Chapter 236
“What’s wrong?”
Khloe’s voice was soft, slightly unsteady, still carrying the lingering warmth of the moment. She looked up at him, a trace of shyness in her eyes.
“Did I… make you uncomfortable?”
Nick’s breathing was uneven. He looked down at her for a moment, then exhaled slowly.
“Uncomfortable?” he repeated, almost self-mocking. “No.”
His voice lowered.
“It’s just… I can’t control myself around you.”
Khloe blinked.
Nick’s hand stayed at her back, steadying her as if she might vanish if he let go.
“You’re too precious,” he said quietly, jaw tightening as he fought for composure. “I can’t give you something careless or rushed. I don’t want you to regret anything later.”
His gaze softened.
“I want to wait,” he added, voice rough but certain, “until we’re married. I want to give you a night that belongs to you for your entire life—not something hurried in a moment like this.”
Khloe’s eyes trembled.
“Nick…”
But he gently adjusted her collar, pulling her into his chest before she could finish. His palm pressed against her back, firm but careful, anchoring her there.
The tension between them didn’t vanish—but it changed shape.
What had been heat turned into something deeper, quieter, more enduring.
Khloe closed her eyes for a moment, resting against him.
And in that stillness, she felt more cherished than she ever had before.
—
That same night, Trey didn’t sleep at all.
The words echoed in his mind again and again.
I’m married.
A man beside her.
Impossible.
Khloe didn’t even know the truth about their marriage—how could she have chosen someone else?
Unless…
She was lying.
Unless she was trying to provoke him.
The thought twisted in his chest like a blade.
And worse—the idea that he had never truly touched her, while someone else might now have that right, that closeness…
By dawn, he could no longer endure it.
He called his assistant immediately.
“Find her address,” Trey said hoarsely. “Now. Whatever it takes.”
There was no hesitation in his voice anymore.
He needed to see it himself.
—
Morning arrived at the Hunt Group headquarters in a cold, controlled calm.
Nick stood by the desk as Lenny handed over the latest reports.
“The Fox Group is pushing ahead with their IPO,” Lenny said carefully.
Nick raised a brow as he skimmed the documents.
“They don’t even know whether they’re rising or falling,” he said flatly.
Lenny hesitated. “Sir, the Chairman reminded you—”
“I know what he said.”
Nick flipped the page once, expression unreadable.
George had made it clear: the Hunt family couldn’t afford reckless interference. Not now.
But Nick wasn’t planning anything reckless.
Just efficient.
“Take over their projects,” he said at last. “Quietly. No public confrontation. Let the industry do the talking.”
Lenny nodded immediately. “Understood.”
Then, remembering something, he added, “Also, about Ethan and Clarice—you asked for surveillance. This is the preliminary report.”
He placed a folder on the desk.
Nick opened it, scanning.
Then his eyes stopped.
At the bottom of the page—one line.
Morrison Group's investment in Fox Group.
Nick’s gaze darkened.
“Who from the Morrison Group authorized this?”