The True Heiress's Return

c Chapter 13

Cody wasn't letting up. "Meeting Sean is one thing; figuring out how to get through this tough time is another."

Finn said, his voice heavy with stress, "There's a lot of rumors out there. Besides the projects with Yonder Digital, other companies we were looking to partner with have put their plans on hold. And as for the stock..." He trailed off, and the Nelson family fell silent again. Selena looked worried. "So what do we do now? If we meet Sean the day after tomorrow and he still won't budge, are we just going to take this hit?" Rebecca sighed. "If f only we had signed the contract earlier. Even if Sean backed out, the hefty compensation wouldn't leave us in such a bind..."

Finn pressed his lips together and stayed quiet.

Cody's expression darkened. "What do you know about business? Signing contracts isn't something you just scribble your name on! We're trying to maximize benefits here. Otherwise, how do you think the Nelson family got to where we are today?" He then turned to Finn. "Contact our long-term clients and the companies we're working with. See if we can offload the projects we were going to give to Yonder Digital. It'll help minimize our losses."

Fin f fout a heavy breath. "I called them all this morning. They all turned us down."

Cody's face soured even more.

Amid the silence, Yvette's voice broke in softly. "What about the Lopez family?"

Everyone turned to look at her, and she continued, "Mr. Lopez was at the birthday party last night. Given our engagement, the Lopez family won't just leave us hanging, right?"

Yvette had met Walter a couple of times. He was stunningly handsome, with an extraordinary presence-charming and edgy, even more so than some stars who relied solely on looks to get by in showbiz. It was a pity he was wheelchair-bound and had a quirky temper. Otherwise, Shakira wouldn't stand a chance of getting engaged to him. "Yes!" Cody's face lit up with hope. "Other companies will take time, but the Lopez family could take on the whole project at once."

He stepped forward, clapping Yvette on the shoulder, his eyes sparkling. "Yvette, your grandma was right-we're all on you

now.

Selena beamed. "Exactly! Yvette is our family's lucky star. With her here, everything can turn good."

Yvette couldn't help but smile, a proud spark lighting up her eyes.

While Shakira was handing Sean a list of things to take care of, the Smith family called her twice. She glanced at her phone and quickly hit the block button.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, and a servant called out, "Mr. Lopez's pet needs to be fed. The trainer is on leave, so you'll have to do it today." Shakira couldn't help but wonder, 'Walter the devil has a heart to keep pets?'

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designed to mimic a tropical rainforest and saw the seven-feet-long crocodile lounging in the pond, she kicked herself mentally. 'How could I

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encouraging look. "That bucket has breakfast for

what?" Shakira blinked.

Lopez named it

this obsession after

got hurt?"

birthday gift he asked

So

him-it'll only eat if someone feeds it. What a jerk in the crocodile world!' Shakira thought as she rolled up her sleeves, opened the iron gate, and grabbed the bucket of fish to head inside. The study in the lavish villa buzzed with the energy of an international conference call. Employees were debating a development project in various languages passionately. Walter leaned back in

the tropical garden outside. There, a massive crocodile loomed over the petite figure of Shakira. Walter reclined further, enjoying the view

feet away, the crocodile began to inch toward her, its powerful front limbs

a small fish toward its mouth. The crocodile glanced at the offering but

under her breath. 'I really have to feed it right

of moving closer, she turned and dashed around the crocodile. The creature's eyes darted around, trying to keep track, but once Shakira reached its back, it could no longer see her. The crocodile's size made it clumsy in the tight space-it couldn't catch Shakira, who tugged on its tail. It-thrashed and

the crocodile's shifting body. In a flash, she seized its massive tail, deftly avoiding its attempt to

life, the crocodile gave in quickly after just ten minutes of this tug-of-war. Shakira released her grip and tossed

help but chuckle at the scene. 'This woman... not only does she know how to get on people's nerves, but she also knows how to push a crocodile's buttons. Just then, Levi knocked and entered, surprised to see Walter wearing a smile he

shown in

ages. Levi's

eyes

crinkled 2/3

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