Just Another Series Book 4: Just Another Notch
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Vesper Nadine
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Hoofdstukken
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She tries to bury her feelings, but her heart refuses to let go. Fate, of course, has its own wicked sense of humor and throws her right back into his world. Forced to work together, their old spark refuses to stay quiet, but danger circles close. His family isn’t just standing in the way—they’re plotting in the shadows, pulling strings with cruel precision. To make things worse, a forced wedding looms, one that neither of them can stomach. So they plot, they scheme, and they fight, chasing a future they both ache for. But when the dead rise, when masks fall, and when every secret is finally revealed, will their love prove stronger than the darkness hunting them down—or will fate snatch it away once again?
Chapter 1
Book 4: Just Another Notch
ANA
It had been almost a year since I “escaped” from college—and from him. Almost a year of constant heartbreak and countless sleepless nights spent crying.
But today was the day. Today, I decided to leave the past behind and live in the moment.
I had a small business that was about to receive its first promotion on national television, and I couldn’t wait to see it. Sure, I’d seen it before, but never on television for millions of people to watch.
My best friends were all on board with my project. Well, honestly, they’d become a part of my business.
Becky was the face of my campaign. Since my business was natural beauty products, who better to represent it than an ex-model?
Then there was Rachel. She helped me with phones, paperwork, and numbers.
And finally, there was Vicky, who helped me with all the ingredients I needed for my products.
And me? I ran production and made sure every product was perfect. Right now, everything was under control. Or at least, I thought it was.
Until I received a phone call an hour before our advertisement was supposed to air for the first time. I answered my phone with shaking hands, and it turned out there was a reason for my nerves.
The director of national television was asking me about some agreement from an agency or—hell if I knew. Then my world came to a stop when he told me how much we’d need to spend if we wanted to launch everything legally.
“Two hundred fifty thousand pounds.”
I was sure I hadn’t heard the price correctly, but he repeated it a few more times to make sure I understood. Of course, I had no idea what he was talking about. But either way, it was obvious our commercial wouldn’t be played tonight—or any day soon.
Just my luck. But what could I possibly do right now? Nothing!
So, I unlocked my phone, still tightly clutched in my hands, and sent a message to my besties in our group chat.
Ana
girls. We have a problem. Meeting ASAP at my place.
After only a moment, a string of three messages came through with confirmation. And to their credit, they all arrived in under fifteen minutes.
Really, they were the best friends a girl could ask for. I told them the short version of everything I’d been told on the phone, and I could see Rachel go pale right away.
“Shit! Ana, I am so sorry! This is all my fault. I had the complete list of things we needed to take care of, but Rebecka started crawling on all fours at that time and she took some of my papers and honestly it was a complete mess once she chewed on it. I am so sorry. Please don’t be mad. I will make it up to you, I swear.”
I could see in her eyes she really thought I would be angry, but it wasn’t her fault at all.
“Calm down, Rach. It’s not your fault. Even if you’d given me that list, there wouldn’t be much we could do. The man I spoke with informed me that the cost is a quarter of a million pounds. And I don’t have that kind of money.
“And no, Becky, I won’t take it from you or Aron. There’s only one more chance. I need an investor. So, what we’ll do today is come up with another advertisement, but this one we’ll spread on social networks and find someone who’s willing to invest in our business. Deal?”
All three of my friends nodded, and we got down to business. We had it all put together in no time. It was short, but the point was clear.
We are looking for an investor for a small makeup business that is based on nature-friendly ingredients.
Knowledge of any kind is not a must but would be welcomed.
You could help with the production or be the person behind the scenes.
Negotiations can be made.
The starting investment should begin with at least two hundred fifty thousand pounds.
After rereading it a couple of times, we started posting our artwork. And now all we could do was wait.
We sat in my living room, just trying to shake off our nervousness and relax. But I guess it was at the back of all our minds, no matter what we did.
Suddenly, my laptop pinged with an incoming email. I was grabbing for it even before the sound had finished.
And I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw someone already wanted to invest in our business.
“Girls! We already have an offer. And it’s a really generous one as well. They’re offering us a million.”
All three of them gasped at my words—and to be honest, who wouldn’t?
Rachel was the first to speak. “Does it say who it is? We don’t want it to be a trap, after all.”
I was already shaking my head before she finished. “No. I’ve read it already, and I’ll send it to you guys so you can go through it as well, but I can’t find anything suspicious. Only the part where they ask for our signature to seal the deal before we meet. That part is a little weird.”
This time, Becky answered my unspoken question. “Well, maybe they just don’t want to waste their time if we’re not willing to work with them.”
After we all went through the contract, we signed it and sent it back to the sender. He replied within seconds of receiving our signatures, letting us know we could meet tomorrow afternoon around four. I checked with the girls and told him we would be at the spot as stated.
If only I had known these posts would seal my fate, I would have found another way to get what I needed. But once it’s done, it’s too late for regrets…
