The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 256

He vaguely remembered overhearing her talking to someone in the project department that morning about a dinner meeting with a director from some bureau.

It was probably a follow-up social event for the pharmaceutical project.

But hadn't Ramona prided herself on never letting her female employees attend these kinds of alcohol-fueled gatherings? So why was Nova here alone?

Holden pulled out his phone and made a call.

When Nova entered the private room, she found only two people at the table: a middle-aged man in his fifties and his assistant.

"Mr. Hawk? Why is it just us today?"

Nova's eyelid twitched. She knew exactly what he was up to, but she was still surprised by his directness.

He was a junior manager in charge of auditing the packaging line for the pharmaceutical project. Nova had dealt with him before, and he had given her his business card then. Throughout the project approval process, he had sent her messages almost every night, asking her to dinner. Nova had politely declined each time.

Now that the project was over, Mr. Hawk had claimed to have connections that could bring a huge deal to her department, and he had invited her for a meal to discuss it. Nova knew Mr. Hawk was no gentleman. The "connections" were just an excuse; what he really wanted was her.

But just as this was happening, Holden had passed by the project department, his gaze lingering on her.

Nova had been busy with work the past few days and hadn't interacted much with Holden. Their last encounter was when she had tried to pry some useful information about Ramona from him.

Holden was still wary of her, so her attempts at getting information had failed. Instead, she had ended up enduring his flirting and unwanted advances for a while. In the end, he had dropped a useful tidbit himself, telling her to warn Ramona to be careful of Fenton.

Later, Ramona had confirmed that Melinda was indeed trying to team up with Fenton, proving Holden's information was true.

Using Holden wasn't easy. Nova knew she couldn't rely on his fleeting interest in her to get what she wanted. So, she needed something more potent.

She wanted to make Holden completely obsessed with her, even if it was just for a little while. She wanted him to know what it felt like to be played.

And if that failed, at least she could uncover his weaknesses for Ramona and get revenge for her friend.

Nova had researched Holden's history and the rumors surrounding him, and she had a good grasp of his personality. He was a chronic flirt, incapable of long-term commitment, arrogant, narcissistic, and extremely competitive.

The truth was, the more difficult a person seemed, the more obvious their weaknesses were.

Holden was a prime example. His constant flitting from one woman to another proved his need for intense emotional stimulation. In other words, he craved powerful feelings to feel alive.

His arrogance, narcissism, and competitive nature were even better. Making him want something—or someone—he couldn't have was the only way to keep his attention.

Though her words were a refusal, to Mr. Hawk's ears, they sounded like a coy invitation.

"Hey, now that you're here, why go back to the office? Just take the rest of the day off. I'll cover your salary for today. We can have a nice dinner, and I'll take you home tonight…"

Mr. Hawk's voice grew smoother as he reached out to pull her into an embrace. Nova immediately slapped his arm away.

"Mr. Hawk! Please have some self-respect! I'm leaving!"

She spun around and made a dash for the door, but with a look from Mr. Hawk, his assistant moved to block her path.

“Knock, knock—knock, knock—”

Just then, a series of urgent knocks echoed through the room.

Mr. Hawk's attention was diverted. He glanced at Nova, who feigned a look of confusion.

The knocking grew louder and more aggressive, escalating from a knock to a full-on pounding.

Just as Holden lifted his leg to kick the door in, the assistant opened it. Holden paused for a second, but his foot was already in motion. He couldn't stop it, so he simply followed through, kicking the assistant squarely in the stomach and sending him crumpling to the floor.