Chapter 11

Sunday came earlier than I had anticipated and I was already in a taxi taking me to the airport. I couldn’t even explain how nervous I was about the trip. It wasn’t like I hadn’t travelled to places with my dad, but this was Mr. Railway. It was totally different.

When I told Yvonne about it, she wouldn’t stop making up different scenarios and telling me about them. It was funny at first but later, I wanted to throw her out of the window. That woman can imagine unimaginable things.

“We are here, miss,” the driver said, bringing me out of my trance. I grabbed my bag and paid him before stepping outside. It was just a trip for two days, so I didn’t need to take much clothes or other things.

I was dressed in a pair of black suit pants and a brown shirt. I wasn’t keen on dressing up today but Mr. Railway had a meeting to attend to immediately we arrive at France. I had my hair tied up in a ponytail and I exchanged my heels for flat shoes. I was going to look shorter but it didn’t matter.

“We meet again,” Austin grinned when he saw me approaching them by the jet. He looked really good in his cream colored white suit that was perfectly tailored to his size. Beside him, Mr. Railway was on a phone call and didn’t bother to turn around to see me. I was glad because I didn’t want to lock eyes with him yet.

“Let’s go, we’re already late,” he said over his shoulder and went up the stairs into the jet. I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I followed after them. We were forty minutes early but he’ll never admit that. He always found reasons to make me feel bad and I wondered if I actually did something to make him hate me.

We got inside and I watched Mr. Railway take a seat across Austin. He then pointed at the seat beside him and looked at me. Our eyes met and I bit my lower lip when a familiar but distant sensation formed at the pit of my stomach.

“Sit here,” he said. The navy blue shirt he was wearing has the first two tops unbuttoned, with his skin peeking out from beneath. I cleared my throat and nodded before any dirty thoughts could creep into my head.

I moved past him and sat down. My eyes caught Austin who was wearing a knowing smirk on his lips. I’m sure he could feel the tension the air—it was choking.

“We will attend the function at the Le Royal Monceau first, right?” Austin asked his friend. Mr. Railway nodded and brought out his phone.

“We have a few clients that are expecting us there,” he said and I automatically opened the laptop I brought along with me to confirm the details of the function. As his assistant, it was my job to stay on top of things, even if he never acknowledged my efforts and it kind of stung sometimes. The event was a gala to celebrate a merger between two prominent companies, one of which Mr. Railway had a stake In.

The flight was smooth, but the tension between Mr. Railway and me was undeniable. I tried to focus on my work, pretending not to notice when his gaze lingered on me for a moment longer than necessary. Austin, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy observing the silent interactions between us, throwing in occasional teasing remarks that made my face heat up in embarrassment and fear of Mr. Railway catching on.

By the time we landed in France, my nerves had only grown worse. The city was as beautiful as I had imagined, but I barely had time to appreciate the scenery. A black car was waiting for us at the private terminal, and we were quickly whisked away to the hotel.

The Le Royal Monceau was breathtaking—modern elegance mixed with a touch of Parisian charm. As we entered the grand lobby, I caught a glimpse of our reflection in one of the gilded mirrors. For a brief moment, we looked like a trio out of a high-end magazine: Austin with his playful smirk, Mr. Railway with his brooding intensity, and me trying to look professional while holding it all together.

“Miss Maslow,” Mr. Railway called, snapping me out of my thoughts. “We’ll need the presentation ready in an hour. Make sure everything is in place.”

“Yes, sir,” I said quickly, hurrying to catch up with him. Austin winked at me as I passed, and I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. He was really cocky and he knew it.

Upstairs, I was given a separate room next to theirs. It was spacious and luxurious, far better than what I was used to. The walls were a pristine white color and the ceiling had chandeliers which really lived up to the name of the hotel. But there was no time to enjoy it. I immediately set to work, double-checking the files and confirming the schedule for the evening.

An hour later, dressed In a sleek navy dress and heels, I met them in the lounge. I let my hair down in its thick wave, thankful that Yvonne convinced me into getting my hair done. I glanced in the mirror on the wall and smiled a little, happy with my appearance—beautiful and confident. Mr. Railway looked up from his phone when I approached, his eyes scanning me briefly before he returned to whatever he was doing.

“Perfect timing,” Austin said, grinning. “You clean up nice, Miss Maslow.” He was dressed in a black tuxedo while Mr. Railway was dressed in a blue tuxedo with his hair messy but neat. I was now convinced he was the only one that could pull that look off.

“Thank you,” I replied, though my attention was on Mr. Railway, who seemed unusually quiet. Was that…approval I saw in his expression? No, I must have imagined it.

“Let’s go,” he said, standing up and adjusting his cufflinks. The three of us walked out together, and for the first time, I felt like I belonged—not just as an assistant, but as someone who mattered. Four bodyguards quickly came to our sides when the paparazzi surrounded us. I hated it so much, especially the clicks and flashes of their cameras.

“Mr. Railway!” they kept calling but he paid no mind to them.

“Mr. Douglas,” they called out to Austin, who gave them a curt wave and got into the limo first. Even though he seemed to be outgoing and laid back type of man, he clearly wasn’t pleased with the cameras.

I held unto my designer purse as one of the bodyguards helped me get into the limo. A sigh of relief left me when the door closer as I sat down.

Little did I know, the events of the night would change everything.