Page 8 of The Valentine Agenda

Vanessa said I cared too much about status,James texted.Time to prove her wrong. Let's go full 'man of the people.'

He scrolled through the newsletter, finding more photos of Hannah. Here she was helping with a senior citizens' craft fair. There she was organizing a building food drive.

Each image was like a weapon in his arsenal, a way to show Vanessa that she'd been wrong about him—that he could be exactly what she'd wanted, just not with her.

And Hannah? She'd be easy to convince. She probably dreamed about being asked out by someone like him. Really, he'd be doing her a favor. One fancy dinner, a few strategic social media posts, and everyone would win.

Well, everyone except Vanessa.

Three dots appeared as Mike typed. Then:Brilliant. She'll hate it. When do we start?

James smiled, a sharp edge to it that would have worried anyone who knew him well. He opened Nero's website, checking their Valentine's Day availability. Booked solid. But with his contacts, that wouldn't be a problem.

We start now, he replied to Mike.

He glanced at Vanessa's post again. She thought she could replace him that easily? Show him up with Trevor Martinez and his summer home and his Business Insider feature?

Fine. He'd show her exactly what she was missing. And if he had to use the lobby woman—Hannah—to do it, well...

She'd probably be grateful for the attention anyway.

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For the first time in three years, James Park lingered in his building's common areas. He'd chosen a strategic position in the small library adjacent to the lobby, laptop open as if working, but his attention was focused on studying his target.

Hannah—he'd made sure to learn her name properly—was helping another resident sort through a stack of old photographs. Her head was bent close to the elderly woman's, brown hair falling forward as she listened to what was undoubtedly another endless story about her grandchildren.

James had always avoided these conversations, but Hannah seemed genuinely interested, asking questions that made the woman's face light up with pleasure.

Perfect, he thought, making mental notes. Vanessa had always said he was self-absorbed, too focused on status to care about "real people." Well, what could be more real than dating someone who volunteered with the elderly?

He watched Hannah walk her to the elevator, noting how she naturally offered her arm for support. No calculated movements, no checking for witnesses to her good deed. It was genuine, which made it even more useful for his purposes.

"James?" A querulous voice interrupted his observations. "Is that you hiding behind that computer?"

He looked up to find Mrs. Chen watching him with shrewd eyes. Normally, he would have made an excuse and escaped, but he needed to start building his community-minded image.

"Mrs. Chen," he said, summoning his best client-meeting smile. "I was just catching up on some work."

"Mm." Her eyes flicked to Hannah, now helping Mr. Thompson with what appeared to be a jammed mailbox. "Interesting place to work. You usually prefer your apartment."

James forced himself to maintain eye contact. "Sometimes a change of scenery is good for productivity."

"Indeed." Mrs. Chen's expression suggested she wasn't fooled. "Though some scenery requires more careful observation than others."

Before James could respond, Hannah's laugh cut across the lobby. She'd succeeded in unjamming Mr. Thompson's mailbox and was now sorting through the rescued letters with him, apparently unbothered by the fact that this was definitely not her job.

Vanessa would hate her, James realized with satisfaction. Everything about Hannah—from her sensible flats to her obvious lack of designer labels—would drive his image-conscious ex crazy. But more than that, Hannah's natural warmth would make Vanessa question everything she'd accused him of being.

Too career-focused? Here he was, dating someone who clearly valued community over ambition. Emotionally unavailable? Just look at how comfortable he was with someone so openly caring. Unable to connect with "real people"? Well, the photos would speak for themselves.

"You know," Mrs. Chen's voice cut through his plotting, "my husband always said you can tell a person's character by how they look at others. Whether they see people, or opportunities."

James smiled blandly, already composing the perfect Instagram caption in his head. Something about finding unexpected connections, about learning to value the simple things in life. Vanessa would recognize the pointed reference to her criticisms.

"I should get back to work," he said, standing. He'd seen enough to know Hannah would be perfect for his plan. One fancy dinner, a few strategic public appearances, and Vanessa would realize exactly what she'd let slip through her fingers.

"Yes," Mrs. Chen said quietly. "I suppose you should."

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