# Chapter 59 It Means Rejection: A Cold Encounter in the Hallway
The atmosphere at the restaurant was thick with tension the moment Eric Ferguson’s cold gaze fell upon Nicole. He stood on the sidelines, silent as stone, but his eyes carried a chill that could freeze the warmest of summer days.
Nicole, ever the unshaken queen, responded with a light laugh as she casually took Ian Carter’s arm. She raised an eyebrow at Keith Ludwig, her voice dripping with amused disdain.
“What does it matter to you how many men I change or how many people I date?” she asked, her gaze sharp as a blade. “Mr. Ludwig, do you want to date me too?”
Keith’s face twisted with fury. *Why do I always get bullied by this woman?!*
“You? You’re not my type!” he spat back, trying to recover his dignity.
But Nicole wasn’t done. She delivered the killing blow with surgical precision. “To be honest, the last time I saw your body, it’s not that great. You’d better date women with no taste. I’m very strict about my requirements on men’s physique.”
Keith’s face turned a spectacular shade of red, then white, as he trembled with rage. But he dared not say another word. His nudes were in her hands, and that threat hung over him like a guillotine blade. *Is this woman threatening me?*
Ian laughed beside her, adding fuel to the fire. “Her standards have always been very high. Mr. Ludwig, if we continue talking, it’ll affect my boo’s appetite!”
One glance at Eric was enough to affect Nicole’s mood. She coldly dismissed Keith, ignoring the man beside him, and walked inside with Ian.
Keith was practically jumping with fury behind them. “This woman is too much! How dare she insult me for having a bad figure? Is my body not great?”
Eric’s face was surprisingly cold. He snorted lightly. “You think it’s good?”
Nothing had been going Eric’s way lately. The appointment with Nicole had fallen through. The matter with the emerald pipe remained unresolved. And the memory of Nicole seeing Keith running naked gnawed at him like a persistent ache he couldn’t explain. An inexplicable frustration settled in his chest.
Defeated yet again, Keith blamed it all on Nicole. When he had gone to Eric’s office earlier, he coincidentally ran into Mitchell, Eric’s secretary, who was contacting Nicole’s secretary. They had been rejected outright.
So the two men had come out for lunch, only to see Nicole on a date with Ian Carter. How could Eric possibly be in a good mood?
Suddenly remembering something, Keith asked cautiously, “I heard that your family heirloom was auctioned off by your mother and sister?”
Eric’s face grew even colder. He said nothing.
“Who bought it? Why don’t you just spend more money to buy it back?”
Eric glanced coldly at Keith. “Nicole bought it.”
Keith let out a faint “oh.” *That would be difficult.*
Perhaps after seeing those two men she despised, Nicole had lost her appetite. The meal felt tasteless, the conversation meaningless. They had some wine—lan’s recommendation was sweet on the tongue but burned her throat, with a high alcohol percentage that left her tipsy after just one glass.
If it weren’t for Ian being even more tipsy than she was, Nicole might have suspected he spiked the wine. She held her forehead, called Logan, and told him to send someone to pick her up. Then she made her way to the bathroom to wash her face and sober up.
Her steps were unsteady, but she managed. After splashing cold water on her face, she regretted coming out with Ian. She remembered the route back to the private room, but when she turned a corner, she bumped into someone.
“Sorry.”
As she raised her eyes, Nicole saw Eric’s cold face, his eyebrows tightly knitted together. She instantly sobered up and immediately took a step back to keep her distance.
“Mr. Ferguson?”
Eric noticed her movement, his eyes sinking slightly. “What a coincidence, Nicole.”
Nicole raised her eyebrows. “It’s not. I was about to leave.”
She tried to walk past him, but he stopped her.
“Let’s talk.”
“Talk about what?” Nicole looked at him, puzzled.
“You know what,” Eric spoke, locking his eyes onto her.
Nicole laughed, no longer feeling tipsy. “I don’t think there’s anything to talk about between us. For work matters, please contact my assistant.”
Her phone rang—probably the driver. Just as she was about to leave, Eric said, “You can state any condition you like, but I must take the pipe.”
*So he’s here for the emerald pipe. Old Master Ferguson must have found out since it’s been a day. Quinn and Ingrid must be pretty miserable now.*
Nicole smiled brightly, her eyes carrying the weight of finality. “Mr. Ferguson, do you still not understand? Since yesterday, I ignored you guys no matter what conditions you offered. It means rejection.”
Her smile was radiant, but the words cut like ice. She turned and walked away, leaving Eric standing in the hallway, the cold silence of rejection echoing around him.
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## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter delivers a powerful punch of emotional tension and character drama. The confrontation between Nicole and Keith is pure gold—watching her dismantle his ego with surgical precision is deeply satisfying. But the real highlight is the hallway encounter with Eric. Nicole's final line—"It means rejection"—is delivered with such perfect coldness that you can practically feel Eric's world crumbling around him. The contrast between Nicole's confident, unbothered demeanor and Eric's simmering frustration creates incredible narrative tension. Ian serves as a perfect foil, adding lightness to balance the heavy confrontations. The chapter masterfully sets up the power dynamics: Nicole holds all the cards, and Eric knows it.
**⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.7 / 5 Stars**
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## Next Chapter Prediction
Nicole has firmly closed the door on negotiation, but Eric Ferguson is not a man who accepts defeat easily. With the emerald pipe now in Nicole's possession and his family's pressure mounting, Eric will likely escalate his efforts—perhaps through legal means or by leveraging his business connections. Meanwhile, Nicole's quiet confidence suggests she has a plan far beyond simply keeping the pipe. Expect fireworks when Old Master Ferguson gets directly involved, and Quinn and Ingrid may face consequences worse than anyone imagines. The real question is: how far is Eric willing to go to reclaim what was taken from his family, and just how much damage is Nicole prepared to inflict?