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Chapter 170
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Colin gave Gwyneth's hand a reassuring pat and nodded gently. "The tech department did a solid job this round. But we've got to keep the momentum going. We can't afford to let Crescent Holdings down."This is our biggest client of the year, so I'll handle the negotiations personally. Ms. Sanders will come with me."Colin understood exactly what Gwyneth was angling for and deliberately included her.The previously lively atmosphere instantly chilled, and the team stared at him in disbelief. After all, Niall had made it very clear that he wanted to meet the software's creator to discuss technical details. So, why were two people with zero technical background going to meet them? It made no sense.Every pair of eyes slowly drifted toward Aspen, their expressions laced with pity. It was obvious to everyone that Gwyneth was trying to snatch the credit and claim the glory.Aspen could feel the weight of their gazes, but she simply smiled and spoke with measured calm. "I think Mr. Full
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 172
Gwyneth had only managed to stay by his side because she happened to align with his whims. However, her position had always been precarious, hanging by a thread.She replied, "I understand. I won't speak out of turn again. Colin, don't be angry with me. I have nothing left except you."Gwyneth clutched at Colin's sleeve, tears rolling down her cheeks, her eyes brimming with desperate attachment. The sight softened Colin's resolve. He gently wiped her tears away and took her hand, leading her out with him. ...Back in the tech department, Zephyr handed Aspen a cup of coffee and muttered, "We all know you're the developer behind the software. No one can steal that credit!"Aspen simply smiled as she said, "From the moment we chose this field, glory, spotlights, and applause were never meant for us, were they? "I remember Ms. Castillo telling us in school—those in tech can't afford to be flashy. The background stays in the background. Step into the limelight, and it's a straight
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 173
Gwyneth hadn't expected Niall to be so blunt. Caught off guard, she instinctively glanced at Colin, then shrank back behind him and muttered, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."But Colin didn't defend her like he usually did. Instead, he just gave Niall a polite smile and said in a calm tone, "Our lead developer is working overtime right now and really doesn't have the time, but if you're serious about this partnership, I can call her in.""I'll only speak with the developer—the one leading this project," Niall replied firmly, making his stance crystal clear.From Niall's attitude alone, Colin could already tell that if Aspen didn't show up in person, this deal was probably not going anywhere.Colin had never been brushed off like this in a business meeting before. It was only now he realized that Fuller Group's money meant very little in a place like Ertonfield—it was a drop in the ocean. Still, Colin knew this was how business worked. He desperately needed this opportunit
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 174
Once she ended the call, Aspen packed her things and headed out. After giving it some thought, she decided to call Aren."I'm flying to Ertonfield for a work trip. Can you stop by my place and feed Dottie while I'm gone?""Me?" Aren stiffened on the other end, already tensing up at the thought of that fluffy little creature. "Don't you have someone else at home?""I don't trust anyone else with her. Please, Aren—pretty please?" Aspen instantly shifted into a sweet, pleading tone.Sure, Martha was at home, but she wasn't around 24/7. If she missed a mealtime, Dottie would go hungry. It was a lot more reliable to leave Dottie in Aren's care.Her sweet voice was all it took for Aren to push aside his fear and agree without hesitation. "Don't worry, Dottie will be safe in my care. Promise."With that reassurance, Aspen finally relaxed and let out a soft, silly laugh. "Thanks. You're the best. I'll bring you back something delicious!" Before Aren could say another word, Aspen had al
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 175
"How dare you treat me like this? Are you insane?" Gwyneth stared at Aspen, bewildered.She couldn't wrap her head around the fierce, intimidating look she received from the woman who had always been so timid and soft-spoken.Could losing a child really change someone so drastically?Aspen snapped back without hesitation, "Why wouldn't I dare? Gwyneth, I'm warning you right now that this deal is critical for Fuller Group and Colin. You better keep your little schemes to yourself, or trust me, you won't even know what hit you."Aspen roughly shoved Gwyneth aside, grabbed her suitcase back, and strode out. It had taken so much hard work and effort to bring the project this far, and all she could think about was how to secure this deal. Anything else was just meaningless background noise.Gwyneth watched Aspen storm off, her face twisting with resentment. After a moment's hesitation, she pulled out her phone and quietly sent off a quick text message.When they finally reached the
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 176
Colin called Gwyneth after finishing his social engagements, only to have a hospital nurse answer the phone. He rushed to the hospital in a panic, still reeking of alcohol."Gwen, what happened? How did you end up in such a state?"Colin's heart ached at the sight of the dirty and disheveled Gwyneth. He quickly took her hand and gently touched her swollen and bruised cheek."Tell me, who hurt you?"Gwyneth finally felt a little better when she saw the concern in Colin's eyes. So much had happened between them lately, and she had started to believe his feelings for her weren't as strong as before.Yet now, she could finally relax a little upon seeing the intensity in his gaze. It seemed like there was still something between them."It's nothing, Colin. Really, I'm fine. Ms. Nicholls was just angry. She'll get back to work once she vents a little. I know how important this project is to you. A few hits don't matter to me." Tears spilled from her eyes as she spoke."Aspen actually
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 177
