Rising From Betrayal Reborn As The Family Outcast (Alicia Delaney) novel Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Alicia stood there, head held high.

“We have nothing to talk about. There’s no need to go somewhere else,” she said.

After a moment’s thought, she added, “If you’re here for the Hammond Group shares, don’t bother. I’ve already sold them.”

In her previous life, when Collin found out she was selling her Hammond Group shares, he contacted her right away, wanting to buy them.

She turned him down without hesitation.

Collin blinked in surprise. “You already sold them?”

Thinking back to the vote, he asked, “Did you sell them to the major shareholder of the Hammond Group?”

Alicia shot him a look that screamed, “None of your business. Who I sold them to has nothing to do with you, Mr. Delaney.”

Somehow, Collin was sure that she had sold the shares to that major shareholder.

Things were probably going to get even messier inside the Hammond Group.

Just like Kevin warned them, Alicia was really going all out against the Hammond family.

But Alicia had already sold the shares, and judging by her attitude, there was no way she’d reconsider.

No need to keep pestering her about it and get on her nerves.

Better focus on his own business instead.

Collin sighed. “Suit yourself. Whatever makes you happy.”

He continued, “I’m here about the shares. I came to ask you for a favor.”

Alicia raised an eyebrow. “Help with what?”

Collin got straight to the point. “I need you to ask one of your professors at Solmare Medical College to help me get in touch with the miracle doctor, Dr. Lowell.

“A friend of mine is really sick, and Dr. Lowell is probably the only one who can actually cure them.”

Alicia instantly got what he meant. “Sorry, I can’t help you.

“Dr. Lowell’s gone abroad for an international medical exchange project. He’s not around these days.”

In her previous life, Collin had come to her for help about this before too.

Back then, things between them weren’t as tense as they got later, so she actually tried to help him out.

But Dr. Lowell was really out of the country and couldn’t come back anytime soon, so he wasn’t able to treat Collin’s friend.

She heard Collin ended up finding someone else to help, but she didn’t follow up after that, so she had no idea how things turned out.

Collin had heard Dr. Lowell was out of the country too. “Could you ask your professor to reach out to Dr. Lowell? Maybe he could come back and take a look.”

If Alicia’s professor stepped in, maybe Dr. Lowell would be willing to return and help out.

Alicia replied, “Dr. Lowell won’t be back anytime soon.”

Collin asked, “Could you maybe give him a call and see when he might have some time?”

Alicia frowned. “We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Why should I go out of my way to make that call for you?

“You guys really have some nerve—only showing up when you need something. Well, I’m not playing along this time.

“Go ask someone else for help.”

She added, “And don’t even think about coming to me for anything ever again. I’m not lifting a finger for you people.”

Collin stared at her, totally stunned. “You really won’t help me out with just this little favor?”

He continued, “Getting Dr. Lowell on board is key for a huge project the Delaney Group is about to launch.

“Celia poured everything she had into the Delaney Group. Don’t you want to see it keep thriving?”

Alicia let out a cold laugh. “So you actually remember my mom gave everything to the Delaney Group?

“When my uncle died, it was my mom who kept the Delaney Group afloat.

“She went on to launch a bunch of new perfume and fragrance lines.

“She even scouted a killer tech team and saved the medical branch when it was about to go under.

“Once you moved into the Delaney Group, my mom helped you lock down the CEO spot, then she stepped aside and never meddled in the company again.”

After her uncle and aunt died in a car accident, Collin had just graduated college and barely knew the ropes at the Delaney Group. He was totally out of his depth and couldn’t handle running the company.

The Delaney Group was on the verge of being taken over, but it was her mom who stepped in and saved the day.

She helped Collin get ready to take charge, and once he was finally able to run things himself, she let go and stepped away.

Alicia shot Collin a mocking look. “And how did you pay her back for everything she did?

“The Delaney Group’s best-selling perfume line? That was my mom’s creation—she’s the one who put it on the map.

“But out of everyone, you just had to make Nicole the face of it.

“If my mom ever found out, she’d be sick to her stomach over what you did.”

“I’m sure my mom wouldn’t hold it against me.

“Seriously, you people are just so disgusting.”

Collin hadn’t expected that coming to Alicia for help would backfire—she wasn’t just refusing, she was actually turning against the Delaney Group.

He looked at her in disbelief. “Are you really not going to cut me any slack?”

Alicia raised an eyebrow. “Why should I? What reason do I have to go easy on you guys?

“When you made Nicole the face of the Delaney Group’s perfume line, did you ever think about how my mom or I would feel?

“You never showed me any mercy, so why should I care about you now?”

Collin was left speechless. “We really didn’t think you’d get so mad or make such a big deal out of it. You…”

But before he could finish, Alicia cut him off. “You never gave a damn about me, so what makes you think you deserve my help now?

“Mr. Delaney, don’t ever come bothering me again. I’m so done with you people,” Alicia said flatly.

Then she shut the door right in his face, not interested in wasting another word on him.

Collin barely managed to dodge the door as it slammed shut, instinctively stepping back.

He just stood there, watching as Alicia closed the door with icy indifference, a mix of anger and a strange, hollow confusion swirling inside him.

‘How did things between us end up like this?’ he wondered.

He was completely blindsided.

Knowing Alicia, there was no way she’d open the door again—and she sure as hell wasn’t going to ask her professor to make that call for him.

He was also worried that if he pissed her off any further, she might actually throw her weight behind the Delaney Group’s competitors, just to mess with them.

Face like thunder, he turned on his heel and left, not even glancing at the private room he’d reserved.

Back in his car, Collin sat there for a moment before calling the head of advertising.

He told them to drop the whole endorsement deal with Nicole—she was officially off the table as the face of the Delaney Group.

When Nicole’s agent got the call from the Delaney Group saying they’d changed their minds and weren’t going to use Nicole as the brand ambassador, he was caught off guard.

He immediately called Nicole, telling her to do whatever she could to salvage the situation.

Nicole was still at the hospital when she got the call, and she was completely blindsided.

‘Why is this happening?’ Nicole thought, panic rising in her chest.