Chapter 4
Jordan's smile stiffened at the corner of his mouth, and the amusement in his eyes slowly gave way to a heavy seriousness.
He'd expected Rita to panic and lose her cool, but he never imagined she'd already forged iron defenses for herself.
The past five years hadn't just stripped away her softness—they'd given her claws sharp enough to survive in this cutthroat jungle.
For the first time, Jordan realized his ex-wife had grown so much that he couldn't afford to underestimate her anymore.
His fingers tapped lightly on the table, the steady rhythm almost syncing with everyone's heartbeat.
"Ms. Moody's quick thinking is impressive, but making this plan work is a whole different beast. It's going to push the team to their limits," Jordan said.
He dropped the playful act, his tone turning icy and harsh again.
"I don't want every penny I put in to end up as nothing but beautiful illusions on a PowerPoint—empty promises that never see the light of day," he added.
Rita met his gaze head-on, her voice icy and unwavering.
"Whether this plan actually gets off the ground comes down to execution and management, not empty skepticism from the top seat," she said.
"If you doubt my abilities, Mr. Walters, go ahead and pull your investment. I don't think Prime Group's projects are so needy that we'd chase after an investor who doesn't trust his own partners."
As soon as she said that, Marvin broke out in a cold sweat, frantically shooting Rita warning glances.
After all, this was Jordan from Lumina Group, the big shot they'd struggled so hard to win over.
Jordan locked eyes with Rita, then suddenly let out a low, unsettling laugh that made everyone's skin crawl.
"Interesting. Very interesting," he said, his voice laced with menace.
He stood up, buttoned his suit jacket, taking his sweet time. The air in the conference room seemed to freeze under the weight of his presence.
"Since you're so confident, Ms. Moody, I'm in. And I'm doubling my investment," he declared.
"But there's one catch. Ms. Moody, you'll work directly with my investment team, and every detail comes straight to me."
He was blatantly tying her to himself, no pretense, no shame.
Rita shot him a frosty look, the words of refusal right on the tip of her tongue, but she bit them back.
She was the director, carrying the hopes and futures of dozens in her department. She couldn't let personal feelings destroy everything they'd worked for.
Jordan had zeroed in on her weakness, using his power to keep her firmly in his grip.
"Alright, Mr. Walters. Just don't start whining when the nitty-gritty gets overwhelming," Rita said, stone-faced.
Without missing a beat, she began packing up her files with practiced ease.
As the meeting broke up and the team filed out, only the two of them were left in the room.
Jordan walked over to Rita, and that familiar, icy cologne washed over her senses once again.
He leaned in slightly, his voice carrying an air of absolute certainty.
"I'll pick you and Trina up from school at six tonight," he said.
Rita walked out without looking back, her voice icy and final.
"Mr. Walters, show some respect. Trina doesn't need a father in name only like you," she said.
"As for the details you mentioned, my assistant will coordinate with you. I'm busy and don't have time for your nostalgia games."
She walked off at a brisk pace, her heels tapping out a rapid staccato down the hallway.
Jordan stayed rooted in place, staring at her back—so guarded, so resilient—and the darkness in his gaze deepened.
He pulled out his phone and called his assistant again.
"Dig into Rita's romantic life from the past five years. See if there's any guy she's been spending time with," he ordered.
He wanted to know, once and for all, which man had given her the confidence to push him away.
As Rita stepped out of the office building, she felt completely drained, like all her strength had been sucked out of her.
Every second in that conference room had felt like she was walking a tightrope, one wrong move away from disaster.
The sunlight was almost blinding. She pressed a hand to her forehead and lingered by the curb for a moment, trying to catch her breath and pull herself together.
She knew better than anyone that Jordan would do whatever it took to get his way. He was here for more than just business.
Now that he'd discovered Trina existed, he was like a wolf on the scent—there was no way he'd ever back off now.
Her phone started buzzing violently in her bag—it was a number that always gave her a headache.
Rita picked up, and before she could even say a word, Laurel's shrill, cutting voice came through the line.
"Rita, you shameless tramp! Who the hell do you think you are, trying to steal my man?" Laurel snapped.
"You really think having some bastard kid is gonna let you climb your way to the top? Keep dreaming.
"Everything Jordan has comes from the Norris family. If he ever screws me over, I'll make sure he ends up with nothing!" Laurel threatened.
Rita pulled the phone away from her ear in disgust; her icy glare could freeze the air around her.
"Ms. Norris, instead of screaming at me, maybe you should worry about your wandering husband," Rita shot back.
"I have zero interest in Jordan. If I didn't want that loser five years ago, there's no way I'd pick him up now.
"And as for the kid you keep mentioning, her last name is Moody. She has nothing to do with you, the Norris family, or the Walters family.
"If you dare call me again to harass me, I won't hesitate to leak your scandalous history to the media," she warned.
Rita's words hit Laurel like a ton of bricks, instantly shutting her up on the spot.
Laurel might be used to getting her way, but even she knew Rita wasn't someone you could push around anymore.
After hanging up, Rita stood in the wind, taking a deep breath of cold air.
Five years ago, Laurel returned as Jordan's first love, and the two of them flaunted their closeness all through her pregnancy.
Back then, Rita had cried, she'd begged, but all she got from Jordan was, "She's just someone who needs my care. Can't you be a little more forgiving?"
'Forgiving? My whole world was collapsing, and he wanted me to just let it go?' Rita thought bitterly.
The moment she signed that divorce agreement, Rita killed off the weak version of herself for good.
She hailed a taxi and rushed straight to Trina's school. At that moment, all she could think about was scooping her little girl into her arms and never letting go.
Sure enough, that familiar black Maybach was parked right outside the school entrance, its body shining cold in the sunset.
Jordan was leaning against the car, smoking, eyes narrowed as he watched the school entrance.
When he saw Rita, he crushed out his cigarette and walked over with long, purposeful strides.
Rita instinctively sped up, trying to walk around him.