A DEAL WITH THE BOSSY BILLIONAIRE

Subject Lose

Mrs. Chandler POV

Dr. Frank moved around the lab with practiced precision, his eyes darting between the monitors and the equipment surrounding Sia. The clone lay on the table, her chest rising and falling with mechanical rhythm, the only indication that life—however artificial—had been restored within her. His team of resident doctors worked silently around him, their faces taut with the anticipation of what was to come.

“Sara,” Dr. Frank called out, his voice tense, “check her neural responses again.”

Sara, always efficient, stepped forward and placed a set of electrodes on Sia’s forehead, her fingers moving deftly over the control panel. A series of beeps followed, and the monitor began to display the readings of Sia’s brain activity.

“Responses are stable,” Sara reported, her voice calm but edged with exhaustion. They’d been at this for hours, tweaking and adjusting every last element to ensure Sia was ready.

“Good,” Dr. Frank muttered, more to himself than anyone else. His face was drawn, eyes flicking between the vital signs and the body on the table. He’d barely slept in days, the pressure of completing this clone pressing down on him like a vice.

“Her emotional conditioning will need to start immediately,” Dr. Frank said as he turned to face the team. “We don’t have time to waste. Mrs. Chandler wants this operational within the week.”

“Are we even sure her memory implants have taken hold?” Dave, another resident doctor, questioned as he peered at the readings. “What if there’s a rejection?”

“There won’t be,” Dr. Frank snapped, though there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. “The memory grafting is complete. Sia believes the life we’ve implanted in her mind. She’ll behave as if every detail of her existence is real.”

The tension in the room was palpable. They all knew what was riding on this. If Sia didn’t perform, the consequences would be dire—not just for the project, but for them all.

"Subject is stable," Sara confirmed again, stepping away from the machine. "We’re ready for final review."

Dr. Frank nodded, exhaling slowly. His team dispersed, leaving only him with the clone—his creation, his burden. He ran a hand through his thinning hair before leaning over Sia’s body, staring down at her closed eyes.

"Sia," he whispered, more to himself than her, "you will succeed. You have to."

Later that day,

The room hummed with a sense of anticipation as the board gathered once again, but this time in person, surrounding the long conference table. The tension from the previous meeting had dissipated, replaced now with quiet expectation. All eyes were on me as I strode into the room, my heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. At my side was Dr. Frank, his face expressionless but his shoulders tight with the weight of the project.

The time had come.

“Sia is operational,” I said without preamble, taking my seat at the head of the table. The words felt like a declaration of victory. “Her conditioning is complete, and she’s ready for deployment.”

There were murmurs of approval from the board members, their approval only thinly veiling their own greed and ambition. Everyone at BPO had something to gain from this success, and I knew how to play them all.

“Dr. Frank,” I said, motioning for him to step forward. “Explain the details.”

Dr. Frank took a deep breath and nodded, stepping into the center of the room. “As Mrs. Chandler stated, the clone—Sia 3.0—is fully operational. Her mental conditioning has been completed, and her implanted memories are intact. She believes her life is real, down to the smallest detail.”

He paused, glancing at me before continuing. “Her backstory has been carefully crafted. She believes she grew up with a human sister, Sienna, and that they lived a relatively normal life. We’ve engineered her to fall in love with Rowan, the target’s son, using a carefully constructed narrative.”

I smiled, satisfied with the way things were progressing. Rowan would never see it coming.

“She’ll meet him,” Dr. Frank continued, “in a staged encounter. Sia’s memory has been implanted with a scenario in which she accidentally hits Rowan’s car in a parking lot near a bar. It will appear natural—fated, even.”

“Clever,” Benedict Kaine commented, his eyes glinting with amusement. “An accidental meeting. And from there?”

“She’s been given a false identity, complete with documentation,” Dr. Frank explained. “Her driver’s license, background checks, everything is flawless. Sia believes her parents work for BPO, though she’s unaware of the full extent of the organization’s operations. She’s been conditioned to seek a job as Rowan’s personal secretary, a position we’ve ensured she’ll receive.”

He placed a thick file on the table. “Her portfolio includes schooling at the University of Chicago, with further studies in architecture at Oxford. Every part of her life has been designed to seem legitimate.”

“And Rowan?” asked Ariane Koval, raising an eyebrow. “Will he fall for this?”

Dr. Frank hesitated for only a moment. “Sia has been conditioned to love him. She believes her emotions are genuine, and Rowan will respond to her naturally. We’ve studied his psychological profile extensively. He’ll be drawn to her.”

The room fell silent as everyone absorbed the information. The stakes were higher than ever. Sia wasn’t just another clone. She was the key to securing the future, to ensuring our power.

I turned my gaze to Dr. Frank, and he met my eyes with a quiet understanding. He knew what was expected, and he knew the price of failure.

“Frank,” I said, my voice low, “make sure she fulfills her task. I want no mistakes.”

He nodded, but I wasn’t convinced. There was a hint of desperation behind his obedience, a flicker of fear in his otherwise stoic demeanor. He understood what was at risk, but did he have the courage to follow through?

As we prepared to deploy Sia, I watched from the back seat of my black luxury car, the road humming beneath us as we sped toward the outskirts of the city. Sia sat beside me, quiet and composed, her false memories swirling in that perfectly crafted mind of hers. She was beautiful—eerily so, with her delicate features and flawless skin, a walking masterpiece. But behind that beauty was a weapon, designed and built for one purpose.

In front of us, another car carried Sienna, her so-called sister, along with two BPO agents who were posing as her parents. They’d play their parts perfectly, ensuring that every detail of Sia’s life appeared genuine.

“We’re almost there,” I said, glancing at Sia, who stared out the window as if she was lost in thought.

“Yes, Mrs. Chandler,” she responded softly. Her voice was calm, even serene. But I knew better. Beneath that calm exterior was a mind engineered for manipulation.

“You’ll meet Rowan soon,” I continued, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Just remember your story. You’ve worked for his father’s company for years. You’re his secretary now.”

Sia nodded, and I could see the gears turning in her head, her mind aligning with the implanted memories. She believed it all. Her life, her family, her love for Rowan—it was all real to her.

The car pulled up in front of a pristine white house, Sia’s new home. The agents were already waiting, playing the roles of doting parents. Sienna greeted us with a smile as we stepped out of the car.

“Welcome home, Sia,” Sienna said, wrapping an arm around her sister’s shoulder as they walked toward the house. The BPO agents, posing as their parents, exchanged approving glances.

I watched them go, the perfect picture of a happy family. But I knew the truth. This was all a façade, a beautifully constructed lie.

Once they disappeared inside, I pulled out my phone and dialed Dr. Frank. The line clicked open, and I didn’t bother with pleasantries.

“Dr. Frank,” I said coldly, “make sure your creation fulfills her task. Or you’ll lose more than your career this time.”

His voice was tight with fear. “Understood, Mrs. Chandler.”

I smiled as I hung up, the weight of my warning lingering in the air like a death sentence. Sia’s future was set, but so was Dr. Frank’s. One wrong move, and his life would be forfeit.

“Let the games begin,” I whispered to myself, turning back to my car as the door opened for me. Sia’s mission had only just started, and failure was not an option.