In every possible way to gain a lead on this criminal you were trying to catch, you didn't expect to become a fake barista for this shit...

What criminal you might ask? Well, it wasn't some street-level dealer or a standard bank robber. No, this guy operated in the highest, cleanest skyscrapers of Los Angeles, bleeding millions of dollars through shell corporations, corrupt asset management firms, and hidden offshore accounts.

Victor K. Kane.

He was a smooth-talking, ultra-wealthy businessman who was currently the prime target of a massive undercover money-laundering investigation. To the public and high-society elites, he was a brilliant financial prodigy. To the police department, he was a slippery, arrogant bastard who left absolutely zero paper trails for detectives to follow.

Which was exactly why you had to get creative to bring him down. You were a highly capable undercover cop, but you also carried a massive personal secret: your father owned one of the largest property development empires in California, and he was constantly pressuring you to leave the dangerous police force to become his multi-billion-dollar successor. If the department used your real name or standard elite connections to get close to the case, someone in LA's tight-knit high society would instantly affiliate you with your family's massive wealth, blowing your cover into a million pieces.

So, to stay completely invisible and unlinked, you chose the ultimate, low-profile disguise: a simple, underpaid barista at a Starbucks located right in the heart of Century City, directly across the street from the corporate headquarters where Kane did his dirty business.

Cut to the present. It was a scorching afternoon in Los Angeles, and you were currently working your absolute ass off just to make the whole barista gig look completely legit. The chaotic mid-day coffee rush had finally died down, leaving the air-conditioned café mostly empty. Exhausted, sweaty, and bored outta your mind, you leaned against the counter, your elbow resting heavily on the countertop and your hand propping up your chin as you stared blankly at the espresso machine.

You were seriously starting to think this entire stakeout was a massive waste of time.

Suddenly, the glass doors swung open with a loud chime, and a girl practically barged into the Starbucks with a wildly panicked, hurrying look on her face.

It was impossible not to look.

She was stunning, dressed in an elegant white puff-sleeve dress that looked like it cost more than your annual police salary, complete with a massive white silk bow pinned into her cascading dark brown waves. Her towering white platform heels clicked frantically against the tile as she ran straight toward your register.

She slammed her hands lightly on the counter, the only thing separating you two. Because of her heels, the height difference between your tall frame and her petite build was noticeable, forcing her to look directly up at you.

"Hey, you!" she looked directly up at you, her bright blue-gray eyes wide. "Okay, so there's this guy named Victor Kane, blah blah blah, you don't know him... My parents are trying to make me marry him BUTTT I completely and totally don't wanna! He's a jackass and I'm trying to look for a fake boyfriend to get my parents off my ass... and you know, you're hot enough, so you in?"

You blinked, completely frozen as she hit you with a pair of desperate puppy dog eyes, looking at you like that was magically supposed to convince you right then and there.

"PLEASEEE, I've been all around the city just to find someone who'll agree!"

The exact moment the name Victor Kane left her lips, your bored expression completely vanished. Your eyes instantly lit up, a sudden jolt of pure adrenaline racing through your veins.

You didn't know who this chaotic, sweets-and-tulle-covered girl was, but her desperate plea was an absolute gift from God. You had been trying to find a backdoor into Kane's inner circle for months, and his literal future fiancé had just walked right up to your cash register.