Chapter 21 The Project

Sierra might truly have to admit that she had lost her mind. Perhaps she could say that she had lost control of her own thoughts and allowed herself to go into madness.

However, thankfully, there was still one person who could keep his composure—the same person who had pushed her into the car and shocked her with a kiss.

She didn’t know why Axton had kissed her in the car, but she was grateful he managed to stop all the chaos. Axton drove his car away from the house, and she hoped no one had seen her in that car—at least not in such a disheveled state, with her skirt pushed up to her stomach because Axton had messed everything up with his hands and fingers.

Axton should have stopped the car somewhere farther from the house so they could continue what he had started. But Sierra was relieved when her phone rang, interrupting them before they could do anything more reckless.

"Yes, Damian. We’re on our way to the project site. Don’t worry." She turned her head, still panting, as Axton sped up, realizing they were running out of time.

"You’ve informed Axton, haven’t you?" Damian asked.

"Of course, I’ve informed Axton. I will come there with him, and we’ll meet at the project site. Has Mr. Smith left already? I’m worried I’ll be late, but I’ll try my best to arrive on time." She closed her eyes as Axton ran a red light, startling her with the sound of honking cars from the opposite direction.

"Is there a problem? I’m not far from your house, so I can pick you up if you need me to. I can come if you need a ride," Damian offered before adding, "but aren’t you staying at Callie’s house?"

"Yes," Sierra answered quickly, "that’s why I’m leaving with Axton. Don’t worry; we’re already on our way."

"Alright, Sierra. I’ll see you at the project site."

Sierra nodded, "Yes, see you there."

The call ended, leaving silence between them once again. Axton seemed focused on driving as fast as he could, while she had no intention of asking him to slow down. For some uncertain reason, she felt she could trust Axton with the car they were in.

The project site Axton had chosen was quite far from the city, meaning they had to cover a considerable distance. Unfortunately, they had wasted time on unimportant things, leaving them short on time.

"Mr. Smith’s secretary texted me that he might arrive late because his meeting at the office hasn’t finished yet," she finally broke the silence and awkwardness that had filled the car after minutes of no conversation.

Axton didn’t respond, and Sierra shouldn’t have expected him to. Still, she said, "That means you can slow down, Axton."

Axton glanced at her briefly but remained silent. However, Sierra could feel that he slowed the car as she had suggested.

The streets of New York were always bustling, and Sierra enjoyed watching the chaos from the car window. It felt like a reminder that she wasn’t the only one constantly busy with work. It felt like she wasn’t the only one burdened by life, always chased by time.

She couldn’t remember the last time she walked through the streets of New York with a cup of coffee. She couldn’t recall the last time she sat in a café reading her favorite novel or the last time she visited her mother’s grave.

"How did you meet Mr. Smith, and what’s Damian’s involvement in all this?"

Axton’s question broke the silence between them. Sierra turned her head to glance at him briefly before looking away again. "I met him yesterday at the hospital and attended his nephew’s birthday party. That’s where I met Mr. Smith, and Damian helped me since Mr Smith is his uncle. That’s why Damian will be joining the project visit today."

Axton looked at her incredulously, as if her story was a fairy tale about a tooth fairy.

"Are you in a relationship with him?"

"What?" Sierra frowned. "He’s your friend, isn’t he?"

"Yes, he is."

"Then what’s your problem?"

"Damian never mentioned knowing Mr. Smith, even though he knew I had a business relationship with him. Suddenly, he’s helping you and making it easy for us to meet him."

Sierra shook her head. "And you assume I’m in a relationship with him just because he helped me?" She squinted her eyes before continuing, "Maybe he hasn’t helped you because you didn’t ask for his help. Next time, you should take the initiative to ask for help if you need something instead of waiting for someone to offer it to you."

Sierra didn’t understand why her words sounded like a jab. But if she truly was criticizing Axton for what he always did—procrastinating and waiting for her to take the lead—then she had indeed gone crazy.

Whatever had happened between them in her room shouldn’t have become a topic of conversation outside. She might have crossed a line.

"Are you taking a jab at me?"

Apparently, Axton thought so too.

Sierra shrugged. "I don’t know. Does it sound like that?"

***

"If I read the reports you’ve sent me, I’ve never seen any issues in our partnership, Mr. Scott," Mr. Smith said, climbing the stairs to the upper floor. The hotel was planned to have 22 floors with various facilities on each level. However, construction was only 70% complete, and there was still much to do before the hotel could be occupied.

Sierra always accompanied Axton during project visits, fulfilling her role as his secretary.

This time, even though their situation was clouded with awkwardness, she still had to walk beside him, maintaining the professionalism expected of her.

Repeatedly, she had to suppress curses from escaping her lips as discomfort prickled with each step. She knew the source of her misery but also understood that complaining was out of the question.

"I'm glad to know you like the outcome of this project. Honestly, I was worried you wouldn't be pleased with the process, especially since you're hard to reach," Axton said.

"Believe me, even when I'm unavailable, I always read every report you send," Mr. Smith responded swiftly. "I must admit, your secretary's reports are perfect, leaving me with no reason to conduct on-site inspections. They provide all the details I need." The man glanced briefly behind him, where Sierra walked alongside Damian.

As Mr. Smith had mentioned, Damian was present today, much to Sierra's relief.

