It's not a bad thing. At least, that's what she had been telling herself for the past two hours as she watched Levi and Iris from the corner booth at the restaurant. Disguised in her oversized hoodie and glasses, she’d eaten two slices of cheesecake—okay, three—and slurped her iced coffee while glaring daggers at the back of Iris’s head. But now, standing in the living room, she was panicking. Levi was home. She peered nervously through the window as he walked up the driveway, a brown takeout bag swinging from his hand. He looked calm. Too calm. Did he know? Kat gasped. What if he knows?She bolted to the sofa and flopped down, grabbing the remote. The TV roared to life, blasting an old action movie. She hit “mute” so fast she almost sprained her thumb and pretended to be engrossed in the dramatic car chase. The door opened. Kat didn’t look up but felt his presence as he stepped inside. “Hey,” Levi said casually, locking the door behind him. “Hey!” Kat chirped, her voice slig
Weeks after The Jourdan project was rounding up, Kat's living agreement was about to be over. There were less than two weeks left and a lot had changed so far since she joined GreyCorps. Her relationship with Levi was kept on the low - or so they thought, almost everyone knew something was going on between them. Iris changed. She became obsessed with the progress of the work and bold about her intentions with Levi. Susie's macha date didn't go well and she suddenly became close friends with Lee. Daya, we know, she's gone on lots of dates with Rowland after meeting him. Rosa and Nate had taken off finally in their relationship, everyone at Valtara now knows they were a couple. Work had become even more serious, schedules tighter as everyone looked forward to completing the project and launching it. “Hello Levi.” Iris said as she took a seat. A man stood next to her, his head bowed slightly and his hands behind his back. “Good afternoon Iris. How may I help?” Levi replie
Outside Levi’s office, Kat wandered back to her desk, her thoughts swirling. Mr. Gallagher’s face kept popping into her head—the sharp lines of his jaw, the cold calculation in his eyes, and that too-perfect smile. Her hand brushed her pocket, and she paused, frowning. She hadn’t noticed it before, but something was there—a small, hard object pressing against the fabric. She reached in and pulled it out. Her heart skipped a beat. It was a tiny USB drive. Her stomach dropped. Where had that come from? *Gallagher.* The realization hit her like a freight train. He must have slipped it into her pocket when he’d bumped into her. But why? And what was on it? Kat’s first instinct was to march back into Levi’s office and tell him everything. But then she stopped. What if it was nothing? Or worse, what if it was a setup? If she brought this to Levi without knowing what it was, it could blow up in her face. She clenched her fist around the drive, her mind racing. 'What are you
Kat sat at her desk, staring at the small USB drive in her hand. The weight of it felt much heavier than it should, as if it carried the secrets of the entire Jourdan Project—and possibly something far more dangerous. Her conversation with Levi replayed in her head. His stern warning about Gallagher had rattled her. The idea of losing the project was terrifying enough, but the thought of Levi ending up in prison? That was something she couldn’t live with.She glanced around the office. The place was mostly empty now, except for the faint hum of computers and the occasional shuffle of footsteps from the cleaning crew. Most of her colleagues had already left for the day. It was the perfect opportunity to investigate the mysterious drive Gallagher had slipped into her pocket. Kat took a deep breath, her pulse quickening as she slipped the USB into her laptop bag and walked toward one of the standalone computers in the far corner of the office. It was the only machine not connected to th
The air in the shed felt oppressive, heavy with fear and the sharp tang of blood. Wren’s wrists burned where the metal shackles bit into her skin, her every struggle making them dig deeper. Her chest heaved as she fought to breathe past the taste of sweat and copper in her mouth. Bruises painted her arms and legs in shades of deep purple and sickly yellow, and her ribs screamed with every shallow breath she took. A figure stood before her, a shadow of death cloaked in cold cruelty. His eyes were like shards of ice, piercing and merciless, and his lips curled in a sneer that promised nothing but pain. "And if I put a gun to your head, do I become a bad person?" His voice was low, unhurried, like he was savoring the terror in her wide eyes. Wren flinched as the words hit her, each one slicing through the fragile thread of hope she clung to. She could barely see him through the blood matting her hair and dripping into her eyes, but she didn’t need clear vision to feel his rage and
The man's lip twitched, a flash of irritation breaking through his deadly calm. He hated games, and Wren knew it. But she also knew he wasn’t impulsive. He didn’t kill for fun. He killed for purpose. And she had to make herself useful enough to live. “I’ll do anything,” she continued, her voice steadying. “Work for you. Pay it back. Double. Triple. Whatever it takes.” “You?” He laughed, a sound colder than winter frost. “What could you possibly offer me, Servitude? Loyalty? You threw that away the moment you ran. Hard work? You’re pathetic, bleeding on my floor like a mangy dog.” Her heart thundered in her chest, but she held his gaze. “I’m smart. Smarter than anyone you’ve got. And I’ll prove it. Give me a chance, please. Just one chance.” His eyes narrowed, his finger twitching on the trigger. For a moment, she thought he’d pull it, ending everything right there. But then, he stepped back, lowering the gun. “Fine,” he said coldly, his tone laced with menace. “But if you ru
