The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 378

Chapter 171: When Control Frays-2

The silence that followed was sharp.

Damien closed his eyes and drew in a slow breath-then exhaled hard.

“Look harder.”

James hesitated.

A fraction too long.

He cleared his throat carefully. “Sir, I-”

“Well?” Ashcroft cut in, unimpressed. “Spill it, Horton.”

James straightened, choosing his words with precision.

“Your father called,” he said. “He believes we’re wasting resources. His exact words were that if Madam Dahlia doesn’t want to be found, she won’t be. He said she has… ways.”

Damien’s jaw tightened.

“He also mentioned,” James added, “that he has attempted this before. Multiple times. And failed. His advice was to be patient. They’ll return when they’re ready.”

Ashcroft let out a low whistle, slow and impressed. “Damn. Even your parents are betting against you.”

James shifted slightly. “There is… one more thing.”

Damien opened his eyes.

James met his gaze. “Your father also said that, per Madam Eleonor’s direct instruction, they

are keeping an eye on Jaime to ensure he does not attempt to contact Ms. Maya.”

He hesitated, then added, clearing his throat, “And… he also said, ‘good luck.”

He coughed lightly.

“Damn it!” Damien snapped. “What about Harper? Have you tried calling her-asking if she knows anything?”

James nodded. “About that… Ms. Lin keeps rejecting our calls.” A pause. “But… she did send me a message.”

Damien’s eyes sharpened. “What message?”

Chapter 171 When Control Frays-2

James hesitated again, clearly uncomfortable with the position he was in.

+25 Points

“She said… that women stick together. That her loyalty lies with Ms. Maya. And that we won’t get anything from her-so to stop calling.”

Damien’s jaw tightened-then he slammed both hands onto the table.

“Fuck!”

The sound cracked through the room.

“Fuck-fuck!”

His head snapped up, eyes locking onto James. “Keep looking.”

James didn’t hesitate. “Yes, sir.”

He bowed once, sharp and efficient, then turned and exited, the door closing softly behind

him.

Silence rushed in to fill the space.

Damien remained where he was, shoulders tense, hands braced against the table, fingers curled hard enough to blanch the knuckles. His head dipped, breath heavy, controlled only by force of will.

“Maya…” he murmured, the name rough in his throat. A beat. “… where are you?”

Damien had built an empire on precision-on knowing where every piece stood, when it moved, and why. But unanswered calls and empty updates carved out a gap he couldn’t close, a silence that refused to be commanded.

For the first time, he was forced to confront an unsettling truth: control meant nothing when the one person he couldn’t reach had chosen to disappear.

Somewhere miles away, the vehicle slowed, then came to a stop before an old manor tucked deep within the woods.

Time clung to the place.

Stone and timber rose with quiet dignity, the structure neither grand nor imposing-yet unmistakably enduring. Ivy traced the edges of weathered walls, iron lanterns stood watch along the path, and tall windows reflected the forest like dark, watchful eyes. The manor had seen decades pass, seasons turn, histories written and rewritten-and still it stood, unwavering, protected by towering pines and distance from the world beyond.

Maya stared, momentarily speechless.

Chapter 171 When Control Frays-2

The seclusion. The way the house seemed to breathe with the forest itself, rooted and unshakable.

Dahlia spoke first, already smiling.

“We’re here,” she said warmly.

+25 Points

Kim stepped out of the vehicle, moving around to open Dahlia’s door. She gently squeezed Maya’s hand before stepping out herself.

“Come on, dear. I’ll show you around,” Dahlia added, calm and inviting-the kind of voice that made it easy to believe there was nowhere else Maya needed to be.

The drive had taken nearly four hours, the city giving way to winding roads and dense woodland. When Maya stepped out, the sun filtered through the tall pines, painting the manor’s stone walls in soft gold and shadow. The air smelled of pine, earth, and something timeless, grounding.

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