- 19.
A month later, the “big show” I’d promised Julian finally began.
The real estate subsidiary Nick managed was at a critical stage for going public. He flew to New York to negotiate with investment banks- and, of course, Ella came along “to see the world.” But, due to an “accidental” argument, she returned to Lexington on her own, leaving him
stranded.
Nick initially planned to finalize things quickly and head home, but instead, he returned to find that Ella had spread rumors that he’d left her, deceiving the “poor mute girl.”
The media frenzy was instant–scandals, accusations, relentless Interviews. Exhausted and distracted, Nick had no choice but to halt the IPO process and make a hasty return to Lexington. Only then did he find out that Ella had taken to giving Interviews, openly accusing him of heartlessness.
His stock plummeted, business partners backed out, and his cash flow took a hit. When he tried to cover the company’s financial gap with personal funds, he realized Ella had been secretly siphoning his money to fund her own streaming company.
And Nick? He didn’t dare go to Mr. Holt for help.
“Time for the second phase,” I messaged Julian.
