Chapter 23
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Inside the car, silence hung heavy between them.
Caitlin sat in the passenger seat, nervously picking at her nails, anxiety churning in her chest.
They’d just signed the contract yesterday, and today she’d let Javier take that slap from her ex–husband. It was like meeting an untimely end before the battle even began–how could she ever show her face in Chicago again?
Her mind raced for ways to fix this.
Suddenly, she called out, “Mr. Harrison, pull over! I’ll be right back!”
She jumped out and sprinted into a pharmacy.
Less than five minutes later, she slid back into the car clutching a bag of medical supplies.
Gazing sincerely at Javier: “Mr. Harrison, let me tend to your wound.”
She pulled a bottle of iodine from her bag.
Dipping a cotton swab, she leaned toward the man in the driver’s seat, gently dabbing the corner of his mouth.
Her voice softened with each stroke: “I’m really sorry you got unfairly dragged into this. Please ignore Hayden’s words–he’s just lashing out at anyone he sees after our divorce, imagining rivals everywhere. I apologize for him.”
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Their bodies now inches apart,
Javier’s eyes fixed on her red lips. His pulse raced wildly, his Adam’s apple bobbing involuntarily.
“Would you get back together with him?”
Caitlin’s gaze snapped up, freezing mid–motion.
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Their eyes locked in an electric instant. An inexplicable heat thickened the air until she hastily looked away.
Blushing, she replied: “Of course not.”
Then pretended to tidy things up to hide her nervousness.
Hearing this, Javier smiled, adjusted his posture, and gripped the steering wheel: “Since you won’t, there’s no need to apologize for him.”
Caitlin didn’t quite understand.
What did apologizing have to do with her remarrying?
Just then, he added: “Besides, he wasn’t speaking nonsense anyway.”
The car started moving again toward the company.
Throughout the ride, Caitlin pondered his words. Why would he say Xander hadn’t spoken nonsense?
If Xander was telling the truth, did that mean Javier actually had his eye
on her?!
She immediately stopped that train of thought.
That was utterly impossible. Who was he? The heir to Southern City’s Elite Family. And her? At best, a hardworking but divorced independent
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woman.
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Soon, the two arrived at the Schmidt Group.
Caitlin gave him a brief tour; this time she aimed to expand the company. Marvin’s products and technology were competitive but lacked innovation.
That’s why Caitlin conceived the reform plan.
Though the funds from selling shares could sustain operations, bringing in capital was essential for rapid growth–and the Harrison Group was the
ideal choice.
After grasping the overview, Javier joined their internal meeting but left early to handle an urgent matter back at the Harrison Group.
Caitlin then held several consecutive meetings.
After speaking for hours, she returned to her office with a parched throat to rest briefly.
She’d barely sat down when her assistant walked in.
With a gossipy expression, she asked, “Ms. Schmidt, there’s a Mr. Jackson downstairs asking to see you.”
“No!!”
Caitlin’s face darkened as she snapped coldly, “Whenever he shows up again, have security kick him out.”
Over the next few days, Xander came daily.
But each time he reached the lobby, guards stopped him, even putting him
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on the security office’s blacklist.
Eventually, he got barred from her residential complex too.
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Facing walls everywhere, Xander stopped coming. Caitlin assumed he’d backed down.
Yet after working late one night, she spotted him again in the parking garage—just before he drugged her.
She was kidnapped by Xander…
