Ch. 1861..1870

Chapter 1861

The delicate girl squirmed around. She did not want to say anything, but the two bodyguards behind her suddenly pulled her arms back with force.

Her face turned white from the pain. She immediately opened her mouth.

“Ms. Stanton told Riley about my relationship with Mr. Carter, so Riley came to find trouble with me. I just couldn’t stand his constant pestering, so I wanted to settle the score with Ms. Stanton!”

Yvette ran down from upstairs with a glum face.

“You have the guts to settle accounts with Nicole, but don’t dare to confront Riley? Are you out of your mind?”

The delicate girl was shocked and sobbed. “I was just too impulsive. I wouldn’t have done it if I thought it through.”

Clayton stood aside and listened quietly before he spoke indifferently.

“It’s that simple?”

The delicate girl nodded timidly.

Clayton averted his gaze, beckoned to Mr. Litt, and whispered a few words.

Mr. Litt’s face changed slightly. His eyes darkened when he looked at the delicate girl.

However, he was in no position to comment.

He was in trouble as well, so he had to do everything he could to salvage the Stanton family’s impression of his hotel.

The hotel manager turned around and hurriedly ran to the back.

The delicate girl did not know what he wanted to do and pursed her lips.

“Let me go! I-I can personally apologize to Ms. Stanton!”

Kai sneered. “Stop dreaming. That’s the last time you’ll get to see her. Is someone like you even worthy of talking to her?”

This girl was not even worthy of holding Nicole’s shoes.

In less than three minutes, Mr. Litt brought a large box with many empty bottles from the back. The bottles clashed with each other and made a loud and crisp noise.

Another person behind Mr. Litt was carrying another box that looked quite heavy. The bottles in this box were not empty.

Somehow, the delicate girl’s face suddenly became uglier. A deep fear filled her eyes.

“Wh-What are you guys trying to do?!” Both Grant and Kai did not speak.

The angriest person in the room was somehow the calmest one. He looked very civilized, gentle, and very good-tempered.

However, at this moment, she did not feel that way.

Clayton’s thin lips were tightly pursed. There was an indescribable chill when he stared at her.

The most frightening thing was that no one could see through Clayton’s anger.

At that moment, Clayton spoke.

“I’ll give you two choices. You can either smash these empty bottles on your head until they’re all broken...”

The delicate girl shuddered. Clayton continued to speak.

“Or, you can drink every single drop of liquor from this box.”

Whichever option she chose could take her life. She simply could not escape.

The girl looked up with a frightened face. The three men’s indifference was alarming.

Clayton’s face was calm. “This is just interest. Will you choose, or shall I choose for you?”

His tone was so chilly that others could feel the coldness of hell.

The delicate girl looked at the two big boxes with a pale face. Her body subconsciously shivered and trembled.

The chill that penetrated her bones completely crushed her.

She had thought that Clayton was a gentle and decent person and did not expect that his methods were much more ruthless than those people who only know how to use violence to relieve their anger.

Clayton simply wanted to torture her to death without even having to do it himself.

If anything happened to her, it would be her own fault for drinking or smashing her own head.

They would not have to take any responsibility.

Fear and the cold from the floor spread to her whole body. She could not even stand up and fell limp to the ground.

She looked at the person in front of her as if he came from hell.

She could not even say a word to beg for mercy because his deadly cold eyes told her that it was absolutely impossible to let her go.

The stalemate lasted less than a minute.

The man in front of the girl ran out of patience. He raised his head with a gloomy gaze and looked as if he was not bothered to look at her again.

“Since you don’t want to choose, you can just do both.” The delicate girl shuddered violently.

“No, wait! I’ll choose!”

Her voice was desperate. She could not even say that she regretted it.

“I’ll drink!”

The delicate girl knew that she might have lost half her life if she finished that box of liquor.

However, she would probably die if she smashed all those empty bottles in the box on her head.

She was scared and confused, but she still chose the easiest path for herself.

At this point, she could not afford to dwell on it too much.

She went over, opened a bottle of liquor, and poured it into her mouth.

The burning sensation made her uncomfortable, and she subconsciously wanted to spit it out.

However, when she saw the cold gaze of the man in front of her, she simply did not have the guts to spit it out.

She took one gulp after another.

The girl was so wretched, and she felt like she was at the mercy of these men.

After drinking two bottles of liquor, her consciousness had begun to blur, and her stomach could not take it anymore.

Her movements slowed down significantly. She felt uncomfortable and cried a lot.

Clayton swept a glance at Mr. Litt, who was next to him. His tone was cold as hell.

“Get someone to help her and make sure that she finishes all of it tonight.”

When Mr. Litt heard this, his face changed slightly, but he did not forget to nod his head.

“Yes, sir.”

