Kelvin had threatened her.
It wasn't in his words, not directly. But she saw it in his eyes, in the sharp precision of his tone when he warned her.
After everything she had done for him. After years of loyalty, of sacrificing time, of making sure he never had to lift a finger for anything outside his empire. Ten years. Ten years of serving Wolfe Industries, first under his father, then under him.
And now, this?!.
Rose pressed trembling fingers against her temples, forcing herself to breathe. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. She wasn't just some office worker he barely knew. She was supposed to be the one person who mattered. The one who had been there through his highs and lows, watching him build himself into the man he had become.
She had been waiting for him to see her, to wake up and realize that no one understood him better than she did.
But instead, he was looking at her.
Anna Banner.
A junior intern. A newcomer. A nobody!
Rose's jaw clenched as she watched Anna from across the office, oblivious to the storm brewing in her presence. There was no logic to it. No reason Kelvin should be fascinated by her, should spend time with her, or should respect her thoughts the way he did.
Anna had to go.
Not in some grand, dramatic way. No, that would be foolish. But there were subtle ways to push her out.
She would start with pressure. Increasing her workload, making sure the hours were suffocating. Then, she would instill doubt, whispers to the right people, small, cutting remarks in meetings, hints that Anna wasn't fit for the job.
And if that didn't work?
Then she would escalate.
A transfer somewhere far, distant, away from Kelvin Wolfe.
She would make sure Anna was placed in a branch so insignificant that Kelvin would forget she ever existed.
And when that happened, when Anna was no longer standing in the path between her and him, Kelvin would finally remember who had been by his side all along.
This wasn't jealousy.It was justice.
She was driving him insane.
Kelvin had never struggled to get a woman's attention. He had spent years perfecting the effortless charm, the teasing smirks, the lingering glances that made women lean in rather than pull away.
But Anna Banner was different.
She did pull away.
No matter how many times he tried to engage her, no matter how casual he kept his approach, she was always polite, always respectful, but never interested.
Twice, he had invited her to dinner. Twice, she had turned him down with the same professional response: Thank you, Mr. Wolfe, but I have work to finish.
Mr. Wolfe. Mr. Wolfe. Mr. Wolfe. Mr. Wolfe.
It was maddening.
And now, he was sitting across from the only man who might understand, the one person who had walked away from the life Kelvin still lived and managed to find something real.
Jackson Reed.
A former playboy, Jackson had once been notorious for his string of affairs, but now? He was settled, married to a woman who had tamed his reckless nature, and expecting his first child.
Kelvin envied him. Not the domestic life, no, but the certainty. They knew he had made the right choice.
She's impossible, Kelvin muttered, swirling his whiskey in his glass. I've tried everything. Dinners, friendly conversations, and a bit of teasing. She keeps me at arm's length.
Jackson smirked, leaning back in his chair. Maybe she's just not interested.
Kelvin frowned. That was the worst possibility, the one he didn't want to acknowledge.
She is interested! he said, a little too firmly. She feels it. I can see it. But she's fighting it.
Jackson raised an eyebrow, intrigued. So what's stopping her?
Kelvin exhaled. She's focused on her career. She doesn't want distractions.
Jackson laughed. And you are the distraction?
Kelvin ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. Exactly.
Jackson studied him for a moment before leaning forward. Look, man, I will be real with you. If she's resisting, then maybe your usual tactics won't work. You want her? Show her you are worth wanting.
Kelvin frowned. What the hell does that mean?
Jackson smirked. It means stop chasing her like she's some conquest. Be someone she can't ignore. Make her see you, not just your reputation. Make her realize that walking away from you is the real mistake.
Kelvin sat back, considering.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't the one in control.
And he hated it.