The Contract With Her Father's Billionaire Rival-Chapter 96. The Offer.

Nicolette took a walk inside her new building, watching as the men got to work. She had expected the designers to be around as well, but they were not.

She went upstairs and watched as some men were peeling off the ceiling panels and measuring them. When she realized she was in their way, she quietly stepped aside and left.

Just as she got outside, a young man bumped into her.

"Oh, I’m so sorry, ma’am," he said, stepping back quickly.

She immediately recognized him. "Tom?"

"Yes, ma’am," he nodded. "It’s me."

"Nice to meet you," she said, extending her hand.

"Nice to meet you too, ma’am." Tom shook her hand, then he glanced down. "Do you need help with that?"

Nicolette followed his gaze and she froze. Lucian’s gift was still lying near the entrance. The delivery woman had actually left it there.

Anger surged through her as she forced herself not to think about him.

"No, I don’t," she replied with a tight smile. "It’s trash."

Tom gave the items a quick glance before nodding. "So about our discussion, where can we stay?"

Shoot. She hadn’t thought about that.

She racked her brain, trying to come up with someplace decent, but nothing came to mind.

Tom noticed her hesitation and made an offer. "I know someplace nice."

"Oh, alright," she said, gratitude warming her tone. "Let’s go there, then."

She led him to the car, and he slid in after her. He leaned forward and gave Wex the address. Wex started the engine, and shortly after, they arrived at the destination.

It was a calm breakfast restaurant that looked like it barely saw a rush hour. The interior was cozy and classic, and it immediately helped Nicolette relax.

They picked a table by the window, while Wex and the other guard sat three tables away.

They placed their orders: she got a fruit smoothie, and Tom asked for water.

When the waitress left, Tom leaned forward. "Okay, ma’am, how can I help you?"

Nicolette faced him. Her hands trembled slightly, so she placed them on the table to steady them. "I want to release some evidence to the public. My father stole my late mother’s sketches and gave them to R.J. to paint."

Tom’s eyebrows lifted. "Oh. That’s serious."

"Yes," she said firmly. "I want the world to know what kind of thief he really is. Can you help me with that?"

She watched as Tom tilted his head thoughtfully. She leaned back, thinking as well. She couldn’t wait to see Ronald’s face when the truth came out.

How would he react?

Would he deny the allegations or face them?

Now she was genuinely curious.

The waitress returned with their orders, placed them on the table, and left. Nicolette reached for her drink and pulled it closer.

"I think we should compile all the evidence and release them with a public statement," Tom said, sounding confident. "Except, we may need to involve the police first to confirm the evidence. You know how people can be, ma’am."

She shook her head, and annoyance surged within her. The last thing she wanted was to involve the police again—they couldn’t do anything about Rachel, despite all the evidence.

"I don’t want the police involved," she said. "They don’t seem to understand how serious this is. Besides, it’s just a family rift."

Tom nodded. "True. Then we’ll just release the statement. When the news picks it up, we’ll give them the evidence. Cool?"

The idea wasn’t much different from what she had in mind, but she didn’t let it show. No need to embarrass the young man.

"How soon should we begin, ma’am?" he asked, taking a sip of his water.

"As soon as possible. I want everything planned out before it’s released," she replied, taking a spoonful of her smoothie.

"Alright, ma’am. The team and I will work on something and get back to you."

She nodded as she continued with her smoothie. It was creamy and slid smoothly into her mouth—she enjoyed it.

Tom stood up, taking his water with him. "Thank you so much for your time, ma’am. I’ll get back to you later in the day."

"Alright. Thank you, Tom."

"Bye, ma’am," he said and walked out.

Nicolette stayed back, savoring the smoothie and trying her hardest not to think of anything, except the plan she had for the next phase.

When she was done, she paid the bill and left the restaurant.

As she slid into the car, Wex asked, "Where to, ma’am?"

"Home," she answered immediately.

The day had already been full, and heading back to the new building wasn’t going to speed up the work. Besides, she needed to relax and make a solid plan for what came next.

As the car pulled away, her phone buzzed with a message.

Assuming it was Tom, since she hadn’t saved his number yet, she opened it.

"I have made you a sweet offer you can not reject this time, my love. Let me know what you think of it. I await your response.

From your beloved, Lucian."

She clenched her fists as she blocked the number. It was the third of his lines she had blocked, and every time she did, he popped up with a new one.

Fury flared inside her at his audacity. This was getting out of hand. This was no longer an obsession.

It was madness. And it was starting to frighten her.

Her thoughts returned to the message, and beneath the anger, fear began to creep in.

What did he mean by an offer she couldn’t reject?

What had he done this time?

Before she could fully process the message, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and picked it up when she saw it was Hillary calling.

"Hey, Hills."

"Lettie! Thank you so much!" Hillary exclaimed, her voice high with excitement.

Confused raced inside Nicolette and she asked, "What? What happened?"

"You donated to my business! I just received a 500 hundred dollars credit! Thank you so much!" Hillary’s voice was practically bubbling.

Nicolette blinked, sinking into the seat. She hadn’t sent anything.

Then it clicked.

Lucian.

Was that his offer?

Her heart tightened.