Mr. Litt thought, ‘This woman deserved it since she messed with the wrong people and even dragged me down with her.’

They would not have any compassionate attitude towards her.

The delicate girl was startled. She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, the person next to her held her shoulders down fiercely, picked up a bottle of liquor, and poured it into her mouth. It was pointless no matter how hard she struggled.

Grant and Kai looked at each other and turned around indifferently without making any comments.

At this moment, the car arrived outside. Clayton heard the car engine.

Grant patted Clayton’s shoulder and said, “Go and carry her down.”

Clayton nodded, turned around, and left.

The group of people followed the car and left in a big commotion.

The delicate girl was left half-dead as the bodyguards pressed her down and continued to pour liquor into her mouth.

She was mostly unconscious, but no one was soft- hearted.

The wine bottle almost killed Nicole earlier, so this girl’s small punishment was nothing compared to that.

Kai and Grant shared a car and followed behind Clayton’s car.

Grant looked down at his phone to read emails. Kai rubbed his temples as he drove in front.

“G, I think we don’t understand Clayton very well yet. What kind of person did Lil N get married to?”

When Kai saw Clayton earlier, he felt that Clayton might take matters into his own hands.

However, Clayton was a clean freak and did not bother to touch that girl.

Grant lifted his eyelids. His tone was indifferent. “It’s you, not us.”

“Aren’t you surprised? Although I felt very relieved just

now, that doesn’t look like something he’s capable of... It’s something Eric would’ve done.”

Kai’s tone carried some doubt and disbelief.

After all, his impression of Clayton had always been gentle and modest.

Not only was Clayton obedient and caring to Nicole, but he was also respectful and courteous to everyone in the Stanton family, even the butler.

Everyone felt that Clayton was a modest and considerate gentleman.

That scene earlier was so unbelievable.

When Grant heard this, he raised his head and rubbed his temples with a tense face.

Nicole’s situation was still uncertain, so they were not in a good mood.

Chapter 1863

Grant’s tone was light as he spoke.

“I’m not surprised. How can someone who can get out of a lion’s den like the Sloan family unscathed and even defeat them be without a temper? If he was as weak and incompetent as he appears to be, do you think that Dad and I would have agreed to their marriage just because he could coax Lil N so well with his sweet talk and make her happy?”

After that, Kai’s expression changed.

Kai fiercely gritted his teeth. “You guys actually know what kind of person he is? Has he been pretending all along?”

Grant insouciantly glanced out of the window.

“He’s not exactly pretending. It’s just that it makes people more comfortable if he acts like this. Lil N likes it too.”

Kai felt like he was whacked in the head by a bat. Tonight was truly an eye-opener for him.

He thought, ‘So, I’m the only one that’s shocked? I’m so naive!’

Kai did not speak again on the way to the hospital as he was silently digesting this news.

He did not know how to describe what he felt.

Kai admired Clayton and had a new impression of him.

Perhaps this was for the best. At least Nicole would not be bullied.

At the hospital.

Clayton looked very worried.

Nicole was awake at times and unconscious at others. This state lasted for a long time.

Everyone barely had any sleep that night.

Julie took Chatty home because the baby could not stay up so late. Chatty did not know that such a big thing happened, so she made a fuss for a while and fell asleep.

Nicole was once again awake, two days later in the afternoon.

She smelled the strong scent of disinfectant, and when she opened her eyes, the gray and white curtains swayed with the wind.

The sun was shining outside through the trees, casting shadows on the floor.

Someone was holding her hand.

Countless scenes replayed in Nicole’s mind, from the shooting in the streets of Europe to the present day.

Nicole suddenly felt that although she made some detours in the middle, the ending was so perfect that it was perhaps destiny.

That fate started when she rescued Lil Michael, and now, she has such a well-behaved and beautiful

daughter with Clayton.

Life seemed to be complete enough.

It turned out that when the wine bottle hit her head, it brought back her memory and woke her up.

Nicole pulled out her hand, squinted her eyes, and touched Clayton’s face. Every trace of him was engraved in her heart.

Clayton jolted awake.

He looked exhausted and not well-rested. His eyes were still red and bloodshot.

Nicole’s heart ached as an uncontrollable sorrow welled up in her heart.

It was great that Clayton stayed by her side and never left her every time she was in danger.

Clayton touched Nicole’s face in disbelief and carefully came closer.

“You’re awake?”

Nicole wanted to smile at him, but when she opened her mouth, she could not make a sound because she had a medical instrument attached to her mouth.

Clayton hurriedly pressed the bell on the side. In less than a minute, the doctors rushed in.

Everyone looked excited.

They did a thorough examination since Nicole was awake. Clayton was standing in the corner, staring at

Nicole unblinkingly as if he was afraid that something would happen to her.

Nicole noticed Clayton’s gaze and felt that she had finally come home after a very long walk.

The doctor breathed a sigh of relief and took off some of the instruments.

“Ms. Stanton, do you feel any discomfort in your head?” Nicole withdrew her gaze and shook her head.

The doctor said with a smile, “Ms. Stanton, do you perhaps remember something?”

When he asked this question, Clayton’s expression became visibly nervous.

His body became tense for a moment, and his gaze deepened.

Chapter 1864

The ward was quiet.

They were all waiting for Nicole’s answer. Nicole lowered her eyes and nodded her head. The doctors revealed a bright smile.

“Ms. Stanton, this is a blessing in disguise. The previous blood clot that didn’t dissipate is completely gone now. You only have a slight concussion, so you’ll be fine after a few days of rest.”

Everyone in the ward, except Clayton, looked relieved and delighted.

In the two days that Nicole was in a coma, the doctors spent a lot of effort and were afraid that there was nothing they could do.

Nicole looked at Clayton.

The man’s eyes were dark, so she could not see through his emotions. Was it heartache or sympathy?

It was very painful for Nicole to remember those things, so Clayton would rather Nicole even forget himself than let her go through that excruciating pain once again.

Thus, it might not be a good thing for Nicole to regain her memory.

Would she still be as carefree as before?

Once the doctors went out, Nicole held out her hand.

Clayton went over and looked at her with concern and forbearance.

“Are you feeling okay?”

Nicole nodded. “Yup, I remembered everything.”

Clayton’s gaze was gloomy. “I’d rather you never remember all that.”

Nicole held his hand and raised her eyes to look at him. Her gaze was glistening and gentle, and her eyes were so bright and beautiful.

“Then won’t I forget you forever too?”

Clayton was stunned. He then reached out to pull her into his embrace.

Nicole’s eyes were slightly red, but she still smiled brightly.

“Look, I still fell in love with you no matter what. Aren’t you very proud of yourself?”

Clayton’s body trembled. He held her even tighter.

Nicole had never expressed her feelings so bluntly and frankly before.

Clayton had been looking forward to this moment so much, and these words were like a spring breeze that soothed his restless heart.

He instantly calmed down.

“Nicole, don’t you ever leave me, okay?”

Clayton whispered in her ear, and his warm kiss landed on her forehead.

He carefully cherished her so much that it made her heart ache.

Nicole stretched out her hand and hugged him. The corners of her mouth curled up into a smile.

“Okay.”

Every day with Clayton would be a good day.

Someone pushed the door open and broke this warm atmosphere.

“Are you awake?!”

It was the anxious Kai.

Seeing this scene, Kai immediately covered his eyes and stepped back.

He sighed and said, “Can you two consider other people’s feelings?”

A trace of displeasure crossed Clayton’s eyes, but it was well restrained.

Clayton gently stroked Nicole’s hair to soothe her, then casually turned to the person at the door.

“Kai, have you had dinner?”

Kai coughed as he dodged Nicole’s probing gaze and touched his stomach.

“Oh, yeah. I’m full.”

Nicole narrowed her eyes and snorted coldly.

“Kai, you can still eat so well when I was in that condition?!”

Kai clicked his tongue. He knew that he was guilty, but he did not admit it.

“Well, would you be happy if your third brother collapsed from hunger even before you woke up?”

Nicole rolled her eyes.

She was so pissed that she could not say anything.

The atmosphere instantly heated up because of Kai’s arrival.

Kai walked over, looked at Nicole carefully, and sighed.

“I haven’t left this place for a moment! Don’t be so heartless. I only ate this one meal in the past two days!”

Nicole looked away and grunted coldly.

Clayton was just relieved and happy because Nicole had the strength to be angry.

“Are you hungry? The doctor said that you can only have liquids for the time being. I’ll make you some delicious food when we get home. Do you want porridge for now?”

Nicole gladly agreed. She naturally did not feel so good because of an empty stomach. Thus, when Clayton mentioned this, Nicole felt so hungry that she would eat anything.

Chapter 1865

Kai immediately took out his phone. “I’ll get someone from home to send something over and tell them the good news too.”

He said as he walked out. His steps were much lighter.

When Kai came back, he looked at Clayton and said, “ Clayton, do you want to grab something to eat? That Singaporean restaurant downstairs is pretty good!”

Clayton shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”

The corner of Kai’s mouth twitched as he thought, Clayton hasn’t eaten for two days. How can he not be hungry?’

Before Kai could say anything, Nicole tugged on Clayton’s shirt and tilted her head. Her eyes lit up. “You should go to that restaurant and buy me a bowl of porridge. Their porridge is really good!”

Clayton’s gaze softened in an instant. “You wanna eat that?”

Nicole nodded her head.

“Okay, wait here. I’ll buy it for you.”

Clayton tucked her into bed before he went out feeling reassured.

Kai slowly walked over and sat in front of Nicole. He looked like he wanted to speak.

Kai could never control his expression. He wanted to say something earlier when Clayton said that he was not hungry, but he did not know how to bring it up.

Nicole closed her eyes. “K, do you have something to say?”

Kai nodded his head.

He rubbed his hands together, and his handsome face held a snicker like he was about to share a secret. “Lil N, I’m not trying to stir up trouble, but I just can’t help it. It’s about your husband, my brother-in-law. He’s not really that gentle on the surface! Do you know that person who threw a bottle at your head? That woman probably regrets being alive right now.”

Nicole blinked and frowned slightly. She remembered that it was a woman in a waitress uniform.

She recalled the woman’s face. It suddenly came back to her that it was that delicate girl.

Nicole did not even know that girl’s name. Her face suddenly sank.

She was so unlucky to suffer at the hands of such a person.

“Where is she now?”

Nicole was surely going to get her revenge. Kai hooked his lips. “She’s in this hospital.” Nicole looked puzzled.

Kai smiled, then sighed.

“This experience really made me look at Clayton in a new light. I used to think that Eric’s power in Atlanta was enormous and that he’s a wolf that can eat people whole. But now, I don’t feel that way anymore. Eric‘s at best a poser. Clayton is really unfathomable and ruthless! If Clayton had started off in Atlanta long ago, what would’ve happened to Eric?”

Seeing Nicole’s slight change in expression, Kai hurriedly changed his tone. “Oh, I forgot that you don’t know who Eric is, right? He’s just a rich dude.”

Nicole paused.

She pursed her lips.

“I remembered everything.”

Kai said, “Oh, then is Clayton aware of it?” Nicole nodded. “Yes.”

Kai was silent for a while. He then sighed and said, “ Well, I think you’ve been too unlucky lately. Dad said that he’ll bring you to a tarot reader so that you can change your fortune. Eric is definitely your jinx!”

Nicole was speechless.

Kai said, “Anyway, do you know how Clayton dealt with that woman? He got a whole box of liquor and forced her to drink it all. Not even a single drop was left!”

Nicole was slightly shocked and pursed her lips. Kai’s face sank.

“So, she drank until she had gastritis. She brought this onto herself. Not only that, they even smashed two empty bottles on her head. The bodyguards controlled their strength, so they didn’t kill her. But they gave her a lesson.”

Nicole blinked and did not know how to describe her feelings.

That gentle and modest man has always avoided shady things, yet he had gone to this extent for her.

The resentment in her heart toward that attacker suddenly disappeared.

Clayton did whatever that should be done and was even more ruthless than Nicole.

What else was she unsatisfied about?

Nicole curled her lips into a smile. “Well done!”

Chapter 1866

Kai looked at Nicole’s reaction with confusion and thought, ’This shouldn’t be her reaction!’

“Aren’t you surprised? Clayton’s approach is so different from his usual style!”

Nicole wrinkled her eyebrows. “I’m not surprised. Isn’t this a normal reaction?”

Kai was speechless and thought, ‘Am I the only one who was shocked by the whole thing?’

Nicole rolled her eyes.

“Kai, you’ve really learned nothing from being in the entertainment industry for so long. How can you look a t people so superficially? How can I not know what

kind of person my husband is? To me, nothing he does can cover the fact that he’s a sincere and kind person. The rest is not important to me either.”

Before the wedding, Floyd and Grant had already talked to Nicole about it.

They comprehensively analyzed what kind of person Clayton was.

Regardless of how well Nicole knew him, she felt that loving him was worthwhile.

Kai pursed his lips. He was completely convinced. Clayton’s actions only shocked him.

Nicole asked about some otherthings that happened in the past two days as well as the progress of the company.

Kai obediently replied, especially about the company’s affairs. Nicole was frowning as she listened to it. She wanted to reprimand Kai, but she knew that it was not right to do so.

After all, Kai was considered to be of big help. It was already a pleasant surprise that he did not make Stanton Corporation go bankrupt.

Nicole paused and was just about to call Grant when she heard familiar footsteps approaching. Clayton pushed the door open with a little anxiety in his eyes.

She put down her phone and smiled.

Clayton walked over like a gentleman and sighed.

“I was afraid that you were too hungry, so I rushed them to make it. It’s still hot. Try it.”

Clayton gently opened the container. The fragrance of the porridge diffused out, and Nicole suddenly felt hungry.

However, because she just woke up, she could only eat a few bites.

The next day when Nicole was discharged from the hospital, Floyd brought Chatty over to pick Nicole up.

Nicole took a good look at Chatty again and felt her heart turn into mush.

She thought, ‘How could I almost forget such a beautiful daughter?’

Stanton Mansion.

Aida brought her son over to celebrate Nicole’s discharge from the hospital and had already started preparations with Grant at the mansion.

When Nicole arrived home, everyone casually hugged each other.

Grant’s son, Levi, could already walk with the help of others.

When Levi saw Chatty in Nicole’s arms, he happily kissed the baby a few times before Clayton silently carried his daughter away.

Everyone finished their meal and sat down to chat. Clayton naturally held Chatty on his lap.

Grant was discussing the upcoming plan.

Floyd did not agree for Nicole to go back to the office so soon.

"You’d better rest for a while longer. Your big brother and third brother will help with the company. Your health is the top priority!”

Aida also nodded along. "You’ve had two consecutive hospitalizations, so your body must be very weak. You should rest well and think about your health first.

Clayton, what do you think?” She gave Clayton a look.

Clayton paused, glanced at Nicole, and smiled as he spoke.

“I’ll support her no matter what she decides to do.”

Kai rolled his eyes and said, “Although it is very tiring to manage the company and I’ve had enough of it, your health is more important, so don’t force it.”

Nicole knew that they all wanted the best for her, but she just felt bored if she stayed at home all the time.

“How about this? I won’t go to the office just yet. I’ll get Logan to brief me on the latest situation every day and send me emails if there’s anything. Once I’m completely healed, I’ll head back to the office.”

Floyd ended up being completely fine with this arrangement, so everyone could only agree as well.

Chapter 1867

In less than half a month, almost everyone got the news that Nicole had recovered and would soon return to the office.

Kai also gradually handed over the work in his hands back to Grant and Nicole.

He was really relieved.

The day Kai left Stanton Corporation, he wanted to jump up in joy and celebrate his freedom.

Nicole chose one of the days to go to the office to organize some materials.

She went early in the morning and attended three or four meetings back to back.

Originally, Nicole just wanted to sit in for a while and leave, but she could not get away.

She was career-minded again. Previously, she was mentally stuck in her teens and only knew how to have fun. Thus, now that she regained her memory, she knew her priorities.

It was already evening by the time she got off work. Unconsciously, it felt like the old days again.

Clayton called her a few times. He went to the office for a while and went home to spend time with Chatty since she was especially clingy to Clayton. She could not be separated from her father for a moment.

Seeing that it was almost time, Nicole took her things and walked out.

Logan stood outside and was about to go in to notify Nicole but suddenly stopped.

Nicole froze for a moment. “What’s wrong?”

Logan pursed his lips and said, “Gerard Lichman of J&L Corporation is here. He said that he came to talk to you about next quarter’s contract...”

Nicole wrinkled her eyebrows slightly. Why did Gerard come over at this time?

Besides, there was not even one bit of news from him before.

“Tell him to make an appointment. Or, he can talk to Grant.”

Nicole looked at the time and did not want to delay her schedule.

She had a dinner appointment with Yvette. If she took too long, Yvette would get annoyed.

Logan was just about to open his mouth when a man walked out from the opposite conference room. He was tall with nice features. The silver-framed glasses that he was wearing reflected a cold glint, and his pressed suit made him look like a calm gentleman.

It was Gerard Lichman. He raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled as he walked over.

“Ms. Stanton, it’s been a while. Why are you making me look bad? We’re old acquaintances, to say the least,

but it’s so difficult to even see you.”

Nicole narrowed her eyes and glanced at Logan. She curled her lips and spoke lightly.

“Mr. Lichman, if you’d made an appointment in advance, I’d naturally have to set aside some time for you. But unfortunately, I already have an appointment tonight, so I can’t entertain you.”

Gerard came unannounced. Moreover, they still needed to observe the situation for the current cooperation between Stanton Corporation and J&L Corporation. Thus, Nicole would not be so eager to please him.

Gerard laughed in a low voice. He had a casual attitude and did not take Nicole’s coldness to heart.

“It’s my fault for coming without an appointment, but I purposely came here to visit you, Ms. Stanton. Since you’re back in charge of Stanton Corporation, there are greater expectations for our cooperation. I also hope that we can work together as we did before.”

Nicole lowered her eyes, paused, and nodded with a smile.

“Mr. Lichman, you think too much. Our companies can cooperate for mutual benefit because we trust each other. We at Stanton Corporation are certainly happy to see this.”

Gerard smiled. “I’m assured now that I’ve met you, so I won’t disturb your date. Why don’t I walk you downstairs Ms. Stanton?”

Nicole looked at him quietly for a moment.

Initially, she had a good impression of J&L Corporation because of its innovation ability and market positioning. In a very short time, they also managed to occupy a good standing in the industry.

The previous cooperation also achieved unexpectedly good results.

However, the only drawback was that J&L Corporation was backed by Ferguson Corporation’s power.

Ferguson Corporation provided Gerard with a great platform and opportunities, but also to a certain extent, it also cut off a lot of his opportunities.

Chapter 1868

Even if this cooperation would have good returns for the time being, Stanton Corporation would not get more benefits in the long run.

Once Stanton Corporation relied on J&L Corporation’s core technology, it would be difficult to get out and develop by themselves.

Thus, Nicole did not expect much from the cooperation between the two sides.

She had her own plans to develop her own core technology.

Gerard looked at Nicole with a smile. “It’s on the way anyway. We can talk more as well. Ms. Stanton, you won’t refuse to even spare a few minutes, right?”

“Of course not. I’ve been negligent lately. Next time, I’ll definitely make time for you, Mr. Lichman.”

Nicole smiled and spoke.

Gerard smiled meaningfully, raised his eyebrows, and took the initiative to press the elevator button. He then bowed and extended his hand like a gentleman.

“Ms. Stanton, please...” Nicole smiled and followed. Logan did not follow them. Inside the elevator.

It was not exactly quiet.

Gerard said, “Ms. Stanton, I heard that you’ve lost your memory for some reason. I didn’t expect that you would still remember me. I’m really honored.”

Nicole shot a glance at Gerard and faintly withdrew her gaze.

“Don’t worry, whether I forget you or not, it won’t affect the cooperation between our companies.”

Gerard’s face stiffened. “Ms. Stanton, I wonder if you still remember the request you made to J&L Corporation when we first met?”

Nicole replied, “Mr. Lichman, why do you keep bringing up the past when you know that I’ve lost my memory?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that mentioning these would cause you discomfort. Ms. Stanton, I hope that you won’t blame me for being abrupt.”

Nicole did not respond and thought, ‘Gerard somehow knew that I lost my memory, but not many people knew about this matter. Did he come to inquire about me? But he doesn’t even know that I just recovered my memory. Since he doesn’t know, I’ll just continue pretending.’

The elevator arrived.

The two people stepped out side by side.

An unfamiliar vehicle was parked at the entrance.

Gerard smiled. “That’s my car, and my acquaintance is inside. Ms. Stanton, do you want to say hello?”

Nicole narrowed her eyes and paused. Her face sank slightly.

“Mr. Lichman, since it’s your acquaintance, I won’t intrude.”

Nicole had an intuition that the person in the car was someone that she did not want to see.

Otherwise, why would Gerard purposely come here and leave so simply just to bring her down to see this person?

Gerard walked up to Nicole. There was some urgency in his tone.

“Ms. Stanton, it’s also your acquaintance. You knew him before you lost your memory.”

Nicole did not listen to continue. She just turned around and walked in the other direction.

“Hey, Ms. Stanton...”

The person inside the car suddenly got out. Nicole suddenly heard a deep and hoarse voice. “Nicole.  ”

She paused in her footsteps.

It was a somewhat familiar voice. Nicole took a deep breath.

She thought that Eric had left her world and that she had been set free, but why was he still everywhere?

Eric caught up to Nicole and stood still behind her. “Do you... Still remember me?”

Nicole opened her eyes. Her heavy heart suddenly did not have any feeling. There was no pain or numbness.

It was just like meeting a stranger.

Nicole turned around as if nothing had happened. Her eyes were still radiant, but she was facing him with more wariness.

“No, who are you?”

Eric’s face paled visibly, and his body shook slightly.

He knew full well about her memory loss, but having seen it with his own eyes, he still felt a dull pain in his heart.

His chest felt suffocated.

At this time, Gerard did not go forward to speak nonsense.

Chapter 1869

Gerard felt that he had already tried his best to bring Nicole to Eric, since the people in Stanton Corporation were all wary of him, especially Nicole’s assistant, Logan, who was preventing this situation.

Looking from a distance, Gerard felt that the two people seemed to be from different worlds.

They did not seem to fit together at all. The past is long gone.

Eric looked at Nicole with his bloodshot eyes that were

strongly suppressing his surging emotions.

However, under Nicole’s calm and indifferent gaze, Eric also had to act composed.

Eric hooked his lips. “It’s fine if you don’t remember. We can get reacquainted...”

He stretched out his hand, nervously waiting for her reaction.

After a short silence, Nicole   slowly lifted her eyelids and let out a light laugh.

‘there’s no need for that. Let’s wait until I recover my memory because how would I know that you’re a good person?”

After saying that, Nicole looked past Eric to glance at Gerard, who was leaning against the car behind Eric.

Nicole smiled meaningfully, turned around, and walked away.

Eric’s body stiffened as he stood there. He felt a bone- piercing cold as if a bucket of ice water was poured over his head.

“How would I know that you’re a good person?” Her tone when she said that sounded as if she recognized him, but it also did not seem that way.

A sense of guilt and coldness arose in his heart. Eric was not so sure.

Gerard slowly walked up. He watched as Nicole got into her car and left. Eric still did not move.

It was indescribably pathetic.

The influential Eric Ferguson who could turn tides in Atlanta also had this coming?

Gerard patted Eric’s shoulder.

“Mr. Ferguson, you already tried your best, so just forget about it. Don’t be late for your flight tonight.”

They got back into the car.

The car drove straight to the airport without stopping elsewhere.

This was Eric’s last visit before he left, and it was also the last chance he gave himself.

If Nicole was willing to hold out an olive branch to him, he would grab it even if it meant giving up everything.

Unfortunately, she did not.

Eric’s gaze was gloomy as he looked out the window a t the rapidly passing scenery. His voice was dark.

“It’s probably a good thing that she can’t remember...”

Gerard sighed. “Maybe... But I have a bad feeling about it.”

He opened his mouth but did not continue to speak. Gerard was a little scared by the last glance that

Nicole shot him before she left. It gave him chills down his spine.

He hoped that Nicole would not implicate him in this matter.

Nicole called Yvette on the road, telling her that she wanted to cancel their dinner appointment since she felt upset about that encounter with Eric earlier.

She then went back to the Stanton Mansion.

Even though Yvette got stood up by Nicole, she knew that it was pointless to get mad at Nicole since Nicole really hated that damned bastard, Eric Ferguson.

However, since Yvette already reserved a private room, she immediately called her colleagues over.

Lance went out to socialize with some business partners, so there were no bosses in the office watching over the employees.

Thus, everyone was delighted.

This was the benefit of listening to the boss’s wife. A dozen or so people came, so it was very lively.

Drinks, snacks, and fruit platters were sent over one after another.

Some of the more liberal colleagues began to sing at the top of their lungs with the microphone, and everyone excitedly went along with it.

Others began to play cards and drinking games.

Yvette happily opened a few bottles of expensive wine. “Everyone, drink to your heart’s content!”

Everyone happily downed the wine and laughed. At that moment, Yvette’s phone rang.

She looked down and almost dropped her phone on the floor when she saw the words, “Hubby calling...”

Yvette paused and took her phone out to answer the call.

“Hello?”

Lance’s tone was calm. It sounded like he purposely took the time to call her.

“Who are you hanging with?”

Chapter 1870

Yvette could hear the sound of a lighter over the phone. Lance seemed to be smoking.

She paused for a while and felt that she could not remain calm when she chatted with Lance. According to her past experience, it was too easy to get herself in trouble.

“I’m with Nicole. Didn’t I tell you earlier?”

Yvette wanted to end the call quickly, so she took the initiative to speak.

“Do you not trust me and want to check up on me?”

Lance stayed silent for a few seconds. He let out a light laugh that was somewhat cold.

“Nicole?”

“Yeah!”

Yvette answered boldly.

Lance took a deep breath to calm himself down, and Yvette suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

Before she could say anything, Lance said, “Wait a sec, I’ll get Nicole to speak to you.”

After saying that, Lance handed over his phone to the person next to him. “Excuse me, will you have a word with Yvette?”

Yvette froze for a moment, and her body stiffened.

She suddenly felt like she was done for.

In the next second, a familiar voice came through the phone.

“Yvette, it’s me. Lance just came back to my house with Grant. I wanted to ask if you wanna come over.”

Yvette closed her eyes. She suddenly felt like her future was bleak.

This was the first time her lie was so quickly exposed. Yvette opened her mouth. “No... No need.”

Lance took the phone over and let out a light laugh.

“Yvette, you should go back and think about how you wanna explain this matter?”

After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Nicole pursed her lips and hurriedly took her phone to send a message. [You lied?]

Yvette replied. [I didn’t expect such a coincidence!] Nicole typed. [Your husband seems super angry...] Yvette typed back. [Yeah, I felt it...]

Nicole messaged Yvette. [You’d better plead guilty!]

Yvette replied. [Lemme have some fun before I die!]

Yvette took a deep breath and returned to the private room anyway.

Since she was already exposed, she should just enjoy herself.

Yvette went in quietly, so no one paid attention to her. They were all doing their own thing.

Some people were playing poker, and some others were singing horribly.

Yvette turned around and found a bunch of girls gossiping and drinking. They were the few girls from the front desk.

She silently sat in a corner and did not catch their eye, but she was ready to join in their conversation.

“Why is she here?”

“Who knows? How dare she come back? Ms. Quimbey doesn’t know her identity, right?”

“I’m sure Ms. Quimbey isn’t aware. Otherwise, how can that woman show up here?”

“Should we pretend that we don’t know about it?”

Yvette was sitting there, anxious to know who they were talking about.

How did they know who they were talking about without mentioning that woman’s name?

A younger woman sighed.

“Ms. Quimbey’s so nice to us, so I feel really bad for hiding it from her...”

