Grey's POV

I stared at the medical report, disappointed, wearing a face that betrayed nothing..

After months of therapy, and nothing.

The doctor's apologetic gaze met mine. "I'm sorry, Mr. Grey. The sessions haven't worked. Surgery is the next step."

It was just another drop in a bottomless ocean. My time wasted, my money burned, and still, the virility test glared back. Negative.

"However," he added, hesitant, "surgery doesn't guarantee success-"

I shot to my feet, tossing the report aside. "This isn't right!"

He stood, hands raised to calm me. "Mr. Grey, please-"

"I've done everything," I snapped, pacing his office. "Every pill, every session, not a single day skipped. Why is it still the same?" I massaged my temple and paced the office, then spun to face him. "Does this mean I can't have children?"

I needed the truth, raw and unfiltered. No more sugar coating.

"We can't say definitively-"

"Answer me, damn it!" My fist slammed the desk, dropping a pen to the floor.

He sighed, shoulders sagging. "Surgery might work..."

"What are my chances?" I needed to know. "How low?"

The doctor sighed and I knew it was bad news. "Given that your condition is rooted more in psychological trauma than the physical injury, the odds are... low. I'll say it all depends on you."

On me?

What the hell hadn't I done? Did he understand the frustration of not being able to be aroused or being able to do anything at all?

And worst, I needed an heir. Without one, my empire that built on decades of sacrifice would fall to my vulture cousins. All the years I had put into learning business, right from childhood. I'd traded prom nights, first loves, a normal life for boardrooms and balance sheets, all under my father's iron gaze. I hadn't even had a girlfriend until my last year in college.

And now this?

I couldn't accept it.

"You must let go of the past," the doctor said, his voice soft, probing.

My jaw clenched, fists balling. Letting go meant erasing all the memories I had with Anne, my first love, the only one who saw the man beneath the mask, and the sacrifices I've had to make.

We'd met in London, at a business conference I attended a few days to my exams.

"The real test is out there, son," my father said. "Everything you do in school is just theory. Out there in conferences and board rooms, is the real deal."

She was there with her uncle, her smile stealing my breath and heart.

"They never let us live, do they?" she'd whispered, her eyes sparkling with rebellion. One that ignited mine

I was in my final year in business college and she in her first. I skipped the conference to chase her laughter through London's streets, dreaming of a future where she'd wear my ring and we would have a family.

"They wouldn't even know we're gone," I'd said, nudging her to explore the city.

"Sounds like fun," she'd replied, her chuckle a melody.

We were two sides of the same coin, bound by duty yet craving freedom. When I returned to New York, buried in work, she never complained. She understood.

We made the absolute best couple.

Until that weekend she snuck to see me. I was driving her to the airport, her hand in mine, when fate stole everything from me. Her life, my heart, and my future.

"You can't tell me to let go!" I roared at the doctor, my voice cracking with hurt.

It was sacrilege. I'd begged Anne to skip classes, to come see me. I should've died in her place.

Maybe I had. I was merely a walking corpse. No, heart, no soul. And now, no way to have a continuity. They all died on the spot that day, alongside my pretty Anne.

I stormed out of the office , certain I would not be returning. Luca trailed behind as I strode to my waiting car, my face the polished mask of the businessman the world knew. But if they looked inside, they'd see I was just a vacuum.

Empty.

In the car, Luca launched into updates, but my mind was on Carlos Alvarez.

"Intel says he's planning a major shipment this weekend," Luca said.

That was not enough. I needed more. That was why I needed Sara Anderson to be my eyes and ears. I couldn't let Carlos come to take everything I had worked so hard for.

"What about Sara? Any word?" I asked.

"She called saying she would start next week."

Next week? Was she crazy?

"Damn it," I muttered. Did she understand the stakes at hand? Alvarez wouldn't wait a week to hire a PA. She had to be there today.

"Get her on the line. Now."

The phone rang, then rang again, before her voicemail chirped: "This is Evelyn Rodriguez. I'm either having the time of my life or in a meeting. Please, leave a message. Thank you."

I clenched my jaw. "Did you trace her to where she stays at the moment?"

"Yes, boss. A lounge in Milton," Luca confirmed.

I nodded. "Take me there."

I had no time for silly games. Sara would sign a contract. If she failed to get me what I wanted, I would make sure she rots in prison.

Once we got to Milton, I marched down the hallway to the lounge, my heels clicking with purpose. I knocked, sharp and insistent.

A singsong "Coming!" floated through the door to my ears.

Seconds stretched to minutes. When it finally opened, Sara stood there, her smile melting into shock when she saw me. She had obviously been expecting someone. I could guess it was one of the men she was about to strip bare to nothing.

My eyes dropped to the silk lingerie clinging to her curves, and I felt something I hadn't felt since Anne.

My heart stirred, faint but undeniable.

Grey's POV

I watched as her lips curled into a frown, defiance flashing in her eyes

I had expected nothing.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded like she owned the place.

She was about to slam the door, but I stopped it with my hand and a foot forward, blocking the threshold.

