The Reunion After Seven Years

Chapter 197 Night Time Meeting With Baron

Kerr took Nicole's hand, lacing his fingers tightly with hers. He would not give in to his mother.

Freya, in turn, was determined not to make any compromises where Nicole was concerned. She regarded Kerr's steely eyes, a familiar expression which confirmed that he was not about to back down. She took a reluctant step back.

"I hope you'll think about this long and hard. When you've made your decision, come and see me. But please remember that Moore can be a difficult man. I'm just saying you should watch out, that's all." She sighed deeply. "When you hold something in your hands, that's when it truly belongs to you."

Kerr had to make the right choice. He wouldn't fail her, not after the years she'd spent bringing him up to do the right thing. It was not his style to squander his fortune or give away everything that was rightfully his.

With one last resolute glance at her son, Freya spun on her heels and strode away from the villa.

Nicole regarded the woman's retreating figure. In her heart of hearts, Nicole knew that Freya had a point. She would definitely make sure that Kerr didn't lose out because of her.

Looking at Nicole's frown, Kerr understood that she was worried about him. He leaned closer and gently kissed her hair.

"Don't worry. I know what to do. I won't let you down." His voice was soothing. "Just give me some time."

Kerr knew that during all of his absence, when he'd been lost in the depths of his coma, Moore had been busy taking action to take the Gu Group away. None of this was any surprise to him, but he was sure it would be a worry for Nicole.

After all, she was no stranger to Moore's tricks and schemes.

Nicole nodded. "I know you don't care, Kerr, but I do. I don't want you to give anything up for me." Her eyes shone with sincerity. "Don't worry about me. Wherever you go, as long as I'm with you, I'm home."

She hoped he could tell that she meant it. All the romantic promises Kerr had made didn't matter to Nicole. As long as he was with her, it was enough.

As her words registered on Kerr's face, the corners of his mouth rose in a gentle smile, his eyes soft and loving.

Nicole didn't ask Kerr to return to the Gu Group right away. He had only just woken from the coma, after all. She decided to go back to the company on her own.

In the light of everything that had happened, Kerr's office felt different. As she sat in the grand leather chair, Nicole realized that she too had changed. Her mood was completely transformed.

She knew she was not alone now. Kerr's love for her was like a warm blanket on a cold winter's night; it was deeper than the ocean and warmer than the sun. She felt cherished and protected by this wonderful man.

"What's going on, Nicole?" Lily asked curiously, looking her boss up and down in amazement. "You look totally different. You look happy!"

Nicole just smiled in response, tapping her pen on the desk. "Oh here, take this!" She handed a printed document to Lily. "I have an important contract to discuss tomorrow. All the information you need is in that."

It was the contract that Nicole had signed at Gu Group on behalf of Kerr. Its success would mean huge profits for the company.

Lily nodded, tightening her grip on the document. She bit her lip and looked away, hesitating. Deep down, she knew what she had to do.

As her eyes met Nicole's, Lily prayed that the guilt she was feeling didn't show on her face.

Since Kerr had just regained his consciousness, Nicole had asked Jared to stay in the villa to fill him in on all the recent events at Gu Group.

So, Lily was the only assistant by her side today. Lily glanced at her watch several times before she reminded Nicole.

"It's time for the meeting, Nicole."

Nicole nodded at Lily as she stood up. There was a spring in her step as she approached the meeting room.

Lily scurried behind Nicole, her eyes glancing around nervously. She caught sight of the staircase and gasped. That smile! Was she looking at a ghost? Lily trembled, and the file she was holding clattered to the ground.

The sound made Nicole stop in her tracks before spinning around. All she could see was the sheer panic on Lily's face. Something was clearly wrong with her assistant. But what? She tried to follow Lily's gaze but she could only make out an empty staircase.

"Lily?" Nicole stared at the quivering woman. "What's wrong?"

Lily shook her head lightly, coming to her senses. "Oh...um. Nothing. Really, it's absolutely nothing." She hoped she didn't sound as guilty as she felt. "I'm fine, honestly. I...just need to go to the bathroom." Lily scrabbled on the ground, picking up the flurry of loose papers and scooping them back into the file before turning and hurrying toward the bathroom.

Nicole shrugged. There was definitely something going on with Lily, but it could wait. She had an important meeting to attend. Swinging the door open widely, Nicole strode into the room.

The tablet in the middle of the boardroom caught Nicole's eye. It displayed the Gu Group's stock prices and there was clearly something wrong with it. The afternoon market was now open and Nicole realized in horror that the prices were dropping constantly, sinking at an alarming rate.

She frowned.

"I guess you haven't heard what happened," sneered a voice. "You're too busy to read the paper, right?"

"Well, here you go!" Mr. Liang launched the newspaper at Nicole, not hiding his disdain as it landed with a sickening thud in front of her.

Nicole gulped and raised her head, glancing around at the faces of her colleagues. Some turned their heads away immediately, avoiding her eyes. Others oozed contempt in her direction. 'They've always looked down on me,' she thought sadly to herself. 'They've never thought I was good enough.'

No wonder she hadn't noticed there was anything wrong when she first walked into the boardroom. She was used to them ignoring her and excluding her. It was only Mr Liang's cruel voice that had alerted her.

Bracing herself, Nicole picked up the newspaper in front of her. 'Stay calm, stay calm,' she repeated silently in her head as she turned the page. Her heart sank. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she felt dizzy. There it was. A picture of Baron holding her in his arms. Their heads were bent together and, from the angle in the picture, it looked to all the world like he was kissing her.

"Star-crossed Lovers!" screamed the headline. "Acting CEO of Gu Group, Nicole Ning, seen here in a romantic night-time clinch with the son of Fang family, Baron Fang."

The article itself was just as bad, if not worse. "Nicole Ning is best known as the girlfriend of Kerr Gu, CEO of the Gu Group. Yet here she is, pictured cheating on him with Baron on a moonlit roadside."

Understanding flooded through Nicole as she tore her eyes away from the incriminating words and pictures. Someone must have known that Nicole was meeting Baron that night. Someone had been watching them, stalking her, ready to take these sneaky, hurtful photos.

'It isn't fair,' Nicole thought. She'd been trying to push Baron away at the time the picture was taken. Yet, from this camera angle, it really did look like Baron was kissing her.

Why hadn't she paid more attention to the news? 'Oh yes,' she thought with a bitter smile. It was because she'd been at Baron's wedding. There was also the fact that Kerr had woken up from his coma and her heart had nearly burst with happiness. The truth was, she'd been busy.

She certainly hadn't expected to hit the headlines.

The salacious, vengeful eyes of her colleagues were still on Nicole, waiting for her to make a fool of herself. Well, she would not give them the satisfaction. The only one who deserved an explanation was Kerr, and he'd be the only one she'd speak to about this.

"Whether what you've seen in this paper is true or not, it's my private business." Nicole took a deep breath to steady her voice. "It has nothing to do with the Gu Group or the people present in this room. I don't owe anyone here an explanation." Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

Strength coursed through her veins as she added, "I'm not remotely interested in gossip and rumors."

She realized it was true. The whole sordid incident wouldn't affect her. It wasn't fair on Kerr, though. He shouldn't have to see such nasty news when he was so vulnerable.

Would Kerr believe her version of events? Nicole wasn't sure. She gripped her phone, working up the courage to call him. It was no use. She couldn't do it.