h4Chapter 179: Chapter 179/h4

    Hearing what Emily just said, James’s lips parted, ready to plead again, but Emily’s words cut him down before he could even breathe out. "This will be the first andst time you’ll call me. Unless one day you manage to get yourself back on your feet, this number should never appear on your screen again. Don’t you dare call me. Don’t you dare show up. And if by mistake you ever see me on the road or in any ce, don’t greet me, don’t stop me, just keep walking. You and I both know you won’t be stepping into any high-end ce anymore, so it’s unlikely we’ll even cross paths. But if we do, James... pretend I don’t exist."

    Her words were daggers, stabbing without mercy. Again James tried to speak, tried to find something anything, to hold onto, but before he could utter another word, the line went dead. Emily had ended the call.

    At that moment James could barely drag his legs forward, the weight pressing down on his chest making each step feel heavier than thest. He managed to slump down onto the nearest sofa, his body copsing into it like all the strength had been drained from him. His phone rested limply in his hand, the screen still glowing, but his eyes were empty. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. He just sat there staring, reying Emily’s words over and over in his mind.

    The rejection cut deeper than he ever expected. It wasn’t only that she turned him down, it was the way she had spoken to him, sharp and cold, like he was beneath her. James had been through countless humiliations in his life, but this one felt like it stripped away a part of him.

    Then, like a cruel whisper in the back of his mind, realization struck. Emily had mentioned something... a loan. The word echoed in his head until his stomach knotted. Slowly, painfully, the memory crept back. He did have an unpaid loan. One he had buried at the back of his mind, telling himself he’d handle it when the time came.

    But the time was no longer distant. It was here.

    Immediately he rubbed his forehead, forcing himself to think clearly. The loan wasn’t a small one, it was from way back, during one of his failed ventures, before Cora had stepped in to help him with ZXZ and turn his life around. He had promised himself he would pay it back when he could, certain the deadline was far ahead. But as he pulled out his phone, checking dates, a wave of panic washed over him.

    Less than a week, that was all he had. Barely a handful of days before the repayment deadline crushed him. His heart began to pound as he muttered under his breath, cursing himself for forgetting something so deadly important. How could he have been so careless? the worst part wasn’t the money he owed, it was who he owed it to. King Stone Investments. Everyone in the business world knew their name, and not with respect, but with fear. They weren’t just ruthless; they were merciless. Stories of what they did to people who defaulted on loans weren’t rumors they were warnings. No one crossed them and came out unscathed.

    At that moment in time James felt a chill run down his spine. He could already imagine the pressure, the threats, the destruction that would follow. He clenched his fists, his mind racing, desperate to find a way out. He stood abruptly from the sofa, pacing in circles, but every step only deepened his dread.

    "What am I going to do?" he whispered to himself, his voice trembling. "How do I get out of this? How...?"

    His thoughts spiraled, reaching for any strand of hope, any light in the darkness. And then, like a sudden spark her face came to his mind.

    "Cora!!"

    At that moment, James sat there for a long while, staring at his phone as if it carried the weight of his entire future. His chest rose and fell heavily, and his thoughts ran in circles that only pushed him deeper into desperation. He had always been the man who thought he could handle anything, who believed he could maneuver through any situation with charm or careful nning. But now, the walls were closing in on him. The bitter taste of Emily’s words and actions still lingered, cutting at his pride like a sharp de.

    But more than the sting of rejection, it was the shadow of the unpaid loan that terrified him the most. The name King Stone Investments alone was enough to drain the blood from his face. He had heard stories, horrific stories of what happened to those who failed to repay them. Some had their businesses wiped clean overnight, others lost everything they owned, house, every property they have, and there were darker whispers of people simply disappearing. James clenched his fists. He couldn’t allow that to be his fate.

    He paced back and forth in the room like a trapped animal, his thoughts racing faster than his feet. He tried to think of options, of a miracle that could suddenly solve this mess, but each idea he conjured only led to a dead end. No money. No resources.

    no allies who would dare to confront King Stone. And then, like a spark in the darkness, the thought of Cora came rushing into his mind again.

    Cora, the woman who had been with him through thick and thin, the one who had supported him when no one else did, the one who had believed in him even when he failed. He swallowed hard, shame burning in his throat. He had hurt her, betrayed her trust by letting Emilye between them. But maybe, just maybe, he could still salvage something.

    At that moment James convinced himself quickly, almost desperately: If I can just twist the story... if I can make her believe that Emily deceived me, that I was only looking for a business edge because of her connections, then Cora might forgive me. ’We’ve been in love too long.’ She won’t throw everything away so easily.

    His palms were damp with sweat as he picked up his phone. "It’s better I face Cora’s anger than King Stone’s destruction," he muttered under his breath. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. "She must forgive me. She has to. I’ll y this card right, and she’ll believe me."

    With trembling hands but a hardened resolve, James scrolled through his contacts, found her name, and pressed the call button.