Chapter 39
I found it. Despite its austere exterior, It was imposing. Its only design was a line of words engraved on its wall: Serve and protect.
Someone was waiting. I had seen him before the man who had reminded Soren that he had to leave while we were talking at the gate of the Kenway residence.
I parked my car and grabbed my bag.
The man introduced himself politely, “Good morning, Miss Taylor Jones. I’m Michael Kidd, Mr. Kenway’s personal assistant.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Kidd.‘
He led me into the building, past the security check, and into the lobby.
“Mr. Kenway is still busy. You’ll need to wait for a while,” Michael said.
I smiled. “That’s fine. I’m sorry to have scheduled this meeting on such short notice. It must have disrupted his plans.”
We reached the top floor, which appeared to be a wide, clean office space.
Employees greeted Michael with deference as we passed by,
I supposed this came with being their director’s personal assistant. He essentially answered to no one but Soren.
He led me to a guest lounge. “Miss Jones, please wait here. Il let you know once Mr. Kenway is finished.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
The walls were transparent, with a mosaic pattern starting from the center of the panels. Jalousi windows covered them.
I realized I could peek into Soren’s office through the gaps between the windows. I could see a man with a grim, severe expression sitting behind a large desk.
Was that… Soren?
Although I couldn’t hear their conversation through the glass, I could tell the air between them must have been
tense.
I knew they couldn’t see me from inside, so I stared straight at Soren.
I was stunned. I hadn’t imagined a man–who had been so courteous, friendly, and gregarious–could ever afford
a frown so stern.
He didn’t need to do anything beyond furrowing his eyebrows to make you feel pressure on your shoulders.
Maybe he was facing some trouble. Perhaps his subordinates hadn’t performed as well as he had hoped, or something had gone wrong at work. The point was, as soon as he showed no emotion, an imposing aura seemed to emanate from him automatically.
le
I held my breath and turned my attention to the three men he was glaring at. They hung their breads, their bodies frozen in place. They must have been sweating cold.
I suddenly realized I had come at the worst possible time!
How could I ask for a loan after he had just chastised his subordinates?
Chapter 30
+25 BONUS
I needed to get out of there.
As I was formulating an excuse, Michael entered. “Miss Jones? Mr. Kenway is available for you now.”
“Huh?!” My heart seemed to leap into my throat. “Is this abad time?”
Michael understood what I meant. “No, no. Mr. Kenway focuses on the issues, not the people. And he certainly doesn’t take his frustrations out on others.”
I walked out of the lounge just in time to see the three men exiting. They were all wiping the sweat from their foreheads with their sleeves.
This was the first time I had seen Soren’s serious, authoritative side. It was a complete turnaround from the man I had known until now.
My heart raced as I entered the office.
It was a spacious, minimalist space that nevertheless conveyed an undercurrent of grandeur. It felt as though my senses had been purified.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting, Miss Jones!” Soren rose from his chair. He was back to being the gentle, kindly, princely young man I had met earlier.
