The True Heiress's Return

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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?"Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

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?'

When she stepped into the huge garden designed to mimic a tropical rainforest and saw the seven-feet-long crocodile lounging in the pond, she kicked herself mentally. 'How could I really doubt Walter's devilment? That's as ridiculous as saying Mitchell has a brain!

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The servant pointed to a small wooden bucket in the distance, giving her an encouraging look. "That bucket has breakfast for Baby Fishy. You need to feed it to his mouth before it'll eat.

"Wait, what?" Shakira blinked. "It's called Baby Fishy?"

"Yeah, Mr. Lopez named it himself."

"Walter started this obsession after his leg

got hurt?"

"No, this was a birthday gift he asked from his grandfather when he was seven."

So

he's been this weird since childhood. Well, Baby Fishy is just like 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 his chair listening casually, his handsome face a picture of grace. The door was slightly ajar, letting him catch the worried whispers of a servant talking to Levi, who shot a cautious glance in Walter's direction but didn't dare interrupt.

Walter smirked slightly, his attention shifting to a small window showing surveillance of the tropical garden outside. There, a massive crocodile loomed over the petite figure of Shakira. Walter reclined further, enjoying the view while the meeting continued. The crocodile was fiercely territorial, and the moment Shakira stepped into its domain, its amber eyes locked onto her.

Shakira approached cautiously, but when she was about seven feet away, the crocodile began to inch toward her, its powerful front limbs drawing nearer.

Shakira froze, tossing a small fish toward its mouth. The crocodile glanced at the offering but showed no interest.

"Seriously?" Shakira muttered under her breath. 'I really have to feed it right to its face?'

She studied the crocodile's hefty belly and suddenly set the bucket of fish down. Instead 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 snapped, its wide jaws snapping in frustration but failing to reach her.

Shakira kept her eyes trained on the crocodile's shifting body. In a flash, she seized its massive tail, deftly avoiding its attempt to spin around and get her.

After being spoiled its entire life, the crocodile gave in quickly after just ten minutes of this tug-of-war. Shakira released her grip and tossed the bucket of fish right in front of it.

The crocodile redirected its anger into hunger, swallowing the fish whole in a few hearty bites. Satisfied, Shakira brushed off; her pants and strolled through the iron gate nonchalantly. Meanwhile, in the study, Walter couldn't 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 had

shown in

ages. Levi's

eyes

crinkled 2/3

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into a crescent as he spotted the lively Shakira on the screen. In his heart, he felt a wave of relief. 'Ms. Nelson truly is a lucky charm for Mr. Lopez.

"Mr. Lopez, the Nelson family is here to visit," Levi announced.

Walter's expression returned to its usual calm, his long fingers tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Call Shakira over."

*****

Yvette was visiting the Lopez residence for the first time and was completely in awe of the extravagant surroundings. She had always thought the Lopez family was on par with the Nelsons, but now she realized how clueless she had been. If the Nelsons were wealthy, the Lopezes were downright lavish. She couldn't help but ask, "Finn, the Lopez family is this rich?"

Finn nodded. "They're the top one among the five major families. The combined wealth of the other four can't even touch what the Lopez family has." Yvette gasped in disbelief.

Just then, mechanical sounds echoed through the hall, and she immediately put on her sweetest smile, fixing her gaze on Walter in the wheelchair.

This was her third time seeing him, and his otherworldly looks still captivated her. She clenched her fists instinctively as she thought, What an admirable guy. Even though I don't want him, I can't let Shakira have him-she doesn't deserve him at all' "Mr. Lopez." Finn stepped forward, standing tall in front of Walter with a gentlemanly air as he extended his hand.

Instead of accepting the handshake, Walter wheeled himself past Finn to the other side of the grand hall, creating distance between them. Even in a wheelchair, he exuded a powerful presence. "What do you want?"

Finn retracted his hand, unfazed by the cold reception, his voice calm and collected. "We want to discuss a potential collaboration with you, Mr. Lopez."

"Collaboration?" Walter scoffed. "Trying to dump the unwanted problems on us?"