Spencer Martin had been expecting Noelle Kelley’s visit ever since Damir Palmer tipped him off. He'd never met the heiress in person, but he'd certainly heard the buzz around her and Patrick Jordan's so-called fairy-tale wedding. The public loved reading into every glance they exchanged in photographs, spinning stories left and right—though nobody could deny they made one hell of a good-looking couple. Patrick had the kind of face that made other men green with envy, while Noelle's polished beauty had made her the subject of endless gossip.
Sitting across from him now, Noelle looked even softer and more captivating without all the bridal fanfare. Her beige wool skirt suit—picked out by her friend Vivian Carter—gave off just the right mix of warmth and professionalism. As Vivian had put it, she was old enough to dress with a little more authority.
Maia Castro, Noelle's new assistant, couldn't help but notice how glued Spencer’s eyes were to her boss—like he was straight-up awestruck. She quickly pulled the contract from the folder and slid it across the table. “Mr. Martin, this is the partnership agreement. We were going to send it to your office, but Ms. Kelley thought it best to hand-deliver it.”
Spencer snapped back to reality, nodding a little too eagerly. “It's our first time meeting. I don't recall ever seeing Ms. Kelley around the Kelley Group.”
His tone was polite, but his gaze kept drifting back to Noelle like he couldn't help himself.
Maia frowned.
By keeping the address formal, Spencer was making it clear that he intended to keep the relationship strictly businesslike. It was a quiet little power play.
Noelle didn't flinch. She just smiled. “I focused on my family after getting married. I've only recently come back to the business.”
Spencer deliberately slowed his speech. “Oh... so you're just now rejoining the workforce.”
“I met your brother, Logan, at a wedding once,” Noelle said, as if recalling a pleasant memory. “You two look strikingly similar—not just in appearance, but in the way you carry yourselves.”
She said it on purpose. She didn't really know Logan Martin that well, but dropping his name casually was part of her game.
Spencer kept his face calm, but inside he was buzzing. Coming from a lesser branch of the Martin family—kind of like Damir's position in the Kelley family—he'd always felt overlooked. Even when he and Logan dressed the same, Logan got praised for his elegance while Spencer felt like the knock-off version. So hearing Noelle say he resembled Logan? That genuinely made his day.
He'd walked into this meeting planning to make Noelle—this so-called frivolous housewife—squirm. But now he was already softening. “My apologies, Ms. Kelley,” Spencer said, and this time it sounded real. “But I can't sign this contract just yet.”
“Why not?”
Spencer kept his tone courteous, but there was no budging him. “I owe Damir a favor. Only he can pull off this project at this price. Besides, you don't exactly have the experience.”
“Oh, a favor to Damir...” Noelle mimicked his tone, nodding like she totally got it.
Just as Spencer thought he'd played this perfectly, Noelle's demeanor went cold. “The favor you're talking about—that's using 'Majestic Estate's' relocation funds to cover your current project's profits, isn't it?”
All the color drained from Spencer's face.
“Ms. Kelley,” he said carefully, “You need proof to throw around accusations like that. What relocation funds?”
Noelle smiled, then nodded at Maia, who set the evidence down in front of Spencer.
Noelle spoke gently, almost kindly. “Do you know why the Kelley Group pulled Damir off the project?”
“'Majestic Estate' has been stuck for ages because of those relocation issues. You really think it's just stubborn villagers holding things up?”
“With how fast this city's developing, time is money. The residents there are itching for developers to pay relocation fees so they can boost the local economy. So Damir's delays—that wasn't on the residents, was it? That was him going around the Kelley Group.”
Spencer flipped through the records, completely speechless. He'd wanted to use his position inside the Martin family to his advantage, but he hadn't signed up for legal trouble. How was he supposed to know Damir was treating those relocation funds like his own personal piggy bank?
Noelle's voice was as gentle as her outfit suggested. “Mr. Martin, if Logan were to find out...”
Spencer caught her meaning instantly. He grabbed the contract Maia had slid over earlier and shoved it toward his own assistant, ordering him to stamp it on the spot. Then he turned to Noelle, pleading. "Let's sign at this price, and please—keep this whole thing confidential. As for the money Damir passed on to me, I'll... pay it back. Gradually."
He'd already spent the cash, so paying it all back at once? Not happening.
Noelle gave Maia another look, and Maia promptly produced a second contract.
Noelle explained, “This is for a different project—similar scale to 'Majestic Estate'. Let's sign at the same rate, Mr. Martin.”
“Alright, alright.”
Spencer agreed without missing a beat.
Using the Martin family's resources to fix his own mess and keep Noelle from exposing him? Seemed like a fair trade.
As she was leaving, Noelle made Spencer promise to keep this meeting with Damir under wraps. The Kelley Group couldn't risk Damir catching wind of their moves.
Spencer nodded. “Thank you, Ms. Kelley!”
And honestly? With the Kelley Group backing him, Spencer felt a little less like Logan's shadow.
*
Leaving Maia to handle the contract details, Noelle headed to Harvest Cafe. She needed outside help with the relocation problem, and Vivian had set her up with an expert.
As she approached the reserved table, she was surprised to find a young man in a checkered shirt and jeans, looking more like a graduate student than a corporate consultant. “You're the expert Logan arranged to brief me?”
The young man stood up suddenly, his six-foot frame towering over her.
“It's you?”
Noelle blinked. “Have we met?”
“Unforgettable!” The words came out through clenched teeth, leaving her completely lost.
He was even more eager than she was, jumping straight into her questions, and she forced herself to refocus.
While Noelle scribbled notes, Jamie texted Logan, demanding to know what the hell was going on.
Logan had made it sound like she needed programming help—but she was asking about relocation logistics.
Logan's reply was short and sweet: “Bro, do me a solid. Vivian asked, and you're the most experienced guy I know.”
Jamie: Traitor—sold out for a pretty face!
Logan: Thanks, man. Vivian owes me dinner now.
*
Not far away, Serena Powell sat in her car, parked on some errand. She'd meant to grab a coffee, but through the cafe window, she found herself completely fixated on the pair inside.
The girl was firing off questions like she couldn't get enough, and the boy—despite his stone-cold demeanor—kept answering with way more patience than his face suggested. Every time something clicked, she'd light up with a warm smile and throw him a thumbs-up.
Watching them, Serena's eyes narrowed, and she pulled out her phone to start recording.
Noelle, what is there to say about you?
So this is why you're so hell-bent on divorcing Mr. Jordan? You're just moving your romantic interest that fast? You knew he'd never feel the same, so you made the smart call and bailed? But honey, don't you realize that if Patrick believes you were unfaithful, he could use it against you in the divorce?
The boy's got some appeal—young, fresh, looks sharp—but compared to Mr. Jordan? Not even in the same league.
After saving the video, Serena scoffed. "What a pathetic little chase—running after a man who doesn't give a damn about her. Shameless!"
