Then, just as they reached the exit, her van came to a sudden stop.
A car had pulled in front of them, blocking the way.
The driver honked twice, and the bodyguard beside Khloe sat up straight, instantly alert.
A man stepped out of the blocking car.
Khloe, who had been half-asleep, snapped fully awake when she saw who it was.
Trey.
What was he doing here?
Knock, knock.
Trey rapped lightly on the car window beside her. He bent slightly, his voice polite and restrained.
“Miss Morrison, I’m sorry to disturb you. May I borrow just one minute of your time?”
Before Khloe could respond, one of the bodyguards got out, his expression darkening.
“Who are you? What do you think you’re doing? Who told you you could stop this car?”
The man was tall and intimidating, his presence sharp. But Trey stayed calm, his tone steady, his face unreadable.
“I’ve long admired the Morrison Group,” he said evenly. “I’ve been hoping to discuss a potential collaboration. I happened to hear that Miss Morrison was here, so I took the liberty of introducing myself. I was hoping she might grant me a few minutes of her time.”
“There are plenty of people hoping for that,” the bodyguard shot back impatiently. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
Khloe sat silently inside, watching Trey through the tinted glass.
Of course his expression looked strained. Still, he didn’t seem surprised.
Even as the bodyguard barked at him, Trey smiled faintly. He held out a business card with both hands and glanced once more at the shaded window where she sat.
“Miss Morrison,” he said, “my company may not rank high in Goldmont City, but our capabilities are on par with any major firm. If you’re willing to give us a chance, it could be mutually beneficial.”
The bodyguard didn’t answer. He took the card, then immediately tossed it to the ground.
The driver turned to Khloe. “Miss Morrison, do you want me to tell him to leave?”
Khloe said, “No. He’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants.”
“What?” The driver looked puzzled, not understanding who she meant.
Sure enough, Trey didn’t react when his card hit the pavement. Instead, he called to his assistant for another one, which he held out again.
“Miss Morrison, please-just take my card. Otherwise, I’ll have wasted your time for nothing.”
He spoke toward her window, but his hands remained extended toward the bodyguard. There was a trace of a smile on his lips, but none in his eyes-only the quiet, gathering weight of something darker.
For a moment, even the bodyguard was at a loss for words. He took the card again, ready to throw it away.
“Keep it.”
A soft voice came from inside the car.
Trey froze.
That voice-
“Khloe?” he muttered, his chest tightening.
But almost immediately, Trey began to doubt himself. The voice had sounded like Khloe’s, but this woman’s tone was clearer, colder.
It must have been his mind playing tricks-too many days spent wondering why Khloe hadn’t replied to his messages.
It was only two words anyway. He must have misheard.
While he stood there in a daze, the bodyguard pocketed his card and returned to the van. The vehicle didn’t pause or look back. The driver turned the wheel, and in an instant, it was gone.
Trey stared after it, unmoving, long after the taillights disappeared.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.