Callie regained some clarity.
“The Ellison family has set their sights on you,” Nelson said, rubbing his temples, looking utterly exhausted. “I have to do something about it.”
Callie tried to hear the underlying concern in his words.
“So, it’s for my own good, right?”
The twilight cast an orange hue on Callie’s face, making her eyes sparkle.
Nelson studied her in silence.
“Say it, is it?” Callie almost broke down, her voice strained and hysterical. “Do you think I can’t handle things on my own? I can, Nelson. I can deal with these terrible situations alone. I don’t need you sacrificing yourself under the guise of helping me!”
“Callie,” Nelson squinted, “you think you can manage because Jaquan is helping you. Without him, what can you do?”
Callie’s hands dropped in agitation. He reminded her that without Jaquan, she was nothing.
“Moreover, Jaquan isn’t genuinely helping you.”
Nelson’s final judgment triggered Callie again. She couldn’t tell him that Jaquan had taken risks and loaned her a billion dollars.
“Nelson, what about you? Do you have genuine intentions? Everything you see is just profit; you can’t compare to Jaquan.”
She spoke almost provocatively, watching as the man’s face darkened. He sneered.
The phone on the table kept vibrating. Nelson glanced at it and answered on speaker. “Speak.”
His gaze never left Callie.
“As you predicted, Edward finally took the highway. The checkpoint had over a dozen inspectors waiting. A whole truckload of goods was seized,” an excited voice reported.
Edward? Jaquan’s man. Callie’s face fell.
Nelson continued to watch her. “It seems Jaquan thought I would block them on the national road.”
“Indeed, Mr. Oconnor, your foresight is remarkable. The shutdown order has already been issued to Jaquan’s nightclubs. This summer won’t be easy for him.”
The more Callie listened, the colder she felt.
Everything was under Nelson’s control!
She immediately got out of bed, breathing rapidly as she quickly got ready. Nelson hung up the phone and watched her busy herself with a gloomy expression. Callie said, “Didn’t you consider Shamar when you executed these plans? He’s at least your brother. Even if he hasn’t contributed much to Oconnor Group, he’s worked hard. How could you make him a scapegoat?”
“I told you, I can raise a tiger and tame one.”
Callie remembered; he had indeed said that.
“So you can be ruthless.”
Nelson didn’t answer. He went downstairs to get his laptop and placed it in front of her.
“Are you sure you want to leave?” He even gave her the choice.
Callie snatched the laptop angrily. “Despicable!” She shot him a venomous look and turned to leave. Nelson called after her, “If you dare to leave, face the consequences.”
Callie didn’t stop for a moment and drove off in Shamar’s car.
She called Jaquan, but there was no answer.
His goods were seized; Scott Group would undoubtedly struggle even more. Nelson was too clever, forcing Jaquan to choose between marriage and career.
Callie stubbornly believed that if it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t be in this predicament, so she felt deeply guilty.
Soon after, Jaquan replied, telling her not to worry.
Callie breathed a sigh of relief. The next few days were tough for her as she and Shamar worked tirelessly to prepare for the upcoming battle. She had already invested a lot of money to increase his shares.