ra had done her homework beforeing here. Brushing off the dirty looks from the crowd, she walked right up to Jackson and took a seat beside him.


    "Jackson, you haven''t checked out the Ferguson Corporation documents yet. When do you think you''ll have time to go over them? I can totally work around your schedule."


    Jackson swirled the wine ss in his hand with a smirk. "Trying to use Dn to twist my arm? Do you really think he''s got a special thing for you?"


    ra immediately switched to a more respectful tone. "I wouldn''t assume that. It''s just that Mr. Dn gave me this task, and I have to see it through. Otherwise, I can''t face him."


    Jackson''s eyes darkened. If ra had stepped out of line even a bit, he''d make sure she regretted it. But she was slick, not a single word out of ce.


    He felt a bit irked but then got an idea that made him grin mischievously. "Alright, if you want me to look at the contract, you''ve got to kiss the first person who walks through that door."


    ra''s brow furrowed, but she understood the stakes. If Jackson wasn''t satisfied tonight, the contract would be stuck in limbo.


    Everyone knew she was the go-between with the Dawson family; holding up the project would put her under the microscope.


    "Alright."


    Her quick reply caught Jackson off guard. Didn''t she have a boyfriend? Or was that all talk?


    With amusement in his eyes, he announced to the room, "You all heard it. For the sake of this contract, Ms. ra agreed to kiss whoever walks in first. Get your phones ready; this is a done deal."


    He was sure that by the end of the night, snaps of her kissing some random guy would be all over the ce. But ra didn''t care about the gossip; her focus was on the task at hand.


    The room buzzed with whispers again. "Poor guy, whoever he is."


    "If he knew ra would be the one kissing him, he might avoid this ce like the gue."


    "Get your phones out, this is going to be good."


    Everyone was on edge, eyes glued to the door, waiting to see who''d be the unlucky one.


    A minuteter, the door creaked open, and when they saw the man in the wheelchair with a cool demeanor, they all hastily tucked their phones away, acting like nothing was amiss.


    In this circle, they knew who was untouchable. While Jackson often hung out with them, Dn never wasted his time with such frivolities. He only showed up out of respect for Jackson and usually didn''t linger.


    Nobody dared to treat him differently because of his wheelchair; his presence wasmanding wherever he went.


    When ra saw Dn, her heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down her spine.


    Jackson was taken aback by Dn''s appearance but then chuckled. "Dn, perfect timing. ra, looks like the odds aren''t in your favor. Go on."


    Dn, seemingly oblivious to the situation, spoke with a hint of boredom. "What''s this about now?"


    Jackson downed his drink. "Just some fun. I made a deal with Ms. ra a minute ago. If she kisses the first person to walk in, I''ll cut her some ck. And guess what, it''s you. She''s in quite the pickle now."


    Calling it a pickle was putting it lightly. ra''s face screamed "I''m in deep trouble." She certainly wasn''t going to risk kissing Dn, especially knowing how he operates. Keeping her distance seemed like the safest bet.