Category: The Divorced Billionaire Heiress

The Divorced Billionaire Heiress Boss Chapter 1241 Not What He Meant

Jacob Cook did not understand. “But why would Mr. Ferguson do such a thing? According to his character, he won’t find trouble with us because of this. This project isn’t considered Stanton Corporation’s most important project, so even if the work is really stopped, it won’t affect us much, so why would he do such a thing?”

It was just a waste of effort.

If Eric Ferguson wanted to deal with someone, it would be so sudden that no one would know what happened until it was too late.

He would not let them anticipate his attack.

It would not be like this trivial thing today that they noticed.

Nicole also knew that what Jacob said made sense. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.

“Perhaps, it’s not Eric Ferguson’s intention?”

Although Eric calls the shots in Ferguson Corporation, he had so many employees under him. The middle and senior management had over a hundred people, so someone was bound to do things on their own accord.

Logan and Jacob looked at Nicole in unison. Nicole took a deep breath and looked at Logan. “Have you made an appointment for this evening?”

Logan knew what Nicole was referring to and nodded his head.

“Old Master Leonard has agreed for us to meet him at his villa.”

Nicole nodded. ’That’s good.’

Old Master Leonard was also an influential figure in the industry back then.

Although he retired and took a back seat, he still had quite a reputation. He was especially authoritative in Sand City.

Old Master Leonard had connections in both the political and business circles.

If even Mr. Lewis could not do anything about this matter, Nicole had no choice but to turn to Old Master Leonard.

Grant said that Old Master Leonard and the Stanton family had some kind of friendship.

If Nicole asked for help, Old Master Leonard would not sit idly by judging from his character.

Whether or not it was Ferguson Corporation’s handiwork, the most important thing at the moment was to first settle the matter at hand.

Nicole stood up and looked at Jacob.

“Continue to pay attention to any news of that reporter. Don’t alarm them, and don’t make a bigger scandal.

Everything is still negotiable.”

They would only make a move if it was non-negotiable. Jacob nodded and understood Nicole’s meaning.

Nicole smiled and walked out with Logan. Luca followed closely behind.

Logan escorted Nicole to the car. When they got back to the hotel, Logan took out his phone and began to contact the local branded stores.

“We came here in a hurry, so I didn’t prepare a gown for you. I’ll get them to send it to the hotel.”

Nicole paused. “Don’t bother. It’s just a meal, so it just needs to be decent.”

Logan thought about it and put down the phone.

If Nicole paid too much attention to dressing up, it would instead show that Stanton Corporation was currently in distress.

Back at the hotel, Nicole changed into a small black velvet dress that was just right at the waist. She paired it with a pearl necklace and earrings, which made her look elegant and noble, yet somewhat lively and playful.

The car arrived at Old Master Leonard’s villa. Luca followed Nicole in as her male companion.

In fact, Nicole did not think that there was a need for Luca to follow.

After all, if something happens to Nicole in Old Master Leonard’s territory, Old Master Leonard would not be able to explain himself.

However, the stubborn Luca insisted on following.

Thus, Nicole had no choice but to let Luca change into a suit before she brought him in.

Once they entered the door, they heard laughter.

Nicole was surprised that there was someone else here.

However, she quickly recovered her expression and put on a friendly and decent smile. She looked pretty, bright, reserved, and elegant.

The butler brought them in and said respectfully, “Ms. Stanton, this way, please…”

Nicole walked in.

The people inside heard the commotion and immediately looked at the door in unison.

If the workers were dismissed because of a few words, they would become displeased in their hearts. It would be troublesome if they ended up tampering with future projects.

More seriously, the foreman might even run away with the workers.

How could they be asked to be aware of their contracts?

There was no way.

Thus, Nicole’s method only looked like she was being soft- hearted, but she had eliminated all the potential threats.

Jacob had to admit that all the contempt he felt for Nicole in the beginning had turned into admiration now.

It was no wonder Floyd Stanton could leave Stanton Corporation behind with ease. It was no wonder Grant Stanton was willing to play second fiddle to her.

It was because Nicole was worthy!

Jacob looked at Nicole and suddenly felt a rekindled hope in his heart.

