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Kristin was doing it deliberately to give Holcomb and Nicola a heads–up that she wouldn’t let Vincent off the hook that easy.
She wasn’t holding her breath for Rhett to pop the question.
That was Rhett’s chance to twist Nicola and Holcomb’s arms, too.
After all, according to Lucius‘ will, if Rhett got married, he would inherit a substantial 41% of the FitzGerald Group’s shares the portions belonging to Rhett’s mother and Lucius himself.
What Nicola was after was the 23% share belonging to Lucius within that 41%, plus the 21% that Holcomb was sitting on.
Nicola figured they could kick Rhett to the curb and take control of the FitzGerald Group if Vincent’s stake was bigger than Rhett’s.
No sooner had Kristin’s words hit the air than Holcomb cracked up, his laugh a mix of shock and scorn. “A con artist pretending to be some high–society dame, fooling the FitzGerald family for years, and now she wants to marry Into the family?”
Rhett tensed up, too, turning to look at Kristin.
He knew she wasn’t serious, Just trying to keep Nicola in check.
“My engagement to the FitzGerald family was set by Mr. Lucius when he was alive because I saved his life. It wasn’t a con,” Kristin retorted with her head down.
She never dreamed of marrying into the FitzGerald family. Her engagement to Vincent was because Lucius liked her.
“You are shameless, aren’t you? I’d advise you to ditch that pipe dream,” Nicola sneered coldly. “Speak up about what you want, or you might just shoot yourself in the foot.”
“It’s either Rhett marries me… or Vincent goes to jail,” Kristin clutched her hands tightly, nails digging into her palms, drawing blood.
She would wait to see if Holcomb would sacrifice his eldest son’s happiness for his youngest.
“What’s your take, Rhett?” Holcomb turned to him.
Rhett scoffed. “Dad, are you seriously trying to make me marry Kristin for Vincent’s sake?” Holcomb waved dismissively. “For your brother’s sake, talk some sense into her. This mess can’t blow up. It’s about our family’s reputation.”
Rhett kept mum.
“Holcomb…” Nicola was about to throw more shade at Kristin, but it hit her then. Perhaps it might not turn out to be such a terrible thing after all if this infamous woman ended up marrying Rhett.
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That way, Rhett would be tainted.
Rhett’s mom’s shares were untouchable, but she had to fight for Lucius and Holcomb’s shares for her son Vincent.
“Rhett’s at the marrying age. It’s only a matter of playing along. We can’t have Vincent’s
reputation ruined or him behind bars,” Nicola wrapped her arm around Holcomb, coaxing him out of the hospital room.
“Holcomb, you can’t play favorites. Vincent had it rough growing up. Rhett won’t lose anything.” Nicola’s voice choked up as she looked at Holcomb.
Holcomb shot Nicola a frosty glance, knowing what she was up to. “Rhett’s reputation matters to the FitzGerald family, too. Got it?” he said coldly.
Nicola flinched, bowing her head reluctantly. “Holcomb, then… what about Vincent? Are we just going to let the cops take him for questioning? The media’s already sniffing around.”
Holcomb frowned. “Then get the Turner family to rein in Kristin!”
Back in the hospital room, Kristin kept her head down, too scared to utter a word.
Rhett watched her intently for a long while before speaking with a smile. “Looks like you don’t need me to step in. You can handle yourself.”
Kristin remained silent. Being able to fend for herself didn’t mean she wanted to stir up trouble.
“Vincent’s in the clink, and Nicola won’t let you off the hook. Are you planning on making me marry you?” Rhett looked at Kristin.
Kristin shook her head frantically. “No… I didn’t mean… I was just…”
“Just temporarily using me,” Rhett finished for her.
Kristin looked down, her eyes welling up. “I’m sorry, but I had to look out for myself.”
She needed to protect herself and didn’t want to see Rhett slandered–by Nicola.
“Back at Riverton Elmwood Estate, you saved my grandfather?” Rhett asked, probing deeper.
