Chapter 3 Undercover Game

## Chapter 3: Undercover Game

Daisy had always believed in preparation over panic. By 6 AM, she'd formulated a plan.

"Early meeting at Woolridge," she told Melvin over a hurried breakfast, noting how he avoided her eyes. "Integration issues with the R&D teams."

He merely nodded, absorbed in his phone. "I'll be late tonight. Quarterly projections due tomorrow."

"Of course." She kept her tone neutral while mentally cataloging his tells: the slight tightening around his eyes, the way his finger tapped against his coffee cup—subtle signs of deception she'd learned to recognize during high-stakes negotiations.

As soon as Melvin left, Daisy called her assistant. "Clear my afternoon. Something's come up."

---

Shaw Industries occupied the top fifteen floors of a gleaming midtown tower. As CEO's wife and integration director for Woolridge Electronics, Daisy had full security clearance—but what she planned went beyond her official access.

"Mrs. Shaw!" Melvin's executive assistant, Emma, brightened as Daisy approached. "Mr. Shaw is in meetings all day."

"Actually, I'm here to use his office. The integration team needs his server access for some legacy files, and he suggested I work from here while he's out." The lie rolled off her tongue smoothly. "He said you could override his desktop password?"

Emma hesitated. "He didn't mention..."

"He probably forgot with the Peterson deal consuming his attention." Daisy smiled conspiratorially. "You know how he gets during acquisitions."

"That's certainly true." Emma's resistance crumbled. "I suppose since you're authorized for most systems anyway..."

Ten minutes later, Daisy sat at Melvin's desk, his computer unlocked before her. The irony wasn't lost on her—trust was the foundation of their fraudulent marriage, and here she was, betraying even that fiction.

She worked methodically, searching for communications with Maisie while keeping an eye on the time. Melvin's digital life was meticulously organized, his emails categorized with almost obsessive precision. Nothing under Maisie's name appeared in recent communications.

Just as frustration began to set in, Daisy noticed a folder on the desktop labeled simply "LT." Curious, she clicked it open.

The contents made her breath catch.

Inside were dozens of sub-folders, each dated over the past three weeks—starting precisely when their marriage began. She opened the most recent one.

*Loyalty Test - Day 21*

The document that appeared was a detailed report, written in Maisie's crisp, professional tone:

*Subject remains composed under provocation. Called M "darling" 7 times during Blackstone event with no visible reaction from target. Subject maintains professional demeanor despite multiple opportunities for emotional response. Recommendation: Escalate to Phase Two testing.*

Below was Melvin's response:

*Proceed with Phase Two. Tomorrow night, 8 PM. Standard location. Make the kiss attempt obvious enough that she can't miss it. Need to gauge full reaction spectrum.*

Daisy sat back, a strange mix of emotions washing over her. Anger came first—hot and immediate. She was being tested? Like some lab experiment? Then came a wave of something almost like relief. There was no real affair, no genuine threat from Maisie.

This was a game. Melvin's game.

But why? What possible reason could he have for testing her jealousy when their marriage was explicitly contractual?

She dug deeper, opening previous folders. Each contained similar reports: Maisie's detailed observations of Daisy's reactions to manufactured situations—business calls interrupted with flirtatious tones, "accidental" text messages Daisy was meant to see, strategic appearances at places Daisy frequented.

All designed to provoke jealousy in a wife who wasn't supposed to care.

The earliest folder contained something different—a brief document titled "Project Parameters."

*Objective: Determine D.W.'s potential emotional investment despite contractual limitations. Specific focus on jealousy markers and territorial behaviors.*

*Duration: Minimum 30 days, extendable based on results.*

*Compensation: Standard rate plus 10% completion bonus.*

Daisy's fingers hovered over the keyboard. This wasn't just a game—it was a paid operation. Melvin had hired Maisie to test her emotional boundaries, to see if she would break Clause 2 of their contract.

But that made no sense. Why would Melvin care if she developed feelings? The contract protected him from any emotional entanglements. Unless...

