Me, You and Forever

"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 Grey of GreyCorps?

The memory of his smirk flashed in her mind, that same infuriating grin he wore the last time she saw him. Just thinking about him made her blood boil.

"Wait. I don't understand. Why am I being transferred to GreyCorps all of a sudden? We secured this deal here, in Valtara, and not with GreyCorps."

"Kat, I understand that this might be a surprise to you. This wasn't my decision alone. Think of it as a life-changing opportunity, Kat," he said with a smile. "You still get to work on the project. It'll shoot your career to the top, and who knows, it might even get you a top spot in the designer world." He assured her.

She couldn't believe her ears. It felt like she was being betrayed and sold off to some wicked slavemaster, only finding out about it two days before.

"But-"

"Trust me, Kat. You'll love it."

The problem wasn't even working or transferring to GreyCorps, but working with Levi Grey. Levi Grey? She could clearly picture his arrogant, self-absorbed face, probably smirking or laughing right now.

Her grudge against Levi Grey had been brewing for years. A traitorous ex-boyfriend, a self-obsessed charmer, and a breathtakingly handsome seducer-that's who Levi Grey was.

Kat took a long look at the paper in front of her and then at her boss. Nobody knew her history with the traitor they were sending her to, and they had no idea they were waking the sleeping tiger.

But she had to keep her cool, at least, to not blow away the big chance she had to shoot her career to the top. It was choosing between the devil and the deep sea-refuse to work with him and lose the project or risk making peace with her enemy to advance her career.

As soon as she left Rowland's office, Gloria handed her the package he had talked about and gave her a fist bump. It was real. The contents of the package were paperwork on the project and her name boldly written on the ID card of GreyCorps.

"Kat Murphy. Creative Assistant. GreyCorps." Kat read to herself as she sank into her seat. She needed some quiet, even if it was just for a moment to process everything.

They couldn't even make it a better position, but an assistant? Kat shoved the box away and stared at the high ceilings.

Everything was happening so fast. Working on the Jourdan project was confidential and highly important, but she still didn't understand. It just didn't make sense to have it transferred to GreyCorps with no prior notice to her and even why. GreyCorps was a tech company that focused on creating accessories -- anything techy that you can think about but nothing in the category of clothing designs.

Kat's moment was abruptly interrupted when Rosa quickly grabbed a chair. "Tell me this isn't real!" Her best friend said sliding her chair close to Kat. "You're going to GreyCorps?" Rosa's eyes widened in shock. But then, almost immediately, a grin spread across her face. "That's amazing!"

"You know about it?" Kat asked in surprise. Rowland had said she was the only one besides him who knew about the transfer.

"You know Gloria knows everything that happens around here," Rosa chided. "She told me all about it! When are you leaving?" excitement bubbling in her voice.

Kat sighed and turned a weary face at her friend, "On Monday."

"Are you serious?" Rosa gasped. "How can Rowland do this? You worked so hard to get this project, not to mention talking to Freya Jourdan."

"I know, Rosa, I know. Why does it have to be GreyCorps?" She whined and rested on her friend. "There are other people they could give it to; why does it have to be him?"

"How are you gonna survive? The two of you literally hate each other, and the fact that he's your..." Rosa looked left and right, then whispered, "Ex."

"I don't know, Rosa. Help me."

Rosa put her hands on her cherry-red lips. Her long black hair caught in between her hands, getting in her face.

"I can't believe this, Kat. You're so screwed. You two hate each other."

Kat looked at her friend and opened her mouth to make a cry. There was no way to start processing how screwed she was.

"Kat..." Rosa put her hands on her friend's shoulder. "Isn't this looking like a story where the female lead has no choice but to work with the male lead she hates the most, who is also her ex, and then they fall in love all over again?"

"Are you crazy?" Kat asked, shooting her a glare that could have put holes in her if it were a gun. "In all the years I've known you, I never realized you could be this dumb. You've really outdone yourself."

"Chill, chill. I was only imagining," she laughed. "I really can't picture the look on his face when the two of you see each other."

Kat let out a deep breath. This couldn't be happening. There's no way. How does she face him without him getting on her nerves? How were they even supposed to work together without being at each other's throats?

"It'll only be that irritating look he always has on his face."

"You call that irritating, Kat? Heaven knows how badly even I want to see that face look at me. Do you even know what you're talking about?"

