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Chapter 15
Nicole stormed over, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she jabbed an accusatory finger at Bella.
"Sonny, I thought you'd changed! You promised me you wouldn't have anything to do with her again!" Her voice trembled with frustration. "I already felt guilty for ruining your last investment, but what do you do? You go right back to her!"
The moment the words left her mouth, the air around the dinner table grew heavy.
Leo had heard murmurs about Sonny's reckless, immature sister before, but he never paid much attention, Sonny had always kept things under control. When Leo met him in person, he was impressed by his vision for the company and saw great potential in him. That was why he had considered investing in Shine Co. But now, watching this scene unfold, it was clear the rumors about Sonny's mismanagement and lack of discipline weren't just whispers, they were reality.
Around the table, the other guests were equally taken aback. None of them had known about any connection between Bella, the strategic director of a leading corporation, and Sonny, the president of Shine Co. But judging by Nicole's outburst, their relationship was anything but simple.
Sensing the growing tension, Sonny's assistant stepped in swiftly, dragging a chair over as he attempted to smooth things over.
"I apologize, everyone," he said with a polite but strained smile. "This is Mr. Simmons's younger sister. She, uh, dropped by unexpectedly tonight."
A few of the more seasoned businesspeople exchanged knowing looks but remained tactful, keeping their expressions neutral as they began gathering their belongings.
Meanwhile, Sonny's expression had darkened, but he chose to ignore Nicole's tantrum for now. As soon as Leo stood to leave, Sonny rushed after him, desperate to salvage the situation.
"Mr. Wood, I'm truly sorry about this," he said, his voice tight with urgency. "My sister acted out of line tonight. Please don't let this incident affect our discussions."
Leo smiled, but the respect in his eyes had faded into something distant, disappointment.
"Mr. Simmons," he said evenly, "I don't make final investment decisions. I'll need to take this back to President Luxinton for further discussion. Let's leave it at that for now. We'll be in touch."
Sonny opened his mouth to protest, but Leo's assistant stepped in, effectively cutting off any further pleading.
"Mr. Simmons, this is far enough. We'll handle the rest from here."
With that, Leo and his team walked away without a second glance.
As the restaurant emptied, Bella adjusted her coat, ready to leave without another word. But before she could step away, Nicole grabbed her arm.
"Bella, why do you keep haunting us?!" she demanded, her eyes blazing with fury.
Bella frowned, yanking her arm free before smoothing out the wrinkles in her sleeve.
"Nicole," she said coolly, "you just cost your brother his last chance."
She allowed herself a brief, amused smirk as she took in Nicole's disheveled state.
"That's impossible!" Nicole's voice pitched higher, bordering on hysteria. "Don't make things up! My brother's company is fine, don't jinx us like that!"
But her desperation was beginning to crack through her anger.
Sonny's assistant, who had been biting his tongue all evening, finally let out a sigh and spoke up.
"Miss Simmons, you need to wake up," he said bluntly. "This time, Sonny really got dragged down because of you. Shine Co. is bankrupt. You won't even have the money to pay your tuition."
Nicole's face drained of color.
"H-how… how can that be?" she whispered, her body suddenly devoid of strength as she collapsed into a chair.
Covering her face with trembling hands, her quiet sobs quickly spiraled into gut-wrenching wails. She pounded her fists against the table, and as she moved, the faint scars along the insides of her arms, some faded, some fresh, came into view, a stark and painful contrast against her otherwise polished appearance.
Bella exhaled slowly. She had always known that beneath Nicole's defiant, reckless exterior was just a girl desperate for her brother's attention, for him to care. But Sonny had spent every waking moment trying to keep Shine Co. from collapsing. He barely had time to breathe, let alone deal with a sister who only knew how to self-destruct.
And now, it seemed, there was nothing left for either of them to hold on to.