Karn steered the car smoothly out of the driveway as the massive gates of the mansion slowly parted to allow their exit. The vehicle rolled forward onto the quiet road beyond the estate.
Gabriel glanced down at the file resting on his lap, flipping it open briefly before scanning the first page.
"Why would they suddenly want to start a trade partnership?" he muttered thoughtfully. "I’ll speak with their Alpha personally."
After a mont, he closed the file again and set it aside.
"Anyway," he continued, turning slightly toward Karn, "tell how things are going with Aisha."
Karn let out a faint chuckle but kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"You seem to be far more worried about my life these days," he remarked.
Gabriel leaned back in his seat.
"You could say that I care about you," he replied casually.
There was a short pause before he added another piece of news. "By the way, Carlos is back."
Karn’s reaction was imdiate.
"He’s back?" His eyes lit up with surprise and relief. He wanted to tell Carlos he worked on his advise and was with Aisha finally.
But Gabriel continued, his tone more thoughtful now. "He still hasn’t told anyone why he left so suddenly."
The excitent on Karn’s face faltered slightly when he sensed the concern in Gabriel’s voice. The way Gabriel spoke about Carlos made it clear that the matter was still weighing on his mind.
"Maybe he doesn’t want to trouble you or Alie," Karn said, his voice thoughtful as he kept his attention on the road.
Gabriel gave a small nod, though the concern on his face remained.
"That could be true," he admitted. "But in a way, that only makes us worry more."
He rested his arm against the door and continued, his tone growing more serious.
"Carlos left in such a hurry. He barely explained anything before disappearing." Gabriel exhaled slowly. "You see... Carlos has beco an important part of my family. I can’t stand the thought of him dealing with sothing alone."
His fingers tapped lightly against the closed file on his lap.
"If he’s facing any kind of problem, I want him to co to . I want him to take my help instead of carrying everything by himself."
Karn understood the sincerity behind those words. Gabriel’s concern wasn’t simply that of a leader for a subordinate, it was closer to how one would worry for family.
Still, Karn also knew Carlos well enough.
Carlos had always been a man who carried his burdens quietly. He rarely spoke about his personal life and preferred to keep many things hidden behind a calm deanor.
"Carlos has always been that way," Karn said gently. "He keeps many things to himself."
After a brief pause, he added reassuringly,
"But when the ti feels right to him, he’ll tell you and Alie the truth about why he left so suddenly."
Gabriel humd, realizing except for waiting he couldn’t do anything else.
~~~~
"Co in."
Denzel spoke without lifting his head at first, leaning back against his swivel chair. The office had finally grown quiet after a long series of etings. Ever since Gabriel had returned to take charge again, discussions and strategic briefings had been happening almost constantly. As the company’s director, Denzel had been required to attend most of them.
Now, in the stillness of the afternoon, he had finally found a few minutes to breathe.
But the knock on the door had broken that brief peace.
When the door opened, he lifted his gaze. His brows imdiately rose in surprise.
Juniper was standing there.
"What are you doing here?" Denzel asked, clearly taken aback.
Juniper walked toward the desk calmly and placed a small stack of files in front of him before greeting him properly.
"Good afternoon, Director."
Denzel’s eyes moved from her face to the files on the table.
"I work in one of the subsidiaries connected to this company," Juniper explained. "Our division focuses on fashion and costics."
She gestured lightly toward the docunts she had just set down.
"My team leader asked to bring these here."
Denzel straightened slightly in his chair, now paying closer attention.
"They said we need the Director’s approval before moving forward with the project," Juniper continued.
She pointed toward the top file.
"The blue file contains the draft plan for the proposal," she said. Then she tapped the second one. "And the red file includes the financial projections, an estimate of the profits we expect once the project launches."
Juniper stepped back slightly after explaining, waiting for his response.
"I see. I’ll go through them," Denzel said as he pulled the files closer. He glanced up at her again, curiosity lingering in his expression. "But Juniper, how did you—"
He didn’t get to finish.
"Let’s not bring my private affairs into this," Juniper said calmly, her tone respectful but firm. "Sir."
Denzel paused for a mont before giving a quiet hum of acknowledgnt. He didn’t press the matter further. Instead, he opened the blue file and began reading through the proposal carefully.
"You can sit," he added without looking up.
Juniper nodded and pulled out one of the chairs in front of his desk. Sitting down, she folded her hands neatly in her lap. While Denzel reviewed the docunts, her gaze drifted quietly around the office. The room was spacious and neatly organized, reflecting Denzel’s precise nature.
Minutes passed in silence.
Nearly half an hour later, Denzel finally placed the last sheet on the desk and picked up his pen. After signing the necessary papers, he closed the files and pushed them slightly toward her.
"You have my approval," he said.
Juniper stood up imdiately.
"Thank you, sir," she replied politely as she began gathering the docunts.
Just as she stacked the files together, Denzel spoke again.
"Prince Gabriel might get angry if he sees you here."
Juniper paused for a mont but didn’t look particularly concerned.
"I thought Prince Gabriel was a professional," she said evenly.
At that exact mont, the office door opened.
"Denzel, you need to—"
Gabriel’s voice cut off mid-sentence the instant he noticed Juniper standing inside the room.
"What are you doing here?" Gabriel asked, one eyebrow arching slightly as his sharp gaze settled on Juniper.
Before Juniper could respond, Denzel spoke quickly.
"She works for one of our subsidiaries," he explained. "Their division handles fashion and costics. Her team sent these files for approval regarding a new project."
Gabriel glanced briefly at the docunts on the desk before looking back at Juniper.
"Oh," he said simply. Then his tone softened a little. "Are you doing well?"
Juniper gave a small nod.
"Hmm."
She bowed politely in acknowledgnt and, without lingering any longer, stepped forward. As she passed Gabriel, she quietly walked out of the office.
The door closed behind her. Gabriel let out a short chuckle, shaking his head slightly.
"Of all the places, she chose to work in San Ravendale," he remarked.
Then he turned back toward Denzel and placed a file on the desk.
"I need you to set up a eting with the Alpha of the Blood Dominion," he said.
Denzel nodded, already reaching for the file.
"I would’ve asked Karn to handle it," Gabriel continued, "but he’s busy with other matters at the mont."
He tapped the file lightly.
"They’ve sent us a proposal for a trade partnership. Contact them, arrange the eting, and report back to afterward."
"Sure, sir," Denzel replied promptly.
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