Chapter 183
183 The Calm Before the Storm
“This whole mess actually reminded me of something,” Risa said, swirling the wine in her glass. “ When I pick actors, I don’t just look at talent. Character matters too. If Boston did that on purpose, I’m not even sure I want him auditioning.”
Alice gave her a weary look.
“You don’t have to spare my feelings.”
Risa chuckled. “I’ll admit, Boston’s got acting chops. Let’s see how the cards fall”
Alice shrugged. “It’s your film. Your call.”
“Not quite. You’re my biggest investor, my sugar mommy.”
Alice narrowed her eyes. “Zip it.”
“Yes, my queen.” Risa giggled.
With a snap of her fingers, she summoned the line of handsome young men back in. One by one, they began serenading them with love songs.
Alice’s ears were practically ringing; it was too much to handle.
Back home, Eric emerged from an herbal soak feeling renewed and sharp.
He headed straight into the study, locking into work mode. Reports from every department of the Nolan Group were laid out before him.
Design? That was under his control. No major issues–just too many orders, honestly.
IT? Alice’s domain. All good, though she had an event to attend soon.
Fashion department?
After the last cleanup, Josh and Matt’s people were long gone. The department was back on track.
Finance? Now that was a battlefield. Still run by Ruby’s loyalists, but the discrepancies had been uncovered. A full audit was on its way.
Human Resources? Ruby had lost her footing there. Ever since hiring resumed, HR had been overloaded- making it the perfect time to catch/mistakes.
Knock, knock, knock.
A sudden knock at the door jolted him from his thoughts. Someone pounded on the door, fast and urgent.
His thoughts cut short, Eric frowned and locked the documents away in his drawer before walking over to open it.
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183 The Calm Before the Storm
“You better have a reason for this,” he said coolly.
Daniel stood there, face flushed and tense.
“Boss, Mrs. Nolan was harassed at the club.”
Now, Daniel meant someone had barged into her room and ruined her mood completely.
But Eric took harassed to mean something far worse.
His expression darkened instantly.
“Which club?”
Daniel gave the address without missing a beat.
He’d wanted to beat the stuffing out of Boston earlier, but the man was a celebrity, always surrounded by fans and press.
Any wrong move could turn into a PR disaster.
So Daniel had held back for Eric’s sake.
But if his boss is going in person? All bets were off.
He rushed to get the car, calling for the bodyguards too.
Within minutes, a convoy of luxury vehicles roared toward the club, blocking the front entrance entirely.
Daniel cleared his throat. “Uh, Mr. Eric … Is this maybe a bit … much?”
He still hadn’t figured out who actually owned the place; he was incompetent.
Blocking the club’s entrance like that was bound to stir trouble. No doubt, the owners would throw a fit.
Sure, the Nolan Group could handle the heat, but Eric’s extended family? They’d seize the chance to stir the potjust to make things messier.
Still, Eric said nothing. His face was carved from stone, his silence laced with fury.
That was all the confirmation Daniel needed. He clenched his jaw.
All for Mrs. Nolan –I’m not backing down.
His foot hovered over the gas pedal.
If Eric gave the order, he’d ram through the door.
Even a single moment of hesitation would feel like disrespecting Mrs. Nolan.
Daniel waited. But no command came.
Something was off. The pressure in the car dropped like a plummeting barometer. The air felt heavy . Cold. Suffocating.
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He turned his head, about to ask what was wrong, when his eyes landed on a scene so shocking it nearly gave him a heart attack.
Outside the club…
There was Alice, draped casually over Risa’s shoulder, the two of them laughing like college girls on a night
out.
Okay . Fine. Risa is a woman. No threat there .
But trailing behind them? A full entourage of young men –at least a dozen .
Tall, short, lean, muscular–every type imaginable.
One looked like he’d walked out of a high fashion campaign; another radiated sunny boy charm. One was so soft and cuddly–looking he could’ve passed for the Golden Retriever boyfriend.
It was like a catalog of every female fantasy, walking in formation.
And every single one of them was doting on Alice. Carrying her bag. Holding her shoes. Fixing her coat.
One even held a tray of drinks like it was a sacred offering.
Alice and Risa were clearly tipsy, swaying as they walked.
But before either of them could faceplant into the wall, one of the guys stepped up like a living crash pad. Daniel watched in stunned silence as Alice stumbled straight toward one of the young men.
Oh no !
In that split second, he mentally drafted a list–103 ways that man was going to die. Painfully. Publicly. Probably within the hour.
But thank God for Risa.
Sensing danger–or maybe just unable to resist temptation–she threw herself between them at the last second.
With all the flair of a rom–com heroine sacrificing herself for love, she landed squarely against the guy’s chest and took full advantage of the situation.
She giggled, let her hand linger, and gave his pecs and abs a friendly little squeeze.
Then, grinning from ear to ear, she offered a sincere and not–so–subtle compliment. “Nice chest. Solid core. Ten out of ten.”
Daniel had no words.
He wasn’t sure whether he should thank her.
Still, to be fair, Mrs. Nolan hadn’t laid a finger on anyone. But it didn’t matter. Inside the car, the air was now glacial.
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The temperature had officially dropped to zero.
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