Category: The Divorced Billionaire Heiress

Clayton laughed.

“Oh, you won’t feel guilty. You’re just a demented person! You’d rather brand yourself as a good brother who doesn’t care about gains or losses and old traditions like a son inheriting his father’s business. But then you came to me when Isaac got into an accident. Aren’t you just exposing your ugliness like that?”

For a while, Cluavon used a lot of effort to control his emotions.

Ouavon was about to die of anger.

“Clayton, who taught you to talk to me like that? Also, you better shut up about all that nonsense!”

Clayton shrugged, looking unruly and uninhibited.

He did not care at all.

He thought that those scandals were too dirty to even listen to.

“That’s why you’d better stay away from me. Don’t even try to target me. Oh, that goes for Nicole too. Otherwise, I’ll

leak this to the biggest media in the world. They should be very interested.”

Clayton finished with a threatening tone, turned around, and walked away. His eyes were gloomy and hostile.

“Clayton, I won’t let that woman off the hook! Does she think that I won’t find out if Eric takes care of everything for her in Liberty and erases all the evidence?”

Ouavon spoke.

He could not stop the ruthless tone in his voice as he spoke.

“Since she dared to touch the Sloan family, she has to pay the price even if she’s the daughter of the Stanton family!”

Clayton’s face was cold and sullen as he frowned. His eyes were obscure and cold.

“Isaac deserved it. I’m warning you too. If you touch one hair on Nicole, I’ll never let you off easily.”

Clayton had been part of the Sloan family before, but he left.

He knew all the shameful secrets of the Sloan family.

That was what saved his life.

Now, it would save Nicole’s life too.

No one noticed that when Clayton mentioned Nicole, a clear trace of panic flashed on Autumn’s face.

Quavon gritted his teeth and glared at Clayton.

He knew that Clayton was rebellious since he was young. He reacted differently from the other illegitimate children in other affluent families.

When other families brought back their illegitimate children, the illegitimate children would be so grateful that they would do anything.

Even during power struggles, they would just be pawns. However, Clayton was not like that.

Clayton had been silent since childhood, but he was never timid and never cowered.

When Clayton was at the age where he could be independent, he took the initiative to leave the Sloan family. He wanted his ridiculous dignity.

Before long, instead of Clayton’s wretched return, what they saw was Clayton’s ability and achievements of outstanding excellence.

Clayton was so gentle and modest in the eyes of outsiders, but only Quavon knew that at heart, Clayton was a cold and selfish person.

That was why Quavon came over to give Clayton a way out and let him back into the Sloan family.

However, even with a great temptation such as the power and status of the whole Sloan family, Clayton was still unmoved.

Clayton was about to walk out.

Autumn could not hold back anymore. She looked at Quavon and lifted her feet to run after Clayton.

She certainly looked favorably on the Sloan family, but after listening to their conversation, she seemed to understand that there were too many secrets in their family. The person she liked more was Clayton.

“Mr. Sloan, rest here for the night before you leave. It’s too late anyway…”

Before she could finish speaking, Clayton suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked back at her.

There was cold scrutiny in his eyes. “What’s too late?”

His voice was deep, dark, and threatening.

Autumn opened her mouth, and her face changed slightly. She knew that she said the wrong thing.

Not knowing how to explain herself, her brain short-

circuited for a moment.

Autumn was too nervous.

She bit her lower lip and loo ked at him with an aggrieved gaze.

“Is she that great? The Sloan family won’t forgive her for harming Isaac. You’ll soon own the entire Sloan Corporation, but you’re giving it up for that one woman? Shouldn’t you weigh the benefits?!”

Autumn was shocked as she stood aside.

She could not digest all the information and Quavon’s sudden anger.

’Isaac Sloan is paralyzed ? Clayton’s about to inherit the entire Sloan Corporation?’

Autumn felt like she found out some big shocking secret. Did Nicole do it?

Every time Autumn looked at Clayton, he was so gentle and self-possessed, as if he was born to stand tall in the sun. He had the courage to be ambitious and had the experience of coming from an extraordinary background.

In the eyes of outsiders, Clayton was a successful man who had been carefully nurtured. Although he had no rights to the inheritance, his resume was polished enough.

