Tyler rested his chin on his hand , elbow propped on the table . He glanced over at them as if he were just an observer , completely uninterested in stepping in to help . The woman was clearly angry , her face turning bright red . " Don't get too cocky . He'll only be interested in you for a couple of days . He's been with more women than you've had meals , so don't delude yourself into thinking he'd ever waste real effort on you . " Rachel shrugged , unfazed . She wasn't trying to date Tyler . How many women he had been with didn't concern her . Besides , a powerful and attractive man like him was bound to attract attention . It wasn't surprising . " It's fine . As long as his focus is on me now , that's all that matters Rachel quipped , smirking . Clearly taken aback by Rachel's calm response , the woman shot her one last glare before storming out of the office . Rachel watched her leave , then quickly closed the door behind her . She checked the time - she still had a meeting with a client soon . Taking a deep breath , she got straight to the point : " Mr. Hunt , the Oasis Project deadline is in three days . Are you really not going to reconsider ? " If this hadn't been her mother's dying wish , she would've given up after Tyler's initial refusal . There would have been no real reason to pester him repeatedly like this . And just thinking about last night - how she actually offered him money to help with her situation … She wished to never see him again for the rest of her life . When Tyler didn't speak , Rachel glanced up in confusion , only to meet his sharp gaze . He usually had a cold expression , but seemed even more intimidating now , in his black suit at the office . But when she looked at him , all she could think of was last night . As memories flooded her mind , she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks . Her ears burned red , and she quickly turned her face away . Noticing her flushed cheeks , Tyler teased , " What's wrong ? Not gonna call me by name anymore Rachel cleared her throat awkwardly . " Sorry , I panicked just now . Also , I just found out that you knew my mom . " " So ? Are you trying to use that as a way to make a deal with me ? " Tyler asked . His voice was cool , with a hint of something else . Rachel didn't even bother to flatter him . She could tell this man wasn't the type to fall for that . " I don't really have a choice . I know it might not seem ideal , but if it works , it works . And honestly , I'm running out of time . Since you knew my mom , you must know that the Oasis Project was her dying wish . " Tyler leaned back , propping his legs up on the desk . " And ? You said it yourself - it's your mother's wish . What does that have to do with me ? " His tone was completely cold , like he was made of ice . Rachel wasn't surprised . Tyler was well known for not caring about anyone unless he chose to . She bit her lip . " I'm not trying to use my mother to get on your good side . But when I was going through her things , I found this . I think it might be important to you . 14 Rachel carefully pulled the torn - up photo from her pocket , holding it out to him Though Tyler's expression didn't change , his eyes flickered for a moment when he saw the photo . It was brief , bot Rachel caught it . He slowly stood up from his chair and walked over to her towering over her . There was a heavy , almost suffocating pressure in the way he looked down at her His dark eyes lingered on her face for a Chapter 22 moment , and when he next spoke , his tone was casual , almost teasing . +25 BONUS Chapter 23