The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 171

Nora's heart skipped a beat.

She immediately straightened up, clutched her document folder tightly, and quietly slipped behind a large, lush potted plant, hiding herself completely in the shadows.

The heavy wooden doors were violently yanked open.

Steady, forceful footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Gideon strode toward the elevators, exuding a terrifyingly dark aura. Even from her hiding spot around the corner, Nora could acutely feel his suffocating presence.

She held her breath, leaning motionless against the wall.

She listened as his footsteps faded away. Only when the hallway returned to dead silence did she exhale a long breath and step out from the shadows.

To avoid raising Julian's suspicions, Nora waited a while longer before walking up to the suite and rapping her knuckles against the door.

"Come in."

Julian's smooth, steady voice called out, betraying not a single ripple of emotion.

Pushing open the carved doors, the suite was bathed in soft, bright light, the air lightly scented with sandalwood.

Julian looked as refined and gentle as ever.

He sat at a solid wood table in a crisp, light gray dress shirt, buttoned immaculately at the collar, sleeves rolled up slightly to reveal his toned forearms.

An elegant porcelain tea set rested before him. With meticulous precision, he was preparing a fresh pot.

Hearing the door open, he looked up, meeting Nora's gaze.

He wore his usual warm smile, his posture relaxed, radiating a calming energy.

Looking at his utter composure, one would never guess he had just been threatened with the destruction of his entire family enterprise.

Nora walked over and took a seat across from him.

The Hayes Group's blacklist had only been issued yesterday afternoon and hadn't circulated through the industry until this morning.

Julian's intelligence network was far sharper than she had imagined; he already knew every single detail.

"Gideon halted all of Lawrence Atelier's funding and revoked his implicit backing. Now, all the suppliers are demanding to terminate their contracts, and the South African mines are withholding the rough stones. The manufacturing plants have shut down completely, and the banks are calling in their loans."

"That's exactly why I'm here."

Looking into his eyes, Nora's voice grew raspy. "The studio is in a death spiral. I need a bridge loan to pay the final balance for the rough stones, and I need the Pierce family to step in as a guarantor to stabilize the manufacturing plants."

Noting the dark circles under her eyes and her undeniable exhaustion, Julian let out a soft sigh.

"You're always so used to carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders."

His voice carried a mix of helplessness and comfort.

"Don't take all the blame on yourself. Given the sheer scale of The Hayes Group, a targeted blacklist isn't something a single lead designer can fight off. Some things are simply beyond your current capacity."