At this moment, Clayton stood there, tall and upright. His warm and gentle smile was nowhere to be seen. His eyes were sharp, and his face was gloomy, somber, and cold, as if he had turned into a different person.

Quavon finished speaking and glared at Clayton intently.

He was resentful and reluctant, but he had no other choice. He could only give this piece of fat meat to Clayton.

It was best if Clayton could be an obedient dog that Quavon could use at will.

This was what Quavon thought. Clayton listened to it all.

He let out a cold and deep laugh, and his eyes suddenly darkened.

“How do I deserve to be your son? Isaac is your son, isn’t he?”

Clayton’s light sentence completely shattered Quavon’s monstrous anger just now.

Quavon stood there with a miserably pale face. He could not hide the shock in his eyes.

“W-What did you say?”

Autumn was also shocked on the side. It seemed like she overheard too much tonight.

Ordinary people certainly did not have the opportunity to hear such secrets in affluent families.

Quavon’s eyes slowly turned bloodshot and red as he stared at Clayton with a deadly gaze.

Clayton lazily curled his lips into a cold smile that looked somewhat bloodthirsty.

“What?

Do you think that you hid this secret very well and that no one will find out? Do you think that he’s particularly aggrieved that you need to treat your own son as your brother? Your wife spends all day drowning in the pain of her son’s death at such a young age, but you never felt a bit of pain. Why? That’s because you dare not admit that Michael’s father’s car accident was arranged and planned by Isaac. You found out, but didn’t dare to tell anyone and even helped to conceal the truth, right?”

Clayton said word by word. Those dark things that Quavon kept hidden in the deepest part of his heart were pried out one by one. Clayton wanted Quavon to see for himself how despicable he was.

Just because Quavon felt that Isaac was aggrieved, he promoted Isaac to be the successor of Sloan Corporation.

Quavon directed all the benefits and resources to Isaac alone.

Why should the bastard son Isaac, who should have gotten the same treatment as Clayton, be treated so well?

At first, Clayton did not understand.

From the time Clayton investigated Michael’s father’s car accident, Clayton finally understood.

Michael’s father was the only one who gave Clayton warmth in the Sloan family. He was Clayton’s younger brother who liked to share his favorite toys with Clayton. He was the kid who never doubted his father’s love and died at the age of twenty.

He was wild, reckless, and did whatever he wanted. He had a fallout with the Sloan family because of a girl, so he did not hesitate to leave the family.

Who would have thought that as soon as he left the Sloan family, he was involved in a car accident?

No one had a more legitimate claim than him to the Sloan family inheritance.

Clayton’s eyes were red as he thought of that young man. His face became even colder and gloomier.

Clayton turned around and looked at Quavon.

“Do you still remember Liam? Michael resembles him more as he grows. Liam’s the one who resembles you the most, yet to cover up your dirtiness, you just classified his death as an accident. Don’t you have a guilty conscience?”

Quavon was a little emotional for a moment. His face was pale and twitching, and his body was shaking uncontrollably.

Clayton narrowed his eyes and stared at Quavon. He did not answer immediately.

His heart was suspicious, and he always felt that something was wrong.

Clayton had a bad feeling that kept spreading in his heart.

“It’s not up to you whether I want it or not. It doesn’t have anything to do with you either, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

Clayton said this, then turned around to leave the place. He wanted to see Nicole.

He wondered if Nicole was anxious when he disappeared.

However, just as Clayton took two steps out, Autumn shouted at him anxiously.

“Mr. Sloan, your body is still not recovered. Why don’t you have something to eat first?”

Clayton paused and looked back at her. There was indifference in his eyes.

“What benefit did Quavon give you that you’re here to offer your services?”

Autumn froze and stood there with a glum face.

She looked at Quavon sheepishly, wanting him to say a couple of good words.

Ouavon also spoke in due time.

“Clayton, Ms. Ferguson is Isaac’s junior in school. She’s also considered a family friend. I invited her to join Sloan Corporation as a department manager. When you return,

she’ll go with you.”

Autumn’s eyes lit up. She looked at Clayton with excitement.

Unexpectedly, Clayton let out a cold laugh.

“Department manager? It seems like there’s some sort of unseemly deal between you two, right?”

This sentence, undoubtedIy, unveiled the fig leaf that they intended to hide.

How direct!

Autumn’s face changed.

“Mr. Sloan, how can you say that? Even if I had a conflict with Ms. Stanton before, I didn’t offend you. Why are you targeting me at every turn?”

Clayton’s gaze was cold and indifferent as he swept a glance at Autumn. He hooked his lips and smiled coldly. ” Isn’t the fact that you had a conflict with Nicole an offense to me?”

Autumn’s face became even more gloomy.

Clayton did not want to say one more word to Autumn and turned to look at Quavon with cold eyes.

“Also, Sloan Corporation has nothing to do with me. It’s Isaac’s. You’ve drilled this into my head for many years, so I didn’t dare to forget it. I don’t want to touch anything from your family!”

After saying that, Clayton turned around and left without hesitation.

Quavon’s face was cold and sullen. His voice was deep as Quavon called out to him.

“Clayton, even if you don’t want to touch it, don’t you want Michael to return to the Sloan family?”

Clayton paused in his footsteps. The veins on his forehead were bulging slightly.

He was trying desperately to restrain his emotions.

“Didn’t Isaac say that he wouldn’t let Michael go back to the Sloan family before he’s dead? What, is Isaac dying?”

Clayton finished his sentence and laughed lightly like he was watching a good show.

Quavon was agitated by the word “dying”. His face abruptly became miserably pale.

“Clayton, don’t play dumb. Now that it’s come to this, I’m not settling accounts with you because you’re my son. That woman hurt Isaac like that, and you still dare to curse him a s if nothing happened? Isaac is your relative, so how can you side with an outsider?”

Clayton’s eyes were cold. He looked at Quavon bitterly.

For a moment, the air was stagnant.

Quavon glared at Clayton angrily, as if the emotions he had been holding back for a long time suddenly burst out.

“You’re happy that Isaac is like this now, right? Do you think that I want you to come back? If it weren’t for my blood flowing through your veins, if it weren’t for your last name, you would’ve never returned to the Sloan family! This is only because I know that things can’t be undone, that Isaac is forever bedridden and can’t possibly walk again. Sloan Corporation needs an heir who can hold the company up. Otherwise, you’ll never get this chance in your life!”

Quavon finished in one breath.

The air was bitterly cold as if the room froze in an instant.

Nicole could not help but cough. The warehouse was filled with flammable building materials. Once the window was opened, the fire would spread rapidly, and she would soon be burned alive.

She leaned against the other side of the wall to breathe and keep herself away from the scorching heat.

No matter how hard she held on, it was just getting hotter and hotter.

Nicole felt her head was starting to get dizzy, and the temperature around her was getting warmer like she was in an oven.

Clayton woke up and rubbed his head that hurt like hell, only to find himself lying in an unfamiliar place.

His surroundings looked like a hotel. He was not far from the hotel where he and Nicole were staying.

’How did I end up here?’ Clayton thought.

His brain spun, and he suddenly thought of the sneaky man that he went after. As soon as he saw the man, another man sprang out of nowhere and violently struck him.

That man was extremely fast and had received professional training.

Clayton did not even have the opportunity to react and fell U ICO ISCIOUS.

He came to his senses, jerked out of bed, went out the door, and saw an unexpected person.

Autumn got up from her seat and walked over joyfully. The concern in her eyes was unconcealed. “Mr. Sloan, you’re awake. Are you hungry? I asked them to prepare something. Why don’t you eat a little first?”

Clayton looked at the majestic and authoritative man sitting there, Quavon Sloan.

’How did Quavon, who shouId’ve been in Liberty, get here? Surprisingly, I didn’t even receive any news of this?’ Clayton thought.

Clayton suddenly had a bad premonition in his heart.

He pushed Autumn, who had come up to him, away, and his tone was bitter.

“Did you do this?”

Clayton looked at Autumn and Quavon. When he thought about the problem in this Sand City project, it was not difficult to imagine who was behind it.

He was really so careless that he had forgotten about the most dangerous person.

Nicole was still in danger and clueless about this.

Quavon looked intimidating, and the gloominess on his face was undisguised.

He sat there and raised his eyes to look at Clayton.

“Who are you talking to? You should be grateful that you’re my son, that’s why you’re still alive now. Otherwise…”

Ouavon did not finish his sentence.

Otherwise, Clayton would have been burned to death in the fire with that woman.

Clayton’s eyes were dangerous and sharp as he glared at the cruel old man in front of him.

“Grateful? I grew up wondering countless times what sins I committed in my past life to be reborn as your son!”

Clayton had a cold smile at the corners of his lips. It was completely different from the gentle and modest smile he had when facing Nicole.

Quavon’s face was dark and cold. He cast a sidelong glance at Clayton. “No matter what, you have to learn to resign yourself to fate, don’t you think?”

Clayton did not speak.

Autumn rushed over from the back. Her voice was gentle.

“You two are father and son, so you shouldn’t quarrel. Mr. Sloan, Chairman Sloan came here specially to bring you back to Liberty.”

Clayton raised his eyebrows. “Bring me back to Liberty?”

Autumn laughed and could not contain the excitement in her voice. “Yes, Chairman Sloan said that you have enough experience outside, so you can go home to take over the Sloan family business. Mr. Sloan, congratulations!”

Clayton’s eyes darkened. He lifted his head to look at Quavon.

“Is that so?”

Quavon let out a cold grunt. “That’s enough. Are you really planning to stay here forever? Don’t you want to keep everything you’ve worked so hard for in Liberty?”

Even if Clayton could move his business to Mediania, his contacts and resources in Liberty would all gradually dissipate with time.

It was not worth the loss.

Quavon did not believe that such a refined egoist like Clayton would go to this extent for a woman.

For so many years, it was true that Clayton suffered grievances, so Quavon came to give Clayton a way out.

There was a hint of weirdness in Autumn’s voice.

Nicole’s face was glum. ”You did it?”

”I’m not that capable. I’m just a spectator watching a good show and giving you a heads up.”

After saying that, Autumn hung up the phone.

Nicole looked at the phone and froze for a few seconds. Logan came over.

”President, that reporter is willing to clarify that he started this rumor.”

Nicole looked at him.

“Don’t give him a chance to be on camera. Give his confession to the police so that they could post it officially online. Let the police clarify the whole thing in their name. Also, I want to sue him for threatening me earlier.”

Her tone was extremely cold. Logan nodded his head.

Of course, with Nicole’s status, she could not let this go so simply.

Logan was not comfortable with Luca dealing with the police, so he had to go personally.

Nicole did not stop him. ”Go ahead. Get Luca to go with you because with him there, that reporter won’t dare to lie.”

Logan nodded.

’You should rest early. If there’s any news from Mr. Sloan, I will notify you first.”

Nicole nodded and returned to her bedroom at once.

Logan had a feeling that something was wrong, but he was relieved after he saw Nicole going into the bedroom to rest.

The hotel was surrounded by his people, and security was so tight that not even a fly could enter.

As soon as Logan left, Nicole changed her clothes, took her phone and car keys, and went out the door.

It was all too easy for Nicole to hide from her own people’s tracking.

She drove her car into the construction site.

There was only a faint light swaying at the entrance of the warehouse.

Nicole casually picked up a bat and walked towards the warehouse where she went during the day.

There were still many building materials stored in the warehouse, and it was too quiet.

“Clayton?”

Nicole shouted. She paused, took out her phone, and called Clayton.

Only after one ring, she could hear Clayton’s phone ringing from inside the warehouse.

Nicole froze and hurriedly walked in.

When she picked up Clayton’s phone on the ground in some corner, the door of the warehouse suddenly slammed shut.

Nicole’s face sank. She ran over, but the people outside had already locked it.

She pounded on the door. “Who is it? Autumn?”

The other party did not make a sound and left in silence.

Nicole stood there until there was no sound outside. She gritted her teeth. Fortunately, there was a dim and dull incandescent lamp in the warehouse that was swaying and shining.

She was just about to call Logan when her phone showed that there was no signal anymore.

Someone had blocked the signal here.

Nicole’s heart sank slightly. It seemed that the other party was coming for her.

An image suddenly flashed in her mind.

During the day when that reporter appeared at first, he probably did not want to threaten her but wanted to kill her instead.

He just did not expect Logan would come so quickly, and when Logan shouted, he got scared.

Nicole gritted her teeth indignantly. ’This damned Autumn Ferguson! I’ll never let this psychotic b*tch get away with this!’

Nicole was just thinking of jumping out of a window, but there was a bright orange light before she could even reach the window.

Nicole’s face changed dramatically. She immediately ran over and saw that the outside of the warehouse was on fire.

Someone was setting the fire!

The bottom of all the windows smelled of gasoline. The fire quickly rose and spread.

Nicole subconsciously took two steps back and suddenly panicked.

She did not manage to find Clayton but got herself into trouble.

The smoke had already reached the inside of the warehouse through a gap in the window.

Nicole coughed. There was still no signal on her phone, so she could not make any calls.

She used all her strength to lift the door of the warehouse, but it was no use at all.

It was so despairing.

Nicole was just about to say something, but Logan had already escorted her out.

She had no choice but to go. Otherwise, there would be more people gathering here.

Luca already picked up the reporter like a chicken and beat him with all his might. One punch was enough to knock him out.

When they got to the car, Logan took the first aid kit and helped to disinfect Nicole’s wound.

“President, it’ll be done soon.”

Nicole wrinkled her eyebrows. ”Watch that person well. Don’t let him run away.”

Logan nodded. ”Don’t worry. We’ll interrogate him before we hand him over to the police. Otherwise, he’ll get off too easily.”

Nicole nodded. She had the same thoughts.

After all, this was Sand City. There were many places in this city that she could not touch.

It was most important to seize the opportunity and ask everything.

The blood from the wound coagulated.

The wound was not deep, but it was painful. Nicole slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Today was just a scare.

Suddenly, she seemed to feel that something was missing.

“Where’s Clayton?”

Logan paused. “Wasn’t Mr. Sloan always with you?” “Yes, but…”

Nicole blinked in confusion. She remembered that she felt something was wrong, and Clayton went to check the situation, but in the blink of an eye, he went missing.

Instead, that reporter appeared behind her.

If Clayton had not been by her side, Luca would not have been careless enough to react only after someone approached Nicole.

It was just a second off, and Nicole fell into someone else’s hands.

Then, what about Clayton? Nicole’s face changed slightly.

“Get someone to go around and look for him immediately. Clayton must be nearby.”

Logan was stunned and immediately understood.

“President, you were in danger just now. If Mr. Sloan was there, he wouldn’t have not shown up. Something must’ve happened to him…”

Perhaps, something even more dangerous.

Nicole’s heart was in turmoil. She became even more anxious.

She did not go to the hospital and only got the doctor to come over to the hotel to simply re-bandage her wound.

Nicole called Clayton, but no one answered. He never refused to answer her calls.

A bad intuition came to her mind.

Nicole was extremely anxious, while Logan made countless phone calls on the side to ask about the situation near the warehouse.

“President, we’ve sent our people to check the area a dozen times. There’s no sign of Mr. Sloan.”

Nicole’s heart sank slightly.

“Is Luca still there?”

“Luca came back with that reporter… Ahem, the doctor simply bandaged the reporter’s wounds, so he’s still alive.”

“Did he say anything?” Nicole asked.

“Only that this was directed by someone, but he had not seen who it was. The other party always contacted him by phone, using a different number each time. When he calls back, it’s unavailable.”

Logan explained in a deep voice. “The other party is very careful, but according to his confession, he has been hiding in a warehouse these days. This small warehouse is rented by Ms. Autumn Ferguson’s internship company under the name of her department head. Perhaps there’s some connection with this.”

Nicole laughed lightly. Her gaze was cold.

“You can forgo the ’perhaps’. There must be a connection.”

Logan still wanted to say something when his phone rang. He nodded at Nicole and went aside to answer the phone.

Nicole paused and saw that her phone on the table suddenly lit up.

She picked it up, and the phone rang.

It was an unfamiliar number.

“Who is it?”

“Can’t recognize my voice? Ms. Stanton?” It was Autumn.

Nicole’s face sank. “Something wrong?”

“Of course. Are you trying to find Clayton? He’s right where he disappeared, and you’ll have to go look for him yourself to find him…”

Logan’s shout drew a lot of attention.

Some security guards and reporters gathered there. It was a live broadcast.

The netizens were shocked at this scene. How dare that reporter do such a thing?

|Isn’t that the reporter?]

|What is he doing? Is he trying to kill someone? That person is Nicole!]

|Quick, put down the knife! Everything can be talked through!]

