Ch. 31..40
Chapter 31 Forced to Talk
Tony escorted Nicole to the office door and lingered outside without going in. With a faint smile on his face, he stretched out his hand and made an inviting gesture.
Nicole thanked him before entering.
Upon opening the door, she saw Colton sitting at his desk at a glance.
As usual, Colton was sitting upright at his desk with his back ramrod straight. The black suit that he donned made him seem calm and grounded.
But unlike last time, there were four unfamiliar men kneeling on the floor in front of the desk right now.
Colton looked up when he heard the door open. When he saw that it was Nicole, his face softened, and he stood up, striding over.
“Miss Lisa.” His low voice was mellow and carried a hint of respect as he spoke, making Nicole feel like he was a completely different person compared to the last time she was here.
Colton’s upright figure was a head taller than her as he stood in front of her. When she looked up, her gaze fell on the dark circles underneath his eyes.
Although his face was full of energy now, it was not difficult to see the hint of exhaustion in his eyes.
“President Gardner, you didn’t have to do this.” Nicole nodded slightly, feeling a little apologetic.
“It’s not a big deal, Miss Lisa. If you have any questions, just ask them directly.” Colton was always gentle to her, and each of his actions were conducted flawlessly.
Nicole looked at the four people kneeling on the ground, her eyes narrowed. Without beating around the bush, she demanded, “Who sent you to kidnap my son?”
They shrank together without saying a word.
Nicole stood in front of them, looking condescendingly down at them, and continued in a cold tone, “F&M Apparel’s legal department can easily land you in jail for kidnapping underage children.”
The leader of the thugs finally spoke up, insisting, “We didn’t kidnap him. We were just ordered by the child’s grandfather to send him over to meet him. Don’t just accuse us blindly.”
Nicole’s eyes darkened. It seemed that this was indeed the Anderson Family’s doing.
“Answer me, was it Queenie’s instructions?” Nicole questioned.
William obviously didn’t know that Nicole had a son. Only Queenie knew that. If the Anderson Family did this, Queenie must have been behind it.
However, no matter what she asked the thugs, they only insisted that they were taking her son to see his grandfather. As for the house’s messy state, they weren’t sure what had happened, giving excuses like perhaps after they had left with her son, a robber had entered.
Nicole was trembling with anger. They refused to admit it even when threatened with death.
“Miss Anderson, you are all family. If there is a conflict within your family, you can’t take out your anger on us.”
Seeing that Nicole couldn’t get anything out of them, Colton took a step forward. His leg, clad in a pair of neat trousers, rose and landed directly on the man’s face.
He didn’t hold back on his kick at all. As a result, the man’s face immediately turned red, and a tooth popped out of his mouth.
“Yes or no?” Colton’s eyes were completely cold, and although he didn’t threaten them out loud, the meaning behind his words were very obvious.
The man’s eyes blazed with fury, but just as he was about to retort, Colton mercilessly kicked him heavily in the chest again.
“Yes! Yes!” Seeing blood in his mouth and Colton’s cruel behavior, the man was afraid that if he didn’t tell the truth, he would die here.
After Colton got his answer, he retracted his feet. When he looked at Nicole, the cruel expression on his face had already disappeared.
“Miss Lisa, your son should be in the Anderson Residence,” Colton said.
Nicole nodded, not concealing it. “I’ve already retrieved him from the Anderson Family. This time, I came here to find out who the mastermind behind the scenes is.”
Colton glanced faintly at the people on the ground before taking out a napkin from the table and throwing it on the ground. He used it to rub against his shoes, as if he disliked the fact that his shoes had just kicked the man in the face.
“These thugs hang out with Joseph all year round. You can look into that, Miss Lisa.”
Nicole thanked him. “All right, I see. Thanks for the info.”
It seems that this incident was planned by Queenie and Joseph. Nicole clenched her fists. They’ll definitely pay for what they did!
Chapter 32 Kissing Colton?
“Miss Lisa, what are you going to do with these thugs?” Colton placed his hands in his pockets and asked casually.
“Just do whatever you want in accordance with the law,” Nicole said coldly. They couldn’t kidnap her son and still expect her to easily forgive them, could they?
“Then, I will do as you ordered.” Colton nodded and walked to his desk, where he picked up a phone and whispered into the receiver.
A few minutes later, a few buff men came in from outside and immediately left with the thugs.
Nicole let out a sigh. Just as she was about to announce her departure, she was suddenly hit by a wave of dizziness and stumbled, her body falling forward.
