Chapter 55: Jealous Billionaire

"We are heading back to my private suite at the Apex tower," Jude replied, his eyes fixed on the traffic ahead. "I require your company while I finalize the municipal zoning applications for the Nanshan lots."

Harper arched a manicured eyebrow, thoroughly confused. "I was under the impression your private jet to Tokyo was scheduled for departure over an hour ago. Don’t you have a critical board meeting with the overseas logistics division?"

"The overseas executives can wait on the tarmac," Jude dismissed, as if keeping a dozen international billionaires on hold was standard operating procedure.

"Besides, it won’t take long. Once the final municipal signatures are cleared, I’ll take you somewhere entirely off the grid for the evening."

Hearing the subtle promise in his tone, Harper felt a sudden thrill flutter in her chest.

She lifted her chin. "I suppose I can sacrifice a few hours to ensure the studio’s real estate portfolio doesn’t collapse."

Despite her haughty tone, Jude caught the undeniable upward curve of her lips.

A satisfied smile spread across his own face. Without taking his eyes off the road, he reached across the carbon-fiber center console, enveloping her hand in his.

He traced the line of her knuckles with his thumb. Harper felt a jolt of heat rush up her arm, but she made no attempt to pull away.

Ten minutes later, the roar of the Koenigsegg Jesko announced their arrival in the subterranean VIP garage of the Apex Media executive tower...

Jude ignored the dropped jaws and terrified stares. He walked around the sleek hood of the Jesko, opening the dihedral door for Harper and thoughtfully placing a hand over the roofline to ensure she didn’t bump her head.

"Let’s go," Jude murmured, handing the hypercar’s electronic fob to a trembling valet.

Harper could feel the intense glares burning into her back, but she had long since grown accustomed to the overwhelming gravity of Jude’s presence...

She walked by his side as he led her past the security checkpoints and into the biometric express elevator, taking them straight to the penthouse executive suite.

As the doors slid open on the top floor, a row of senior executive assistants immediately stood at rigid attention.

Harper offered the nervous women a warm smile.

Jude, however, noticed the exchange. His eyes darkened slightly as he guided Harper through the double doors of his private office.

The moment the doors clicked shut, sealing them inside the soundproof room, Jude’s demeanor shifted.

Before Harper could even take a step toward the conference table, Jude caught her wrist.

With a single motion, he pulled her flush against his chest, backing her against the glass wall overlooking the metropolis.

"Are you always that incredibly generous with my staff?" Jude murmured, his voice dropping an octave, laced with an edge of jealousy.

Harper’s breath hitched.

She looked up into his gaze, her mind flashing back to the ruined lease contracts and the tension of the previous night.

"They... they coordinate my logistics," Harper managed to whisper, trying to keep her composure. "It’s just basic corporate morale."

He didn’t give her another second to rationalize. Lowering his head, Jude finally closed the distance between them, kissing her with consuming authority.

By the time he finally pulled away, Harper was breathless, her eyes slightly hazy.

Jude lingered for a fraction of a second, his thumb brushing her lower lip, fighting the overwhelming urge to abandon the municipal paperwork entirely.

"Sit on the sofa," Jude commanded, his voice still slightly rough. "I’ll order your preferred espresso from the lobby."

Harper offered a dazed nod, slowly making her way to the couch in the center of the office.

"If you require a distraction, the tablet is on the side table. The secure network is already authenticated," Jude noted, taking his seat behind his sprawling desk.

Harper picked up the tablet. The screen prompted her for a numerical passcode.

Without thinking, she handed it toward Jude. "What’s the cipher?"

"Your birthday," Jude replied without looking up from his dual monitors.

Harper blinked in genuine surprise. She typed the six digits, and the encrypted home screen instantly unlocked.

"Jude, please tell me you don’t secure your primary holding accounts with personal dates," Harper warned. "Any half-decent corporate espionage team could crack it in seconds."

Jude chuckled. "That specific tablet only contains raw media files and preliminary scripts. My actual offshore liquidity is protected by military-grade firewalls that not even the Pentagon can breach."

"As long as you know the risks," Harper said, leaning back into the cushions. "Focus on the municipal permits. I’ll review the daily cuts of the spy thriller."

Harper slipped on a pair of noise-canceling headphones, immersing herself in the footage of their upcoming blockbuster.

Across the room, Jude’s fingers flew across his keyboard, coordinating with his offshore legal teams, transferring massive sums of escrow capital, and bullying the city zoning committee into finalizing the Nanshan tax credit documentation.

Time slipped away in the penthouse...

By the time Jude transmitted the final binding municipal signature, the sun had already dipped below the city skyline.

Jude pushed his chair back from the desk. He stood up and crossed the carpet, stepping behind the sofa where Harper was still intently studying the digital footage.

He leaned down, resting his hands on her shoulders, and pressed a soft kiss to the curve of her neck. "What has you so captivated?"

Harper gasped slightly. "I was just reviewing the final action sequence for the third act," Harper said, slipping the headphones off her ears. "Have you finished dismantling the local government?"

Jude rounded the sofa, sitting down beside her and wrapping an arm around her waist.

Jude nodded, his eyes trailing toward the windows. "Are you ready to leave the tower?"

"I didn’t even realize the sun had set," Harper admitted, shaking her head.

"The timing is flawless," Jude said, standing up and offering her his hand. "I promised to take you off the grid tonight. Shall we?"

Harper smiled, placing her hand in his, more than ready to discover exactly what the billionaire had planned next...