He Does Not Deserve My Devotion-Chapter 25: Debt Collection

Early the next morning, while Nina Walsh and Michelle Quinn were still in bed, there was a knock on the door.

Michelle Quinn was woken by the noise, but Nina Walsh was still fast asleep.

Michelle Quinn’s apartment only had one bed, so the two of them had squeezed in together last night, talking late into the night.

Looking at the sleeping Nina beside her, Michelle Quinn sighed to herself. ’How has she managed to get through all these years?’

The knocking continued, so Michelle Quinn got up to open the door.

Declan Grant stood outside, holding several bags, including a warm breakfast.

"I brought some medicine for Nina."

"She’s not up yet. Come in and have a seat."

"Okay."

Back when Nina was in school, Declan Grant used to visit her often, so he was also familiar with Michelle Quinn.

After washing up and changing, Michelle Quinn came out and asked casually, "Dr. Grant, do you know where Lemon has been all these years?"

Declan Grant didn’t know. Although he desperately wanted to, he couldn’t bring himself to reopen her wounds whenever he saw the unconcealable sadness in Nina’s eyes.

"Did Nina tell you something?"

Michelle Quinn answered vaguely, "Lemon said she’s pregnant, and the baby is Aiden Sinclair’s. She wouldn’t say anything else."

Declan Grant gazed toward the bedroom and fell silent for a few seconds. Then, he lowered his voice and pleaded, "Nina’s mental and physical condition isn’t good. She shouldn’t be keeping this baby, but it’s her only source of support right now. I’m afraid if she loses the baby, she’ll completely break down. That’s why I’ve been using medication to manage her condition. Miss Quinn, please, I need you to take care of her for a month. Next month, I’ll take her away to Moraine."

Michelle Quinn was taken aback but nodded. "Don’t worry, Dr. Grant. Lemon took such good care of me in the past. I’ll definitely take good care of her."

Just then, the bedroom door opened, and Nina Walsh rushed out barefoot, still talking on the phone.

"Mr. Lloyd, hang on. I’m on my way."

She looked panicked as she went to the door to put on her shoes. Declan Grant asked, "What’s wrong? Nina, where are you going?"

"There’s trouble at the company. Mr. Lloyd called me. Several of Maelie’s suppliers have shown up together to collect debts, and they’re being very aggressive."

Nina’s worst fears had come true. For Maelie, this was like pouring salt on an open wound.

’How can this be such a coincidence?’

They had just lost a huge order yesterday, and today, debt collectors were at the door. The timing was too perfect.

...

When Nina and the other two arrived at Maelie, a dozen or so workers were standing around watching. The ground was a mess, the workshop windows had been smashed, and several menacing-looking men were locking the workshop doors with iron chains. Leo Lloyd tried to stop them but was shoved aside. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Nina went up to confront them. "Who are you? What gives you the right to lock our doors?"

The man glanced at her, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You’re the new boss here? We’re here to collect a debt on behalf of The Sinclair Group."

Nina was shocked. "What Sinclair Group? We don’t owe The Sinclair Group any money."

The man laughed. "You don’t know, do you? Yesterday, the Sinclair Group acquired three companies: Youfu, Laifa, and Jianye. All their debts have now been transferred to us. All told, you owe three million for goods. Pay up!"

A troubled look crossed Nina’s face. Declan Grant stepped forward to argue, "Collect your debt if you must, but what’s the meaning of smashing things?"

The men were local thugs and gangsters who paid Declan Grant no mind. One of them shoved Declan aside and reached for Nina, but she turned and dodged him.

The man’s lecherous gaze followed Nina relentlessly. "Mr. Sinclair also has a message for Miss Walsh. If Miss Walsh goes to the hospital and gets on her knees to apologize to Ms. Jacobs, this debt will be wiped clean."

"You’ve gone too far!" Michelle Quinn shouted angrily, raising her fist to throw a punch before someone pulled her back.

Nina straightened her back, her words firm and clear. "Go back and tell Aiden Sinclair he can take my life, but if he wants me to kneel and apologize, he can forget it!"

Suddenly, a police siren wailed in the distance. The thugs heard it and tossed out a final threat before leaving.

"We’ll give you one day. If you don’t have the money by noon tomorrow, we’ll bulldoze this place to the ground!"

The debt-collecting thugs had just left, and before anyone could even breathe a sigh of relief, Leo Lloyd tried to calm the workers and send them home. But they all panicked, clamoring to be paid their wages so they could leave.

Nina had only said a few words of persuasion when the workers, in their desperation, began to shove, nearly knocking her to the ground.

The little money he had left wasn’t nearly enough. In the end, it was Declan Grant who took out five hundred thousand to handle the emergency.

"Lemon, why don’t you go out of town for a while and lay low?" Michelle Quinn advised.

Leo Lloyd agreed. "Yes, Young Miss, you should go hide for a while. Leave things here to me. Worst case, we’ll go to court. The company can go bankrupt, but nothing can happen to you, Young Miss."

Nina couldn’t bear to leave Maelie. It was the last root of the Walsh family, and she couldn’t let it be dragged down because of her.

"There’s still one day. I can definitely get the money. I’ll go find Brian Sherman."

Without another word, Nina hailed a cab and left the factory.

Declan Grant immediately drove back to the Grant Family estate as well.

Three million. At any other time, it wouldn’t have been a problem for him. But right now, all his personal funds were tied up in establishing his research lab, and it was too late to liquidate them. After thinking it over, he realized going home to get the money would be faster.

...

Nina arrived at the Sheridan Family home to find all three of them there.

Nina got straight to the point. "I did what you asked. Give me the five million."

Wendy Sherman burst out laughing. "What five million? Who promised you five million?"

Her expression then immediately turned vicious. "You still dare to come here asking for money? Believe it or not, I’ll have someone kill that bastard in your belly!"

Nina’s hands were trembling with anger. She looked at Brian Sherman. "Are you sure you won’t give it to me? If you don’t, then I’ll go to Julian Sinclair for it!"

The color drained from Brian Sherman’s face. "What did you say?"

Nina said, "Don’t think I don’t know. You and Julian Sinclair conspired, using bribery to get the Breyven project."

Nina had found this information in the documents from Brian Sherman’s safe.

Brian Sherman could no longer sit still and shot up from his chair. "Don’t talk nonsense."

He denied it with his words, but the panic on his face was a clear admission.

"I have proof of your bribery. If I take this to Julian Sinclair, how many five-millions do you think he’ll give me?" Nina said calmly.

Brian Sherman hadn’t yet realized his safe had been opened. His first thought was that Nina had gotten the evidence from Aiden Sinclair. This terrified him even more.

Brian Sherman looked at Nina with even greater disgust. ’This little spawn, always siding with outsiders.’

’Getting money from me won’t be that easy.’

Brian Sherman quickly came up with a countermeasure. "Hand over the evidence. Otherwise, I’ll release the video of your mother cheating back then. I’ll make sure she can’t even rest in peace in her coffin."

Brian Sherman’s shamelessness and depravity once again reached a new low in Nina’s eyes.

Nina pointed at Wendy Sherman and said to Brian Sherman, "When it comes to cheating, who’s better at it than you, Brian Sherman? Wendy is only two months younger than me! You were already sleeping with another woman right after you married my mother. What right do you have to talk about my mom!"

Brian Sherman was so furious he was practically hopping mad. He raised his hand and, quick as lightning, slapped Nina across the face.

"Why do you think your mother was willing to leave with nothing? That bitch wasn’t just cheating with one man. I caught her in the act myself!"