Meanwhile, after a shower, Kian sent a message to Harper Lange.

  Kian: [Good evening, Mr. Lange. I’m Sana’s brother, Kian. Sana had an accident and asked me to work with you on the east wing. Can you help us out?]

  A few minutes later, a response flashed onto the screen.

  Harper: [Oh no! Is Sana okay? Just tell me when. Happy to help.]

  Kian: [Thanks. She’s been hospitalized. I’ll be at The Cliffs all day tomorrow.]

  Harper: [I’ll be there at 9 AM.]

  Kian let out a sigh of relief, grateful Harper was willing to step in.

  ……

  The Following Morning

  Everyone except Kian had left for work. He sat in the breakfast room, surfing the net. A call from the guardhouse disrupted his focus.

  “Master Kian, your guest has arrived.”

  Kian closed the laptop and strode to the main entrance. As he lingered at the doorway, he noticed an Alpine white Audi TT coupé executing a clean reverse-park by the side of the east wing. He glanced at his phone—8:50 AM.

  The driver’s side door opened, and a gorgeous redhead stepped out, her posture oozing sophistication. She wore a floral bustier maxi dress that flaunted her dangerous curves with each step she took. Dark sunglasses masked her gaze as she stealthily sized up the hunk standing by the entrance.

  Wowza! What a hottie! Is he Kian? She wondered.

  Kian’s eyes widened slightly as she approached, thinking, Is she Harper Lange’s assistant?

  As she neared, she raised her sunglasses to her head, her storm-gray irises twinkling with amusement.

  “Hi, I’m Kian. Are you Mr. Lange’s colleague? Is he on the way?” Kian’s magnetic voice reached Harper’s ears.

  Her pink-tinted lips curved into a playful smirk. “Hi Kian, I’m Harper Lange!”

  Surprised, Kian quickly collected himself and apologized for his gaffe. “Oh, Ms. Lange, I’m sorry for the assumption.”

  She let out a light laugh. “Relax, Kian… It happens all the time. I don’t know what the rents were thinking, giving me a boy’s name! Just call me Harper or ‘Harps’ like Sana does.”

  Her bubbly nature easily diffused the awkward tension between them, and Kian found himself strangely captivated by her. “Alright, Harper. Have you had breakfast? Would you like something to nosh before we get started?”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  She arched a brow, clearly enjoying his hospitality. “A latte would be perfect.”

  They settled in the breakfast room. While Kian arranged her latte, she powered up her iPad Pro, ready to dive into the details. When he returned, Harper beckoned him to sit beside her; the gentle fragrance of her perfume drifted toward him, heightening the intimacy of their temporary workspace.

  “Thank you, Kian,” Harper murmured, accepting the tray balancing a latte and an assortment of gourmet pastries and biscuits. Her gaze brightened in approval. “These nibbles pair perfectly with a latte. So thoughtful of you.”

  Kian offered a subtle nod, his tone carrying a hint of indulgence. “These are Sana’s favorites. Figured you might enjoy them too.”

  Harper grinned, admitting, “Sana and I have similar tastes in design and food, though I’m a bit more of a fashionista.”

  “Yeah, geek is my sister’s vibe,” he teased his little sister, and they shared a laugh at her expense.

  Harper added enthusiastically, “Absolutely! I often wondered how she got into interior design. It’s quite a leap from gaming and coding.”

  Kian pondered for a moment before sharing his view, “I guess she enjoys visualizing things and bringing them to life.”

  A knowing grin curved Harper’s lips. “That makes a lot of sense.”

  With small talk out of the way, Kian explained the pressing needs of the project, particularly the unexpected requirements for James and his family’s arrival. Harper’s demeanor shifted to work mode, her Apple Pencil skimming across her tablet as she jotted down notes.

  “So, James’s kids…” she ventured, “would bunk beds work for them?”

  Kian immediately gave James a call. “Hi, Director James, it’s Kian on the line. The interior designer is wondering if it’s okay for the boys to have bunk beds.”

  Instead of James, Esme’s voice crackled through. “Hello, Kian. The boys and bunk beds… well, let’s just say those little rascals like to think they’re superheroes. They might pull some daring stunts from the top bunk!” Her words carried a mix of humor and genuine concern, painting a vivid scene of their rambunctious antics.

  Harper perked up, gently taking Kian’s phone into her hand. “Hi Esme, I’m Harper, the designer. If I child-proof the bunk bed, would that ease your worries?”

  There was a pause before Esme relented. “Okay, go for it then.”

  “Great! Which superheroes are the boys into?” Harper asked, her tone light and airy.

  With a soft chuckle, she mused, “They’re into Batman, Superman, and Spiderman—all the classics.”

  A mischievous gleam lit up Harper’s eyes. “Fantastic! They’ll be thrilled when I’m done!”

  “Don’t blow the budget; they’ll be there a year tops,” Esme cautioned.

  When she ended the call, Kian noticed her sheepish expression. “Oops! Forgot I was using your phone.”

  Kian couldn’t help but chuckle. “No worries.”

  Before Harper could ask another question, Kian’s words cut in smoothly. “The budget isn’t a concern. Just let me know the estimate; we’ll pay upfront. We can top it up as we go along. The priority is James’s family. After that, we’ll focus on the guest rooms in the lower basement.”

  A hint of seriousness laced her reply, “Got it. I’ll start sourcing materials after lunch.”

  Kian glanced at the time. “Speaking of lunch, would you like to join me?”

  Harper’s face lit up. “I’d love to. Thank you, Kian.”

  A moment of silence passed, and Kian suddenly realized he didn’t want their collaboration to be strictly professional. Before he knew it, he offered, “For your convenience, I’ll arrange access for you. Just use your thumbprint at the main entrance from now on.”

  Harper’s irises twinkled. “Thank you. That would make things much easier.”

  Just then, Kian’s phone buzzed. It was from the guardhouse again, notifying him that a delivery truck had arrived.

  He beamed. “The delivery’s here; wanna come with?”

  “Sure!”

  A flicker of something unfamiliar crossed Kian’s mind. He was only meant to fill in for Sana, yet he enjoyed Harper’s company so much that he couldn’t bear to part with her even for a minute.

  Baby steps, Kian, baby steps!

  minor identity crisis… but a major crush developing ??

  Who knew renovations could be so distracting? ??

  Anyone else already shipping this one? ??

  Mistaken identity ?

  Crush at first sight ?

  Budding romance alert ? Kian’s smitten… and we’re just getting started ??