August Smith has survived by following orders and trusting procedure. As a decorated intelligence operative, she understands that discipline is the difference between control and chaos, life and death. Her world is built on classified files, sealed missions, and emotional distance. Fraternization is forbidden. Curiosity is dangerous. Feelings are a liability she cannot afford. Carter Bernard is power wrapped in uniform-high-ranking, precise, and untouchable. His authority extends beyond rank into operations that never reach official reports. When August is placed under his command as a protected asset, the rules become harder to define. He is not supposed to look at her twice. She is not supposed to react when he does. But every briefing tightens the space between command and compromise. As missions escalate and secrets stack higher, the line between handler and asset fractures. What begins as controlled proximity turns volatile, threatening careers, clearances, and lives. In a system built to eliminate emotional risk, August and Carter must decide what's more dangerous: breaking protocol, or obeying it. Because in this chain of command, love isn't just forbidden. It's disqualifying.

𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮?