Chapter 10

Tyrone POV

I leaned back in the worn leather chair, fingers drumming steadily against the armrest as I watched Marius and Damon exchange glances. My mind was ticking, already ten steps ahead, calculating every potential move and countermove. The game was dragging, and I didn’t like it. Seri wasn’t like the others, and that was precisely what made her so damn intriguing.

“I’ve been thinking,” I said, my voice low, drawing their attention.

Marius straightened in his seat, and Damon looked at me with barely-contained frustration. I knew he wanted to charge ahead, but that wasn’t the way to win this game. No, I’d been the strategist for a reason.

“What if it’s time to make her come to us. No more chasing.”

Damon scowled, slamming his fist on the armrest. “You’re kidding, right? She’s been ignoring us for weeks! I’ve made progress—I’ve seen it in her eyes. If we just keep pushing—”

“No,” I cut him off, holding my hand up, the calm in my voice enough to silence him. “You’ve made progress, Damon. You’ve cracked through a bit of that icy exterior, but you’re going to push her too hard. She’s resisting, and you need to understand that pushing will only make her back off more.”

Marius stayed silent, eyes narrowing as he absorbed my words. He trusted me, always had. His role was to enforce, but when it came down to strategy, he followed my lead.

“We need to break her,” I continued, eyes locked on Damon, who still looked ready to argue. “But not in the way you’re thinking. We need her desperate. We need her to think she wants to come to us on her own terms. It’s about control, Damon. We’ll lay the groundwork, make her feel like she’s missing out—make her feel like we’re the prize.”

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, my tone dropping into something far colder.

“We’ll start small. I’ll have some of the other pledges invite her to their parties—ones that we’ll be at. We'll mix with other women, make her feel like she’s losing her spot, like she’s being replaced. I’ll drop hints about us being in the mix of things, just enough to make her curious. The other pledges will make sure she knows who we are, make her wonder what she's missing.”

“Nice,” Damon muttered, rubbing his chin as the plan began to settle. He was still impatient, but at least he understood.

I could see the wheels turning in Marius’ head as well. He wasn’t used to slow burns, but this was more than just catching her. This was about taking full control, and he knew that.

“And then,” I continued, “I’ll send her gifts. Nothing too extravagant, just enough to get her thinking. Maybe at the end of the week, a hand-painted portrait of her in a setting that hints at what she’s too afraid to admit—something that makes her question herself. She’ll wonder who’s behind it, and that uncertainty will drive her mad.”

Marius snorted into his drink, “Because that’s not extravagant. Seriously?”

I smiled darkly, the thought of her confusion already playing in my head. The fear of the unknown was a powerful thing, especially when it was attached to someone like me.

“After that,” I said, pretending not to hear Marius comment, eyes flicking between the two of them, “we start showing up more. In her classes. At those same parties. We make sure we’re always just within reach, always the ones she can’t avoid. We’ll be the ones everyone talks about, the ones that draw all the attention. The ones she can’t ignore.”

Damon leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms, his earlier frustration easing as he processed the plan. “So, we wait… and let her come to us?”

“Exactly,” I replied, my tone sharp. “She’ll be curious. She won’t be able to resist. I’ll make sure of it. And when she finally breaks, when she comes to us—when she’s desperate enough—we’ll be there. We’ll have her exactly where we want her.”

Marius’s lips twitched in a half-smile, a silent acknowledgment of the plan. Damon didn’t speak for a moment, still grappling with the idea of sitting back, but his mind was catching up.

“Fine,” Damon said finally, voice reluctant but accepting. “I’ll play your way… for now.”

I stood up, a triumphant look crossing my face. I was in control. I always was. “Good. Tomorrow, we begin. I’ll set things in motion. By the end of the week, we’ll have her thinking she’s the one who’s been in control this whole time.”

The Sigma Phi mansion was quiet that morning, the usual hum of activity subdued as the sunlight trickled lazily through the grand windows. I walked down the grand staircase, footsteps echoing off the hardwood floors. Damon was sprawled across the leather couch in the common room, his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Marius sat at the table, his usual focused expression intact as he scrolled through his phone, no doubt keeping an eye on the family business.

