Like always, Grayson’s gang hung out at a nearby bar after the race. With their cars parked under the shading cap of the tree outside the pub, they remained there while sharing a case of beer. Kendall, who just got in the by winning against Grayson, was sitting currently on the hood of her car.

Grayson, on the other hand, was beside her propping on his Bugatti. The countenance of disbelief etched on his face as he still couldn’t comprehend that he lost against a newbie. He had been racing for almost two years since he was sixteen and he couldn’t bite the fact that a girl he barely knew would end his streak of victory.

Meanwhile, Chester, who was on the other side, expressed his amazement to the new member of the squad. “You were so cool! How did you do it? Did you know that no one has ever defeated Grayson before?”

Kendall shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “I guess it was a fluke? I fell behind for four laps of the race. If Grayson hadn’t given me an opening, I would probably lose, which will end in me giving my car.”

Chester patted his palms on her shoulder. “Lucky you won—” he stopped his response while processing her name. Chuckling at himself, he continued, “Damn, I’m an ass for not knowing your name. Grayson still hadn’t introduced you to us.”

All of a sudden, a deep raspy voice spoke. “Hailey. Her name is Hailey.”

Kendall turned to him with incredulity. She didn’t know Grayson would remember her name. As a matter of fact, she thought that he had forgotten about it when she introduced herself last week.

“Well, Hailey, nice to meet you! Chester, here,” he introduced himself while producing a Cheshire kind of smile.

Chester’s rich, yet sidesplitting voice, along with his comical smile, made Kendall chortle lightly. Compared to Grayson, Chester was more approachable and amicable. She thought that although he might not be as attractive or appealing as Grayson, his character and demeanor alone were striking enough.

“Sup, Hailey. Anton.” His luscious green-honey heterochromatic eyes gazed at her as he took her hand and shook it. “Apologize for dissing you a while ago. Anyhow, since you’ve become part of the team, welcome!"

Meanwhile, a red-headed guy beside him wearing a baseball cap gave her a nod. “Welcome, Hails.”

Kendall noticed Anton was more of a level-headed kind of guy, while Will was more reserved and silent. Either way, she thought both of them were like Grayson, who had been groomed by a silver spoon.

“Thanks, guys. You can surely ask anything about me regarding cars or bikes. Though, my interest leans more towards bikes.” Kendall smiled softly.

“ Cool, Hailey! Definitely! Honestly, I absolutely have no problem with you being a part of our group. Ain’t that right, Grayson?” he asked, seemingly unaware of Grayson’s detachment.

“Thanks, Chester.” Kendall reflexively replied to him, as if she didn’t know how to respond to his eagerness.

Anton and Will, who were listening, veered their direction to Grayson, whose attention was completely divided.

“You still good, bro? You look down and out,” Will sniped before drinking his cold can of beer.

Anton added, trying to comfort his distressed friend, “It’s fine if you lose, bro. We win some, we lose some shit, but that’s just part of it. At least we got a rising star in our team who could help us out, right?"

“Yeah, Dude! Besides, Hailey will be a great addition to our team, right?” Chester continued, waiting for his friend’s affirmation.

Nonetheless, out of the blue, Grayson sneered. “Let’s see.”

Averting his gaze back at Kendall, he chugged the beer empty and crushed it into a ball. He then leaned away from his car’s hood, throwing it into the nearest bin. Looking back at them, he saw Chester talking to Kendall again.

His jaw instantly twitched in annoyance as he watched his friend’s delight and keenness.

“By the way, why do you want us to be your friends instead of other girls, Hailey?” Chester asked curiously.

Grayson scoffed as soon as he heard it. “Can’t you see, bro?” Gazing back at her, he gave a lopsided smile. “With that look of hers, do you think she’s a girl?” he added with an implication while scrutinizing Kendall’s black ensemble.

He surmised that, without a doubt, Kendall must be a dyke, with the looks of how she wore herself and the way she gestured. There was no way she was like other girls.

“Kind of has a feeling about it. Anyway, whatever you like, Hailey, it doesn’t matter to us. You’re still part of the group,” Anton declared.

Will didn’t reply as he just shrugged it off.

As soon as Chester realized what Grayson meant, his eyes widened. “Oh… You mean… You’re a...”

Kendall crossed her arms, looking amused. “A what?”

Chester scratched his nape and hesitantly said, “You know… Someone who doesn’t like men. Is that why you enjoy hanging out with guys more than girls?”

Her mouth slightly parted, grasping what Chester was trying to say. However, she was nonchalant about it and just said, “I don’t know. It’s up to you to decide. That’s too personal."

“I told you so,” Grayson muffled.

By saying that, Kendall figured out that it would be better to get closer to Grayson if he didn’t see her as someone who would like him. Also, her gender and sex weren’t a big deal.

“God, dude. I don’t know how you can be so dense sometimes,” Will teased while laughing.

Chester’s pupil narrowed while throwing the empty can of beer toward him. “Shut it, bro. I’m fucking serious here. And I want to know our maggs better.” The corner of his lips curled upward.

Will retorted. “Yeah, Hails. You’re still in."

The group kept talking for a while. Grayson joined in some of their conversations but remained to be distant. A little while later, Anton and Will went inside the pub to replenish their beers. leaving Grayson, Chester, and Kendall alone in the parking area.

Chester continued to ask Kendall questions. She tried to respond to him with equal vigor while keeping a distance from the young man.

While they were conversing, a woman appeared to be walking toward them. Her blonde hair was curled to perfection, while in her blinding tight metallic dress. Chester quickly noticed, immediately, getting Grayson's attention.

"Shit, dude! Sandra is here," he hissed.

Grayson turned to his back, corroborating whether Chester was telling the truth. As soon as he saw it with his own eyes, Sandra appeared more clearly in his vision. He bolted out of his car.

“Crap!” Grayson instantly panicked. He was no longer interested in the woman, nor did he want to do anything with her. With this, out of instinct, he moved next to the unsuspecting Kendall, draping his arms on her shoulder.

Simultaneously, Kendall was flustered by his sudden and baffling gesture. She was about to ask what he was doing, but Grayson riposted back with a shush.

“Shh! Just follow my lead."

