Leanna

Resigned to my faith, I sat beside Uncle Luke.

The curious and indifferent glances thrown at me made my fine hairs stood on end.

I checked my phone.

[9:45 AM]

The meeting starts at ten.

I'm not late, am I?

"Since everyone is here, I think an introduction is in order."

Zhander's deep voice echoed, cleaving the silence. He shot me a comforting look before he flicked his attention at everyone. When his eyes met Cain, sparks lit.

"There's no need for that, we all knew each other here except for the little girl who came in last," said a gentle tone coming from an elegant middle-aged woman. She was glowing from all the expensive pieces of jewelry she was wearing. She looked like an older version of Holley Goldwood.

She emphasized the 'came in last' part, which caused my brows to collide at each other. I'm bad at dealing with these kinds of pretentious people. Gentle on the outside but vicious in the inside.

I did a swift swept at the people present. I was seated in the only vacant chair beside Uncle Luke, who was sitting at the center of the big table. Directly in front of me is Cain Fay and beside him, I assumed, is his father, Hynes Fay. Both men were dead set on staring at me with a heated gaze –– one with fiery intensity, and the other with burning curiosity.

Beside Hynes Fay was Jaime Jansen, Zhander's father. His expression portrayed amusement, holding a small smile as he studied my face.

On the other hand, seated next to me was James Jansen, the youngest son of Uncle Luke. In my line of sight, I spot his eyes on me. Beside James was the mother and daughter pair with their gentle smiles and sizing eyes.

There were also two middle-aged men whose faces were familiar, but I forgot the names.

I'm not even late people! Stop staring at me! Is it a crime to come in last?!

In my saving grace, Zhander motioned his hand and introduced me, breaking the heated stares of everyone.

"This is Leanna Lee, one of my consultants for this project."

"Mr. Zhander sure jest." Evelyn Goldwood stifled a laugh. She looked at me with her gentle face, clashing with the smirk on her lips. "This young girl isn't even eighteen yet."

"Mrs. Goldwood, when it comes to my projects, I only choose the best people regardless of their age," Zhander said.

Though Zhander's voice was calm, the contempt in his tone was evident.

A tense silence descended in the room.

Ahhh . . . Zhander, are you an idiot? You need these people to invest in your project. Is it alright for you to provoke them?

"My time is limited. Let's get straight to the point."

Uncle Luke saved the day!

Zhander didn't waste time and presented his proposals. It was brief, concise, and straight to the point. All the key features and concepts were explained as short and clear as possible.

I was engrossed in listening to Zhander's manly voice when something soft and gentle caressed my leg.

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A/N

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