Page 17 of My Billionaire Neighbor's Secret

“Yes, Sir, but…”

“Great,” I said, not allowing him to finish. “Then change the supplier.”

It appeared like he wanted to say more in their defense, but he thought against it eventually. He simply nodded and told me he would call the company.

I wished I could see her face when she got the news that The Haven would not be getting the linens from them anymore.

Just like that. Just like losing my peace and privacy in a snap.

“Give me a list of potential suppliers we can replace them with,” I told the director. “I want the list in two hours.”

“Yes, Sir.”

I left him looking bewildered and panicked. I didn’t care. I just wanted Leigh to suffer somehow. A gossip like her should not be in the position of CEO.

I glanced outside. It was turning dark. But I wanted to go to my office first to check out some documents before I headed home.

The main office of Croft Hotels was a short distance away. I called my driver and told him to get my car from The Haven’s parking lot and to pick me up at my office after three hours.

Walking outside cleared my head. The breeze was relaxing, but I could feel a small turmoil building up in my heart.

I began to feel guilty about what I had just done. I had acted on impulse, which was not my usual self. The Housekeeping Director of The Haven was one of our most loyal employees. In the many years he had worked for us, and I had never intruded on his duties.

For some reason, this woman seemed to be affecting me much. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t even give a damn. It’s also not common for me to get carried away by emotions, especially when it comes to business decisions.

I shook my head in disbelief and disappointment in myself. I tried to call the Housekeeping Director to retract my decision, but his line was busy.

“I’ll just talk to him later,” I muttered under my breath.

My mind drifted to Leigh. I could easily imagine her lovely brown hair with streaks of golden blonde cascading down the soft, smooth surface of her bare shoulders. I could picture her intense brown eyes and striking cheekbones, the dimple on her cheek that I yearned to feel at the tip of my finger, and the luscious lips that moved delicately when she spoke.

I felt myself getting aroused as the image of her in a string bikini flashed in my head. Even if I had only seen her half-naked body for a short while, it had stuck with me. The vision of her full breasts almost spilling out of the top was still vivid. I could clearly picture her long and nicely shaped legs with droplets of water on them.

Then I saw her widened eyes and open mouth as she stared at me from her window, probably wondering what those ladies were doing in my office. Now that I thought more about it, it actually seemed funny rather than irritating. Even the thought of that old woman almost attacking me and accusing me of indecent and illegal things now made me feel like laughing.

Let them gossip all they want,I thought to myself.

When I finally arrived at the main office and slid behind my trusty desk, I felt refreshed and relaxed. I thought of calling the director and canceling what I had told him earlier. But then, I was curious to find out how my gossipy gorgeous neighbor would react to this piece of news.

“I should wait it out,” I said to myself, grinning mischievously and looking forward to getting a call from her about it.

I didn’t have to wait long, but it sure wasn’t what I was expecting.

In just under an hour, my assistant Alyssa knocked on my door. I let her in.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Croft,” she said apologetically. “But there’s someone who’s insisting on seeing you right this moment. From what I gather, she’d already spoken with Mr. Peterson and even Mrs. Smith. They both told her they would get back to her after meeting about the matter.”

I could feel a devilish grin coming, but I pushed it back. I already knew that she was talking about Leigh Andrews. She was really one persistent woman.

“She wants to see you,” Alyssa said. “Her name is Ms. Leigh Andrews, the CEO of Luxe Linen. What should I tell her?”

I smirked. I couldn’t help it. Then chuckling, I told my assistant, “Tell her to come in. I can spare a few minutes.”

Despite the situation, I could feel my heart pounding harder as I anticipated seeing my next-door neighbor and picturing the expression on her face once she found out that I was the President and Owner of The Haven.

In just two minutes, a knock came on the door. And even before I responded, the solid wooden door swung open. She was like a female blur as she burst inside with great energy, her face flushed and her hair flying behind her. She was wearing a red cocktail dress that brought out all her curves, so I’m guessing she was supposed to have a night out when she learned that my hotel had just dropped her company.

“Mr. Croft, I want to speak to you about---” she began in a high-pitched voice that was full of tension and controlled emotion. But then she stopped in her tracks and just stared at me in silence.

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