Kendall then noticed the woman walking toward them. She went back to Grayson and saw his awkward and stifling countenance. As soon as she realized it, Kendall slumped her back as she waited for Sandra to move away.

However, even with Sandra’s bewildered expression, she still kept walking toward them. When Kendall recognized it, she turned to Grayson to let him know.

“She’s co—"

She felt a heavy barrier against her lips halt her from whatever she was about to say. Wet, smooth lips dampened the skin of her mouth. His lips drifted slightly to the opening of her mouth, nipping her to move about.

Her eyelids nictitated repeatedly. Shock, perturbation, and consternation swirled all over her system as if she had been hit by an unexpected storm. With his body closer to her, she could feel the tension in his shoulders, the arrest of his breathing, and the mixed scent of musky bergamo and liquor wafting through her nose.

The scent filled her attention—No; it occupied her.

It was damning and confusing that the heat on her body flushed out of her skin suddenly. More so, she felt her body trembled not with fear but with an enigma that a sprouting thought suddenly emerged out of her awareness.

Grayson didn’t stop. His lips moved again, nibbling her a bit, making her even more in a state of a conundrum. Even so, this time, Kendall tried to push him away; however, before she could do so, she suddenly felt her waist dragging towards him.

With his arms on her waist, she felt a part of her being sucked into the deep recessive of her subconscious mind.

...

He felt her rapid breathing and the warm, inviting skin against him, which made his whole body react instinctively.

Grayson knew he had completely reacted out of necessity. Nonetheless, he never thought in his wildest dreams that Kendall would feel like this. To have a smell so good—so fresh and distinctive that made him whiff like an idiot just so he could inhale the sweet fragrance of her watermelon and faux pas leather scent.

Apart from that, he was even more befuddled when his mouth nipped her full, supple lips. It felt so tender that it urged him to want more—to taste more. And then, he did the almost unthinkable. He reached towards her, pulling her dainty waist closer.

His mouth parted slightly, dipping it against her lips as his shoulders were awkwardly edgy.

'God…' He grunted.

Albeit, in an instant, her protesting moans hit him back to reality. His eyes flicked open and the tightness on his body loosened. Within a second, he felt her arms pushing him away from her.

“What the fuck!” Kendall hissed in anger.

Coming back to his senses, Grayson shrugged it out of his thought.

He breathed in, trying to compose himself as though nothing had happened. Then, Grayson noticed his arms wrapped around her waist while her stare was etched with contempt.

Clearing his throat, he asked, “Chester, did she leave?"

Chester replied stingily, but with relief, “Yep, she did.”

After hearing his response, Grayson was about to pull away from her when his eyes met her warm forest green eyes. He paused for a while, gazing at her flustered face for a moment. Instinctively, his eyes dropped to her plump rosy lips. It was then, at that moment, that an alarming feeling burst out of him, which made him gulp in ablaze.

Grayson immediately brushed aside the absurd and troubling idea in his mind.

To be honest, he didn’t know why he did that. Kendall wasn’t even his type. She wasn’t the type of girl he would gawk at randomly on the streets. This made him more perturbed and disturbed about what made him react like that.

Then, in a minute, he turned around to look at where Sandra was. He saw her back fading away from the area, which made him sigh with relief.

“Thank Go—Goddammit! O-ouch!” He shrieked when he felt his arms being pulled by Kendall.

She twisted his forearm aptly, causing him to scream in agony. Grayson felt all the nerves in his body awaken in unfortunate discomfort.

“Ouch!” he shrieked, begging her to stop.

However, Kendall didn’t stop as she locked his arms to the hood of the car, bending it in the opposite direction.

“Why the fuck would you do that?!” she kept asking as though she wanted to kill him.

“Fuck! Ugh—I’m just joking, Hailey!” he rebutted in pain.

She didn’t believe him as she even clutched his arms tighter. “Joking? Do you fucking think it’s just a joke?”

“Aren’t we friends? Friends help each—fucking fuck, Hailey!” His back curved inwards, trying to suppress the immense pain from her brutal strength.

“Friends don’t kiss each other!"

“Okay! Okay! I won’t kiss you again! It was just a joke!” He apologized while screaming in anguish.

Chester tried to calm her down. “Umm, Hailey, Grayson’s really like that. You will get used to him when you get to know him better. You might break his—oh, God!” Chester's eyes widened in astonishment.

Nonetheless, Kendall twisted Grayson's arm even tighter, making him scream even more. “Fuck! Damn it! I won’t do it again! I swear! I’m sorry.”

Kendall ignored Chester’s explanations as she never felt violated in her life until this. “Do that again and I’ll break all your bones!”

Grayson immediately nodded. “I won’t—I won’t do it again."

Finally, she let Grayson go while still glaring at him. He, on the other hand, massaged his arms with a pout. Grayson didn’t expect her to do that. Well, the girl was really the epitome of all uncliches.

Then, all of the sudden, heaps of screams came from inside the bar. People inside sporadically bolted out of it with distress painted on their faces. Meanwhile, Grayson saw Anton and Will storming out of the pub.

“Hell, bro, there's a brawl inside!” Will yelled while panting as both of them ran towards them.

“Don’t go, man. It’s a mess!” Anton warned.

Weirdly, instead of keeping her distance, Grayson noticed Kendall storming inside the bar.

"Wait, where are you going?!" Anton queried while looking at her from the distance.

Grayson and Chester exchanged unsure glances but soon followed her, thinking she might cause another trouble.

“Ugh, dammit! This woman will lead us to our demise,” Grayson said irritatingly.

...

With no hesitation, Kendall went inside the bar. She scanned the place and spotted two bulky guys fighting on the dance floor. Most of the customers, even the employees, fled, but Kendall wanted to know what happened.

“Sir, please come down!”

“Stay the fuck away from me!"

The guard tried to pacify the drunk men on the right side while, on the other hand, an employee tried to pull the other guy away. Both were doing their best to calm the two, but they were just too engaged with their anger.

Initially, Kendall didn’t want to get involved, since she wanted to keep her undercover persona as seamless as possible. Also, she had called the cops to handle the situation, but when she noticed that the other big guy was about to pull something from his pocket, alarm bells went off in her head.

