The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 118

They had previously assumed Nora was just a trophy wife using her husband's connections to pull in clients, but now they had witnessed her rock-solid professional expertise firsthand.

Her phone buzzed in her bag.

Nora pulled it out. Julian Pierce's name flashed on the screen.

“Is the contract signed?”

Julian's gentle voice came through the speaker.

“Just finished.”

Nora answered honestly.

“Since you secured such a major deal, we should celebrate.”

Julian chuckled softly on the other end. “I booked a table at The South Hill Tea House. They just got a new batch of aged white tea. Come over, have a cup, and relax.”

Nora hesitated for a moment.

“Alright.”

...

At two-thirty in the afternoon.

Nora pushed open the car door, popped a black umbrella, and walked into the tea house.

The interior was serene and elegant, the air scented with a faint, earthy tea aroma, while soft traditional music echoed through the corridors.

A waitress in a simple dress led Nora to a semi-open private booth by the window.

Julian was already seated inside.

He was wearing a light gray casual blazer, his gold-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, giving him an air of scholarly refinement. Seeing Nora enter, he stood up and pulled out the chair opposite him.

“The rain is coming down pretty hard. Was the drive over okay?”

Julian waited for her to sit before smoothly sliding a freshly poured cup of hot tea in front of her.

“Thank you, Julian. The drive was fine.”

Nora took the cup with both hands, savoring the warmth seeping through the porcelain.

Julian's voice softened, laced with a perfectly measured dose of concern.

Nora wasn't surprised he knew about it. In their circles, even though the incident at The Hayes Manor had been covered up, someone of Julian's status always had ways of hearing whispers.

“It's almost fully healed, thank you for asking.”

“Now that you've landed Mrs. Zimmerman's project, your studio won't have to worry about funding for the next six months.”

Julian lifted his teacup. “Nora, you are incredibly talented and fiercely resilient. If given the right platform, you could easily stand at the very top on your own.”

He looked at her, his gaze focused and deep.

Nora set her cup down.

“Mrs. Zimmerman was willing to sign because The Hayes Group offered her company the largest exhibition space in the new commercial complex.”

Nora didn't hide the truth, stating the facts evenly. “I'm very aware that my current abilities aren't enough to earn their unconditional trust.”

Hearing this, Julian put down his cup and leaned forward slightly, closing the distance between them.

“Regardless of how it started, you were the one who executed the brilliant design.”