CHAPTER 15: The Pursuit Begins

Victor Blackwood had power, money, and a legacy etched in steel.

He'd never had to chase anyone in his life.

Until now.

Isabella Lin had refused his invitation, defied his charm, and stared down the weight of his name like it meant nothing.

He was intrigued.

Worse, he was addicted.

The next morning, Isabella walked into her college lab as usual—hair tied, lab coat pressed, air crisp with antiseptic and silence.

Except silence wasn't what greeted her.

Victor Blackwood was sitting on her lab stool, arms crossed, dressed in charcoal slacks and a crisp white shirt rolled to the elbows.

Her lab assistants looked like they were holding their breath. Even the department head had bowed on his way out, mumbling, "Mr. Blackwood insisted on… visiting."

Isabella stopped two steps inside the lab, brows arching. "This is trespassing."

Victor smiled lazily. "This is persistence."

"You do know you're not above the law?"

"I'm the one who writes most of it," he said smoothly. "But for now, I'm just here to talk."

She sighed, dropped her bag on the counter, and walked straight past him. "Talk, then leave."

He followed her movements carefully. "Why didn't you come to the gala?"

"I don't owe you an explanation."

"I know."

She paused.

Victor stepped closer. "But I want one anyway."

She didn't turn. "You don't get everything you want, Mr. Blackwood."

Victor's voice dropped. "You'll learn I don't give up easily, Miss Lin."

She finally faced him, arms crossed. "You're not used to being ignored."

"I'm not used to wanting something worth the chase."

Their eyes locked.

Silence thickened.

Victor was the first to break it.

"Have dinner with me."

"No."

"Lunch?"

"No."

"Coffee?"

She walked over to a tray of Petri dishes. "Why are you here, really?"

He hesitated, then said, "I can't stop thinking about you."

She stilled.

Then, very calmly, she looked up and said, "That's not my problem."

Victor exhaled a quiet laugh.

"Every time you say no, I just want to hear what your yes sounds like."

Isabella turned back to her samples. "Then you're going to be disappointed for a long time."

He smiled to himself.

He could wait.

That night, Isabella opened her phone to a new message from AshenWolf.

[AshenWolf]: "What would you do if someone broke down every door you closed?"

She answered without hesitation.

[SkyeEcho]: "I'd build walls instead."

His reply came fast.

[AshenWolf]: "And I'd learn how to climb."

She didn't reply.

But her fingers hovered over the keys for a long time.

Because in her mind, she wasn't sure if she was talking to the boy who understood her—

—or the man who was slowly taking over her life.

And maybe they were one and the same.

Next Chapter Teaser: Victor pushes the boundary further—picking her up from college, buying her favorite things, and "coincidentally" joining her routine. But Isabella isn't someone who warms up easily… and his next move might push her too far.