Rebirth for sweet wife for revenge

"Good evening," Nicole Abrams said, forcing her voice to stay steady as she approached the receptionist at the Monarch Hotel's sleek, gleaming front desk. "I have an appointment with Mr. Martins Grant."

The receptionist didn't bother hiding her curious smirk as she sized Nicole up, then typed briskly into her computer. "Ah, yes. He's expecting you. Take the elevator to the fifth floor. When you exit, turn right, and it's the second door on your left."

Nicole nodded, thanked her, and headed toward the elevator, feeling her pulse quicken. This whole meeting had come out of nowhere, courtesy of her mother-in-law, Veronica Fury.

Veronica had never been subtle about her dislike of Nicole and had questioned her motives ever since she'd married into the Fury family.

So, when Veronica called her this morning, proposing that Nicole handle a "small favor for the family business" to gain her approval, Nicole had agreed without hesitation. She wanted nothing more than to ease the tension between them and, hopefully, strengthen her rocky marriage to Taylor.

Still, as she stepped into the empty elevator and watched the numbers light up toward the fifth floor, Nicole couldn't shake the unease prickling at the edges of her mind.

Her phone buzzed in her bag, interrupting her thoughts. She fished it out and saw Sarah Austin, her best friend's name, flashing on the screen. Nicole answered, pressing the phone to her ear.

"Nicole, are you sure about this?" Sarah's voice was laced with worry.

Nicole swallowed, managing a smile despite the odd feeling churning in her stomach. "I'm already here, Sarah. I know it's strange, but if it helps me make things right with Veronica, it's worth it. She made it sound like all I had to do was get a signature from Mr. Grant. She said it was routine-something important to the family."

"Just... be careful, okay?" Sarah said, a little more firmly this time. "You know how Veronica is. I'd hate for you to get dragged into anything messy."

Nicole tried to shake off the nerves as the elevator doors opened on the fifth floor. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. I'll call you after, okay?"

"Fine. But keep your guard up."

Ending the call, Nicole took a steadying breath as she stepped out of the elevator, glancing down the carpeted hallway. Her heels echoed softly as she walked toward room 215, the faint scent of expensive cologne lingering in the air. Just a quick meeting, she reminded herself. Get the signature, then go.

When she reached the door, she pressed the bell and clasped her hands in front of her to keep them from trembling. She heard footsteps, then the door swung open. Nicole's breath hitched as she took in the man standing before her-Martins Grant, apparently, and he was barely dressed, wearing only a pair of gray jogging pants that hung low on his hips.

"Mrs. Fury?" he asked, flashing a slow, almost mocking smile.

"Yes. Nicole Abrams, actually," she said quickly, keeping her gaze firmly on his face. "Mr. Grant?"

"At your service," he said smoothly, stepping aside to let her in.

Nicole moved past him into the plush, dimly lit suite, glancing briefly around at the lavish furnishings. She took a seat on the couch, her fingers tightening around the bag that held the documents. "I was asked to bring these for you to sign," she said, pulling out the folder. "Veronica mentioned you're familiar with the contents?"

Martins took the folder and flipped through the papers, a smirk playing at his lips. "Oh, I'm aware," he replied, barely glancing at the document as he strolled over to a small bar in the corner.

"Can I offer you a drink?" he asked, lifting a bottle of champagne.

"No, thank you," Nicole replied, her tone clipped. She just wanted to get this over with and leave. The room felt oppressive, and she couldn't shake the strange sense that she was being watched.