The Forced Assignment

I did not get to the top of the sports nutrition world by letting arrogant men dictate my worth.

In my line of work, people looked at my plus-size body and made immediate, lazy assumptions.

They thought a woman with curves couldn't possibly understand the mechanics of an elite athlete's fuel. But my client list proved them wrong. I had spent ten years building a reputation for precision, privacy, and results. I was the person billionaires called when their investments were breaking down from the inside out.

Which was exactly why I was standing in the middle of a private airport hangar, holding a contract I desperately wanted to rip to pieces.

"Sign the final page, Sasha," Arthur Kendrick said.

His voice was flat, cold, and accustomed to absolute obedience. He didn't look at me. He kept his eyes fixed on the sleek private jet waiting on the tarmac outside.

"My son is the captain of this franchise. If the media finds out his knee is compromised before the trade deadline, our stock drops. The empire takes a hit. You are paid to keep him functional and quiet."

"I am a nutritionist and a chef, Mr. Kendrick," I said, keeping my voice steady and professional. "I am not a jailor. Your son's medical team says his ligament is severely injured. What he needs are surgical intervention, not just a macro-balanced diet."

Arthur finally turned his head. His eyes locked onto mine, calculating and dismissive. I knew what he saw. He saw a woman who didn't fit into the high-gloss, thin aesthetic of his country-club world. He thought my size meant I lacked discipline, and he thought his wealth meant he owned my morality.

"He gets surgery after the playoffs," Arthur replied.

"Right now, he needs to pass the league physical in eight weeks. You will live at the mountain compound. You will prepare every meal. You will log his caloric intake and monitor his anti-inflammatory supplements. You answer to me, not him. Do we have a clear understanding?"

I felt a heavy weight drop into my stomach. I hated the corporate manipulation of professional sports. But my own business was facing a massive financial hurdle after a former client defaulted on a major contract. If I turned this down, I wouldn't be able to pay my staff next month. Arthur Kendrick knew that. He had targeted my vulnerability perfectly.

"Eight weeks," I said, stepping forward and signing my name on the digital tablet. "But if his knee completely fails during training, I will report it to the league compliance board. I will not lose my license to save your stock prices."

Arthur gave a short, humorless nod. "The car is waiting. He is already at the compound. He does not know you are coming, and he does not want you there. Good luck, Miss Miller."

***

The drive into the mountains took three hours. By the time the security gates of the Kendrick estate opened, the sun had completely disappeared. The compound was a massive structure of dark wood and glass, isolated in the middle of a dense forest. It was a golden cage designed to hide a broken star.

The driver dropped my bags in the main entryway and left without saying a single word.

The silence of the house was suffocating. There were no sounds of life, not even music, no warmth.

I walked through the expansive foyer, following the long hallway toward the kitchen. It was a chef’s dream—professional-grade stainless steel appliances, vast counter space, and top-tier equipment. But before I could even open the refrigerator to inspect the inventory, the sound of heavy, uneven footsteps echoed from the doorway.

I turned around.

Rhys Kendrick stood there, leaning heavily against the doorframe. He was massive, his broad shoulders filling the space easily. Even in gray sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, his athletic build was imposing. But his right leg was locked straight, encased in a heavy medical brace, and his face was drawn into a tight, aggressive scowl.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded. His voice was rough, cutting through the silence like a blade.

"I am... Sasha Miller," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn't let my voice shake. I had dealt with angry athletes before.

They were all the same when they were injured—scared, frustrated, and looking for someone to blame.

"I am your new private chef and nutritionist for the next eight weeks."

Rhys laughed, but the sound held no warmth. It was pure mockery. He took a slow, painful step into the kitchen, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. I felt the familiar sting of judgment in his gaze, the sharp dismissal of my plus-size frame.

"My father sent you," Rhys said, his tone dropping into a dangerous whisper. "He thinks because I’m stuck here, he can control what I do and what I eat. And he hired a woman who looks like she’s never set foot on an ice rink in her life to manage my career."

The comment was meant to hurt. It was meant to make me pack my bags and run. But I had faced worse insults from boardroom executives.

"Your father hired me because your body is inflamed, your liver enzymes are spiking from the pain medication you are abusing, and your knee cannot support your weight," I said, stepping closer to him until we were separated by only a few feet. "I don't need to skate on an ice rink to know that your current diet is destroying your chances of ever playing hockey again. You can hate your father all you want, Captain, but right now, I am the only person who can help you pass that physical."

Rhys’s jaw tightened so hard I heard his teeth click. He leaned forward, using his height to try and crowd me, but I refused to back down.

"I don't need a babysitter," he spat. "And I don't need a spy. You are going to call my father, tell him you quit, and get out of my house."

"I signed a contract, Mr. Kendrick. I don't break contracts, and I don't quit just because a hockey player has a bad attitude," I replied. "I will be in this kitchen at six o'clock tomorrow morning to prepare your breakfast. You can either eat it and rebuild your career, or you can starve and let your father win. The choice is yours."

For a long moment, neither of us moved. The emotional tension in the room was electric. I could see the anger burning in his dark eyes, but beneath the rage, there was a deep, desperate exhaustion. He was a man watching his entire life slip away, and he hated me for witnessing it.

Without another word, Rhys turned around and limped out of the kitchen, his heavy boots dragging against the floor.

I let out a long breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I looked around the empty, cold kitchen. I was trapped in the mountains with a bitter, broken billionaire who viewed me as his ultimate enemy.

The next eight weeks were going to be a war.