Ting ting…
A crisp chime rang out, the lights dimmed, and a spotlight hit the stage.
Noemi appeared in everyone’s line of sight, stunning in a strapless cocktail dress.
“Everyone!”
Noemi’s face was radiant as she beamed at the crowd: Welcome to my homecoming party! Starting today, I, Noemi Harrison, am officially back and ready to work. I hope you’ll all…”
Nathan was the only son in his branch of the family tree, but the Harrisons also had their Miss
Harrison–that was Noemi.
Noemi was Nathan’s cousin, the princess of William Harrison’s youngest son. She’d proven herself early, handling overseas operations even while still in school. Fresh back from an Ivy League MBA in France, she was the family’s rising star. She had every right to be cocky and absolutely deserved the Miss
Harrison title.
Noemi’s speech was clearly just warming up. She went on and on while Amelia caught bits of
conversation around her.
“Finance master’s degree, full scholarship too. Straight A’s all the way through. This Miss Harrison doesn’t
mess around.”
“No kidding. Two years ago when she was 23, she handled some seriously sketchy overseas stuff in France. I heard shots were fired and she was right in the middle of it. France isn’t like here–they’ve got
guns. Girl’s got balls.”
“Damn right. You don’t get to be called Miss Harrison for nothing. She’s not the only girl in that
generation.”
“I heard she personally managed most of the French operations. Built up quite the network over there. Wonder which department she’ll take over now.”
In the middle of all the gossip, Nathan’s phone started vibrating.
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Chapter 96
He frowned, pulled it out–Eddie calling.
Eddie?
Nathan got up and found a quiet corner to take the call
“What’s going on?” he answered.
Eddie sounded stressed: “Boss, we’ve had strangers sniffing around the company for days, asking
questions. I had it checked out–they’re cops.”
Cops?
Nathan’s frown deepened.
“Police investigating Harrison Corp? Did you figure out why?”
A company like Harrison Corp dealt with law enforcement all the time, but usually for specific legal stuff or targeted issues. This kind of undercover work was weird.
Usually meant they were digging into something they couldn’t ask about directly.
“The cops are being slick about it, asking all kinds of random stuff. Your marriage, Vivian’s
situation–fishing for intel through casual conversation” Eddie said quickly. “But I filtered through everything, and what they really keep circling back to Yondu Luke.”
Yondu Luke!
Nathan’s eyes went cold.
Why the hell were cops interested in Yondu Luke?
Was this about that thing….
“Any current location on Yondu Luke?” Nathan’s voice tropped.
“Still nothing. Boss, our guys buried this too deep for too long–most of the trail’s gone cold,” Eddie said, clearly freaking out.
If that incident ever came to light… it would unleash absolute hell.
That had been a genuinely fucked–up situation.
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SPOTTINENT
Chapter 96
They’d chosen to bury it back then. Bringing it up now wouldn’t help anyone, and besides…
“Keep looking. Double the search team. Find Yondu Luke, period,” Nathan said icily. “And keep tabs on the cops. Figure out what they’re really after.”
Nathan knew the police were playing it close to the ves, so they probably wouldn’t get much out of them directly. Just had to wait and see.
“On it!” Eddie said and hung up.
Nathan looked back at Amelia sitting in their corner booth.
Should he tell her about that incident?
He wasn’t sure.
While he was thinking, he scrolled through his messages and saw what Vivian had sent after he’d ignored
her call.
Nathan, police came to see me. Asked about Yondu Luke. What do I do?
Then another message:
Managed to blow them off for now, said I was sick. But they’ll be back. Coming to find you. We need to get our story straight. Just a few minutes, won’t mess up your wine thing.
Right as he finished reading, his phone buzzed again. Vivian calling.
Back at their table, Amelia seemed to sense something. She looked up at Nathan in the hallway.
She watched him frowning hard, talking intensely on his phone, then hurrying off.
What now?
Amelia had no idea, but she didn’t want to know either
She’d come here tonight to handle two things.
First: Nathan’s interrogation–shutting down his harassment of Mila.
Since she’d already given him plenty of time to talk, that was done.
Second: Noemi.
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Chapter 96
What the fuck was Noemi up to?
And why?
Amelia looked toward the stage.
Noemi was wrapping up her speech.
She raised her hand gracefully.
Servers wheeled in a long table covered with countless wine glasses, all filled with liquid that sparkled like jewels under the lights.
“I brought these specially from a private vineyard collection in France. Many are wines you literally can’t buy anymore, including some estate exclusives.”
Noemi spoke smoothly, but her eyes found Amelia’s direction.
Her smile took on a sharper edge.
“And among these estate wines, there’s one that’s especially precious.”
She continued: “The vineyard owner crafted it personally. He named that wine Miss.”
Miss?
What was special about that?
Amelia grabbed the wine menu from their table.
She found the description easily enough.
Miss, vineyard owner’s personal creation, made 4 year ago, red wine.
“Four years? That’s pretty standard. What makes it precious?”
“Yeah, the other stuff on this list is way more expensive Something like La Romanée Conti would be more Miss Harrison’s speed, right?”
“She just said the vineyard owner made it personally. Maybe the owner’s somebody important?”
“Could be. But who?”
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Chapter 96
While everyone chattered, Amelia spotted the wine’s English name.
Amelie.
Just one word. Amelie.
Personally crafted by the vineyard owner. Personally named.
France. Four years ago. Amelia looked up at Noemi on stage.
Noemi was staring right back at her.
Across the room, Nathan was huddled with Vivian by a side exit, but even he seemed to feel something and glanced toward Amelia.
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