The Contract With Her Father's Billionaire Rival-Chapter 72. Nicolette’s Food World.
"You must be joking," Nicolette scoffed.
Yet confusion coursed through her.
How was it possible that Lucian’s event was just next door to this hotel?
She shook her head, refusing to believe it was just a mere coincidence.
"Why are you acting like you didn’t want to come?" Lucian asked, his tone laced with amusement.
Anger surged inside her. "Because I am not coming. I came here to see..." she trailed off.
There was no way she was telling him that Suzie was here.
This man was insane.
"I came here for an entirely different business," she said instead, trying to move past him, but Lucian blocked her path.
Fear gripped her chest, but she didn’t show it. "Get out of my way," she said firmly.
"Oh, Lettie. You’re so fierce," Lucian said, his voice dropping dangerously low.
She instinctively stepped back.
Trainer stepped forward, his voice hard and challenging. "Out of the way."
Lucian ignored him, keeping his eyes fixed on Nicolette. "I like games, but even this is tiring, my love."
Nicolette cringed at his tone, standing behind Trainer. "Nobody is playing anything with you. Go away."
"Come on," Lucian coaxed, his voice persuasive. "You’re already here. How about we take the fun up a notch?"
"Go to hell!" she snapped.
Lucian’s eyes darkened as he took a step toward them. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way," he said.
Trainer almost lunged at him—but the sharp click of guns stopped him cold. Before Nicolette could react, four men in black were pointing guns at her and Trainer.
Her heart dropped.
What sort of sick man was this?
"Easy way or hard way," Lucian chuckled. "Your choice, love."
Nicolette leaned closer to Trainer’s ear. "You got a gun?"
"Yes," Trainer whispered back. "But it’s four against me."
And Wex was upstairs with Suzie.
Still, she couldn’t just give in to this sick man’s threats.
"I will call the police!" she snapped. "They will have you arrested."
Lucian laughed deeply, clutching his stomach and tapping his legs. It was the first time she was seeing him like this.
"Oh Lettie," he drawled. "You’re so funny. What do you think the policemen would do to me? All the top men are on my payroll."
Nicolette’s stomach dropped. It wasn’t because of his statement. It was the way he said it.
The smirk on his face.
The arrogance.
The certainty.
Lucian’s smile faded as he straightened up. "What would it be? Blood? I will finish your bodyguard, and you’ll still end up following me."
She flinched but didn’t want to believe he would truly do it.
Lucian wasn’t that mad.
He wouldn’t do something as crazy as that? Or will he?
"You don’t want that," he added coldly, "not with your friend and her son upstairs."
That did it.
Nicolette gasped, and even Trainer stiffened.
How the hell did he know that?
Lucian’s mouth curved into a smirk. "Come on, love. You’re smart. You should know that I knew everything. How do you think I knew you were here?"
Her stomach twisted into knots.
Was Lucian spying on her?
Or did he have an informant inside the house?
Before she could even think further, Lucian asked again, this time, the guns were aimed directly at Trainer’s chest.
"So, what is your answer?"
She swallowed. This was a no-brainer.
She couldn’t let Trainer be killed because of something avoidable.
"Fine," she said quietly, stepping away from Trainer’s protection. "But he’s coming with me."
Lucian’s eyes widened with admiration.
"Good."
Nicolette tucked her bag under her arm and, with Trainer beside her, followed Lucian.
Two bodyguards walked ahead of them, and two stayed behind.
There was no escaping—not without bloodshed.
They exited the hotel and walked down the road.
Lucian was right—the party was happening right next door.
A horde of reporters surrounded the entrance, flashing cameras and shouting questions.
Nicolette froze.
No.
There was no way she could be seen in public with Lucian.
She paused, refusing to move.
Lucian turned to her, raising an eyebrow.
"What?"
"I can’t go in there with all the reporters," she said firmly.
"Come on, it’s just for five minutes," Lucian coaxed. "Once it’s done, you’ll be free to go. I don’t want to keep your husband waiting." His eyes glinted with mischief.
Nicolette shook her head.
That was exactly why she couldn’t be seen with him.
Alaric would hate it.
"No, I can’t," she said again.
Lucian’s eyes narrowed slightly before he sighed. "Fine. We’ll go through the back."
Still, she hesitated.
"Why?" she demanded. "Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Don’t play dumb," she snapped. "You want me to come to your party for five minutes after you threatened to do terrible things? Why?"
Lucian chuckled. "I just want you to see the place. I named it after you. I want the world to see that you appreciate it."
Disbelief flooded her. "You did what?"
Lucian gestured toward the building.
"Nicolette’s Food World—that’s the name."
Her stomach churned. "You are sick!"
"You call it sickness, I call it love," Lucian said simply. "Come now, let’s go."
Nicolette felt the gun press against her back again, forcing her forward.
She followed Lucian through the back entrance. There were no reporters there, but she was sure people definitely saw her.
Her cheeks burned with humiliation as they entered.
The back of the building looked unfinished, and she wondered why they were even launching it at all.
A thought struck her.
"What if I didn’t come out?" she asked.
"I would have brought you out," Lucian said immediately, coldly.
Nicolette swallowed and stayed quiet.
Inside, the room buzzed with activity. People stood in groups, chatting, drinking, laughing.
She glanced around, searching for a familiar face—she found none.
Lucian leaned in close to her. "You didn’t tell me if you liked the flowers."
Her jaw clenched. "I don’t."
He chuckled. "Don’t worry I will get other ones."
She spun towards him, anger flaring inside her. "I said I didn’t—"
She couldn’t even finish as Lucian wrapped his hand around her waist and out of nowhere, a reporter took their picture.
Her stomach lurched at the flash, her vision momentarily blurred. She stiffened, struggling to understand what had just happened. She gathered herself, forcing her nerves to remain calm.
She turned to lash out at Lucian, but he beat her to it.
"Five minutes, and you’ll be free. Don’t do anything stupid. My guards are watching you," he warned before moving off to mingle with his guests.
Nicolette groaned under her breath, furious at the situation.
How dare Lucian!
She reached for her bag, about to take her phone when she felt the cold press of a gun at her back again.
"Hands out. No funny business." The voice was harsh.
She sighed, stealing a glance at Trainer who looked just as helpless.
She clenched her fist, her heart pounding with fear, as a lady approached her.
"Nicolette?"
Nicolette narrowed her eyes before recognition hit. "Rachel," she said flatly.
Rachel was a colleague in the art world—a colleague and a rival.
Their mothers had been enemies, and somehow, she and Rachel had inherited the feud.
Except Nicolette didn’t care anymore.
But what was Rachel doing here?
"Been a while," Rachel said softly. "How have you been?"
Nicolette ignored the question. "I heard you work for my dad now. What changed?"
Rachel’s cheeks flushed red. "Nothing. I just—"
"Honestly, I really don’t care," Nicolette cut her off sharply.
A friend of her father was an enemy to her.
"Enjoy the party," she said dismissively.
But Rachel didn’t move away immediately. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
Instead, she stepped closer. "Nicolette, I have—"
"I don’t want to hear it. Go away!" she snapped.
Rachel flinched and scurried off.
Nicolette hissed, anger bubbling inside her. The last thing she needed was a conversation with someone she detested.
Her gaze drifted lazily around the room.
And then she saw him.
He was dressed in a black suit, but that hair—that full black hair—was unmistakable.
Nicolette stiffened.
Their eyes locked, and his widened in fear before he disappeared into the crowd.
Her heart hammered.
Why was he here?
Why was the man responsible for the gallery fire here?
