The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 175

Stepping out of the lounge, the midday sun glared harshly against the pavement, yet Nora felt no warmth at all.

Large sycamore leaves drifted down, covering the sidewalk. Julian's demand echoed relentlessly in her mind.

Exile Janie.

How was she supposed to choose?

On one side was Arthur's life's work, the livelihoods of dozens of innocent employees, and a crushing mountain of debt that would completely destroy her.

On the other side was Janie's brutalized face, and the entire dream and future of a twenty-something-year-old girl.

Taking a deep breath to suppress the sickening knot in her stomach, Nora took out her phone and called Janie.

She had initially considered keeping Janie in the dark.

She thought about playing the villain, inventing a random excuse to fire Janie, and paying a hefty severance out of her own pocket.

If Janie never knew the truth, maybe it wouldn't hurt as much.

But Nora couldn't do it.

Janie had taken a hundred slaps and provoked Giselle and Gideon purely to stand up for her.

After Janie had sacrificed her dignity and endured such physical torture for her sake, Nora couldn't cruelly stab her in the back and use this innocent girl as a bargaining chip.

She had no right to make life decisions for someone else. No matter what choice was ultimately made, Janie had a right to know the truth.

Janie's voice was muffled and slurred, but she couldn't hide her anticipation.

Her eyes sparkled. In her mind, Nora was omnipotent, the esteemed Mrs. Hayes. As long as Nora stepped in, the studio would definitely survive this crisis.

"Nora, I double-checked all the cutting parameters for the raw stones needed in the first phase! I also compiled a list of backup suppliers from out of state. They're smaller, but if we offer a slightly higher advance, we might be able to secure them."

Looking at the meticulously organized documents, Nora felt a massive lump form in her throat. She couldn't swallow it down, nor could she spit it out.

She stared at Janie's bright eyes above the mask, eyes overflowing with hope for the future and a pure passion for design.

She was fresh out of college, genuinely believing that if they could just survive that savage beating, if the studio could just weather this storm, everything would be okay.

Nora opened her mouth several times, trying to repeat Julian's words, but she couldn't bring herself to say them. The words were too cruel—cruel enough to completely obliterate a young girl's dreams.