[OMG, this is terrible! That reporter must be desperate, right?]

Logan stood at the front. He calmed down after the panic. His gaze was tightly fixed on the man behind Nicole.

“Don’t make a move. What do you want? We can talk. You should know who you’re holding hostage, right?”

The man laughed lightly. His blade came closer and pressed against Nicole’s skin.

Nicole subconsciously lifted her head and leaned back. She shot Logan a look.

Logan looked at the reporter calmly.

’You were incited by someone to do this, so you’re not the one we’re ultimately looking for.”

That reporter finally could not help but speak. “But they still intend to push me out. I know that Stanton Corporation lost several hundred million and want to blame it all on me. You want to send me to jail?”

The reporter could not help but hiss loudly.

Nicole paused. Her voice was still considered calm as she spoke.

“If you’re willing to cooperate with us, I can let you go and not hold you responsible.”

The reporter paused for a moment. He became even angrier. “Bullsh”t! Who are you trying to fool?!”

He did not believe that Stanton Corporation and this woman would let him off lightly.

Nicole gritted her teeth. She looked at the countless cameras in front of her. Her voice was clear and cold.

“In other words, you admit that someone ordered you to sabotage Stanton Corporation’s project in Sand City?”

The reporter stiffened for a moment. He suddenly realized that this woman had caught the mistake he had just made.

He had a slip of the tongue.

The reporter said, “No, I didn’t do it…”

“Who ordered you to do this? If you tell me, I can guarantee, in front of so many people, that I won’t hold you responsible!”

Nicole spoke in a clear voice, word by word.

The reporter’s face changed a few times. He saw countless people staring at him and countless cameras aimed at him.

He seemed to be a little scared.

The reporter’s hand that was holding the dagger was trembling slightly and started to shake uncontrollably.

Being in such proximity, Nicole could feel this man’s nervousness.

He was not so ruthlessly desperate as he seemed. He was also afraid.

In the next second, Nicole elbowed to the back and pushed him violently on his abdomen.

She shouted, “Luca!”

Luca, who had been hiding in the corner, darted over quickly, tugged her arm, and kicked the reporter behind her to the ground. He moved quickly and fluidly without delay.

The reporter moved and tried to get back up, but he could not.

His ribs were broken.

The crowd looked at this scene in shock.

They were all stunned by Luca’s sudden appearance.

Nicole stood up and felt a cold feeling on her wrist. She looked down and saw blood.

That reporter was kicked to the ground, and there was also blood on the dagger in her hand.

Nicole was just too anxious earlier that she did not notice that the reporter had subconsciously wounded her wrist in a moment of exasperation.

Nicole’s face was slightly pale as she covered her wrist.

The security guards at the side immediately surrounded her.

The reporter’s camera was immediately aimed at Nicole.

Nicole turned her face away, not wanting to appear on camera.

The security guards surrounded her tightly. Logan then went over to block her face from the camera with his jacket.

“Let’s go to the hospital.”

When Nicole heard this, she nodded and smiled. “That’s good.”

If Clayton said that he would control his emotions, then he could definitely control them.

Originally, it was not a big deal, so there was no need to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

It was just that Nicole did not mind people knowing about their current relationship, but it was not to the point where she would announce it to the whole world.

The two of them looked at each other and smiled. This matter passed.

The next second, Nicole’s phone rang. It was Logan.

She immediately picked it up. “Logan?”

Logan asked anxiously. “President, where have you been? I can’t see you when I turn around.”

Nicole pursed her lips. It was probably because there were too many people just now and they were scattered.

”I’m here at the warehouse that we just passed by just now Nicole hung up and raised her head to see Clayton looking at her seriously.

“Logan is not just in charge of your daily work, huh?” Nicole looked at Clayton’s serious face and smiled.

“Of course! He gets the salary and bonus of three staff. Grant specially hired him from Stanford.”

Clayton laughed and stroked his eyebrows. No wonder Logan was so thorough from Nicole’s work to daily life. Logan was not like a colleague and more like her butler.

Nicole focused her gaze and suddenly noticed a figure not far away.

That person was sneaky like he was looking for something.

Nicole’s nerves subconsciously became tense. Her intuition told her that this sneaky person was not any of the reporters they invited today.

