Hello, I'm back. C:

This is AU, based off a book by Judith McNaught. I don't own it, she does. I'm just basing the main plot of this of her story. The rest is original work. Except of course everyone from FMA. I don't own them either.

Warning, Riza's kind of OoC, but I meant to use the pre-military personality of Riza. As Hiroshi-kun31 phrased it, the naive, girly Riza. (Thanks a lot, by the way.) Don't worry, she's still a tough girl, at least inside, and there will be a transition part. Probably. Roy's a sort of jerk, but only because he's a playboy, and yeah. I also messed with people's ages, but that's mostly it. I hope you enjoy.

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King Bradley wrinkled his brow in exasperation. He would've run his hand through his hair, if he hadn't spent so much time coiffing it this morning- he had a head full of black locks, streaked with a little gray from the stress of his life. And this was so not helping.

"Flame Investments beat us again. They've recently acquired the lot off the edge of New Optain, the land we've been eying. They offered the owner a price that was higher than ours by a measly one million sens." Raven, one of the top executives of Bradley Developments repeated what Bradley already knew too well. He frowned at the reminder, but Raven continued. "Flame Investments has pulled another over us for the third time this quarter! That's no coincidence, Mr. Bradley!"

Bradley sighed. "Then what do you want me to do, Raven? Why have they been buying the land we want to build on?"

"Sir, I suspect foul play in this. There's a spy in our company. Mustang's probably paying someone."

Bradley narrowed his eyes at hearing the name.

"I mean, I know Mustang's your relative, maybe you can do something? Talk to him about it?"

If possible, his eyes narrowed even more. "He's not related to me, Raven. Nor does my wife acknowledge their own relation." he announced, his tone lethal.

The gray haired man cringed. "I'm sorry, sir. I have a suggestion, though. How about plant a spy in his company, and get back at him by buying whatever plots of land he's interested in? We've got to do something, or risk losing possible investors to him."

A knock on the door interrupted them, and a bespectacled brunette poked her head in. "Mr. Bradley, a Ms. Riza Hawkeye is here to see you."

"Ah, send her in in about five minutes, Sciezka." he said pleasantly to his secretary. Completely in contrast to his demeanor a few seconds ago.

"Mr. Bradley, with all due respect, I thought we had a meeting."

"No, stay put, I'm just going to interview her for a job here."

"I'm curious as to why you're doing this arduous task. I thought that was the human resource management's job. Not the president of the company's."

"Ah, yes, but it's a favor to Grumman, an old friend. She's his granddaughter."

"So he thinks that if he talks to the top guy, she'll automatically get a job? How presumptuous of him." he snorted.

"Exactly why I don't intend to hire her at all. If she doesn't want to go through regular proceedings, then she's not worth hiring." the tanned man in his sixties announced. "I'll just ask her a few questions and send her away."

"Great. I'll stay and watch, this should be interesting."

Just then then a knock sounded at the door. "Come in," the owner of the office called.

Her blonde hair was tied up in a bun and her bangs gently swept to the side of her forehead. She was dressed in a prim white blouse and navy blue pencil skirt, striding across the room in sensible heels. As she came closer, Bradley realized that Riza Hawkeye was beautiful. She had piercing auburn eyes and a slender build. Shiny black pearls were set on her ears, and a slight smile graced her reddened lips.

"Good morning Mr. Bradley, my name's Riza Hawkeye." she held her hand out for a shake.

He took it over his desk. "Hello Riza, I'm your grandfather's good friend." he addressed her with familiarity. "And this is Mr. Raven, one of the board of directors over here at Bradley Developments. Please, sit down." She smiled politely at the other man, and sat herself down onto one of the plush suede chairs.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me, Mr. Bradley. I'm sorry, my grandfather insisted that he call you up." she told him apologetically, handing him her resume.

"Ah, yes, never you mind. Mr. Grumman was my classmate in University. He was a close friend."

"You look a lot younger, compared to my grandfather. Though you're both around the same age, aren't you?" she regarded him in slight awe. Bradley must have been quite the looker in his prime. His features, though aged, were handsome.

He chuckled at hearing that. "Yes, I seem to have retained most of my original hair color. Grumman's getting awfully gray."

Funny how her graceful countenance and sincere compliment prompted him to think twice about the interview. She seemed very respectful of older people, unlike many her age. It also didn't hurt that she was pretty and well-dressed.

