Chapter 169
Chapter 167
Nicole had always been dead set on landing the Delaney Group endorsement.
Her agent had already worked out the deal with the Delaney Group, and all that was left was to sign the contract.
Nicole was baffled–What could have made Collin suddenly change his mind?‘ she wondered.
Her mom usually didn’t care much about her career in showbiz.
But she was really invested in Nicole becoming the face of the Delaney Group’s perfume line, because Alicia’s mom was the one who created it.
Her mom would secretly love that the endorsement went to Nicole instead of her own daughter.
If Nicole failed, her mom would be seriously disappointed.
Nicole didn’t want to let her mom down.
So Nicole tried calling Collin.
But he didn’t answer.
Nicole tried calling him two more times, but still got no answer.
She even shot him a WhatsApp message, but he left her on read.
That was totally out of character for him.
‘Maybe he’s just busy?‘ Nicole wondered.
“There’s no way he’d ignore me on purpose… would he?” she tried to convince herself.
But Nicole was way off this time–Collin was totally ignoring her on purpose.
After thinking it over, he decided to reach out to Kevin.
As soon as Kevin picked up, Collin said, “Kevin, I met with Ally today p>
Kevin couldn’t help but ask, “Collin, did Ally agree to sell you her shares p>
Collin let out a sigh. “No, she said she already sold them p>
Kevin was stunned. “That fast p>
He quickly asked, “Who did she sell them to p>
Collin replied, “I asked, but she wouldn’t tell me.
“But if you ask me, I’m betting she sold them to the other big shareholder in the Hammond Group.
“So you guys better be prepared,” Collin warned.
Kevin felt his last shred of hope vanish. “She really went through with it p>
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Chapter 167
Collin just sighed. “It is what it is. Those shares were hers from the start p>
Ally only had those shares because his aunt, Celia Delaney, gave them to her.
Celia didn’t get those shares as a wedding gift from the Hammonds.
Back when the Hammond Group went through a crisis, one of the shareholders panicked and decided to cash out.
The Hammond family couldn’t scrape together enough cash to buy them.
Celia originally owned 8% of the Delaney Group’s shares.
She asked him if he wanted to buy them, and naturally, he didn’t say no.
Back then, Delaney Group shares were way more valuable than Hammond Group shares.
Celia sold her Delaney Group shares and immediately bought up the Hammond Group shares from that panicking shareholder.
She also picked up a bunch of smaller shares at the time, which is how she ended up with 15% of the Hammond Group.
Gotta admit, Celia really had a knack for making killer investments.
After the Hammond Group pulled through that crisis, the company just kept booming, and those shares shot up in value.
The cash Celia got from selling 8% of the Delaney Group went straight into buying 15% of the Hammond Group, and now those shares had skyrocketed to several times what she paid.
That’s why those shares weren’t tied to the Hammonds at all, and Alicia could sell them off with zero guilt or hesitation.
Kevin got it–Alicia could sell her shares if she wanted. But of all people, she had to sell them to the one big shareholder who was always against them. That stung.
She was obviously doing it just to get under their skin.
Suddenly, it hit Kevin.
Back then, Alicia couldn’t stand Nicole, but they always backed Nicole up, thinking Ally was just being dramatic.
Now Alicia was helping out their rival to mess with them, and they finally knew how much it sucked.
Kevin let out a sigh. “This is a real headache. I’ll talk it over with my dad and see what we can do p>
Honestly, there was only one way out–transfer all their shares to their dad, so he’d still be the biggest shareholder.
Kevin was the next in line to take over the Hammond Group, so handing his shares to his dad wasn’t a big deal.
But he wasn’t sure if his two younger brothers would be okay with it.
After all, they’d been living off the dividends for years, using that money to build their own businesses.
Alicia really threw a curveball at them.
After reminding Kevin of that, Collin added, “By the way, Ally’s pretty pissed at me too.
“It’s mostly because I picked Nicole to be the face of the Delaney Group’s signature perfume line.
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“That perfume was developed by Celia, and Ally thinks anyone but Nicole should’ve gotten that endorsement.
“Honestly, after thinking about it, I kind of get where she’s coming from.
“Plus, she’s been getting some bad press lately.
Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.