Clayton also sensed that the person was suspicious. He paused and patted her arm.

“Don’t worry. I’ll go over and take a look.” Nicole nodded.

Logan was coming over soon, so Clayton was not worried about leaving Nicole here alone.

Clayton stood up. His handsome features were gentle and charming. He quickly left the place. His back figure was straight.

Nicole could not see him after he went down the steps. After thinking about it, her heart was beating chaotically. She simply could not sit still, so she stood up.

Her heels were painful, so she simply took off her shoes, stepped on her heels to take a few steps, and looked forward.

There was no one in sight. Nicole’s face changed slightly.

Clayton clearly just went over, so it was impossible that he would disappear so quickly.

Nicole walked just a few steps and suddenly felt a chill down her spine. She subconsciously turned around and saw the sneaky man standing behind her, looking at her.

His eyes were dark like a ghost.

His face was pale, and he was slightly chubby.

Nicole paused and stared at him. “Are you the reporter who started the rumor?”

The other party laughed and twitched the corners of his mouth.

“Yes, Ms. Stanton.”

His voice was gruff. In the next second, he raised his hand with a dagger that refracted the light.

Nicole’s face sank. Just as she was about to react, she suddenly heard Logan shout, “President, be careful!”

Logan was just a dozen meters away. It took less than ten seconds for him to run over.

However, in just ten seconds, the reporter’s dagger suddenly turned in a direction.

The man’s huge body instantly blocked Nicole.

Immediately after, the reporter strangled Nicole and placed the dagger on her slender and delicate neck.

Logan’s face instantly turned white with fear. “Let go of her!”

The reporter laughed. “I heard that you guys have been looking for me all this time, so here I am!”

The reporter’s expression was somewhat twisted and hysterical.

Nicole was strangled by him for a moment, but she quickly adapted to it.

She estimated that the chances of her elbowing his gut

and escaping on her own were sixty to seventy percent.

However, he had a dagger in his hand that would go out of control, so the chances of her being injured in the process were also sixty to seventy percent.

Nicole did not understand Clayton’s question. ’What was the point?’

“Of course, there’s a use. Logan will think of a way!”

Aside from home, Nicole would feel more at ease with Logan when she was outside.

After all, Logan was an attentive, serious, and amazing assistant!

Nicole thought that any amount of bonus was not enough for the work Logan did.

Clayton silently lowered his head and instantly looked downcast.

The next second, he took out a bluish-gray handkerchief from his pocket. It looked very expensive. He used some force to tear it into two triangles from the middle.

Then, he gently held Nicole’s ankle. Nicole was slightly stunned and wanted to say something, but she held back.

Clayton wrapped the handkerchief around the injured part of her heel.

Then, he tied a knot and stuffed her foot back into the shoe. The remaining long triangular part at the back was wrapped around the part of Nicole’s skin that was abraded and looked more like an accessory.

It completely separated her delicate skin from being in contact with the back of her shoe.

Clayton did the same to her other foot. It did not look clumsy, but rather chic.

Nicole smiled and was very satisfied. She intended to walk a few steps.

However, when she took a step back, she winced. Her wound was still painful.

Clayton could not help but let out a light laugh.

“It’ll only keep it from getting worse. It‘s not a magical cure.”

Nicole muttered, “Right… It’s quite pretty though!”

Clayton stood up and extended an arm.

“Hold my arm to walk.”

Nicole put all her weight on his arm. She was at least over ninety pounds, but Clayton’s arm did not budge at all. He did not feel tired or sore.

She took two steps and felt much better. The tingling pain just now faded. The material of the handkerchief was nice and had a comfortable cooling feel to it.

Nicole smiled. “Let’s keep going then?” She intended to catch up with the group. Clayton pulled her arm and frowned at her. “You still plan to continue?”

Nicole said, “Of course!”

“You don’t want your feet anymore?”

Nicole looked down, she thought she could hold on, but she had to admit that it was quite painful.

This brand of sneakers was officially on her blacklist from

While Nicole hesitated, Clayton sighed and bent down to pick her up.

Nicole whimpered in surprise. She felt anxious.

“There are reporters all around…”

Clayton’s body stiffened slightly. He wanted to say something, but he held back.

He turned around and walked away.

