Implo
hapter 147
“What’s wrong?” Jeffrey caught onto her hesitation.
Reba pointed to the room number he’d sent her, her suspicions veiled. “Primey Technologies is this generous on business trips? Everyone gets their deluxe suites<b>?</b><b>” </b>
Jeffrey shrugged it off. “You’ll see for yourself when you get there.”
Jeffrey’s casual tone eased Reba’s doubts. She thought, ‘If he’d nned on sharing a room with me, he wouldn’t sound this rxed. Besides, as the CEO of the Hanson Group, it’s not like he’d tag along for a Primey Technologies business trip!‘
With these thoughts swirling, Reba headed to the airport in the car Jeffrey had sent for her. She joined the crowd to grab her boarding pass.
“Is everything okay?” Jeffrey, who’d followed her to the airport in the same car, asked from the back seat, his eyes unreadable.
“Yes,” Gregory replied from the front passenger seat, all business. “I’ve bought out the seats next to Ms. Jensen, so she won’t have to deal with anyone crowding her.”
Jeffrey shot him a look. Gregory caught on immediately. “My bad. I meant Mrs. Hanson.”
“Once wend, get the local managers to arrange a dinner for the Primey Technologies staff,” Jeffrey said nonchntly. “Think up a reason yourself.”
Gregory nodded. “Got it.”
Jeffrey hummed in acknowledgment.
The driver restarted the car and headed toward the private jet.
Half an hourter, Reba boarded the ne. As the departure time approached, she realized empty seats pretty much surrounded her. She just shrugged it off, figuring the tickets hadn’t sold.
Afternding, she met E and the rest, heading for the hotel. When they arrived, she learned the deluxe suite was set up for the three girls to share, with the living room serving as their spot for team meetings after sses.
“Mr. Hanson wants us to gather downstairs,” E read aloud from her phone.
Reba paused, raising an eyebrow. She instantly fished out her phone and found someone had just made a temporary group chat. Besides the usual study–trip squad, both Jeffrey and Gregory were also in it.
Half an hourter, they all arrived at the Hanson Group’s branch in Honn.
The Hanson Group staff showed them around, gave a quick rundown of the schedule for theing days, and finally informed them, “We’re all grabbing dinner tonight.”
Everyone at Primey Technologies was taken aback. They thought, ‘Hosting partners for dinner makes sense, but why invite the trainees as well?‘
“The restaurant’s already booked,” Elmer, manager of the Hanson Group’s game division, chimed in. “Once we’re done here, someone will take you over. Just don’t bete–Mr. Hanson will be there too.”
“Got it.” The Primey Technologies staff nodded in agreement.
Once Elmer exined the matter, he lost interest in them. The moment he walked out, the Primey Technologies staff started whispering among themselves.
“Is Mr. Hanson here as one of us from Primey Technologies or the Hanson Group?”
“Am I the only one who thinks this dinner is bizarre? Who flies out on a business trip and ends up sitting down to eat with the otherpany’s boss<b>?</b><b>” </b>
“Reba, what’s up?” someone called over. All eyesnded on her.
Reba kept her cool and replied, “I don’t know.”
Just then, Elmer came back, noticeably more polite this time. “Ms. Jensen, Mr. Hanson would like <i>to </i>see you in his office on the eighth floor. He says he’d like a word with you.”
“Did he say what for?” Reba didn’t want to go there.
Everyone was already whispering about her and Jeffrey. If she kept meeting him alone, it’d only fuel the rumors. But she didn’t dare to reject.
“No,” Elmer replied, noticeably more polite than before.
“You’ll find out once you’re there,” E chimed in, shutting down any more gossip before it could start. “Maybe he just wants you to lead us since Derek and Jane aren’t here.”
“Alright,” Reba said, a flicker of gratitude in her eyes.
Reba followed Elmer up to the eighth floor, and once he dropped her off at the CEO’s office, he took off.
Staring at the oddly familiar door, yet still felt foreign, she paused before knocking twice. After hearing Jeffrey’s response, she walked in, using her most official tone. “Mr. Hanson, is there something you wanted to discuss?”
“It’s just us, no need <i>to </i>act like strangers,” Jeffrey said, his voice rxed.
Reba just stayed quiet. She thought, ‘I’m not falling for that.‘
<i>“</i>Come here,” Jeffrey said, putting aside his work.
Reba stepped up to his desk, ready to ask what business they had, but Jeffrey’s unreadable gaze settled on her instead. “How are you settling in<b>?</b><b>” </b>
“I’m okay,” Reba replied.
Jeffrey kept going. “Is there anything you want to say to me?<b>” </b>
Reba shot him a puzzled look, her guard up.
65 vouchera
“After dinner,e to my room 1901,” Jeffrey said, swallowing the rest of what he wanted to <b>say</b>. “We need to
talk.”
Reba hedged and said, “I’m not sure that’s appropriate.”
“If you don’te, I’ll just knock on your door myself,” Jeffrey replied with a calm voice, eyes locking onto hers. “Up to you.”
Reba was totally at his mercy. Saying no wasn’t an option. There was no getting away.
“Here are your tasks for the week,” Jeffrey said, handing her a stack of papers. “Each sheet has a note showing who’s paired with whom from the Hanson Group. Make sure everyone gets one.”
Reba didn’t say a word; she just grabbed the papers and walked out. After handing them around, she nced at her own sheet and nked; the lines swam while her mind checked out.
Reba thought Jeffrey was only interested in talking about divorce.
“What’s up?” E noticed Reba wasn’t herself and came over, worried. “Did Mr. Hanson dump a bunch of tough work on you?”
“No,” Reba replied. She never shared personal stuff. “I’m just figuring out how to handle tonight’s dinner. The Hanson Group will be there, so there’s bound to be drinking.”
Reba wasn’t good at drinking, but she could already tell there was no way out of it tonight—unless Jeffrey suddenly went easy on her.
<b>Reba </b>wanted to keep her distance from Jeffrey, but at the same time, she hoped he would cancel the
Il drink for you,” E said with a confident grin, slinging an arm around her shoulder. “I won’t easily.”
Reba cracked up at E’s antics, her mood finally lifted by E’s teasing bravado.
**
The evening their spot from
her than expected. Reba and her crew got to the restaurant ahead of five, staking out the clock ticked down, the Hanson Group’s tech gurus drifted in, followed by the big shots wvision.
event, Jeffrey and Gregory finally made their grand entrance. As soon as they appeared, in the private room stood up to greet them.
ba shed back to her first Primey Technologies dinner. She’d been at apany dinner exactly like this, with Jeffrey pressuring her to drink until she’dpletely lost control and cked out.
Cap
Reba wondered, ‘Is he going to try that again tonight? And why does he want me toe to his room after dinner?<b>‘ </b>
Chapter