Chapter 10: Do I look like I've got money?

Victor Blackwood suddenly roped her into helping out at an event that evening, claiming he was short on staff. Nova, who typically worked in logistics with a modest paycheck, had little choice but to agree. Giving her shoulder a knowing pat, Victor assured her, "Don't worry, you'll get something out of this." With debts hanging over her head, Nova reluctantly accepted. That evening. Following Victor to the venue, Nova quickly realized why he had insisted she come. As soon as she walked into the room, the supposed client started checking her out creepily. He even tried to sneak a touch during their handshake. Nova felt disgusted. "I didn't expect your company to have such a pretty assistant. Come, have a drink with me." The man said, moving in close and boldly grabbing Nova's waist, while attempting to force a drink into her hand. Nova was repelled and pushed him away gently. "Victor Blackwood, looks like this deal might fall through… Your employee seems pretty short-tempered, huh?" The client complained. Nova rolled her eyes in disbelief. Excuse me? I barely did anything, and this is considered a bad temper? Victor was all grovels and bows, trying to smooth things over. Watching Victor's desperate attempts, Nova couldn't help but smirk. But then Victor turned on her, scolding her harshly. "Nova, what's going on with you! I brought you here because I thought you could handle it. Do you have any idea how much we could lose?" "You need to make sure this client is well taken care of today, or it's coming out of your paycheck tomorrow!" That was it for Nova. He had crossed the line. She whipped out her phone, ready to expose what was happening. "What are you doing? Hand over the phone now!" Victor demanded, panicked. He lunged with his heavy hand trying to snatch the phone. Nova was quick to dodge and pushed him away, further infuriating him. Victor, unable to hold back his anger, advanced to strike. Out of the blue, some guy barged in and started wailing at Victor with lightning speed. Victor took a few hard punches and was soon howling in pain. Nova stood up, looking totally freaked out. Why on earth was Tristan here? "Nova, you little bitch, setting someone on me? You're in big trouble now, I'm suing you! Just you wait!" Victor screamed from the ground, his voice a mix of pain and fury, sounding like a wild animal gone berserk. Tristan was about to give him another kick, but Nova quickly grabbed him and they made a run for it outside. Once on the street, Nova stopped and crouched down, looking utterly defeated and vulnerable. "What's wrong?" Tristan asked, his voice laced with concern. "Why were you here? Have you been following me?" Nova's face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and gratitude; she knew he had stepped in to defend her, but now she was worried about the fallout. Tristan stood there all polished and poised, while Nova looked like she'd been through a rough day — they couldn't have been more different. It was like there was an invisible line between them, clearly showing they were worlds apart. "I wasn't following you," Tristan reassured her gently. "I just happened to be having dinner with a friend nearby. Talk about timing, huh?" "This is just great, I've managed to tick off everyone now! I'm definitely getting the boot." Seeing her look so distressed, Tristan couldn't help but tease her a little. "Funny, I don't have anywhere to go either." Nova spun around to face him, puzzled. "What? Why?" Tristan pulled the car over, reached into the back seat, and handed her a paper. "Because of this." Nova took it and counted the zeros. "... five million?!" She felt a sinking feeling in her gut. Tristan took back the paper, his expression somber. "My buddy demands this money back ASAP, so I had to liquidate all my family's properties. There's still some left to pay, but I can make payments." "How can you be so chill about this?" Nova stared at him, confounded. "You're here to collect from me?" she asked, anxiety creeping into her voice. Tristan leaned in close, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Do you have any?" "I..." Nova looked away, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Do I look like I've got money?" "No cash, huh?" Tristan's smile deepened with amusement. "What's our next move?" "I’m really sorry, but you took out a huge loan without my permission. We both messed up here." She was earnest. "I’ll find a way to pay you back, but I might get fired soon. Can you give me some time?" Tristan was somewhat surprised by her answer but didn't rule out that she might be acting. Any woman who knew who he was would likely play along. He looked away and said lightly, "What about me then? I had to sell the only house my family left me." Nova bit her lip, looking troubled. "Look, I just don't have that kind of money right now. " Nova's not exactly living the dream either. Her mom's long gone, her dad's loved up with someone else, and it feels like she's got no one in her corner. The house she's in? That's all her grandma left her. She glanced over at Tristan, her lips quivering a bit, "Maybe I should just sell my house?" Tristan noticed the tears starting to form in her eyes and saw how hard this was for her. "You don't have to do that," he said gently. "I'm basically homeless now. How about I just stay at your house for a while?"