With her around, there was no problem that could not be solved.

“Ms. Stanton, I think that at this moment, the best move is to find that reporter and figure out what his purpose is. Then we can solve the problem!”

Nicole felt that it was very reasonable and nodded. She looked at him with expectation.

“Did you find him?”

Jacob’s smile stiffened. “No.”

Nicole’s expression disappeared quickly. “Mr. Cook, could you please only put out suggestions you’re capable of completing?”

If Grant came in person, Nicole had no doubt that Jacob’s position would have been replaced long ago.

She was really speechless.

Jacob paused. “Although there’s no news about that reporter’s whereabouts, I got people to try finding clues through the information he left on the short video platform, but I don’t know if it was of use or not…”

It was because that clue was too inconspicuous, so he did not dare to bring it up.

Nicole looked at him silently.

Jacob did not keep her in suspense and quickly spoke.

“In his previous inconspicuous works, he used to deal with commerce, but his sales were not very good. He immediately deleted all those works after his recent fame.”

Nicole paused and was silent for a moment. “What goods?” “An electronic product from Ferguson Corporation.”

Jacob gritted his teeth and took a deep breath.

“But I think it might just be a coincidence. Back then, because of Lincoln Zelman and Hector Leach, almost no workers came to the projects in Sand City. It was through Mr. Ferguson’s contacts that Ferguson Corporation introduced the workers used here, so logically… It wouldn’t be him.”

Since Ferguson Corporation helped them, why would they turn around and harm them?

It was counterproductive.

More importantly, everyone knew that Eric and Nicole were divorced, but their companies were still closely related.

There was no reason for them to suddenly turn against each other.

This matter was important but also too outrageous, so he did not mention it.

When Jacob finished speaking, he looked at Nicole carefully.

Nicole’s expression gradually became grave. She fixed her gaze in a certain direction and looked deep in thought.

According to Eric’s character, an underhanded tactic like this was not his handiwork.

Furthermore, Eric was still in Liberty. He had just helped her solve the trouble with the Sloan family. How would he go against her now?

Then why?

Logan pursed his lips and spoke.

“President, I’m afraid this matter probably has something to do with Ferguson Corporation. According to what Mr. Cook said, if this has nothing to do with Ferguson Corporation, why would the reporter delete his past works?”

Jacob froze for an instant. “Maybe he was afraid of offending Ferguson Corporation?”

Logan laughed.

“Offend them? That reason is too far-fetched. It’s more plausible to say that it’s a cover-up. He deleted them because he’s afraid of being exposed.”

Nicole was silent and did not speak.

The worker froze. His hands clenched in anxiousness. “Of course not. Can I continue working here?”

Jacob’s mouth twitched. He wanted to fire this person long ago.

If not for the fact that things were not clear yet and he was worried that firing the worker would only turn him against them, causing a more serious impact on the project, he would not have kept this worker until now.

However, the worker actually said that he wanted to stay and work here?

Did he not bring them enough bad luck already?

His resume was brilliant enough and Nicole gave him such a big cake, but he repeatedly encountered various difficulties.

He was almost too ashamed to meet others.

However, Nicole only smiled faintly and nodded in assurance.

“Of course. If it’s found that what you did wasn’t on purpose, of course, you can continue to work here.”

The worker stiffened for a moment before immediately standing up in excitement. He was just about to step forward, but Luca came up from behind Nicole and stopped him in time. Luca looked at the worker coldIy and sternly.

The worker realized his gaffe and quickly took a step back.

“I’m sorry, I was too worked up today. I’ve been in fear these days, worrying that I’d have to pay if I lose a lawsuit. I

really didn’t mean to. I’m willing to do anything. I just can’t lose my job…”

His voice gradually choked. He was probably under too much pressure these days, which made him feel suffocated until he could not breathe.

Nicole pursed her lips and smiled at him.

“We won’t file a lawsuit against you. You weren’t behind this anyway. You were also used by someone else. But the project may be delayed in the near future, so you have to talk to your workers and tell everyone to be patient. After the matter passes, work can restart again.”

The worker immediately nodded with red eyes, looking solemn.

