Love between Players

"Come prepared. Your interview is tomorrow. My boss is nuts—bring your best attitude."

The message from her uncle made Leticia smirk. Her best attitude? If they only knew what that truly meant.

A mischievous smile crept up her face, and her round cheeks flushed with excitement. Lying beside her, Riley was snoring softly, oblivious to the brewing storm.

"Hey, monster! Wake up!" Leticia nudged her friend, her grin widening. "Guess what, bitch? I've got the interview tomorrow!"

Riley shot up from the bed so quickly it startled Leticia.

"What… What did you just say?" Riley stammered, panic quickly overtaking her sleepy expression.

"I said," Leticia repeated, drawing out her words for emphasis, "I'm having the interview tomorrow!"

Instead of sharing Leticia's joy, Riley went pale. Her stomach churned, her worst nightmare unveiling before her, knowing she couldn't tell her friend the truth.

"Do you really have to go? What if the CEO's... sick? A total maniac? A pervert… or a devil even?" Riley rambled nervously, hoping one of her warnings would scare Leticia into staying home.

How was she supposed to tell Leticia that her brother was the CEO, and she was a director in the company as well?

Justin wasn't just a maniac or devil; he was worse. And the fact that Leticia had been involved with him before—without ever realizing his identity— it made Riley so distraught that she thought of every evil way to keep Leticia from going to that interview.

Leticia laughed, completely unfazed. "What's the matter? Miss me already? Sorry, Rile. I'm definitely going. Now leave me alone. I have to pick an outfit!" She was smiling, but her tone carried a hint of finality.

Riley forced a smile but felt the knot in her stomach tighten. She had to try one last time.

"Why kick me out? We were supposed to celebrate!"

"I don't have the job yet."

"Doesn't matter! Have some faith."

Leticia shook her head, ushering her friend toward the door. "You've gotta go. I need to prep, and you're a distraction."

"It's late!" Riley argued, grasping for reasons to stay so she could sedate her friend or—Ruin her outfit for tomorrow.

Leticia smirked. "You had no problem showing up here at 1:00 a.m. last night, did you? It's 9:30, Rile. Your house is close, and you've got a car."

Riley bit her tongue to stop herself from screaming the truth. This was it—she had failed. Without another word, she hugged Leticia tightly before leaving. The moment she got to her car, she pulled out her phone.

"Hi, HR? There's someone coming for an interview tomorrow—Leticia Barman. Do everything in your power not to hire her." Her voice cracked with guilt as she ended the call.

Her hands trembled as she gripped the wheel. "I'm a terrible friend," Riley whispered to herself, tears burning her eyes.

The morning came like a tsunami of emotions. But Leticia wasn't just Leticia today. No, today she was Dexter Barman—her twin brother, who had died at birth.

"Leticia" had been a ghost since birth. Her mother, who never recovered from the trauma of her son's death, insisted her daughter was merely Dexter in another form. Her father, desperate to protect them both, had raised her as a boy. Clothes. Haircuts. Posture. But, he did allow her to completely lose her femininity either.

Dexter Barman was a Harvard graduate, a genius in business, a ghost given life. Leticia? She was nothing, barely existed.

And so, her disguise was perfect. Her wig was neatly styled, her makeup fine-tuned to masculine angles. Her chest was tightly bound beneath the tailored suit, and her voice—a precise mimic of the one she'd honed since childhood—was pitched confidently low.

She arrived at the towering office building with her head high, a Harvard-embroidered briefcase in hand. When the elevator doors slid open, her uncle greeted her with open arms.

"Dexter! My boy!" Welsh beamed, pulling her into a warm hug.

Leticia grinned, forcing herself to relax into the act. "Good to see you, Uncle," she said in her perfected, deep voice.

She followed him through the maze of corridors, exuding confidence. But when they reached the CEO's office, and the mahogany doors swung open, her heart sank to the floor, legs weakened, the world spinning violently, eyes heavy and lips trembling.

There he was.

Her lover from that night.

The man she thought about every other night. The only man she had ever allowed to touch her.

The blood drained from her face.

"Dexter?" her uncle's voice called softly, grounding her for a moment.

"I… I'm fine," she managed, barely keeping her composure.

Justin's intense gaze zeroed in on her immediately. He frowned. Disappointment clouded his features.

"You're Dexter Barman?" Justin asked, voice cold and scrutinizing.

Leticia fought to keep her breathing steady as her mind scrambled. The odds of meeting another Barman were slim to none—and she was banking on that.

"Yes, sir. That's my name," she replied smoothly, though her palms had begun to sweat.

Welsh cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'll leave you both to it," he said, heading for the door.

Panic rose in Leticia's chest. She reached out reflexively, grabbing her uncle's sleeve.

"What are you doing?" Welsh hissed, shocked by her behavior.

"Don't leave...Thank you, Uncle. Thank you for this opportunity." she muttered hastily through her teeth, releasing his arm before she pulled it off in panic, and after sitting across from the CEO.

Justin watched her curiously, something flickering behind his dark eyes.

"Tell me, Dexter. Do you know a woman named Leticia? Leticia Barman?"

Her stomach flipped, but Leticia had been trained for moments like these. She offered a slight smile and shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't, sir."

Justin's eyes narrowed for a moment before he continued. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

The question caught her off guard. She blinked, then quickly recovered. "I do, sir. We're in a new relationship."

Justin raised a brow but said nothing, clearly unimpressed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.

"And she answers your phone calls on occasion?"

Leticia's blood ran cold. What was he on about

"I suppose she does," she replied, her voice carefully neutral. After a while of pondering, ?She suddenly remembered the unfamiliar number that had called her the day before. The mix-up. Shit! Was that him?

Justin studied her for a moment before leaning back in his chair, a motion she thought would prove a negative result. Good riddance anyways, she was not interested in working for him. "You're hired," he said abruptly.

Leticia's composure cracked for just a moment. "Excuse me?"

"I'll pay you a million dollars a year, just as I did your uncle. HR will handle the paperwork. Welcome to the company."

From.the moment she had walked into his office, she had thought about disappearing. Running away as far from the company and this man as possible, after all he had warned them to never meet again.

Yet here he was offered her a million dollars, making her decision a thing of the past.

There was no way she was losing that kind of money, not to one of Leticia's stupid nights. Suddenly, staying didn't sound so bad. Dexter could endure this. Dexter was used to surviving.

And as for Leticia? She'd stay hidden—for as long as possible.