Chapter 2 Dangerous Attraction

Jason Williams stared at the empty space where Olivia had been just moments ago, his glass of bourbon untouched in his hand. His pulse still thrummed from their brief but electrifying encounter. He never told her his name, yet she had spoken it with quiet certainty, as if she had known him all along.

That should have unnerved him.

But instead, it intrigued him.

Jason wasn't the kind of man who let things go unanswered. His entire empire was built on information, control, and power. Yet, in just a few minutes, Olivia had made him feel like he was playing a game where she alone knew the rules.

His grip tightened around his glass.

Who was she?

And why did he feel like she had been waiting for him?

A Temptation He Can't Ignore

The bartender, an older man with graying hair, approached, wiping his hands on a cloth. "Something on your mind, Mr. Williams?"

Jason's gaze flicked toward him. "The woman who was just here. Olivia. Do you know her?"

The bartender hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "She's been coming here for a few weeks. Keeps to herself mostly. Doesn't talk much unless she wants to."

Jason narrowed his eyes. "And when she does?"

The bartender chuckled, pouring Jason another drink. "She only talks to the ones she finds interesting."

A slow smirk tugged at Jason's lips. "Lucky me."

But even as he said it, something about Olivia's presence unsettled him in a way he couldn't quite define.

She wasn't just another woman.

She had left an imprint on him, and that was dangerous.

Jason downed his drink, slid a crisp bill across the bar, and stood. As he walked toward the exit, the sound of the rain against the pavement outside mirrored the unease creeping beneath his skin.

He told himself he would let it go.

But deep down, he already knew-he wouldn't.

The Unfinished Game

The resort was quiet at this hour, the luxury of wealth offering solitude rather than crowds. Jason made his way toward the elevator, his mind still lingering on Olivia's cryptic words.

"We'll meet again, Jason."

The way she had said it wasn't a wish or a question.

It was a certainty.

As the elevator doors slid open, Jason stepped inside, running a hand through his hair. He leaned against the wall, watching the floor numbers tick upward.

But just as the doors were about to close-a slender hand reached in.

His breath caught.

Olivia.

She stepped inside, her green eyes meeting his as the doors slid shut behind her. She wasn't surprised to see him. If anything, she looked... amused.

Jason exhaled sharply, turning to fully face her. "You left."

A slow smile curved her lips. "I did."

He tilted his head, studying her. "Then why are you here now?"

She took a step closer, the scent of jasmine and something darker-something intoxicating-filling the space between them. "Because you're not ready to let this go."

Jason felt the air shift. He wasn't used to being read so easily, so effortlessly. Most people tried to impress him, to win his favor. Olivia, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy watching him try to figure her out.

And damn it, he wanted to.

"Are you always this sure of yourself?" he asked, his voice dipping lower.

She chuckled softly. "Only when I'm right." Jason's pulse quickened. There was something about her that defied explanation, something that made him feel like he was standing at the edge of a very dangerous cliff.

And he wasn't sure if he wanted to step back-or jump.

The elevator chimed, signaling their arrival. Olivia stepped out first, her posture poised, regal.

Jason followed, something pulling at his chest as she walked ahead of him. She moved like she belonged here, like she belonged anywhere she decided to be.

And just as he was about to ask her more, Olivia suddenly stopped.

Jason barely avoided colliding with her as she turned, looking up at him with an intensity that sent a sharp jolt through his spine.

"You don't remember, do you?" she murmured.

His brow furrowed. "Remember what?"

Her gaze flickered with something unreadable before she took a step back, her voice softer now. "Nothing."

But it wasn't nothing.

Jason could feel it in his bones-there was something about Olivia, something he was supposed to remember.

But why couldn't he? That night, Jason barely slept.

His mind kept circling back to Olivia-her voice, her knowing smirk, the way she had looked at him like he was supposed to recognize her.

Frustrated, he sat up in bed and grabbed his phone. He had resources. Connections. People who could dig up information on anyone, anywhere. What will I do to unravel her?