Leah
I'd never seen him smile like this.
Even at the fundraiser, it had been a polished business smile.
But this one? It took my breath away.
The woman and the man stood to receive him and Jack, his assistant.
"Oh no, no. Stay seated." He gestured for them to sit.
"Good day, sir," I said with a curtsy as he moved past me.
"Hello, Ms. Carter."
My breath hitched.
With the way my breath kept seizing, I'd probably pass out. Because why did he respond to me? That was unusual.
Jack passed by, giving me a curt nod. I curtsied again.
"Have you had anything yet?" Damien asked.
"No, we were waiting for you," the lady said.
I turned to face them immediately, ready to take their orders.
And so, the meeting began.
Mr. Thorne and Jack hadn't had their tea yet, so I wheeled my trolley to the farthest corner and stood.
From their discussion, the lady was in charge of all the orphanages in the district, and the man was her lawyer.
They discussed the funds from the fundraiser, mapping out plans and projects. The lady talked about the challenges they faced, kids still living on the streets, others who'd run away.
I listened as Mr. Thorne dissected the situation, offering solutions. It was as if he was in his element. It reminded me of the time he'd spoken on the podium. Aside from that strange pause, it was as if he came alive the moment he began speaking.
I couldn't help stealing glances his way.
It was during one of those peeks that I saw him say something to Jack, who stood immediately and made his way to me. I thought he was going to ask me to leave, but instead, he pulled out a chair, dragged it to where I stood, and gestured for me to sit before going to serve himself some tea.
This would have been a normal day in my life as a concierge if it wasn't for the fact that it was a personal summon by Mr. Thorne, whose intentions I'd yet to figure out.
Nor wanted to.
For the rest of the day, I was summoned to every meeting he held. In the garden. The lounge. The restaurant. The bar. Sometimes I had help when the groups were larger. Other times, I served alone.
For the life of me, I couldn't pinpoint why he was doing this.
Through it all, he never interacted with me beyond greetings. He didn't even eat anything. Hell, I'd never seen him eat.
One thing I noticed was how he handled the room. He allowed interactions and opinions, even welcomed them. But you could clearly see he commanded the space, exuding power with every word.
If not for my personal bias, I would have actually held him in high regard, just like everyone else interacting with him seemed to.
By the end of the day, I was exhausted but incredibly relieved it was over.
Although, deep down, I'd enjoyed it. More like I'd learned something. I'd heard different calibers of people speak. Their reasoning was impressive.
But again, I'd been standing through most of it, so…
I went to the changing room to get my things. That was when I remembered I'd brought the letter with me to submit to Mr. Scott.
Last I checked, he was in his office, so I should hurry before he left. It was already five PM.
As I turned to leave, I paused.
Did I really want to resign?
I loved my job as a concierge. It paid well, better than other hotels. Plus, Mr. Thorne hadn't fired me or said anything remotely rude to me lately.
"Leah, he was like that last time, until he unleashed his unhinged nature on you," my brain stated flatly.
But something was different. He was different.
Then the thought of my son shot into my head. He'd interacted with Mr. Thorne. Did I want that instability around Jason?
I didn't know what was really wrong with this man. He was strange. One moment, he was level-headed and commanding. The next, he was pressing me against the wall and kissing me.
No, not that.
He had issues. And somehow, he was pulling me into them.
Maybe I should hold on a little longer?
God, I was so confused.
I slipped my hand into the side pocket of my shirt to retrieve the letter, only to come out empty.
My heart sank.
It had been there the last time I checked. Did I remove it somewhere?
I searched around me, inside my bag, everywhere.
It was gone.
I facepalmed myself. I was too exhausted for this.
I quickly gathered my stuff and began retracing my steps.
I dragged myself through fatigue and exhaustion, going back to everywhere I remembered being. No sign of the envelope.
Did anyone pick it up?
Just as I was coming out of the bar, the last place I'd served, my back hit something soft.
I turned and came face to face with June.
"Uh…sorry."
"What are you up to?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Leave me alone, June," I sighed in exasperation.
"Why is he all over you? What could a man like Mr. Damien Thorne possibly want with a plain Jane like you?"
That was it.
I stepped into her space and looked at her squarely.
"Probably something he didn't see in you. Let's say…brains."
I saw her gasp before I moved past her.
Who was I kidding? Mr. Thorne didn't see brains in me either. He was probably looking for what June had been offering. He probably loved the thrill of the chase.
That's how predators behave.
"Ms. Carter!"
"What now?" I muttered under my breath, turning to see Jack walking toward me.
Not good.
"Mr. Thorne would like to see you in his office."
I sighed, defeated.
It had been a whirlwind of a day, most of which I hadn't fully processed.
I followed him to the office with "Managing Director" engraved on the door.
He knocked, opened it, and gestured for me to enter.
I did.
He closed the door behind me.
I stood there, watching Mr. Thorne’s hands glide across the keyboard of his desktop.
After a moment, he stopped and looked up at me.