The Call Boy I Met in Paris – Episode 36
Morning brought sunlight, a headache, and the humiliating realization that Sophie remembered very little after challenging Justin for the bottle. She found water and pain relievers beside the bed, but no judgmental note.
Downstairs, coffee filled the new house with its first familiar scent. Sophie followed it into the kitchen and found Justin arranging two cups as though carrying her upstairs had been an ordinary part of his employment.
“Justin,” she called. He turned, and relief escaped her before embarrassment could stop it. “Oh my God. Just in time. I made you coffee.”
Justin looked at the cup already in his hand, then at the untouched machine near Sophie. He graciously ignored the contradiction. “What’s up?”
Her phone remained clutched in her other hand. Excitement had pushed aside the discomfort of the night before. “Lake Enterprises just called me. They want to sign a long-term contract with us.”
Justin lifted his cup to hide a smile. He had authorized the offer before sleeping, ensuring the terms would give Swift Architecture stability without looking like charity.
“This is everything I needed,” Sophie continued. A long-term partnership would reassure investors, strengthen the stock, and prove she could save her mother’s company without Derek.
For the first time since leaving her father’s house, hope made her look entirely awake. Justin felt no regret about using his influence when the result restored that confidence.
“I’m going to meet them at Lake Enterprises right now,” she said. She was already moving toward the stairs, mentally replacing last night’s grief with negotiations, projections, and contract terms.
“Perfect.” Justin leaned against the counter with deliberate calm. “I’ll wait for you at the office.” Returning to Swift Architecture would keep him safely away from the headquarters where every employee knew his face.
Sophie stopped. “No, no, no.” The firmness in her voice warned him before she even turned around. “You’re coming with me.”
Justin nearly choked on his coffee. “I’m your assistant architect, not your contract lawyer.”
“You understand their projects, and your résumé is half the reason I trust you with this.” Sophie interpreted his reluctance as nerves. “Besides, this could shape the company’s future. I need my team there.”
Refusing would invite questions. Agreeing meant walking into his own headquarters while pretending to be a junior employee seeking an audience with himself.
“Are you afraid of meeting the famous Mr. Lake?” she teased. The undercover-billionaire joke from the sales center returned with dangerous accuracy.
“Terrified,” Justin said. “I hear he’s difficult.”
Sophie smiled and pushed a fresh shirt toward him. “Then try not to upset him. We need this contract.”
Justin excused himself long enough to message Patrick. The instructions were brief but urgent: clear the executive floor, keep every employee from addressing him as CEO, and find someone authorized to sign on Lake Enterprises’ behalf.
Patrick replied with a series of increasingly alarmed questions. Justin silenced the phone and followed Sophie to the car before she could see them.
When the glass tower bearing the Lake Enterprises name rose ahead, Sophie straightened with anticipation. Justin looked at the headquarters he owned and realized that one familiar greeting could end his secret before they reached the elevator.