From His Ex-Wife to the World's Most Sought-After Restorer (Jade and Hudson) novel Chapter 356

Chapter 356 The Photograph

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Chapter 356 The Photograph

How was he supposed to subtly let Jade know that the clothes were just an excuse his boss had manufactured?

In reality, the boss didn’t care about the jacket; he just desperately wanted to see her.

If it were anyone else, Anderson would have used more forceful methods to get her upstairs.

But Ms. Merchant was the one person the boss treated with absolute, fragile care; he didn’t dare cross her.

Ring… Ring…

His phone suddenly chirped; Anderson checked the ID and saw Bastian’s name, making his skin crawl.

With a steadying breath and a shaking hand, he braced himself and answered the call.

“Sir.”

After a few short sentences, Anderson let out a sigh of relief and held the phone out to Jade.

“Ms. Merchant, the boss would like a word with you.”

Jade took the device with a look of confusion, offering a quiet greeting into the receiver.

“Bastian?”

Bastian’s soft, low chuckle came through the line almost instantly.

“You’re already in the lobby; are you really going to leave without even saying hello?”

Jade felt a strange prickle of heat at the back of her neck; she rubbed her ear, feeling uncharacteristically shy,

“Sarah said you were in a meeting. You’re busy, and I didn’t want to be a distraction.”

Bastian countered, “The meeting is wrapping up, Come up; I have a spread of your favorite dishes in my office for lunch.”

Jade said nothing.

She suddenly had the distinct feeling she was being played.

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Chapter 356 The Photograph

When she didn’t respond immediately, Bastian offered a soft, questioning “Jade?”

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He continued, “I was up early preparing these personally. Show some mercy to your old friend, Jade.”

Jade’s resolve crumbled instantly. “Fine… I’m coming up.”

She handed the phone back to Anderson, retrieved the dry-cleaned jacket from the desk, and looked at him.

“Let’s go then. Sorry for the trouble.”

Anderson waved it off. “No trouble at all, ma’am. Not at all.”

Behind them, the receptionist’s jaw had hit the floor; her shock was now a physical weight.

As she watched Jade and Anderson disappear into the elevator, she immediately fired off a message to the office group.

“OFFICIAL ALERT: WE HAVE A CODE RED. THE BOSS HAS A LADY. I REPEAT: WE HAVE

A FUTURE BOSS!”

The chat exploded instantly, pulling employees out of the shadows and into a frenzy of speculation.

Dozens of people demanded a photo of the mystery woman.

The receptionist looked at the selfie she’d taken with Jade and typed a flat “No.”

Hah.

A beauty like that? She was keeping the photo for herself.

The CEO’s Office,

Under Anderson’s guidance, Jade stepped into Bastian’s private suite,

One look around the space left her momentarily stunned by the design.

She had assumed a man of his status would prefer cold, minimalist modernism.

Instead, the room was filled with warm tones, cream whites, and natural woods that reminded her of her own studio.

“Ms. Merchant, please have a seat. The boss will be here the second he’s free,” Anderson said,

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Chapter 356 The Photograph

gesturing to the sofa.

:

“Also, he said you’re free to look around. Don’t feel like you have to stay in one spot.”

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Jade sat on the plush leather. “Thank you. Go ahead and get back to your work; I’ll be fine.”

Anderson was indeed swamped; following Bastian’s orders, he set out the pre-prepared pastries and juice before rushing out.

The strawberry tart smelled heavenly, and the lemonade was exactly how she liked it back at her studio.

She was impressed he had remembered the details.

After a few bites, she grew restless and stood to walk toward the floor-to-ceiling windows for some air.

As she passed Bastian’s desk, her gaze caught on a heavy walnut picture frame.

The image inside looked hauntingly familiar.

She moved closer, picking up the frame to study the print.

Her pupils contracted as her grip on the wood tightened until her knuckles were white.

It was a photo of her as a little girl, leaning her head against a young boy with blue-gray eyes.

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