Chapter 3

On the top floor of Atmos Club, only one VIP room was still lit.

When I pushed open the door, Nicole stood in front of a massive floor-to-ceiling window.

Representatives from the twelve funds sat on both sides of a long table. They varied in age and nationality, but each had an identical black folder laid out before them.

A beautiful young woman sat at the head of the table.

It was Simone Montreux, the woman who had orchestrated this entire hunt and had once been Nicole's most trusted friend.

Nicole's expression darkened the instant she saw me. "Who told you to come here?"

"I missed you, so I came to find you," I replied.

"Go back."

I ignored her, walked over, and sat beside her.

Nicole stared at me for a few seconds before sighing. "Stay here. Don't say anything out of line."

Simone watched the two of us with open interest. "You can't even save yourself, yet you still have time to worry about your man."

She raised a hand, and a lawyer immediately slid a merger agreement across the table to Nicole. "Hand over all your shares in the Grantham Group. Admit to three years of illegal business practices.

"Sign it, and Mr. Grantham can retire in peace. Your two sisters can be released on bail as well."

Nicole quickly flipped through the agreement. By the time she reached the final pages, her eyes had turned completely cold. "You're after more than just the Grantham Group."

The agreement made that perfectly clear. The moment Nicole signed, every trust, property, and private holding under the Grantham family's name would become subject to joint recovery.

Everything the Grantham family had built over generations would be swallowed whole.

Simone picked up her wine glass. "Do you have any other choice? Trading in Grantham Group shares will be forcibly suspended at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. By noon, every creditor you have will be at your door. As for your two sisters..."

She smiled faintly. "Whether they live or die in there depends entirely on how cooperative you choose to be."

Nicole's fingers slowly tightened around the agreement.

She did not sign, but Simone seemed in no hurry. Instead, her gaze shifted to me. "So this is the one you've been keeping for three years?"

Twelve pairs of eyes turned toward me at once.

Someone let out a soft laugh.

Another made no effort to hide the contempt in their eyes. "He really is good-looking."

"No wonder Miss Grantham spent so much money on him."

"I heard he even got his college diploma from a school Miss Grantham donated a building to."

Nicole's brows drew together. "He's mine. None of you get to comment on him."

Simone swirled the wine in her glass. "Then Miss Grantham should sign first. Once the Grantham Group goes under, this kept man of yours won't be yours much longer."

Nicole did not move.

The bodyguards behind Simone immediately shut the VIP room's door.

I frowned and instinctively covered the watch worth millions on my wrist. "Aren't we here to talk business? Why does this feel more like a robbery?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

Nicole closed her eyes.

Then Simone burst out laughing. "Nicole, what exactly do you see in him? The Grantham family is about to be finished, and all he cares about is his watch. Is a man like that really worth three years of your money?"

Nicole looked at her coldly. "That's none of your business."

Simone leaned forward slightly and looked me over as though sizing up merchandise about to be auctioned off. "Mr. Jensen, Nicole won't be able to afford you much longer. Stay with her, and soon you won't even be able to afford the watch you're wearing."

I looked up at her.

The mockery in Simone's eyes deepened. "Behave yourself, and I'll take over keeping you. 1,000,000 dollars a month. Is that enough?"

The representatives from all twelve funds burst out laughing.

Nicole rose to her feet with a smile, grabbed a fistful of Simone's long hair, and slammed her onto the table.

The next second, all four bodyguards drew their weapons. Four cold muzzles pointed straight at Nicole.