Chapter 26
The voice belonged to Nicolas.
The crowd immediately parted to make way for him. His security team moved swiftly, diving into the pool without hesitation to pull out an exhausted Rachel.
She was soaking wet, pale as paper, barely breathing-clearly having exhausted all her strength.
Nicolas stood at the pool’s edge, his expression cold and detached. One of his bodyguards wrapped a fresh
blanket around Rachel’s trembling form.
“Mr. Rothschild…” Arthur stepped forward nervously. “This is just family business. My sister was out of line,
so I had to discipline her.”
“Family business?” Nicolas’s voice was ice-cold. “Beating the shit out of a woman fresh out of prison-real classy, counselor. Especially since you should know the penalties for assault better than anyone.”
Nicolas crossed his arms, studying the shivering woman on the ground. “Your family certainly knows how to make headlines. First you send your real daughter to prison for three years, then try to sell her off to scum
like Quincy Rock.”
Everyone knew about the recent Quincy scandal that had rocked Manhattan.
“Now you’re publicly abusing your biological sister while treating an adopted daughter like precious cargo.
It’s like watching a nature documentary about hyenas.”
Arthur was sweating bullets. “Mr. Rothschild, this is all a misunderstanding…”
“Misunderstanding?” Nicolas let out a cold laugh. “The Leroix family values reputation above all, yet you let a woman take the fall to save face. That’s some next-level dysfunction.”
He casually unfastened his cufflinks. “I was considering an eighty billion partnership with Leroix Industries, but… companies with questionable family values make unreliable partners.”
“Mr. Rothschild! Business is business-we can still negotiate!”
Sophie suddenly found her courage. “Mr. Rothschild, I know what you really want. If someone has to sacrifice their happiness for a marriage alliance, then I’ll do it!”
Jaxon stared at her in shock. “Sophie, what the hell are you talking about?”
But Sophie ignored him, staring at Nicolas with determination. “Don’t punish Arthur for this. I’ll give Rachel back her necklace-this whole thing is my fault!”
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Chapter 26
She started pulling at the expensive jewelry around her neck, but Arthur stopped her.
Meanwhile, Rachel slowly struggled to her feet, declining help from the bodyguard. Her legs shook as Nicolas watched, something flickering in his eyes.
“You having some kind of breakdown?” Nicolas’s voice cut through Sophie’s dramatics. “When the fuck did I say I wanted to marry you?”
Sophie’s face flushed red. “But you told Arthur you wanted a marriage alliance with the Leroix family!”
“The old man won’t shut up about me getting married. I remembered there was an existing engagement between our families and figured I’d honor it. But here’s the thing-are you actually the Leroix heiress?”
The question hit Sophie like a slap, publicly exposing her as an imposter after years of carefully building her
identity.
“Look, counselor, whether we’re talking marriage or business partnerships, I think we need to have a serious conversation about everything.”
Nicolas glanced at Rachel, who hadn’t spoken a word throughout the ordeal. A gust of wind made her cough
up water.
He almost reached out to adjust her blanket but stopped himself-too many people watching.
“Can you walk?”
She nodded weakly, water still clinging to her lashes. As she took a step, she stumbled, and the bodyguard
quickly steadied her.
“Rachel!” Arthur called out desperately as she left with the security team. Something told him if she walked away now, she’d never come back.
But Rachel didn’t respond.
Nicolas picked up a pearl earring that had fallen during the struggle, his fingertips stained with blood from
the pool water.
“Your sister didn’t shed a single tear when she broke two ribs taking the fall three years ago.” He flicked the earring right at Arthur’s forehead. “You know how heavy a soaking wet prison blanket gets in winter?”
Police sirens wailed in the distance. Nicolas straightened his suit jacket as he turned to leave.
“Oh, forgot to mention-I called the cops for Rachel. We law-abiding citizens don’t like watching scumbags get away with assault.”
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