Chapter 3

The next morning, I sat at my desk at Nexus Games, staring blankly at my computer screen.

Yesterday's disaster had kept me up all night. My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and I couldn't focus on anything.

The male protagonist design sketches for 'Badge & Heart' had been sitting on my screen for three hours—completely blank.

I tried sketching a few lines, then deleted them all. Drew a few more, deleted again.

What the hell. Why couldn't I draw anything anymore?

"Delaney!"

Creative Director Imogen Cross's voice cut through the office like a whip crack. I jerked upright in my chair.

She strode over in her signature stilettos, her expression dark as a thundercloud.

"Where are your design sketches? Show me what you've got."

I gestured weakly at the screen. "I'm... still working through concepts..."

"Concepts?" Ms. Cross leaned in to look at the screen. When she saw nothing but white space, her jaw tightened. "Delaney, it's been three days. This is what you're showing me?"

Around the office, heads turned. My face burned. "I know I'm behind, but I just can't seem to find the right direction..."

"Can't find the right direction?" Ms. Cross's voice rose. "You're the most talented character designer in this company! Every female character you've designed has been absolutely gorgeous.

"The 'Magical Girl Chronicles' series tripled our revenue! Now I ask you to design one male protagonist and suddenly you can't deliver?"

I kept my head down, wishing I could disappear into my desk. "Designing male characters is completely different from female characters..."

"Look at these male leads you've been churning out!" She cut me off, pulling up my recent rejected sketches.

"They're lifeless. Cardboard cutouts. Where's the sex appeal? Players need male protagonists who make their hearts race, not these generic templates!"

Every word landed like a punch. I bit my lip hard, fighting back the sting behind my eyes.

"Delaney, you know what your problem is?" Ms. Cross sat on the edge of my desk.

"Your recent work lacks authenticity. Real emotional depth. As a designer, you need genuine experience to create characters that resonate with people."

"I have been trying..."

"You're trying the wrong way!" Ms. Cross's hand came down on the desk with a sharp crack. "You don't understand real masculine appeal!"

I looked up at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You need to get out there and date!" she said bluntly. "Experience actual chemistry with someone. Feel what it's like when your heart races. Then channel that into your designs!"

My eyes went wide. "Date?"

"Otherwise you'll never create a male protagonist that makes players swoon!" She stood. "I'm giving you one week. If you don't show real progress, I'm reassigning this project."

She clicked away across the office floor, leaving me sitting alone in stunned silence.

Date someone? But I'm married! Having those kinds of flirty conversations with other men? That seemed... wrong. I mean, I have a husband...

The thought made me flush, a nervous laugh bubbling up.

Then suddenly, images from last night crashed through my mind—Gideon in that sharp police uniform, that impossibly handsome face, those intense dark eyes...

Wait.

My brain sparked to life.

Ms. Cross wanted me to experience real masculine appeal—wasn't Gideon the perfect example?

An actual police officer. And gorgeous. This was literally ideal reference material.

The second my shift ended, I bolted out of the office and rushed home, my thoughts racing.

Of course! Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?

I had a devastatingly handsome cop for a husband—why would I need to look anywhere else for inspiration?

I burst through my apartment door and tore through my drawers until I found a fresh notebook. Carefully, I wrote on the cover:

[Observing Gideon: Research Collection Plan]

I flipped to the first page and started outlining observation points, unable to stop images of Gideon from flooding my mind:

Uniform Appeal... I remembered how he'd looked in that crisp police uniform last night—those broad shoulders filling out the tailored fabric, the badge catching the light on his chest.

God, that authoritative presence mixed with pure visual appeal was devastating.

Physical Build... My face went hot as my mind conjured his frame—that perfect shoulder-to-waist ratio, the way his arms looked, the muscle definition...

Hold on. I shouldn't be thinking about this! This was for work! Purely professional!

Facial Expressions... I recalled how he could shift from stern officer to something warm and gentle in seconds—that contrast was killer.

And that wink... My pulse kicked up again just thinking about it.

Personality Traits... The way he'd said "we're married" in that quiet, certain voice. How he'd mentioned following my work even while deployed...

I shook my head hard, trying to clear it. This was serious research! I couldn't let personal feelings mess with my professional objectivity!

In the notebook, I scribbled quick keywords: uniform, build, expressions, personality...

Then I snapped it shut, my face still burning.

I set down my pen and made a victory sign at my reflection in the window.

"Perfect," I muttered. "I can observe him up close, collect real data on masculine appeal, then design the most authentic, compelling game character ever."

The thought crystallized, and then another realization hit me—

Gideon was picking me up tonight. We were about to start living together.

My face went crimson as I flopped onto my bed, hugging the notebook.

"Oh my God, this is perfect!" My voice came out shaky with excitement. "Living together means 24/7 access for observation!"

But immediately, doubt crept in: "Wait... how do I observe him without being completely obvious about it? Won't he think I'm acting bizarre?"

I sat up, seriously weighing this tactical challenge.

No—this was a legitimate work assignment. It had to stay confidential!

I flipped to the last page of the notebook and wrote in careful letters:

[CLASSIFIED MISSION: Conduct comprehensive 24-hour observation while maintaining cover as his wife. Collect firsthand data on masculine appeal to provide authentic material for "Badge & Heart" male protagonist design.]

[Mission Objective: Design the perfect male lead that will captivate players worldwide.]

After writing this, I carefully buried the notebook at the bottom of my suitcase, then started packing my essentials.

If I was moving in with Gideon, I needed to bring the necessities. More importantly, I needed to prepare for my upcoming "research operation."

As I folded clothes, I mentally mapped out my strategy: identify optimal observation positions in his apartment, track his daily routines, analyze his movements and micro-expressions...

The clock hit 6:30.

Gideon said he'd pick me up after his shift—he'd be here any minute.

I looked at my packed suitcase and took a deep breath.

Starting today, I was officially a professional "husband researcher."

For my career. For the success of 'Badge & Heart'. I had to nail this observation mission.

When the doorbell rang, my heart nearly stopped.

I gripped the notebook one last time before shoving it deeper into my bag, giving myself a final pep talk:

"You've got this, Delaney! You're a professional game designer! This is just specialized field research!"

Then I took a breath, smoothed down my hair, and headed for the door.

Project Sentinel officially begins.