“Yes, I’ll definitely tell them. This is a great company. We won’t go anywhere but here!”

Nicole smiled and looked at Logan.

Logan immediately stepped forward politely to send him off.

“Ms. Stanton knows that you’ve suffered for this. When this matter is over, she won’t treat you all badly.”

The worker was so touched that he did not know what to say. He nodded excitedly and followed Logan out the door.

When Logan returned to the conference room, Jacob finally sighed in relief.

Jacob was still a little confused why Nicole told the worker so bluntly that he would not be fired.

However, at the final moment, he realized Nicole’s intentions.

Seeing Jacob standing there silently without speaking, Nicole glanced at him faintly.

“Mr. Cook, if you have something to say, then say it straight.”

Nicole had been watching Jacob from her peripheral vision. He wanted to say something but did not dare to.

Jacob pursed his lips. His expression grew solemn.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Stanton. This matter was caused by my lack of vigilance, which allowed others to take advantage of the situation.”

Nicole paused. She did not expect him to be able to self- reflect.

After all, Jacob was already quite old. He was considered an old employee in the company.

Her lips twitched.

“Save the self-reflection for later. Tell me about your thoughts on this.”

Jacob looked up with an unchanging expression.

“Ms. Stanton, you didn’t fire him because you wanted him to stabilize the morale of the other workers, right?”

Nicole pursed her lips and nodded with a soft laugh. “I thought that you already knew that.”

Jacob’s face reddened.

He did not think of that at first.

It was the worker’s last few words that woke him up.

In a fit of anger, Jacob had almost screwed things up and gotten rid of this group of workers.

Anyone could drink too much and say a few drunken words. The workers did not care about the long-term development of a business. What they cared about were their immediate vested interests.

Nicole stepped on her high heels and got on the elevator without saying a word of nonsense.

Logan and Luca stood behind her left and right, completely blocking Jacob from getting close to Nicole.

Jacob looked at her guiltily but did not dare to take the initiative to talk.

In the conference room, all the information had been prepared.

When they passed by the door, they saw a man dressed in construction overalls standing there. He was covered in dirt and looked tan, thin, and timid as a mouse. He looked like a simple and honest man.

Nicole looked at him and called him in.

Jacob did not even dare to sit down. He stood to the side and stared at the worker.

“This is President Nicole Stanton. Repeat everything that happened to her again.”

“I… I really didn’t mean to. I was drunk…” The worker looked very aggrieved.

It was just a few words.

How did it cause such a large disaster?

He had to speak to the foreman, supervisor, manager, and then the director. Now, there was a woman with such a powerful aura that he did not even dare to look at.

The construction worker was in a panic.

Jacob grew even more anxious when he saw Nicole frown.

He immediately looked at the worker sternly.

“Cut the crap and say what I told you to say. Don’t waste your breath on useless stuff. The company has lost tens of billions because of you! Can you afford it? What you did is called disinformation. We can sue you for criminal liability!”

The worker was so frightened that his face went pale. He stood there at a loss. “I…”

Nicole glanced at Logan, who immediately took a step forward and spoke in a slow voice.

“It’s not that exaggerated. We know that you didn’t do it on purpose. As long as you tell us the whole story, we won’t pursue the matter. It’s evident that this incident was a set-up. You were used by someone, you know?”

The worker looked up at Logan in bewilderment. He looked confused.

Of course, he did not know. No one told him that either.

Countless people just told him that he was in big trouble.

Logan smiled comfortingly and went over to put out a chair for him to sit down.

He also got a bottle of mineral water, opened it, placed it in front of the worker, and patted his shoulder.

“Don’t be nervous. Just say everything you have to. We’re just here to understand what happened. The sooner you finish explaining, the sooner you can go back to work.”

Yes, he still had to work. How would he support his two children who were still in school otherwise?

The worker gulped and looked a little more relaxed than before.

He secretly raised his eyes to look at Nicole and Jacob.

“Uh… At that time, I drank some beer in the morning and my mind wasn’t sober yet when I was working in the afternoon, so I sat on the side to rest for a while. Then, a man came over and gave me a cigarette. I thought he was one of our own. I was dizzy, so I said a few words to him. I don’t even remember what I said. T-That’s all…”

He carefully raised his eyes to look at Nicole, who had not said anything.

The worker could tell that this woman’s identity was definitely not ordinary. Even Jacob, whom the foreman had to treat respectfully, could only stand to the side.

He became even more apprehensive.

What should he do if he loses this job?

Nicole sat there and sighed. Although she was annoyed, it was clear that this worker had been fooled and did not do it on purpose.

What was the use of taking it out on him? She lifted her eyes and tried to be gentle.

“I understand now, but this matter caused a big impact on the company. If there’s a need for your help later, I hope that you can actively cooperate with us to solve this matter. I believe that you won’t want this project to be put on hold either, right?”

“We can’t find the reporter anywhere. Maybe he’s afraid that we’ll try to go after him.”

Jacob spoke weakly.

He was a middle-ranking executive, but every time there was a problem, he had to get help from this little girl. Just talking about it was embarrassing.

However, Jacob could not help it and was unable to hide it.

“What about that worker?”

Nicole’s voice was a little cold. It was very hard to describe her mood.

Jacob said, “We found the worker. We suspended construction after the incident, and I immediately had someone call him.”

“Alright.”

Nicole answered and hung up the phone. She rubbed her temples and felt a headache.

To the side, Logan sorted through the emails on the iPad, then handed it to her after a glance.

“This is the photo that was exposed by that reporter. He uploaded it to a short video platform. It has already exceeded 200,000 likes…”

It was just a few seconds of video and looked shoddy at first glance.

However, the picture of the building materials taken above clearly read the words “Stanton Corporation”.

The caption read, “Formaldehyde building materials. Do you dare to use them?”

It was followed by a video interview with the worker.

”Which company doesn’t use those building materials? If it’s cheap, it means there’s formaldehyde. Everyone uses such building materials…”

The video alone already caused a small ripple.

There was a wave of curses in the comments section.

[Capitalists really deserve to go to hell! Do they even care about our lives?]

[Stanton Corporation also does such nasty things? I just bought one of their houses in the first phase. How unlucky!]

[I saved for half my life just so I could buy a new house, but it turns out that it was made with formaldehyde. You shouId’ve just said that in the first place…]

[Why did you have to hide this from us? There are so many people living in those houses now. Are we just supposed to curse our bad luck if we get sick?]

[Damn! I’m so lucky I don’t have enough money to buy a house…]

Nicole took one look and could not stand it anymore.

It had to do with people’s lives. It was not something that could be explained just with a few sentences of clarification.

Nicole glanced at Logan. ”The authorities have already proposed to re-examine this?”

Logan nodded.

”They already heard about it. Mr. Lewis sent word and told us to be prepared for it.”

Mr. Lewis was really understanding.

This matter was most likely not his doing.

Re-inspection was not a trivial matter. Putting aside the fact that they would have to go through quality control for several hundred million building materials one by one, it would also take some time for the results to be released.

It was very likely to cause a few months up to a year of delay.

If that happened, their losses would be immeasurable.

Once the inspection started, the people would start to speculate and sling mud at them, and the fluctuations in the stock market would also become volatile.

In short, it would only cause harm and no good.

“Should I go and find out who in the government body ordered it?”

Nicole said, “Someone of Mr. Lewis’s level isn’t important.”

Just because a reporter uploaded a short video of a dozen seconds?

It was a little rushed.

Logan immediately nodded.

The car was on the road for more than two hours before finally arriving in Sand City.

Nicole got out of the car. She did not even have time to go back to the hotel and went straight to the project department of Zico Company.

Jacob Cook looked tired and pale.

He greeted them at the door with an apologetic smile. He looked so pitiful and useless.

“Ms. Stanton, you must’ve had a tiring journey…”

Nicole held her anger. She really wanted to scold him to vent her anger.

If Jacob had managed the project properly, would this matter have gotten out?

Even Grant felt that Jacob was useless and could be replaced at any time.

However, when she turned and saw his tired expression,

she was unable to scold him.

Forget it.

Clayton said, “I’ll go with you. I’m really worried about you being alone!”

