She stirred, perhaps understanding, but didn’t move, mumbling incoherently.
“Why didn’t you tell me the Morrison family were bullying you?” he asked coldly. Even though he knew she was barely processing anything, likely unable to fully hear him, he pressed.
She murmured another soft “Mm.”
“If you don’t want to be hurt, don’t pretend you can handle everything alone. Isn’t it that simple-to let someone help you?”
He thought of how she was an orphan, how she had always relied only on herself. That independence, that relentless self-reliance, made her different. No one else could ever be completely selfless, could ever give so much and ask for nothing.
On the journey back, Khloe finally drifted into sleep.
Nick brought her back to his estate, having the staff prepare a room in advance.
Two maids assisted her with washing and changing, ensuring she was comfortable. Only when she was safely asleep did he retreat to his study and wait for Lenny.
“Everything handled?”
“Yes, sir.” Lenny said.
Nick nodded, letting his thoughts linger a moment. “How much funding did Khloe secure?”
“About 15 million,” Lenny replied.
“I’ll have one of my investment subsidiaries join this project,” Nick said. “Increase the funding twofold-it’ll be easier to manage if there’s more capital. Just say her proposal looks solid, promising, and that we’re choosing to invest proactively.”
“Understood,” Lenny replied.
Nick’s approach to work had always been pragmatic. Yet today, Lenny realized he’d witnessed something rare: a man acting on instinct for someone he cared about. And this was unprecedented-Nick, meticulous as he was about risk, never invested blindly without fully auditing a project.
“Right,” Nick said after a moment, calling Lenny again. He stared at his fingers as if lost in thought before finally speaking. “Check Khloe’s relationship history.”
He had learned that she’d only had one college romance, and at the time, he had little interest in the details.
“Yes,” Lenny responded, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. He remembered clearly: Nick had said that for a marriage arrangement, only the most basic personal information mattered. Everything else was irrelevant.
The next morning.
Khloe woke early, as her body clock dictated, even with a lingering hangover. Last night’s events were hazy-she remembered signing contracts, then somehow encountering Nick. After that, memory faded.
The maid filled her in: Nick had brought her back safely, leaving her at the guest room.
Relief spread through Khloe. She quickly called Charlotte, who had been worried all night.
Hearing Khloe was safe, Charlotte finally relaxed.
With the contracts signed and secured, a weight lifted from Khloe’s chest.
“Alright, then. We’ll see each other at the office later,” Charlotte said.
After hanging up, Khloe intended to just greet Nick briefly and leave. But the maid guided her to the dining room instead.
There, Nick was already waiting. He was dressed in a dark gray suit, his posture straight, an aura of authority surrounding him.
“Good morning, Mr. Hunt,” Khloe greeted.
He looked at her with steady, unreadable eyes and nodded once. “Morning.”
Images from the previous night flashed through her mind-how tightly she’d clung to him. Her ears warmed as she struggled to speak, words of thanks caught and tangled with embarrassment.
“You drank too much last night. I brought you back here. Did you sleep well?” His voice was calm, offering a quiet lifeline.
Khloe nodded vigorously. After a pause, she murmured, “Very well… your bedding is… comfortable, Mr. Hunt…”
She barely knew what she was saying. Luckily, the maid gestured toward the buffet. The breakfast spread ran along an elegant corridor-each dish laid out as if in a palace, exquisite and abundant.
“Miss Roswell, breakfast is ready. I can bring you anything you like.”
“No, I’ll get it myself,” she replied, moving toward the buffet.
Though her appetite was small in the morning, the variety was too alluring to resist. The desserts alone numbered in the dozens, each looking almost too perfect to eat.
Nick watched for a moment as she piled her plate with sweets.
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.