On the other side, Chester and Grayson followed her inside. Both of them refused to join in watching the fight, as they had just watched Kendall’s next moves. Knowing that she was a nosy chit, they were worried that she would do something stupid.

And there it went. Kendall’s palm curled into a knuckle.

“Ugh, fuck it…” she muttered as she gazed at her target.

Cracking the muscles on her neck, she grabbed the empty tray lying on the counter and before the target could use his knife, the silver metal plate was flying towards him. It ricocheted against his knife, rotating the knife back to him with a slice on the center of his palms. The guy was absolutely shocked as to where the tray came from.

Realizing the knife plunging into his palms, he screamed in pain as his blood trickled out of it. Meanwhile, the guard and the employee found a loop to tackle and shackle them just in time for the cops to arrive.

Chester and Grayson were in awe as they witnessed Kendall’s spot-on hit. Their jaws dropped with astonishment as they couldn’t believe the surprise this girl brought to them.

“Awesome. Shit, that was cool!” Chester’s mouth gaped, while Grayson’s face was utterly flabbergasted.

Kendall then walked away from the scene. She ambled back with Grayson and Chester to the parking lot where Anton and Will were waiting.

While walking, Grayson couldn’t help but comment. “It’s a good thing that you didn’t interfere with the fight, considering how nosy you are."

Kendall scoffed, saying, “There are guards there, so why would I?”

“Yeah. But what you did was totally cool, Hailey.” Chester nodded.

When they got back to the parking lot, Anton and Will asked why they had gone back to which Chester immediately replied with something regarding Kendall’s impressive skills.

The two didn't ask again as they were already pretty worn out from what happened. With that, the group decided to hit it home as it was evidently late.

However, before they parted ways, Grayson shared something with Kendall. “Oh, by the way, since you are part of this squad now, I need to tell you about our rules."

Her brows raised with curiosity. “Rules? What rules?"

A devious smirk escaped from his lips. “You will still have to undergo an initiation where you’ll be our slave for two months.”

“What initiation? I didn’t know your group is in some kind of fraternity.” Kendall’s ears rang in objection as she fiercely opposed the idea of being the group’s slave.

She looked back at Anton and Will and there was no reaction from them. Chester, however, felt her protest that he couldn't help but butt in. “Oh, it doesn’t have to be all of us. This is just Grayson’s idea! So, just be his slave..."

Kendall bit her lips trying to contemplate it. She thought and realized that if this was the only way to get leads from Grayson, then she had no choice but to do it.

She then crossed her arms and retorted. “Alright, fine! I agree! But just with Grayson!”

Chester rebutted. “Yep, just him, Hailey.”

Little did she know, Grayson was already brewing an evil idea. In his mind, he thought that Kendall was trying to terrorize the group so she could be the leader. Of course, with him being the leader, he didn’t want that to happen, so he swore to make things difficult for Kendall until she quit being part of the group.

...

After that night, Kendall went with her best friend, Charlotte, to buy clothes for her to use in her undercover as a university student. While strolling around different boutiques, looking for cute and stylish clothes, Kendall’s phone suddenly rang.

“Someone’s calling you on the weekend?” Charlotte asked.

She sighed, getting it out of her jeans. “Apparently. Anyway, let me answer this first.”

A deep, familiar voice blared from the speaker of her phone. “Be here at my house on three. I need you to do something for me.”

“What? It’s the weekend, Grayson,” she objected.

There was a pause for a moment. “Did you forget that you agreed to become my slave for two months? You've gotta do your duty, Hailey.”

Then, it struck her that this would be an opportunity for her to know more about Grayson so she could get some information out of him.

Exhaling a deep breath, she surrendered. “Fine.”

Looking dejectedly, she turned her gaze back at Charlotte and sadly informed her, “I have to go, Char. It's from work.”

Stunned, Charlotte asked briskly, “What? Where are you going? Don’t leave me here with your things!”

She walked away while responding to her with her front facing away from her. “You can drop it at my flat, Char. Thanks!”

Charlotte immediately groaned with frustration. “I will not! Remember, I’m not you damn servant, Kels!”

Kendall couldn’t believe how enormous Grayson’s place was. His residence looked like an entire village itself, with everything accessible in just a few minutes' radius. She knew he was rich; however, she didn’t expect that he was exorbitantly rich.

'Whoa! Is this even a house or a palace? How do they even constantly meet with each other?' she thought in amazement as she glanced around the whole area.

Then, she went to the stairs to knock on the front door. A few minutes after waiting, a maid came to greet Kendall.

“Hi! Sir Grayson will be here in a minute. Would you like some refreshment first?” the middle-aged maid asked.

Kendall sat on the brown leather couch in the waiting area. Smiling, she replied. “Sure! Thanks!”

The maid walked back to the kitchen while Kendall was left alone in the foyer. Later on, she saw Grayson marching out of the elevator near the stairs. Simultaneously, the maid came back with a tray of orange juice for her.

However, before she could give it to Kendall, Grayson said, “There’s no need to give her that.”

“O-okay, sir.” The maid didn’t know what to do with it as she was hesitant to go back to the kitchen.

It was a good thing that Kendall noticed her uncertainty as she decided to grab the juice and drink it.

Grayson’s eyes were raised in incredulity.

“What? She made it for me. It will be a waste if I don't drink it.” she contended while returning the glass back to the tray.

Then, Kendall's lips curled into a soft grin. “Thanks again.”

The maid just nodded at her with a smile and later went back to do her job.

Afterward, Grayson moved towards her, gesturing with his hand with a wave. “Follow me.”

She didn’t ask him a question and just automatically followed Grayson into the room. They went downstairs to the garage area and were greeted by a queue of collection cars. Kendall was astounded by the number of his car collections. It looked like she was at a high-end exclusive car show. Her mouth instantly dropped as she couldn’t help but be amazed.

“Wow! This is all yours? How do you drive all of them?” she queried as she still couldn’t believe it.

Grayson gave her a smug look. “Yes. The Bugatti is the one I frequently use. As for the Porsche and Mazda, I only use them on special occasions. As for the Ferrari GTO, I rarely use it.”

'Damn rich kids flexing their entire posh collection like it’s just nothing.' Kendall pondered.

