<h4>Chapter 49: Let Me Pay You Back</h4>


    "Please stay... just wait for me in the living room. I wasn’t expecting you, so I needed a shower after the gym. I’ll be quick—just need to get dressed. Don’t leave, alright?" Greg pleaded, his voice almost desperate.


    Cammy noticed the urgency in his eyes, his hand still gently holding her arm. She gave a small smile and nodded.


    Greg was relieved and hurried upstairs to his room to dress as quickly as possible, reassured that she wouldn’t leave the penthouse.


    Instead of heading to the sofa, Cammy wandered toward the kitchen after seeing that something was amiss and remembering Greg’s words earlier about having dinner. The penthouse had an openyout, and her eyes were drawn to the kitchen ind, which had various ingredients scattered on top of it.


    She noticed some vegetables still wrapped in stic, others freshly washed, and a few half-prepped items like onions and garlic on the chopping board.


    "Hmm, what was he trying to make?" she wondered, scanning the ingredients to guess what Greg had in mind.


    Then she spotted some beef cut-in steak slices on the counter. "Maybe he was going to cook steak with mixed veggies?" she murmured, deciding to pick up where he’d left off.


    Quick and seasoned from cooking for her family for years, Cammy finished chopping the onions and garlic, then moved on to slice the carrots, celery, and potatoes she found in a strainer by the sink.


    "Whoa, whoa—what are you doing? You’re my guest! Let me handle that," Greg eximed, noticing Cammy cing the meat and veggies on a tray. He quickly took over, adding another steak and the remaining vegetables before sprinkling on some seasonings.


    "It’s really fine. I didn’t mean to intrude. I showed up unannounced, and you barely had time to get ready. I’m sorry for interrupting your dinner," Cammy replied.


    "No need to apologize. I’m actually d you came," Greg said, shing her a warm smile that caught her off guard. "I just felt a little embarrassed showing up sweaty from the gym, so I took a shower as soon as you ended the call."


    Cammy stepped back, watching as Greg expertly seasoned the meat and vegetables. She couldn’t help but notice his hair, still damp, with droplets of water trailing onto the white sleeveless shirt that perfectly outlined his toned physique.


    Her gaze drifted downward,nding on his gray sweatpants, which fit just snugly enough to catch her attention. She swallowed hard as her eyes lingered on his front, quickly realizing that she shouldn’t have let her eyes wander so far.


    ’He’s not wearing anything underneath!’ she realized, catching sight of the outline of his shaft pressing against his pants. She quickly snapped her gaze back up.


    Greg caught her looking as she was sizing him up and smirked slightly but held back, not wanting to ruin the moment after so many failed attempts to get close to her. Instead, he focused on sliding the tray into the oven before turning back to face her.


    "Please, have a seat and make yourself at home," Greg said, retrieving a bottle of wine from a small rack on the counter.


    She found herself momentarily captivated by his warm smile until she remembered the reason she’de. "I-I don’t intend to stay long," she replied, picking up the box she’d ced on the chair by the ind.


    "I came to return this to you," she said, holding the box out to him.


    Greg’s expression shifted as he saw the box. He instantly recognized it—he had personally picked out the dress, shoes, and bag that were inside. "You didn’t like the style? I can exchange it for whatever you’d prefer first thing tomorrow," he offered, slightly deted.


    Cammy noticed the shift in Greg’s tone, his initial enthusiasm fading into disappointment. "It’s not that I don’t like them—they’re beautiful. I just don’t think it’s appropriate for my boss to buy me something so expensive."


    "Think of it as a bonus for all thosete nights you put in to finish the designs before the presentation, without charging thepany for those hours," Greg replied with a yful pout. "Please, don’t give it back. You’ll hurt my feelings."


    Cammy bit her lower lip, trying to hold back augh at his yful and unexpected charm.


    "If you ept it, I promise I won’t tease you anymore. I’ll act like any proper boss and acquaintance. Just please don’t return it. Plus, you’ve been so busy with work that you haven’t had time to shop for Sunday, right?"


    Greg paused, pressing his lips together as he reached for a corkscrew. "Think of it, Cammy. It’s not exactly ideal for you to be out shopping with everything going on in your ideal. epting the gift is really the best option."


    Before he could open the wine, Cammy quickly ced her hand over his to stop him. "Wait, don’t open it. I’ll ept the dress, bag, and shoes—but let me pay you back. Since you said it was for all the unrecorded overtime, I’d still be short on those hours to cover it."


    She offered with a smile, "How about I work it off? I’ll make you cocktails tonight, do the dishes, and put in extra hours next week until it’s paid off. Sounds fair?"


    Greg leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, as he considered Cammy’s proposal thoughtfully. "Alright, I’ll take you up on the cocktails and the overtime next week, but that’s not enough right?


    So let’s add one condition: your assistance this Sunday. Since Crosstech is the main sponsor of Dn’s school and it’s ourpetition that awarded him the schrship, I’ll be attending."


    He added, "Harry has some personal matters to handle and won’t be there, so I’ll need you to step in as my assistant to note any business offers thate my way. Can you handle that?"


    Cammy’s brow furrowed, uncertain. "But I don’t have experience as an executive assistant—I wouldn’t know where to start."


    Greg smiled reassuringly. "You won’t need to do much. Just collect business cards, jot down any offers, and note anything important. I’ll handle all the talking andworking; I just need you to help with the details."


    "Sounds simple enough. If that’s all I have to do, then count me in—I’ll be hitting two birds with one stone that day," Cammy agreed with a spark of enthusiasm.


    "Deal! Now, tell me what you need—I’m ready for that cocktail," Greg said with a grin, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.


    "I’ll keep it light," Cammy replied. "Nothing too strong, since we both had a long day, and you just got back from the gym."


    Greg pointed to a mini-fridge beneath the kitchen ind. "There are sodas and sparkling fruit juices in there, and the main fridge has some fresh fruits. Check the pantry if you need any herbs."


    He paused. "Since you’re on board as my assistant on Sunday, let me grab my tablet to show you the people I’m targeting that day, as well as a few who might approach us with business deals. Will you be alright here on your own? The oven’s on a timer, so no worries about that."


    "Yes, go ahead. It’ll take me a bit to get everything ready anyway."


    "Great—I’ll be back soon."


    As he hurried to his home office, Greg thought, ’I should clean up the sponsor list a bit before showing it to her.’ A n was forming in his mind, one that might just get Cammy on board with his bigger goals, especially his n for revenge.