Chapter 182

**Summer's POV**

"Jean-Pierre."

"Jean-Pierre?" I repeated, my head snapping up as Brandon mentioned the name. "The chief engineer?"

Brandon raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes studying me with mild surprise."You know him?"

"Of course I know," I said, feeling a flutter of excitement. "Who in Manhattan's architectural world doesn't? Leo's been mentioning him constantly these past few weeks." I straightened in my seat, unable to hide my enthusiasm."I heard the last two commercial plazas Stark Group developed were his designs. His work on the Riverview complex was groundbreaking!"

A small smile played at the corners of Brandon's mouth. "I see you've done your homework."

"It's not exactly homework," I admitted, feeling slightly self-conscious under his steady gaze. "I used to study his work in my free time,and when Leo started bringing himn up during our Manhattan West Side discussions, I did some extra research." I shrugged, trying to appear casual despite my obvious excitement. "His approach to urban development challenges is pretty revolutionary."

Brandon's eyes softened with unmistakable approval, warming me from the inside out. Without thinking, I reached over and lightly squeezed his hand.

"So," I ventured, "is this you pulling strings for me?"

"If that's how you want to see it," Brandon replied, his voice taking on that velvety quality that always made my stomach flutter. He reached out.gently tapping the tip of my nose with his finger. "But remember, no matter how many resources I introduce you to, if you don't work hard yourself, it's all pointless."

I nodded, feeling both chastised and motivated. "I know that."

"You should talk to Leo about this," Brandon suggested. "He could give you valuable insights."

"Leo Schmidt?" I blinked in surprise. "He's already been incredibly generous with his knowledge. The way he teaches me about projects is practically professor-level."

"Jean-Pierre was his mentor," Brandon revealed casually.

My eyes widened. "Seriously? Leo never mentioned that!" I frowned slightly, connecting dots in my head. "Wait a minute..."

My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out. checking the screen. "Speak of the devil," I laughed, showing Brandon the caller ID. "It's Leo!"

I quickly answered. "Hello,Leo."

"Summer," Leo's voice came through, sounding slightly congested."How are those environmental assessment reports for the West Side project coming along? The ones I asked you to prepare this morning?"

"Leo, don't worry," I assured him. "I've organized all the materials and already handed them over to Mr. Stark. You should focus on getting better.

Heather and I have everything under control."

"I see. And what was Brandon's feedback?" Leo pressed.

I glanced at Brandon, who was listening intently. "Well... I just gave them to him, so he hasn't had time to evaluate everything yet." I held out the phone to Brandon. "Leo, I'm actually with Brandon right now. He'd like to speak with you."

Brandon took the phone, his expression shifting into professional mode."Leo, Brandon Stark here. I've received Summer's materials but haven't had a chance to review them thoroughly yet. From what I've seen,they appear satisfactory. I'll provide comprehensive feedback tonight. Take care of yourself."

There was a pause as Leo responded.

"Yes," Brandon replied, his tone cooling noticeably. "Summer is with me.Is that a problem?"

Another pause, then Brandon handed the phone back to me with a slight smirk. I barely had time to end the call before Brandon's phone started ringing. He glanced at it, then looked at me expectantly.

"Answer it," he instructed, nodding toward his phone.

I glanced down at the screen, seeing Monica's name flash across it. I turned the phone toward Brandon, silently questioning whether I should really answer his PA's call.

That's when I noticed his lock screen-a photo of me sleeping,my face relaxed, hair tousled across the pillow. My heart skipped a beat.

"Go ahead," Brandon urged, watching my reaction.

Face warmmng, - Swiped to alswer. neno?

There was a moment of startled silence on the other end. "Uh... who is this? Isn't this Mr. Stark's phone?" Monica's voice was a mixture of confusion and alarm.

"Yes, this is Mr. Stark's phone," I confirmed, trying to sound professional despite my flustered state. "Hi Monica, this is Summer Taylor from Projects.

Brandon's busy at the moment. Is there something I can help with?"

"Oh," Monica sounded momentarily thrown off balance. "Mr. Henderson's assistant just contacted me. They've arrived at the airport but haven't seen anyone sent to meet them. Are you and Mr. Stark at the airport now, Ms.Taylor?"

"Yes, we're at the airport," I confirmed. "We're waiting for Mr. Henderson."

"One of Mr. Henderson's bags has beena lost," Monica continued. "It contains important documents..."

"I understand," I cut in. "I'll let Brandon know right away. We'll go find Mr. Henderson immediately."

I ended the call and turned to Brandon. "Jean-Pierre is waiting.Apparently, the airline lost one of his bags with important documents inside."

Brandon nodded, but his gaze had fixed on my phone, which I'd absentmindedly placed on the console between us. His eyes narrowed at my lock screen-a photo of an actor I'd admired for years.

"What did Monica say?" he asked, his voice deceptively casual as he picked up my phone.

-Paus,and shapped a quick photo of us together.

"Brandon!" I protested. "What are you doing with my phone? If you want to take a picture, at least warn me! I wasn't ready! Give it back."

He handed it back with a satisfied look. I glanced down to see my lock screen had been replaced with the photo he'd just taken-both of us together, him looking perfectly composed while I appeared caught off-guard.

"Why did you change my wallpaper?" I demanded.

"Why wouldn't I?" he replied coolly. "Your phone lock screen can only be me, not other men."

I rolled my eyes. "It's just an actor I admire. Someone who literally doesn't exist in my real life. Are you seriously jealous of that?"

"No," Brandon stated firmly. "I don't allow it. From now on, your phone can only have my photo."

"You're impossible," I sighed, examining the new wallpaper more carefully."And putting your picture here basically announces our relationship to anyone who sees my phone. What happened to keeping things private?"

I squinted at the photo again. "Look at this! You didn't even tell me you were taking it. I wasn't prepared at all, but you posed perfectly. That's so unfair!"

Brandon simply plucked the phone from my hands. "To prevent you from changing it back right away, I'll hold onto this for now."

He stood, taking my hand firmly in his. "Let's go. Mr. Henderson must be

getting anxious."

As we walked through the terminal, I couldn't help muttering, "This is your fault. How did I get so delayed?" I paused, another thought occurring to me. "By the way, when did you take that picture of me sleeping? That photo is awful! I want to replace it with something nicer later."

Brandon leaned close, his breath warm against my ear as he murmured,"I think it's beautiful. You're most captivating when you're half asleep."

My heart hammered in my chest, heat rising to my face as I pushed him away. "Stop that. From now on, you need to keep your distance!"