He then walked into the center while she kept on following him. As they passed multiple cars, Kendall instinctively touched one of them.

“Whoa, this still looks new and unused,” she muttered unconsciously.

Unfortunately, Grayson saw it and reprimanded her. “Hey, don’t touch it! That car cost more than your life.”

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Alright, sorry.” 'Looks like this has more health insurance than I do.'

Eventually, Kendall noticed Grayson had stopped at his Bugatti. It was the same car he used when she challenged him in a drag race. Immediately, he turned around and threw the keys to Kendall.

“Pick up my girlfriend,” he ordered.

Confused, her brows dipped in confusion. “Who among them? I see you a lot with girls. I don’t know which one.”

“My real girlfriend.” He crossed his arms, giving her nothing but a blank face.

She hadn’t met his real girlfriend, Abigail. Kendall only knew her through the case profile that was given to her by the chief, but that was only that.

Kendall replied with a nod. “Okay, what car am I using? Can I use the Ferrari? Because that would be dope!” A glee of excitement was clearly perceived in her voice.

He took a short pause before exhaling. “No, Ferrari is off-limits, Hailey. You’ll be using the Bugatti.”

'Okay, not bad. I’ve never driven a Bugatti before, so this is the first. I mean, geez, I’m just going to drive a car that costs about twenty million,' she said to herself.

She shrugged while keeping her cool in place.

“Sure! Right away, sir.” Kendall was about to enter the car when another question popped into her mind. “Anyway, where will I pick her up?”

“I’ve messaged you the address,” he said.

Kendall didn’t respond as she went inside the car and drove off to Abigail’s place.

...

When she reached the location, Kendall saw Grayson's girlfriend, Abigail, walking to the car. As she had expected, she looked nothing like the photo that was in the folder. She was taller, slimmer, and prettier in real life. She thought that anyone who accidentally passed by Abigail would surely be starstruck by her beauty.

After a couple of seconds, Abigail entered the car with bewilderment. She scooted over to the center of the passage seat with her eyes leafing through Kendall.

“Uhm, hi? Where’s Blake?”

Kendall averted her gaze from the windshield to Abigail. “He told me to pick you up.” Offering her hand to her, she added. “Anyway, I’m Hailey. New member of their squad.”

She then nodded back and forth. “Oh, alright. I’m Abigail. Why didn’t he come?” She grabbed her hand and lightly swung it.

Shaking her hand, Kendall felt that Abigail was genuinely pleasant compared to the usual women she saw Grayson dallying with.

“He didn’t tell me the reason and just told me to get you.” Kendall felt unsure of her answer.

Abigail’s face turned sour. “Oh, okay.”

Upon seeing her reaction, Kendall couldn’t help but comment a reaffirmation. “He was a bit preoccupied when I went to his house, you know. That git is quite busy.”

She instantly chuckled as soon as she heard Kendall’s response. “Yeah! He always is.”

Kendall noticed Abigail’s openness to her. She was very amiable and affable to talk with, unlike Grayson. For Kendall, it was like she was just talking with her friend Charlotte, where she could be at ease with herself. With this, she couldn’t comprehend how on earth Grayson got a well-mannered and genteel girlfriend.

Thereafter, Abigail perched her hands on the back seat where Kendall was sitting. “Um, Hailey, can I have a favor?”

“Yeah sure. What is it?” Kendall asked right away.

Biting her lower lips, she answered, “Is it okay if I can have your number?”

Kendall’s brows creased with confusion. “I mean, yeah sure. But, why?”

She let out a huge sigh. “I couldn’t contact Blake sometimes. I was just wondering if you could help me watch over him? You know how girls easily get close to him. I just wanted to make sure that he won’t be entertaining them.”

“Umh, y-yeah, sure.” Kendall could almost feel the tightness in her airway as though she wasn’t sure how to answer Abigail’s favor.

The corners of Abigail’s lips curled upward. “Super thanks, Hailey.”

She gently coughed. “Of-Of course!’ Clearing her throat, she added, “So, do you need to go somewhere first before we head to Grayson’s place?”

She shook her head. “No, we can go directly there.”

Releasing a smile, she turned away from her and focused on the forefront. “Great. Let’s go.”

...

After a while, they went back to Grayson’s residence without a glitch. Kendall parked the car on the side of the concrete pavement. She then followed Abigail inside the mansion.

Abigail greeted Grayson happily as soon as they met. She quickly hugged Grayson and gave him a peck on his cheeks.

“Hey, babe!”

Grayson responded with eagerness when he slipped his arms around her waist. Kissing her on the lips, he replied. “It’s good to see you too babe.”

Kendall was shocked to see him very casual and open to Abigail. His always aloof personality with her was completely different from when he was with her. It was then she thought how good the git was at playing a doted and affectionate boyfriend. God, if only Abigail knew about his womanizing escapades.

“So...” Kendall mumbled as she watched them being mushy and loving at each other.

While gazing at them, Kendall thought her duty was done as she already planned on ditching off. However, as soon as Grayson saw her giving his keys back, he refrained her from leaving.

“You’re not going yet,” he commanded.

Getting irritated, Kendall stared daggers at him. “What? You only said to pick her up, so I’m leaving. I’ve done my job, sir. So, may I go now?” she sarcastically replied.

Chuckling with hilarity, Grayson replied, “Hailey, you’re not going anywhere. Your job is not yet done.”

“What do you mean? You only said to pick up Abigail!” Kendall contested.

On the other hand, Abigail only watched them banter with each other.

“You’re not yet done.” He gave the car keys back.

She miffed. “This is a bit too much, Grayson.”

He then crossed his arms. “You’re complaining, eh? Didn’t you agree with my terms?”

Kendall was left speechless. She didn’t answer him and just seized the keys back.

“You’ll be coming to drive us there.” He added while moving back to Hailey. Grayson then propped his arms on her shoulder to pull her closer.

Kendall wanted to protest again, but she was left tongue-tied as she suddenly remembered her mission. Kendall knew she should not screw this up, as this might make or break her career. Without saying anything to him, she walked back to where the car was.

Meanwhile, Grayson was slightly confused by her reaction, as he expected her remonstrations. However, he hadn’t expected her to just give up and comply with his whims. Having this thought, he didn’t know what to do again to make her leave the group.