He returned to the resume. "Job experience... So you were working as a secretary part time to pay for college, were you?"

She sighed at the mention of her former occupation. She hated being a secretary, and wished to high heavens he wouldn't offer her the same position. "Yes, but I studied business in university, though I did not earn enough credits to get a degree."

"Instead, you majored in... Interior designing?" he read off.

"Yes, sir. I want a job, maybe, as an interior designer for your projects, because I need the financial support, and... as soon as I can get it.

"Bradley Developments isn't in any lack of gifted interior designers," they only hired the best reknowned ones, he left out. "but I could offer you a secretarial job." he reconsidered. The girl was intelligent, her grades were nothing short of outstanding.

"I was hoping for a different position, Mr. Bradley."

"Why, what's wrong with being a secretary? You have experience, for one. And secretaries are very important. They manage almost everything for their boss, and are privy to even the most confidential information, depending on who she is directly under." he reasoned out.

Suddenly, Raven's eyes lit up. He had been listening in on the conversation when he realized- "Mr. Bradley! Flame Investments- they would never suspect a girl like her."

She turned to the other man, who had been silent until then.

"Raven, what do you mean-" then Bradley came to the same realization. "Riza," he turned to the young girl.

"Yes, sir?" she asked warily. Raven was grinning, and Bradley looked sort of happy too. Ecstatic, even.

"This might sound weird, but I want you to apply for a secretarial job at Flame Investments, our biggest competitor."

"As in, to spy? Isn't that unlawful, sir?" she looked at him sternly, picking up quickly.

"I... don't want you to spy on them, I want you to spy on my company. You see, we have... reason to believe they've placed a spy in our ranks who's been leaking our developmental plans to them, and we want to know who it is." he reasoned out slowly, eyes equally serious.

When she still didn't look too convinced, he continued, "I employ about ten thousand people in this company, Riza. If Flame Investments continues to steal whatever piece of land we want to develop, then a lot of people will lose their jobs. Fathers, breadwinners of the family, will come home and have to break the news that they would soon run out of funds. Single mothers would have to explain to her children the meaning of being 'laid-off'."

Her eyes softened at the image he described.

"You can prevent all that, Riza. We aren't asking you to go undercover because we want to steal whatever property they want to acquire, we just want to make sure that our own plans don't fall into their hands. Since you're already experienced and skilled as a secretary, there's a chance that they'll assign you to one of the higher executives."

Uneasy, she fidgeted a little bit in her seat. Riza asked slowly, "And if I get accepted for the job?"

"I just want you to listen for names. We have a list of possible suspects. If one of their names come up in any conversation, or if any of them calls the office of your future boss, you could inform us of the identity of the traitor." Bradley told her. "It seems really out there, I know, but I was going to offer you a secretarial job for a salary at..."

The figure astounded Riza. It would be more than enough to send home to her parents. Berthold Hawkeye was terribly sick, and in the first place, was the main reason why Riza left Risembool- she helped out with the family business- and came to East city to find a job that could pay for his treatment. Her brothers had more than enough on their plate, and were doing all they could to help.

"Now, if Flame Investments offers you a position as a secretary, you should take it. You'll work for their salary, while I'll pay you half that amount I was supposed to offer you. I'll send the money to your family- that is where you want it, right?" he assumed.

She nodded hesitantly, a bit bothered. "Alright, I'll... do it." She needed the money. She was desperate. Her father's heart was weak, and he needed multiple operations on it. Costly operations.

"Great." Bradley smiled. "Oh, right, where are you staying, Riza? I know you're not from the city."

"I don't have a place to stay yet, but I was planning to stay in a hotel until I find one." she admitted. Preferably a cheap apartment.

"Why don't you stay with us for a few nights, Riza? Just until you find a place to stay. Mrs. Bradley would be glad to have you over." he started to write an address and a phone number on a piece of paper.

"I don't-"

"I insist. My son Selim would love to meet you!" he explained, handing her the slip.

Raven cut in, "You'd best be off, Ms. Hawkeye. The sooner you apply at Flame Investments, the better." he smiled.

"Alright... Thank you, sirs." she stood carefully. She still didn't think it a good idea, but if she was helping her grandfather's good friend and not doing anything to harm anyone, then maybe...

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A sort of prologue. Don't worry, Roy will be in the next one.

Thanks to neko suke II for the title. There, I named you. :)