Chapter 181
been used for so long, and Nicole managed to tear us apart from Ally. How am I supposed to just sit back and rake
Every time I try to talk to Ally and she just looks at me like I’m nothing, it breaks my heart. I can’t stand it.”
Hed grown up with Alicia, and he, Nicolas, and Caleb had always revolved around her.
Back when she was still around, he just took her for granted,
It wasn’t unul she stopped caring about them-until she was truly out of their lives-that he realized how much she really mattered
Without her in their lives, it felt like a huge piece of them was missing.
Collin’s eyes went cold. “There’s no way we’re just letting them get away with this”
Nicole and her mom schemed against my brother, and they actually managed to tear us apart from Ally.
“They even want to fully replace Celia in the Hammond family.
“This is a score we have to settle, no matter what,’ he thought.
He added, “Let’s wait for the Hammond brothers to finish digging and see what their next move is. Then we’ll strike.”
They were allies with the Hammond brothers, so whatever they did, it was best to coordinate and make sure everyone was on the same page.
Maxwell had finally calmed down a bit. “Alright”
He asked, “Collin, did you share what you found with Kevin and the guys?”
Collin shook his head. “No, I didn’t. If I could find this out, they can figure it out too.
“It’ll mean more if they find it on their own. Let them do their own legwork.”
He warned Maxwell, “And don’t tell them we’ve already figured this
out.
If Collin’s hunch was right and Lucent Media plus Alicia had given things a push behind the scenes, then the Hammond brothers would definitely catch on too.
If he could find all this out so easily, the Hammond brothers could too-they might even dig up more than he did.
So he didn’t need to worry about the Hammond brothers being left in the dark.
He didn’t want the Hammond brothers to know they’d already dug up all this-he was playing a deeper game.
The main thing was, Leo was the real mountain standing in their way.
If the Hammond brothers uncovered the truth themselves, whether they confronted Leo or went after Nicole and her mom, they’d be running the show on their own terms.
But if Collin told them first, they’d almost definitely end up telling Leo everything.
1/3
9:21 am Pp
Chapter 178
He didn’t want Leo to get suspicious of him-he already had a plan brewing and didn’t want to give anything away
If Leo kept stubbornly protecting Nicole and her mom, even insisting on giving them shares in the company, then Collin would have no choice but to urge the Hammond brothers to find a way to take back control.
Over the years, the Delaney Group and the Hammond Group had gotten so tangled up together, it was almost impossible to separate them.
The only way Collin could trust things would be okay was if Kevin was the one running the Hammond Group.
And the more Leo kept protecting Nicole and her mom, the more obvious it was that Celia was getting pushed out of his life.
Honestly, it was disgusting to watch.
If Leo insisted on siding with them, then the Delaney family would stop playing nice.
He turned to Maxwell. “Just tell Nicole that her reputation’s tanked lately. If the Delaney Group makes her our spokesperson now, it’s just going to drag our brand down.
“The shareholders are already up in arms about it, so we have no choice but to cancel the endorsement deal.”
That was the truth.
“Let’s keep Nicole and her mom calm for now. Don’t let them catch on that we’re digging into their business.”
Maxwell took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. “Alright, I get it,” he said, even though his fists were clenched tight.
He’d grit his teeth and wait for now, but one day, he’d make sure Nicole paid for every dirty trick she’d pulled.
Nothing pissed him off more than being set up, betrayed, and used like some disposable tool.
*****
On the other side, Alicia was casually chatting with Jason while she worked her acupuncture magic on him.
Jason said, “Collin’s already found out everything he needed to know, and the Hammond brothers are digging into Nicole and her mom now.”
He added with a sly grin, “All going exactly like you said it would.”
Alicia smirked. “Obviously. Every time I roast them, I make sure it counts.”
She knew Collin was the type who always had something up his sleeve and loved to overthink everything.
So whenever she roasted him, she’d straight-up call out just how off-putting that whole endorsement thing was.
With Collin’s personality, that was all it took to get him obsessing over why Nicole was so dead set on landing that perfume
deal.
The deeper he dug, the more he’d see Nicole was nowhere near as innocent as she acted. Especially since Collin always looked out for Maxwell-his brother meant the world to him.
There was no way he’d let Nicole keep manipulating Maxwell with that old suicide guilt trip.
2/3
9:21 am P p
Chapter 178
Of course, he’d start diggi
8/3
AD
Comment
Send gift
No Ads
9:21 am P p
ADMINADDADMIN
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.