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.”

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, but 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 moment, and when he next spoke, his tone was casual, almost teasing.