Taming The Billionaire's Obsession - Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Hayden said with respect, "Ms. Ritter, there you are. I'm Hayden, Mr. Drake's top assistant. I'll take you back to the city."
Hayden let out a sigh when he saw Jane. Harvey had finally found a lead for Luke on Ms. Judd, who took the ring. But somehow, they ended up at the nursing home.
Hayden hurried out to find Jane. He wanted to get her out of there quickly to dodge a weird run-in with Ms. Judd.
"Hayden? I've seen you around. You're the one who helped me at Falar Restaurant. So you work for Luke." Jane looked at Hayden, surprised.
That day at the restaurant, Hayden stepped in, so Byron didn't throw Jane and Josie out.
"Yep, we met there. After you, Ms. Ritter." Hayden gave a small smile, opened the car door, and motioned for Jane to get in. He kept it cool, not wanting to talk about what went down.
Jane saw that and didn't push it. She got in the car.
When the car pulled up to Jane's office building, Hayden spoke up. "Ms. Ritter, is it cool to park here?"
Jane snapped back to reality. She'd been thinking about the restaurant scene where she bumped into Ella; Ella had almost gotten her kicked out. Now that she thought about it, if Hayden hadn't shown up out of nowhere, Ella would've humiliated her in front of everyone.
"Sure," Jane said. Then she added, "Thanks for what you did at the restaurant. You really saved us."
"Ms. Ritter, no need to thank me. Mr. Drake set it up that day. I was just following orders."
"Mr. Drake?" Jane's mind went blank. She couldn't focus. She never thought Luke had anything to do with it. Luke helping her? She couldn't even picture it.
"Yeah." Hayden nodded after a beat. "Mr. Drake is the one you should thank. He was dining in the VIP room that day and helped you out."
Hayden's words stuck with Jane as she sat in her studio. She doodled on her digital sketchpad, lost in thought.
She thought, 'Luke... Did he really help me behind the scenes? That cold, heartless guy has a soft spot?' Her eyes dropped to the sketchpad, but Luke's sharp, stern face popped into her head.
She remembered their first meeting. He'd sent someone to save her from nosy neighbors. She'd thought he was a hero back then. She felt that maybe Luke wasn't as cold and cruel as he seemed.
Thinking about the 60 thousand dollars and the two-day deadline, Jane bit her lip lightly. She wondered, 'Maybe I could ask Luke. What if he said yes?'
Meanwhile, in the nursing home's lounge, Luke leaned back on the sofa, eyes shut, brows slightly knit. An intimidating vibe surrounded him. The person he was meeting was half an hour late.
"Mr. Drake, we've got an issue. Ms. Judd canceled last minute. She can't meet today," Harvey rushed in and reported to Luke.
Hayden had just taken Jane away, while Harvey was trying to track down Ms. Judd, who was tough to pin down. But something went south. Ms. Judd canceled out of nowhere and wanted to reschedule.
Harvey complained, "Ms. Judd's playing games. She took our fancy gifts but won't show the ring. Even dodging meetups. She's clearly trying to drag this out.
"Mr. Drake, should I send someone to get her here now? Just to check if the ring on her hand is the one you left..."
"Harvey..." Luke opened his eyes at some point, his pupils full of threat. Even though he was a bit annoyed with Ella Judd, he remembered that he had vowed he'd take care of her twice.
Luke warned, "Watch what you say. Ella's not like Jane or women like her. She... saved me. And don't let it happen again."
Harvey tensed up. "Yes, sir!"
After leaving the nursing home, Luke went back to the office. Just before quitting time, an urgent meeting popped up. It was 9 pm when it finished.
"Mr. Drake, you haven't eaten dinner yet. Your usual spots are closed. Why not grab a bite at Drake Manor before heading home?" Harvey asked carefully.
Luke's got a really picky stomach. Most restaurants didn't cut it. He only ate at a few fancy places. Even at parties, he drank more.
Only the chef at Drake Manor could satisfy Luke's picky taste. But Luke didn't like going back there.
"No, just go straight to the apartment." Luke's cold voice came from the back seat.
Harvey kept quiet. He wanted to warn Luke about his old gastric ulcer, but he didn't dare say more.
The car sped back to the apartment. When Luke stepped into the elevator, it was 9:30 PM. After last night's fight, he never expected Jane to wait quietly for him.
But when Luke unlocked the door with his fingerprint and pushed it open, a delicious smell hit him.
Jane, in comfy home clothes, peeked out from the dining room, smiling sweetly. Her big eyes were fixed on Luke.
She asked happily, "Mr. Drake, you're back. Um... I didn't know when you'd be home tonight. Reheated food isn't good, so I made you some congee. Have you eaten? It's still warm in the pot; want some?"
Seeing Luke's cold look, she bit her lip, all innocent and nervous, like she was asking to be teased.
Luke's pupils narrowed slightly. He stared at Jane for a few seconds. Then he looked away coldly, ignoring her, and headed upstairs.
"Mr. Drake?" Jane stopped, and then picked up the hot congee. "If you don't want to eat here, take it upstairs." She followed him.
"Stop. Don't follow me." Luke turned sharply on the stairs, his icy stare freezing. He glared at her. "Jane, do you think that little show in front of Grandpa makes you Mrs. Drake?"
Jane, trembling under his cold gaze, stammered, "I-I didn't think that."
"Hah." Luke snorted. "If not, then what are you doing? Or do you think buttering me up will get you anything?"
"I... I don't want anything either." She admitted she'd thought about borrowing money from Luke. But the congee wasn't made for that.
"I just wanted to thank you." Jane bit her lip, her eyes misty as she looked at him carefully. "Hayden told me you came to my rescue yesterday at Farrell's Restaurant."
Luke scrunched up his face in a frown. He didn't expect his assistant to tell her about that.
Jane said softly, "So, I wanted to properly thank you."
"Don't thank me."
"Huh?"
"If you saved a bug by accident, would you care how it felt? Jane, I never meant to help you from the start; it was just too noisy outside. You better know your place." Luke gave a cold smirk. Then he turned and headed upstairs.
Jane stood frozen for three seconds straight, her mind all jumbled. It felt like a hard slap in the face, her cheek burning.
She looked at the hot congee in her hands. Without thinking, she blurted, "But the congee... I cooked it all night. Want a taste?"
He hadn't said he'd eaten; she guessed that he probably skipped dinner this late. Skipping meals wasn't good for health.
Even if she meant nothing to him, his unintended action saved her. She hated owing favors; it made her uneasy.
She had no special skills to repay him. At least, seeing him having the congee would make her feel better. She followed cautiously, planning to put the bowl down and leave right away.
Suddenly, Luke turned around. His cold eyes locked onto her left foot, about to step on the stairs. "Jane, I told you not to go to the second floor."
"I... I know. I'm not going up, I just need to put the bowl down and—"