...

As soon as they went back to the car, she immediately asked Grayson where they would be going. With Abigail beside him, the thrilled expression on her face couldn’t be hidden.

“Where are we going?” She shifted gears.

“South Hills Plaza.”

Then, Abigail interfered. “Glad you can join us, Hailey!”

She only gave her a smile through the reflection of the rear mirror.

However, despite Abigail’s warm and inviting statement, Kendall couldn’t help but get back at Grayson. With this in mind, she moved her gaze to Abigail to say something that would make the git aggravated.

“You know Abigail, you should pick a guy that is as kind as you. You deserve someone who’s really real and authentic.” A sardonic, yet suggestive voice stated.

Abigail was about to reply when Grayson shot back. “And you mean that I’m not?”

Kendall shrugged. “Are you? I mean, shouldn’t you know that, Grayson?”

His girlfriend then intervened happily. “Grayson may be an ass, but I know he cares for me.”

As soon as she said that, he reached for her hand and grabbed it.

Kendall flicked her eyes as she witnessed his feign devotion to her. “It was just an advice, Abigail. You know—I think you should pick a guy who will equally reciprocate your love for him.”

Infuriated by her, Grayson couldn’t help but kicked her under the seat as he glared at her through the mirror. He then simpered a smile to Abigail while holding her arms. “Don’t mind her babe, she’s just a little jelly.”

Kendall ignored him by adding another comment. “Also, not someone who thinks they’re tough but in reality, are too, touchy, and oversensitive.”

Abigail opened her mouth when Grayson retorted again. “Uh-uh, yeah, and you should also mind your own business, right, Hailey?”

The corner of his lips plastered a condescending grin.

“Are you guys okay?” Abigail finally was able to get in between them, seemingly concerned about their banter.

But Kendall didn’t stop as she stated again, “Also, Abigail, get someone who’s a bit more mature in the future—”

“Red light! There’s a red light!” Grayson hurriedly said.

Distracted, Kendall went back in front and noticed the red light. However, she realized that she couldn’t stop as she was already in the middle of the intersection. The cars she crossed with beeped as she tried to enter the pathway. She then quickly shifted to the left side and stopped at the corner when she saw the signal of the traffic enforcer.

“Ha! Karma got back on you, Hailey. You deserved it! Deal with it yourself!” He mocked while laughing so hard.

Meanwhile, Kendall stormed out of the car and talked to the officer. “Apologies, officer. I was in a hurry.”

Thankfully, the guy knew her back then when she helped him with a speeding violation. “Oh, it’s you, Officer Whitlock!” He was about to salute when Kendall made him stop.

“I’m on duty,” she muttered.

The guy understood it quickly and let her go. “Got it, officer. Have a nice day!”

She replied swiftly, “Thanks again, bro!”

Kendall then went back to the car, and she noticed Grayson’s smirk fading. He then looked at the enforcer and then back to her with sudden curiosity.

“That’s it? Not even a ticket violation or confiscation of license?” he asked.

“Yup,” she replied, giving more emphasis to the last letter.

“God, these cops are so incompetent that they don’t do their job right. Their work should be abolished, as they don’t take their job seriously,” he remarked with disdain.

Of course, Kendall, being a cop, rebuffed back to Grayson, “Wait. What did you say?”

"They’re a bunch of idiots who can’t do their work right. They’re practically useless,” he snided.

She then glared at him. “Those people worked to their bones more than you can ever imagine, Hoffman! If you think their work is easy, then reevaluate that!”

“Why are you so prickly? I’m just saying the truth. Besides, most of them really have it easy! Are your parents’ cops or something?!" he retorted.

Then, Kendall paused as his response blasted her. She then realized that what she had just done might backfire on her mission. It almost blew her cover off if she stooped down to his caprices. Grasping the situation, she held back and took a deep breath.

Grayson waited for her answer, but she stopped talking and just followed them silently throughout their date.

...

When the night came, Kendall and Grayson dropped Abigail off first at her house. Before she went inside, Abigail looked back at Kendall with worry.

“Are you okay, Hailey? You were silent the whole day,” she asked.

Giving her the best smile she could possibly give, she said, “Yeah, no worries, Abigail. I’m fine.”

“Don’t mind it, babe. It’s her job as a new member of the group,” Grayson explained while his hands were hidden in his pockets.

Abigail looked like she was about to object when she suddenly deviated from her original response. “Oh, okay, but don’t be too harsh on her, Grayson. I like Hailey and I think she’s great.”

Kendall felt her heart wrench from Abigail’s thoughts about her.

Nonetheless, Grayson brushed it off. “She has to go through the rite of our group’s initiation or else she won’t be an official member. It’s to test her loyalty to the group, babe.”

Sighing with dejection, she riposted, “But don’t you think it’s too much for her? I mean, she went with us even if she wasn’t supposed to.”

“Don’t worry about it, babe. Hailey can handle it more than you think. That woman is worse than Godzilla!”

“Fine... just please be careful on your way back,” she requested with concern. Averting back to Kendall, she uttered, “Oh, and it’s nice to meet you again, Hailey!”

Kendall only gave her a nod and a smile.

Grayson added, “We will, babe. Have a good night.”

Abigail gave him a peck on his cheeks and later nodded at him. Afterward, she went back inside as both Kendall and Grayson stood on the porch of her house.

With silence once again surrounding them, Kendall drove to Grayson’s place. Glancing at him, she recognized that the git even looked amused and delighted.

'Fucking asshole.' Kendall couldn’t help but be infuriated at him.

Eventually, they got back to his place in no time. Before Grayson could say anything else, she gave him back his keys.

“Here. I’m going home,” she replied in resentment.

“Wait, you still have another thing to do."

Clinking her tongue, her eyes titled up with vexation. “It’s late, Grayson. I’ve done my job. What else could you have wanted me to do?”

“Don’t move. I’ll just grab it in my room.” He friskily ran upstairs and came back after a couple of minutes with a thick blue binder.

'Oh, fuck me!' Kendall’s jaw fell in an instant.

Grayson then gave it to her. “Here.”

She hesitatingly took it from him. “What the hell is this, Grayson?”