Kat looked at her friend, then brought out some sweets from her pocket.

"Look at me, Kat. You got to date the hottest guy in all of Metrovia without doing too much. Do you know how many women would die for that opportunity?" Rosa said, taking the sweet from her and throwing it in her mouth.

"What's that got to do with taking my sweet? And besides, it ended when the idiot left without saying as simple as a goodbye"

"Kat, we both know that Levi is a hot cake. I still don't understand exactly why the two of you broke up, but whatever this is, it looks like a second chance to bring the two of you together again."

Kat threw her head back in laughter. "First of all, Miss Fortune-Teller, that is no way possible on earth. He literally has women around him. Then second of all, there's no way this is a second chance at whatever you might be dreaming about."

"How about we make a bet on it? My senses are tingling that this is going to be a long ride."

"No way possible, Miss Spidey Senses." Kat laughed and continued with her work. "No possible way."

"Nevertheless, you can do this, Kat. Everyone at Valtara believes in you." Rosa gave her a big hug. "How about I treat you to dinner tonight? Steak and champagne to celebrate your win?"

Kat hesitated. The idea of celebrating felt absurd, but maybe that's exactly what she needed-one last night of normalcy before everything changed. She nodded. "Yeah, steak and champagne sounds perfect." At least some champagne would help to drown away the reality of what's to befall her in two days from now.

"Gotta go now. Nate's calling for a meeting." Rosa said and kissed Kat's cheek. "I'll pick you up by seven!" She waved and ran off.

She would miss everything, everyone. Especially Rowland's usual complaints when things weren't the way he wanted. She would miss the gossip, the celebrity trending news that Gloria always knew before anybody else.

The day went by quicker than she had imagined. Her phone buzzed with Rosa's message. She was almost done rounding off the pending tasks she had to attend to, and the only thing left was to pack her things and say her goodbyes.

This wasn't just a transfer - it was a step into enemy territory. She could refuse, but no, the project was as important as her career was at stake. Could she really do this?

"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 little gathering dispersed quickly, everyone running to their seats and returning to work as if they weren't just smiling some seconds ago.

Kat knew the devil was around, and he was standing behind her. Summoning every patience and strength she could muster, she turned with a big smile.

"Good -"

It felt like her heart stopped beating the instant her eyes met with his. He looked different than she saw him five years ago. His expression softened and he quickly looked away.

The words felt stuck in her throat as she looked at him. She couldn't take her eyes off him. His 6'3" frame standing above her and his well-structured facial features gave her heartbeat the thumping of their life.

Just like five years ago.

"I see you have a lot of time on your hands." He replied coldly, his gaze piercing deeply into her as he looked at the cake and gift in her hands.

Kat swallowed hard and moved back to regain her balance. His gaze was all over her, his dark green eyes looking straight into her soul. She had promised herself not to be shaken by whatever happened, but as strong as her legs were trying to be, they lost balance immediately.

"I–"

He walked past her before she could even complete her sentence and then stopped.

Kat turned, his silver hair glistening from proper care as he brushed it off his face when he turned to look at her.

"You've got icing on your shirt." He said and left.

"Icing? There's no..." She looked at her stained shirt. The red icing stains on the white shirt. The shock had made her grab the cake subconsciously when she wanted to find her balance.

"Idiot!"

Her office was directly in front of him, a direct view of his magnificent and gigantic office as well as directly at him behind the desk.

Everything was quiet, as if there wasn't some whooping and clapping the moment she came in. Everyone went about their work, seriousness written all over their faces and serious quiet except for the clock and printers running.

Kat gently unboxed her things as she settled in her space. One thing was even clearer now, to try as much as possible to avoid Levi Grey and finish up with the work she was there to do.

"Kat"

Kat heard a voice whisper.

"It's me, Susie." She whispered again, signaling to Kat.

"Hi, Susie," Kat whispered back, bending behind her table.

"I wanted to ask if you wouldn't mind joining us for dinner after work."

"Not at all. That would be lovely." She said with a smile. Susie winked with a big smile and continued with her work.

"Oh my gosh!" Kat screamed in shock as she sat up to find someone by her table.

"Hello Miss Kathleen," the lady said, adjusting her rimless glasses. She looked tired, dark circles and big eye bags under her eyes. "My name is Gwen, Mr Grey's assistant. Here are some documents you need to sign. I'll be collecting them after you've signed." She said with a smile and left.

