Second Chance His Unending Love (Calista Hartwell) novel Chapter 123

Chapter 123

At the hospital, Killian’s body remained largely unharmed, yet he refused to be discharged as long as Evander stubbornly occupied the neighboring room.

Determined to stay put, he set up a temporary office right there in his ward.

Edward soon arrived, burdened with work that demanded Killian’s attention.

“Mr. Frost, the South Suburb project is entering its final bidding stage. Do you have any final instructions?” he said, spreading a set of documents across the small table beside the sofa.

Killian reached for the file, his brow furrowing as he scanned its contents. A heavy silence hung in the sterile air before he finally spoke.

“We might not secure this one.”

Edward’s expression shifted to confusion. “But we’ve made the shortlist. Compared to our competitors, our bid is Agwer, and our capabilities are stronger. Our advantages

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is clear-”

“It’s not that simple.” Killian cut in, his gaze drifting toward the wall separating him from Evander. It was as if he could see right through it to the infuriatingly composed face of Evander.

With that man next door, would Lucas Sullivan even consider handing the project to Frost Group?

If not for the arranged marriage between Calista and Evander, perhaps he could have built a rapport with Evander, leaned on the influence of the Hayes family, and propelled Frost Group to new heights.

But now Killian knew. And all it would take was one whispered word from Calista to seal his fate.

Still, the situation wasn’t entirely hopeless.

“Lower the bid by another half-point. If Lucas is as shrewd as they say, he’ll recognize the gesture,” Killian said, his voice resolute.

Edward nodded. gathering the papers. “Understood, Mr.

Frost.”

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Once Edward had left, the bathroom door creaked open.

Nicole emerged, her steps light as she crossed the room.

Old habits took over; without a second thought, she moved to settle onto Killian’s lap.

“Killian, who’s Lucas?” she asked.

He stiffened, nudging her aside with a grimace. “My leg isn’t fully healed. It still cramps up sometimes.”

Nicole blinked, a delayed flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.

“Oh! I’m so sorry, Killian! I completely forgot. It’s all my fault-I can be so careless.”

Killian shook his head slightly. Careless, indeed. Calista would never have made such a blunder.

Then again, Calista had never casually perched herself on his lap either.

“Killian, who is this Lucas? Is he important?” Nicole

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ventured again, tilting her head.

“He’s in charge of the South Suburb project. Whether Frost Group gets a piece of it depends entirely on him.”

The project was colossal-every developer in New York / had their eyes on it.

Even securing just a fraction would guarantee profits for

years to come.

Seeing the shadow of worry cross Killian’s face, Nicole felt a sharp urge to fix this for him.

Every man had a weakness.

Find the right pressure point, and the deal would be hers to shape.

Claiming she needed to pick up a few things, Nicole slipped out of the room.

In the quiet of the hallway, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts. The line connected after a few rings.

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“I need you to look into someone, Fiona Sullivan’s younger brother, Lucas Sullivan,” she said, her voice low.

A brief pause followed on the other end. “The Sullivan family’s adopted heir? Why him? What kind of information are you after?”

Nicole wore a faint, dismissive smile.

So he was just an adopted son.

Her tone turned cool and practical. “His weaknesses. The kind that really hurt.”

“What, giving up on Killian and setting your sights elsewhere? Let me give you some friendly advice-Lucas isn’t like Killian. That man is meticulous, and the Sullivan family has the backing of the Hayes. You don’t want to tangle with that kind of power.”

“Hmph. It’s not like I can get close to the Hayes family anyway. If I could, I wouldn’t be digging into some adopted son. Just get me the information. I know what I’m doing,” Nicole retorted, leaning against the wall and nudging the baseboard with her shoe.

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“Alright, alright. Just remember-you’ve only kept your place in Killian’s heart because of that face of yours.

Another man might not be so easily charmed. Don’t get greedy.”

The warning was clear: landing Killian was her ceiling. Pushing further was risky.

“I know, okay? No need to rub it in.”

Nicole ended the call, irritation tightening her features.

Just wait.

Once she uncovered Lucas’s weakness, she’d secure the South Suburb project for Frost Group herself; Killian wouldn’t need any arranged marriage with the Sullivan family.

She’d prove her worth.

And when Nicole did, Killian would have no choice but to marry her.

*****

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