "Your choice," she finally said, taking the card back and sliding it back into her purse. "Thank you."

As the bartender moved away to finish their drinks, Grayson turned toward her. She could feel his eyes on her profile.

"I don't usually get turned down when I offer to buy a beautiful woman a drink," he said.

Honey almost snorted. Beautiful woman? He wouldn't recognize beauty if it presented financial reports to him every month or glared at him over the boardroom table.

"Maybe you're not as irresistible as you think you are," she replied, finally turning to face him fully.

For a split second, his eyes widened in appreciation as he took her in-the red hair, the form-fitting dress, the confident posture. There was no hint of recognition in his gaze, just pure male interest.

He was hitting on her!

"I'm Grayson," he said, extending his hand.

"I know who you are."

Grayson looked her over again. "Have we met before? Because I'm sorry-"

Honey stared at Grayson, momentarily caught off-guard by his complete lack of recognition. It was almost comical how thoroughly her Joy Smith disguise worked. The man she argued with nearly every day couldn't connect this confident redhead with his frumpy CFO.

"No, we haven't met, but you are Grayson Taylor who is engaged to Morgan Fairchild?" she asked, her voice cool and steady. She glanced toward his table where the blonde waited. "You're here with another woman and you're chatting me up? That's just all class."

A flash of annoyance crossed his face. His jaw tightened slightly.

"Not like it's any of your business," he said, his voice hardening, "but my engagement with Morgan is over." He gestured toward the blonde at his table. "And that is my sister, Emma. I don't cheat."

He took his drinks and credit card from the bar, then stood, towering over her. For a brief moment, their eyes locked.

"Excuse me," he said stiffly, then turned and walked away, leaving her there with her mouth hanging open.

Honey watched him return to his table, stunned by the exchange. The blonde, his sister? Looked up at him with concern as he sat down. Now that Honey looked more carefully, she could see the family resemblance in their profiles. Their coloring was very different.

The bartender slid her drinks across the counter, breaking her trance. "Your drinks, ma'am."

"Thanks," she muttered, gathering them carefully. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she made her way back to her friends.

Lauren and Maggie leaned forward eagerly as she approached.

"What happened?" Lauren whispered, helping Honey distribute the drinks. "You two seemed to be having words."

Honey sank into her chair, still processing the encounter. "I just accused Grayson Taylor of cheating on his fiancée."

"You did what?" Maggie nearly choked on her fresh martini.

"He was flirting with me, Well, I think he was, and I thought... with everything that's happening with Riley..." Honey shook her head. "Turns out his engagement is over, and that's his sister at the table."

"Oh my god," Lauren covered her mouth. "Wait, he's not engaged anymore? When did that happen? The tabloids have been all over their relationship."

"I don't know," Honey admitted, stealing a glance at Grayson's table. He was now deep in conversation with his sister, his expression serious. "But he seemed pretty defensive about it."

"Well, at least now we know why he's not with Morgan tonight," Maggie said. "But he was hitting on you?"

"Maybe he wasn't... I could have read too much into it," Honey began, then stopped herself. That's exactly what he'd been doing. "God, what must he think of me?" Honey dropped her head in her hands, embarrassed.

"Who cares?" Lauren shrugged. "It's not like you'll ever see him again. Well, not as Honey, anyway."

Honey lifted her head and took a large swallow of her drink, feeling oddly unsettled. She'd been so quick to judge him, to assume the worst. After Riley's betrayal, she'd automatically projected those same traits onto Grayson.

"He said 'I don't cheat' like it was a point of honor for him," she mused. "I wonder what happened between him and Morgan."

"Maybe she cheated on him," Maggie suggested. "Would explain his reaction to your accusation."

"Enough about my boss," Honey said, pushing the encounter aside. "Let's talk about something else. Anything else."