Luana was lost in thought when Calvert suddenly looked up, his gaze piercing through the glass to meet hers.
Without a word, he picked up his phone and sent her a message.
"Miss Hammond, could you please bring me a cup of coffee?"
Seeing the message, Luana quickly got up and headed to the break room.
Once it was ready, she carried it to the meeting room and knocked on the door.
The entire room turned to look at her, including the executive who had been presenting Slides.
He paused, clearly annoyed by the interruption.
Luana felt a wave of embarrassment, but Calvert gestured for her to enter.
"Come in," he said.
She walked over and placed the coffee on his table, then turned to leave.
But before she could step away, Calvert spoke again. "Miss Hammond, take a seat and stay here."
The room fell silent.
"Mr. Coburn, she's from Winward. Letting her sit in on this meeting? What if she leaks confidential information?"
But Calvert ignored their concerns, nodding at the executive to continue the presentation.
He reluctantly resumed, though he carefully avoided mentioning any sensitive figures, clearly wary of Luana's presence.
Luana, sensing the tension, stayed quiet and took a seat next to Calvert.
When the meeting finally ended, Luana caught up with Calvert in the hallway. "Why did you ask me to stay?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Calvert looked down at her, his expression softening. "You seemed interested, so I thought you might like to listen."
Luana was taken aback. That was it? Just because she seemed interested?
She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Aren't you worried I might report Coburn Group's information to the Ortegas?"
Calvert chuckled lightly. "It's just numbers, and besides…"
He paused, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I trust you."
His smile was warm, genuine—unchanged from the way he used to smile back when he was Albion, not the man who had shattered her artificial heart.
[$]
"Miss Hammond," he continued, "get ready. You'll be accompanying me to a banquet tonight."
Luana blinked, surprised. "A banquet?"
Calvert nodded. "The Adams family is hosting. I need a companion for the evening, and I'd appreciate it if you could fill that role."
'Is being a personal assistant supposed to include playing the part of a date?' Luana thought to herself.
The Adams family wasn't particularly prominent, just one of the many wealthy families.
Cline wouldn't usually attend such events.
She decided not to overthink it.
After all, once the bidding was over, Calvert would be heading back to Washington.
It was just a few more days. She could endure it.
If she was going to accompany the CEO of Coburn Group to a banquet, she'd need the right attire.
Calvert didn't give her a chance to refuse. He took her straight to Blue Bay Mall in Los Angeles—a place she and Clarissa had once tried to enter, only to be turned away because of their casual clothes.
[$]
This was a place for the elite, where every item was haute couture, designed by famous French designers.
Calvert didn't hesitate. He bought her a custom-made gown and a pair of handcrafted crystal-encrusted heels and even arranged for a full makeup session.
Stanley, who was tagging along, nearly choked when he saw how much Calvert was spending.
Luana, meanwhile, tried to ignore Stanley's disapproving glare while mentally calculating how much she'd have to spend on shipping later.
When the stylist finally pulled back the curtain, Calvert, who had been sitting on the couch scrolling through his phone, glanced up.
[$]
The gown hugged Luana's figure perfectly, accentuating her slender waist and graceful curves.
The low back revealed smooth, flawless skin that seemed to glow under the light.
[$]
[$]
Her face, now adorned with elegant makeup, exuded a cold, almost ethereal beauty—untouchable, yet hauntingly captivating.
But it was her eyes that caught Calvert's attention.
They were distant, filled with quiet despair.
[$]
'What could have happened to her to make her look like that?' he wondered.
"Mr. Coburn, we should get going," Stanley said, clearing his throat to snap Calvert out of his thoughts.
[$]
Calvert nodded and led Luana out of the store.
As they stepped outside, they ran into Naomi, who was out shopping with her friends.
Naomi stared in disbelief at Luana, who looked like she had stepped out of a fashion magazine.
The last time Naomi had seen her, Luana had been pretty, but now she looked like royalty.
[$]
Naomi glanced back at the exclusive boutique they had just exited.
It suddenly dawned on her—Luana's new man was even wealthier than Travis.