Chapter 186 Nolan's Intentions

In a cozy little coffee shop, Victoria squinted at Nolan, who was sitting across from her, sipping his coffee like he was in some fancy commercial.

"Seriously, did you drag me here just to watch you drink coffee?" Victoria finally blurted out.

She'd been sitting there for a solid five minutes, and he hadn't said a peep.

If she wasn't so well-mannered, she would've bailed already.

"Chill out. Good coffee's gotta be savored while it's hot; it loses its mojo if you rush it," Nolan said, all laid-back.

After what felt like forever, he finally dropped his second line. "You're the mystery guest at tomorrow's Global Pharmaceutical Academic Exchange Conference."

It wasn't a question. It was a straight-up fact.

Victoria's brow furrowed, her eyes locking onto his. He looked calm, with those slightly mischievous eyes and a casual tone. Then he spread his hands. "I didn't swipe any secrets. I don't do illegal stuff. I just happened to see your name on the list."

Happened to?

Yeah, right. If she bought that, she wouldn't be named Kennedy.

The guest lists for the Pharmaceutical Academic Exchange Conference were always top-secret, handled by a special team. And as a mystery guest, her name was supposed to be under wraps. But Nolan knew. Besides playing the role of a slacker in the Parker family, what else was he hiding?

The Parker Group wasn't into pharmaceuticals, yet here he was, all interested in this conference and finding out she was the mystery guest.

After a beat, she lowered her eyes and said softly, "Don't tell me you're planning to bid for this pharmaceutical company."

As soon as she said it, Nolan snapped his fingers. "Bingo. Knew you'd figure it out quick." He grinned, genuinely impressed with Victoria. Smart and sharp, with so many hidden layers.

Who would've guessed she was also a senior researcher at a pharmaceutical institute?

Not only could she run a company, but she could also whip up some serious pharma research.

Totally badass.

"As far as I know, the Parker Group doesn't mess with the pharmaceutical market, right?" Victoria asked, playing it cool.

Nolan chuckled softly, almost too quiet to hear, his tone dripping with arrogance and a clear disdain for the Parker family, like they were just a tiny pebble in his path.

"The Parker Group doesn't, but that doesn't mean I don't," Nolan said flatly.

Right then, Victoria found Nolan even more intriguing. He'd been hiding his true self for years, clearly not someone who'd settle for mediocrity. He was more ambitious than anyone else, and deeply calculating. It seemed the intel she had on him was just the tip of the iceberg.

Leaving the coffee shop, Victoria had just slid into her sleek black Mercedes when her phone buzzed.

It was Adrian.

"Hey, Uncle Adrian," Victoria answered.

"Victoria, I just got to Rihegde today. Let's grab dinner tonight; I want you to meet someone," Adrian said, sounding all cheerful.

Victoria paused for a few seconds. Billy had already asked her out for tonight, and now Adrian was hitting her up too. When did she become the hot ticket?

She had a bit of a pickle.

Finally, she came up with a plan.

She knew why Adrian was in Rihegde this time. The Barnes Group had a stake in the pharmaceutical game too.

"Uncle Adrian, how about this..." Victoria started.

Adrian had just landed in Rihegde and called Victoria. Ruth Barnes, who was with him, didn't know who he was talking to, but she could tell from his tone that this person was important to him.

Adrian had been in the business world for decades, always with a stern face, rarely cracking a smile. But as soon as he made the call, the hard lines on his face softened, and his tone got way gentler. To Ruth, Adrian had always been a strict, no-nonsense guy.

After Adrian hung up, she asked, "Dad, who was that?"

Adrian didn't keep it a secret. "A friend's kid. She's two years younger than you."

Since that chat with Victoria, he no longer pinned his hopes on Anthony.

Just like Victoria said, the heir didn't have to be a guy, and Ruth was his only daughter. But her situation was a bit unique. She and Anthony were half-siblings, and only Ruth had inherited his business acumen. She was sharp, quick to learn, and decisive.

"It was her who gave me the idea," Adrian continued after a pause.

Hearing this, Ruth got it.

Over half a month ago, Adrian suddenly called her back from the branch office to HQ and announced she’d be the new general manager. At first, she was puzzled, but after a long talk with Adrian, she understood his plan.

She had never thought of competing with Anthony for control of the Barnes family. She wasn't into all that family drama and power plays.

After graduating, at Adrian's urging, she joined the Barnes Group. But she chose to go to a branch office, starting from the bottom and working her way up to operations director through her own efforts.

Her position in the Barnes family was unique, and she tried to steer clear of family politics. Few people outside knew her true identity.

Billionaire's Bad Girl
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