Kristin nodded. “Yes, but I had no ulterior motive.”
She didn’t want Rhett to get the wrong idea.
Rhett was stunned. Lucius had left two wills, and the second, a private one, remained a mystery despite Nicola and Holcomb’s best efforts.
The lawyer at the notary’s office had said only the person who saved Lucius could read the second will
Nicola and Holcomb knew Kristin had saved Lucius, but they publicly claimed it was Ruby.
No wonder Ruby came up with every excuse not to go to the notary’s office. She knew she
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wasn’t the one who saved Luclus,
“So, what’s your next move?” Rhett asked, lounging on the sofa. He hadn’t expected Kristin to be quite the treasure trove.
“Mr. FitzGerald, can you ensure the safety of Summer and Garner?” Kristin asked anxiously, seeking assurance from Rhett. She needed a solid promise from him.
Kristin had a wake–up call this time around.
She knew she couldn’t dodge some people. She would take the bull by the horns, ensure they wouldn’t get another shot to knock her down, and keep hurting her.
She would wait for the perfect moment and then give a deadly strike.
“I can guarantee Summer and Garner’s safety, but you also know as well as I do that protection is just a Band–Aid. As long as you’re a thorn in their side, I can’t promise to keep Summer and Garner safe forever.”
Rhett was spitting straight facts. He was ready to take care of all Kristin’s loose ends to see how far she could go.
Even the gentlest creature will fight when it’s backed into a corner. Vincent, Nicola, and the whole Turner family had pushed Kristin to the edge.
He could help take those guys off her plate, but considering Kristin’s temperament and the deep hole she was in with her depression, she had to solve the problems herself and heal from within. Only the bell ringer could untie the bell and heartaches.
Kristin hung her head in silence, and after a long while, she finally said in a hoarse whisper. “Mr. FitzGerald, take that video of Vincent hitting people and spread it all over the web.”
Kristin knew Rhett could stir up a storm, make it the talk of the town, and put Vincent and Nicola in the eye of the media hurricane.
Seeing Rhett not responding, Kristin glanced at him anxiously, betting that he was about to make a move on Vincent and Nicola.
But she doubted Rhett would dare to do it, considering the FitzGerald family’s reputation could be on the line. If Vincent went down, the FitzGerald Group could take some hits.
Rhett simply chuckled, his gaze intensifying as he continued to look at Kristin.
Rhett didn’t give her a straight answer, but the following morning, the buzz of gossip in the hospital woke Kristin up.
Nurses and patients alike were chattering about Vincent’s involvement with the underworld.
Kristin knew it was Rhett’s doing.
Once the
mor mill got going, nobody dared to pull strings or cover it up. There was no way
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Vincent was getting out easy.
Nicola would have to come ‘begging‘ again.
Pulling out her phone, Kristin hesitated but finally dialed an unknown number.
“It’s Kristin.”
“I figured.” The voice on the other end was hoarse and had a touch of laziness.
“You’ve seen what’s up with Vincent in the news?” Kristin asked in a low voice.
“Got it all figured out?” The person asked back indifferently.
“Let’s strike while the iron’s hot – spread the word about Nicola, the sly mistress who’s climbed the ranks with her children, driven the wife to despair….” Kristin took a deep breath. She couldn’t be the only one getting battered by the online storm.
She had to make sure Nicola was too busy to fuss over her, no time to come stirring trouble.
“But this won’t finish Vincent.” The man on the phone spoke again, his voice gruff. “I bet some bodyguard will take the fall within a month. Just detention, a warning, and a fine.”
Kristin’s fingers trembled. “A month is enough.”
“Kristin, no one will help you for real except me. Everyone’s got an angle., James and Rhett both deserve to rot.” The man seemed to have a beef with James and Rhett.
“Don’t drag Rhett into this, not even a little. If your media circus hurts him, our deal’s off,” Kristin rushed out.
On the phone, his voice suddenly turned icy. “Have you fallen for Rhett?”