Nicole laughed. “I’m going there for business. How can I take my family with me? My employees will laugh at me. You just relax and wait for me here. I’ll call you often…”

Logan wanted to cover his ears.

He found that after Nicole started dating Clayton, she was acting less and less like a domineering president.

Instead, Nicole acted like a teenage girl in love.

Clayton seemed to be pleased by the word “family” and agreed to whatever she said, his mind was spinning so much that he could not tell left from right.

He smiled and responded, “Okay. I’ll see you off then?” Nicole sternly refused.

“No need. We’ll be leaving soon…”

Logan already packed up a few simple pieces of clothing from her cloakroom and packed them inside her small suitcase.

Then, he carried the important documents and laptop and waited outside for Nicole to come out.

Nicole grinned at Logan.

“Thanks, Logan!”

Logan was flattered. “Don’t mention it, Ms. Stanton. The car is already waiting downstairs. Shall we go?”

Nicole nodded and followed Logan downstairs and into the car.

Logan had already arrived at the car and nodded in greeting when he saw Nicole.

The car was quiet.

Logan called Jacob’s number.

“Mr. Cook, Ms. Stanton will be right there. How’s the situation over there?”

Jacob sounded anxious.

“Ms. Stanton, the project was going very well. The first phase was successfully completed, but unexpectedly, the building materials in the warehouse were suddenly exposed to formaldehyde pollution before the second phase could start.”

Nicole’s face was cold and solemn. “Tell me the truth. Is there a problem with your materials or not?”

Jacob sighed and spoke in a very certain tone.

“No, there really isn’t. Our building materials are completely in accordance with the national standards of non-polluting materials. They’ve all been tested before being sent to the warehouse. I don’t know why we’re suddenly being

accused now.

The relevant departments have begun to investigate. The media also caught wind of it. The houses i n the first phase sold like hotcakes, but now, many owners are asking for a refund…”

It sounded like the situation was not good at all. It was simply terrible!

Nicole’s expression darkened slightly. “Prepare all the invoices and information of the materials, including where they’re bought from. I want to look through these as soon a s I arrive.

Get the initial quality inspection report as well.”

Jacob had been working in Stanton Corporation for many years, and this project was considered one of the more significant projects he handled.

He would not dare to make any moves on this project. In other words, the problem was elsewhere.

“Also, where did news about this come from?”

Jacob was silent for a few moments.

“An anonymous reporter interviewed a construction worker. The worker drank too much and said something that shouldn’t be said, and the reporter clung to that point and exposed the matter. It’s only a small-scale exposure for now. If the authorities really want us to stop operations for an inspection, we’ll sustain heavy losses, and our reputation will also be damaged…”

Everything was going well, but once there were falsehoods about such sensitive information, they would be unable to make up for the large economic losses. That was also putting aside the damage to Stanton Corporation’s reputation.

The delayed work schedule would make them lose a considerable amount of money.

Nicole paused. ”Can that reporter be contacted?”

Nicole raised her eyes. ”He drove himself. He’ll definitely follow me. Don’t worry.”

Clayton nodded and got in the car, then sent Nicole back t o Stanton Corporation.

When Nicole went upstairs, she just so happened to meet Aida who was coming downstairs.

She narrowed her eyes and teased.

”Aida? Are you here to bring food to my brother?” Aida did not expect to run into Nicole and smiled.

”I didn’t have anything to do today, so I cooked with my friend and let him try it.”

Nicole smiled. “Then my brother must’ve licked the plate clean…”

Aida looked at her with embarrassment and was about to speak when a familiar voice suddenly sounded from the phone in her hand.

”Lil N, come up and put together the minutes for this morning’s meeting…”

It was Grant’s voice.

Nicole’s expression stiffened. ”You guys were on the phone?”

Aida nodded with a smile.

The corners of Nicole’s mouth pulled. ’Oh, Grant heard everything.’

Aida patted her shoulder. ”Take care…”

Then, Aida smiled and walked away.

Nicole froze on the spot. Her sister-in-law seemed to have changed for the worse.

She dawdled upstairs and was just about to scamper off to her office when she was stopped by Grant, who was standing there waiting for her.