“You’ll be working with GreyCorps on the Jourdan project, Kat. Your transfer has been processed, and you'll be resuming on Monday,” Rowland, her boss, said, passing her a brown envelope. Kat’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean, transferring me to GreyCorps?” Her brow shot up as she opened the envelope. Maybe he was high or didn’t know what he was saying. Kat stared at Rowland, his perfectly styled hair and neat appearance somehow making the whole situation feel even more surreal. Rowland blew loose strands of hair from his face and crossed his fingers. He was always meticulous about his appearance—no surprise, considering he was the team leader of the creative and styling unit at one of the biggest fashion companies in the country. “You’ll be working as a creative manager to Levi Grey. Everything you need will be sent to your email, and Gloria will hand you a package,” he added casually. The words hung in the air, heavy and ominous. Levi Grey? Kat’s mind raced. The Levi
“Hello everyone. My name is Kathleen Murphy, you can call me Kat and I look forward to working with you. I hope to learn from you and get to know you all.” she said with a beaming smile at the people standing in front of her. Their happy smiles as they waved and bowed. “Welcome to GreyCorps, Kat. My name is Susie.” A bubbly redheaded lady said with giggles, handing her a small gift tied with pink ribbons. “Nice to meet you Susie and thank you,” Kat responded, receiving the package with a warm smile. The rest of them took turns welcoming her along with a cute bento cake they made for her. They seemed nice, compared to what the rumors said about them — the workers at GreyCorps. According to the rumors about them, everything was all work. It was as if they were bound to a demonic master who hated happy moments. The previous week had taken an unexpected turn. From Rowland announcing the sudden transfer to finding herself in GreyCorps, the lair of the demon master. The lit
The man's lip twitched, a flash of irritation breaking through his deadly calm. He hated games, and Wren knew it. But she also knew he wasn’t impulsive. He didn’t kill for fun. He killed for purpose. And she had to make herself useful enough to live. “I’ll do anything,” she continued, her voice steadying. “Work for you. Pay it back. Double. Triple. Whatever it takes.” “You?” He laughed, a sound colder than winter frost. “What could you possibly offer me, Servitude? Loyalty? You threw that away the moment you ran. Hard work? You’re pathetic, bleeding on my floor like a mangy dog.” Her heart thundered in her chest, but she held his gaze. “I’m smart. Smarter than anyone you’ve got. And I’ll prove it. Give me a chance, please. Just one chance.” His eyes narrowed, his finger twitching on the trigger. For a moment, she thought he’d pull it, ending everything right there. But then, he stepped back, lowering the gun. “Fine,” he said coldly, his tone laced with menace. “But if you ru
The air in the shed felt oppressive, heavy with fear and the sharp tang of blood. Wren’s wrists burned where the metal shackles bit into her skin, her every struggle making them dig deeper. Her chest heaved as she fought to breathe past the taste of sweat and copper in her mouth. Bruises painted her arms and legs in shades of deep purple and sickly yellow, and her ribs screamed with every shallow breath she took. A figure stood before her, a shadow of death cloaked in cold cruelty. His eyes were like shards of ice, piercing and merciless, and his lips curled in a sneer that promised nothing but pain. "And if I put a gun to your head, do I become a bad person?" His voice was low, unhurried, like he was savoring the terror in her wide eyes. Wren flinched as the words hit her, each one slicing through the fragile thread of hope she clung to. She could barely see him through the blood matting her hair and dripping into her eyes, but she didn’t need clear vision to feel his rage and
Kat sat at her desk, staring at the small USB drive in her hand. The weight of it felt much heavier than it should, as if it carried the secrets of the entire Jourdan Project—and possibly something far more dangerous. Her conversation with Levi replayed in her head. His stern warning about Gallagher had rattled her. The idea of losing the project was terrifying enough, but the thought of Levi ending up in prison? That was something she couldn’t live with.She glanced around the office. The place was mostly empty now, except for the faint hum of computers and the occasional shuffle of footsteps from the cleaning crew. Most of her colleagues had already left for the day. It was the perfect opportunity to investigate the mysterious drive Gallagher had slipped into her pocket. Kat took a deep breath, her pulse quickening as she slipped the USB into her laptop bag and walked toward one of the standalone computers in the far corner of the office. It was the only machine not connected to th