Shoving his hands back into his jeans, he explained. “Summarize all the chapters I have highlighted and bookmarked. I will be reporting that tomorrow, so you should have it finished by then.”

Kendall was about to contest when Grayson added, “If you don’t want to do it, then you can say goodbye to the group. Easy as that.”

She just heaved a deep breath while putting on a disapproving smile. Kendall didn’t say anything to him as she just walked away with the binder in her hand.

'I’m really going to skin this git alive after the mission!' She thought while letting her temper cool down.

At this point, she couldn’t help but think about her situation. It had become a joke! She didn’t expect this—being a servant to an eighteen-year-old brat! Where was the action? The raids, the chase, and the covert operations that she had waited for so long? She didn’t train so damn hard in an academy to be dealing with a spoiled git like Grayson Hoffman.

Damn, that brat was really getting on her nerves!

It was almost midnight when Kendall reached the headquarters. With a noticeable frown on her face, she dashed inside the office while holding Grayson’s binder in her arms. If the idiot just didn’t give her another one of his stupid tasks, she would probably be in her flat sleeping.

She saw one of her co-workers and approached him with urgency. “Is Inspector Green still here? Have you seen him? I need to ask something.”

“Oi, it’s you, Janice! Yeah, he’s at the ITMS,” the man replied while pointing upstairs.

Patting his shoulders, she replied, “Thanks, Seargent.”

Kendall quickly went up to the radio room to ask Noah about the binder. She didn’t have enough time to do Grayson’s childish tricks and entertain his imprudent profanities. This was the reason why she needed Noah’s assistance, knowing the young man was one of the best intelligence officers in their unit.

As soon as she arrived in the room, the bright, dapper face of Noah Green appeared in front of her. She walked towards him, asking him immediately with no opening greetings.

“I need your help, Inspector Green,” she uttered while pointing at the thick binder in her hand.

Noah, however, welcomed her with a captivating smile. “Eh, you’re here Inspector Whitlock. You didn’t inform me that you’ll be coming. Missed me again, already?”

Regrettably, Kendall ignored his subtle coquets as she tiredly asked, “Can you please help me with this?”

He stood up from his seat and took the blue binder that she was carrying.

“What the heck is this?” He chuckled, skimming through its contents while his other arms were propped up to his waist, showing the gun holster on his chest.

Noah was working with the FBI before he was dispensed to their headquarters last month. He was mainly assigned to the research and intelligence unit because of his intensive experience as a special intelligence officer in his previous job.

Chief Spencer also partnered him with Kendall to be her principal support regarding Grayson’s case. Knowing he preferred paperwork than being out in action, Kendall surmised that he was the best person to approach regarding Grayson’s relentless torture.

Kendall groaned. “Ugh, tell me about it. The fucking git gave me that to summarize for his report.”

She sat on the seat beside Noah and grabbed the sandwich from the desk. Kendall bit a large portion from it while leaning on the chair’s recliner. She felt so hungry from the events today.

Noah removed his slim-fitted black suit, placing it over the rotating chair. Rolling his sleeves upward, he sat on the swivel chair, throwing the binder on the table. When he realized that his sandwich was being devoured by Kendall, he seized it from her, biting the remaining portion of it.

Gulping, he replied, “Damn, take it easy. Have you had your dinner yet?”

He gave her a bottle of water beside the sandwich takeaway and offered it to Kendall. She didn’t even hesitate to grab it, swallowing the entire serving of the water.

After being replenished, she wiped the residual water from her mouth with her forearm. “Thanks. Anyway, can you help me with that horrendous thing? I barely understand it and my ordinary brain rucks up trying to comprehend those complicated economics theories.”

Noah chortled. “Why do you have this, anyway? Are you trying to be a serious college student? I can’t even imagine you with a book,” he retorted while reading the highlighted paragraphs on Grayson’s binder.

Kendall snorted, punching his buffed-up biceps. “Hey! I do read books.”

“You mean the cases? Fair enough.” He grinned crookedly and stated in-a-matter-of-fact tone, “But you haven't read anything downright educational.”

“Bleh, that’s boring.” She got another piece of sandwich from the corrugated box.

Kendall was about to eat it when suddenly, Noah leaned closer to her to take a bite from the club sandwich.

She was taken aback by Noah’s impulsive actions. Evidently, Kendall knew that Noah was handsome, smart, and single. The guy was already popular when he got designated from their district, which was rather rare for their department to have an eye candy to look forward to. However, just like Kendall, Noah was not interested in any short dalliances as he was much more interested in his work than anyone else.

“Hell, you’re eating up all my dinner, Whitlock!” he contested lightly as he licked his lips. Reclining away from her, Noah reposed his back on the seat.

Kendall then dropped the sandwich back into the box that was partially eaten by Noah. “Sorry, I was hungry,” she huffed with glumness and sighed, “—git stressed me out so much that he made me grumble with hunger.”

Noah just shook his head with disparagement. “When do you need it?” he asked in a serious tone.

She sheepishly smiled. “Err—tomorrow?”

His expression turned with utter disbelief. “You’re serious? This kid wants you to summarize an entire seven-hundred and fifty pages of the book for his benefit?”

Noah took the bottle of water and chugged it.

“Unfortunately, yes.” Kendall breathed out in acquiescence.

He tapped his fingers at the moment, thinking about what to do with the binder. After a short pause, he then grabbed it on the desk and quickly scanned it to read the first page. When he was done, he replied to Kendall, “Okay, I'll do it. But if this kid does something ridiculous again, don’t hesitate to break his neck.”

Her gloomy expression suddenly lightened. “You don’t have to remind me about that, Inspector Green. You know me.” She crossed her arms to her chest and added, “I don’t beat around the bush.”

Noah craftily smirked while giving the leftover sandwich to Kendall. “Just tell me if you need anything. I’ll be glad to help you. I got your back.”

“Thanks! I’ll just call you tomorrow before class.” She cheerfully smiled. Meanwhile, she noticed again the sandwich left on the desk, which made him glance back at Noah. “You sure?”

“Yeah, eat it. I can’t stand looking at your famished face.”

“You’re the best, Inspector!” Kendall’s eyes shimmered with delight as she grabbed the remaining sandwich eaten by Noah. Willingly, she ate it with no contention.

