The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 401

Chapter 179: Controlled Risk-1

The walk to the study felt longer than it should have.

Footsteps echoed softly through the manor’s corridors, each turn marking how far they’d moved from polite conversation. No one spoke. Whatever Harper was about to reveal already hung between them, tightening nerves and sharpening focus.

By the time they reached the study, anticipation weighed heavily in the air.

Charles’s study was vast and imposing-dark wood paneling lining the walls, towering shelves filled with leather-bound volumes, and tall windows draped in heavy curtains that muted the late light. A large desk dominated one end of the room, while a seating area with deep armchairs and a long sofa occupied the center, arranged for discussion rather than

comfort.

Everyone found a place to sit, the room settling into a quiet, expectant hush.

Moments later, Alfred entered with two maids in tow, each carrying trays. Porcelain cups were set down carefully, steam curling upward from freshly brewed hibiscus tea, its floral scent spreading through the room.

Jaime returned and wasted no time. He connected his laptop to the projector, the screen flickering to life against the far wall.

As the tea was served, Damien rose from his seat and stepped aside, already issuing quiet instructions into his phone. Within minutes, James, Monroe, and Lee were summoned- along with Ashcroft’s head of security. No explanations were needed. If Damien called them in, it meant whatever was coming required absolute containment.

Once the maids finished, they withdrew in silence. Alfred lingered as Eleonor straightened slightly in her chair.

“Tighten security around the house,” she said calmly. “All staff are to remain in their designated areas.”

“Yes, Madam,” Alfred replied.

Across from her, Charles spoke-his tone even, but carrying the unmistakable weight of a patriarch’s command.

“Make sure no one comes near this wing until the meeting is over. You know the protocol.”

Alfred bowed. “Understood, sir.”

Chapter 179 Controlled Risk-1

+25 Paints

Stepping into the corridor, he pressed a discreet panel embedded in the doorframe. A muted chime sounded as the study sealed itself-soundproofing engaged, encrypted firewalls activated, and a silent security sweep initiated to detect any foreign devices. Hidden microphones. Cameras. External signals. All blocked. All neutralized.

Blackwood Manor might appear warm, even familial, but its legacy was never built on comfort. Its walls were raised by generations who understood power, guarded it fiercely, and expanded it without mercy. The Blackwoods weren’t on top by luck-they stayed there by design.

The doors closed behind him with a final, decisive click.

Exactly ten minutes later, Jaime’s laptop chimed.

“Right on time,” he muttered, clicking the message Harper had sent. The link opened instantly, initiating the call.

One ring.

Two.

Then the screen shifted.

Harper’s face appeared on the screen, clear and sharp. The space behind her was dim, lit mostly by the glow of multiple monitors-lines of code, maps, and data streams blinking softly in blues and greens. Cables snaked across a wide desk cluttered with tablets, keyboards, and half-disassembled gadgets. It was unmistakably her domain-part tech hub, part personal man cave, controlled chaos that made perfect sense only to her.

“Hi,” Harper said, her voice bright, almost breezy.

For a split second, it felt disarmingly normal.

Then her gaze shifted, sweeping across the room through the camera lens. Her brows lifted, lips curling with unmistakable delight.

“Oh wow,” she said. “We’ve got a full house.”

A ripple of movement passed through the study-subtle straightening, exchanged glances, the faint clink of porcelain as someone adjusted their cup. Even with tension thick in the air, Harper had a way of poking at it like a live wire, daring it to spark.

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