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24. The Interview
publish date:
2022-12-08 21:13:16
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Coming Back, To Say Goodbye! 54. Someone Else
Le Petit Café smelled of roasted chicory, old pine wood, and the faint sweetness of toasted brioche, a location Nadine had chosen deliberately, far from Alexander Barrett's territory.Across the checkered tablecloth sat Olivia, wonderfully out of place in Nadine's high-stakes universe. A hairpin caught the light in her soft brown hair, one Adrian had chosen for her once. A smudge of blue ink marked her thumb, a leftover from grading papers at the elementary school where she taught. Nadine studied her with an old, aching tenderness, the innocence she was determined to protect."I'm surprised you like a place like this. How did you even find Le Petit? Did Adrian tell you?"A cold pang twisted through Nadine's chest, masked instantly by a practiced smile. Adrian? No. He wouldn't set foot here until it was too late."Just a coincidence," Nadine murmured, swirling her coffee. "I wanted somewhere quiet. Somewhere we could talk..."Olivia brightened. "I'm so happy you want to be friends.
Coming Back, To Say Goodbye! 53. Cash Only
“If you don't mind, can we meet after my office hours, around 6 PM, at Le Petit Café?”At 4:30 PM, Nadine Merrick's phone chimed with a soft, melodic notification. A text from Olivia Wilson."I'm a little nervous about today, Nadine. But since Le Petit Café is right in the middle of the street food district, I wanted to bring you my favorite local snack to try! See you at 6:00?"A bitter smile touched Nadine's lips. In her past life, she had treated Olivia's kindness as a weakness to exploit. She had used Alexander's obsession to trap them both, doing whatever it took to keep Adrian for herself. "You're too pure for this world, Olie," Nadine whispered to the empty room, and typed back a yes.In the glass window, her reflection showed the sharp lines of the Iron Lady. But underneath the armor, she was already mourning the life she was giving away, so Olivia and Adrian could find their way back to each other.*****Across the city that same morning, Alexander Barrett was draped across
Coming Back, To Say Goodbye! 52. Same Wife, Same Husband
A little brother?The tension in the marble hallway was thick enough to cut, despite the sterile hush of midday light pooling from the windows. Alex, never one to let a mystery lie, stalked a step closer, his blue eyes gleaming with an intensity that had nothing to do with charm."So, Adrian." Alex's voice dropped into a low, competitive taunt. "Who exactly is this 'little brother' Nadine was so cozy with on the phone? I don't remember the Merricks having a secret heir hiding in the countryside."Adrian's jaw tightened. His eyes caught the glare off the glass windows as he opened his mouth to deliver a sharp retort."Mr. Adrian." A calm, unhurried voice cut through the corridor before he could. Mr. Davis emerged from a side hallway, "The Chairman is waiting on our initial briefing for Case 1. We need to discuss the tactical approach before the mountain community meeting." He turned to Alex with a smile too polite to be kind. "Apologies, Mr. Barrett. Mr. Adrian doesn't have room i
Coming Back, To Say Goodbye! 51. The Human Element Protocol
“It was a masterpiece of self-destruction.”The Merrick estate began the morning in deceptive silence. Nadine sat at the breakfast table, cool light falling across her tailored blazer, and for one fleeting moment let herself feel calm with the small ritual of coffee.The peace lasted exactly as long as it took Henry Merrick to fold down his newspaper.“So,” Henry began, his voice dry as aged paper, hawk eyes flicking to Adrian. “Has the Chairman’s Proxy decided which fire to put out first, or are we still staring at spreadsheets in the dark?”Nadine sighed, jasmine perfume carrying a trace of her irritation. “Father, please. Save the interrogations for the office. It’s barely seven.”Henry’s smirk was thin and predatory, his gaze lingering on the charcoal bespoke suit Nadine had chosen as Adrian’s armor. “I suppose the presentation will speak for itself. I hope the strategy is as sharp as your suit today.”The rest of breakfast passed in watchful silence. When it was time to leave, Ad
Coming Back, To Say Goodbye! 50. The Accelerated Timeline
I need to hide my Queen before Alex finds her first.Olivia.The thought that had closed her night with Adrian was still circling when Nadine locked herself in her study, hours later, alone.Bathed in the cool glow of a midnight desk lamp, Nadine Merrick moved with the mechanical precision of a general charting a war campaign. Her finger, adorned with a diamond ring that felt more like a shackle than an ornament, gripped a red stylus as she methodically slashed across a fresh page of her digital planner.Adrian's project launch: Day One. She circled the date with ruthless pressure. Every disaster she had survived in her past life, every trap she set, every scandal that had touched Adrian, every cold glare he'd thrown her way during their three-year purgatory. Being dissected and inverted. The phantom weight of her three-year deadline pressed against her chest like an iron fist. She had successfully maneuvered Adrian into taking his first major corporate step, but rewriting the past w
Coming Back, To Say Goodbye! 49. Shadows of the Accelerating Clock
"Why do you feel like you're giving me a goodbye hug?""I'm sorry..."Hours later, locked in his room, Adrian let out a slow breath and forced his jaw to unclench. Spread across his desk were the two crimson-flagged dossiers Mr. Davis had handed him. He tried to focus. He failed twice before he managed it, shaking his head hard enough to scatter the scent of vanilla and jasmine still clinging to the edges of his mind.The first file was a mountain land dispute over a proposed eco-resort, not a legal stalemate, Adrian realized within minutes, but a matter of wounded pride. Big Step's strategists had written off the local landowners as stubborn obstacles. Adrian saw it differently: the locals weren't holding out for money. They were furious because the firm's attorneys had patronized them, treating ancestral soil like a disposable ledger entry.The second file was a collapsed hotel chain merger. It was worse. An arrogant junior executive had tried to modernize a century-old family legac
Coming Back, To Say Goodbye! 8. Let's Make Plan B
"I told you our business is done."Nadine still hadn't lost her courage to persuade Adrian."I will help with all of my aunt's medical expenses. I will transfer her to the best hospital so she can walk again."Nadine hopes Adrian's anger subsides, but what she gets is the opposite. Adrian looks ver
Coming Back, To Say Goodbye! 7. Our Bussines is Done
Nadine then invites Adrian to get into her car. Adrian seemed to refuse to sit in the same place as Nadine. Without permission, he immediately opened the front door and sat down next to Jim. In the car, Jim looked confused by Adrian's behavior. Nadine just nodded her head and sighed, letting Adrian
Coming Back, To Say Goodbye! 6. What Do You Mean?
Adrian snickered at Nadine's question. He suddenly closes the door in front of Nadine. But Nadine blocked the door with her legs. Nadine winced a little because the door hit her leg."Ouch!"Adrian instantly released his door and Nadine took the opportunity to barge in and left Adrian speechless wi
Coming Back, To Say Goodbye! 9. The Fraud
Nadine returns to the office to meet Anna."You're really weird today. Suddenly, you want to cancel the contract. And make a fuss with Mr. Miller."Nadine only smiled faintly at Anna's nagging."You know Mr. Miller's in a bad state right now? His father had just died two days ago. And he has to han
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