Fortunately, Colton reacted quickly and caught her just in time. He barely managed to balance her by wrapping his arms around her waist.
Nicole could only see darkness in front of her and vaguely felt that someone had caught her, but couldn’t react immediately due to her nausea. As a result, she ended up nestling in Colton’s arms for a long time before she gradually recovered her senses.
Colton looked at the woman in his arms, her complexion pale and weak.
“Miss Lisa.” He called out softly.
Nicole blinked. Her mind was pitch black, and it took a long time before she slowly regained her sight.
When she saw herself lying in Colton’s arms, a flicker of shame quickly flashed across her pale face.
At this moment, someone knocked on the door and entered. “President Gardner, the finances of this quarter are because of Miss Anderson’s…”
The voice stopped abruptly mid report, and the person looked at the scene in front of them in disbelief. President Gardner is actually holding a woman in his arms?!
Seeing someone coming in, Nicole hurriedly stretched out her hand to push Colton away. Perhaps it was because her body was too weak or the floor was too slippery, she didn’t manage to push him away and slipped instead, habitually dragging Colton down along with her…
Afraid that Nicole would get injured, Colton wrapped one arm around her waist and protected her head with the other as he fell. With a muffled sound, Nicole only felt that her lips were hit by something heavy and a pang of pain on her teeth.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Colton’s striking face and felt the softness on her lips.
His scent rushed into her nostrils. Although Nicole was already a mother, she was still as naive as a child when it came to relationships. Her cheeks rapidly flushed red. She was even seen by someone else! How embarrassing!
“Sorry for interrupting, President Gardner.” The person who came in to report was good at reading between the lines. Seeing the situation in front of them, they immediately turned around and left with the report in their hands, remembering to close the door as well.
After Colton came back to his senses, he only felt a softness on his lips. The woman in his arms had a light scent, and without the artificial stench of perfume, he could clearly smell a faint fragrance on her body that felt a little familiar.
He propped himself up with his arms and pulled Nicole up with him before placing her on the sofa. After recovering himself, he said, “Miss Lisa, why don’t you take a break? You seem unwell.”
Nicole touched her cheek. In order to find her son, she didn’t sleep a wink last night, so she was naturally not in her right mind.
She nodded, slightly awkward, and her fingertips fell on her lips. Earlier, she must have kissed Colton. Thinking of this, her body heated up with warmth.
Not only that, but his employee seemed to have witnessed the scene.
Silence hung in the air. Nicole casually changed the topic in an embarrassed tone, saying, “President Gardner, thank you for your help on Hayden’s issue.”
An unbothered Colton said in a joking tone, “It’s okay. After all, the boy has also called me Dad before.”
Chapter 33 Stay In My House
When Nicole couldn’t help but think of the time where her son insisted that Colton was his father at home, her face turned embarrassed.
“Please don’t take a child’s jokes to heart, President Gardner,” Nicole said in a small voice. “Actually, five years ago, I did something with someone…”
Colton’s gaze darkened, but as soon as he parted his lips, there was a knock on the office door, causing him to stop abruptly.
The person at the door had learned from their lesson and did not come in directly, but said behind the door, “President Gardner, President Yates from F&M Apparel has come to pick up the lady inside.”
Colton smiled and looked at Nicole, saying, “Miss Lisa, it seems that we can only talk about this next time.”
Nicole nodded with a businesslike smile on her face. “You can just call me Nicole. My family affairs have been a bit troublesome in the past two days. Once it is dealt with, I will personally come here to discuss it with you.”
“Miss Nicole, what do you mean?” Colton’s dark eyes had a trace of a smile in them, and he understood, but he pretended not to know and asked her.
The corners of Nicole’s lips curled up as she replied, “During the partnership between Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel, I will directly settle in your design department on behalf of F&M Apparel until the product design partnership is over.”
“Then, I’ll have to thank you, Miss Anderson.” Colton straightened his posture and thanked her.
As the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel, the companies that wanted to work with her spanned far and wide. Even for her previous partnerships, the handover work was only done by a representative after she had finished her design. However, this time, Nicole personally came forward and settled in their design department.
Once this news broke out, Gardner Corporation’s domestic position in the clothing industry would definitely be strengthened.
It seems that the all-nighter I pulled wasn’t in vain, Colton thought.
As soon as Nicole opened the door, she saw Zachary. She had thought he would wait for her downstairs.
“How’s it going? Did you get any answers?” Zachary asked as he stepped forward to help her.
