Paperwork and Hearthbeats의 모든 챕터: 챕터 121 - 챕터 130

The waiter arrives with water and bread, and Oliver seamlessly shifts back into his composed self, ordering for both of them with efficient precision. "Osso buco for me, and the lasagna al forno for her," he adds, nodding to the waiter as the man scribbles on his pad and disappears back toward the kitchen. Oliver settles back into his chair, his posture relaxing just a fraction now that they are out of the public eye. He picks up the small olive oil bottle and places it in the centre of the table, adjusting its position by a millimetre so it sits perfectly parallel to the breadbasket. "You know," he says, his gaze dropping to the candle between them, "I was thinking about what you said earlier. About Knox loving your idea." He looks up, his icy blue eyes searching hers. "He is a difficult man to please. He will argue with anyone just for the sake of hearing his own voice. If he actually listened to you, it means you have found a way to speak his language without compromising your ow

Oliver smiles, a playful glint in his icy blue eyes that rarely surface in the office. “So, it sounds like we would be a disaster together on a dance floor. Which, honestly, sounds like a lot of fun.” Harper laughed softly as she said, “Fun? I did not think you would be the type to enjoy disaster.” His gaze holds hers, his expression shifting from playful to something more thoughtful. He picks up his water glass. “I like order, Harper. I like things that work, things that makes sense, things that follow a predictable pattern,” he says, his voice steady. “But a disaster… a disaster is unpredictable. It is the one thing my spreadsheets can’t account for.” He takes a sip of water, his eyes never leaving hers. “And sometimes,” he adds, his tone dropping to something quieter, more intimate. “The unpredictable is exactly what you need to remind yourself that you are actually alive.”Oliver sets the

“Stress relief,” he repeated, his voice low. “That is a very generous offer, Clare.” He set the cup of tea down and leaned back, his yellow green eyes tracing the line of her neck before meeting her gaze again. He knew exactly what she was proposing, and she knew exactly what it meant– a distraction, a brief escape from the mounting pressure of the campaign and the endless spreadsheets. “The afternoon is looking pretty packed,” Marius said, his tone casual, almost conversational. “But I suppose I could find a small window of time.” Clare’s smiled widened, knowing she had landed exactly where she wanted to. She reached out, her fingers grazing the cuff of his shirt.…Ten minutes after Clare left, Harper returned from lunch with a takeaway container with Ceasar salad and garlic bread sticks. Marius was hunched over his desk, staring at a budget sheet with an intensity that bordered on frustration. He loo

“It is only hypothetical. I am exploring the idea myself with Oliver’s help before it goes anywhere,” Harper clarified. “The CEO knows?” he says, raising an eyebrow. “Oliver Williams has been helping me think through the logistics. At the moment we are simply examining whether it is viable,” she said as she nodded. He leaned back, considering the question for several moments before answering. “I suppose the first thing would depend on the kind of non-profit. If it is an organization that already works closely with communities, schools, or families, then they might actually make recruitment easier,” he said, resting an elbow on the table.“So, instead of relying entirely on agencies, the agencies could recruit through the organization’s contacts,” Harper said tapping the stylus lightly against the edge of her tablet. “And if the campaign has a charitable element attached to it, people might be more w

“I will run it past Knox, when I go over later on in the day,” Harper said already turning back to the door. “I will type over the notes form the meeting with Hank and email it to you.” “Good plan,” Marius said, watching her turn. “And Harper? If Knox starts getting weird about the ‘student’ think, just remind him that ‘authenticity’ is what he was preaching about this morning. That usually shuts him up.” He leaned back, watching her exit. The office felt larger again, the silence settling back in around him. He picked up the Ceasar salad container she had left earlier, noticing it was barely touched. He opened the container and took a bite of the salad, it was decent, but he found himself distracted, staring at the door she had just walked thought. His phone buzzed on the desk. An email from Harper with the subject line: notes from meeting with Hank.Marius opened it immediately. Harper’s notes wer