The Santiago’s go bankrupt
“Mr. Santiago, I think you’re mistaken. Your business is in this mess not because of me, but your precious daughter.” Nina calmly pointed out, shaking her head at her father’s lack of awareness.
“What?”
Nina advised him patiently. “Ask Alyson what happened at the after-party a few days ago and you’ll understand everything. If you don’t believe me, you can reach out to your contacts and find out the truth. After all, the matter is still hot.”
“Also,” she continued, “This is the last time I’ll be warning you lots. Since we’ve already cut ties, Mr. Santiago, please respect yourself and don’t come looking for me again.”
Her words were firm, leaving no room for further discussion as she walked away.
Unconvinced, Mr. Santiago wanted to chase after her, but before he could get any closer, a man suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking Nina from his sight.
The man had a tall build, with muscles visibly bulging out of his t-shirt. He looked like a professional bodyguard, and his sharp gaze bore into Mr. Santiago, sending a clear warning.
A chill ran down his spine, and Mr. Santiago immediately cowered under his gaze. Before he could even move, the man swiftly walked to the driver’s seat. Turning on the engine, he drove away, leaving dust behind.
—
Nina had no idea how the Santiagos planned on cleaning up their mess this time.
Despite all their wrongdoings, she had already been merciful enough by not sending them to the prisons, but those people simply courted their deaths again and again.
In the days that followed, she heard from Jayden that the Santiagos has declared bankruptcy. Their reckless actions and greed led to their inevitable downfall.
Mr. Santiago was convicted of money laundering and embezzlement of funds.
Since Alyson was obsessed with drugging others, she was injected with a large dose of drugs and thrown into a brothel.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Santiago desperately ran around for help. She also begged her secret lover to salvage the situation, but everyone avoided her like plague.
They were kind enough to inform her that Santiagos were finished because they offended someone they shouldn’t have.
Of course, Jayden played a significant role in bringing them to their knees. Since the last incident where Nina was drugged, he had been consumed with a fiery rage, waiting to ignite.
Finally, he could vent his anger!
Nina remained unfazed by the news. She had expected the Santiagos to face the consequences of their actions eventually.
When she left the family decisively back then, she was determined to distance herself from their toxic influence.
As she looked a little listless, Jayden assumed she was affected by the news.
He moved closer and bit her cheek hard. After finding a comfortable position, he snuggled his face into the crook of her neck.
“Stephan and I have arranged a welcome banquet for our siblings.” He suddenly revealed. “You remember them, right? You’ve seen them before.”
Nina’s attention was successfully caught by his words. She pondered for a moment before agreeing in a hum.
She had a good impression of the people he had just mentioned.
Two years ago, she had accompanied Jayden to his brother’s graduation ceremony.
This younger brother of his was actually his stepbrother who shared the same father.
Jayden had never talked about any of his family members before. Therefore, when he kept mentioning this person, she believed he must have an excellent character.
At least she trusted Jayden’s judgment.
“What time?” she casually asked.
“Next weekend, Hotel Grand Grace. I’ll be home that day, so let’s leave together.”
Nina had no objections. “Sure.”
The room fell silent for a moment.
“Do you want to go shopping tomorrow?” Jayden suddenly suggested, his warm breath landing on her neck. “I’ll clear my schedule in the evening. You can buy some clothes to wear at the banquet.”
Nina shook her head, her amber eyes focused on her cell phone. “No need. A new batch of clothes from my latest collection will be out this week. I’ll just choose something to wear from them.”
Not that she disliked other clothes, but rather; she preferred wearing the ones she had tailored. Occasionally, she would switch to other brands.
“Then accompany me to buy a new set of clothes.”
Nina couldn’t help but raise her brows as she glanced sideways at him. “What’s up with you? Since when did CEO Luxton have so much free time to go shopping?
Jayden had his team of stylists who would deliver his clothes at Meadow Residence at the beginning of every month.
Moreover, these trivialities were taken care of by the Butler and he never had to bother himself with it.
“What’s wrong with me asking my wife to accompany me to the shop?” The man retorted shamelessly, his eyes glinting playfully in the dark.
Nina snorted and did not reply.
She would have believed him if she did not know what kind of person he was.
Smack!
A crisp sound suddenly resounded in the room as she slapped his wandering palm that had reached inside her sweater at some point.
“I haven’t rested well last night.” She informed, trying to remain cool.
“So?”
“So stop. My body can’t take anymore.”
Jayden chuckled lightly and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m only trying to help you relax. What’s going on in that little head of yours?” he teased, the corner of his lips curling into a smirk.
A faint blush appeared on Nina’s face, and she looked away.
To whoever said that Jayden was an old monk with no emotions? He seemed like a skilled player, all right!
As decided, Jayden brought Nina out the next day for a shopping spree.
The couple arrived at the Phoenix Mall, the most luxurious shopping destination in Spring City.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
The mall was owned by Luxton Corporation and upon the arrival of the Big Boss himself; the manager attended them.
The couple spent the pleasant afternoon selecting a few sets of clothes for Jayden.
Among them was a light blue jacket coat she had picked for the upcoming banquet.
After they got familiar with each other, Nina replaced his entire wardrobe with more bright colors. As a fashion designer, it was simply piercing to look at his wardrobe filled with dull colors, so she took it upon herself to refresh his style.
Jayden basically let Nina do whatever she wanted.
After settling the purchase, the couple strolled through the mall, enjoying each other’s company.
As they took a few steps, Nina felt a gentle tug on her hand.
“That orange piece… it’ll look good on you,” Jayden remarked, as he pointed at a store.
Confused, she turned to follow his gaze.
In front of them was a lingerie shop, and on the display was a sexy orange lingerie set. While it was undoubtedly stunning, it was also quite revealing. Jayden thought Nina could pull it off, given her bomb figure.
And it wasn’t like he was asking her to wear it outside. It was exclusive only for him to see!
Nina’s face instantly flushed with embarrassment when she saw the piece he was pointing at.
Before she could protest, Jayden declared, “Let’s buy it.” He started walking towards the store with a purposeful stride.
Panicking, Nina quickly stopped him. “I don’t need it, Jayden. Besides, aren’t you busy with work? I saw you taking several calls from the office earlier.”
She really wanted to escape, but Jayden stood his ground, his eyes filled with mischief and determination. She tried to coax him away, but the man did not budge. “You brought so many outfits for me, and none for yourself. I’ll feel bad if you go empty-handed,” he insisted with a rare smile on his handsome face.
“No.”
Jayden chuckled playfully, clearly enjoying her reaction. “Why are you feeling shy?” he teased, seeing the obvious blush on her cheeks. “Not like I haven’t seen anything before. Which part of your body am I not familiar with?” he continued, his mischievous grin widening.
Nina’s delicate hand immediately covered his mouth to prevent him from saying anything more.
He seemed like he wouldn’t leave until she bought it. Under his persistent coercion, she reluctantly agreed, “Fine, but wait here. I’ll purchase it myself.”
Thankfully, her face was covered with a mask or else she did not know how to hide her embarrassment.
“All right.”
Jayden did not tease her further and stepped aside to take a call.
As the CEO of a billion-dollar company, it wasn’t easy for him to come out for a break. He had already received several calls in these short two hours.
“LJ?”
Soon as he ended his call, he heard a familiar voice from behind.
Jayden turned around, his gaze visibly softening when she saw who it was.
And who could it be other than his niece, Madison?
Madison was surprised to see Jayden at the mall.
In her memory, her uncle never wasted his precious time visiting inconspicuous places like this. Coincidentally, she had come to celebrate a friend’s birthday on the top floor not and did not expect to bump into him.
“What a surprise. I did not expect that there would be a day when I would run into CEO Luxton at a mall.” She teased, walking towards him alone.
Though her friends were all part of the elite circle, in her eyes, they were not worthy to meet Jayden.
It was enough that she gave them faces by hanging out with them.
Her clique members looked excited at the sight of Jayden, but their enthusiasm quickly faded when they realized Madison had no intention of introducing them to her uncle.
Of course, they were well aware of Jayden Luxton’s reputation and power. Had they not been related, they wouldn’t have befriended the arrogant heiress who always put on airs and considered herself superior.
“Don’t make it sound as though it’s a big deal.” Jayden laughed lightly.
“It is, by the way, are you here for shopping too?” Madison probed, trying to act casual in front of him.
Jayden nodded.
Before he could continue, Madison spoke again, her voice sweet but with a hidden agenda. “Great. Coincidentally, I also need something to wear at the upcoming banquet. Please accompany me, okay? I promise I won’t take long.”
In fact, Madison’s words were a lie.
When did people of their status start shopping at malls? They always had the country’s top designers at their disposal, responsible for their outfits for any event.
She only wanted to spend time with him now that there was an opportunity.
Jayden was about to decline Madison’s request when he saw Nina coming out of the store from the corner of his eye.