The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 572

Cather Toar bater

Clairn

Chapter 302: Sooner Rather Than Later

Maya instinctively clutched a hand to her chest, trying to steady her racing heartbeat.

“Oh my gosh, Harper! You scared me!”

Harper let out an apologetic laugh and Rashed a peace sign.

“Oops! Sorry.”

Maya glanced around, finally taking in her surroundings. “What is this place?”

Harper didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, she regarded Maya thoughtfully, as though weighing her decision. Then, as if finally reaching a conclusion, she let out a quiet sigh and stepped closer, affectionately linking her arm through Maya’s.

“Your boyfriend would probably kill me if he found out,” she admitted with a sheepish smile. “But… I’m sure you won’t let that happen.”

Maya only looked at her in confusion.

Harper’s smile softened as she met Maya’s eyes with quiet sincerity.

“Besides, this is part of your life now. I think it’s better if you learn about it sooner rather than later.”

Maya frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Harper’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she gently tugged Maya forward.

“Come with me. You’ll see.”

Before Maya could ask another question, Harper was already leading her deeper into the underground

passage.

They continued through the dimly lit corridor until Harper finally came to a stop in front of what appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary stone wall.

Maya looked around in confusion. There was no door, no hallway, and no visible entrance-just a solid stone wall that looked no different from the rest of the underground passage,

“Why did we stop?” Maya asked

Harper simply smiled.

“You’ll see.”

She then placed her palm against the cold stone.

A faint blue glow immediately spread beneath her hand as an illuminated biometric scanner materialized directly on the wall. It swept across her palm within seconds before a soft mechanical click echoed through the corridor.

The stone wall rumbled gently, and a concealed section slowly slid aside, revealing a hidden entrance

beyond.

wins Puthier Than ater

Maya’s eyes widened as she stared at the opening, momentarily speechless. It looked like something straight out of a science-fiction movie.

“Come,” Harper said with a smile as she led Maya through the hidden entrance.

The moment they stepped inside, the concealed stone wall behind them began sliding shut.

The opening grew narrower with every passing second, and the faint light from the corridor gradually disappeared until the room was swallowed by darkness.

Without realizing it, Maya instinctively tightened her grip on Harper’s arm.

Just as the hidden entrance sealed completely with a muted thud, soft overhead lights flickered to life.

Maya blinked against the sudden brightness before slowly taking in her surroundings.

The room was surprisingly small, just large enough to comfortably accommodate several people standing inside.

Aside from the concealed entrance behind them, its only notable feature was the entire wall directly in front of them, which was made of floor-to-ceiling glass. Beyond it, however, there was nothing but darkness, making it seem as though the room overlooked an endless black void.

The room itself was completely empty. There was no furniture, no equipment, and no other visible door.

At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary, windowless room.

Maya frowned in confusion.

“… What is this place?”

Harper gently released Maya’s arm before walking toward the glass wall.

When she turned back around, the bright, bubbly smile that almost always adorned her face was gone.

In its place was an expression Maya had never seen before.

A quiet coldness had settled in Harper’s eyes, making the cheerful young woman seem almost unrecognizable and sending an inexplicable chill down Maya’s spine.

“Do you remember how Damien dealt with Beckett?” Harper asked, her voice calm, cold, and devoid of its usual warmth.

The question caught Maya completely off guard. The name alone stirred memories she wished she could forget-the kidnapping, the fear, and the nightmare that had nearly cost her life.

After a brief pause, she nodded.

“…Yes.”

Harper held her gaze.

“And you’ve probably already figured out what happened to Ethan Miller too.”

47

ue Bather Chai

Claims

A

Maya slowly nodded again.

She had never asked Damien for the details, but after everything that had happened, it wasn’t difficult to piece together the answer.

A quiet silence settled between them.

Finally, Harper spoke again.

“As cliché as it sounds… this is our reality.”

She took a step toward Maya and gently rested a hand on her shoulder.

“And now… it’s yours too.”

“There are people in this world who want to hurt us. Some want our wealth. Others want our influence, our resources, or the power that comes with the name.”

Her voice remained calm, but every word carried unmistakable conviction.

“Greed, envy, ambition… they’re enough to make people do unimaginable things.”

Harper held Maya’s gaze. The coldness in her eyes seemed to deepen, revealing a darker resolve Maya had never seen before.

“And if we simply stand by and do nothing…they’ll destroy everything-and everyone-we love.”

Harper’s words stirred a quiet realization within her.

They echoed almost perfectly what Dr. Anderson had told her aboard the flight-that sometimes tragedy wasn’t fate at all, but the result of good people refusing to believe evil truly existed.

Harper let her hand fall from Maya’s shoulder before turning toward the glass wall. She stood with her back to Maya.

“Do you remember why I had to leave the island without even saying goodbye?” she asked without turning

around.

Maya nodded.

“The poisoning.”

Harper’s gaze remained fixed on the glass wall.

“That’s right.”

“Someone wanted to weaken our family’s defenses. They thought that if they could create enough chaos, they’d have the perfect opportunity to strike.”

Only then did Harper turn to face Maya, her expression still unreadable.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify