Ch. 21..30
The Divorced Billionaire Heiress chapter 21
For a moment, the atmosphere in the meeting room was tense and awkwardly silent.
Samantha Lindt felt humiliated. She had been in the company for so many years and got to her position with a lot of effort, so she did not mean to leave just like that.
Grant Stanton standing up for the newcomer Nicole was also a slap in the face for Samantha.
The meeting room was silent, and everyone looked at each other.
Nicole frowned slightly. She did not want to be targeted the moment she took office. Just as she was about to ease the tension in the room, Samantha stood up apprehensively with a flushed face.
“President Stanton, I’m sorry for my transgression. I respect the company’s decision and will work well with Ms. Nicole.”
“Good. Meeting adjourned.”
Grant Stanton did not say much. He did not want to waste another minute and left the meeting room in an imposing manner.
Samantha then let out a long breath of relief.
Although many others had opinions about Nicole’s arrival, they dared not oppose Grant Stanton’s authority. Nicole was also not bothered by this little episode because she would prove her capabilities over time.
When Logan arrived at Nicole’s office, he was very respectful. “Ms. Nicole, I ‘ll be your assistant from today, so you can inform me if you have any orders.“
Nicole knew that Logan was Grant’s right-hand man, so having him by her side would be very helpful. “Thank you. The President mentioned something about J&L’s project previously, so please get me all the information on J&L Corporation.“
Logan nodded. “Sure, I’ll get it ready for you.“
After Logan left, Yvette waltzed in and swung her phone by the strap on her phone case. “Baby, my office is right next door, so we’ll be working side by side from now on.“
Nicole smiled and was in a particularly good mood. Her relationship with Yvette was back to how it was before she impulsively married Eric Ferguson.
“This job will be harder at first, but it gets better.“
Yvette sneered and did a hair flip. “I’m not scared. By the way, let me show you something.“
She smiled and handed Nicole her phone. Nicole looked at it quizzically and was dumbfounded when she saw the contents.
There was a new wave of comments online because Yvette had sent the full video of last night’s incident to many influencers, who helped spread the message. Through this video, everyone could see that the gangster first tried to take advantage of the drunk Yvette, but Nicole taught him a hard lesson and finally took Yvette out of the bar with her. This stirred a lot of debate online.
(OMG! How cool is she?! I wouldn’t need a boyfriend if I had a good friend like her!]
(She’s such a cool and valiant young lady! Now I understand why she got divorced and left such a wealthy family.]
(Nicole is my goddess! ] (She should be a celebrity! ]
(My heroine! Please give me your number!!]
Nicole was on the top trending topics again. She looked at Yvette helplessly. “Did you purposely go to get the surveillance footage last night?“
Yvette lifted her chin arrogantly and said, “Nah, it’s nothing, just a matter of one phone call. I won’t allow anyone to slander you under my watch! “
Nicole laughed. “Whatever, it’s not a big deal anyway.“
“Then do you know who’s behind all this?“
Nicole shook her head but a name flashed across her mind. Yvette told her frankly, “It’s Eric Ferguson’s best friend, Keith Ludwig! “
Sure enough, it was not far off from Nicole’s guess. Whether it was Ingrid Ferguson or Keith Ludwig, both of them were still related to Eric Ferguson.
Nicole snorted. Her face turned slightly colder. She would not have cared if she was clueless about this, but since she was aware of it, she could not let him get away so easily.
“Call Dominic Young, I want dirt on Keith Ludwig!”
“Now this is the Nicole Stanton I’m familiar with. We must get our revenge! Don’t worry, I already have what we need to put him in his place.”
Yvette had already dug up dirt on Keith Ludwig long ago. She sent all of it to Nicole, who took her pick and selected one of the photos. In that picture, Keith was wearing swim shorts at some party and washugging a few girls left and right. It was back when he just got married.
Nicole posted the photo with a caption.
(If you have a beef with me, just come at me directly. I’ll retaliate openly and certainly won’t stoop so low to create misconceptions by hiring paparazzi to edit clips. Mr. Ludwig, you should just look out for yourself.]
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The Divorced Billionaire Heiress chapter 22
Nicole used her newly registered social media account to post this. Soon, many influencers began to share her post and turned the tide. Everyone began to watch the drama unfold.
Before this, not many knew about Nicole’s new social media handle, but because of this post, her following skyrocketed. Some people even started to dig up Keith Ludwig’s details.
Ferguson Corporation.
Keith ran into Eric Ferguson’s office in a huff. “Bro! That ex-wife of yours is trying to destroy me! “
Eric looked up from the document he was reading and swept him a faint glance.
Keith found the spiteful comments about him online and showed them to Eric. He angrily said, “She’s trying to shame me in public ! This is just too much! Look, this is her true self! This b*tch is up to no good. Now, my wife is making a fuss and wants a divorce! You have to help me, bro…“
Eric frowned. His eyes darkened as he looked through the comments on Keith’s phone. After a long time, he said in a deep voice, “So, you intended to cyberbully her but you got bitten in the *ss instead?“
Keith shuddered and hurriedly explained, “I…I just wanted to teach her a little lesson. Besides, I didn’t know that the video was edited. The paparazzi cheated my money and did me dirty this time…“
Eric threw the phone on the desk and said with a cold face, “Serves you right.“
“Bro, you gotta help me! I was duped by the paparazzi, and Ingrid asked me to help her with this. If it wasn’t for me, those people would be cursing Ingrid instead! “
Eric’s face turned glum. Thinking of what happened last time at the restaurant, he did not expect his sister to be so obtuse.
Keith begged for help with a bitter face, but Eric was unmoved. “You asked for it, so deal with it yourself. With your ability, why are you still worried about this kind of trivial matter anyway?“
“It was supposed to be easy, but that b*tch went to find Dominic Young from Falcon Entertainment.
That man is so cunning and doesn’t even answer my calls anymore. Now no one dares to help me.
Everyone thinks I’m a monster now! “
Keith never imagined such a reversal where Nicole would get the upper hand and make him suffer such a big loss. How did that photo from the private party get leaked anyway?
His wife had been so obedient and well-behaved all this while, but because of this incident, she proposed a divorce.
Keith did not actually care about the divorce. The more pressing issue was that his grandfather wanted to beat him up and kick him out of the house. He was out of ideas, so he ran to Eric for help.
Eric raised his eyes and looked at him for a moment.
“My advice is for you to go to whoever you provoked.“ “Nicole?! “
Keith subconsciously rejected this idea. ‘Why should I bow to such a despicable woman?’
Eric did not want to say more. When his secretary came in to invite him for a meeting, Eric stood up and walked out.
Keith hit a wall with Eric and left in disappointment. He did not dare to go online to read the harsh comments and his phone blew up from the continuous stream of calls from his family.
“It’s none of your business how many women I hug! “ Keith sat in the car and was so enraged that he was about to explode.
He must solve this problem as soon as possible, but having to apologize to Nicole was worse than getting beaten up.
However, he had no choice in the matter. If he did not compromise, he would be disowned by his family.
After some thought, Keith asked his assistant to post a statement with his social media account that had 800,000 followers.
(I didn’t know that the video clip had been edited prior to posting it. I apologize for any distress and inconvenience caused to Ms. Nicole.]
Keith had lost this round. Since Nicole dared to blatantly call him out, she must have evidence on hand that he was behind it, so being at loggerheads with her would not benefit him.
Since Keith was not in the entertainment industry and did not depend on having a following to survive, he did not care about losing some followers. It was just that he lost his dignity in front of his friends for apologizing to Nicole.
Stanton Corporation.
Yvette smiled as she waltzed into Nicole’s office and waved her phone around. “This Mr. Ludwig couldn’t even hold on for two hours before he surrendered. I thought he’d put up more of a fight, but I guess he’s just useless.”
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The Divorced Billionaire Heiress chapter 23
Nicole took out her phone and looked at the trending topics, then snickered and put it aside without a thought.
She was familiar with the Ludwig family’s background and knew that Keith’s parents must have pressured him. Otherwise, knowing his
character, he would never willingly admit his fault. Keith must be hating her guts at this moment.
There was a knock at the door. Samantha Lindt let herself in and smiled. “Ms. Nicole, is it convenient for me to come in and talk?“
Nicole nodded. “Please, come in.“
Samantha walked in and glanced at Yvette as if she did not want to speak with the presence of a third person, but Yvette was not perceptive enough to wait outside.
“What’s the matter?“
“I saw that Mr. Logan is preparing some information regarding J&L’s project. Ms. Nicole, you might not know this, but we don’t have much of a relationship with J&L Corporation and have a slim chance for cooperation. If you want to gain your footing in the company, why don’t you cooperate with FH Corporation? I know that they have a project that’s very suitable for us.“
Samantha placed a document in front of Nicole and raised her eyebrows. She smiled as if she had given Nicole a good deal.
Nicole paused for a moment. “Okay, I’ll consider it.“
“Ms. Nicole, you ought to close this deal. FH is an old partner, so landing this project will be enough for you to stand firm in our company.“
Samantha targeted Nicole at the meeting but sent her such a big gift after. It would be odd if there was nothing fishy about this.
Nicole raised her eyes and smiled meaningfully. “ Please call me Vice President Nicole.“
Samantha’s face stiffened and her voice suddenly became shrill. “Don’t think that you’re all that just because the President is fond of you. Whether you can stay still depends on your luck! Anyway, I’ve given you this opportunity, so it’s up to you to seize it.”
After finishing her speech, Samatha turned around and left, slamming the door shut on her way out.
Yvette was stunned by this and said, “Are you her boss, or is she your boss?“
Nicole nonchalantly flipped through the file that Samantha gave her. “She assumed that this position would be hers if I didn’t show up.“
“That’s just her wishful thinking, right?“
Nicole raised her eyebrows and snorted, then handed the document to Yvette.
“I remember that the Vice President of FH Corporation is one of your admirers?“
Yvette froze for a moment and laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll find out what’s fishy about this.“
‘Since my best friend is so serious about her career, I must support her in any way possible! ‘ Yvette thought.
Nicole’s phone rang. The caller ID showed that it was her old friend that she had not contacted in a long time, Julie Nixon. Julie had single-handedly founded the internationally renowned fashion brand, Share. The private fashion shows she held were so popular that it was hard to get an invitation.
Once Nicole picked up, Julie could not wait to speak. “ Come hang out with us tonight! We organized a little get-together at Tattle Bar to celebrate your return, so you must come! “
Nicole laughed. She missed her friends a lot. “Okay, I’ll definitely show up.“
After she hung up, Yvette added Nicole into a chat group consisting of five people, which included the three girls and the Carter brothers.
Julie Nixon: (Nicole is finally back in our group! Congratulations, Baby! ]
Ian Carter: (I already drank one whole night to celebrate Nicole’s divorce…it’s about time!]
Hugh Carter: (Congrats on your divorce, Nikki!]
Nicole laughed in exasperation. “Are they gloating over my failed marriage?“
Yvette helplessly said, “No…you don’t know how happy we all are for you! When we heard that you
Chapter 23 Call Me Vice President Nicole were suffering, everyone in this group cursed Eric Ferguson, but we were afraid that you’d get sad when you see it, so we didn’t add you into the group chat until now. You’re finally over him now! ”
Nicole thought, ‘Sigh…it’s my fault. I have to thank them for not leaving me after all that.’
Keith Ludwig was depressed and dragged Eric out for a drink that night. When they arrived at Tattle Bar and got out of the car, Keith rubbed his eyes in disbelief and said, “Holy sh*t! Why do I run into this woman everywhere I go?”
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The Divorced Billionaire Heiress chapter 24
Eric Ferguson followed Keith’s gaze and was instantly stunned when he saw her.
Nicole was wearing a long silver-gray dress that was flared and glittery at the hemline and corseted at her slender waist. It made her look so tall and beautiful. Her long wavy hair was draped over her back and her temperament was incredibly striking.
Keith Ludwig cursed under his breath. “What kind of small world is this?! How can I run into someone I hate when I just want a drink…“
Yvette’s group naturally noticed Eric and Keith. Although they did not want to see their faces, there was no reason to ignore them now that they ran into each other.
“Mr. Ludwig, have you finished cleaning up your messy love life? How are you still in the mood to come out for a drink? I guess the impact of that photo is still too small, huh?“
Yvette scoffed. Keith was not willing to show any weakness and glared at the culprit Nicole at the back. He sneered and said, “Nicole, I underestimated you. I didn’t expect you to be a completely different person. I guess anyone would change if they have a strong backer.“
“Of course! She’s been a wreck relying on her good- for-nothing ex-husband for three years, so now that she’s divorced, we’re here to back her up. Mr.
Ludwig, didn’t you run to your friend whenever you encountered a problem?“
Julie Nixon chimed in and was infuriated when she saw Eric Ferguson. She pulled Yvette over and said, “ Let’s not waste our breath with them. Go on inside. “
Nicole looked indifferent as she followed her friends into the bar. She did not even take a glimpse at Keith or Eric and walked past them as if they were mere strangers.
A devilishly handsome man walked behind Nicole and was holding her purse. When the man walked past Eric, he glared at him and grunted before following Nicole.
Keith was vexed and anxious. ‘What right did Nicole have to treat me like this?! ‘
“I didn’t realize it before, but your ex-wife is quite capable! She messed with me online all day today and even pretended not to see us?! “
Eric’s face sank slightly. “Enough. Do you want to create a bigger fuss? Go home and stay there! “
Keith took a deep breath. “I’m not going home. Why should I be the one to leave? I wanna see what else they’re capable of!“
Eric was reluctant to go in, but his feet had a mind of their own and followed Keith into the bar. He recognized the purse that the devilishly handsome man was holding. Grant Stanton had also taken that purse for her at the banquet last time. It was Nicole’s purse.
Julie Nixon dragged Nicole up to the second floor and was extremely excited. “I’m hosting the last fashion show of the season in a few days. Bring your third brother along. I reserved good seats for you guys! “
Hugh Carter, who was behind them, protested in dissatisfaction. “I ‘ve made reservations a long time ago and you still haven’t given me tickets! I don’t care, I wanna sit next to Nicole! “
“Dream on! “ Julie retorted and greeted Ian Carter, who had already arrived long before them.
Nicole laughed and could not help but burst Hugh’s bubble. “Will your father let you go when he sees that you’re not doing your job?“
Hugh Carter paused in his footsteps and hugged Nicole’s arm aggrievedly. “With you around, he won’t be so harsh on me…“
“Tsk..”
Ian Carter waved when he saw Nicole. He smiled brightly and went over to hug her. “Welcome back, my queen.“
The two Carter brothers, Ian and Hugh, looked alike. Hugh was the younger brother that looked devilishly handsome. If he entered the entertainment industry, he would be the hottest rookie around.
Ian was a few years older and was the second son of the Carter family. He looked more mature and was handsome enough that a group of young ladies would chase after him, but he always fooled around with them and was never serious.
Nicole laughed and sat on the side. Ian was playing a poker dice game before their arrival, and the players were still waiting for Ian to make a move.
Ian waved his hand and said, “I’m out. By the way, Nikki, I hired your favorite band, The Lunatics.
Enjoy! “
Everyone at the table was discontented. “What? Ian, you’re not playing? We were just on a roll…”
“Mr. Carter, what a coincidence! “
As soon as Keith and Eric went upstairs, they saw Ian Carter sitting there languidly as he swirled a glass of red wine with one hand.
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The Divorced Billionaire Heiress chapter 25
Although they were from different circles, the high society of Atlanta was small, so everyone would more or less cross paths with each other. Thus, Keith Ludwig and Ian Carter knew each other.
When Ian saw Keith, he naturally saw Eric Ferguson as well. Ian tipped his glass as a gesture. “What a coincidence, Mr. Ludwig.“
Keith saw that Nicole and Yvette were sitting with Ian, so he figured that they were here together. Keith turned and pulled Eric to sit at their table. “Let’s play a game together. You won’t mind, right, Mr. Carter?“
Ian did not answer and turned to look at Nicole. “My queen, do you mind?“
Nicole stood up insouciantly. “Help yourselves, I’m going downstairs to watch the band.“
Yvette immediately followed suit. “Let’s go! It’s so suffocating sharing the same space with such pests.“
Julie took three bottles of fine wine and said, “I ‘m coming too! “
Eric watched as Nicole disappeared down the stairs before he withdrew his gaze and glanced at Ian. “Mr. Carter, what’s your relationship with Nicole?“
Ian tilted his head and chuckled. “A friend.“
“How can her kind be friends with you? Mr. Carter, don’t be fooled by her…“ Before Keith could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Eric.
“Keith…“
Ian’s gaze grew cold as he looked at Keith. “And what kind is she? Mr. Ludwig, do you know her very well?“
“I…“ Keith was rendered speechless. Eric did not come to his rescue, so he felt annoyed because he could not tell Ian about all the despicable things Nicole did.
The loud music downstairs ignited the atmosphere in the bar.
A familiar song from “The Lunatics“ resurfaced after three years, immediately arousing the enthusiasm and passion of the crowd. Everyone cheered, swayed, and looked up at the people on stage.
Keith sighed in disbelief. “Didn’t The Lunatics retire? Why are they here? I heard that The Lunatics even rejected an eight-figure offer to perform in a private show, but they came to this bar?“
There were three people in this band, but only two showed up. However, these two were already enough to incite the crowd’s excitement and passion as they controlled the energy of the venue.
Yvette was screaming and shouting at the bottom of the stage and did not notice that Julie had already brought Nicole backstage.
“There are three minutes until this song is over. Demon just had an appendectomy, so he couldn’t make it. Without the violin, the song will lose its soul. The last song needs a violin accompaniment to the bassist. There’s no one else but you now, so go!“ Nicole was shocked. “Me?! “
“You’re the only one who has played with them before, so of course, it’s you. Do you really want them to be a failure? They’re here because of you. Plus, don’t you want to get back your old feeling?“
The music was deafening. Those familiar memories made Nicole feel exhilarated. She smiled and said, “ Okay, I’ll go on.“
Everyone cheered loudly for the band. Their bodies swayed to the rhythm, and everyone was exuberant.
No one noticed that Nicole carried a violin in her left hand while she held her flowing dress with her other hand as she stepped onto the stage.
The lights suddenly dimmed, leaving only a beam of light on the stage.
Monster and Phantom, who were part of the band, lit up when they saw Nicole. The bassist, Phantom, started the rhythm. The best part about this piece lied in the bassist and violinist duet, which was an absolutely divine pairing. If they were not equal, the song would lose its soul.
Phantom passionately took over the melody, just enough to invigorate the crowd.
In the next second, a delicate, mellow sound of the violin seamlessly integrated into the bass. When the drums stopped abruptly, the violin suddenly sounded bold, rich, and deep. Everyone was astonished to see the woman on stage looking so cool and valiant. The violin in her hands sounded so
magical and in tune, which matched her very distinctive style.
Everyone was so immersed in the music when the drums suddenly joined in again. There was a tacit understanding between the drummer and violinist as they synchronized their rhythm. The stark contrast between the intensity of the drums and the softness of the violin formed a beautiful medley. After the short two-minute performance, the crowd’s screams were even more thunderous and deafening than before.
“Ah!! My goddess! “
“Violin goddess! ” On the second floor, the shock that flashed through Eric Ferguson’s eyes was undisguised.
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The Divorced Billionaire Heiress chapter 26
Phantom led Monster and Nicole to take a bow after the performance. Nicole smiled brightly and got off the stage with poise.
‘Luckily, I still remember the basics! This performance is still quite satisfactory.’ Nicole thought.
Phantom and Monster followed Nicole off the stage. Monster went over and patted her shoulder. “Lil Nicole, why don’t you just join our band? We’re willing to kick Demon out for you! “
Nicole lowered her head and laughed. “If Demon hears this, he’d probably get up from his hospital bed right now and fight you! “
Monster was in great spirits. “I’m so thrilled to perform with you today. You’re the composer of this song anyway, so except for Demon, only you can perform so flawlessly with us. Lil Nicole, you seem just like you were three years ago! “
Nicole felt a trace of bitterness in her heart. She seemed to have missed out on an inordinate amount of life’s excitement in these three years. Fortunately, it was still not too late to get back on track.
Monster refused to give up and kept persuading Nicole to join their band. “Lil Nicole, if you join us, we’ll surely shock the music world! “
Nicole was just about to reject his offer when Julie walked over with a smile.
“Forget about it, you two…Nikki’s gonna start her career all over again! “
As soon as Julie pulled Nicole out from backstage, Yvette gave her a bear hug. “Nikki baby, that was fantastic! You’re my goddess! Do you know how excited everyone was? Your violin is simply amazing! “
Nicole helplessly pried Yvette off of her body. It was all thanks to Ian’s arrangement that Nicole got to have such a memorable night.
The three ladies thought that Eric and Keith should have already left, so they went back up to the second floor. Unexpectedly, Eric and Keith were sitting next to the Carter brothers as they stared at Nicole weirdly the moment she showed up.
Yvette snorted in dissatisfaction and pulled Nicole to sit by Ian. “Ian, let’s play something. It’s boring having to sit with such eyesores.“
Ian shrugged his shoulders. “Sure, the night’s still young! “
Everyone downstairs was shouting for The Lunatics to have an encore.
“I didn’t think that Nicole could play the violin. Why didn’t I hear about it before?“ Keith could not help his curiosity. He was genuinely shocked.
The moment Nicole went on stage, she was so cool and confident like a queen that was in control of the whole audience.
“Why should we tell you? Who the hell are you even?“ Yvette scowled at him and retorted.
Keith felt attacked, but he indifferently shrugged his shoulders. “Didn’t you say that you wanted to play something? How about poker dice?“
“Who wants to play with you?! “ Yvette scoffed and was holding a grudge against them for Nicole.
‘Stupid bastard!’
Eric Ferguson, who had not spoken, suddenly said in a deep voice, “Nicole, are you afraid to play just one game with us?“
Since Nicole came upstairs, Eric’s eyes had not moved away from her. Nicole swirled the wine glass in her hand and looked down seemingly disinterested and treated them as if they were invisible.
Eric suppressed his shock. The Nicole sitting in front of him seemed familiar yet strange to him. At that moment, the emotions surging in his heart were incomparably complicated.
When Nicole was named, she nonchalantly lifted her head and swept a glance at Eric with a faint smile on her face. “What should I be afraid of?“
Although Nicole felt that Eric’s words were unexpected, she was not afraid of him. They were like strangers now, so playing a gambling game was not a big deal.
Yvette objected discontentedly. “Nikki, why do you wanna play with him? He’s clearly just trying to provoke you! “
Julie pulled Yvette aside and looked at the ex-couple. “Don’t worry, Nikki knows what she’s doing.“
Eric Ferguson grew up as a member of the gentry, so taking part in these social events was like second nature to him. Poker dice was the easiest game and a sure win for Eric. Keith, who was sitting on the side, could not hide his smug smile. The waiter set the table with two players against each other. Nicole did not make a move. Instead, she looked down and said, “What’s the bet?”
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The Divorced Billionaire Heiress chapter 27
How meaningless would it be without bets?
Eric’s eyes were deep as he stared at her indifferent side profile. “What are your thoughts?“
Before Nicole could say anything, Keith sneered and spoke first. “If Ferg loses, I ‘ll walk out of here butt naked, but if Nicole loses…“
He swept a glance at the Carter brothers and continued in a disdainful tone, “You need to admit in public that you married into the Ferguson family for money, and you can never show your face in Atlanta ever again! Nicole, do you dare to bet on this?“
Ian and Hugh Carter were dumbfounded. Yvette was so enraged that she wanted to stand up and defend Nicole, but Julie pulled Yvette back and told her not to be impulsive.
Eric’s eyebrows furrowed tighter. He was about to interrupt Keith when Nicole sneered and raised her eyebrows mockingly. “Sure, I accept.“
Nicole looked so scornful of Eric, as if he was not a worthy opponent.
Keith laughed at the fact that Nicole was ignorant and oblivious to how strong her opponent was.
In the whole of Atlanta, Eric’s poker dice skills were unbeatable, even if he played with his eyes closed. Back then, Eric won his first big cash windfall at Vegas, not to mention, these menial people in front of them were all insignificant characters compared to Eric.
‘I can finally avenge myself today!’ Keith thought. Eric stretched out his hand. “Ladies first.“
Nicole took the dice shaker on the table and shook it, then casually rested the back of her hand on it as she looked at Eric. “Your turn.“
Eric looked at Nicole quizzically and frowned. It was obvious that Nicole did not take this game seriously. ‘
Does she truly not care whether she wins or loses this bet?’
Keith was watching eagerly as if they had already won the game. ‘Nicole is such a noob! Look at the way she shook the dice, how unprofessional! Does she think she can win with two simple shakes? No way! ‘
Eric pondered for a moment, then casually lifted the dice cup. It was a four-of-a-kind, an expected win. He then glanced at Nicole, who still looked unfazed.
Keith was so excited that he almost jumped up. “ Ferg, way to go! You used your usual skills. Here I thought that you might get soft—hearted…“
Ian Carter clapped at the side and was not surprised by this. He smiled faintly and said, “Mr. Ludwig, Mr. Ferguson has never been soft-hearted towards Nicole, but at least we finally get to see Mr. Ferguson’s ability today.“
“Why are you complimenting Eric? Are you trying to divert our attention and renege on the bet? Nicole, why don’t you let us see your hand? Don’t be a sore loser…“
”Keith Ludwig ! Empty vessels make the most noise, so shut the f*ck up!” Yvette could not help but rebuke.
Nicole watched as the atmosphere suddenly became tense and laughed lightly. Her slender fingers tapped the dice cup twice before she casually tipped it over.
Before everyone had time to react, she took her purse and stood up. ”I’m leaving, you guys carry on.”
Besides Yvette and Hugh who were both startled, Julie and Ian seemed to have already expected this result and were calm and unperturbed.
The moment Keith saw Nicole’s dice, he just felt like dying.
‘Five -of-a-kind ! How could she get an upper hand over Eric? This woman just simply shook the dice on the table and was able to get five-of-a-kind?!’
When Keith looked up again, the woman had already disappeared.
Yvette gloatingly slapped the table and smugly said, ”Mr. Ludwig, don’t forget to strip butt naked before leaving ! As you just said, don’t be a sore loser… ”
”You…you’re cheating ! ” Keith’s face was flushed as all kinds of emotions flashed by.
”Cheating? Mr. Ludwig, you’re the one who wanted to play. These are the rules of the table, yet you dare say that we’re cheating when you lost? If you can’t afford to lose, why play in the first place? Mr. Ferguson, don’t you think so?”
Yvette sneered and called Eric Ferguson out as she gnashed her teeth in anger.
Keith looked at his best friend with big, innocent, pleading eyes. The words “save me” were written all over his face.
Eric glanced at Yvette, then swept a glance at Ian and Hugh before his gaze landed on Keith. “We lost.”
His face was calm and unmoved. At first, Eric felt it strange that the sound of the dice from his hand and Nicole’s hand were a little off. However, he was not the slightest bit upset that he lost. Instead, he even felt a little delighted.
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The Divorced Billionaire Heiress chapter 28
Eric Ferguson quickly left the table, leaving Keith stupefied as he received hostile glares from Nicole’s friends.
The taut string in Keith’s heart suddenly snapped.
Keith felt that those people led by Yvette just wanted to eat him alive.
‘Eric left me like that? Aren’t we bros?! ‘
Keith looked at the people in front of him and bit his lower lip as he spoke with no dignity, “Can you please spare me this time?“
The whole group said in unison, “No! “
Downstairs.
Nicole came out from the side door where there was no crowd. She had just sent a text to her big brother, so his driver should be arriving soon. She also sent Yvette a message.
“Nicole…“
A raspy voice called her name as Eric’s tall and brawny figure stood at the side door. Nicole was stunned for a moment, then immediately put on her aloof and guarded look.
Noticing her change in expression, Eric lowered his eyes slightly.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Ferguson?“
The light at the side door was dim and elongated their shadows. When Eric took a step forward, Nicole took a step back, establishing a clear boundary between them.
Eric smirked and threw the lit cigarette in his hand aside. He continued to approach her and stared at her closely.
“Nicole, Ingrid provoked you first at the restaurant, so I’ll get her to apologize to you.“
Nicole lowered her eyes and laughed for a moment. Suddenly, she stopped smiling and looked so cold with a trace of derision in her eyes.
“There’s no need for that. Just watch your family properly.“
The restaurant incident was not the only thing they needed to apologize for anyway.
Nicole no longer cared for their apologies.
Eric frowned slightly and wanted to say something, but a frantic scream coming from the door interrupted him. When he looked over, he saw a butt- naked Keith running out with his hands covering his face. He was so humiliated and desperate that his voice cracked. “I won’t let you get away with this! “
When Keith got to the door, there was a flash of light. The naked man stopped in his tracks and was shocked to see Eric and Nicole standing next to him. He was ashamed and vexed as he pointed at Nicole with his trembling arm. He even wanted to cry.
“You…you even took a picture?! “
Nicole looked at the picture on her phone with satisfaction. It was not blurry and the angle was just nice to capture everything. It was simply perfect!
She gently hooked the corners of her lips and glanced at Keith provocatively.
“Mr. Ludwig, it’s a pity if no one recorded your entertaining performance, so I purposely waited for you here.“
Nicole knew that Keith would not have the guts to leave through the front door, and there was only one side door in this bar.
“You…you…“
Keith was so exasperated that he became speechless and covered his private parts with both hands.
Nicole’s gaze was cold and her tone was stern as she said, “If you dare to mess with me again, I’ll post this photo for the whole world to see! “
‘Does he think that I’m the same stupid woman from three years ago? How dare he mess with me?’
As soon as Nicole turned around, Grant Stanton’s driver was waiting by the roadside. The driver bowed politely and waited patiently for Nicole to finish her business.
Nicole did not even glance at Eric and bypassed him, then sat inside Grant’s luxury car. The car gradually drove out of sight, and only then did Eric withdraw his gaze.
Somehow, Eric felt uncomfortable seeing that Nicole’s face was unmoved and filled with mockery without the slightest hint of shyness or evasion when Keith ran out n@ked.
However, when Eric looked back at the events tonight, from Nicole’s violin performance on stage to the poker dice game, his original impression of the well-behaved and quiet Nicole suddenly changed. Every move she made was such a mystery. It felt like there was a thin layer of fog that surrounded her, making it increasingly impossible to see through her. Thinking of this, the bottom of Eric’s heart became irritable again. Seeing Keith standing there staring at Nicole’s departed car, Eric could not help but frown. He tossed the jacket in his hand on Keith’s head and said, “Let’s go! Do you not feel ashamed?”
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The Divorced Billionaire Heiress chapter 29
Keith reacted with a jolt and quickly took Eric’s jacket to cover his face as he scurried to the car. “Get in! F*ck! Your ex-wife destroyed me today! “
When Eric and Keith got into the car, Keith quickly put on his clothes while complaining. “Your ex-wife is such a femme fatale. She’s so ruthless and heartless! I can’t beat her…“
Eric’s face turned cold when he heard his muttered words. He took out a cigarette with his slender fingers and lit it. The smoke coming from the cigarette made his eyes seem dim and inscrutable.
Yvette and Julie followed Ian out of the bar. They looked smug when they saw the two men in the car.
Ian took a few steps forward to the car. Through the car window, the corners of his lips hooked up into an unruly and playful smile. “Mr. Ludwig, it was just a bet, so don’t take it to heart. We’re still friends, right?“
Keith’s body shook with anger. ‘Hmph! Simple for you to say, you’re not the one that ran out n*ked ! I’m afraid my name will become the laughing stock of the city from now on! What a shame…utter humiliation! But…I brought this on myself…even if I feel wronged, I can’t complain…’
Earlier when Keith was still clothed upstairs, Ian looked at Keith indifferently. “You don’t wanna strip? If Nicole lost, would you have let her go?“
The answer, of course, was a solid no.
Thus, Keith was stripped off of his clothes.
Keith wanted to ignore Ian and let out a cold grunt. He arrogantly turned his head away to express his anger.
Eric glanced at Ian. His voice was deep and dangerous as he said, “Mr. Carter, are you venting out your anger on behalf of Nicole today?“
“Mr. Ferguson, you’re kidding, right? Isn’t it obvious that Nicole won by herself? You should be willing to lose when going into a bet. A big man like you can’t even compare to a lady, huh?“
Ian laughed nonchalantly and tapped his finger on the car window. He pondered for a moment and gave Eric a meaningful glance.
“Mr. Ferguson, you didn’t expect Nicole to win, did you?“
“It was indeed unexpected.“
“You were married for three years, yet you still don’t know her at all. I guess in your eyes, Nicole is worth nothing.“ Ian had a faint smile in his eyes. He took a deep breath, tilted his head, and smiled devilishly.
“But…there’s no need for you to get to know her in the future, because to us, Nicole will always be the best! “ Ian cocked his thumb and raised his eyebrows in a sneer.
Eric’s gaze was sharp and threatening as he narrowed his eyes. “Mr. Carter, you wouldn’t be interested in that woman, right?“
Ian laughed out loud and met his gaze openly. “I am.
I want to pursue her, and I have to thank you for letting her go so that I can get this opportunity.“
Eric indifferently withdrew his gaze and looked to the front with an expressionless face. Keith, who was sitting on the side, could not stand it anymore and said, “Why are you talking so much? Ferg, just drive! “
He really could not stay here for another moment.
Eric stepped on the gas pedal and drove away immediately. Keith saw Eric’s sudden change in expression and was shocked.
“Are you angry?“
‘It’s so obvious that Ian Carter is interested in Nicole, so what’s wrong with him admitting it?’ Keith thought.
Eric did not want to answer Keith and only said, “ Don’t you think that you should care about your photos more?“
“Damn it! “ Keith cursed. This was the first time he was defeated by the same woman twice in a row.
“Why did you have to marry her in the first place? There are plenty of women who are right for you, so why her? I honestly don’t know what you were thinking. We all felt so sorry for you, so lucky for you, we’ve never treated her as one of us.“ Keith muttered.
The car came to a screeching halt. Eric’s face turned a few shades darker and his chest suddenly felt uncomfortably congested.
‘They didn’t treat her as one of us? Was I like that too?’ Eric thought.
“Get out! “ Eric’s voice was icy cold. Keith looked at him puzzled. “Why?“
“I’m going to the office, you’re out of the way.“ Eric’s face was inexplicably glum.
Keith had no choice but to get off. While he stood in the cold wind and watched as the car became more distant, he suddenly realized that Eric was not going in the direction of his office.
On the other side, Yvette walked over smugly. “That Keith Ludwig should lay low for now. He really won’t back down until he knocks into a wall! “
Julie nodded. “If we don’t show him who’s boss, he’d really think that Nikki’s a pushover…“
Yvette froze for a moment. “But when did Nikki start playing poker dice, and so good at that?“
Julie and Ian looked at each other and laughed. Julie then explained, “When Nikki was studying in France, there was one month when she fought with her family, so they cut her off financially. Then, she somehow got tricked into working as a dealer at the biggest underground casino there. To her surprise, she learned those skills under the table and even made a fortune! After Uncle Floyd found out, he was so scared that he immediately begged her to leave that place and compensated her with a black card that has no credit limit…“
Yvette’s eyes widened in awe. She regretted not attending the same university as Nicole.
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The Divorced Billionaire Heiress chapter 30
Early morning.
Nicole opened her eyes in the warm morning light. It felt so cozy and mellow that she curled her lips into a sweet smile. Someone knocked on the door right on time. A maid asked in a soft voice, “Miss, are you awake?“
Hearing this, Nicole answered in a lazy voice, “Mm…
come in.“
Last night, Grant’s driver brought her to the Stanton mansion.
Two maids pushed in a huge clothing rack and spoke respectfully, “Miss, these are the clothes prepared especially for you. Master and Eldest Young Master are waiting for you in the dining hall.“
Nicole was slightly shocked. ‘Dad is so extra…I bet he wanted to buy out all my favorite brands so that I ‘m the only one who can wear them…’
There were several pieces of the same style in different colors. Although there was no logo, Nicole could tell from the familiar workmanship and fabric that these were from Prada’s private collection.
Some of them were this season’s latest limited edition pieces, so they were invaluable.
She certainly had to adapt to this kind of luxury lifestyle again. “Alright, you guys may leave.“
Nicole got out of bed to freshen up, then randomly picked a little black dress that was chic and tasteful and paired it with a white blazer before she walked out of her room.
Inside the dining hall, Floyd and Grant Stanton were sitting at the dining table eating breakfast with effortless grace.
When Floyd saw his daughter, he smiled with squinted eyes. “My baby’s finally awake! “
Grant turned to look at Nicole and smiled with his eyes.
“I heard that Keith Ludwig ran out of Tattle Bar butt naked last night. Even though he covered his face, he was still recognized. Old Master Ludwig dragged him back home to punish him early this morning. The Ludwigs are now busy dealing with the scandal online and their stock almost fell to its limit down. My little sister is really capable! “
Nicole helplessly shrugged her shoulders and walked over to sit down. “He was the one who provoked me first.“
“Serves him right! What are the Ludwigs compared t o my baby? Do whatever you want, Princess.“ Floyd Stanton doted on Nicole and gave her a bowl of oatmeal.
After taking a few rushed bites of breakfast, Nicole took Grant’s car to the office.
When Nicole arrived at her office, Logan was standing at the door waiting for her.
“Vice President, Samantha Lindt came here early in the morning. She’s now waiting for you in your office.“
Nicole nodded. “Is there any news from J&L?“ “I’ve already contacted the President of J&L Corporation, Gerard Lichman. He proposed to have a talk in person over dinner.“
“Alright, set up an appointment then.“ “Yes, Vice President.“
When Nicole pushed the door open, she saw that Samantha was spinning leisurely in her chair, seemingly enjoying herself. For a moment, the atmosphere in the office was a little awkward.
Samantha’s expression changed when she saw Nicole. She hurriedly stood up and looked at Logan reproachfully. “Why didn’t you inform me that the Vice President is here?“
Nicole smiled insouciantly and walked over. “Ms. Lindt, since you like this chair so much, it’s yours. Logan, send it to Ms. Lindt’s office later.“
“Yes, ma’am.“
“Vice President Nicole, I don’t mean anything else. There’s no need to give me this chair.“
Nicole sat on one end of the sofa. Her eyes were cold. “I’m a germaphobe, so I won’t sit on a chair that someone else has sat on.“
Samantha was rebuffed, so she glared fiercely at Nicole. She secretly cursed Nicole in her heart and thought, ‘She slept her way into this position, so what is she so proud of?’
“Ms. Lindt, why did you come in here?“ Nicole glanced at her.
Samantha walked over with a document and threw it in front of Nicole.
“Here, don’t say that I didn’t remind you. There are a lot of people eyeing this project from FH Corporation. Their chairman proposed dinner tonight to talk over this cooperation. Vice President Nicole, you ought to grasp this opportunity.“
Nicole flipped through two pages of the document and closed the file without another glance. She did not believe that Samantha would be so kind as to share such a big slice of cake with her.
However, since Samantha was so proactive, Nicole felt that it would be a waste if she did not play along with her.
She smiled. “Ms. Lindt, will you be present this evening?“
“Of course, I’ll introduce you both.“ “Great, then I’ll be there on time.“
Nicole handed the document to Logan. “Raise this by 30%.”
Logan took it over without hesitation. “Okay, I’ll get it done.“
At this moment, Yvette barged in, holding a huge bouquet that blocked her line of sight.
“Nikki, quick! I’m exhausted! “
Nicole was a little surprised. “What’s this?“
“Someone is pursuing you, of course…so he sent you flowers…“ Yvette raised her eyebrows and smiled suggestively.