Chapter 236: I’m Sorry, What?
“Mr. Horton?”
The hesitant voice pulled James from his thoughts.
Turning, he found the store manager standing nearby.
She glanced toward the entrance where Damien had disappeared moments earlier.
“Has Mr. Blackwood left?”
James closed his eyes briefly.
“Yes”
Clam
Before she could say anything else, he handed her the leather folio Damien had practically thrown at him.
“Please add this to the order and have everything packed as quickly as possible.”
The manager accepted it immediately.
“Of course, Mr. Horton.”
“There’s a bit of a time constraint.”
Understanding immediately dawned on her.
“I’ll personally oversee it.”
“Thank you.”
With that, the manager hurried toward the counter where several associates were already organizing the
steadily growing mountain of purchases.
James watched her go before pulling out his phone and dialing the number listed on Bean & Barrel’s
website.
The call connected after only two rings.
“Thank you for calling Bean & Barrel. How may I help you?”
“Good evening,” James said smoothly. “My name is James Horton. I was hoping to speak with the manager on duty regarding a small favor.”
Several minutes later, after a brief explanation and a considerable amount of polite persuasion, James
ended the call.
The café would remain open a little longer.
Just in case.
A sense of relief settled over him.
། 、
Chapter 236 mm Sorry, What?
One potential disaster had been successfully avoided.
“Now he only needed to survive whatever happened next.
Less than ten minutes later, James emerged from the store.
Behind him, the manager and several associates followed, each carrying multiple shopping bags.
The original order alone had required considerable packaging.
By this point, what the final order had become bore very little resemblance to the original pickup.
Bag after bag was carefully transported toward the waiting vehicle.
The driver popped the trunk open and immediately stepped out to help with the loading.
Claim
For the next several minutes, the associates worked alongside him, carefully loading the purchases into
the vehicle.
By the time they finished, the trunk was nearly full.
Inside the vehicle, Damien observed the loading process through the tinted window.
Once the final bag had been secured, he lowered the rear passenger window.
“Everything accounted for?” he asked.
“Yes, Sir.”
James nodded.
“I personally verified the order before payment was finalized. Every item has been accounted for.”
Satisfied, Damien gave a slight nod.
Only then did his attention shift toward the manager.
“Thank you. I am pleased with your store’s service.”
The manager blinked, looking genuinely surprised for a brief moment before her professional smile quickly
returned.
“It was our pleasure, Mr. Blackwood.” She inclined her head respectfully. “Thank you for your business. We
hope to welcome you again soon.”
Damien acknowledged the sentiment with a slight nod before shifting his gaze toward James.
“Let’s go.”
“Of course, Sir.”
James offered the manager a final nod of thanks before turning toward the front passenger door. As he did, Damien pressed the window switch and the glass began sliding upward.
Once everyone was settled inside the vehicle, Damien looked toward James.
Chapter 236 m Sorry. What?
“Did you inform the café?”
“Yes, Sir,” James replied. “They’ve agreed to remain open a little longer and will wait for your arrival.”
“Good.”
Damien shifted his attention to the driver.
“Bean & Barrel.”
The driver nodded immediately.
“Yes, Sir.”
With that, the vehicle pulled away from the curb and merged smoothly into the evening traffic.
The manager remained standing outside, her gaze following the receding taillights of the vehicle.
Several associates gathered nearby.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
Then one of the younger employees finally broke the silence.
“Did Mr. Blackwood just buy half the store?”
The manager glanced toward the now–empty curb.
After a brief pause, she answered honestly.
“It certainly felt that way.”
Claim
Less than half an hour later, the vehicle slowed to a stop in front of a modest café tucked away along a
quiet side street.
Unlike the brightly lit coffee chains scattered throughout the city, this place was easy to miss if you
weren’t specifically looking for it.
The building looked more like a renovated house than a commercial establishment. Warm lights glowed through the windows, and a simple wooden sign mounted beside the entrance read:
Bean & Barrel
A smaller sign hanging from the door displayed a single word.
OPEN
Fortunately, traffic had been lighter than expected.
They had arrived with five minutes to spare before the café’s official closing time.
“This is the café Ms. Maya mentioned, Sir,” James said from the front passenger seat.
Damien looked out the window.
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Chapter 236 mm Serry. What?
From the outside, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the place.
“It wasn’t luxurious.
It wasn’t exclusive.
There was no elaborate branding or grand entrance designed to impress wealthy customers.
James stepped out and opened the rear passenger door.
Damien exited the vehicle and headed toward the entrance.
The moment they stepped inside, the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and freshly baked
pastries greeted them.
The atmosphere was warm and inviting.
Soft music played quietly through hidden speakers.
Claim
A handful of customers remained scattered throughout the café, some chatting quietly while others sat
alone with books or laptops.
Near one wall stood a small bookshelf filled with novels, magazines, and well–worn paperbacks that
appeared to be available for customers to borrow.
The furniture didn’t match perfectly.
Neither did the décor.
Yet somehow everything worked together.
The entire space felt comfortable.
Personal.
As though someone had taken part of their home and turned it into a café.
Near the counter, a teenage boy waited patiently to place his order.
Aside from him and a few customers lingering over their drinks, the café was nearly empty.
James glanced toward the line.
“Why don’t you have a seat first, Sir? I’ll place the order and bring everything over. What did Ms. Maya want
again?”
“No. I’ll do it.”
James blinked.
For a moment, he wondered if he had misheard.
Damien Blackwood waiting in line and placing his own order was not something James had ever
expected to witness.
Chapter 236 h Sorry, What?
“Sir?”
Damien turned his head slightly and fixed him with a look.
“I said I’ll do it.”
A brief pause followed.
“Perhaps you should have your ears checked.”
James immediately straightened.
“My apologies, Sir.”
Cla
Damien had already taken several steps toward the counter when he suddenly stopped and looked back.
Recognizing the look, James immediately stepped closer.
“What is it, Sir?” he asked in a lowered voice.
“Take a video.”
James blinked.
“Excuse me, Sir?”
“Maya wants evidence that I’m doing it myself.”
Understanding immediately dawned on James.
That explained it.
“Of course, Sir.”
If anyone had told James this morning that his day would end with filming his boss standing in line to satisfy Maya’s request for evidence, he would have assumed they had finally lost their minds.
Pulling out his phone, James opened the camera application and began recording.
Completely unaware of who had just joined the line behind him, the teenager remained focused on studying the menu board overhead while Damien Blackwood–the multi–billionaire whose signature could
move markets and whose companies employed tens of thousands of people–waited patiently for his
turn.
Somehow, the sight seemed completely out of place.
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.