Noah just smiled at her with beguilement.

...

After her conversation with Noah, Kendall was about to leave when Chief Spencer showed up. She stopped walking when he noticed him heading toward her.

“I heard you visited from Seargent Coleman. Anyway, how’s the case? So far, any progress?” Chief Spencer asked.

“So far, it’s getting well, chief. I’ve made progress with the subject and will immediately report to you as soon as I’ve gotten all the information filed,” Kendall reported in a professional tone.

“Great. Just keep it like that, Whitlock. Report to me when something suspicious happened,” he retorted.

Chief Spencer was about to leave when Kendall asked him another question. “By the way chief, do you have any lowdown on the Pirus case?”

Chief Spencer exhaled with chagrin. “Not yet, Whitlock. Although, I will call or email you the details the moment we have an inside report.”

“Got it, chief.” Sighing in defeat, Kendall nodded. She didn’t know how long she would do this covert operation, but it seemed like, from the Chief’s response, she might end up doing this undercover for a little longer.

Chief Spencer sauntered to his office, which made Kendall move to follow him. When he got inside his office, he questioned her again, “Oh, since you’re here, Whitlock. You don’t need to give me a documentation report about the progress of the case. Just tell me what you’ve gotten so far.”

He then leaned his back on the swivel chair and intertwined his fingers from the oak wood desk. Meanwhile, Kendall closed the door and sat on the vacant seat in front of him.

“I’ve already gotten inside his squad, chief…” she then continued to discuss the information she got while following the subject for the entire week.

...

It was already late in the morning when Kendall arrived at her flat. Beaten out from work and Grayson’s childish demands, she immediately dashed to her bed to sleep. Soon after, the slumber of exhaustion caved into her system that she barely remembered to change in her sleeping attire.

Kendall disturbingly woke up from her phone’s sudden alarm. Disgruntled, she fumbled through her bedside table, taking the ear-splitting sound of the phone. As soon as she unlocked it, she noticed Grayson was calling in the early morning.

'What does this pompous git want again?' She grumbled while rubbing her eyes.

“What is it, Grayson? It’s still so early,” she expressed with complete dissent.

She heard him snickering on the phone. “What? It’s already five in the morning, Hailey. You’re supposed to be awake by this time.”

'Seriously? I’m really gonna squash his head sooner the moment my patience runs out.' Discerning she couldn’t do anything about it right now, she inhaled deeply to calm her nerves.

“What do you want?” she reflexively grunted while still feeling the weight of weariness.

“Come here right away,” he ordered without explanation.

Kendall was soon alerted by his statement. She couldn’t help but wonder if the young man was in danger. It was too early in the morning for him to call, and if this was an emergency, she knew that she had to be there right away.

Standing up from her bed, she then asked him again. “Grayson? Where are you?”

“I’m at home, Hailey. Be here before five-thirty.”

“What happened? Are you okay?” Her brows crinkled while she hurriedly seized the things inside her desk, searching for her 0.45 Colt gun.

“Cook breakfast for me,” he said nonchalantly.

'What the fuck?' Kendall cursed internally as soon as she heard him. She dropped back the gun that was already in her hand and closed the compartment of her table.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Grayson? You got a lot of maids! Why should I be the one to cook your breakfast?” she chided, thinking that it was another of his immature pranks.

“I’m not joking. I need you to cook breakfast for me.”

“No,” Kendall firmly responded.

“Are you disobeying me? I’m going to report you to the group.”

Kendall’s eyes whirled. “Does it look like I give a shit?” she rebutted.

“Okay, then you’re not allowed to hang out with us anymore. Bye, Hai—”

He was about to end the call when Kendall quickly answered, “Fine! Alright, I’ll be there in a minute or so.”

“Geez, what got your knickers in a twist?” he derided.

She dropped the call out of irritation, ignoring his mockery as she had no time to entertain his childish acts.

...

By the time she got to his place, Kendall rushed to the kitchen and cooked whatever was available there. To be honest, she wasn’t a good cook—no; she was utterly terrible at it. Ever since she was a kid, she had no interest in cooking or in anything related to culinary cuisine. Yes, she was a food lover, but that didn’t mean that her eagerness in eating was also the same in cooking.

In the end, she served a meal based on the limits and knowledge of her cooking skills. Placing the charcoal-smoky fried eggs on the table, she sat with a sigh. Hell, she never felt so tired just from cooking breakfast, as though this was even harder than getting in action on raids.

At the same time, Grayson was already there at the dining table, waiting for his scrumptious meal. When he saw the platter of God-forbidden yet slightly edible eggs, his jaw dropped with astonishment.

“What the hell is this, Hailey? Is this even food?” He disgustingly gripped the burnt edges of the fried egg, hanging it in mid-air.

Kendall shrugged. “What? You said breakfast, right? I gave you sunny-side eggs. Fresh from the skillet pan.”

“Are you trying to kill me with this?” He looked at her with discombobulation.

'Yes.'

“No. What’s wrong with the eggs? Haven’t tried burnt, smokey eggs before?” she pressed on.

Grayson threw the egg back onto the plate. “No, I won’t eat this.” He then pushed it away from him and grabbed the small bell beside him. “Esther, would you cook some breakfast right away? I’m hungry!” he called out while clanking the small bell.

Kendall’s fury started to rise. Out of the blue, she slumped her palms onto the table with sudden force, which caused the young man to be in shock.

She then leaned forward, giving him a spiteful stare. “Look, Hoffman! I woke up early in the morning, even if I don’t want to, just to entertain your childish antics of cooking your damn fucking eggs! Now, eat this whether you like it or not before I shove this to your ass and cut your fucking balls as a replacement for these eggs!”

Taken aback by her monstrous warning, Grayson felt the chills run down his spine. Involuntarily, he found himself obeying her command as he briskly grabbed the eggs from the plate and roughly swallowed them.

Calming herself down, she sat in front of him while watching him endure the unpalatable breakfast. “Good boy! Eat up and don’t leave any leftovers.” Kendall wolfishly grinned, feeling rather victorious.

After their eventful breakfast, both of them went to school together with Kendall driving his car. Grayson demanded her again to carry all his things while walking to the corridor. She didn’t have the energy to contest him, as she just took it from him.

