Chapter 274
Just then, the phone on the desk buzzed. It was a text from Bacchus Sherwood:
[Her international travel privileges have been restricted.]
Kingsley glanced at the screen. He didn’t move a muscle to type a reply.
Miles away, right after Bacchus sent the text, a knock sounded at his office door.
“Come in.”
His assistant pushed the door open. “Mr. Sherwood, you have a visitor.”
Before the assistant could even finish the sentence, a figure in a sleek beige trench coat strolled straight in.
Bacchus set his pen down. The tailored executive jacket made him look impossibly composed and authoritative. He looked up at his guest, a faint, intriguing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You’re here. What a surprise.”
Sophie Sutherland offered a radiant, teasing grin. “Mr. Sherwood is a very busy man. If I didn’t come ambush you in person, I was afraid I’d never see you.”
“For you, I always have time.” Bacchus kept his gaze locked on her, his tone perfectly serious.
“I figured if I texted or called, you might blow me off. It was safer to just show up and see if you were actually swamped, or just hiding from me.”
As Sophie spoke, she let her eyes wander around the minimalist, meticulously organized office.
Bacchus casually stacked the paperwork on his desk, his voice tinged with indulgence. “When a beautiful woman asks for my time, I’m always happy to oblige.”
Sophie immediately caught the underlying flirtation and raised an eyebrow. “So Mr. Sherwood never turns anyone down?”
“Only when that ‘anyone’ happens to be you,” Bacchus replied smoothly.
The smooth comeback sent a sudden rush of heat to Sophie’s cheeks. *I thought he was just a boring, straight-laced suit,* she thought to herself. *Turns out, beneath that polished exterior is a total smooth talker.*
She quickly changed the subject. “What time are you off the clock?”
“I’m done now, just need to wrap up a few final details. Give me ten minutes.”
Bacchus picked up another file and gestured toward the chairs. “Have a seat while you wait.”
Sophie nodded and pulled out the chair across from his desk, sinking into it.
Resting her elbows on the
mahogany surface, she propped her chin in one hand. Her eyes drifted to a framed photo at the corner of the des this your brother?” she asked casually.
The picture showed Bacchus and Kingsley standing side by side. While their features weren’t identical, they shared the same striking, masculine intensity in their eyes.
Bacchus gave a soft murmur of agreement, continuing to sign off on his documents without pausing. “You’ve worked with him before?”
“A few times on past projects. I recall he was married, right?” Sophie remembered her father lamenting years ago that such an exceptional businessman had been taken off the market so early.
Pivoting seamlessly, she teased, “Your brother set such a great example for you. How did you end up subjected to blind dates?”
“I’ve had introductions, they just never clicked.” Bacchus didn’t look up as he added,
“And he’s not an example. He’s a cautionary tale. He got divorced, and now he’s desperately trying to win his ex-wife back.”
“Divorced and trying to win her back? What kind of chaotic mess is that?” Curiosity sparked brightly in Sophie’s eyes.
Bacchus capped his pen, squared away his folders, and finally looked up at her, a hint of amusement in his gaze. “I’ll tell you the whole story later.”
“Oh, it’s fine, I was just curious. You don’t have to tell me if it’s private Sophie suddenly realized she might be prying into someone else’s family
drama, which was rather rude.
Bacchus stood up and locked the sensitive files inside his secure safe. “It’s not a state secret.”