CHAPTER ELEVEN

Nicole Melbourne sat back in her chair, exhaling slowly as the door clicked shut behind her father. Edward Melbourne had left, but his presence still lingered like a shadow in the room. Their conversation had been a battle of wits—one she had no intention of losing. And though she had stood her ground, asserting her independence, she knew Edward wasn't done with her yet. He never was.

A smirk touched her lips. Let him try.

Before she could refocus on the company's upcoming projects, a sharp knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

Emma stepped in, her face unusually tense. "Nicole, we have a problem," she said, voice steady but urgent.

Nicole arched a brow. "What kind of problem?"

Emma hesitated. "One of our major investors is threatening to pull out unless we meet their demands."

Nicole's expression turned icy. "They dare... What demands?"

Emma swallowed. "They want us to compromise on the quality of our products."

Silence filled the office for a long moment. Then, Nicole's lips curved—not in amusement, but in a slow, calculating smirk.

"That will never happen." Her voice was sharp as steel. "Find out who's behind this and set up a meeting. Now."

Emma nodded and hurried out, leaving Nicole alone with her thoughts. Who would be foolish enough to challenge Melbourne Enterprises like this?

Minutes later, Emma returned, her expression grim but determined. "I found out who's behind it, Nicole. It's Andrew Bond."

Nicole's fingers, poised on the desk, stilled. Then, slowly, she leaned back, her expression unreadable.

"Andrew Bond?" she repeated, as if tasting the name after years of leaving it untouched.

Emma nodded. "He just returned from Korea. But he's been here all along—operating through Nicholas Bondi, the French investor who joined a year ago. We investigated Bondi, but nothing flagged him as a threat. Now, it makes sense. Andrew was the real power behind him all along."

A flicker of something—amusement? Disdain? Something colder?—crossed Nicole's face.

How interesting.

Of all the people she expected to face, Andrew Bond hadn't been one of them. She had always known their paths would cross again, but not like this. Not this soon.

And yet, wasn't it inevitable? Men like Andrew always found their way back. Always thinking they had unfinished business.

"What does he want?" she asked, her voice detached, as if discussing an insignificant matter.

Emma hesitated. "A private meeting. With you. Alone."

Nicole exhaled sharply, her smirk widening. "Of course, he does."

Did Andrew really think she was still the naive girl who once trusted him? That she would fall into whatever game he was playing?

For a moment, an old memory surfaced—one she hadn't thought about in years. The sound of his voice, low and promising. The way he used to look at her, as if she was something precious. A part of her had believed it once. But that part of her had died a long time ago.

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk. "Emma, how come I've never heard that he's an investor in my company?"

"He was behind Nicholas Bondi, our French investor. We did our checks but never found anything suspicious, so they probably let us think Bondi was acting alone. I guess they wanted us to find out who their biggest backer is now."

Nicole let out a soft chuckle, though there was no humor in it. "Clever. But not clever enough."

Her gaze darkened, and the smirk returned, edged with something dangerous.

"Schedule the meeting," she said, her voice smooth, almost amused. "Let's see how he plans to destroy my company."

A dangerous glint flickered in her eyes—cold, ruthless, unyielding.

Andrew Bond had returned to challenge her.

Big mistake.

One he wouldn't survive.