Nicole wanted to withdraw her hand, but as she recalled the embarrassing scene earlier, she felt that it was better to be supported, in case she fell again. It would be embarrassing if that happened.
“Well, I did get some answers. I’ll solve this issue by myself, so you don’t have to come forward.”
“You really don’t need me to do anything?” Zachary looked at Nicole’s pale face and asked anxiously.
Nicole’s expression was firm, and her dark eyes flashed with a hint of resolution. “No, you don’t need to come forward for this kind of trivial matter. I can solve it myself.”
Zachary couldn’t help but laugh when he saw the rare scene of her being serious about matters outside of work. “You have a point. After all, you’re our chief designer. This much is nothing for you.”
Though Nicole could hear him holding back a laugh, she didn’t say much and asked about her son instead. “How’s Hayden doing?”
“He was still sleeping when I went back. I’ve assigned a caretaker to watch over him. He’s fine,” Zachary answered.
After he sent Hayden home, he immediately rushed to Gardner Corporation because he couldn’t relax whenever he thought of Nicole’s worryingly pale complexion.
“Right, I remember that you have quite a few houses within the country. My house isn’t quite safe anymore. Why don’t you get us a place to stay for the time being? We can think of it as a business trip,” Nicole said. She wasn’t sure how Queenie and the others managed to find her house, but she couldn’t continue to live there anymore.
Most of the houses Zachary bought in the country were in high-end residential areas, so there wouldn’t be a problem with security at least.
If she had known that such a thing would happen, she wouldn’t have tried to look for a quiet place to live back then. If she bought a house in a high-end community in the first place, the thugs wouldn’t have been able to break in.
“The villa I live in now is close to Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel’s local company. Besides, there are many rooms,” Zachary said lightly.
Nicole raised her eyebrows and asked, “Must I stay with you?”
“It’s always safer to have a man in the house. Besides, I won’t do anything to you, right?” Zachary said with a smile.
Chapter 34 Find a Way
Nicole didn’t turn down Zachary, and she went to his home. She was far too exhausted; she practically fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Her sleep was deep. After her eyes closed, her mind descended into darkness.
Nicole had no idea how long she slept, but she felt weak and lethargic when she woke up. It seemed that she had slept too long. Then, she got up and leaned against the headboard before checking the time. She had fallen asleep at noon yesterday and only woke up at ten the next morning. No wonder she felt boneless. Nicole rubbed the bridge of her nose. At least she didn’t feel spacey anymore after all that sleep. However, the hunger from not having eaten in a long time was uncomfortable. Thus, she got out of bed and went downstairs.
This was Nicole’s first time inside Zachary’s home. The interior of the house was simple, not one bit of ostentatious luxury to be seen and it put her mind at ease.
Nicole could hear bright laughter even before she went downstairs in her slippers. She stood by the top of the stairs and looked down, only to see Zachary and Hayden playing happily on the couch by the window.
Zachary was dressed in a white shirt. His black hair fell in soft waves around his face, and a genuine smile was seen tugging at his lips. Warm golden sunlight streamed in from the window, illuminating his face and making him look soft and gentle.
Hayden, on the other hand, had his arms wrapped around Zachary’s neck, whining for Zachary to play with him.
They indeed looked like father and son.
Upon hearing the sound of footsteps, both of them looked up in unison. Hayden stretched his arms out toward Nicole. “Mommy!”
Nicole smiled as she briskly walked over and carried her son. Seeing that the red flush had left his face and he didn’t seem to be in pain, she felt relieved.
“Nicole, Ms. Alicia has made breakfast. The food is still warm. You should have something to eat first,” Zachary said in concern.
Although Zachary had always been this nice to her, this was their first time staying together. It was understandable that Nicole felt unused to it.
On the other hand, Joseph often frequented nightclubs and the like, so naturally, he had quite the network. Back when he embarrassed himself at the F&M Apparel annual dinner, the incident spread like wildfire in the fashion business. Mann Clothing Co. ended up losing many orders for the next season, and his father had nearly whacked him because of that.
This incident alone caused Joseph to be in a foul mood, but he never expected the thugs he had found for Queenie to come to him with some new information, telling him that those involved were in jail now. If Joseph had no way of bailing them out, then they would just bring everyone down with them since no one would be safe from their wrath. And because of this, Joseph was having a headache.
After he ended the call, he immediately dialed Queenie’s number.
Queenie was still hung up over being unable to kill Nicole’s son. When she saw Joseph’s call, she became even more irritated.