“Lil N… Why are you running so fast?”

Nicole paused. “Oh, I remembered that I still have a lot of work to do…”

Grant smiled as his expression turned cold.

“The project in Sand City is going well, but news just came i n that a problem popped up with a batch of materials. We’ll need someone to go there and take a look…”

Nicole raised her brows and looked at Grant with a flashing gaze.

“I’ll go!”

Grant handed her the file in his hand.

“We just got the news. You can go, but pay attention to your safety. I have to go to France in the afternoon. There’s

something wrong with the account books there, so I have t o go have a look personally.”

Nicole nodded. The account books were much more important than building materials. There were too many things that could go wrong.

Grant handed the simplest problem to her. Nicole took a deep breath. She had to get things done.

“Don’t worry, there won’t be a problem. I’ll contact you.” Grant nodded and pinched her little face.

“If there’s a problem, then find me. If there’s danger, come back immediately. I’ll take care of things in France as soon as possible and rush back to help you.”

Grant was still worried about the movements in the Sloan family, so he did not feel comfortable with letting Nicole go abroad alone. Otherwise, he would have let Nicole check the accounts since she loved to wander around.

Nicole smiled.

“Don’t worry about me and go. Have you booked your flight?”

Grant nodded.

“Take Luca and Logan with you when you leave. Bring whoever else you want, including a few more bodyguards. Also, if Jacob Cook isn’t useful on the project, just have him replaced.”

What Grant thought out for her was the most straightforward method.

There was no need to worry about anything.

Nicole raised her brows. “Okay, Big Brother. I’ll go back and pack my things.”

Then, she ran into her office.

Logan was just about to follow her when Grant frowned and called out to him.

“In the future, don’t let her run around in high heels…” Logan was speechless.

His job as an assistant really consisted of every little detail!

After giving a solemn assurance, Logan hurried over to pack Nicole’s stuff.

Nicole sat on the sofa on the phone. It sounded like Clayton.

“Yea h, I’m leaving in the afternoon. We’ll only be able to meet after a few days. Soon, we’ll be entering a period of long-distance relationship!”

As soon as Clayton spoke, both women froze. One was a little shocked, and the other paled.

Autumn was still a member of the Ferguson family, so although she was currently only an intern in the company that Clayton was cooperating with, no one dared to say anything to her because of her family background.

Clayton humiliated her for a divorced woman, but she was a high and mighty daughter of an affluent family. How was Autumn supposed to show her face in the future?

Autumn was almost trembling with anger. The little good feelings she had for Clayton disappeared.

She gnashed her teeth and sneered.

’then I won’t bother you anymore. Have a nice meal.” Autumn simply turned around and left.

At that moment, she also lost the mood to eat. She remembered something, took out her phone, and called her friend who was far away in Liberty.

“Hello? Is this the Sloan residence? My name is Autumn Ferguson. I’m Isaac’s classmate as well as his friend…”

The person who answered the phone was Quavon, and his voice was aged and feeble.

“Oh, Ms. Ferguson. Isaac can’t come to the phone now. Do you need something?”

Autumn paused and gritted her teeth. She was furious when she thought about the humiliation the two people had just inflicted on her.

She took a deep breath. “I know that something happened t o Isaac recently. I know who did it…”

Nicole watched Autumn leave in a huff and felt that this person had quite a different character than Ingrid.

Ingrid was an arrogant idiot, but Autumn was very good at reading people’s faces.

Autumn was just not good at restraining her temper. However…

Nicole withdrew her eyes and looked at Clayton in front of her.

Clayton tested the temperature of the cup of water in front of her as if nothing happened and felt that it was a little cold, so he had it changed into a warmer one instead.

Clayton pursed his lips. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

Nicole said, “Aren’t you afraid that Ms. Ferguson will get angry? Are you two working together?”

Clayton frowned slightly. “I’m cooperating with the company she’s interning in, not with her. Why should I be afraid of her wrath? She kept chattering nonsense here. I was afraid that you’d be angry instead.”

Nicole’s smile subconsciously deepened. She laughed helplessly.

This man looked quite capable.

