The thought flashed, but he didn’t take it seriously. He casually replied, “It was a stranger.”
He put down his mobile phone and left his office to go to the meeting.
Although the branch company of the Sterling pack in Arcadia was not as big as Wolverly Capital’s Sterling pack headquarters, it still occupied a full building on East Street.
Today, Jackson was holding a general meeting. Dozens of people in professional attire and carrying laptops went upstairs one after another.
In a short while, the large conference room was full of people who were waiting on Jackson.
His head had better get itself right, and fast.
I sat in the reception area outside of the huge conference room. I was a little envious when I saw the group of elites through the gla*s.
My plan had been to go to school for design, and then find an internship and work my way up.
But at that time, I couldn’t fulfill my dream. I had to find a job that paid a monthly salary right away instead of school and an unpaid internship.
While thinking of the past and my plans before, I gazed at Jackson.
He sat at the head of the conference table, in an impeccable suit. One ankle rested on his knee in a casual pose, and his head was tilted slightly so he could look at the presentation on the big screen while listening to the executive’s report on what was happening at the Sterling pack’s Arcadia offices.
He looked put together and relaxed, with a strand of dark hair falling down over his forehead, but he also radiated the powerful presence of the Alpha he was.
As I was staring at him, Jackson glanced at me through the gla*s.
He picked up his phone, and my phone dinged with a message a second later.
[Ms. Palmer, please bring me a cup of coffee.]
I quickly got up and went to the break room to make coffee.
After making it, she knocked on the conference room door with the mug of steaming liquid.
Everyone in the conference room looked at the door-at me.
The senior executive explaining PowerPoint in front of the screen also stopped, dissatisfaction on his face.
I was a little embarra*sed until Jackson waved at me.
“Come in,” he said.
Only then did I walk up to him with the cup of coffee. I placed it beside him and was about to leave the meeting room when Jackson said, “Ms. Palmer, please sit down and listen.”
All of the executives were speechless.
Jackson ignored everyone’s expressions and raised his chin at the senior executive explaining the PowerPoint. “Continue.”
The executive had no choice but to continue. However, I noticed that he skipped over one of the income slides. Instead of giving all of the figures, he gave more general percentages. I’m sure he was afraid I would share the information.
It was clear that the Sterling pack execs weren’t pleased with my presence in the meeting, so I sat still and quiet during the duration of the presentation.
When the meeting ended, I ran out and asked Jackson, “Why do you want me to listen?”
Jackson looked down at me, who was a head shorter than him, and replied in a gentle voice, “When you were sitting outside the room, you looked interested, so I decided to let you listen.”
I wasn’t prepared for that answer.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll take the information elsewhere?”
“They are all unimportant numbers that anyone could find in a public earnings report, and…” Jackson paused for a moment, then smiled. “I believe in you.”
His smile was no different from before…before everything. It was genuine, and it had the power to brighten a room.
It was as if he was still Silas, not Jackson, the man who had broken my artificial heart with two strong kicks.
“Ms. Palmer, you’ll need to go get ready. I’m going to a banquet tonight.”
I came back to my senses. “A banquet?”
Jackson nodded. “The Wilton pack is holding a banquet. I need a female companion, and I’d like you to attend with me.”
Was it a personal a*sistant’s duty to be a temporary female companion? And would it be appropriate for Jackson to take a non-shifter with him?
The Wilton pack was not particularly prominent or powerful, and I wasn’t sure why Jackson would feel the need to attend. The Wiltons were wealthy, but that was about it.
And that wasn’t really saying anything. Most wolf shifter packs were wealthy if they weren’t a newer pack. Longer life spans equaled more time to build wealth to then pa*s on to the next Alpha.
This wasn’t my concern, though. My concern was doing what Jackson wanted me to do so I could get this whole thing over with.
Jackson would return to Wolverly Capital as soon as the bidding was over. It was only a few days. I had to endure it for a while,
and then everything would be over.
“Alpha Sterling, I would love to attend with you. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything suitable to wear to a formal banquet.”
Maybe, if I was extremely lucky, he might let me off the hook…
“That’s of no importance. I’ll have my schedule cleared and we can go shopping right now.”
Harper and I had been to this mall before. Once, we wanted to go in and have a look, but as soon as the sales a*sociates saw our clothes, they wouldn’t let us in.
Only the wealthiest were allowed into these stores, and each store employed a security guard wearing a black suit to stand at the door. Every store here was for a luxury designer, from Chanel to Hermes to Louboutin.
Jackson took me straight to a specific store, and everyone there gushed over him. I wasn’t sure if they actually knew him or just knew who he was. He had them fit me with a custom-made dress, a pair of hand-made crystal-encrusted shoes, and a complete makeup set.
He’d brought Camille with us, and her eyes widened when he saw Jackson spending so much money on me.
I endured Camille’s glare; I would have my own price to pay for all of this tomorrow at the office.
After the salesgirl completed my makeup and made sure my dress was adjusted just right, she opened the curtain with a swoosh.
Sitting on the sofa and looking down at his phone, Jackson subconsciously looked up when he heard the sound of the curtains being slid open.
The custom-made strapless dress fully displayed Taya’s exquisite figure; it clung to her waist and outlined her perfect curves.
Perfectly rounded breasts were perky in the dress, and his eyes were drawn to her cleavage.
The exposed skin was so white that it was glowing. There were no flaws at all.
Her delicate makeup made her look refined and elegant, accentuating her lips, eyes, and cheekbones.
However, the look in her eyes was indifferent, with a trace of… despair?
Yes, despair. This was the feeling Jackson felt every time their eyes locked.
He’d finally found the word to describe her eyes. It turned out that she was desperate.
What on earth had happened to her that made her feel so desperate?