The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 71

Chapter 39: Not Even a Damn Emoji-1

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The boardroom was quiet except for the shuffling of paper and the occasional scrape of a

pen.

Damien didn’t hear a single word.

Not the quarterly forecast. Not the supply chain concerns. Not even the new projections James had personally compiled.

He was looking down at his phone again.

Nothing. Still.

The screen was blank. Just the time. 4:26 PM.

He shifted in his chair, jaw tight, one hand clenched around the Montblanc pen similar to the one he’d already snapped in half earlier.

This was ridiculous.

He didn’t wait. They waited for him.

And yet-here he was, checking his phone like a boy after his first confession, pretending to scroll through something important every ten minutes just to disguise the disappointment when the lock screen stayed empty.

No text. No call. No Maya.

By the time the meeting finally adjourned, he was annoyed. Irritated. Restless.

He didn’t excuse himself. Just stood, nodded once, and left the boardroom with James

trailing behind.

His mind flicked through every possible reason she hadn’t used it yet.

Maybe she was resting.

Recovering.

Overthinking.

That thought made something in his chest tighten.

He picked up his phone, checked the screen again.

Nothing.

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Chapter 39: Not Even a Damn Emoji 1

He set it down.

Too quickly.

“Boss?” James asked carefully.

“I heard you,” Damien replied, voice even. Controlled.

But his gaze had shifted to his phone again. Barely a second had passed.

James noticed, of course.

But he said nothing.

Damien tapped a finger once on the desk. Then again. Stopped.

“She has the number,” he murmured finally. “If she wants to use it… she will.”

A pause.

Still, his thumb hovered over the screen like he could will a message to appear.

One call. One text. From her.

He exhaled through his nose-slow. Quiet.

He wasn’t some boy chasing a girl in the hallway. He wasn’t-

His eyes flicked to the screen again.

Still nothing.

Maybe living without risk isn’t really living at all.

He could still hear James’ words echoing in his head. Or maybe hers.

A risk.

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