NOVPUBNow, Jade merely looked at Thomas like he was a mere joke.
Yes, she was still attracted to him but she mastered the will to fight her urges and this was more than enough to keep Thomas at bay.
Thomas wanted to be direct in his seduction and kiss Jade without asking but Brandon was ever present now beside Jade.
Thomas did not have any chance at all.
One night, Thomas stood in his penthouse apartment, surrounded by opulence—glass, steel, leather furniture, and floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the glittering lights of the city.
But none of it comforted him. He stood shirtless by the window, sipping whiskey from a cut-glass tumbler, staring down at the world like a god plagued by mortal doubts.
"Should I keep going... or pick someone else?" he muttered aloud, voice low and gravelly.
He weighed the pros and cons. He could easily find another woman—maybe not one as beautiful as Jade, but certainly one more pliable, more willing. He didn't need her.
But that was the problem.
He wanted her now.
Not just for her beauty or the mission. Not even for the thrill of conquest.
But because she had refused him. She had made him feel powerless.
And that... that was something Thomas could not tolerate.
His pride burned hotter than his lust or job.
Logic told him to walk away. His ego demanded that he break her.
He stood there a while longer, staring into the city's endless sprawl, until at last, he reached for his phone.
He scrolled past the names of lawyers, assistants, colleagues—until he landed on one that belonged to someone different.
A man who didn't work in boardrooms or offices. Someone who operated in shadows, who handled problems that couldn't be solved with charm or conversation.
Thomas didn't hesitate. He pressed "Call."
"Yo," came the gruff voice on the other end. "Been a while. You finally need something?"
Thomas sipped his whiskey, voice calm, measured. "Yeah. I've got something I need done. Quietly. No heat. You know how I work."
The man chuckled. "Of course. Who's the target?"
Thomas didn't answer right away. He walked across the room, sat down, and leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.
The plan wasn't fully formed yet. He didn't want Jade hurt—at least not physically. No, this needed finesse.
She needed to be cornered, emotionally vulnerable. She needed to feel like Ross had truly abandoned her, that there was no one left to turn to.
That he—Thomas—was the only one who cared enough to pick her back up.
"Jade Oakley," Thomas said at last, his voice low and deliberate.
"Let's meet tomorrow. I don't want to do this over the phone. Same place. 7 p.m. Don't be late."
A hesitant voice came through the line, quiet at first. "Jade Oakley? Are you talking about one of Ross Oakley's wives?"
Thomas narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. Why?"
There was a pause—longer than expected. Then the voice returned, lowered now, almost a whisper.
"You serious? You're messing with his woman?"
"Yeah, I said her name. What's the problem?" Thomas said, frowning.
The man on the other end exhaled slowly, like he was trying to steady himself.
"Ross Oakley is bad news, Thomas. I mean real bad. He's not just some rich guy with power. He's... something else. People who cross him don't just lose. They vanish. No noise. No trace. Gone."
"I've heard the stories," Thomas said. "Doesn't matter to me. We can plan and even catch him red handed. I know you and I can do it easily."
"I don't know, Thosms. I've seen it happen, man. You mess with Ross, and it's not just your life on the line. It's everyone around you. Friends. Family. Anyone who's tied to you."
Thomas smirked, though there was no humor in it. "Do you really think that's enough to put fear in the heart of King Rocky D?"
He half-joked, but there was a weight to his words. The kind that came from a man who'd stared down worse and walked away. Usually.
"I know you, Thomas," the voice said with quiet urgency. "Which is why I'm going to say this, once. Stay away from Ross Oakley. Drop whatever this plan is. Walk away while you still can."
Thomas's smile faded. There was something in the man's tone—something that felt final.
"And about the job?" the voice added. "You couldn't pay me enough to take it."
Click.
The line went dead.
Thomas stood there for a moment, staring at the phone in his hand. The words echoed in his mind, but they didn't scare him.
No, they excited him.
Because if Ross Oakley really was as dangerous as they said…
Then beating him?
Would be the greatest victory of all.
Thomas would not only get his wife but also put him behind bars or even retire him permanently.
Thomas tinkered with his phone again.
He didn't stop there, of course. One refusal wasn't enough to deter him.
If anything, it only sharpened his resolve. He had contingencies in place—always had.
So, without missing a beat, he contacted his second option. A different kind of man. Less cautious.
More desperate. The kind of person who didn't ask questions as long as the price was right.
Thomas laid out the plan again, adjusting the details to fit his new hire's temperament.
He spoke with conviction, with certainty, as if the universe itself would bend to his will.
Failure had never been a word he entertained. Not when it came to Jade. Not when it came to Ross.
He was going to see this through. No matter what.
He would see the plan to fruition, yes. Every piece would fall into place just as he envisioned.
But what Thomas didn't know—what he couldn't know—was that the wheels were already turning against him.
And in trying to bring down Ross Oakley, he'd unknowingly stepped into something far larger than his petty need for another job done.
But it would also be the final mistake in his long, chaotic life.
Because some men you don't cross.
And some names… you don't speak lightly.
