Lena's POV
"Don't worry, babe, you got this." Chris reassured me, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead as soon as our boss left the room.
"Good thing you came early,"Claire smirked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "This has to be the best punishment of the year. You gotta be a man again and make heads turn."
I shot her a glare as I stepped away from Chris. The idiot was pretending to enjoy this way too much. But I knew my girl - beneath the teasing she was worried. This was her way of lightning the mood.
"It is not about the punishment,Claire," Chris defended, crossing his arms. "It is about Lena's diligence in work. We all know she's the best agent here."
Claire rolled her eyes but nodded. "I know, right? The bitch is the best. And that's why I am not losing sleep over this. She's gonna ace this mission and bring Nexus Corp. down." She gave me a side glance before pulling me into a quick hug.
Right then, my stomach rumbled loudly, making them to burst into laughter.
"Someone is hungry." Chris chuckled, wrapping an arm around my waist.
"I need food before I collapse," I muttered.
"Yeah, before that rumble brings the whole damn building down," Claire joked, still laughing as we all made our way to the cafeteria.
What would I do without Claire? She was the best thing that had ever happened to me.
We had been best friends since we were sixteen. Now, at twenty five, that made it nine years of chaos, loyalty and an un breakable bond. We met in junior year at Francis High Academy. At first, we were enemies. Claire was loud and popular, the type that thrive attention. Then I arrived unknowingly i stole the spotlight. I don't know if it was because of my looks- my father was Italian, my mother Mexican, I'd always been told I was beautiful- or simply because I didn't seek approval the way she did. Whatever the reason people gravitated towards me and Claire hated that. She saw me as a threat, an outsider stealing her spotlight.
At first, she and her friends tried to bully me to submission. I ignored them, never giving them the reaction they wanted - until they went after my friend Jane.
Jane was one of the first people I got close to at school. He was openly gay, something that shouldn't have mattered but did to the wrong people. Claire and her group harassed him relentlessly, calling him names, humiliating him in front of others, and ruining his reputation. It got so bad that he eventually left the school. That was my breaking point.
I confronted them, and it turned into a full - blown fight. I didn't just hold my own - I won. By the time it was over, they were all bruised, and I walked without a scratch. The school didn't see it that way, though. We all got suspended - Claire and her friends for two weeks, me for one.
When we returned, everything changed. The girls who once tormented me were suddenly afraid. Each of them bore a reminder of that fight, a scar that is wouldn't let them forget. And Claire? She surprised me. Instead of holding a grudge, she asked to be friends. At first, I didn't trust her. I figured she was trying to set me up. But Claire was persistent - like a leech that refused to let go. Eventually, I gave in.
From that point on, we became unstoppable. Together we turned the tables of every bully in the school. Some got punished, some suspended and the worst of them expelled. By the time we graduated, Francis High was a different place.
After college, we both took the CBI entrance exam, not really expecting much. But we got in. We trained, worked our way up, and now years later, we are field agents taking down criminals on a whole new level.
Funny how things turn out.
As we entered the cafeteria, I noticed some agents and secretaries already having their lunch. Some looked up and smiled, others waved, and a few looked away quickly, pretending not to have been staring. The cafeteria had long white tables, each seating about ten people. The chairs were plastic, plain and far from comfortable.
Claire, Chris, and I grabbed our meals. Claire was a weight watcher, so she always brought her own lunch from home, while Chris and I got whatever the cafeteria had to offer.
We found a table and sat down. Claire joined us after setting up her food.
"So, what's the plan? Are you gonna start digging up evidences?" Chris asked, taking a bite of his chicken burger.
"Not yet," I replied between bites of my sandwich. "If I start snooping around now, they'll get alerted. Once I am inside, I'll assess the situation and see how to proceed."
"So, no fieldwork for now?" Claire arched a brow. "Good, Cause right now, you don't look like a guy to me." She glanced qt my chest making a point.
"Shut up. I know. I still need to buy men's clothes and a wig." I said, rolling my eyes.
"You always look cute as a boy," she mused "with your small frame, no one would suspect a thing" she said sarcastically.
"Small? I am 5'6." I defended.
"Honey, in Africa, they'd call you a dwarf." Claire burst out laughing.
"Shut up, bitch. That make us two!"
Chris sighed, amused. "Okay, okay, calm down, both of you."
"She started it!" I huffed.
"Let her," Chris smirked. "She's right."
I shot him a glare. "I'll punch you both."
"We're scared. Please forgive us," Chris said, laughing.
I rolled my eyes. "You're forgetting this ain't my first time," i said looking at Claire.
She grinned. "Oh, I remembered. You were always a handsome she - man. Remember when we infiltrated Horns Bar? The girls were all over you, not knowing you were actually a woman. I had to play the obsessive, crazy girlfriend just to save our cover—otherwise, we would've been exposed."
I chuckled, shaking my head as the memory resurfaced.
Horns Bar looked like any ordinary club to outsiders, but beneath the surface, it was a hub for a massive drug trafficking operation. The leader, Barbero, had a twisted system—using innocent kids as smugglers. He trained them to lie, to never get caught, then sent them across the city to distribute his product.