“Queenie, what on earth did you order those thugs I sourced for you to do?” Joseph asked her through gritted teeth.
Those thugs had some level of influence. Regular people would be afraid of them to some extent, but this time, the thugs were in jail. From the sound of things, they might be in there indefinitely.
“It’s nothing important. What are you panicking about?” Queenie couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
“They all got arrested. If I don’t help them to get out of there, we’re going to be dragged down!” Joseph said irately. He had only tried to get on her good side because of how useful she would be to him, but he never thought that she would end up causing so much trouble.
A shocked look flashed across Queenie’s face. “I thought that b*tch, Nicole, said she wouldn’t pursue the matter anymore?!”
“Nicole? Lisa?” Joseph felt his vision darken. Queenie had actually gotten the thugs to go after Lisa?! He felt his limbs go cold and numb, as if they had been weighed down with lead. Even his breathing turned labored.
If anything happened to Lisa, F&M Apparel and Gardner Corporation wouldn’t be the only ones ticked off; the entire fashion industry would be after their heads!
Queenie lowered her head and mulled things over. Suddenly, a thought seemingly hit her. “This afternoon, the usual place. I have an idea to ensure that Nicole won’t continue to interfere.”
Chapter 35 He’s Your Son
Nicole was only reenergized after a few days of rest. In order to thank Colton for his help, she prepared to settle into Gardner Corporation after the mid-winter holiday.
Zachary frowned slightly when he heard that she wanted to go to Gardner Corporation, a little displeased by that. “Just stay here at F&M. I’ll send someone else to talk with Gardner Corporation.”
Nicole laughed. “Colton gave me a big hand this time. I can’t possibly owe him.”
Seeing how determined she was, Zachary acquiesced in the end. “If there’s anything that’s bothering you, remember to come tell me.”
“You’re making me feel like I’m tattling on someone to my parents.”
Back to Joseph’s side.
All Joseph could do now was pretend that everything was fine while attempting to salvage the situation. He had already offended Nicole during F&M Apparel’s annual dinner, and now he was being dragged into Queenie’s terrible hare-brained scheme. If he didn’t resolve this, he—no, the entire Mann Family would go down in flames!
He couldn’t just sit around and wait for his own end to come. Thus, the only choice he had was to follow Queenie’s words and meet her.
The afternoon sun was a little strong today. Joseph sat by the window in the cafe as he waited for Queenie. She had a gigantic pair of sunglasses on when she came in. The moment her butt touched the seat, Joseph tore into her.
“What on earth did you make them do?!” Joseph asked with a stony face. That group of thugs weren’t saints either; they’d do anything so long as they got their money.
“Oh, that’s irrelevant. I’m here today to tell you some good news.” Queenie’s lips curved up into a smile, her eyes twinkling. She had already thought about it when she was home earlier. Last time, she had gotten someone to tamper with the paternity test for Nicole’s son and Colton. Now, all she had to do was shove Joseph into the picture and make Nicole think that he was Hayden’s father. Everything would be fine after that.
“What good news?” There was a hint of disbelief on Joseph’s face as he stared at Queenie with a cold expression.
“Nicole has a son. Do you know that?” Queenie asked.
Five years ago, I told Nicole that the one she slept with was Joseph. As long as Joseph can reel Nicole in, then Colton will still be mine! The smile on Queenie’s face grew wider at this thought.
“Yeah, what about it?” Joseph asked, not quite understanding as he took in Queenie’s wide grin. Nicole had brought her son with her the last time she saw him, and Joseph had met the boy. He remembered he even called the boy a bastard then. Recalling the memory, he wanted to slap himself so badly.
“If you hadn’t told me last time that Nicole isn’t Lisa, I wouldn’t have embarrassed myself in front of her!” Joseph grumbled through gritted teeth. If it wasn’t for Queenie’s interference, he wouldn’t have gotten on Lisa’s bad side.
“Actually, Nicole’s kid is your son,” Queenie said languidly, unaffected by Joseph’s ranting.
Joseph froze then, disbelief written on his face. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he frowned. “What kind of crazy juice did you drink?”
“Did you sleep with a woman five years ago after having some wine?” Queenie asked steadily.
Joseph pretty much didn’t have a long-term partner. One would need more than two hands to keep track of all the women he had shared a bed with. He wouldn’t be able to remember if he did sleep with someone five years ago after having something to drink.
He leaned back then, and slung an arm over the back of the chair. “My memory doesn’t go that far back.”