“Morning,” I said, my voice low but commanding as I moved to the kitchen to pour myself a coffee. The smell of the brewing beans filled the room, the dark richness of it grounding me.

Marius glanced up, his eyes flicking to Damon. There was something about the way he looked at Damon—something knowing, like he could already sense the irritation brewing beneath Damon’s calm exterior.

Damon was impatient, that was no secret. But he was also beginning to see the value in my plan. He wasn’t as impulsive this time around.

“You know, we’ve already got a few girls lined up who can help us push Seri in the right direction,” I started, leaning against the counter, my coffee mug in hand.

Damon sat up, eyeing me with interest, and Marius raised an eyebrow.

“What’s the plan?” Damon asked, his voice edged with the restlessness that always simmered just below the surface.

I could see it in his eyes—he wanted action, not the wait. But the truth was, waiting was a strategy in itself.

“Think about it like this,” I began, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. “We start by making sure Seri knows exactly who we’re surrounded by. Who we’re giving attention to. I’m going to make sure some of her fellow pledges know exactly where to direct their attention.”

I watched as Marius leaned forward, intrigued, and Damon’s posture straightened—his impatience tinged with curiosity now.

“Who?” Damon asked, trying to keep the edge from his voice.

“First, there’s Claire,” I said, tapping my fingers lightly on the edge of my mug. “She’s in her pledge group, right? A little more eager than the rest. She’s got that needy energy about her, the kind that’ll latch on to anything that gives her a sense of power or attention.”

I could see Damon nodding, starting to understand.

“And then there’s Natalie,” I added, the name rolling off my tongue with a smirk. “She’s in the same group as Seri, but she’s been eyeing me for weeks now. She knows what she’s doing—wearing that innocent look, pretending to be the sweet girl, but we all know she’s looking for the next step up in the hierarchy.”

I watched Damon shift, his jaw tightening at the thought of another girl encroaching on what he felt was his territory.

“I want them to make Seri feel like she’s being replaced,” I continued, my gaze flicking to Marius for his approval. He was always the one who made sure the plan didn’t falter. He met my eyes and gave a subtle nod, signaling his understanding.

“We start with subtle moves. Get Claire and Natalie to step up their game. Let them ask Seri to the parties they’re throwing—inviting her into the fold but doing it just enough to make her feel like she’s being edged out. Every little detail will count.”

Marius smirked. “And while they’re distracted, we’ll be right in front of her, watching the whole thing. Letting her see it.”

“Exactly,” I said, tipping my mug slightly in acknowledgment of the idea. “We show her what she’s missing. She’ll think that we’re too busy with other women to give her the time of day, but all the while, we’re right under her nose. When she starts getting curious, that’s when we swoop in.”

Damon leaned forward now, the anticipation flickering in his eyes. “So, we let her think she’s losing her spot, but it’s really just a game?”

“Yes,” I said firmly. “We make sure she knows that we’re surrounded by other women. We let Claire and Natalie think they have a chance, but it’s all about making Seri think she’s being replaced. Make her question whether she’s worth the attention. She’ll come crawling when she realizes we’re slipping through her fingers.”

Marius folded his arms, his gaze narrowing as he processed the plan. “You really think she’ll fall for that?”

“She won’t have a choice,” I said, my voice cold and confident. “She won’t want to be left out. She’ll see us with other women, and it’ll drive her crazy. And when she starts coming to us, thinking she’s controlling the situation, that’s when we make our move.”

Damon exhaled; his breath harsh. “Fine,” he said, leaning back, though the edge in his voice still suggested impatience. “I’ll do my part. I’ll make sure Claire and Natalie know what they need to do.”

Marius and I shared a look—he’d already agreed with the plan. But as always, it was up to me to set the pieces into motion.

“I’ll have the gifts ready,” I said, a wicked smile curling on my lips as I thought about the personal touch, I would add to this. “A few more personalized surprises to leave her wondering. The artwork will be the first.”

Everything was set into motion. Marius had already sent the word out, Damon had made sure that Claire and Natalie would invite Seri, and I’d begun to lay the groundwork with small, thoughtful touches—just enough to make Seri second-guess everything she thought she knew. The plan was in motion, and there was no turning back now.