To gather intel, we had to become regulars at the bar and get close to the key players. The catch? Horns Bar only allowed couples inside, a rule meant to deter undercover agents. Unfortunately for us, I'd had a past run-in with Barbero's older brother, which meant I couldn't risk using my real identity. At the time, all our male agents were on different assignments, leaving only Claire and me to handle the mission. That's how we ended up pretending to be a couple.
Everything was going smoothly—until Claire stepped away for a moment. That's when the trouble started. A group of women surrounded me, getting way too close, making suggestive remarks. They thought I was some hot, mysterious guy and were eager to test their luck. Things were escalating fast, and I was seconds away from being found out when Claire swooped in, playing the jealous, possessive girlfriend to perfection. She threw a fit, cussed them out, and clung to me like her life depended on it. The girls, annoyed but convinced, backed off.
Barbero, however, was another problem. The bastard had his eye on me too. He thought he could lure me into some sick threesome arrangement, which gave us the perfect opportunity to trap him. By the end of the mission, we had all the evidence we needed. Barbero and his entire operation went down hard.
Stupid bastard.
"That's true. Thank God the guy was an idiot. If he had half a brain, we would've been screwed," Claire laughed. "And the way those girls were fighting over you? It was like a damn competition."
"And let's not forget how Claire went full psycho girlfriend mode to save you," Chris added, smirking.
I chuckled at the memory. "That was hilarious."
Claire flipped her hair dramatically. "What can I say? My acting skills are top-tier."
"I am the best." she smiled.
"Sure, you are." I nodded.
"Aww, baby. I love you," she teased, reaching for a hug.
"Ugh, get off me," I pushed her away, making her laugh.
Chris, however, wasn't as amused. "Not my girlfriend, Claire," he warned, shooting her a playful glare.
Claire winked at him before casually munching on her salad. "Fine, fine. But seriously, why does Asher hate women so much?"
I shrugged. "No clue. Anything personal about him is locked up tight. It's like he doesn't exist outside of business."
"Maybe he's gay," she mused, twirling her fork.
"Maybe." I took a bite of my burger, barely paying attention. I should really watch what I eat, but thankfully, no matter what I consumed, my body never changed. A blessing, really.
"If that's the case, then he's bound to fall for you once you go undercover," Claire smirked. "I mean, let's be real—women fall for you, men fall for you. You've got that power, baby girl."
Chris groaned. "Let's not take it that far, Claire. Whether Asher falls or not, Lena is mine."
Aww, he was being possessive, and I kind of liked it.
I smiled at him. "That's for sure, baby. I'm yours alone."
Claire sighed dramatically. "Still, we can't ignore the facts. Asher Fernando is the god of handsomeness. I mean, I've never seen a real man that attractive—even in pictures."
"True," I admitted. He was undeniably good-looking. "But you know me—I don't care about beauty." I stole a fry from Chris's plate, earning a playful glare.
Claire wasn't done yet. "But what if you fall for him while undercover?"
I nearly choked.
"Claire!" Chris and I exclaimed in unison.
She raised her hands in surrender. "What? Just stating the obvious."
I narrowed my eyes. "Not gonna happen. Period."
"Okay, okay," she grinned. "I was just messing with you."
We continued chatting until it was time to get back to work.
***
"Is there any job vacancy at the company?" Henry asked as we sat around discussing our plan to infiltrate Nexus Corp. We had named the mission Operation Nexus Down—OND.
"From what I've heard, they don't just hire anyone," I replied, leaning back in my chair. "But Asher Fernando has a soft spot for families, and that's exactly what we're going to use to get in."
"Explain," Henry demanded.
I raised an eyebrow at him. The idiot was forgetting something important.
"Don't you think you're forgetting something?" I said, my tone sharp.
Henry frowned. "What?"
"I'm the boss, and this is my operation," I reminded him, crossing my arms.
Realization dawned on his face, and he quickly straightened. "Sorry, ma'am!"
Henry was good—hardworking, sharp, and dedicated—but he had a habit of getting too comfortable sometimes.
"Now listen carefully," I continued. "We're going in as siblings. New names, new identities. Our story? Our mother is gravely ill and needs an urgent operation. Our father died in an accident, leaving us with nothing—no food, no shelter, no money for her medical bills. We're desperate for jobs at Nexus Corp, any jobs. Even if they offer us positions as janitors, we take them. The goal is to get inside, gain their trust, and gather evidences."
Henry nodded. "Understood, ma'am."
"Do you have any suggestions?" I asked, giving him the chance to contribute.
He stayed silent for a moment, thinking. Then he shook his head. "No, ma'am. This is solid. We go with it."
"Good. Then get started on finding a woman who actually needs an operation and is willing to play along. Have her sign this contract." I slid a document across the table. It outlined our agreement—she would pose as our mother until the mission was complete, and in return, we would cover all her medical expenses.
Henry skimmed through it before nodding. "Yes, ma'am," he said, giving a small salute before leaving.
I exhaled, leaning back. I just hoped everything went according to plan.
I had one more task—shopping. If I was going to pass as a man again, I needed the right clothes.