CHAPTER 161: DANGEROUS CONFESSION

Soundtrack available on YT, IG, & FB

SONG TITLE: Claim Me - Shiroi Nami (Claim Me Captain! I’m Addicted to You!)

Ella and Liam reached the glass-front building of Pacific Manning Services in less than thirty minutes. The night pressed heavily around them, eager to meet with Georgia as soon as possible, but she was already waiting outside when they arrived.

Ella hurried to her and pulled her into a hug. "What happened?" she whispered, urgency cutting through her voice.

Georgia’s lips barely moved. "Not here. Let’s go inside."

They moved quickly until they were sealed in the privacy of her office. Georgia turned her monitor toward them.

"I received these emails just before I called you," Georgia said. The email blazed across the screen, a long list of termination notices and warnings of non-renewals. "And like I told you earlier... Our clients are either pulling out or preparing to cut ties."

Liam’s jaw clenched. "How bad is it? Exact numbers."

Georgia shook her head, frustration breaking through her controlled tone. "Too many to count in one sitting. From what I see, it’s easily over fifty percent."

"What?!" Ella’s voice cracked in disbelief. "That’s a lot, Georgia!"

"I know," Georgia snapped, pressing both hands over her face before dragging them down in exasperation. "Tomorrow, I’ll start meeting every single one of them in person. This is no coincidence. Too many. Too coordinated. And it all hit within a single day."

Liam leaned forward, sharpness in his gaze. "This has the Davis name written all over it. You have to tell Nick."

Georgia stiffened. "Not yet. He just started settling into his role, and he’s already done more than enough by investing here. I won’t pile this on him until I’ve fought this battle myself. Let me talk to these clients first. If I have no choice, then I’ll bring Nick in. But until then—don’t say a word. Promise me."

Liam exhaled, rubbing his jaw. "Fine. But if you hit a wall, you call me—us. Because if Nick finds out I knew and stayed quiet, he’ll tear me apart."

Ella smirked despite the tension. "Wow, Liam... you really are scared of your brother, huh?"

His reply was cool, unwavering. "Not fear. Respect. What matters to him matters to me. That’s how we protect each other."

Georgia’s gaze softened for a fleeting moment. "You remind me of David. If he were still alive, he’d be standing right here, solving this with me."

Ella looped an arm through hers, nudging her playfully to break the heavy air. "Hey, you’ve got me. Sisters from different mothers and fathers, remember? We’ll drag this company back from hell if we have to."

"Besides chasing clients, what’s your next move? What if none of them renew? What if every door slams shut in your face?" Liam pressed, his tone edged with challenge.

Georgia straightened in her seat, the steel in her eyes returning. "Then we pivot. We were already preparing to acquire clients from other industries, small or big, whatever we could get. We’re diversifying."

"You’re not going to focus on maritime placements anymore?" Liam asked, studying her closely.

She gave a sharp nod. "Yes. We just lost East West Corporation, and that alone gutted a huge portion of our revenue. If survival means starting from the ground up, then I’ll do it. My grandfather built this company brick by brick, deal by deal. If I have to go back to the beginning, I will—and I’ll fight as hard as he did." Her conviction cut through the room like a blade.

Liam leaned back in his chair, a calculating smile playing on his lips. "Then maybe... Ella and I can help."

Ella blinked, caught off guard. "Me? What do I have to do with this?"

Liam turned to her, his gaze sharp, assessing. "You’ve been cultivating something valuable without realizing it, Ella. What if Georgia expanded her reach by partnering with our companies? Think farm-to-table. High-demand. Fresh. Sustainable. Fast. We’d distribute your produce and live plants through my logistics network. No middlemen, no waste. Straight from your soil to their table."

The idea hit the room like a spark catching dry wood.

Ella’s eyes widened, her voice breathless with excitement. "You’ve read my mind. I’ve been sketching that exact idea, but... I thought it was just a dream because the distribution would be a problem."

"Wait—produce?" Georgia narrowed her eyes, confusion flickering across her face. "Ella, you sell ornamental plants, not vegetables."

Ella bit her lower lip, hesitating before the truth spilled out. "I was planning to expand. Hydroponics. Organic greens, herbs, fresh produce... Planning to offer setup services too. I was going to tell you before, but with your wedding and everything else crashing down, I didn’t get the chance. Until now."

Georgia leaned forward, her voice clipped but urgent. "Tell me."

And Ella did. Every detail of her vision tumbled out—hydroponics, eco-packaging, contracts with local restaurants, lifestyle tie-ins with her ornamental line. "If I launch this, I’ll need manpower. A lot of it. Which means... I can become one of your clients."

Before Georgia could even respond, Liam cut in smoothly, his tone deliberate, authoritative. "Then count me in, too. If Ella partners with me, I’ll need manpower on my end as well for the distribution and logistics. Which makes me your client as well."

The words hit Georgia with the force of a lifeline thrown into stormy seas. Her throat tightened, eyes stinging as emotion broke through her hardened composure. "Oh my God... I don’t even know how to thank you both. You don’t realize what this means to me."

Liam’s gaze held steady, piercing. "Then let’s make it bigger. Vicky might be the missing piece. Neither my company nor Vicky’s is bound to an exclusive manpower agency—not like Nick’s. We can bring her in. She’ll help you for sure, Georgia. If you want, we go now."

Georgia glanced at the time. "It’s late. Tomorrow is better."

But Liam shook his head, already reaching for his phone, his voice thick with certainty. "No. Vicky’s still in her office—I know her. Let me call. If she answers, we strike tonight." He stepped out, his tall frame disappearing into the dim hallway like a commander moving to secure reinforcements.

The moment he was gone, Ella slipped closer, hugging Georgia’s side, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "We... almost kissed today."

Georgia’s head snapped toward her, eyes wide. "What?!"

For the first time all evening, the storm of contracts and collapsing clients vanished from her mind, replaced by Ella’s flushed cheeks and that dangerous confession.

********

Author’s Note:

There will be a delay for the 2nd and 3rd Chapters today. It will be posted at a later time because I worked on the soundtrack of the book over the whole weekend.

If you have time to listen to it, it’s on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, and let me know what you think of it.~

Song Title: "Claim Me - Shiroi Nami"