Kelvin Wolfe was never the kind of man who had to try.
Yet here he rethinking everything.
For weeks, he had pursued Anna the way he had pursued every woman before her with confidence, charm, and a quiet assurance that she would eventually fall into his orbit. But Anna wasn't like the others. She wasn't dazzled by expensive dinners or playful teasing. She was focused, relentless in her ambition, and determined to keep her distance.
So he had to change the rules.
The first step was patience.
Instead of pressing for dinner invitations or lingering too long in conversation, Kelvin kept things professional. He let their interactions happen organically, never pushing beyond what she was comfortable with. He stayed present but careful, just enough for her to notice without feeling overwhelmed.
Then, he made himself useful.
Anna was ambitious; she thrived on knowledge, on challenges. So he gave her more. He involved her in higher-level projects, invited her to closed-door meetings where real power was negotiated. He watched as she absorbed everything, as she navigated discussions with sharp precision.
And slowly, something shifted.
She stopped keeping her answers strictly formal. Their conversations grew longer. She still kept a barrier between them, but Kelvin could feel it wasn't as impenetrable as before.
Then, one evening, as the office emptied, she lingered by his desk.
I appreciate the opportunities you've given me, she said, her voice steady but softer than usual.
Kelvin leaned back, watching her carefully. You have earned them.
She hesitated just briefly before nodding.
And in that moment, Kelvin knew.
She was noticing him.
It wasn't love.
But it was something.
And for the first time, Kelvin was willing to wait.
She could feel it happening.
Kelvin Wolfe was invading her thoughts.
For weeks, she had resisted. Had told herself that keeping things formal, professional, and distant was the only way to survive in his world. He was magnetic, dangerous, the kind of man who had been conditioned to get whatever he wanted.
And now, he wanted her.
She had tried to ignore the lingering glances, the slow shift in his approach. Gone were the flirtations, the dinner invitations she had declined. Instead, he had changed; he was patient, steady, and careful in the way he engaged with her.
And that was worse.
Because now she couldn't just dismiss him as another playboy.
Now, she saw him.
The way he listened. The way he valued her thoughts, pulled her into high-stakes meetings, and challenged her in ways no one else had.
And worst of all, the way he looked at her, like she was something more.
It was becoming harder to push him away, harder to keep her walls intact.
But she had to.
She had worked too hard, fought too long to build her future, to escape the suffocating weight of her past. She couldn't afford to be distracted. She couldn't afford to slip.
Yet, despite everything, she was slipping.
And someone had noticed.
Anna Banner was getting too comfortable.
For weeks, Rose had watched her eyes trained on every interaction, every unspoken moment between Kelvin and Anna. She had seen the shift, the way Kelvin's pursuit had turned into something more than just infatuation.
But worse, she had seen Anna respond.
It wasn't obvious, not yet. But Rose knew women like Anna were ambitious, determined, always pretending they weren't affected by power, by wealth, by men like Kelvin Wolfe.
And she knew the truth.
Anna wanted him.
She was just too proud to admit it.
That was unacceptable.
Rose had spent years playing the patient game, waiting for Kelvin to realize she was the only woman who could stand by his side. Now, this intern, this nobody, was threatening everything.
So, she made a decision.
Anna Banner wouldn't leave willingly.
But she must leave.
Rose needed a plan, one that was subtle enough to avoid suspicion, yet devastating enough to make Anna disappear.
Tarnishing her reputation was the answer.
Theft.
A fabricated incident, something undeniable, something that would stain Anna's career before it even had a chance to flourish.
Rose smiled to herself, the weight of her resolve settling in.
By the time she was done, Anna Banner wouldn't just leave Wolfe Industries.
She would never work in corporate again. She smiled wickedly to herself.