~Sophia's POV
I picked up the phone on the second ring.
"Who?" I snapped, already on the edge.
Patty's voice stuttered through the line. "Mr. Gray's moving guy just arrived."
"What are you talking about?" I said, rising from my desk, eyes narrowing. "I already sent someone to move the vase, a girl. Are you telling me that wasn't the right person?"
A chill crept up my spine.
"No, Patty. A girl came, claimed she was with logistics, and I let her through. And now you're saying no girl was sent at all?"
My voice dropped to a cold whisper. "Then who the hell did I let into Mr. Gray's office?"
Panic bubbled under my skin. This wasn't just a mistake, this was a security breach.
"Send the real guy up. Right now," I barked. "We'll talk about your incompetence later."
I needed to get to Mr. Gray. Immediately.
I ended the call and grabbed my keys, rushing out of my office. My legs were not fast enough for how fast I wanted to walk, so I broke into a run.
What if she was an assassin?
No, not likely. She looked more like a stray, messy, unpolished, out of place. A thief, maybe. Or some delusional fan-girl who thought she'd pull off some rom-com fantasy.
Disgust curled in my stomach. I didn't even get her name.
How amateur of me.
"Stupid Sophia, So stupid" I cursed underneath my breath.
I called security as I stepped into the elevator.
"Get to Mr. Gray's office. Now. There's an intruder. He could be in danger."
I hung up before they could speak. No time for questions.
In all my years as Mr. Gray's personal assistant, I've never let something like this slip. If this went sideways, it wouldn't just be Patty's job on the line. It would be mine.
The elevator doors opened. My eyes scanned the hallway and there they were.
Her.
The mess she has obviously created.
And Mr. Gray.
Worse, he was holding her arm.
He never touches people.
Something about that made me freeze.
"Mr Gray?" I called as if trying to confirm his identity. Like I knew it was him but I was just surprised he was touching her.
And then she whispered like she'd seen a ghost, "You're… Mr. Gray?"
I almost laughed. As if she didn't know.
Please.
I've seen dozens like her, wannabe Cinderella cases hoping for a billionaire rescue. Pathetic. If she thought this stunt would charm him, she was delusional. Break something, act helpless, get the billionaire's sympathy.
Really Really Pathetic.
This isn't a rom-com, neither is it a fairy tale. This was the real world. And women like her don't end up with men like him.
"Who is she, Sophia?" Mr. Gray's voice snapped me back. "Why did you let her in?"
I opened my mouth but she was already gone, bolting past me like a criminal.
What could I say?
My first real mistake. My first visible mistake since I knew him. And he had seen it.
"I—I think Patty let her in," I said, grasping for anything. "She's probably a stalker—"
"So how did she get into the storeroom?" he cut me off, eyes sharp. "You're the only one with access."
My stomach flipped.
"I don't know," I said quickly. "I'd never make that kind of mistake. You know I understand how important security is to you."
But the way he looked at me, I knew he didn't believe a word of it.
He exhaled, cold and clipped. "There are no second chances, so make sure it doesn't happen again. And get someone to clean this up."
My eyes followed his towards the floor, his phone, lying among the broken glass.
"I need a new one," he muttered. "She shoved that thing into her pants. I'm not touching it."
He turned and walked into his office without another word. The door shut behind him like a sentence.
"Yes, sir," I murmured.
The elevator dinged again. Security stepped out.
"She took the stairs," I told them. "She'll be on the ground floor. You'll know her when you see her, she looks like she got lost on the way to a job interview at a gas station."
Their expressions didn't flicker, but I knew they heard me.
"Arrest her. Detain her until I say otherwise."
I got back into the elevator, calling Patty on the way down.
"Seal the exits. No one leaves until that girl is in custody."
She made me look like a fool in front of Mr. Gray. That's not something people get away with.
He didn't need to tell me what to do. As his assistant, I handled things. And she was going to learn the hard way that stunts like hers had consequences.
We reached the ground floor and I expected to find her cornered by security.
Instead?
Chaos.
A crowd had formed in the lobby, heads tilted upward, mouths open.
My stomach turned.
I followed their gaze and nearly screamed.
Hanging from the massive chandelier was Little Gracie.
Mr. Gray's niece. Dangling from the ceiling.
And standing on the staircase, hand outstretched was her.
The girl. The liar. The intruder.
She was whispering to the little girl, coaxing her. Whispering something. Steadying herself. Reaching. Risking.
"Move!" I wanted to scream. "Help her!"
But everyone was frozen, useless.
Then it happened.
Gracie let go.
The Intruder reached for her and she caught her.
She wrapped her arms around Gracie, shielding her head with her own body, she slipped and they fell.
Straight from the staircase to the marble floor.
She never let go of Gracie.
Her head hit first. The sound was sickening.
Gasps broke across the lobby like glass.
And just before I could react and help, Mr. Gray burst through the crowd, dove forward, pushed and shielded them both just as the chandelier gave way and landed just where they fell before Mr Gray pushed them.
It exploded beside them, glass and metal scattering like shrapnel.
Blood was all over the floor, Mr. Gray's arms were around both of them.