Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Clara couldn’t help but smirk when she saw Willard’s hesitation. “Really, Willard, happy playing second fiddle to Mr. Colon?”
Willard’s brows knitted in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Clara kept it straight. “Look, the project I’m proposing hasn’t even caught your eye yet. It’s a small investment with massive potential, Why share the bounty with Mr. Colon when you could have it all? Isn’t it obvious who’d come out on top?”
“You’re stirring the pot.” Willard narrowed his eyes, suspicious. “What’s your game?”
Clara shrugged, unfazed. “No game. I’ve already rubbed Mr. Colon the wrong way. Without his signature, my deal is dead in the water. But if you’re in for the whole ride, my goal is still within reach.”
“And what’s in it for me?” Willard pulled Clara closer, a teasing lilt in his voice. “The promise of future gains doesn’t quite thrill me as much as the pleasure of your company right now, especially when you’re this enticing
“Look at the bigger picture, Mr. Hersey,” Clara pushed him away, her tone icy. “Give it some thought.”
Willard pondered, his gaze intensifying. ‘Walter’s reach is far and wide, a tough act to follow, A project like this, maybe it’s time I took the lead.”
“All right, sweetheart, I’m in. Lost the appetite for anything else tonight,” he conceded
Yet, he couldn’t resist tightening his grip on her chin, adding, “But next time, consider yourself warned.
Clara breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Close call. Any closer and I would’ve been in real trouble tonight.”
When they returned to the VIP room, Walter hadn’t left. Richard was diligently tending to him-
Richard, noticing Clara’s lighter attire and flushed cheeks, jumped to conclusions.
Eagerly rising to greet them, Richard beamed at Willard. “Mr. Hersey, shall we finalize the contract?”
Pen in hand, Willard declared. “I’m all in. Full investment. Pleasure doing business, Mr. Hunt.”
As Richard’s grin widened, the tension in the room spiked.
Walter’s gaze was stormy, his stare cold as he fixated on Clara.
Walter then stood, his towering figure casting a shadow over Clara, prompting her to instinctively step back.
“You’re so cheap.” he sneered before storming out.
Numb to the humiliation, Clara thought bitterly, ‘Cheap or not, what does it matter to him? The deal’s done, I get my share, and that’s the last we see of
each other!
With Walter gone, Clara laid out the project in detail.
Willard, now serious, was thoroughly impressed after reviewing the proposal.
After some further discussion on the details with Richard, Clara excused herself.
Leaving the room, she headed straight for the restroom, obsessively washing her hands to rid herself of Willard’s touch. The clothes she had changed into there, not in some lounge, were already dumped in the trash, and she planned to discard her now more revealing outfit as soon as she got home.
13:20 Wed, 29 May
Chapters
Suddenly, the restroom door burst open.
Stunned, Clara found herself face to face with Walter.
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Instinctively, she was to check her surroundings, confirming it was the women’s restroom. “Mr. Colon, this is the ladies‘ room. You seem to be lost,” she stated, attempting to keep her voice even.
With a click, Walter locked the door behind him.
Clara’s heart raced, shouting, “What the hell are you doing?”