Chapter 869

Chapter 869:

Jack exhaled slowly, then turned back into the suite.

By the floor-to-ceiling window, Noah stood silently, rubbing his temples. His masked expression revealed nothing, but the air around him was taut with tension.

Nathan, that fool, had actually dared to announce an engagement with Sadie. Even if it was a calculated move, it was suffocating. He couldn’t allow it to go any further.

“Set up a meeting with the Higgins family elders first thing tomorrow,” Noah said flatly.

He would go to Higgins Manor himself.

Nathan was clearly using the Wall Group’s name to elevate his position. Noah wasn’t about to stand by and watch it happen.

Jack nodded quietly.

“Consider it done, sir.”

He was beginning to think his boss’s strategies were growing more unpredictable by the day.

The next morning, just as Sadie stepped out of the hotel’s main entrance, a loud pink convertible rolled up to the curb.

Nathan leaned casually against the car, hands in his pockets, dressed more tastefully than usual. Oversized sunglasses and a snug mask concealed most of his face. To an outsider, he might have passed for a B-list celebrity—or someone dodging arrest.

Sadie’s pace slowed. Her gaze sharpened. The flashy car and over-the-top appearance screamed Nathan.

She walked up and gave him a once-over.

“Trying out a secret identity today, Mr. Higgins?”

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At the sound of her voice, Nathan’s shoulders stiffened. He snapped to attention and pulled off his sunglasses, revealing puffy, exhausted eyes.

Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, he mumbled,

“Good morning, Ms. Hudson.”

Straightening up, he scrambled for an excuse.

“Uh… strong UV rays today. Gotta keep the skin safe.”

Even he didn’t sound convinced.

Truth be told, the thrashing he’d received the previous day had left him so bruised, he couldn’t bear the idea of being seen—especially not by Sadie, whose poise and elegance made his sorry state feel even worse.

Before he could say anything more, a flicker of suspicion crossed Sadie’s face.

Her gaze narrowed as she studied the mask covering his features. It didn’t add up—no one needed sun protection at this hour.

A hunch took hold. Without hesitation, she reached forward and yanked the mask from his face.

Just as she suspected, his features were a mess. One side of his mouth was stained with a bluish bruise, and his cheekbone was swollen and distorted. He looked like he’d stepped out of a warzone—beaten and battered.

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