“Bingo. Five years ago, Nicole slept with you. She went overseas shortly after, and when she came back, she had a son with her,” Queenie said languidly, her eyes boring into Joseph. She wanted to see his reaction.
Chapter 36 Go For It
Joseph couldn’t quite come up with a response for a second. His eyes stared ahead at Queenie, still in disbelief. “You’re saying that Lisa’s son is mine?”
“Yep,” Queenie said in surety. She splayed her fingers out across the table. With who Nicole was now, Joseph would definitely want to claim her son. Those two would fight over this matter then. If Colton were to know about this thing between them, he probably wouldn’t be interested in Nicole.
“Are you telling me the truth?” Joseph still couldn’t believe it. He just felt that this was likely a trap that Queenie had set for him.
Queenie looked at Joseph. He wasn’t as dumb as she thought he would be. He didn’t believe her just because she said so. However, she had everything planned already.
“If you don’t believe me, you can ask Nicole. You already stepped on her toes anyway. Asking her that won’t do anything to you.” Queenie paused before continuing, “You can also get a paternity test. I’m her sister, so I know that considering Nicole’s status now, the Mann Family will stand to benefit if you marry her!”
Upon hearing Queenie’s words, Joseph’s brain turned to mush. He clenched his fists. If Nicole’s son was truly his, then he just found his new cash cow. The Manns might even be able to surpass the Gardners in the fashion industry then.
What Queenie said was right. He already pissed off Nicole; what was the harm in asking her another question?
“That’s all the help I can give you. If you still want to work with F&M Apparel, this is the only way to completely resolve this matter,” Queenie declared as she got up.
Joseph suddenly recalled his purpose for meeting Queenie today. “What about the thing with the police?” he hastily asked.
Queenie gave a light chuckle. Her lips were quirked as she looked at him. “If you’re truly the father of Nicole’s child, then shouldn’t it be easy for you to fix it?”
Joseph still didn’t fully believe her. He did sleep with plenty of women, but he still had a faint memory of who he had shared a bed with. But for Nicole, he had not the slightest memory of her at all.
However, there didn’t seem to be any other choice now. All he could do now was try his luck.
“Fine, I’ll believe you one last time. If you’re lying, you’ll never hear the end of me!” The only thing he could do now was go for it. On the off chance that he was actually the father of Nicole’s son, the Manns would definitely be able to rocket to the top!
“There’s no need for me to lie to you about this. After all, a test will reveal everything, no?” Queenie’s smile was smug. If she could tamper with the results of Colton’s paternity test with that bastard child, then she could also tamper with Joseph’s results. When everyone believes that Nicole’s son is Joseph’s, then Colton will belong to me.
Nicole came up with a few design drafts over the last few days at home. Zachary didn’t seem to have anything to do while being cooped up at home, other than playing with Hayden.
Nicole could see that Hayden liked Zachary. She also admitted that Zachary was great at everything he did. But it was also precisely this reason that she wasn’t worthy of him.
“Aren’t you going to go home for the mid-winter holiday?” Nicole looked at Zachary, who was sitting on the couch.
Today, he was dressed in a pure white hoodie. Paired with a pair of straight-leg sweatpants, he looked a few years younger than he did when he was dressed in a suit.
“Nope. I’m going to stay here and celebrate with you guys,” Zachary said without even looking at her, but melancholy streaked across his eyes for a second.
Nicole knew that Zachary had never gotten along well with his family, so she didn’t press him about it. To her, it made no difference where she celebrated the holiday, as long as she got to spend it with her son, Hayden.
Chapter 37 Who Do You Think You Are?
The celebratory mood got stronger and stronger as the mid-winter holiday approached. Everyone had their holiday decorations up.
Nicole had forgotten the last time she had celebrated the mid-winter holiday back in her home country. She thought she might have stopped celebrating ever since her mother’s death.
With Zachary helping her to care for Hayden, Nicole had plenty of time to kick back and relax. She sorted out her drafts. Before the mid-winter holiday came, she wanted to confirm the upcoming fashion season’s direction with Colton. That way, she would still have time to make changes to her drafts.
Zachary wanted to drop Nicole off at the Gardner Corporation building, but she rejected his offer when she saw how happy he was playing with her son. “Just play with Hayden. I’ll be back soon.”
Even though the mid-winter holiday was coming up soon, Gardner Corporation was still in full swing.