Colin stood at the entrance of Crescent Holdings, checking his watch with a slight frown on his face. A cab finally pulled up in front of him just as he was about to call Aspen to hurry things along.Aspen stepped out of the cab. Seeing the impatience on Colin's face, she paid it no mind. She even glanced at her own watch. She wasn't late; she had arrived right on the dot."Mr. Fuller, we can go in now."Aspen walked over, getting straight to business. Colin nodded but strode past her toward the car behind her. He then opened the door, revealing Gwyneth's pale face.The sight of her face made Aspen's stomach churn. She didn't even glance at the wretched pair and headed straight inside. Today wasn't about pretending to be some sickeningly loving couple with Colin—it was about the technology.Colin's expression flickered as he watched Aspen's retreating figure, but he still gently took Gwyneth's hand. "You're in no condition to be here. Why did you come?""I know how important th
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 178
Aspen glanced toward Colin almost instinctively, only to find his expression unchanged. Meanwhile, it was Gwyneth's face that betrayed something peculiar."Ms. Nicholls, is something wrong?" Gwyneth asked as she blinked her wide, innocent eyes, staring straight at Aspen.So it was her! The cleaning lady from this morning must have been one of her people.Aspen silently withdrew her hand from her bag and spoke calmly, "My flash drive is missing.""Aspen!" Colin finally snapped. He stood up abruptly, and his brows furrowed in anger as he glared at her."What the hell is wrong with you? Do you even have a brain or a shred of professionalism? Do you realize what a rookie mistake this is?"The sheer intensity of his reaction told Aspen just how crucial this project was to his company. Looking unfazed, she rose from her seat and walked straight to the computer. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she logged into her email."Technology may be advanced these days, but I still believ
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Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 189
Aspen didn't say much else when faced with this rare moment of leniency from Chester. She simply stood and walked out.The world was all the same now to her. People could do whatever they wanted, as long as it didn't interfere with her or her plans.Her life and pride didn't really matter to her anymore. She would go willingly if she could settle everything and then be with Sophie.Watching Aspen's retreating figure, Chester's expression shifted slightly. He picked up his cup of coffee and chuckled softly. "What an interesting woman.""Chester, if we just let her go like this, how are we supposed to answer to the client?" Kian asked, his face full of concern.Chester looked at Kian with something akin to affectionate pity, as if staring at a fool. "Do you know who we are? Since when do we owe her explanations?"Besides, after pulling a stunt like this, she'd be scrambling to cover her own tracks. You think she'd dare demand answers from us?""But doesn't this break the rules?" K
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"Get me a computer."Aspen was caught between amusement and frustration. When she designed the alert system, she had never anticipated needing to cancel it mid-process. Now, it was proving to be a real hassle.Chester didn't waste time arguing. He ordered one of his men to bring her a laptop.Aspen's fingers flew across the keyboard, and she successfully disabled the alarm within five minutes. She looked up at Chester with wide, almost pitiful eyes and whispered, "Just so you know, this alert system was really expensive to develop.""Are you trying to die?"Chester had reached his limit. Ever since this woman had regained the freedom to speak, her words had been like tiny knives, jabbing at him relentlessly. It was infuriating!Seeing him get angry, Aspen sighed and lowered her voice. "Shouldn't we move somewhere else to discuss this? This place isn't exactly... ideal.""Fine. Follow me," Chester agreed. What they needed to talk about next didn't exactly suit this place.…S
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 187
"He doesn't love you?" Chester stared at Aspen in disbelief, suddenly realizing he might have targeted the wrong person."No, he doesn't. His heart belongs to someone else. I was just a pawn in his family's arrangements. We might have muddled through, but he got my daughter killed, and that's unforgivable. I will make him pay!"Aspen clenched her fists. "You want to reclaim everything the Shaffer family lost? Let's work together.""With you? Why should I?" Chester snorted, his face full of disdain.He wasn't a fool—he could tell she was stalling for time."I own 51% of Fuller Group's shares. If you need them, they're yours." Aspen said it casually, as if they were discussing the weather.None of it mattered compared to her life. She would give up anything if it meant walking out of here alive. Her words truly caught Chester off guard."You've got 15 minutes to decide. Soon, this place will be surrounded. I won't be offering any deals once that happens."Aspen smiled cheerfully
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 186
Aspen shrugged, and her expression seemed resigned. "Nothing else really matters compared to staying alive. Since we're meeting for the first time, let's skip the small talk and get straight to the point.""You really are sharp. I'm Chester Shaffer. Someone paid me two million dollars to have you killed. But now, I'm starting to think keeping you alive might be more interesting."With that, Chester pulled out a stack of IOUs from his pocket and tossed them at Aspen's face. The slips of paper fluttered down like snowflakes, scattering across the floor in front of her.Aspen lowered her head to examine them, and her vision darkened for a second when she saw the name "Joseph Nicholls" signed at the bottom. She couldn't help but laugh."Can't even cut ties cleanly, huh? Even when he's locked up, he's still dragging me into his mess. What a wonderful uncle I have."A cold smirk curled her lips. The disdain in her eyes was unmistakable.Chester studied her reaction, finding it odd. He
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 185
Aspen sat on the floor for so long that her legs grew numb. As she struggled to stand, the door suddenly burst open with a violent kick, sending her flying backward. She crashed to the ground, staring in shock at the four burly men who stormed in."Who are you people? What do you want?"The pepper spray flew from her hand from the impact. She instinctively grabbed a piece of broken wood nearby, ready to fight back.But the men didn't utter a word. One strode forward and kicked the wooden plank from her grip, then yanked her up by her hair to drag her out.Aspen felt like her scalp was being torn off. Tears streamed down her face as she thrashed, but it was useless. This was supposed to be a five-star hotel—yet now, no one came to her aid."Let me go! What do you want? Do you know this is illegal?" she screamed through clenched teeth as she struggled.Her shouts only seemed to irritate the men. One decided to silence her with a brutal punch to the face, knocking her unconscious.
