The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 507

Chapter 236: I’m Sorry, What?

“Mr. Horton?”

The hesitant voice pulled James from his thoughts.

Turning, he found the store manager standing nearby.

She glanced toward the entrance where Damien had disappeared moments earlier.

“Has Mr. Blackwood left?”

James closed his eyes briefly.

“Yes”

Clam

Before she could say anything else, he handed her the leather folio Damien had practically thrown at him.

“Please add this to the order and have everything packed as quickly as possible.”

The manager accepted it immediately.

“Of course, Mr. Horton.”

“There’s a bit of a time constraint.”

Understanding immediately dawned on her.

“I’ll personally oversee it.”

“Thank you.”

With that, the manager hurried toward the counter where several associates were already organizing the

steadily growing mountain of purchases.

James watched her go before pulling out his phone and dialing the number listed on Bean & Barrel’s

website.

The call connected after only two rings.

“Thank you for calling Bean & Barrel. How may I help you?”

“Good evening,” James said smoothly. “My name is James Horton. I was hoping to speak with the manager on duty regarding a small favor.”

Several minutes later, after a brief explanation and a considerable amount of polite persuasion, James

ended the call.

The café would remain open a little longer.

Just in case.

A sense of relief settled over him.

། 、

Chapter 236 mm Sorry, What?

One potential disaster had been successfully avoided.

“Now he only needed to survive whatever happened next.

Less than ten minutes later, James emerged from the store.

Behind him, the manager and several associates followed, each carrying multiple shopping bags.

The original order alone had required considerable packaging.

By this point, what the final order had become bore very little resemblance to the original pickup.

Bag after bag was carefully transported toward the waiting vehicle.

The driver popped the trunk open and immediately stepped out to help with the loading.

Claim

For the next several minutes, the associates worked alongside him, carefully loading the purchases into

the vehicle.

By the time they finished, the trunk was nearly full.

Inside the vehicle, Damien observed the loading process through the tinted window.

Once the final bag had been secured, he lowered the rear passenger window.

“Everything accounted for?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir.”

James nodded.

“I personally verified the order before payment was finalized. Every item has been accounted for.”

Satisfied, Damien gave a slight nod.

Only then did his attention shift toward the manager.

“Thank you. I am pleased with your store’s service.”

The manager blinked, looking genuinely surprised for a brief moment before her professional smile quickly

returned.

“It was our pleasure, Mr. Blackwood.” She inclined her head respectfully. “Thank you for your business. We

hope to welcome you again soon.”

Damien acknowledged the sentiment with a slight nod before shifting his gaze toward James.

“Let’s go.”

“Of course, Sir.”

James offered the manager a final nod of thanks before turning toward the front passenger door. As he did, Damien pressed the window switch and the glass began sliding upward.

Once everyone was settled inside the vehicle, Damien looked toward James.

Chapter 236 m Sorry. What?

“Did you inform the café?”

“Yes, Sir,” James replied. “They’ve agreed to remain open a little longer and will wait for your arrival.”

“Good.”

Damien shifted his attention to the driver.

“Bean & Barrel.”

The driver nodded immediately.

“Yes, Sir.”

With that, the vehicle pulled away from the curb and merged smoothly into the evening traffic.

The manager remained standing outside, her gaze following the receding taillights of the vehicle.

Several associates gathered nearby.

For a few seconds, nobody spoke.

Then one of the younger employees finally broke the silence.

“Did Mr. Blackwood just buy half the store?”

The manager glanced toward the now–empty curb.

After a brief pause, she answered honestly.

“It certainly felt that way.”

Claim

Less than half an hour later, the vehicle slowed to a stop in front of a modest café tucked away along a

quiet side street.

Unlike the brightly lit coffee chains scattered throughout the city, this place was easy to miss if you

weren’t specifically looking for it.

The building looked more like a renovated house than a commercial establishment. Warm lights glowed through the windows, and a simple wooden sign mounted beside the entrance read:

Bean & Barrel

A smaller sign hanging from the door displayed a single word.

OPEN

Fortunately, traffic had been lighter than expected.

They had arrived with five minutes to spare before the café’s official closing time.

“This is the café Ms. Maya mentioned, Sir,” James said from the front passenger seat.

Damien looked out the window.

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Chapter 236 mm Serry. What?

From the outside, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the place.

“It wasn’t luxurious.

It wasn’t exclusive.

There was no elaborate branding or grand entrance designed to impress wealthy customers.

James stepped out and opened the rear passenger door.

Damien exited the vehicle and headed toward the entrance.

The moment they stepped inside, the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and freshly baked

pastries greeted them.

The atmosphere was warm and inviting.

Soft music played quietly through hidden speakers.

Claim

A handful of customers remained scattered throughout the café, some chatting quietly while others sat

alone with books or laptops.

Near one wall stood a small bookshelf filled with novels, magazines, and well–worn paperbacks that

appeared to be available for customers to borrow.

The furniture didn’t match perfectly.

Neither did the décor.

Yet somehow everything worked together.

The entire space felt comfortable.

Personal.

As though someone had taken part of their home and turned it into a café.

Near the counter, a teenage boy waited patiently to place his order.

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