Chương 16: BLOWN AWAY

JESSEL'S TINGS POV

I left the mansion right after the maids cleared the breakfast table and as usual, left the car behind to enjoy the burst and buzz of Utah. The city was waking up around me, the streets gradually filling with the hum of traffic and the distant chatter of other early risers. The familiar rhythm of my daily routine was comforting as I walked to the subway station, my footsteps echoing off the pavement, the soft thud of my boots against the concrete syncing with my heartbeat. The anticipation of the day's challenges, both big and small, began to stir within me.

Boarding the train and then reaching the stop just before the office always made me grin like a fool. Walking to the office, I passed the usual landmark, the corner coffee shop, the little gift shop, and the open bakery. Each sight was a piece of the puzzle that made up my daily life, a familiar backdrop to the routine of work and responsibilities. I got into Armand Inc., building as the towering structure loomed ahead, its glass façade reflecting the morning sun. I pulled open the heavy glass doors and stepped inside, the cool, air-conditioned air greeting hit my face and gladly welcomed it. Inside the elevator, I made a mental note to share the AI algorithm proposal for the Automobile industry with my brother. I had been working on it for two months as I gathered all the information and did plenty of research. When the door of the elevator opened, I rushed to my office and as I passed the desk, I heard the little whisper that came from the team in the Research and Development department as they gossiped about seeing Sean Edin the president of the automobile industry headed to Chairman Armand Office.

My jaw dropped in shock as I turned around, raced to the elevator, and pressed the top floor, which was on the seventeenth floor. When I got there Grace stared at me in shock, stood up, and asked "Madam, what can I do for you?"

"I heard that Sean Edins was here" I spoke up out of breath.

"Yes, he just left," she announced.

I rushed back to the elevator pressing the buttons in a hurry to get to the ground floor. Once I got out, I rushed out of the building and did not spot him. I did a three hundred-and-sixty turn, searching for him, remembering the pictures I saw online and in magazines, but I came up empty. I cursed and opted to hit the coffee shop at the end of the lane to get a cup of coffee that would calm my nerves. The place was not packed, and I opted to have the coffee as I settled on a corner seat that was by the large windows. As I sipped the cup of coffee, I was so lost in thought as the bell above the door jingled, and I barely registered the sound until I looked up.

There he was, standing just inside the entrance, framed by the soft light filtering through the door. He was tall, with an effortless grace that seemed to defy the ordinary. His presence commanded attention without a word, and for a heartbeat, everything else in the room faded away. His eyes were the first thing I noticed deep, expressive, and full of a quiet intensity that seemed to see right through me. They were a striking shade of green, like the first hints of spring after a long winter. When he glanced around the room, those eyes caught mine for a split second, and in that fleeting moment, I felt an electric jolt of connection that made my heart skip a beat.

He walked over to the counter and ordered coffee with a casual ease that was mesmerizing to watch, his voice smooth and low, carrying a warmth that seemed to make the entire café feel more inviting. As he moved around the counter, I found myself unable to tear my gaze away, mesmerized by the subtle play of emotions that flickered across his face.

When he finally turned, coffee in hand, and began to walk toward a table, I noticed a small, almost imperceptible smile on his lips and my breath caught in my throat as he passed by, the air between us charged with an unspoken promise. It was as if the universe had conspired to align our paths in this brief, serendipitous encounter.

I watched him from my seat, every gesture, every movement amplified in my mind. There was something magnetic about him, an allure that was both intoxicating and comforting. My pulse quickened with each passing second, and I felt a burgeoning warmth in my chest that I could not ignore.

"How could such a magnificent human exist? The only person I ever praised for his looks was my adopted brother Armand James." I thought out aloud.

As he settled at his table he took out his phone and perused it as I realized I was falling, falling fast and hard, without any real understanding of why. It was a heady mix of admiration and longing, an inexplicable connection that felt both thrilling and terrifying. In that instant, I knew that my life had just shifted profoundly, forever altered by the simple act of seeing him for the first time up close and not the magazines or the pictures on the internet.

Everything else in the café blurred into the background, and all I could think about was how I wanted to know him, to understand the man behind those captivating eyes.

The buzzing on my phone jolted me from the haze of falling in love at first sight and I connected the call without even checking the caller ID. "Jessel Ting, you have ten minutes to get to my office "The Chief Executive Officer of Armand Inc. Kaveesha Bandara yelled over the phone.

"Why are you yelling Kav?" I retorted and added. "I am just getting a cup of coffee downstairs at the coffee shop in the corner "

"I do remember that I bought a coffee maker for your office "Kaveesha snapped.

"The coffee downstairs has a better view. "I drawled.

"If your ass does not reach my office in ten minutes, I will not approve any of your budgets "She disconnected the call.

"What the fuck is wrong with her today?" I whispered and stood up, took one last glance at Sean Edin, the object of my desire, and rushed out of the coffee shop.