Chapter 326-Once Upon a Time
Chapter 326: Once Upon a Time…
+25 Plointa
Nicholas froze with his fork halfway to his mouth as Maya and Damien exchanged a quick glance but remained noticeably silent.
He cleared his throat, his eyes shifting toward Damien as though hoping for rescue.
Damien, however, simply ignored him and calmly continued eating, making it painfully obvious that he had no intention of getting involved. Maya, on the other hand, remained equally quiet, clearly having made the same decision.
Harper’s patience began to wear thin as her fingers drummed against the table.
“Sooo?” she prompted, looking pointedly at Nicholas.
Nicholas finally looked at her, but for once, no clever response came out of his mouth.
He hesitated.
Whatever
him and Harper was still painfully new, and the last thing he wanted was to ruin
When
unu
nothing, Harper turned toward Maya and Damien, who suddenly seemed their food.
back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.
“She narrowed her eyes at Nicholas./Did you swallow your tongue?”
ced. “Harper… I…”
t an impatient sigh and turned away from him, clearly done waiting for an answer.
er eyes settled on her instead. “Do you know something?”
leased a quiet sigh. She glanced at Damien, then Nicholas, before finally looking at Harper.
dy was Bill Franklin’s secretary.”
per frowned. “Bill Franklin? The director of the R&D department?”
Was,” Damien corrected.
That immediately caught Harper’s attention. Her posture shifted as she leaned forward, her eyes widening with sudden interest.
“Wait. Was? You mean he got fired?” She looked between them. “Why? And what does that have to do with Brandy?”
Whatever suspicion she’d
“Okay. I’m listening
is time, Nic
way to genuine curiosity.
< Chapter 326-Chee Upon a Time:
25 Pelots
“Brandy used to work as a hostess at the Velvet Room.” He paused, clearly uncomfortable with what came next. “Years ago, T..
Harper’s eyes narrowed.
Then realization hit.
“Wait a minute.” She held up a hand. “Let me guess. Once upon a time, you were one of her clients and ended up sleeping with her.”
Nicholas reluctantly nodded before immediately defending himself.
“But I don’t even remember her. Back then, I didn’t exactly make a habit of learning anything about the women I paid to spend the night with.”
Harper stared at him for a moment before another question occurred to her.
“Then how the hell did she end up at Blackwood Enterprises? And how did she become Bill Franklin’s secretary?”
Damien answered this time.
“Franklin was one of her clients too. She used that relationship to get herself into the company because she believed working at Blackwood Enterprises would eventually give her another chance to see Nick.”
Harper’s eyes widened.
“What?!”
Nicholas knew there was no point hiding anything. Harper would eventually learn the truth, and he wanted her to hear it from him.
So he told her what had happened that day.
Harper listened, occasionally asking questions until she understood the entire situation.
When Nicholas finished, she stared at him for several seconds.
“So…” Harper began slowly. “If I’m understanding this correctly, she had a one-night stand with you-”
“I paid for her services,” Nicholas immediately corrected.
Harper rolled her eyes. “Same difference,”
“It is absolutely not the same thing.”
“Fine! You were once her client. Happy?”
“Much better.”
Harper rolled her eyes again.
“Anyway, you slept with her once, she couldn’t get over it and apparently spent years thinking there could be something more between you. Meanwhile, that dirty old man Franklin became her sugar daddy and got her a job as his secretary.”
Chapter 326-Once Upon a Time
Nicholas remained silent, letting her continue.
~Then you guys happened to visit that department to test the masks, she saw you, assumed you’d
recognize her, and decided this was finally her chance to get the man of her dreams.”
Harper paused, processing the absurdity of it all.
+25 Points F
“So she exposed Franklin, Damien fired both of them, and then she made a scene, confessed that she had feelings for you, and even offered to be your mistress as long as you kept her around?”
Nicholas nodded.
“Pretty much.” He leaned closer, his expression immediately turning earnest. “But believe me, I have nothing to do with her. I didn’t even remember who she was, Harper. And I made it very clear that I wanted her to stay away from me.”
Harper remained quiet, processing everything she had learned.
“But I’m worried,” Maya suddenly said.
Harper’s attention immediately snapped toward her.
“Worried about what?”
Maya hesitated.
“About Brandy.”
The table grew quiet again.
“Bill Franklin lost everything because of her,” Maya continued. “His position, his career, his reputation, his wife… everything. Damien even forced him out of the country.”
She glanced at Damien before looking back at Harper.
“He knows he can’t do anything to Damien or Nick. But Brandy?” Maya slowly shook her head. “I don’t know. I just have a feeling he won’t simply let what she did to him go.”
Harper thought about it for a moment before slowly nodding.
“You have a point. If Bill-”
“Who cares?” Nicholas cut in.
Harper turned toward him.
“It’s not like she’s innocent either,” he continued bluntly. “She outright admitted that she intentionally used Franklin to get into Blackwood Enterprises. Whatever happened between those two is between them.”
Maya frowned. “I know. What she did was wrong, I get that. But it all started because fell in love with someone she shouldn’t have, and because of that, she could end up hurt-or worse, dead.” She hesitated. “If there’s something we can do to help…”
“She’s right,” Harper interrupted, this time looking directly at Nicholas. “She fucked up big time! But she did what she did because of her obsession with you. Whether you wanted any part of it or not, you’re still the
reason she went that far.” 25 Pox “So?” Nicholas shot back. “She should’ve understood what our arrangement was from the beginning. That was her fucking job, for Christ’s sake. Whatever feelings she developed afterward weren’t part of her job, and they definitely weren’t part of the service I paid for.” His irritation became more apparent as he continued. “And whatever fucked-up decisions she made years later because she couldn’t let it go are sure as hell not my responsibility. If she comes after me or anyone I care about directly, I’ll handle it. But she chose to use Franklin, and now she has to deal with whatever consequences come from that.” Harper opened her mouth, but Nicholas continued before she could respond. “Think about it. The woman is already obsessed with me. If I step in now and protect her from Franklin, what do you think she’s going to believe?” He shook his head. “She won’t see it as me fixing a problem. She’ll see it as proof that I care about her.” That gave Harper pause. Nicholas leaned back in his chair. “And I’m not giving her another reason to believe there could ever be something between us.” 57 Comments LUCK DRAW > 6.7K M Vote Cedella Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.