That was strange. She remembered collecting every document about the project before leaving Valtara. Tearing open the seal, Kat began to read.

"Under no circumstances should party B disclose reasons for transfer to anybody.

Under no circumstances should Party B share activities or incidents with anybody..." Kathleen skimmed through until her eyes caught something. "... Party B will work together with Party A where they will live together till the project is over."

That was it? A contract? Live together? Nobody mentioned anything about living with anybody, and as far as she could remember, the project description never mentioned anything of such.

Kat stormed into his office, confused and series of questions running through her mind.

"You've gotten the documents from Gwen." He said without looking up.

Kat clenched the papers tight and threw them in front of him. "Care to explain this?"

"Everything you see there is true. You can state your questions if you have any."

"I don't understand what's going on. I remember clearly that there was nothing mentioned about GreyCorps or working with you when I talked to Freya."

"Then I guess you should talk to her again." He finally looked at her and then folded his arms.

Kat avoided his eyes immediately and continued, "This is bullshit! First, it was transferring to GreyCorps and now it's living with you? If this was all everything was about, I could work remotely then."

Levi moved his chair closer and put his hands on the table. "We both know how important this project is and how careful and discreet we have to be..."

"And do you think living together is discreet enough? Coming here in the first place is suspicious enough as the only thing I get to do is discuss the project in private meetings with you and the creative manager." Kat fumed. "I don't even have the darndest clue on who on earth that is."

"Me."

For the first time since the conversation began, Kat looked at him, her hazel eyes widening in surprise. He was serious. The creative director was still him, and not some flashy-looking genius with a bizarre fashion sense that she had imagined.

"Excuse me?" She asked, blinking her eyes. "What do you mean you?"

"Didn't Rowland tell you everything?"

"And would I be here asking who the fuck I'm actually working with if I knew" Kat's thoughts were beginning to come together?

The transfer wasn't as sudden as Rowland described it to be. The 'creative assistant' title was just a formality stunt and the Jourdan project wasn't actually awarded to Valtara in the first place.

"About what?"

"This project isn't about creating designs alone or whatever easy-peasy job you might be thinking this is. Any flop at all is sending you to jail, Valtara will be run down, and your career goes bye-bye." He said sternly.

Kat took a seat and pushed it close to his table. She felt anger seeping through her. The fact that he was thinking she wasn't capable enough or that she was being unserious made her furious.

"You have no right to say that I am being unserious. I know very well what is at stake if this job goes sideways and we both know that if there's anyone that can take on this job, it's me." She said with all seriousness. "The only thing here is that you are not being clear on why I am here and why I have to live together with you!"

There was a brief silence between the two of them. There was something he wasn't saying and Kat could feel it. Or was it something that had to do with her?

"You'll begin work fully tomorrow. I'll pick you up after work." He got up, grabbed his jacket, and left the office.

Kat could feel fumes smoking out of her ears. "I'll pick you up after work." She mocked. He was still as arrogant as she remembered him. How on earth did she ever fall for someone like him five years ago?

Angrily, she left his office and went back to her seat. He hadn't even explained why she had to live with him or why he was involved in the project at all. His smirk after he said he would pick her up after work was annoying - so annoying that she wanted to slap his face away.

"This is a mess... Oh fuck! Susie! The dinner!"

She looked at the time on her wristwatch. "6:30pm". She didn't even know when the time went by that fast.

She was the only left in the office, they were outside waiting for her. Even if she wanted to tell Levi she had plans, she didn't have his phone number and he wasn't in his office.

Kat grabbed her bag, looked at the empty office, and then the papers staring at her. Levi still had some explaining to do. She took the papers and left to meet them outside.

Kat rushed outside to meet the other members waiting for her. Susie waved at her and she joined them.

"I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting. I didn't know when the time went by so fast." Kat apologized as Susie held her hands.

"It's okay. We just got outside too."

The two men with them were lively. You could tell the women had brainwashed them into being a part of their gossip circle. Lee was six feet tall with fine facial features. He looked just like a model, with his athletic body and ripped arms. From the way it looked, he had a big crush on Daya. He was kind of shy and stood close to her.

And Matt, the blondie. He was the jester. Two inches shorter than Lee, Matt was the youngest. He wrapped his hands around the women and all of them rushed to the restaurant with smiles.