Nicole didn’t put any makeup on. She simply had a normal-looking fleece coat, and her hair was pulled into a high ponytail. Before she arrived, she called Colton, informing him that she would be coming by this morning to discuss the drafts. When she entered the building, she didn’t need anyone to lead her around; she headed straight for the president’s office as she was already familiar with the route.
Nicole promptly knocked on the door, but no one answered her. Just as she was about to open the door, someone called out to her.
“Who are you?” It was a clear female voice.
Nicole turned her head to see a woman. The woman was dressed in a black set of office wear, but her figure was stunning. The office wear perfectly outlined her curves. The entire ensemble not only looked fashionable, but it even had a relaxed and elegant air to it.
“I’m Nicole Anderson. I’m here to deliver some design drafts,” Nicole greeted in a friendly manner.
The woman’s expression had a hint of doubt in it. She swept her gaze up and down Nicole a few times before narrowing her eyes. “Delivering drafts? All drafts are only handed over after the department head has gone over them and picked out the final ones. Do you even need to come all the way here?”
Nicole looked at the woman. The woman was clearly hostile. With no other choice, Nicole attempted to explain herself. “I’m here to see Colton Gard—”
Before Nicole could finish, the woman interrupted her by snatching the drafts she was holding.
“I’m President Gardner’s secretary, Amber Delaney,” Amber said, displeased. She looked down at Nicole’s drafts, disdain clear in her eyes. She snorted. With one arm folded below her chest and the other holding the drafts, she stared at Nicole. “You call these designs? This isn’t even fit to be called garbage.”
Nicole looked at this haughty woman. Her brows knitted together. Not even fit to be called garbage? She just thought it hilarious. As she looked at Amber, she asked, “So, you must be an amazing designer then, right? Since you said that my designs aren’t even worthy of being garbage, tell me then—what’s wrong with the designs?”
Amber lifted her chin. A condescending smirk danced on her lips as she looked at the indignant Nicole. Her grip on Nicole’s drafts loosened a little, and the papers drifted to the ground. “I’ve seen my fair share of women like you, trying to use President Gardner for their own gains on their first day at work. You’ve got the wrong idea in your head. You should just be an honest person and do your own job properly. Don’t think about doing something as debauched as that!”
She then scanned Nicole. Coming all the way up to the president’s office without even a work badge? This girl must be a new intern. She had been Colton’s secretary for two years now, and had seen plenty of women who planned to take advantage of Colton. This girl isn’t a looker, but she sure has guts.
Nicole lowered her head to look at her scattered drafts, and she couldn’t help smirking. She then lifted her head to look at Amber. “Pick them up,” she said slowly.
“Are you dreaming or what? You want me to pick them up?” Amber couldn’t help but snicker when she heard Nicole’s words. She looked as though she was looking at someone who was slow. “Who do you think you are?”
Chapter 38 Stewing in Her Own Juice
Standing upright where she was, Nicole raised her pitch-black eyes and said coldly, “Firstly, as President Gardner’s secretary, it’s wrong of you to attack me personally without discriminating between right and wrong. Secondly, there’s no problem with my design, but you criticized it at your pleasure despite having little understanding of it. Thirdly, it’s rude to interrupt someone when they’re speaking.” Her voice was dignified, and her eyes showed no signs of fear.
Amber looked at the woman before her, who looked pure and pretty despite having no makeup on. Amber wasn’t from a poor family, and she only came to work at Gardner Corporation because she had feelings for Colton. Queenie—that b*tch—aside, now even an intern dares to have her eyes on Colton. There’s no way I could stand this, she thought. Therefore, she mocked, getting angrier as she spoke, “Women like you are a dime a dozen. Didn’t you sneak up here just to play up to him and create an opportunity for you to be alone with him? Such a petty trick is obvious to me at a glance!”
Nicole only found Amber unreasonable as she listened to the latter’s slanders. She knitted her brows and uttered, “You’re nuts.”
Amber went mad upon hearing Nicole’s words. “How dare you call me nuts!” She stepped on one of Nicole’s design drafts with her high heels right away. With her face clouded over, she uttered between clenched teeth, “Get ready to pack up your stuff and leave!”
However, as soon as she finished her sentence, she heard a chilly voice speak from behind. “What’s the fuss?”
Amber’s shrewish expression just now instantly vanished. At once, she softened up and looked pitifully at the source of the voice. “President Gardner, someone here attempted to break into your office without permission, and I stopped her. After that…” Her attitude changed as quickly as turning the page of a book. Just a moment ago, she had been giving herself airs; now she looked like a victim with a pitiful expression. “After that, she called me nuts.”