Outside Levi’s office, Kat wandered back to her desk, her thoughts swirling. Mr. Gallagher’s face kept popping into her head—the sharp lines of his jaw, the cold calculation in his eyes, and that too-perfect smile. Her hand brushed her pocket, and she paused, frowning. She hadn’t noticed it before, but something was there—a small, hard object pressing against the fabric. She reached in and pulled it out. Her heart skipped a beat. It was a tiny USB drive. Her stomach dropped. Where had that come from? *Gallagher.* The realization hit her like a freight train. He must have slipped it into her pocket when he’d bumped into her. But why? And what was on it? Kat’s first instinct was to march back into Levi’s office and tell him everything. But then she stopped. What if it was nothing? Or worse, what if it was a setup? If she brought this to Levi without knowing what it was, it could blow up in her face. She clenched her fist around the drive, her mind racing. 'What are you
Weeks after The Jourdan project was rounding up, Kat's living agreement was about to be over. There were less than two weeks left and a lot had changed so far since she joined GreyCorps. Her relationship with Levi was kept on the low - or so they thought, almost everyone knew something was going on between them. Iris changed. She became obsessed with the progress of the work and bold about her intentions with Levi. Susie's macha date didn't go well and she suddenly became close friends with Lee. Daya, we know, she's gone on lots of dates with Rowland after meeting him. Rosa and Nate had taken off finally in their relationship, everyone at Valtara now knows they were a couple. Work had become even more serious, schedules tighter as everyone looked forward to completing the project and launching it. “Hello Levi.” Iris said as she took a seat. A man stood next to her, his head bowed slightly and his hands behind his back. “Good afternoon Iris. How may I help?” Levi replie
It's not a bad thing. At least, that's what she had been telling herself for the past two hours as she watched Levi and Iris from the corner booth at the restaurant. Disguised in her oversized hoodie and glasses, she’d eaten two slices of cheesecake—okay, three—and slurped her iced coffee while glaring daggers at the back of Iris’s head. But now, standing in the living room, she was panicking. Levi was home. She peered nervously through the window as he walked up the driveway, a brown takeout bag swinging from his hand. He looked calm. Too calm. Did he know? Kat gasped. What if he knows?She bolted to the sofa and flopped down, grabbing the remote. The TV roared to life, blasting an old action movie. She hit “mute” so fast she almost sprained her thumb and pretended to be engrossed in the dramatic car chase. The door opened. Kat didn’t look up but felt his presence as he stepped inside. “Hey,” Levi said casually, locking the door behind him. “Hey!” Kat chirped, her voice slig
The days went by fast and it felt like Iris was everywhere, wanting to be noticed. She was super active at the meetings, extra nice to the other workers that it made Kat irritated. She couldn't tell Iris’s true intentions yet and if she does, that was starting a war that would swallow the both of them whole. And before Kat could even process, it was Saturday. She knew what would happen, Iris on a date with Levi, doing her stupid helpless damsel in distress tactics, switching up the tone of her voice to sound airy and cute. She would smile, giggle at anything Levi would say while trying to touch him and do things that'd make them come in contact. Her mind raced with different thoughts that she found it hard to sleep the nights before. She was jealous. She was so jealous that she stood in the middle of the living room with the mop in her hand, fuming. Levi left the house quickly without even saying bye. She didn't know when he left the house and he didn't even have breakfast.
Kat stood in the tiny kitchenette of the office, staring at the teapot as it whistled, the steam curling upward like a taunting reminder of the heat simmering in her life. The Jourdan project was more than just a job—it was her chance to make something significant, to prove herself. But now, Iris had stepped into the picture, weaving her cunning webs and threatening everything Kat and Levi had worked for. She had left everything at Valtara to focus on this project - the project that promised to shoot her career to the top. And she wasn't going to let Iris come and wash away those efforts for nothing. She poured the tea into two cups, her hands trembling slightly. This shouldn’t be hard. It was just a request—a simple date. But Kat knew better. It was a chess move, one Iris had forced her to make. And the piece in play was Levi, the man she loved. The man she had to protect at all costs. Iris had been making sure that Kat caught sight of her. She was unnecessarily kind and it was
The soft hum of the city accompanied Levi and Kat as they strolled down the bustling street market. Lanterns glowed like fireflies above them, casting a warm golden hue over the stalls. The air was rich with the mingling aromas of grilled seafood, sweet desserts, and spices. Kat smiled as she stole a glance at Levi, who seemed completely out of his element, his sharp features softened by curiosity and an unfamiliar sense of ease. “Still sure about this?” Kat teased, nudging his arm playfully. “Street food isn’t exactly your thing.” Levi smirked, his stormy eyes flickering with amusement. “It isn’t. But you said you’d make it worth my while.” “Oh, I will,” she replied, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she led him to the first stall. They stopped at a grill stall, where skewers of roasted squid sizzled over open flames. Levi hesitated for a moment before taking the offered skewer. Kat watched him intently, biting her lip to keep from laughing. “Go on, try it,” she encouraged.