The Contract With Her Father's Billionaire Rival-Chapter 80. Opportunity To Start Afresh.

Commotion ensued outside.

Everybody had something to say, and in a loud, aggressive voice.

Gordon tried to calm the noise, and he succeeded until the police arrived.

Nicolette rushed to the car before any of her neighbors did.

"Hey, Detective," she said as Detective Hector stepped out of the car with two uniformed officers.

"Miss Vo—Mrs. Allens," Detective Hector said with a sheepish smile. "How are you doing, ma’am?"

"Very well, thank you," Nicolette replied.

"Where is the lady who saw someone?"

Nicolette pointed to Sally, who was surrounded by a crowd. Gordon stepped in between her and the others, trying to control them.

"The police are here! The police are here!" he shouted.

Sally stood behind him, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Nicolette followed the officers as they approached the group.

"Easy now," one of them said, raising his hand. "Let’s all calm down, please." His tone was calm but firm, cutting through the noise with a sharp command.

Everyone immediately calmed down and stopped talking. Detective Hector walked over to Sally and Nicolette.

"Is that her?" he asked, pointing to Sally.

Nicolette nodded.

"Hello, Miss. I’m Detective Hector. We would love for you to join us at the station for questioning."

Sally looked at Gordon, as if seeking help, before turning to the detective. Her eyes widened. "Do I... have to go?"

Nicolette stepped forward. "You’re not in trouble, Sally," she said gently. "The police just need your help."

"Yes," Detective Hector confirmed. "We need you to give us a description of the person you saw so we can continue the investigation. We’ll really appreciate your help, Sally."

Sally bit her lip, then nodded quickly. "Okay."

"Thank you so much, Sally," Nicolette said with a smile, rubbing her shoulder.

"Well done, Sally," Gordon added.

Sally nodded and smiled more confidently. "Let’s go."

Detective Hector gestured to the car, and one of the officers helped Sally inside. He then turned to Nicolette. "I will let you know how it goes ma’am."

"Do I have to come along?" Nicolette asked, rubbing her fingers.

"No need, ma’am. I’ll keep you updated," he replied, then waved at everyone. "Sally will be back soon."

Nicolette wrapped her arms around herself as she watched the car drive off. A chill ran down her spine, despite the warmth of the morning sun.

She knew she was supposed to be relieved that the case was moving forward, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Who was this other woman?

Was she working with the man with the full head of hair, or was she acting alone?

Was she even real, or had Sally imagined her?

Doubt crept inside her, twisting every certainty into suspicion.

Her stomach knotted at the thought, and she clenched her fists to steady herself. Then she remembered she hadn’t told Detective Hector about the man at Lucian’s party.

Her fear heightened as she recalled his own fear before he ran.

She pulled out her phone and called Detective Hector again.

"Hey, Detective. Sorry to call again, I forgot to mention something."

"Oh, no problem at all, Mrs. Allens," he said. "What is it?"

"I saw the suspect at Lucian’s party yesterday."

"Oh my!" Detective Hector exclaimed.

"The moment our eyes met, he ran. It was like he knew I was on to him," she said, placing a hand on her stomach as she turned away from the noise still buzzing in front of her gallery. "But he ran before I could reach him."

"And you are sure he was the one?" Detective Hector asked.

"Absolutely," she said firmly. "My only problem is that I don’t know if he was working for my father or Lucian Crawford."

"Lucian Crawford?" Detective Hector’s voice rose. "What does he have to do with this?"

She sighed and briefly explained Lucian’s role. "He is a very shady man, and I don’t trust him."

She remembered how Lucian had bragged about policemen on his payroll and a shudder ran through her.

Fucking Lucian.

"He’s powerful too," Detective Hector said, his voice filled with dread. "Which is why I need to build up my case properly. I can’t go around accusing people without proof."

"I understand, Detective."

"But I’ll look into it. Thank you for sharing."

"No problem. I’ll be expecting an update."

"Alright, ma’am," he said, ending the call.

Nicolette sighed and slipped her phone back into her bag. She turned toward her neighbors, who were still arguing about nothing in particular.

Just as she was about to approach them, her phone buzzed. She took it and saw that Alaric had texted her:

"Why are you running late? The designers are waiting for you. Are you good?"

Her heart flipped at the last line. She wanted to be angry at him, for how cold he had been, but right now, checking up on her was comforting. And it made her anger melt.

He cared. Alaric actually cared.

Tony, the pharmacist, walked up to her with a smile. "Congratulations on your wedding. I heard the news."

Others gathered around her, and in no time, she was bombarded with questions.

With her thoughts still mixed in questions and doubts, she reminded herself she had a meeting to attend, one that has provided her the opportunity to start afresh.

"Guys, guys," she said, raising her hands. When the noise died down, she continued, "Thank you for the well wishes, I really appreciate it. But I have got to go."

They all groaned in protest, expressing their displeasure.

"I’ll definitely be coming soon, I promise," she said, walking toward the car.

"I’m just glad you didn’t end up with that fucker Robert," Mrs. Belle called out.

"Me too," someone else added.

Laughter broke out around her, and she joined them.

"See you guys later. Bye!" Nicolette waved and slid into the car.

The bodyguard started the engine, and soon they arrived at Willie’s street. Nicolette got out of the car and entered the building.

Inside, four men and a woman were waiting, their foreheads creased with impatience. They had arranged their tools on a big table in the center of the empty room.

Nicolette saw different samples of paintings, lined up roughly behind them.

"Hey, guys," she greeted.

Their expressions softened immediately as they turned to face her.

She glanced at her wristwatch. 11:02 a.m.

"Sorry I’m late. Can we begin?"

And with that, the meeting started. They walked around the plain building, discussing plans and design ideas. Their voices layered with pride and excitement with every discussion. After reviewing over twenty different concepts, Nicolette finally settled on one.

It was chic, modern, and screamed luxury.

As they explained the process, flooring, textures, lighting, and overall view, she nodded along like she understood every detail.

The meeting lasted over an hour before they were finally done.

"Thank you so much for your time and advice," Nicolette said, shaking each of their hands. "So work begins tomorrow?"

"Yes," they chorused.

More pleasantries were exchanged before everyone departed.

Famished, Nicolette slid into the car seat and sank back with a sigh. "Please take me to a very wonderful restaurant. I’m starving," she told the guard.

"Alright, ma’am," he replied and drove off.

As they made their way, she remembered she had promised to see Hillary. She decided to invite her over once she had a restaurant location.

When the guard finally found a spot, Nicolette texted Hillary the address. She stepped in, picked the most secluded table, and placed her order.

Just as a glass of champagne was set before her, Hillary walked into the restaurant.

Nicolette spotted her and waved to direct her to the table.

"Hey, Hills," Nicolette greeted, as Hillary got to the table.

But Hillary didn’t respond. Instead, she pulled a file out of her bag and slammed it on the table.

Nicolette raised her brow, her curiosity rising. "What’s that?"

Hillary’s eyes sparkled with mischief. "They are your mother’s sketches. I stole them."

"Oh, Hills!" Nicolette’s voice rose between a laugh and a gasp.

But she wasn’t sure if it was gratitude she felt—or fear.