Yvette finally could not take it anymore. She stood up, walked over, and sat opposite them.

Everyone was shocked.

Yvette smiled and looked at the person who spoke.

‘then don’t hide it from me. What are you guys talking about?”

Everyone looked at each other with some guilt.

They were wondering how much Yvette had heard and if they should tell her or not.

“Ms. Quimbey...”

Yvette sighed and took a sip of wine. “Actually, I know all about it, and I know your good intentions. I didn’t expect her to show up here either...”

She would not go wrong for going along with their words.

Everyone was shocked for a moment. Their expressions were a little strange.

“Ms. Quimbey, I didn’t expect that you’d know about it

Yvette nodded her head calmly.

“Of course! That’s why I know what you girls are saying. I don’t blame you either. Who could’ve imagined this?”

A young girl sitting next to Yvette looked at her with encouragement.

“Although she’s Mr. Sheldon’s ex-girlfriend, you’re forever the boss lady in our hearts! No one can ever replace you!”

Yvette was stunned.

Another person also nodded and spoke.

“That’s right. What’s an ex-girlfriend anyway? She clearly wants to get back together with Mr. Sheldon. Otherwise, why would she pick our company out of so many companies out there? It’s obvious that she doesn’t have any good intentions!”

“Yeah! She definitely has an ulterior motive. Recently, she’s been making friends everywhere in the company and inquiring about your affairs, but I didn’t reveal anything!”

“Tell me about it! We’re always on your side, Ms. Quimbey. How can that woman compare to you? You can crush her to death in a second!”

“Ms. Quimbey, don’t worry. Since she joined our company, Mr. Sheldon hasn‘t spoken to her privately. I’m keeping an eye on them for you!”

Yvette just felt like someone punched her in the face. She was dumbfounded for a moment.

Through their conversation, Yvette figured out that Lance’s ex-girlfriend joined Sheldon Corporation, yet she was completely kept in the dark about it.

Moreover, Lance’s ex-girlfriend is currently in this private room.

Yvette subconsciously scanned the surroundings. She recognized most of the people who came over.

However, her eyes suddenly stopped at one spot.

A man and a woman sat in the singing area. The woman smiled and did not speak, as if she did not fit in here. However, the man was very attentive, offering her the fruit platter.

That man, Simon Lane, was an ordinary employee who joined the company not long ago. Everyone liked him because of his sweet talk, so they would also invite him to all sorts of parties.

This time was no exception, so Yvette did not think much of it.

However, that woman beside Simon was somewhat familiar.

At first, Yvette took her as Simon’s girlfriend.

Now, it seemed more like Simon trying to suck up to that woman.

At that moment, the woman seemed to sense something and turned her head; just in time to lock eyes with Yvette.

At that second, Yvette could confirm that this woman was Lance’s ex-girlfriend, the one who took the money and left.

Heh...

Yvette thought, ‘She came back wanting to pick up where she left off, huh?’

In the next second, Yvette indifferently averted her gaze.

The receptionist next to Yvette lowered her head and advised her.

“Ms. Quimbey, this woman isn’t easy to deal with. Back then, before you met Mr. Sheldon, she went in and out of the office as she pleased and closed a lot of deals using Mr. Sheldon’s name. Mr. Sheldon repeatedly warned her not to, but it was useless.”

Yvette was no longer in the mood for drinking and wanted to make a scene, but she stopped herself.

If Yvette made a scene now, it would seem like she really cared about that woman’s existence.

‘Who is she, anyway?’ Yvette thought as she picked up the glass of whiskey on the side and took a sip.

Yvette smiled meaningfully and said, “Oh? I don’t know much. I just heard a little about it. Why would my husband talk about his ex-girlfriend in front of me anyway?”

Another colleague said, “Right, but as Sun Tzu said, if you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. It’s better to be prepared!”

The receptionist said, “It’s actually nothing. She’s just a clown that can’t compare to Ms. Quimbey at all, so how long will she be able to stir things up?”

Another colleague disagreed. “Well, we still can’t let her stir up too much of a fuss since she clearly has

nothing to lose. If she succeeds, she’ll be the next Mrs. Sheldon. Even if she fails, she still managed to nauseate Ms. Quimbey! Ms. Quimbey, even though I think that you’re very capable, I’m still worried for you!”

Everyone discussed this topic with interest. In the end, they looked at Yvette with sympathy.

Although Yvette had a high status as Lance’s wife and the vice president of Sheldon Corporation, it was quite a pity that she was in such a revolting situation.

Everything was not as shinny and perfect as it seemed on the surface.

Her colleagues no longer concealed their expressions since Yvette was already aware of this.

Yvette was speechless and thought, ‘Can they stop looking at me with such an expression?! I’m so much richer than them!’