"I'll have steak!" Matt announced.

"Who's gonna pay?" Gwen asked and everyone burst into laughter.

"We'll treat Kat to our special. The welcome special platter." Susie said as she held Kat's hand.

A black Lexus parked in front of them and everyone halted immediately. It was the devil.

"Hello, sir." They all said, sounding tense.

Kat looked into the car and it was Levi. What was he waiting for? He wasn't expecting her to just jump into his car as if they were friends.

"Get in the car, Kathleen," he said.

"I'm afraid I have plans, sir. My teammates are treating me to dinner today." Kathleen replied, holding Susie's hand again.

"Kat-"

"Let's go guys." Kathleen cut in before he could finish, leaving with the rest.

They walked as fast as they could till they were out of sight. Certain that he wasn't in sight, they burst into laughter again as they entered the restaurant.

It was a quick distance to the restaurant, and the ambiance was comforting, giving a warm vibe as soon as you walked in.

"Phew, His voice sent shivers down my spine." Daya remarked.

"I would immediately get on my knees if it were me." Gwen giggled as they took their seats.

"And what would you like to have darlings?" The waitress walked to them. She was in her mid-fifties, her fine voice as she smiled at them.

"We'll have the special treat. We have a new team member. Her name is Kathleen," Matt announced.

"Welcome to SweetDine. My name is Leslie, but just call me Nana." The woman said sweetly.

"Nice to meet you, Nana. This place is lovely." Kat smiled. "And it's just Kat."

"You're free to dine anytime, sweetie. The special FineDine coming right up." Nana chuckled. "This one is on the house." She whispered and left.

One good thing she was grateful for was that she had the nicest teammates. It was rumored that they were unwelcoming and unfriendly people as a result of you-know-who, but they were the opposite.

"So Kat, do you live around here?" Daya asked.

"I live in Frolley."

"That's like almost thirty minutes from here. I live in Hemsway," Matt said. "We could get on the same bus, I'll be getting off before you though."

Kat nodded, collecting the fries from Lee. They went on and on introducing themselves. The special treat finally arrives and everyone starts digging in.

"We call him the Mandrake," Gwen confessed.

"Mandrake? You mean the Mandrake from Earwig and the Witch?" Kat asked in surprise.

"The only time we talk to him is in meetings, nothing else," Susie says with a mouth full of pasta.

"And you know the Mandrake hates to be disturbed, barely talks to anyone unless needed. I even wonder if he has any feelings behind those eyes of his." Lee says.

Kat was silent. Levi had changed a lot, his eyes felt like they were hiding a lot of things. His expression felt distant, as if he was shutting everything and everyone out.

But that's none of her business. He left without a trace and now surprisingly, he's back, and not only that, he is her boss.

"Nobody knows what's going on behind those eyes. They're always cold, dark." Gwen said.

"I don't think anyone has ever seen him smile before. Trust me, I'll eat more than a hundred chocolate bars if I ever see him do." Lee chewed a fry then cutely gave one to Daya.

"Actually he does --" Kat said, laughing, and there was a sudden silence after.

"I mean, well, you know... There's no way he can't smile."

There was still silence, their eyes were fixed on her. Kat chuckled dryly and quickly downed some coke, diverting her gaze from hers

"oh oh..." Matt began. "I remember one time we were working on a project. It was for the twenty-fifth anniversary of GreyCorps and the Mandrake wanted something special. He had us work straight up for four days with only two hours' break all because the designing team didn't get the blueprint correctly."

"What? That's cruel."

"He was like this." Matt got up, put his hands in his pockets, and made a straight face. "It's either you choose to slave away or come up with something better." He mimicked.

Everyone began to laugh as Matt continued. "If I was to rate those designs, I wouldn't even know where to start from."

"Or do you remember the time he didn't know he was still on camera after a Zoom meeting," Daya said.

"Yeah, yeah." They all laughed, Kat, joining in the laughing too.

"Is this thing still on? How's this still on?" Matt mimicked again, holding his phone.

The laughter died slowly as everyone's attention was focused on Matt differently.

"I didn't know he did meetings half dressed too..."

Matt's laughter became awkward and dry as he tried to figure out the silence. He missed the signs, the Mandrake was behind him.

"He...He's behind me?" He cleared his throat and everyone nodded. Matt turned slowly, swallowing hard as he faced the rigid frame behind him.

