CHAPTER 2- THE CHASE
1244 Words
Bruce didn't sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the photograph.
Not the ruined set.
Not the broken equipment.
Not the furious client.
Tiana.
Standing in the background like she didn't belong there.
Yet somehow becoming the center of the image.
By three in the morning, he had stopped pretending he was going to sleep.
By six, he was already at the office.
His assistant arrived twenty minutes later carrying coffee.
She stopped when she saw him.
"You slept here?"
Bruce took the cup from her.
"I need information."
"Good morning to you too."
He ignored the comment.
"The delivery girl from yesterday."
Maya blinked.
"The one who destroyed your set?"
"The same one."
"And you're looking for her?"
"Yes."
Maya stared.
"Why?"
Bruce turned his monitor toward her.
The photograph filled the screen.
She looked at it for several seconds.
Then looked again.
"Oh."
"Exactly."
Maya sat down slowly.
"I didn't notice yesterday."
"Neither did I."
"The camera loves her."
Bruce nodded.
"Now you understand."
A grin spread across Maya's face.
"You want her for the campaign."
"I need her for the campaign."
Maya folded her arms.
"Then let's find your mystery woman."
---
Three hours later, they had a lead.
The delivery company logo was visible on the package in one of the behind-the-scenes videos.
It wasn't much.
But it was enough.
Bruce found himself standing outside a small courier office on the other side of the city.
The building looked tired.
The paint was fading.
The sign outside leaned slightly to one side.
This wasn't the kind of place he normally visited.
He stepped inside.
Several employees moved around sorting packages.
A small bell rang above the door.
Nobody looked up.
Bruce scanned the room.
Then he saw her.
Tiana.
She stood behind a counter checking delivery records.
Her hair was tied back.
She wore a company polo shirt.
No dramatic entrance.
No glamorous transformation.
Just the same woman who had destroyed his photoshoot.
For some reason, seeing her again felt strangely satisfying.
As if he'd finally solved part of a puzzle.
Tiana looked up.
The moment she recognized him, her eyes widened.
Then narrowed.
"Oh no."
Bruce walked toward her.
"We need to talk."
She immediately shook her head.
"No."
"No?"
"No."
Bruce frowned.
"You don't even know what I'm going to say."
"I know enough."
She pointed toward the door.
"If you're here about the equipment, I don't have money."
"What?"
"The lights. The backdrop. Whatever broke."
Realization dawned on him.
"You think I'm here for compensation?"
"Aren't you?"
"No."
Tiana blinked.
For the first time, she looked confused.
"Then why are you here?"
Bruce reached into his bag.
He pulled out a printed photograph.
The same image.
He placed it on the counter.
Tiana stared down at it.
Then back at him.
Then down again.
"What is this?"
"A photograph."
"I can see that."
Bruce fought the urge to smile.
She was exactly as stubborn as he remembered.
"You are in the photograph."
"I know."
"I want you to model for me."
Silence.
A long silence.
Then Tiana laughed.
Not a polite laugh.
Not a nervous laugh.
A full laugh.
The kind that made nearby employees turn around.
Bruce waited.
Eventually she wiped tears from her eyes.
"You are serious?"
"Yes."
That only made her laugh harder.
When she finally calmed down, she pushed the photograph back toward him.
"Good joke."
"It's not a joke."
Her smile faded.
"You actually mean it."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Bruce pointed at the picture.
"Because of that."
Tiana studied it again.
She seemed genuinely puzzled.
"I don't understand."
"The camera does."
"What does that even mean?"
"It means you have something."
She folded her arms.
"Something?"
"Presence."
The word hung between them.
Tiana shook her head.
"No."
"No?"
"I don't model."
"You can learn."
"I'm not interested."
"You haven't even thought about it."
"I don't need to."
Bruce leaned forward.
"You could help save my campaign."
She laughed softly.
"And why should I care about your campaign?"
That stopped him.
Because she had a point.
A very good point.
Tiana didn't owe him anything.
In fact, their first meeting had involved him practically yelling at her.
The memory wasn't flattering.
"Look," he said more calmly. "I know yesterday wasn't ideal."
"That's one way to describe it."
"I was under pressure."
"So was I."
Bruce paused.
That wasn't an answer he'd expected.
Tiana looked away briefly.
Just long enough for him to notice.
Something was bothering her.
Something bigger than their conversation.
Before he could ask, her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Instantly, the color drained from her face.
Fear replaced annoyance.
"Tiana?" Bruce said.
She answered the call.
"Hello?"
A voice spoke rapidly from the other end.
Bruce couldn't hear the words.
But he watched her expression change.
Shock.
Worry.
Panic.
"No," she whispered.
Her free hand gripped the counter.
"What happened?"
More words.
More silence.
Then—
"I'm coming."
The call ended.
Tiana grabbed her bag.
"What happened?" Bruce asked.
She ignored him.
"Tiana."
"My brother."
Her voice cracked.
The fear in her eyes startled him.
"He collapsed."
Bruce straightened.
"What?"
"I need to go."
She rushed around the counter.
One of her coworkers approached immediately.
"What happened?"
"It's Daniel."
The woman gasped.
Bruce watched the exchange.
Every movement.
Every expression.
This wasn't minor.
This was serious.
Tiana hurried toward the exit.
For a second she paused beside him.
Neither spoke.
Then she was gone.
The door slammed shut behind her.
Bruce stood motionless.
The photograph remained on the counter.
He picked it up slowly.
His campaign suddenly felt less important.
Not unimportant.
Just... smaller.
Because for the first time, he realized Tiana's life didn't revolve around his problems.
She had her own.
Real ones.
The kind that couldn't be fixed with contracts or money.
A strange feeling settled in his chest.
Concern.
He barely knew her.
Yet he couldn't stop thinking about the look on her face.
The fear had been genuine.
Raw.
Human.
Bruce slipped the photograph back into his bag.
Maybe this wasn't just about finding a model anymore.
Maybe there was more to Tiana than he had assumed.
Much more.
His phone vibrated.
A message from his client.
Bruce opened it immediately.
His stomach tightened.
The message contained only five words.
Twenty-four hours left, Bruce.
That's it.
Nothing more.
No encouragement.
No negotiation.
No second chances.
Bruce stared at the screen.
Twenty-four hours.
One missing model.
One furious client.
And one stubborn woman who had just rushed to a hospital.
For the first time in years, he had absolutely no idea what came next.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
Bruce hesitated before answering.
"Hello?"
A woman's voice came through.
Smooth.
Confident.
Dangerously familiar.
"Still chasing impossible girls, Bruce?"
His blood ran cold.
He knew that voice.
The last person in the world he wanted to hear from.
The woman responsible for the scandal that nearly destroyed him.
The woman who knew every secret he'd spent months trying to bury.
And judging by the amusement in her voice—
She knew about Tiana.
The line went silent.
Then she said softly,
"This is going to be interesting."
The call disconnected.
Bruce stared at the screen.
A chill crawled down his spine.
Because for the first time, he had the feeling that someone else was already several steps ahead of him.
And Tiana had no idea she was walking straight into the middle of it.
- Writer