"I'm sorry, Miss... What is your name? I seem to have forgotten, and I deeply regret that."

"Sierra, Sir." She offered a polite smile. "Sierra Kayleigh."

"Ah, Sierra," he repeated, nodding.

"You should call her Miss Kayleigh, Uncle," Damian interjected with a chuckle.

"I think 'Sierra' sounds better. Don't you agree?" Mr. Smith asked.

"Of course, Sir. You may use my first name; it sounds more familiar that way," Sierra replied, nodding in agreement.

After that, they continued their walk to inspect the project's progress. The hotel was still under construction, requiring Sierra to carefully navigate the uneven ground to avoid tripping over building materials. She regretted her decision to wear high heels.

"Sierra, take note of the revisions Mr. Smith requested. We'll hold a meeting this afternoon to address everything," Axton instructed as they ascended a staircase to the next floor.

Quickly nodding, Sierra displayed the notes she had already jotted down on her iPad. "I've got it covered," she said.

"Good," Axton acknowledged before quickly walking beside Mr. Smith again.

"You work really hard," Damian commented as they lagged behind the others.

Sierra rolled her eyes. "Would you be happy if your secretary slacked off?"

"Of course not."

"That's why I don't slack off," she shot back.

"So, are you doing it to impress Axton?"

Sierra frowned. "Have you lost your mind?"

"I'm just asking." Damian shrugged.

Sierra mirrored his gesture. "Well, not directly to impress him. I'm just doing my job and striving to meet my boss's expectations. That's what I'm paid for, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I bet you're the only secretary who'd stay up until midnight for work. Weren't you annoyed when I called you last night?"

A peculiar warmth stirred in Sierra's chest as she recalled Damian's late-night call.

"Wait a minute!" Damian furrowed his brow. "Why does your expression change when I bring up last night? Don't tell me I interrupted something... enjoyable?" He made air quotes, smirking mischievously. Sierra instantly understood his insinuation.

"Are you out of your mind?" she retorted, masking her rising panic.

"Probably," Damian admitted, smirking. "Didn't you spend the night at Callie and Axton's house? How could you possibly have fun there? You didn't bring your boyfriend, did you?"

"What the hell!" Sierra exclaimed, shaking her head. "First of all, yes, I stayed there. Second, I didn't bring a boyfriend because I don't have one."

"Oh, that’s excellent information! Thanks for sharing, Sierra!" Damian teased, ruffling her hair.

Annoyed, Sierra pushed him with both hands. Damian laughed but refused to move away.

"I didn't realize you and my nephew were so close, Sierra," Mr. Smith remarked suddenly, startling her. She stepped away from Damian, but it was too late. Both Mr. Smith and Axton were now watching her intently as though the project's progress had become the least of their concerns.

"It's just..." Sierra fumbled, unsure how to explain her seemingly sudden closeness to Damian.

"Don't bother her, Uncle. Haven't I warned you before? This one is mine!" Damian protested.

Sierra bowed her head, discomfort gnawing at her. When she dared to glance up, she found Axton staring at her, prompting her to lower her gaze once more.

"My uncle's just teasing you, Sierra. So, don’t be too formal with him," Damian whispered, chuckling.

Knowing he was joking, Sierra playfully smacked Damian’s arm, hiding her amusement. Unfortunately, her laughter reached Axton's ears, making him glance their way. His sharp gaze startled Sierra, causing her to step back into a cluster of scattered metal rods near the stairs. Her foot slipped, and she lost her balance.

She fell painfully. She barely registered Axton reaching out, attempting to catch her, but he was too far away. She landed hard, clutching her ankle as a sharp pain surged through it.

"Oh my God, Sierra!" Damian knelt beside her, alarmed. He tried to help straighten her leg, quickly realizing her ankle was sprained.

Axton approached her with Mr. Smith, who looked visibly startled by the scene.

"Don't touch me!" Sierra stopped Damian's hands mid-air as the pain in her ankle flared.

"We need to get you to a hospital," Damian said urgently.

Sierra shook her head. She felt a lump rise in her throat, tears threatening to spill—not just from the pain but also from the embarrassment. The construction workers nearby were openly staring at her in curiosity, and now, Axton, Mr. Smith, and Damian were also watching her.

"I'm fine. Please go ahead and continue your inspection. I'll wait here until my ankle feels better," she managed to say.

She hated being the center of attention, especially for something so foolish. Their purpose at the site was to conduct a thorough inspection of the project, and now she had derailed their plans with her carelessness. Regret clawed at her.

"Perhaps you should go to the hospital, Sierra," Mr. Smith suggested gently, concern evident in his tone. "I'm worried you might have injured a bone or muscle, especially since you're wearing high heels."

"I'm fine," Sierra insisted, shaking her head. "Please, don't worry about me because—"

Before she could finish, Axton crouched in front of her without a word. Sliding one arm under her knees and the other around her waist, he lifted her effortlessly into his arms. Sierra gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck for support.

"Would it be all right if we postponed the project inspection until next week?" Axton asked, his voice steady but firm as he turned to Mr. Smith. "I'll talk with your secretary to find a suitable time for our next meeting. Right now, I can't proceed—Sierra is injured, and I need to ensure she gets proper care immediately."