"I was clear with my instructions, Ms. Anderson," I said, my voice low.

I could feel my heart racing as I pinned my eyes on her, the dark sunglasses I wore, now the only thing that stopped me from looking like a fool.

Sara Anderson looked good. I knew how to pass a compliment when it was deserving. Only that compliments to women like Sara were never meant to be worded. Just secretly expressed.

I stepped further into the room, scanning it: velvet couches, a half-empty bottle of merlot, the city's skyline glinting beyond the window.

"I don't care whatever -" I stopped and faced her, swiftly to catch the scowl on her face. "- whoever you conned last night. You should be in Carlos Alvarez's estate right now, trying to convince him..." I stared at her form in the lingerie for an unholy three seconds, the fabric clinging to her like a second skin. "...however possible."

She seemed to pick up the hint from the tone of my voice because her scowl melted into a smile. But then, she sauntered up to me, the friendly smile metamorphosing into something seductive, dangerous, and strangely, setting my blood on fire.

She placed a hand on my chest and it seemed like time froze. And suddenly, we were in another universe where she could command my attention without consequence.

She brought her lips to my ear and whispered softly.

"Should I demonstrate?"

My body stiffened, a rush of heat that betrayed years of dormancy. I grabbed her hand off my chest, backing away from her as far as possible. I cleared my throat and straightened my suit, hoping it would do the same to my mind.

"Luca - my PA would be communicating directly with you," I said, my voice clipped. "You cannot make the mistake of being seen with me or talking to me."

The frown had returned to her face. She nodded and flicked an invisible speck off her lingerie. My eyes moved impulsively to her form. With the way the fabric curled around her figure, it left little for the imagination and more for my unravelling control. Whoever she had worn this for, hadn't stood a chance.

"I can handle myself," she said cooly, locking her eyes with mine.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Grey," she continued. "But I'm usually a bad hostess to men who send me on deadly missions. I'll be in the shower. The door is over there." She pointed at the door. "Use it when you want to leave."

I was about to say something but her hands were already on the straps of her lingerie, pulling it enough to expose her cleavage.

I turned away impulsively.

"Have a good day, Evelyn Rodriguez. I expect good news by evening."

But as I took the elevator and walked back to my car, I couldn't stop thinking about her in that lingerie. I could almost swear that she was someone I knew..

But men like me had nothing to do with women like her. I was already in the car when I realised I hadn't made her sign the contract as I had tasked myself while stepping out of the car a few minutes ago.

"Drive," I told Luca instead.

My heart hadn't raced like this in years, not since Anne. Yet Sara was the kind of woman I avoided: cunning, untamed, a threat to my carefully built walls.

She was the kind of woman I avoided.

"I need a follow up on Sara Anderson," I told Luca.

"Yes, sir," came his reply.

"Ensure she gets to Carlos' estate today, dressed appropriately. Go shopping. Find something perfect. I hope you understand?"

He nodded. "Yes, sire," he replied with a steady voice.

I leaned back, closing my eyes. But when the grainy thought of Sara's semi nude form wasn't terrorising my thoughts, it was the doctor's diagnosis that afflicted my mind.

After building a successful empire all over America and spreading to its environs, my greatest desire was having an heir - mine - that would inherit everything. That I would train just like my father had trained me. But my life seemed to have ended the very day Anne died. Meeting with the doctor today had only sealed my worst fears.

I had no one.

And everything I owned was going to go for charity the moment I was six feet under.

But maybe I refused to believe that final sentencing. Maybe that was why I was still bent on chasing Carlos Alvarez out of my city.

Today, I felt my heart race and even skip a beat. Maybe more would follow in the coming days.

Maybe a woman like Sara Anderson could stir me up in ways I haven't felt in a long time.

"Change of plans," I said, leaning forward. "Take me to the best boutique around. I'll be doing the shopping myself."

"Yes, sire."

La Vie en Luxe was one of the best in Manhattan. As I stepped out of the car, I noticed the camera flashes from the paparazzi. I could imagine the news asking if Thomas Grey was in love again. Only a man in love would shop at La Vie en Luxe.

Only that I wasn't.

My gaze was solid as I stepped into the luxurious space and the moment I saw the purple dress, I knew it would be perfect for her. My chest tightened with the demonizing thought that I wouldn't be able to see her in the dress. But as I ran my hand through the fabric, I felt the palpitations of my heart again. It felt too strange, too good.

I exchanged the gown for a swipe of my card. The bill read in thousands of dollars. But I stepped out as a satisfied man. I dropped the bag in the passenger seat and returned to the back seat.

"Start the car," I instructed Luca. "Return to Milton."

Maybe Sara Anderson was more than a tool to crush Alvarez. Maybe she was the spark to wake me from this half-life..

Sara's POV

My head screamed, but I twisted my lips into a scowl, feigning disgust as I eyed the La Vie en Luxe bag on the Milton lounge's velvet sofa.

"I assumed you had a good taste," I said, my voice dripping with disdain and eyeing the bag like I didn't want to pull out whatever dress was sitting inside. "La Vie en Luxe? Is that the best you can do?"

