Chapter 1515: Hurting things

Finn and Nina sat quietly in the car, he in the driver’s seat. Now that Finn was with her, she didn’t need to ride back with the person who had brought her there.

Nina stole a careful glance at him. "How... how did you know I was here?"

"Nana told me," he replied, giving her a quick look. "Luckily, I was already on my way when she did."

"Ah..."

"Nina." Finn let out a deep breath, leaning back into his seat, eyes still on the road. "Why would you even go there?"

His voice carried concern, and when he glanced at her, his expression was pained. "Did she ask you to come?"

Didn’t she know that meeting his mother would only subject her to endless rounds of indignation?

"No," Nina whispered, lowering her eyes. "I went on my own."

"Why?"

She sighed, her gaze shifting to him. "I ran into my old boss while doing groceries today. You remember her, right? The one who lost her job because of me."

"She still hasn’t found a new one," Nina continued with a guilty sigh. "Apparently, the woman who replaced her—my former senior—was meddling in her affairs. I know it’s not your parents’ fault directly, but it still makes me angry that the consequences of their actions went that far."

She paused, then murmured, "It’s unfair."

If it had only affected her, Nina would’ve let it slide. She wouldn’t have said a word. But the real guilt came from knowing that while she found joy in her unexpected unemployment through Finn, someone else was still struggling—someone who stood up for her.

Her former boss might’ve said it wasn’t Nina’s fault, but that didn’t stop her from feeling remorse, guilt... and shame.

"It’s not like I went there to beg her for help," Nina said, lifting her eyes to his profile. "I just wanted to tell her that she hurts people. Maybe she already knows that and just doesn’t care, but—I don’t even know what I was hoping for."

A long silence followed. Finn kept stealing glances at her, then finally reached out to hold her hand.

"I understand," he said softly, eyes still ahead. "And I’m not mad at you. I’m just upset that you had to go through that. She’s the kind of person who says hurtful things on purpose, with no intention of taking them back."

When people are angry, they say things they regret later. But not Mrs. Davis. She had incredible self-control—honed from years in the business world. She just chose not to use it when it came to cutting words.

Why? Because she could get away with it.

"It’s alright. I already expected that when I decided to drop by," Nina said. "But Finn... she said something that bothered me."

His brow arched. "What is it?"

Nina hesitated, lips pressing together. Still, she wanted to trust him—just as they always promised to be transparent with each other.

"She... knew about your short business trip," she began carefully. "She said it wasn’t about what you told me. That there were problems you had to fix... because of me."

Her eyes searched his. "Is that true?"

She wasn’t angry—just wanted the truth.

"Nina, it’s true there was a small issue," Finn admitted with a quick glance her way, "but that’s not why I left. The Pierson Corporation and I had a past agreement about expanding the business. But after the accident and a few other things, we decided to put it on hold for now. It wasn’t the right time—something your brother Atlas advised, actually."

"Really?" Nina blinked. "It’s not because your family was pressuring you?"

"Pfft—" Finn stifled a laugh, slowing as he turned toward her. "Is that what she told you?"

She nodded with a slight pout.

"Nina, even if the Davis family tried to hurt my business, they couldn’t," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. A light chuckle escaped him as he pulled over to the side and faced her more fully. "I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but remember the deal with Pierson Corporation?"

"Uh... yeah, you did mention it."

"Well, I’m technically under the Pierson Corporation’s umbrella, and I have a vote on the general board," he explained. "My parents were respected in the industry, sure, but they can’t touch my company. Doing so would be challenging the Pierson, and the Piersons don’t take kindly to competition."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "I made that deal long ago so they couldn’t ever interfere, even if they tried."

"Oh..." Nina’s mouth formed an "O" as she nodded slowly. "So... she was lying?"

"Not exactly. They’ve been trying," he said with a chuckle, "but it’s not even worth mentioning."

Mr. Davis had made attempts, but maybe he hadn’t realized just how well-insulated Finn’s company was. In fact, Finn wasn’t leeching off the Pierson Corporation—if anything, it was the other way around. His company had generated the highest income of all Pierson’s subsidiaries last year.

It only proved how little the Davises truly knew about their son.

Nina sighed in relief, then chuckled, a little embarrassed. "I’m sorry. I thought you didn’t tell me because I wouldn’t be able to help."

"Why would you think that?" he said, laughing softly as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Just knowing that my wife is waiting for me is more than enough motivation to solve a problem and come home faster."

"Haha!" Nina laughed, cheeks flushing. "Let’s just go home. I thought you’d be late. I’ll make us a quick dinner."

Finn smiled, still holding her hand as he pulled back onto the road. A peaceful silence settled between them before he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right. About your former boss—don’t worry about her anymore." He glanced at her with a wink and a grin. "The Pierson Corporation needed someone, so I made a recommendation. I sent her portfolio to Dean, and knowing him, he acts fast."

Nina’s eyes widened in surprise, but Finn’s calm, reassuring smile was all she needed.

---

Meanwhile, somewhere in Anteca...

Nina’s former boss sat in her kitchen, laptop open, browsing job listings. She was seriously reconsidering starting over, even if it meant going back to square one. Having any income was better than none.

As she clicked to submit another application, a new email notification popped up in the corner of her screen. She checked it out of habit.

But the moment she saw the sender, her eyes widened. Her heart pounded as she opened the email and read its contents.

By the time she finished reading, her hand was covering her mouth in disbelief.

The Pierson Corporation... is offering me a senior position in their marketing art department?