Reese worked relentlessly throughout the rest of the afternoon, organizing the marketing event for the Melrose listing. She slouched in her desk chair as she typed away on her laptop, the soft click of the keys echoing in her otherwise quiet office. She caught herself slouching every so often and would straighten up with a sigh, reminding herself to maintain good posture. She needed to get this done, at least have something concrete on paper to present to Victor to show that everything was still moving forward smoothly.

The clock on her desk ticked away, and the late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the room, highlighting the exhaustion in her eyes. She rubbed her temples, trying to stave off the headache that had been building all day. The stress of balancing the demands of her job with the confusion of her personal life was beginning to take its toll.

Knock! Knock!

"Come in," Reese said, not breaking her concentration from the glowing computer screen. Her fingers continued to fly across the keyboard, her focus entirely on the document in front of her.

"Hey, Reese," came a deep, gentle voice.

Reese turned around, surprised by the familiar voice. It was Scott, her brother. She hadn't seen him in a while, and as she took in his appearance, she noticed he had finally lost the last traces of his boyhood. He had a Clark Kent look about him—the Henry Cavill version—dark hair, neatly combed, and a pair of glasses perched on his nose. His suit was perfectly tailored, crisp, yet he seemed a little disheveled, a hint of weariness in his eyes. She realized she had never seen him without a fresh haircut before.

"Wh—what are you doing here?" Reese stammered, standing up from her chair.

"I'm taking Naomi out for dinner," he said, hesitantly stepping further into the office. "Thought I'd surprise you."

"You did," she replied with a half-smile, her initial shock giving way to warmth. "Come here," she said, opening her arms.

They embraced awkwardly, their movements stiff as if they were still getting used to being around each other again. "It's good to see you," Reese said softly, holding him tight for a moment longer.

"You too," Scott replied, his voice gentle.

Reese pulled away and perched herself on the edge of her desk. "So," she said, her eyes scanning his face, trying to read his mood. "What's new?"

Scott let out a sigh as he settled into a nearby chair, his body visibly relaxing. "Oh, you know," he began, rubbing the back of his neck, "just finished finalizing the settlement for this couple."

"The Greys?" Reese asked, her brow arching in curiosity.

"Yeah, that's right," Scott said, a small smile playing on his lips. "I heard you're selling their house. How's that going?"

"It's going alright," she answered, her tone heavy with the weight of the workload. "It's a lot of work, but I'm managing."

Scott nodded, his expression supportive. "You always do," he said with a hint of pride in his voice.

Reese chuckled nervously, glancing around the room. "So," she said, her eyes landing back on him, "elephant in the room," she continued, her laughter betraying her nerves.

Scott adjusted his glasses, his gaze steady. "Yeah... I know," he said slowly, his tone serious. "Look, Reese, I didn't know about the affair. When I saw Collin hanging around—I just thought she was a colleague. I mean, you go out with colleagues too, right?"

"Scott—" Reese began, but he cut her off.

"No, I know you blame me, and I should have just told—"

"I don't blame you," she interrupted softly. "Look, Collin and I had a lot of problems."

Scott frowned, his face a mixture of regret and frustration. "Yeah, but if I had known he was cheating on you, I would have—"

"You couldn't have known," Reese interjected firmly. "I didn't even know, and we were living together."

Scott's expression hardened. "The guy is a slick bastard," he said through clenched teeth. "He didn't have to string you along like that. I can still bust his face in if you want," he added, holding up his fist in a half-serious threat.

Reese laughed softly, touched by his protective nature. "No, that's okay," she said, looking up at him with a smile. "You look strong by the way. Healthy."

Scott smirked, flexing his arm slightly. "Yeah, well, rehab three times a week definitely helps."

"I'm glad you're doing better," Reese said sincerely. "I was surprised to hear you were back at work already."

"You know us Sutherlins," he grinned. "Nothing keeps us down. Besides, these are high-profile clients. You're not the only one who likes rolling in the dough," he teased.

"Ha, for good reason though. I have bills," she retorted with a chuckle.

"Oh, what, and I don't?" Scott laughed. "I thought Naomi was your sugar mama," Reese teased back.

"Ooh, here you go," Scott laughed harder, a sound that filled the room with a warmth Reese hadn't felt in a long time. It was like ripples in a pond after a stone was thrown, radiating outward. She hadn't realized how much she had missed hearing his laughter until that moment.

Reese's smile faded slightly as she watched him. "Hey, I have a question," she said, her tone more serious now.

Scott looked at her, his laughter fading. "What's up?" he asked.

"Why did the Greys get a divorce anyway?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Scott's face tightened, a shadow passing over his features. "Oh, c'mon, Reese," he paused, his voice dropping. "You know I can't talk about the case. I signed an NDA."

"No, I know," she replied, averting her eyes. "Naomi mentioned something about a scandal or something?"

Scott sighed, getting to his feet. "She talks too much," he mumbled. "Look, I can't say much. All I know is that there were some photos—"

"Photos? Of what?" Reese pressed.

Scott shrugged, clearly uncomfortable. "I don't know. My client wasn't specific, but there were some photos, and hey, if it was enough for her to file for a divorce, then they must have been pretty damaging."

Reese nodded slowly, processing the information. "Hmm."

Scott glanced at his watch, his expression regretful. "Look, I have to go," he said. "Naomi's been sitting in the car all this time. It was great seeing you," he added, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

"You too," Reese replied, her voice trailing off as he left her office. "You too."

Reese watched him leave, a mix of emotions swirling within her. She returned to her desk and sank into her chair, her mind replaying the conversation. The photos Scott mentioned intrigued her. What could have been so damaging to end a marriage?

Her phone buzzed on the desk, breaking her train of thought. She picked it up and saw a message from Naomi.

5:30 PM Naomi: My stomach is eating itself. Hurry up!

Reese chuckled and typed back quickly.

5:31 PM Reese: He's on his way down!

She put her phone down and looked back at her computer screen. The marketing event for the Melrose listing still needed her attention, but her thoughts were elsewhere. What was Christian Grey hiding? And why did she care so much?

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "Focus, Reese," she muttered to herself, straightening up in her chair and diving back into her work. But even as she tried to concentrate on the task at hand, her thoughts kept drifting back to Christian and the mystery surrounding his divorce.