The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 563

< Chapter 292-Strangely Familiar

Chapter 292: Strangely Familiar

Jaime instinctively took a small step back.

+25 Points

Unsure of what he’d done wrong and suddenly feeling intimidated, he quietly moved a little closer to Maya. Almost instinctively, Maya slipped an arm around his shoulders and gently drew him closer to her side.

Alice gently placed a hand on her husband’s arm “Anata… dōshita no?” (Dear… what’s wrong?)

Her gentle voice snapped Mr. Takahashi out of his daze.

He blinked twice before letting out a small, apologetic smile.

“Please forgive me.” He bowed his head slightly. “That was incredibly impolite of me. It’s just… I had the strangest feeling I’d seen you somewhere before.”

Straightening, he met Jaime’s eyes.

“You must be Jaime.”

Jaime hesitated for a moment before giving a small nod. “Y-Yes, sir. I’m Jaime.”

Mr. Takahashi walked down the front steps until he stood before him, then placed both hands warmly on Jaime’s shoulders.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Jaime. Welcome. I hope you’ll think of this place as your home for as long as you’re here.”

Feeling some of the tension leave his shoulders, Jaime offered a shy smile. “Thank you, sir.”

Mr. Takahashi chuckled and waved a dismissive hand.

“Now, now… none of this ‘sir’. Uncle Ken sounds much better, don’t you think?”

Jaime smiled and nodded. “Yes… Uncle Ken.”

Mr. Takahashi’s grin widened before he turned his attention to Maya.

“And this must be Maya.”

Maya smiled warmly before giving a respectful bow.

“Good afternoon, Uncle Ken. Thank you for having us.”

Without hesitation, Mr. Takahashi stepped toward Maya and returned her greeting with a deep bow– noticeably lower than the one she had given him.

In Japan, the depth of a bow carried meaning. The lower the bow, the greater the respect being shown.

A ripple of shock spread through those who understood the significance of the gesture. As the head of the Takahashi family, Mr. Takahashi was someone others bowed deeply to not the other way around. Yet here he was, lowering himself before a young woman he had only just met.

<Chapter 292-trangely Familiar

Maya, however, had no idea what his bow implied.

She stared at him in stunned silence before glancing around at everyone else. Their wide eyes and astonished expressions only deepened her confusion.

Finally, her gaze landed on Harper, silently asking what on earth had just happened.

Harper merely shrugged as if to say, Don’t ask me.

Mr. Takahashi straightened before gently taking Maya’s hands in his own.

“I’ve been wanting to thank you.”

Maya blinked in surprise.

+25 Points

“Because of you, Harper finally decided to come home.” His eyes softened as he glanced at his daughter before looking back at Maya. “For years, she kept postponing the day she would take her place as the future head of our family. I never wanted to pressure her into accepting that responsibility, so all I could d

was wait.”

A faint chuckle escaped him.

“It seems you gave her the courage she needed to take that step.”

He smiled, relief evident in his expression.

“Now I can finally start thinking about retirement.”

The last remark drew a few amused smiles, but Maya couldn’t bring herself to laugh.

Instead, guilt quietly settled in her chest.

She understood exactly what kind of responsibility/Mr. Takahashi was talking about. Becoming the next head of the Takahashi family wasn’t simply accepting a title-it meant Harper would have to sacrifice a great deal of her own freedom.

And because of her…

Harper had stepped into that future sooner than she ever intended.

Almost as if she had read Maya’s thoughts, Harper let out an exaggerated sigh

“Hey!”

Everyone turned toward her.

“I know that look.” She pointed an accusing finger at Maya. “Don’t even think about blaming yourself.”

Maya opened her mouth, but Harper cut her off before she could speak.

“You didn’t force me to do anything.” Harper crossed her arms. “This was always going to happen eventually. You just gave me a reason to stop running from it.”

Her expression softened into a small smile.

<Chapter 292-Strangely Familiar

“If anything, you did me a favor.”

Mr. Takahashi leaned in conspiratorially toward Maya and lowered his voice.

“Since you’ve already worked one miracle,” he whispered, “I hope you can help my daughter find a husband too.”

“Dad!” Harper exclaimed, her face instantly turning red.

Mr. Takahashi ignored her completely.

“What?” he said with a shrug. “You’re not getting any younger. Your mother and I would like to hold our grandchildren while we’re still healthy enough to chase them around.”

He folded his arms with exaggerated seriousness.

“You’d better find someone to marry soon, or I’ll find one for you myself.”

Before Harper could protest, Kenji cut in with a mischievous grin.

“Actually, Dad… there already is someone. Harper’s just too stubborn to admit it.”

Harper shot him a murderous glare.

Mr. Takahashi immediately turned to his son, his eyes lighting up with interest.

“Really? Tell me more.”

“Kenji…” Harper warned through gritted teeth. “Shut your mouth before I cut your tongue off.”

Completely unfazed, Kenji simply stuck his tongue out at her like an immature little brother.

Harper gasped in disbelief.

Laughter immediately erupted around them.

Even Mr. and Mrs. Takahashi couldn’t help but laugh at their children’s antics.

Once the laughter settled, Mr. Takahashi clapped his hands together.

“Come, come. Let’s head inside.” He smiled warmly at Maya and Jaime. “Harper will show you to your rooms and give you a tour of the estate. Please make yourselves at home. As long as you’re here, this house is your house.”

With that, everyone made their way inside together.

The Takahashi Estate was even more impressive on the inside than it appeared from the outside.

Rather than a single mansion, it resembled a self-contained compound. Elegant buildings were connected by covered walkways that wound through meticulously landscaped gardens, koi ponds, stone paths, and tranquil courtyards. It felt less like a private residence and more like a small village hidden behind towering walls.

Harper had already arranged accommodations for everyone before their arrival.