Later on, they got to the class in no time with Kendall sitting next to him. When the professor arrived, Grayson immediately told her to take notes for him while listening to the lesson.

“Take notes for me, Hailey.”

She hurled the notebook from him and scribbled down some hefty notes.

Nancy quickly noticed their sudden familiarity with each other. “It seems like the two of you are getting along.”

Kendall just nodded automatically while her eyes were still transfixed on the board. “Hmm, yes. I guess so. We’ve become closer when I came to the same event he attended.”

Biting her lip, Nancy reluctantly replied, “Do you want me to help you with that? I can take notes for him.”

“Really! That would be awe—”

Grayson cut her off as soon as he heard it. “No! That’s your job, Hailey! Don’t pass your responsibility on someone.”

Kendall made a face, deriding him with contempt. Luckily, Grayson didn’t see it, as he was so focused on whatever the professor was saying. With this, she went back to writing notes, scribbling everything that their professor said.

After a minute of writing, Kendall suddenly felt her eyes getting dozy. Since she didn’t have any interest in what the professor was discussing and since she got little to no sleep, she quickly fell asleep out of boredom.

Inopportunely, the professor and the entire class heard her exigent, rowdy snores.

“Miss Madison, if you’re just going to sleep in my class, better yet, go out!” The professor reproached with his arms on his waist.

Kendall remained to be in slumber as she didn’t notice the professor’s warning. Meanwhile, Grayson was having fun as he sat beside her, who looked like he had just won the jackpot prize.

“Miss Madison!” the professor shouted again.

This time, his warning awakened every bit of her lethargic energy. She jerked off from her seat, looking disheveled and oblivious. When she met the professor’s glare, her eyes gaped open.

'Oh, shit!' She mumbled inwardly.

The professor then pointed at the door with anger. “Get out of the class now! I don’t want to see any students sleeping in my class!”

“Sorry, sir—”

“Get out, Miss Madison, before my patience runs out!” His face was entirely beaten with red from aggravation.

Hopeless, Kendall stood from her seat while carrying her bag. However, before she could even go out of the room, she eyed Grayson with a scowl. As soon as she was out of the room, she slumped her back on the wall and fell asleep on one of the hallway benches.

...

After a minute, Grayson’s class ended. While walking along the corridor, he saw Kendall's mouth open, sleeping on the bench in the Alaric building. Surprising her with mockery, he kicked her feet to wake her up.

“Hey, Hailey, wake up! I can see a fly in your mouth.” He chuckled.

Immediately, Kendall woke up, scratching her head unconsciously. As soon as her eyes glanced at Grayson, she jabbed him in his arms with every intention of hurting him.

“This is your fault, Hoffman! I will not forgive you if I failed in this class,” she reprimanded while following him.

Grayson mocked, “You wouldn’t, anyway, because you’re stupid.”

“Hey! I’m not stupid! Economics doesn’t really interest me.” She huffed.

Frowning, Grayson queried, “Then why the fuck did you get it? You realize that we will be having a lot of economics courses.”

Kendall paused for a moment, thinking about how to respond. “I-I, well, I thought it was fun,” she stuttered.

“It is enjoyable if you understand it. But it looks like your small brain couldn’t comprehend any of it, even the basics.”

She agreed, knowing that she was really not that smart to grasp such complicated theories and ideas. Nonetheless, her pride took over her emotion as she would never let him know that he was right.

“Yeah, well, my brain is too special to even bother learning those kinds of things.”

“See? I don’t know how you even passed the UMET with that dull brain of yours, Hailey.” He stated out of fact and bewilderment.

She couldn’t answer his question, as even she was rendered speechless.

...

Later that day, after all their classes, they went to the nearest flower shop. As they went inside the store, Grayson looked through the set of flowers displayed for the day.

“What are we doing here?” Kendall asked while scanning inside the room, looking for any possibility of suspecting danger.

Grayson took the sunflower and smelled it. “I wanted to buy flowers for Abigail.” Then, he asked the clerk, “How much is this, miss?”

“It’s thirty dollars, sir. Would you want it in a bouquet?” The lady beside the counter quickly replied.

Grayson was about to answer when Kendall shot another question. “Why? Did you do anything bad?”

He sniggered at her question while he forgot to answer the lady. “No, Hailey. That’s just what you do in a relationship. Don’t tell me you haven’t been in one?”

Kendall didn't answer, which piqued his interest in the type of people Kendall had been going out with, or if she ever did.

Grinning haughtily, he began to question her. “Do you like flowers, Hailey?”

“Flowers are fine. It’s nice to have it on the first day, but a waste when it gets wilted.” She raised her shoulders quickly, as if she wasn’t interested.

Grayson then noticed her reaction. He then surmised that she didn’t care about anything, which got him more curious about her preference.

“What do you think about these carnations? Are they better than red roses?” He asked again while gesturing his hand to the flowers inside a rectangular pot.

“It’s nice. Both are pretty.” Kendall gave him a dead face.

He pursed his lips. “What about these pink tulips?”

“It’s alright. Either way, any flowers will do, Grayson.”

Sighing from discontentment with her answer, Grayson tried asking her again. “How about this Hibiscus or Bluebell? I think this suit Abigail’s personality.”

"I don’t know, Grayson. I guess anything will do. As long as it's not flowers meant for death,” she replied with utter indifference.

Grayson then stopped asking her questions, as reading Kendall was a hopeless case. He thought he could get an interesting fact about her, but was left with nothing but disappointment. It was clear to him that if he couldn’t get anything by simply prying, then he just had to use other means to determine the truth about Kendall. With that in mind, he just got a bouquet of pink roses from one of the compartments and went straight ahead to the counter to pay.

While the lady packed the flowers Grayson had chosen, he saw another customer arriving. He then heard a sudden gasp from Kendall that made his gaze veer towards her. Weirdly, he noticed Kendall friskily hiding behind his back.

“Damn it...” Kendall whispered while cloaking her body behind Grayson.

Her reaction made him more curious, from which he formed an idea that the woman was one of Kendall’s exes. Smiling with curiosity, he moved away from Kendall, letting her be out in the open to be noticed by the lady who was walking toward them.

“Kendall?”