I heard him growl, low and sharp.

Were my words hurting? Too bad I can't take it back.

"Besides," I said, sauntering away from the bag and hiding my excitement. "I can't go for an interview wearing that. How would Carlos hire a woman who wears a dress from La Vie en Luxe? He's hiring a PA, not a runway model."

I already had plans for the gown. There was a political set up meeting in Manhattan next weekend. Governors, politicians, senators - my kind of men. They would be in attendance. It would be the perfect cloak for Evelyn Rodriguez. And maybe I'll make enough money to pay for the stupid diamond necklace and run far away from the monster he was taking me to.

"What do you suggest I do with it?" He asked. "Return it?"

I spun too fast, forgetting an important rule.

Never show interest.

I bit down my lips and shrugged. "Whatever suits you."

He was gazing at me in a way that made the room feel smaller.

"A date," he blurted.

He stepped closer, repeating, "A date," as if daring me to challenge him.

"We can't be seen together. Remember?"

I knew I had an indelible effect on people, but was j already leaving those marks on Thomas Grey?

Wouldn't it be ironic to watch him fall for me?

I was smirking. But then I stopped. For the sake of the secret I held, it would be better to keep a safe distance from him.

"At my penthouse," he pressed, unrelenting. "Luca will bring you. I expect good news and useful information - actionable intel about Carlos' operation during the date."

I just wanted him gone. He was taking too much space.

I grabbed a worn-out brunette wig, brushing it with deliberate nonchalance. Irene Peters was taking shape in my mind: mousy, spectacled, ponytail, loose jeans, faded top. No seduction for Alvarez-just efficiency. Get in, get the intel, get out. Grey, too, would be a quick exit.

"Fine," I responded, voice flat. "Don't expect too much. I have a habit of disappointing people."

His frown sent my heart in flutters. "No disappointments, Sara."

I slid the wig over my head and placed the spectacles on my nose. The perfect PA look.

Something was missing. I strode to the bathroom for a cheap lipgloss I had bought from a shop. By the time I returned, Thomas Grey was gone.

I stared at my reflection while applying the gloss. "Well, good riddance."

The moment my eyes caught the luxury bag from the mirror, I abandoned everything and ran to it. It was a purple gown.

Purple!

Perfect.

It was almost as though I had whispered the details into his ears. Or like Grey had plucked it from my dreams. I pulled the gown to my chest and stared at my reflection, smiling audaciously. I could already see myself in the meeting, shaking hands, and swiping cards. Thanks to Thomas Grey, I was set for the weekend meeting.

As if on cue, the door clicked and Sean stepped in.

I twirled around with the dress pressed against my body.

"Trey Houston got you this?" He asked, tone laced with unbridled jealousy, his eyes narrowing.

I tossed the gown onto the bed. "Wrong guess."

His eyes followed the gown and lingered on it. "That must be worth something. Nothing less than a thousand."

I pulled a pair of jeans to my waist. "Nothing like good, old money."

"Who's the fish?"

I knew what he would say when I mentioned Thomas's name.

"Thomas Grey."

"The Thomas Grey?"

"He wants a date."

Sean frowned. "What does he want?"

I threw a long sleeved shirt over my body. "I'll be finding out. Trust me."

"Are you gonna sleep with him...again?"

I rolled my eyes. "That is never going to happen. Thomas and I are like opposite sides of a magnet."

"You attract?" He raised a brow.

I scoffed. "Is that what they do?" I glanced at my reflection smugly and faced Sean. "I guess we're same side of a magnet then."

I stepped out of the room. No one recognised me to be the rich heiress who had stepped in last night. Not even the concierge.

Only Sara Anderson could pull that.

I took a cab and drummed my fingers against my purse nervously. My fake ID was in the purse with fake certificates to go. Carlos was a big threat to Thomas Grey for him to go this far.

Too bad I was the victim for his stupid plan.

The cab stopped me a few blocks from Carlos' apartment. No one dares to go a yard close. Not with the hulking, grim-faced men standing around and now watching me as I played the Irene Peters act.

Pay attention!

I tried to brush my tangling wig with my fingers and almost stumbled over a scooter parked carelessly. I cursed angrily and hoped my act was going well. Irene would have been a smoker but I love my lungs too much.

I stopped in front of one of the men who had been watching me with a stare as cold as steel.

"Carlos Alvarez's house?" I asked, pointing to the large gate that clearly led to his mansion, looming ahead like that gate you don't pass through in a horror movie.

"Who are you?"

"Irene....Irene Peters." I fumbled with my purse reaching for an ID, perfectly ignoring his sharp reflex as he tucked his hand into his pocket for a gun.

Thomas Grey was trying to kill me.

I pushed the ID to his face. "See? There's an interview here, isn't there?"

"How did you know?"

I rolled my eyes. "How did you get your job? I can't start telling you my sources, can I now? Is that Carlos Alvarez's house? I need this job to pay off a lot of debt."

He returned the ID card to me, turning away and speaking into an earpiece. His face softened when he faced me.

"Irene Peters," he said. "The boss has been waiting for you."