At least, Nicole thought that Clayton had a gentle character. However, after seeing his attitude towards others, it did not seem so.

Was he only like this to her?

Nicole’s heart suddenly softened for a moment. There were some strange emotions when she looked at Clayton.

However, Nicole only smiled and said to him, “You completely portrayed me as a bad woman. Ms. Ferguson must hate my guts out now!”

Although that was what she said, her heart actually felt quite happy.

After all, Nicole was very accurate in reading women. Autumn did not have kind intentions towards Clayton. She could tell that at a glance.

This was good. Since Clayton did not leave Autumn any mercy, she should give up.

Autumn did not say anything despite coveting a taken man, but she must feel rather displeased in her heart.

Clayton raised his brows. “Then I’ll have to explain to her that you weren’t the one who taught me to say that. I meant what I said.”

Nicole paused. The corners of her mouth twitched, and she rolled her eyes at him.

Was he an idiot?

Clayton laughed. “Well, I already said it. I’ll just have to ask you to suffer this grievance?”

He felt a little upset seeing that Nicole did not look jealous at all, but he swallowed that feeling.

It was fine, as long as he cared.

He continued to pick the food for Nicole, and Nicole ate quietly. The two of them did not mention what just happened and seemed to have some kind of tacit understanding.

After they paid the bill, Nicole went out with Clayton.

Clayton opened the doo r for her and paused. “Where’s your bodyguard?

Nicole only met Autumn once at Old Master Ferguson’s birthday party. She had hurried back and left in a hurry as well.

Autumn always prided herself on being a top student and looked down on people everywhere. She touted her independence, but she always took pocket money from her home.

Nicole did not have a deep impression of Autumn, but after calculating the years, Autumn probably just graduated this year and came back.

Autumn also looked at Nicole’s face. Her face was clear, cold, and bright with delicate features. Autumn had to admit that the woman in front of her was extremely beautiful.

However… Why did the woman look so familiar?

Autumn pondered for a while, and her face suddenly changed.

“Aren’t you, my sister-in-law?”

Autumn pointed at Nicole and looked at her in shock.

Although Autumn did not have an impression of Nicole, she saw the photos of Eric and her that Ingrid sent her before.

In the photos, Nicole always followed Eric. Her eyes never moved away from him.

Ingrid laughed at Nicole for being a country bumpkin, and that Nicole had married above her social status. Ingrid’s words were full of disdain for Nicole.

Autumn’s impression of Nicole was a submissive woman who did not dare to speak up in the Ferguson family.

Nicole used despicable means to marry Eric, and no one in the Ferguson family liked her, including Eric.

Nicole had no presence in the Ferguson family.

However, this woman in front of Autumn turned into a different person.

Although Nicole did not speak, the cold and noble trace in her eyes revealed an unattainable feeling.

It was completely different from the impression Autumn had of her.

Clayton’s face changed slightly when he heard that term of address. The polite smile that had been hanging at the corner of his lips suddenly disappeared.

Nicole pursed her lips and spoke calmly.

“Ms. Ferguson, although you were abroad, Liberty isn’t a primitive society, so why did you get the news so slowly?”

News of Nicole’s divorce with Eric had been sensational back then. How did Autumn not know about it despite being a member of the Ferguson family?

Autumn even called her “sister-in-law”. That was something worth investigating.

Autumn pursed his lips, seemingly a little embarrassed. She looked at Clayton.

“Sorry, sister-in-law, I didn’t manage to react. Are you talking about business with Mr. Sloan? I won’t disturb you then…”

Autumn was very reluctant to leave because of Nicole.

However, Autumn knew very well how Ingrid was driven out to live in Liberty.

Clayton called out to Autumn. His tone was a little cold.

“Ms. Ferguson, I’ll repeat what Ms. Stanton said earlier. I believe you also know that Mr. Ferguson and Ms. Stanton are divorced, so it’s not very appropriate to call her your sister-in-law. I hope that you’ll keep that in mind so as not t o cause unnecessary inconvenience to each other.”

Clayton’s words were very disrespectful.

He never got hung up about something like this before.

