Marrying

Valerie added, “He underestimates me, but he’ll face the consequences sooner or later.”

“Exactly, you’re right, Valerie. I’m here to support you. If you need anything, just let me know, and I’ll have Louis to help you. The Santos Group should be in good shape now, so we can assiu!” While Katherine might not have been able to help with the business competition, the Santos Group could, and Louis would certainly have lent a hand

Valerie smiled and said, “The best support you can give me is to get that oil painting class up and running smoothly. I’ll personally bring people over to show my support when the time comes.

“Yes, we all need to work hard and show them that girls can lead the way and stand out too!” Katherine agreed.

Both of them supported rach other, but after Valerie left, Katherine couldn’t help buat sigh as she looked at the shop before her. Seeing it brought back memories–ever since Julian left, she hasn’t stopped missing him for a moment. Now, standing in front of this familiar fruit shop, Katherine took a deep breath and thought, “No use dwelling on the past; I had to work hard for the future for the sake of my child: Katherine decided to repurpose whatever could be salvaged from the shop and toss out the rest.

She immediately started looking for someone to design and renovate the shop. At the same time, she began refining the teaching methods, systematic training, and prommation for the oil painting class. She sull had some money left, though not much. Valerie had even managed to negotiate a significant discount–she had found out that Valerie had brought the rent down by at least 300.

She thought. Valerie has been so supportive; I have to make something of this. But what am I going to say to her if my belly starts showing later on?

Julian is her older brother, after all–that’s the hardest part Julian and I are no longer possible, but with this child, things would get 100 complicated for all three of us Katherine shook her head, pushing these thoughts aside, and focused entirely on building her career.

Valerie wasn’t idle either. Charles and the others had already set everything in motion, just waiting for Owen to fall into the trap-

Ever since Matthew and his tris had barged into the Anderson family and threatened Owen, Owen had significantly upgraded his security. In addition to bodyguards, he had implemented advanced security meures, including hiring top Aplax kickboxing champions and spending a fortune to ensure his safety. He was determined to be worry–free and made it clear that if Matthew tried to bring trouble again, he wouldn’t have an easy time

However, as long as Valerie had been around, he had not been content. On top of that, with the Noria Group still in play, he had been locked in a life–and–death struggle with Valerie, all for the sake of merging companies. Before anything else, he had to ensure that his safety was secure.

Charles’s men had been watching for several days without making a move. When Valerie returned to the company, Charles came to report, handing her a stark of photos. “Mr. Anderson is incredibly cautious,” he said. “He’s surrounded by dozens of bodyguards at all times. I’d say even a head of state wouldn’t have such tight security!”

“It seems he’s terrified, Valerie observed sharply. “He’s relying on all these bodyguards to keep himself safe. Mr. Anderson isn’t foolish, he knows that as long as I’m around, he won’t be spared. That’s why his security is so tight. If he wants to merge with the Noria Group, the first condition is that he has to stay alive.”

From the photos, Valerie could see that the security was comprehensive and meticulous, with no blind spots. The bodyguards surrounded him in a 360–degree manner, leaving no trace. Sometimes, there were three cars prepared, all leaving in different directions, making it impossible to know which vehicle he was in Such caution showed just how much Owen valued his own life.

It seemed that their previous intrusion into the Anderson family had indeed made Owen wary, prompting him to adopt such extreme measures for his protection. Valerie found it somewhat annising–he had become a nervous wreck.

“Mrs. Grant, what should we do? We can’t get anywhere near him now!” Charles asked

Valerie said solemnly, “If security measures are an issue, then let’s use a beauty trap. Arrange it, and make sure it fits his tastes!”

Charles went back to make arrangements. However, given the tight security aroural Owen, their attempts to use attractive women at various events had failed repeatedly. During the first attempt, a woman accidentally spilled wine on him, and she was visibly shocked as she apologized and offered to cover the cleaning costs. Owen merely waved her off and walked away, not giving her a chance to say anything further. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

On the second attempt, a woman pursued his car and offered to exchange contact information for follow–up. Owen had his lawyer handle the situation. During the third attempt, a drunk woman collapsed into his arms at the event. Surprisingly, he remained composed and pushed her

away.

While he did appreciate attractive people, repeated attempts made him suspicious of the woman’s intentions. Despite his wealth, he wasn’t easily swayed, and frankly, he wasn’t interested in such approaches. Moreover, the type of woman presented wasn’t to his taste.

After these three attempts, the women started to doubt their charm and approached Charles to resign. T’ve been poor and struggled in my life, but I’ve never been rejected like this. I can’t do this anymore!”

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