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 184
That single word—Pen—sent shivers of disgust down Aspen's spine. She stared at Colin before her in disbelief, unable to comprehend how such nauseating words could come from his mouth.Her brows furrowed tightly as she gritted her teeth. "My daughter is dead, and you still think everything I'm doing is just some tantrum? Where do you get that confidence? Colin, can't you afford a mirror with all your money?""I know the child's death is a wound for you. We can just have another if you like children that much."Colin spoke with forced patience. He had seen Aspen's brilliance and was now determined to keep her by his side.Aspen felt nothing but utter ridicule as she watched his self-assured and entitled expression. She didn't blame Colin—not really. She blamed her past self.There was a time when she thought Colin shone like the sun. But now? He was just an ordinary man. It had been her love that gave him that glow in her eyes.Now that the love was gone, so was the halo. He was ju
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 183
Meanwhile, a hidden camera in the restaurant had captured the entire scene. Before long, Gwyneth received the video. Its contents were crystal clear.She immediately took it to Colin. "Colin, look! Ms. Nicholls is trying to sell her shares in Fuller Group!"The footage was obviously edited. Gwyneth knew Colin wouldn't care about the earlier parts, but Fuller Group was his lifeline.Colin's demeanor shifted instantly after watching the video. His hands clenched into fists, and he hurled his phone to the ground with a snarl before storming out.Gwyneth stood motionless as she stared coldly at the shattered phone. A smirk curled her lips. She had known all along that emotional entanglements were trivial. Only core interests could truly wound Colin. Aspen had struck a fatal nerve this time.Back at her hotel, Aspen promptly reported the cleaning lady who had entered her room that morning. She ensured the woman lost her job after presenting surveillance footage and evidence, and she
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 182
Though Aspen had mentally prepared herself beforehand, hearing this made her realize her preparations were far from adequate. She nearly sprayed out the red wine in her mouth as she stared at Niall in disbelief."Aren't you being a little too direct?""Why beat around the bush? You want Fuller Group to crash and burn, and we're just waiting to carve it up!" Niall grinned at her, his eyes gleaming with excitement.Watching him, Aspen instinctively turned to Aren, her gaze filled with confusion. Noticing this, Aren flushed with embarrassment and smacked Niall's arm. "Can you not sound like a villain?""Am I wrong? This is the reality. A golden opportunity is right in front of us—why not lay our cards on the table?"Back in the office, Aspen hadn't pegged Niall as someone so brutally straightforward.She chuckled, then nodded. "Fair point. Fuller Group is a prime target right now. But you know how business is. If it's valuable, we won't be the only ones eyeing it, right?"Niall's
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 181
Aspen deliberately studied Niall's expression as she spoke, wanting to gauge his reaction. Sure enough, his face showed no trace of tension or surprise. That was clear proof that this had likely been planned between him and Aren."Two peas in a pod," she thought wryly.Yet strangely, this realization eased her mind. Before this, she had worried Aren might be fighting an uphill battle alone. She felt like she could relax now that she knew he had a formidable ally.Before long, Niall drove them to a restaurant. Aspen frowned at the unexpected detour as she stepped out of the car. She raised her brows and asked, "Why are we here?""I figured your useless husband wouldn't bother feeding you. My treat," Niall bluntly remarked without hesitation. After all, there was no need for formalities, given they were batchmates in university.Aspen made no pretenses either. She flipped open the menu and immediately picked the most expensive dishes. She fixed Niall with a pointed look after slammi