However, because of Nicole…

Autumn’s fists clenched tightly, and she took a deep breath. “My apologies, Ms. Stanton. It was a slip of the tongue.”

Even Clayton was treating her like that. What kind of spell did Nicole cast on him?

Nicole smiled faintly.

“It’s fine. Just remember it next time.”

Autumn stood there. The atmosphere was a bit off.

Clayton and Nicole could not continue to chat and joke, and Autumn did not want to leave just like that.

Autumn had overheard them before she came over.

After connecting it with the recent events in Liberty, Autumn felt like this was a little hint.

Autumn looked at Nicole. ’Could Nicole really do something that ruthless?’

When Clayton saw that Autumn had no intention of leaving, he paused and looked gently at Nicole.

“I’m sorry for giving you such a bad dining experience. When we come out to eat in the future, I’ll reserve a private

room in advance so no one will disturb your appetite when we’re eating.”

It was a semi-open space, so people would be able to see Clayton from the door. However, Nicole’s figure inside was blocked by him.

Just by hearing the voice, Nicole felt like it was not a simple woman.

“Mr. Sloan, I didn’t expect to meet you here today. What a coincidence!”

Clayton looked up and nodded slightly. “Ms. Ferguson.”

Nicole suddenly raised her eyes when she heard that last name.

There were not many people with the last name Ferguson i n Atlanta, and she knew almost all of them.

Besides Ingrid Ferguson, who was sent abroad by Eric, who else could be called Ms. Ferguson?

Autumn Ferguson smiled and walked over happily, glancing at the tall and bright woman opposite Clayton who had an outstanding temperament.

She paused and deliberately put her thoughts away as if nothing happened and walked over.

“You’re here too. Do you mind if I join in? I’d like to talk to you about business.”

Nicole sat across the table and did not stand up. She did not look at the woman deliberately.

Nicole just looked at the man opposite her with a smile on her face. Ever since she met him, there had hardIy been any women around Clayton.

In Nicole’s impression, it was as if Clayton would only be with Lil Michael and herself.

However, Nicole seemed to overlook Clayton’s qualifications. He was tall and upright, handsome and elegant, warm and gentle, and extremely rich. How would h e not attract the attention of women?

With his qualifications, no one was more sought after than him in Atlanta besides Eric.

Eric was like an iceberg that could never melt.

However, Clayton was different. He always treated others modestly and politely.

The last time Ava York approached Clayton, her ultimate goal was Nicole, so she did not show her true standards.

It was the first time Nicole saw another woman come forward, so she was a little excited.

Nicole wanted to see how Clayton would react.

If Clayton was too embarrassed to refuse, Nicole felt like she would get angry and take her bag to leave so as to make space for them.

However, Clayton only raised his eyes. The corners of his lips held a detached smile as he spoke politely and calmly.

“Sorry, but I do mind.”

The few simple words caused the two women to be stunned.

Clayton seemed a little too direct.

Autumn paused in her steps. She was very surprised that Clayton would reject her.

Her eyebrows trembled slightly. Autumn glanced to the side at the woman sitting opposite Clayton who looked bright and beautiful but also slightly familiar.

Autumn was a little jealous.

However, Autumn had never expressed her feelings to Clayton before and now was not the time either.

Autumn smiled dryly. “It was too presumptuous of me to have disturbed your social gathering, Mr. Sloan. Let’s make an appointment another day.”

In her words, Autumn implied the countless possibilities of how she would get closer to Clayton.

If the woman opposite Clayton was his girlfriend, she would not be indifferent.

However, the woman across the table had just sat quietly without any movement or reaction.

Autumn sighed in relief and was just about to leave. Clayton corrected her with a smile.

“It’s not a social gathering. I’m having lunch with my girlfriend. She likes her peace and doesn’t appreciate being disturbed by others, especially strangers.”

Nicole subconsciously lifted her eyes and looked at Clayton’s frank and open introduction of herself.

In her heart, Nicole felt a spot that was faintly touched.

If Clayton introduced her like this, he was not giving the woman any way out of the embarrassing situation.

Nicole also tilted her head and looked at the woman’s face.

Autumn Ferguson. Was she Eric’s cousin who was studying at Liberty?