Chapter 339: Uneasy

Tanner’s POV:

I could tell Hayley was struggling to find the right words, so I said, “Take your time to think it over. No rush. Let me know when you’re ready.”

She nodded and responded, “It’s not that. The pressure from learning cultural knowledge and werewolf combat training is intense right now, so I might not have much time to spare.”

“That’s fine. The client’s wedding isn’t urgent. It’s later this year,” I reassured her.

Hayley nodded again. “Alright then. Tomorrow’s the weekend, so I’ll visit your studio and check things out.”

Pleased that she agreed, I smiled and handed her the design files. “Here are my designs. Feel free to look them over.”

She accepted the files and said, “Sure, I’ll take a look.”

With that, Hayley said goodbye to me and Benjamin before heading upstairs.

Benjamin gave me a sharp look, his gaze intense. “You’re not just asking her for help, are you?”

His Alpha presence was strong, and it made me uneasy.

I sighed. “It seems like nothing escapes your notice.”

He raised an eyebrow. “If something is going on, just tell me.”

I didn’t think there was a conclusion yet, so I replied, “I’m not sure yet, but I promise there’s nothing else to it. I just want to confirm something I suspect.”

Benjamin nodded. “Alright, I respect her decision.”

I thanked him for understanding.

Hayley’s POV:

I closed the door behind me, set down my backpack, and took a seat. Opening Tanner’s design files, I stayed up late to go through them all.

It was clear from the designs that Tanner had impressive skills. Achieving that level of expertise would take years of work. However, I noticed that his designs lacked originality and risk. His thinking seemed to be stuck in traditional patterns.

The next day, I arrived early at Tanner’s studio. Most of the employees were already there, and a few, like Teri, recognized me.

When Teri saw me, she greeted me warmly, “Ms. Garson, what brings you here today?”

I smiled and answered, “Just stopping by for a visit.”

I knew Teri was grateful to me. Thanks to my guidance, she’d improved her design work and was now promoted from an assistant to a rookie designer.

She kindly led me to a seat. “Ms. Carson, please make yourself comfortable in the lounge. I’ll get you some coffee.”

I declined, saying, “No need. I’ll head to Tanner’s office.”

Teri quickly responded, “Let me escort you there.”

When Tanner saw me, he stood up right away. “Hayley, you’re here!”

I nodded and said directly, “Set up a place for me. I’ll get started soon.”

Tanner smiled. “No rush. I’ve already prepared an office for you. Take a moment to rest first. Teri will take you there.”

Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door. “Mr. Southwell, Ms. Kilmer is here.”

At the mention of her name, Tanner’s expression shifted, but he quickly regained his professional composure. “Tell her to wait in the meeting room. I’ll be there shortly.”

“Yes, Mr. Southwell.”

Noticing that Tanner had business to attend to, I stood up. “Since you’re busy, I’ll just have your assistant show me to the office.”

“Alright,” he agreed, “Teri will take you.”

As we left his office, Teri hurried to say, “Ms. Carson, this way.”

But as we turned the corner, Hera suddenly became restless. Confused, I looked up and saw Madeline walking toward me.