Evil MC's NTR Harem - Chapter 437

Chapter 437: Chapter 437 River
An hour later…

“What happened, Rachel?” a handsome man asked the woman Ross had rescued.

They were already in a love hotel, yet less than five minutes later, Ross had unexpectedly left, leaving her behind without a second glance.

“He just left me here,” Rachel muttered, still in disbelief.

She had expected things to play out differently—some casual flirting, a bit of kissing, maybe even a little teasing before she pulled away at the last moment to make herself seem unattainable.

Men valued what they had to fight for, after all.

If Ross had taken the bait, he would have chased after her, wanting her all the more. That was the plan.

But instead, he had walked away without hesitation, as if she were nothing more than an afterthought.

The man beside her sighed, rubbing his temple.

“Maybe he’s not into making a move on drunk women. Not his type,” he suggested, though the relief in his voice was unmistakable.

Rachel shot him a sharp look. “Or maybe he saw right through it.”

“We need to rethink our approach, Rachel. I don’t like this plan at all,” he said, crossing his arms.

Rachel frowned, exasperated. “We’ve been over this a million times, Jimmy. This is the only way. Get over it.”

Jimmy was her husband—both in their personal lives and in their line of work.

They had been undercover operatives long before their partnership turned romantic, and even after all these years, they still worked best as a team.

But despite their history, their trust, and their experience together, there was one thing they could never seem to agree on: Ross Oakley.

Jimmy leaned back against the bedframe, scowling. “I just don’t like the guy, Rachel. He’s dangerous. And unpredictable.”

Rachel scoffed. “It’s our job to catch dangerous unpredictable criminals like him, Jimmy.”

Jimmy shook his head. “I don’t know. Something feels off about all this. And now that he’s walked away so easily, it makes me wonder—does he suspect something?”

Rachel fell silent, considering that possibility. If Ross had sensed the setup, it would complicate things.

But then, a slow smile spread across her lips as an idea came to her.

“I think we can still salvage this operation,” she said, her mind already piecing together a new angle.

Jimmy narrowed his eyes. “You have that look again. What are you thinking?”

Rachel leaned forward, her confidence returning.

“Ross might not have taken the bait tonight, but that doesn’t mean we’re out of options. We just need to change our approach. If we play this right, we can still get what we need.”

She outlined her revised strategy, and as she spoke, Jimmy listened with a mix of skepticism and reluctant admiration.

Rachel was nothing if not persistent. He just hoped that persistence wouldn’t get her in too deep with the one man he didn’t trust.

***

Three days later, Ross received a call.

“Is this Ross Oakley?”

“Speaking,” Ross replied.

“It’s me, Rachel—the woman you saved the other night. Can we meet somewhere public? I want to thank you in person,” Rachel said.

“There’s no need. I did what any man would have done,” Ross replied, his tone indifferent.

“Don’t dwell on it. Have a good day—and next time, don’t drink more than you can handle. Bye.”

Before Rachel could respond, the line went dead.

“He hung up on me!” she exclaimed, stunned.

Her grip on the phone tightened.

Am I not pretty enough? No, that’s impossible! If there was one thing Rachel had never doubted, it was her looks.

She knew she had the kind of beauty that turned heads, the kind that men fought over.

So why was Ross Oakley so utterly indifferent to her?

“Does he know I’m FBI?” she muttered under her breath. But there was no way to be sure. If he suspected something, he hadn’t let it show.

In the end, there was only one way to find out.

She redialed his number, waiting as the line rang. When the call connected, she wasted no time.

“I must insist, Mr. Oakley. Allow me to repay the favor,” Rachel said smoothly. “I simply don’t like owing debts—especially to men.”

There was a brief silence on the other end, long enough that she almost thought he would hang up again.

Then, at last, Ross spoke.

“Okay. Since you’ve made such a strong case, Miss Rachel… set the date.”

***

The weekend arrived, and Ross met Rachel at a high-end restaurant.

The atmosphere was warm, the lighting dim enough to be intimate but not suggestive.

Over the next three hours, they talked, exchanged pleasantries, and even shared a laugh or two.

Ross remained friendly yet detached, never once giving her the reaction she was used to.

Rachel, on the other hand, played her role perfectly—aloof but humorous, teasing but never desperate.

It was a balancing act she had perfected over the years, and it had never failed her before.

Any other man would have been captivated by now, eager to impress her, vying for her attention.

She could usually predict when they would start leaning in, when their smiles would linger a little longer, when their gazes would lower to her lips as she spoke.

But Ross?

He sat across from her, completely unaffected.

No stolen glances. No subtle shifts in posture that hinted at attraction.

No change in his tone, no hesitation in his words. It was as if her charm—her greatest weapon—was utterly useless against him.

And that frustrated her more than she dared to admit.

Ross Oakley was the first man in her life to show no interest, to be entirely immune to her.

She wasn’t sure if he was just that disciplined or if he had already seen through her. Either way, she didn’t like it.

As the evening drew to a close, Ross checked the time and gave her a polite nod. “It was nice knowing you, Rachel.”

Just like that, he was ready to walk away.

Rachel’s lips parted slightly before she quickly composed herself.

No. I’m not letting it end like this.

She had spent years mastering the art of seduction, of subtly guiding a conversation where she wanted it to go.

Men were predictable, easy to read, easy to manipulate. She just needed to find the right approach.

Before Ross could turn away, she flashed him a casual, knowing smile.

“Can I interest you in some coffee upstairs, Ross?” she asked smoothly.