"I'm...I'm very sorry sir."

Levi didn't say a word. He sat and then folded his arms. Matt and the rest sat closely with themselves, leaving an amount of distance between them, him and Kat.

Kat slowly took a drink and looked at the frozen expressions next to her. He was a show wrecker. She felt uncomfortable herself.

"Uhmm... why are you here... sir?" Gwen, his assistant, managed to ask.

"I decided to join the dinner. It won't be nice to have our newest team member have all the fun alone." He responded, making the situation even more tense and awkward.

"Oh...that's..." Susie bumped Daya to back her up.

"Nice... yeah sir," Daya said, giving Susie a dangerous stare.

"We're about to leave now. We didn't know you'd be coming. It's pretty late, right? What do you think guys?" Susie asked, getting up quickly and grabbing her bag.

Kat looked at them in surprise, trying to ask them to wait, but they only waved and grabbed their things.

The rest followed suit immediately, they waved Kat a quick goodbye, bowed, and headed for the door.

"Bye Kat." Matt waved as he sprinted out immediately.

Levi still sat where he was, unmoved as he folded his hands. He only took a fry and rubbed his fingers together.

"I'll take my leave now," Kat said, standing up.

"I told you I was going to pick you up after work." He began, his voice freezing her on the spot.

"You didn't allow me to say if I was available or not."

"We did not finish our discussion earlier. It's important we come to an agreement fast."

"I've told you that there's no way I'll live with you. There's no part of the job that said that." Kat took a seat, leaving enough distance between them.

"We can't discuss this here. That is why I said I would pick you up."

"Then no problem, we can simply talk in the office."

Levi took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair.

To be honest, Kat felt her heart thump a little bit. He looked so darn handsome making that move.

"Stop being an idiot Kat!" She thought to herself, brushing away any pictures of him in her mind.

"Kathleen." Her name danced sweetly on his lips. "Please."

Kat stood up and began to head for the door. "Are you coming or not?"

While she was not in full support of living with him, she wasn't ready to take any chances. She'd negotiate, do it on her own terms and in her own way.

"Kathleen!"

She turned to see why he was calling her when she bumped into the waiter, pouring the contents he was carrying on her shirt - again!

"Why does every meeting with you have to be chaotic?" She cussed under her breath.

"I'm so sorry miss." The waiter apologized, offering her a napkin.

She looked up to see Levi offering her a handkerchief, telling the waiter not to bother.

Reluctantly, she collected the kerchief from him and wiped her entirely stained shirt. She would have to give it to the dry cleaners when she got home or throw it away. The shirt had had its own share of drama in one day.

To make the situation even more chaotic, the rain began to fall. Kat cussed under her breath the more. The weather forecast never said anything about rain falling at all.

"I guess we'll have to talk about this tomorrow," Kat said, stretching her hand out in the rain to feel how heavy it was.

"I'll drive you home."

"It's okay, the bus stop is not far from here." She kept her hand stretched.

"Kathleen, the rain is too heavy for you to walk all the way to the bus stop." He insisted.

"I'm okay. I'll just cover my head with my bag and get there in no time."

"Wait here, I'll take the car around." He turned, leaving her before she could refuse and heading into the rain.

He wasn't even listening to what she was saying at all. Kat put her bag over her head and ran as fast as she could.

The bus stop was around a three-minute walk away. If she took quick steps while avoiding slipping and falling, she'd get there in no time.

Walking as fast as she could, Kat kept on walking. But the faster she felt she walked, the heavier the rain began.

"This was a stupid idea, Kat. You should have waited." She immediately began to regret her choices.

The Lexus car stopped, and she knew who it was. Looking into the car, she could see his face piercing straight into her.

"Get in the car, Kathleen." He said, winding down properly.

"I'm almost there, you can go." She said, the torrent beating down on her. Her clothes were already sticking to her body and the bad was doing a very poor job of shielding her a little.

"Kathleen." His voice sounded more serious. "Get in the car now!"

"I'm not going home with you."

"Are you crazy? Nobody is talking about going anywhere with me but that you get in the fucking car now before I do something you don't like!"

Lightning flashed, making everywhere bright for a split second and the loud bang of thunder.

Before he could speak any further, Kathleen got into the car as quickly as the lightning that struck some seconds ago.