novelnext Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Bella's POV
I never expected things to take such a dramatic turn. Shine Co. had seemed poised for success. But soon after hearing the news, Anna called me, her voice laced with concern.
"Apparently, Nicole found out you were working with Shine Co. on this project. To stop Sonny from having any more contact with you, she secretly took the bidding documents and leaked the base price to competing companies."
Several headhunting firms had been interested in Shine Co., Anna continued. "But after the leak, the offers turned unfavorable, and now investors are questioning Shine Co.'s competency and security practices."
"Shine Co. is on the brink of bankruptcy," Anna added. "They need to pull cash from other projects urgently if they want to survive."
I shook my head, partly surprised but also not entirely. I had expected this. Sonny had always spoiled Nicole, indulging her at every turn, and it was only a matter of time before it backfired. The more he coddled her, the more recklessly she'd act, even at the expense of his own interests. Shine Co. had been Sonny's hard-earned venture, and his operating capital was stretched thin, with most of it tied up in company funds. A business like his, on this scale, needed steady cash flow and solid investment returns to stay afloat. Without new investment, Shine Co. would collapse.
It seemed Sonny had finally been pushed to the edge by his beloved sister, each step taking him closer to the cliff's edge, with the ground crumbling beneath him, threatening a catastrophic fall. Part of me felt a strange sense of relief. Karma, it seemed, had a way of working things out.
This situation Sonny now found himself in? It was all of his own making. Fate, it seemed, had a way of bringing us together again, this time under the most strained of circumstances. I had gone to conduct research for a potential new partnership, while Sonny was there trying to secure investment. Our paths crossed unexpectedly, but neither of us acknowledged the other. We chose to pretend we were strangers.
I had nothing to say to him, and he, on his part, couldn't afford to lose focus. This meeting was crucial, any misstep could ruin his chances for securing the deal.
The negotiations went smoothly for both parties. Eventually, Leo, the company's vice president, insisted that everyone attend a celebratory dinner. I tried to decline, but couldn't find a way out, so I reluctantly joined the celebration.
At the dinner, Sonny finally allowed himself a moment of relief as he saw the proposed cooperation start to come together. He relaxed, chatting and drinking with Leo, his earlier tension easing. The evening went smoothly. Sonny and I didn't exchange a single glance throughout the meal.
Just as everyone was preparing to leave, the door to the private dining room suddenly swung open, drawing every eye in the room. The unexpected entrance startled many of the guests. It was a private event, how had someone gotten in without knocking?
All attention turned to the door, where a young woman in a strappy mini-dress, her face heavily made up with smoky eyes, waltzed in. The striking contrast between her flashy appearance and the business-casual atmosphere made her seem out of place, almost comical.
The moment Sonny saw her, he shot to his feet and hurried over. "Nicole, what are you doing here?" he whispered, his voice low and strained. He grabbed her arm, trying to usher her out, still anxious about the damage she had caused with the leaked bid.
But Nicole wasn't the type to be easily controlled. She resisted, pressing her back against the door and twisting out of his grip. Her eyes swept around the room, assessing the gathered group.
Then, her gaze locked on me. Instantly, her face twisted with rage, and any pretense of calm or indifference shattered in an instant.