Speechless, Nicole stood upright while turning her gaze to Colton.
Followed by Tony from behind, the man slowly walked up to her with little change in his countenance.
On the other hand, Amber was secretly delighted. Colton hates women who throw themselves at him more than anything else. This woman will definitely be kicked out of Gardner Corporation! she thought. However, before she could feel smug about it, she saw Colton crouching down and picking up the papers on the floor.
At the sight of the scene, Amber was dumbstruck. She stammered, “P-President Gardner, y-you…” Her footprint was still on one of the papers, and it was so strongly imprinted that it couldn’t be erased at all.
Tony crouched down beside Colton and helped pick up the design drafts. After sorting out the papers, he held them with both hands and respectfully handed them to Nicole.
“Pack up your stuff and resign,” Colton ordered without saying anything else.
Still not coming to her senses, Amber raised her head slightly. These words aren’t supposed to be directed at me; they’re supposed to be directed at the woman before me, she thought. “President Gardner, this woman—”
However, Tony stopped her before she could finish her sentence, saying, “Miss Delaney, let me help you through the resignation procedure.”
“What’s all this about? I’m not the one in the wrong here! It’s her who came here in an attempt to get close to President Gardner, and she even scolded me!” Amber shouted angrily. She didn’t understand why she was fired.
Tony grabbed her arm and whispered softly in her ear, “She’s Lisa.”
Amber was stunned in an instant. The woman before me is Lisa? What have I just done?
Seeing that Amber was still in a daze, Tony immediately pulled her aside.
Chapter 39 Her Lips Rub Against His Cheek
After Amber left, Nicole lowered her head and sorted out her design drafts. One of the drafts had a very visible footprint left on it, and it seemed that the footprint couldn’t be erased at all.
Colton glanced down at the woman. Seeing her trying to erase the footprint from the design draft, he paused for a moment before saying apologetically, “I’m sorry, Miss Anderson. It was my fault for being negligent.”
Nicole shook her head. She used to come across things that were even worse than this back when she worked as an assistant, so she didn’t take it to heart. “It’s okay, President Gardner. Perhaps your secretary was just trying to keep the ladies away because there are too many ladies trying to throw themselves at you,” she replied half-jokingly.
Colton opened the door and invited Nicole in without responding to her remarks.
Shortly after Nicole entered Colton’s office, Tony came in holding a cup of coffee. “Miss Lisa, I’m not too sure about your preferences, so I brought you a cup of drinking water. If there’s anything you’d like to drink, please do tell me so that I can get it for you.”
Seeing how polite the man before her was, Nicole took the cup from him with both hands. Putting on a faint smile, she shook her head, saying, “Oh, it’s okay. Drinking water will do. Thank you.”
After Tony left the office, Colton explained what had happened just now. “You said you’d be coming in the morning, but I didn’t expect you to arrive so early. I had a meeting just now.”
Nicole looked up at the man before her, who was wearing a navy blue suit today. He wasn’t wearing a necktie, and the top button of his shirt was undone, revealing his Adam’s apple, which lent him a seductive charm as it bobbed up and down while he spoke.
Nicole nodded while laying the design drafts flat on the desk. “It was my fault for coming without notice. I had nothing to do at home, so I thought I might as well come here.”
“Not at all, Miss Anderson. Gardner Corporation is lucky to have such a diligent partner like you,” Colton replied.
Both Nicole and Colton were sophisticated, so they exchanged nothing but polite remarks for a while out of courtesy. After flattering Colton a bit, Nicole came straight to the point by pointing at the design drafts, saying, “These are the drafts for the next summer season, as well as the fall and winter season, so I thought you might want to take a look. If these designs need improvements, I can revise them at home during the mid-winter holiday.”
Sitting beside Nicole, Colton lowered his eyes to glance at the drafts.
Nicole’s design was pretty dazzling, and it was mostly divided into two types. The first type was clothes for everyday wear, whereas the second type was clothes designed for fashion shows. The drafts were brief, but they had all the general features of her design outlined. Next to the drafts were comments on the suitable fabric and the details, so one could say that these drafts were very detailed.
Gardner Corporation had only dabbled in the clothing industry for five years. Despite being financially strong, its clothing brand’s reputation wasn’t as good as that of those old and established ones. Colton picked out the design of an evening dress and put it before Nicole, asking, “Miss Anderson, could you elaborate on this particular design?”
