The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 356

Chapter 163: Breakfast with a Side of Chaos-2

Jamie nodded eagerly, still grinning.

Eleanor’s voice chimed in warmly. “Alfred, bring out some fresh pancakes and scrambled eggs for Maya. And squeeze some fresh orange juice too-it’s a good source of vitamin C.”

“Right away, Madam,” Alfred replied, bowing slightly before slipping off to carry out her

orders.

Damien raised a brow, a hint of teasing in his tone. “Wait-only for her? Freshly squeezed orange juice sounds pretty good.”

“Oh, hush!” Eleanor said, a playful glint in her eyes. “You know where the kitchen is. In fact, I think you should be the one picking oranges for Maya.”

Charles chuckled. “You should see your grandmother’s garden this year-full of oranges!”

Dominic leaned toward Dahlia, softening. “That’s right. I picked some for your mom this morning, didn’t I, sweetheart?”

Dahlia rolled her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Oh, Dominic. You’re letting your son’s romance inspire you to act like a teenager again!”

That earned another burst of laughter, rippling around the table-warm, easy, and filling the

room with a cozy, lively energy.

Plates were passed, coffee poured, the quiet hum of morning life resuming around them. Yet beneath the normalcy lingered something unspoken-contentment, certainty, and the

unmistakable sense that the table was fuller now.

She had just reached for her coffee when her phone vibrated.

Harper.

Maya blinked, eyes widening. “That’s… early. Especially for her-she hates mornings.”

Damien glanced at the screen, then at his watch. “It’s 8 a.m. here… almost midnight there.”

Maya’s brow furrowed in understanding. “Ah… no wonder she’s awake,” she murmured, picking up the call and switching it to speaker.

“GOOD MORNING-or is it night? I can’t even tell anymore!” Harper’s voice came through, bright and unmistakably awake.

Maya laughed softly. “You’re still up?”

Chapter 163 Breakfast with a Side of Chaos-2

+25 Points

“Technically… I haven’t slept,” Harper said cheerfully. “Jet lag is relentless. Anyway-have you

heard?”

“Heard what?” Maya asked.

There was a brief pause on the line-Harper’s tone shifting, excitement edged with disbelief.

“Volkov’s assets in Eastern Europe were hit overnight. They had a massive shipment coming in last night, and out of nowhere… it went up in flames. Official reports are calling it an accident-some kind of engine malfunction. No one’s claiming responsibility yet, but-”

Damien’s hand stilled near his cup.

Before he could speak-

“They’re already pointing fingers.”

Ashcroft’s voice cut in smoothly as he entered the room.

All eyes turned.

He adjusted his cufflinks as he approached the table, movements precise, unhurried-like this was nothing more than a scheduled briefing. His expression gave nothing away.

“Two warehouses neutralized,” he continued evenly. “Accounts frozen within the hour. Communications disrupted.”

A beat.

“Viktor thinks it’s an inside job,” Ashcroft added, eyes flicking briefly to Damien. “Someone sabotaged him.”

On the other end of the line, Harper sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh… so it is real.”

Maya’s gaze flicked between Damien and Ashcroft, her pulse quietly quickening. “That happened… last night?”

Ashcroft met her eyes for a brief second, then shifted his attention back to Damien. “Before

sunrise.”

Damien lifted his cup, taking a slow, unhurried sip.

“It was overdue.”

Harper let out a low whistle. “Remind me never to piss you off.”

A corner of Ashcroft’s mouth twitched. “Sound advice.”

23

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify