Chapter 60: Blind Date

Several hours after the subjugation of the Pinnacle real estate hierarchy, Jude found himself sitting in the corner booth of an incredibly discreet executive lounge.

Sitting across from him was Harper.

She was nursing her third glass of vintage Dom Pérignon, celebrating the dual victories of the Aegis Initiative and the Sunstone District monopoly.

Harper placed her flute onto the table, her eyes locking onto his.

"Jude," she began, her voice unusually soft. "I want to terminate my executive employment contract with Lawson Capital."

Jude paused, his glass hovering an inch from his mouth.

For a man who could calculate the trajectory of global markets in his sleep, the sudden demand was incredibly jarring...

"Are you speaking as the President of Apex Media, or is that the vintage champagne talking?" Jude asked, lowering his drink. "I recommend waiting until tomorrow morning before you attempt to restructure my hierarchy."

"I may have a slight buzz, but I assure you, my cognitive functions are clear," Harper replied, her gaze unwavering. "I’ve made my decision, Jude. I want the contract severed."

Jude narrowed his eyes. "Give me the operational rationale. Why the sudden desire to step down?"

Harper took a slow breath. She had never been a woman to back down from a terrifying risk.

"Because I have fallen for you, Jude. I’ve realized that I genuinely want you."

Even with his impenetrable composure, Jude was stunned.

"You have fallen for me,"

Harper’s cheeks flushed a delicate shade of crimson, but she refused to look away. "I want you. Is that so difficult to comprehend?"

Jude rubbed his jaw, a chuckle escaping his lips. "It is not difficult to comprehend, Harper. If you desire my company, why are you demanding to sever your proximity to me?"

Harper sighed. "I can read you perfectly, Jude. You don’t have to fabricate emotions to keep me loyal. Right now, there is no room in your heart for me as a woman; you only see me as the President of your studio."

Jude didn’t bother offering a denial. "I see."

"So, I want the employment contract dissolved," Harper declared, leaning forward. "Once the professional boundaries are eradicated, I am going to pursue you. I will pursue you until you view me as an equal. And the next time we sign our names on a document together, it won’t be a corporate acquisition. It will be because you genuinely want me to stay."

"Very well," Jude agreed smoothly.

He pulled his tablet from his jacket and accessed the master ledger for Lawson Capital.

With a few keystrokes, he voided Harper’s executive employment contract.

They settled the exorbitant tab and stepped out of the lounge into the cool night air.

Harper looked down at the pavement. "Are you going to maintain your office at the Apex tower? If you prefer, I can clear out my belongings, but I hope you stay. The momentum you’ve built is unprecedented."

Jude shook his head, his hands resting in his pockets. "No. If I remain stationed at the Apex tower, the legacy board will continue to view you as my proxy. I don’t care about their petty gossip, but I will not allow your authority to be undermined. Besides, I have enough offshore liquidity to establish a centralized headquarters for Lawson Capital elsewhere."

"I understand," Harper murmured, unable to hide the crushing disappointment in her voice.

She had secretly hoped he would refuse to let her go.

"Arthur Vance has been waiting for you in the boardroom all evening," Harper noted softly. "But since you are relocating, I suppose I should call him and cancel."

"Give Arthur my regards," Jude said. He turned to leave, but Harper’s voice stopped him.

"Jude."

He paused, looking back at her.

"I told you I was going to pursue you," Harper said. "Which means I require your presence. When I ask you to dinner, you cannot claim you are too busy dismantling a hedge fund."

Jude smirked, genuinely amused by her tenacity. "A dinner request is acceptable. Assuming my schedule permits."

"Then let’s bypass the scheduling conflicts," Harper countered immediately. "You are taking me to dinner tomorrow night. Consider it our first blind date."

Jude let out a laugh. "A blind date. I suppose I can accommodate that."

"I will secure the location and forward you the coordinates," Harper promised, a brilliant smile finally breaking across her face.

Jude offered a brief wave, stepping into the cockpit of his Koenigsegg Jesko.

The hypercar roared to life, cutting through the street as he vanished into the night.

Watching the taillights disappear, Harper felt a wave of anxiety.

She had no idea if shattering her safety net was a mistake, but she refused to accept failure.

***

Meanwhile, high above the city in the Apex Media executive towerزز.

Director Arthur Vance was anxiously pacing the length of the boardroom. He had been waiting for nearly three hours, ignoring the late hour.

Originally, he had expected Jude Lawson to arrive and formally finalize the integration between Apex Media and Lawson Capital.

Director Vance viewed Jude as the ultimate savior of their legacy, a financial titan who could elevate the studio to global supremacy.

In Vance’s mind, Jude and Harper were the perfect dual-engine driving the company’s future.

The older executive glanced at his gold watch, growing increasingly impatient.

*Ring.*

The secure landline on the conference table suddenly echoed through the room.

Vance lunged for the receiver, pressing it to his ear.

"Harper?" Director Vance asked eagerly. "Is Mr. Lawson en route? We need to finalize the structural integration before the market opens tomorrow."

There was a brief pause on the line.

"I’m sorry, Arthur," Harper said quietly. "Jude is not coming to the tower tonight. In fact, he is permanently relocating his operations."

Director Vance froze, his bushy eyebrows crashing together in confusion. "Relocating? Why? Did the legacy engineers offend him again?"

Harper hesitated, taking a deep breath.

"No, Arthur. It’s because Jude and I just formally severed our professional relationship. I officially terminated my employment contract with Lawson Capital tonight."

"What?!" Director Vance gasped, his knees buckling slightly.