A new thought formed, so unexpected she almost dismissed it: What if Melvin was the one at risk of breaking Clause 2?

The office phone rang, startling her from her thoughts. Emma's voice came through the speaker. "Mrs. Shaw? Mr. Shaw is on his way up for his 2 PM. He's in the elevator now."

Daisy's heart raced as she quickly closed the folders and logged out. "Thank you, Emma. I was just finishing up."

She gathered her things, mind working furiously. As she stepped out of Melvin's office, she made her decision.

Two could play this game.

---

Maisie Lancaster was even more striking in daylight. Seated at a corner table in the upscale café, her chestnut hair gleaming under the pendant lights, she exuded the confident aura of a woman accustomed to getting what she wanted.

"Mrs. Shaw." Surprise flashed briefly across her perfect features as Daisy approached. "This is unexpected."

"Please, call me Daisy." She slid into the opposite chair uninvited. "I think we should talk."

Maisie's expression revealed nothing. "About?"

"About how much Melvin is paying you to test my jealousy, and whether my offer to double it might interest you."

For several seconds, Maisie maintained her composure. Then, unexpectedly, she laughed—a genuine sound, nothing like the practiced trill from the gala.

"Well, that was faster than he predicted," she said, setting down her espresso. "He said you were smart, but I had you pegged for at least another week before figuring it out."

"I had motivation." Daisy signaled the waiter for coffee. "What I don't have is understanding. Why is Melvin testing me? What exactly is he looking for?"

Maisie studied her carefully. "What are you offering?"

"Double your current rate, as I said. Plus a bonus if you'll tell me what he's really after."

"And in return?"

"You change the script." Daisy leaned forward. "You keep working for him, reporting exactly what he expects to hear—but you actually work for me."

Interest sparked in Maisie's eyes. "A double agent scenario."

"Exactly. I want to know what he's planning next, and why."

The waiter delivered Daisy's coffee. She waited until he was out of earshot before continuing.

"Tomorrow night, 8 PM. He's instructed you to kiss him somewhere I'll see it. Instead, I want you to do something different—something that will make him think his plan has backfired."

Maisie toyed with her napkin. "Such as?"

"Whisper in his ear that you've changed your mind, that you can't go through with it because..." Daisy paused, considering her words carefully, "...because you've seen the way he looks at me when he thinks no one is watching."

Something shifted in Maisie's expression—recognition, perhaps even respect.

"You think he's falling for you," she stated, not a question.

Daisy kept her face neutral. "I think he's running an elaborate scheme to test whether I'm falling for him. I want to know why."

Maisie sipped her espresso, considering. "Double the rate, guaranteed for three months regardless of how this plays out?"

"Done."

"Then we have a deal." Maisie extended her hand. "Though I should warn you—I've known Melvin since business school. He doesn't do anything without multiple contingency plans."

Daisy shook her hand. "Good thing I was valedictorian at mine, then."

As she left the café, Daisy felt a strange exhilaration. For the first time since signing that contract, she wasn't just reacting to Melvin's moves—she was making her own.

---

That night, Daisy pretended to sleep while Melvin worked late in his office. At 1 AM, she heard him enter the bedroom, his movements careful not to wake her.

She kept her breathing even as he settled beside her, maintaining the careful distance that had defined their sleeping arrangement from the start. Only when she was certain he had fallen asleep did she allow herself to open her eyes.

In repose, Melvin Shaw looked different—the sharp edges of his daytime persona softened by vulnerability. What game was he playing? And more importantly, why was she increasingly invested in the outcome?

Her phone vibrated softly on the nightstand. A message from Maisie:

【He's updated the plan. Tomorrow's "kiss" is now scheduled for the charity auction. More public, more witnesses. I'll follow your instructions instead. One question: Are you sure you want to know what he's hiding? Some truths are better left buried.】

Daisy glanced at Melvin's sleeping form before typing her response:

【I'm sure. Whatever he's hiding, I need to know. Change the script as planned.】

She set down her phone and closed her eyes, but sleep remained elusive. Tomorrow would change everything—she just wasn't sure how.