The Billionaire’s Sudden Bride
Chapter 212
Summer’s POV
“Insane?” Brandon quirked an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“Well, aren’t you?” I gestured at his meticulous notes. “You’re not just a financial genius, but you’re amazing at racing too- practically professional level. You’re light–years ahead of me in everything.”
Brandon shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “Everyone excels in different areas. Trust yourself.”
He pulled my project designs toward him, his dark eyes scanning the pages with laser–like focus, occasionally making small marks.
“These sections need attention,” he said finally, circling several areas “The rest looks good. Is Leo already letting you handle the entire workload?”
I blinked in surprise. “How did you know? But I’m not as good as him, not even close!”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Brandon countered. “Leo simply has more experience, so naturally he deals with more complex problems. Areas like these–he’d know to avoid these issues.”
“I actually wanted Leo to review these first,” I explained, “but he hasn’t been feeling well lately. He told me I could just show them directly to you!”
Brandon’s mouth quirked. “How convenient for him.”
I nodded, diving into the corrections. I became so absorbed in the work that I completely lost track of time. When I finally looked
up, Brandon was gone.
With a sigh, I gathered the revised drawings and headed out. As I stepped into the hallway, I nearly collided with Brandon, who was fresh from the shower. He wore only a bathrobe loosely tied at the waist, a towel dangling from his hand.
“Finished with work?” he asked, his voice low.
“Yeah,” then I asked, “So you weren’t originally planning to hand off the Manhattan West Side project?”
Brandon shook his head. “Actually, I was.”
“What changed your mind?”
Brandon took my hand. “Fortune Corp. They’re trying to use this project to forge stronger ties with Stark Group.”
I nodded. “I know that, but they’re such a small company–not even in the consideration range.”
Brandon moved behind me, his strong hands settling on my shoulders, kneading away tension.
“You were hunched over those designs for hours,” he explained.
“I don’t like when people try to leverage power over me,” he continued. “Old Alexander approached my grandfather. Gavin owes them a favor that needs to be repaid. My grandfather is traditional, and since Alexander carries the Stark name–certain courtesies are expected.”
His thumbs pressed into a tender spot between my shoulder blades.
“That’s the principle,” Brandon continued. “But Stark Group has already shown Fortune Corp exceptional favoritism. Despite this,
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they’ve shown no growth. I don’t believe they deserve more help. That’s why I abandoned their proposal and sought outside assistance.”
I tilted my head. “So you brought in Jean–Pierre because you’ve worked with him before, and Stark Group already knows him. Plus, partnering with an external designer maximizes benefits.”
Brandon nodded approvingly. “Very perceptive.”
“Oh, please,” I laughed. “I’m just pointing out the obvious. You already calculated all this.”
“What about the follow–up contracts?” I asked,
“You’re forgetting about Edward, Brandon replied simply
I spun around, eyes wide. “You’re planning to partner with Edward Lee?”
The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. “That’s brilliant. Working with Edward is infinitely better than partnering with anyone else. One Lee family is worth ten Fortune Corps. Even if your grandfather objects, he’ll have to back down out of respect for Edward.”
“Stark Group never specialized in this area,” Brandon explained. “I was merely testing the waters. Edward has far more experience.”
“How long will Jean be staying?” I asked. “The project hasn’t even launched yet. Between phase one and two, we’re looking at a minimum of a year. We can’t expect him to live in a hotel that whole time.”
“That’s thoughtful,” Brandon said, looking mildly surprised. “I overlooked that detail. You’re right–Jean can’t return home. We need him for both initial and subsequent phases.”
I leaned back against Brandon’s chest. “I heard Jean is interested in New York? The day after tomorrow is Saturday–we could show him around.”
Hotel living isn’t Brandon’s fingers combed through my hair. “Okay. Let’s have James find suitable accommodations tom practical long–term. As for dining–doesn’t your friend own a coffee shop? You could take him there. I likely won’t have much free time this weekend. I need to visit Edward.”
I straightened confidently. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this covered!”
Saturday morning found me riding with James to pick up Jean. Brandon had already left for his meeting with Edward.
“James, tell me more about the place you found.”
“It’s one of the standalone villas from a Lee family development,” James explained. “Mr. Stark rarely visits the property.”
When we arrived, Jean was waiting with Danielle and his assistant.
“I never expected such thorough accommodations, Jean exclaimed. was just telling Danielle yesterday that we should look for a comfortable place. Hotel living doesn’t suit me!”
“My husband arranged everything in advance,” I explained. “The property needed cleaning and airing out, which is why we couldn’t move you there immediately.”
1 helped Danielle with her luggage, lifting one of her suitcases into the trunk.
“Are Stark, allow me to handle that!”
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“It’s fine,” I said quietly. “And remember, in public, just call me Miss Taylor.”
On the drive, I shared details about the neighborhood, showing Jean photos I’d taken.
“The area is quite nice–close to the city center but not too noisy. I think you’ll feel right at home. Jean gave me an enthusiastic
thumbs–up.
I laughed, nodding. “It certainly does”
“By the way, Mr. Dubois, I’d be happy to show you around.”
“That would be wonderful,” Jean replied. “Regarding work matters, I prefer to address those during business hours. What’s your philosophy, Mrs. Stark?”
“I completely agree. Relaxation time should be dedicated to actual relaxation.”
“However, Mr. Dubois, you can call me Miss Taylor.”
Jean looked confused. “Oh? Why is that? Aren’t you Brandon’s wife?”
“I am,” I confirmed, “but our marriage isn’t public knowledge. At work, he’s my boss–only in private is he my husband.”
Jean nodded, seeming impressed. “A very independent woman. American women today are so independent–it’s admirable!”
As we pulled up to the villa, I decided to make one more connection. “By the way, Mr. Dubois, do you remember Leo Schmidt?”
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