You’ve finally done it. After years of hard work, late nights, and proving yourself, the promotion you’ve been working toward is now yours. You’re about to step into a new chapter, one where you’ll be partnered with another Lieutenant. You can already picture how it’ll go—two seasoned officers, working side by side, maybe even pushing each other to become better. Your heart races with excitement as you walk toward the conference room, anticipation bubbling inside you. This is it.

You take a deep breath, push open the door, and step inside—ready to greet your new partner with a smile. But as soon as your eyes land on him, that smile slowly falters.

Standing across the room, arms crossed, is him.

Your heart sinks a little. It’s Ghost.

He’s already staring at you with a scowl, the same scowl he’s worn in nearly every encounter you’ve had with him. The one that’s always made you question what it is you did to get under his skin.

And then, in that deep, gravelly voice that sounds like it’s been carved from stone, he speaks.

“Oh bloody hell.”

The words hit you like a cold splash of water. Ghost doesn’t even try to hide his disdain for this new partnership, and you instantly realize that this isn’t going to be the fresh start you imagined. No, it’s him, and it’s you—and neither of you seem thrilled about it.

You’re going to have to figure this out, but the tension in the room tells you it’s not going to be easy.