A New Target

Kenze had never been the type to settle.

His charm had always been his greatest weapon, a tool he wielded effortlessly to get what he wanted. With Mabel, it had been easy-she was vulnerable, eager for love, and blinded by her emotions. Winning her over had been simple, a predictable game with a clear outcome.

But Cecilia?

Cecilia was a different challenge altogether.

And Kenze loved a challenge.

The First Signs of Opportunity

After the night he had helped Cecilia with her car, something shifted between them.

It was subtle, but Kenze was an expert at reading people.

She no longer looked at him with open suspicion. Instead, there was something else in her eyes now-hesitation, curiosity. A silent question she hadn't dared to voice.

He had planted the seed of doubt, and now, all he had to do was water it.

Creating the Perfect Opening

Kenze knew that he couldn't rush this.

If he suddenly started giving Cecilia too much attention, she would grow suspicious. She was smart, observant. He needed to be careful, strategic.

So, he played his part perfectly.

He didn't change the way he acted around her-not immediately. Instead, he let small, intentional moments slip through.

A lingering glance when she wasn't expecting it.

A soft chuckle when she made a sarcastic remark, as if he enjoyed their banter a little too much.

A casual brush of his hand against hers when passing something at the dinner table.

Each moment small enough to be dismissed, but noticeable enough to stay in her mind.

And when the time was right, he took the next step.

The Late-Night Conversation

One evening, Mabel had gone to bed early, exhausted from a long day at work. Phebe was out with friends.

Kenze found Cecilia in the living room, curled up on the couch with a book.

"Not sleeping?" he asked, settling into the chair across from her.

Cecilia glanced up, surprised. "Couldn't."

Kenze leaned back, stretching lazily. "Same here. Figured I'd keep you company."

She didn't tell him to leave.

That was a good sign.

For a while, they sat in silence, the only sound being the occasional turning of her pages. Kenze let the moment stretch, allowing her to grow comfortable with his presence.

Then, when the timing felt right, he spoke again.

"You know," he said, his voice quieter now, "I don't think you're as tough as you pretend to be."

Cecilia frowned slightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kenze smirked, shaking his head. "You put up walls. Act like nothing gets to you. But I think you feel things more deeply than you let on."

Her fingers tightened slightly around her book. "That's a bold assumption."

He shrugged. "Maybe. But I'm usually right about people."

For a moment, she didn't say anything.

Then, to his surprise, she sighed. "It's not about pretending. It's about surviving."

That was the moment Kenze knew he had her.

Because now, she was opening up.

The Carefully Placed Comfort

He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on his knees. "I get that. More than you think."

Cecilia gave him a skeptical look. "Do you?"

"Yeah," he said, his voice just the right mix of sincerity and mystery. "People look at me and assume they know me. They think I've got it easy. That I don't care about anything."

Cecilia tilted her head slightly, studying him. "And do you?"

Kenze held her gaze for just a second longer than necessary before looking away. "Maybe not in the way they expect."

Letting the words hang in the air, he leaned back again, as if dismissing the conversation altogether.

Cecilia didn't push, but he saw the way her expression softened, the way she seemed to reconsider whatever assumptions she had made about him.

That was exactly what he wanted.

Building the Connection

Over the next few weeks, Kenze carefully built on that moment.

He didn't overwhelm her with attention-he let her come to him.

He continued his usual charm with Mabel, keeping up the illusion of being the devoted boyfriend. But every now and then, he made sure to let his guard slip around Cecilia, just enough for her to notice.

A quiet sigh when he thought no one was looking.

A distracted expression when he thought he was alone.

Little things that made her wonder. That made her see him as something more than just Mabel's charming boyfriend.

And when she started asking small questions-curious, careful-he knew she was starting to fall into his trap.

The Moment of Vulnerability

One evening, Cecilia found Kenze sitting alone on the balcony, staring out into the night.

"You look deep in thought," she said, stepping beside him.

Kenze didn't respond right away. Then, with a slow exhale, he murmured, "Just thinking about how life never really turns out the way we expect."

Cecilia hesitated, then sat down next to him. "Yeah. I get that."

Silence stretched between them.

Then, Kenze turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Do you ever wonder if you're meant for more than this? Like... if you're missing something, but you don't even know what it is?"

Cecilia blinked, caught off guard by the question.

"Sometimes," she admitted.

Kenze let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "Guess we're more alike than I thought."

And just like that, the gap between them closed a little more.

A Dangerous Attraction

Cecilia knew she was playing with fire.

She reminded herself every day that Kenze was with Mabel. That he wasn't hers to think about.

But the more time she spent around him, the harder it became to ignore the pull.

She found herself searching for him in a room, noticing when he laughed, when he seemed distracted. She caught herself wondering what he wasn't saying, what secrets he kept hidden behind that charming smile.

And worst of all, she found herself wanting to be the one to understand him.

Kenze's Victory

Kenze saw all of it.

The way her gaze lingered on him when she thought he wasn't looking.

The way she hesitated before speaking to him, as if battling herself.

The way her sharp edges softened, just a little, when they were alone.

And that was how he knew.

Cecilia was falling for him.

Just like he had planned.

The Next Move

Now, all he had to do was push her over the edge.

And when that moment came, when she finally gave in to whatever she was feeling, he would be there to catch her.

Not because he cared.

But because winning her trust was the next step in securing exactly what he wanted.