While My Husband Cheated I Married His Powerful Brother novel Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Chapter 167 The Perfect Accomplice

​The private room had settled into a quiet calm.

​Leon stood near the doorway with his arms folded loosely across his chest, looking down at the floor as he thought things through. He had just heard Veyra explain everything to him, and her plain words were still bouncing around in his head.

​I need my own ground to stand on. My own control over my life. My own resources that I worked for.

​He lifted his eyes and looked back over at her. She was sitting at the wooden table with her fingers laced together, her posture relaxed and her face completely still. She did not look like someone who had just stepped out of a high-stakes meeting with a dangerous man. She looked like a seasoned business owner who had just signed a routine deal and moved on to the next task.

​Leon had spent years working for all kinds of wealthy, powerful people. He had seen real ambition up close. He had seen greed make people crazy. He had watched folks take on way more than they could ever hope to handle just to prove a point.

​But Veyra was nothing like any of them.

​She wasn’t greedy for money, and she certainly wasn’t hunting for status. She just wanted to hold her own ground without asking anyone for permission or hand-outs. She wanted to build something that was hers and hers alone.

​He couldn’t help but respect that kind of drive.

​"Mrs. Thorne," he said, breaking the silence. "I get it now."

​Veyra looked up, meeting his eyes. "Get what?"

​"What you’re trying to do. Why you need to keep full control over this." He paused for a second, his tone turning serious. "You’re going to pull this off."

​Veyra blinked, caught a little off guard. "You really think so?"

​"I know so."

​A faint smile touched her lips. It wasn’t big, but it reached her eyes.

​"Thanks, Leon."

​Before anyone could say another word, the heavy door slammed open, and Megan burst right into the room.

​Her cheeks were flushed bright red, her eyes were wide, and she was clutching her phone so tight her knuckles were white.

​"Veyra!" she burst out, practically yelling. "I just heard! You actually secured the storefront!"

​Veyra let out a soft laugh. "News sure travels fast around here."

​"Mia texted me the second it was signed!" Megan ran over and threw her arms around Veyra, squeezing her tight. "This is huge! I can’t believe you actually pulled it off!"

​Veyra hugged her back with a warm smile. "I definitely didn’t do it all on my own."

​Megan pulled back, her brow furrowing with sudden curiosity. "Wait, who helped you out?"

​"Just a friend," Veyra said casually, shifting her stance. "Someone who happened to owe me a big favor."

​Megan gave her a long look, her eyes narrowing as she tried to read Veyra’s face. She clearly wasn’t buying the whole story, but she knew better than to keep pushing right now.

​"Fair enough," Megan said, letting out a breath. "Well, whatever you had to do, I’m just glad the place is officially yours."

​They all moved over to sit down at the main table together.

​Mia had already spread her notebook flat across the wood and was busy scribbling away with a pen. She was drawing up rough floor layouts, scribbling down estimated measurements, and jotting down quick ideas.

​"We need to start talking about renovations right away," Mia said without looking up from the paper. "The place is a mess inside. The flooring needs to be ripped up, the lighting is ancient, and we need a proper counter built near the front."

​Veyra nodded, leaning over to look at the rough sketches. "How much is all that going to set us back?"

​Mia ran a few numbers in her head, her lips moving silently as she tallied it up. "I don’t have exact figures yet, but custom work won’t be cheap."

​Veyra quickly ran through her remaining funds. She had already handed over two hundred and seventy thousand for six months of rent up front. That left her with two hundred and thirty thousand in her account.

​That remaining cash had to cover every single thing left on the list. The full structural updates, new equipment, furniture, and whatever initial marketing they needed to get people through the door.

​She took a slow, steady breath to keep her head clear. "We’ll have to trim costs wherever we can."

​Mia perked up, snapping her fingers. "Oh! I almost forgot. A friend of mine from back home is finishing up her degree in interior design. She could take a look at the floor plan and help us map it all out for free."

​Veyra raised her eyebrows in surprise. "For free?"

​"She needs real projects for her portfolio before she graduates anyway," Mia explained, already pulling her phone back out. "Working on a real storefront would be a massive win for her."

​Veyra thought about it for a quick second before giving a firm nod. "Sounds great. Give her a call."

​Mia tapped the screen and held the phone up to her ear, stepping toward the side of the room.

​"Hey, Jade," Mia said the second the line picked up. "It’s Mia. I need a huge favor."

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