Tiana Kings stared out the large, floor-to-ceiling windows of her office, watching the bustling city below, but she wasn't really seeing it. Her mind was elsewhere. Specifically, it was focused on one person: Dylan Haven.
It had been days since their kiss—the unexpected, fiery kiss that had left her breathless in a way she hadn't experienced in years. She had always prided herself on being in control, on knowing exactly how to manipulate any situation to her advantage. Men fell at her feet, captivated by her beauty, her charisma, her confidence. She could have anyone, she had told herself. And yet, Dylan was different.
He wasn't interested.
That was the conclusion she had drawn after several more interactions, a few more awkward silences, and a lot of nothing. No lingering looks. No signs of attraction. Just… distance. Dylan seemed unaffected by her presence, like she was just another part of the scenery. That annoyed her. And intrigued her.
Tiana was used to being desired, used to men fawning over her. But Dylan? He wasn't like the others. He didn't fall into the usual categories of men who worshipped her every move. He wasn't intimidated by her power, her beauty, or her status. Instead, he seemed indifferent. Almost like he didn't care.
And that made her feel… challenged.
She couldn't explain it. Something about his cool detachment, the way he kept his emotions close to his chest, made her want him even more. She hated feeling like she couldn't control a situation, and Dylan was the one person she couldn't control.
But she was Tiana Kings. No one could resist her for long. No one.
She paced back and forth in her office, trying to sort out her feelings. Why did it bother her so much? Why did it matter so much that Dylan wasn't falling for her? Was it pride? Was it the fact that he seemed impervious to her charms? Or was it something more?
Maybe it was the vulnerability she had seen in him. The way he had been there for his mother, the way he had held back in their interactions. There was more to Dylan than met the eye, more to him than just the cold, silent man who drove her around and obeyed her commands. There was something deeper—a hidden tenderness, a fear of getting hurt again, perhaps. She could see that. He had been scarred. He didn't trust easily. And Tiana, in her arrogance, had thought she could break through that wall with her beauty, her allure, her power.
But Dylan hadn't been moved. Not even by the kiss.
Tiana stopped in front of her desk, staring at her reflection in the polished surface. She had to admit it: she didn't like this. She didn't like being the one who wasn't desired. The one who didn't get what she wanted.
And so, in true Tiana Kings fashion, she made a decision.
"I will make him fall for me," she said out loud, the words ringing with determination.
The challenge was set. She would break through Dylan's walls. She would make him see her—not just as the boss, not just as the woman who held all the power in their relationship—but as something else. Something more. She wasn't going to let him walk away, unaware of what he could have. Tiana Kings wasn't the type of woman to give up without a fight.
She straightened her back, narrowing her eyes with a new sense of purpose.
But how?
That was the question she had to answer. She had to come up with a plan. A strategy. She couldn't just wait around for Dylan to change his mind. No, she needed to take control. She needed to figure out what made him tick, what pushed his buttons, what made him feel something other than indifference.
She thought back to their interactions. Dylan was a man of few words. He didn't open up easily. But he wasn't cold, either. There were moments, fleeting moments, when she had caught glimpses of the man behind the stoic exterior—the man who cared deeply for his mother, the man who had been hurt before and was now building walls around his heart.
Tiana knew that kind of pain. She knew what it was like to have someone break your trust, to feel exposed and vulnerable. It was the reason she kept people at arm's length. It was the reason she had always focused on her career, her image, her brand, rather than relationships. They were messy. Complicated. They could make you weak.
But Dylan was different. And that scared her.
She couldn't let him win. She couldn't let him remain immune to her.
With a deep breath, Tiana picked up her phone and dialed Emily's number.
"Emily," she said once her assistant answered. "I need you to look up everything you can on Dylan Haven. I want to know his past, his preferences, his weaknesses—everything. No stone unturned. I'm going to get him to fall for me. And I'm not leaving anything to chance."
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Emily responded, her voice careful. "Are you sure about this, Tiana? I mean, I know you're determined, but—"
"I'm sure," Tiana cut her off. "This isn't about just having him. It's about proving to myself that I can. I need to know everything."
Emily hesitated, then sighed. "Alright. I'll get to work on it."
Tiana hung up the phone, her mind already racing with ideas. She had never pursued someone like this before. Usually, it was the other way around. But Dylan's indifference stirred something in her that she hadn't felt in a long time. She was determined to win him over—not out of need, but out of sheer curiosity. She wanted to see if she could break through his walls and make him see her as more than just the woman who signed his paycheck.
She wasn't going to play by the usual rules, though. She wasn't going to use her looks alone or her power. She would need to be subtle, patient. She would need to connect with him on a level that was deeper than anything they had shared so far.
Tiana turned her gaze to the window again, watching the city stretch out below her. There was no turning back now. The game had begun. And she was ready to win.