Nicole thought that he would directly carry her back to the car, but he just took a few steps back and went to the shade on the other side that was at the back of the warehouse they had just visited. There were buildings covering them, so no one would notice this corner if they did not come over deliberately.

Clayton bent down and put her on a chair to the side. He crouched on one side.

Nicole looked around and breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, no one paid attention to this place.

Clayton’s gaze was obscure as he saw her reactions. His tone was somewhat gloomy. “Are you so afraid that others will see us together?”

Nicole paused. Her heart suddenly sank. She immediately understood why Clayton said so.

She pursed her lips and explained in a soft voice.

“You also know that my exposure is just as good as an actor’s. Today is a big day for our victory, so I don’t want to turn it into some entertainment news.”

Nicole thought that this explanation was quite dull, but Clayton’s face eased up a lot.

He lifted his head and looked at her with gentle eyes. His eyes were as deep as a lake.

“You’re right.”

“Then will you be disappointed?” Nicole asked. Clayton hesitated and paused slightly.

“A little, but I’ll control my emotions.”

The next day.

The quality inspection department was officially stationed in the project team.

Thus, the building materials were sealed and could only be moved by internal personnel. At the same time, several homeowners were randomly selected to have their building materials tested as well.

The third-party agency’s supervisory team were proficient in different areas and ensured that there was no foul play.

They uploaded the quality inspection progress and videos for the public.

The netizens praised Stanton Corporation’s decision. It was simply an open inspection.

This way, people questioned this rumor even more.

After all, everything about Stanton Corporation’s response was unbelievably frank and direct.

Nicole and Clayton also put on simple casual clothes and safety helmets as they went to the warehouse on the project site.

Although the time was short, they invited a lot of media so that the inspection would be completely transparent and open. They were not afraid to let the public know about it.

Nicole greeted the media and said that the focus of this shoot should be on Jacob Cook.

After all, Jacob was the person in charge of this project and had more understanding of the situation here, so it would be more convenient for him to improvise.

The worker who said something wrong before also followed along at all times, ready to explain what he had said in a drunken state back then.

Everything was arranged in an orderly manner.

Nicole and Clayton were among the engineering staff,

listening to the introduction and inquiries.

In fact, for Nicole, this quality inspection was not a loss. It was used to advertise the quality of their materials and firmly affix “high-quality” to Stanton Corporation’s image.

Nowadays, everyone wants quality products.

The host’s camera turned and accidentally caught Nicole’s familiar side profile.

She was bright, beautiful, and unforgettable at a glance.

The footage on site was being broadcasted live. Everyone instantly started to leave comments.

[OMG! It really is my Goddess Nicole! Goddess Nicole actually went to the site in person?]

[Where there is a difficulty, there will always be a goddess to the rescue!]

[Now I’m completely convinced that Stanton Corporation is wrongly accused. With President Nicole’s beauty and wealth, she probably doesn’t care to use fake materials.]

[The man next to Goddess Nicole is so handsome! But they showed his back… Who is he? His figure is absolutely divine!]

[I’m licking the screen!]

[You can always trust President Nicole! After all, she’s determined to become the richest domineering CEO in the world!]

Nicole had no idea what was going on.

Although she did not wear high heels, the pair of sneakers she wore was a bit abrasive to her heels probably because she was wearing them for the first time and did not adapt to them yet.

After taking a few steps, it vaguely hurt her.

Clayton noticed this from the side and let her hold his arm as a support. In fact, she was almost hanging on his arm.

That was why this scene looked extra intimate to others.

When most people were walking in front, Nicole could no longer hold back. She looked around for Logan, but he was nowhere to be found.

Clayton looked at her from the side. “Does it hurt?” Nicole solemnly nodded her head.

Clayton did not hesitate to bend down and got on one knee to gently untie Nicole’s shoelaces.

He took a look at her heel. Clayton’s face sank.

Her skin at the back was worn off. He was shocked that she could endure until now.

Nicole saw that he was motionless and pushed his shoulder. There were still so many people around. If people noticed this scene, it would turn into entertainment news.

“Quick, stand up! I can still hold on for a while. It’ll be fine when Logan gets here.”

Clayton’s eyes sank as he looked up at her. “What’s the use of Logan coming over?”

Nicole was speechless.