Nicole lowered her head and bent down slightly to take a look at the design. Then, she immediately began, “This is designed according to the Asians…” As she talked about work, the gentle smile on her face vanished at once and was replaced by a competent look. Despite having no makeup on, she looked very assertive, which somehow inspired a feeling of trust.
Colton quietly moved closer to her. Immediately, he smelled a faint and pleasant scent, which relaxed his originally tense mind a little.
Having finished her speech, Nicole turned her head, wanting to listen to Colton’s opinion. However, as they were too close to each other, her lips unexpectedly rubbed against the man’s cheek when she turned her head.
Nicole only felt an electric current spreading from her lips all the way to her heart that made her entire body go limp. “S-Sorry,” she apologized, her face blushing, and quickly sat back a little.
Colton lowered his head with a hidden flicker in his dark eyes. For some reason, the touch on his cheek just now made his heart itch. “It’s okay,” he replied impassively, having resumed a serious expression.
Chapter 40 Without Her Job at F&M Apparel, She’d Be Nothing
Nicole’s face showed a hint of embarrassment, and there was a blush behind her ears. Ever since she slept with that guy five years ago, she had rarely had such intimate contact with other men except for work. After lowering her head and hemming a few times, she quickly found a topic, saying, “Actually, my idea is to separate the everyday wear from the haute couture ones. The everyday wear can be sold in-store, whereas the haute couture ones will be tailor-made.” She paused for a moment, her eyes lowered. Then, she continued in one breath, “Once your brand opens up the haute couture market, it will rise in status. By then, we can have a separate label under the brand name for the specific purpose of making high-quality clothing.”
Colton nodded with satisfaction, for Nicole’s words had pointed out nearly all the difficulties Gardner Apparel was facing. He lowered his voice to make it sound deeper, saying, “These are also my expectations. I didn’t think you would point them out directly in just a few words, though.”
Nicole only thought the man had said so out of courtesy, though. Without taking his words seriously, she continued, “These are my preliminary design drafts, but since we’re working with your company this time, I hope that your company’s designers can get involved in this too.”
Colton nodded with a faint smile on his face. “The entire Design Department of Gardner Corporation will be at your disposal, Miss Lisa.”
Nicole stood up while holding the design drafts in her hand. “Okay. In that case, I’ll be going to the Design Department to familiarize myself with the department first. I’ll come in right after the turn of the year.” She breathed a soft sigh of relief. Seems like Colton has much confidence in my design. He barely has any suggestions about these drafts.
Seeing her standing up, Colton stood up as well. “Let me take you there.”
Recalling what had happened when she had just arrived, Nicole put out her hand and interrupted him with a faint smile on her face. “No, you don’t have to. I’d like to go there alone and find out what they’re really like. That way, I can work with them more smoothly.” If she went there as Lisa, those in the Design Department would at least be respectful toward her in front of others, but that would be too hypocritical.
Colton mulled over Nicole’s words. Realizing what she meant, he nodded. “In that case, I’ll have my assistant show you the way to the Design Department. Please familiarize yourself with the department first.”
Nicole politely said goodbye to him and picked up the design drafts. After sorting the drafts in order, she left his office.
After Colton watched Nicole leave, a meaningful smile appeared on his face. Seems like my previous efforts weren’t all in vain, he thought. This was the first time Lisa joined the company for the partnership. As far as Colton remembered, during his company’s past collaborations with F&M Apparel, especially Lisa, she would only let her assistant submit the design drafts without much exchange with his company. With the official collaboration with F&M Apparel and Lisa heading the Design Department, Gardner Apparel would establish itself as the leading company in the country’s clothing industry.
Tony led Nicole to the Design Department before respectfully escorting her to the door. “Miss Anderson, the Design Department’s here.”
Nicole nodded before putting away the drafts in her hand with a modest smile on her face. “Thank you for showing me the way, Mr. Larson.”
“You’re welcome,” Tony replied. After bidding goodbye to Nicole, he turned around and left right away.
Nicole adjusted her collar and patted her hair in place to make herself look less slovenly. As soon as she entered the department, she heard a noise. It wasn’t loud, but she could vaguely discern the word “Lisa” from among the noise. When she calmed down and leaned forward, she heard those in the department talking about her.
“Did you hear that F&M Apparel’s Lisa will be coming to our company to work with us to launch the new fashions for the next summer and winter?”
As soon as the person finished speaking, a high-pitched female voice could be heard saying, “Bah! What’s so great about her? She’s only famous because she has F&M Apparel backing her up. Without her job at F&M Apparel, she’d be nothing.”