Nichole Richards is currently living her best life.
She's single and mingling, has an amazing group of friends, and business is booming for her bakery business. Things only take a turn for the worst after she discovers that someone from her past ha...
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14 | COMPLICIT
It isn't smart to fight fire with fire, but to take down Kade Lowrey, Nichole is ready to try anything.
"I'm so sorry that you had to go through that alone." Taehyun sits next to Nichole on the couch, holding her close while Ademar angrily paces the floor. "I wish you would have waited for me and Addy. We could have gone together and—"
"I know, I know. I was reckless and being rash. I should have waited until you guys got home, but I... I just didn't want to further drag you and Ademar into my mess," Nichole says. "I thought I could shoulder this all on my own, but Kade is clearly is out for blood. I underestimated him."
Nichole finally fessed up and told Ademar and Taehyun about the not-so-little incident that had taken place at her house this morning. She didn't leave out any details, told them both how she waited until they left for work so she could sneak out to retrieve more of her belongings. She even told them the part about how Kade had threatened to use their old sex tape against her if she didn't cough up the twenty-five grand he demanded.
Taehyun remained calm while listening to Nichole speak, not wanting to add to her stress by visibly getting enraged despite feeling it on the inside.As for Ademar... well, he's ready to kick ass and ask questions later.
"We can't let him get away with this," Ademar mutters. "Instead of trying to be the bigger person in this extremely fucked up situation, we should instead be trying to find out where this fucker lives. I know a few guys who wouldn't mind doing me a favor and getting their hands a little dirty..." Ademar pauses, looking over at Taehyun and Nichole with wide eyes as an idea suddenly hits him. "We wouldn't have to lift a finger. I could get a group of men to—"
"Ademar, stop. Do you even hear what you're saying right now?" Taehyun groans, shaking his head in frustration. "What if all that gets tied back to you somehow? Tied back to Nichole? Then what are you going to do? You could easily be charged with at least ten different crimes based on what you're suggesting. I don't think any of us should stoop to that assholes level. We should come up with another plan, preferably one that doesn't put us at risk of going to jail right alongside him."
Taehyun, ever the cautious one, admittedly has a point. Ademar's aggressive proposal is indeed on the radical side, Nichole is in agreement. However, the same can be said for Kade and what he's been doing ever since he left jail. He showed up to Nichole's home and place of work uninvited, barged in and started spewing threats. And when it came to him asking for the money, he didn't exactly do it nicely. If anyone is being extreme right now, it's most definitely Kade.
"Times like this is when I need you to not be as soft as you look," Ademar snaps, glaring at Taehyun. "This isn't some cliché schoolyard bully that we're dealing with, Taehyun! This guy is ruthless; he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Playing nice with him will only backfire. If we want to take him down and keep him there, we have no choice but to play dirty and beat him at his own game."
