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36  The Power Of The Voss Name

Jenny stood from the table, leaving Nico with her last words. She sauntered to her friends' table, putting him out of her mind. For now.

Her face shifted from what she had been showing Nico to a bright smile. "My two Queens." She grinned, hugging them both before sliding into the seat opposite them.

"It's been too long." Charlotte grinned, pushing the cup of coffee she'd ordered for Jenny to her.

"Yeah." Jenny grinned. "I've missed you guys."

"You better."

"Another thing I've missed." Jenny took a long sip of her coffee, smiling at her friends.

"More than us?" Charlotte raised a brow. "Come on." Jenny laughed. "I'm not you. Only you would miss a cup of coffee more than your friends."

They shared a laugh. "I can't believe it's taken me this long to get back here." Jenny sighed, unable to hide the fondness in her voice.

"I know! It feels like forever!" Charlotte laughed. "Crownsborough just isn't the same without you." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Then it's a good thing I'm back."

They both cheered but Quinn didn't join in. They both looked at her to see that her attention was on Nico, whose friend had just arrived.

The two of them were leaving the cafe together, talking quietly among themselves.

Quinn watched them go before turning back to see her friends staring at her.

"What?" She said defensively. "I'm just curious."

"Yeah." Charlotte nodded at that, turning to look at Jenny. "Me too."

"Yeah." Quinn leaned towards Jenny. "What was that all about? From what we could see, it looked like the two of you were having a pretty serious conversation."

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"It sure didn't look like catching up." Charlotte added.

Jenny masterfully let out a reluctant sigh as if she was bringing up a topic she'd rather not discuss.

"It was just a family matter." She said. "I needed to ask him a few questions about his... intentions."

Charlotte's brows rose as she exchanged a glance with Quinn. "And now that you've asked? What are his intentions?"

Jenny glanced in the direction of the door before giving them both a knowing look. "You didn't hear this from me."

"Of course." Both women leaned closer. For Jenny to start with that, it meant that she was about to drop a piece of juicy gossip.

"Nico is looking for an easy mark." She said pointedly, her voice low. "Someone to lift his venture off the ground with minimal effort on his part. In reality, he doesn't have much going for him."

Quinn and Charlotte exchanged glances filled with surprise.

"What do you mean he's looking for an easy mark?" Charlotte asked. "I mean… he doesn't seem like the type."

Jenny smiled inwardly as she leaned closer. The journey to showing Nico the error of his ways began with a single step.

"Okay." She nodded. "Who approached whom first?"

"Nico approached Quinn first." Charlotte answered for her friend.

"Think about it." Jenny said like she was delivering an undeniable truth. "Why would Nico, of all people, approach you, Quinn?"

"Why not Charlotte? Think. Whose family just so conveniently happens to be in real estate?"

She paused, letting her words sink in. "It's not a coincidence, Quinn. He's looking to take advantage of any connection he can."

Both women took a few seconds to process what they'd just heard before Charlotte spoke.

"But Nico didn't exactly come to us alone. He approached us with Noah Patterson. Remember the Golden Oil heir?"

Jenny nodded, wondering how Nico had befriended someone that high profile.

"They looked like genuine friends. Noah wouldn't be associated with someone who had nothing, would he?"

Jenny smirked at the question. She had the perfect answer.

"That's the power of the Voss name. People see it, they hear it, and they start making assumptions. The Voss name opens doors, even for people like Nico, who barely have a foot in the family."

Quinn still looked skeptical. "I don't know, Jenny… Nico didn't come off that way to me. You're making it sound so... scummy."

"Scummy or not, the intentions are the same." Jenny shrugged. "Nico has no resources of his own to fall back on. His only option is to look for someone willing to give him the boost he can't get on his own. And that person is you."

Charlotte looked between Jenny and Quinn, frowning. "But how do you know all this about Nico?"

Jenny leaned back in her chair, sighing. There's only one way to do this. By telling the truth.

"Nico is my stepbrother."

She saw her two friends' eyes widen as their hands flew up to cover their mouths.

"He was, how should I put it, banished from the family."

Quinn was the first to speak. "I had no idea Logan Voss had a son."

Jenny gave a tight smile. "Most people don't. Nico's been… Well, let's just say he's been on the fringes. But now he's looking for a way back in. He thinks that if he can find the right backer, he can claw his way back up to the family name."

The table was quiet for a few seconds, each woman ruminating on her own thoughts.

Then, Quinn looked up at Jenny with a conflicted expression.

"But he doesn't seem like someone trying to use people." She murmured, almost to herself.

"Quinn." Jenny said, drawing her friend's attention. "I'm telling you this because you're my friend. Nico is not worth the trouble he'll bring. Trust me."

She could see that she was slowly convincing Quinn. "Look. If he comes to you, just ignore him. You deserve better than to be dragged into whatever scheme he's trying to pull. Okay?"

"Okay." Quinn nodded.

Jenny smiled at her friend. She sipped her coffee and steered the conversation to lighter topics. She could tell that her friends' mind was still on Nico but she didn't mind. She knew she had successfully planted a seed of doubt in their mind and it'll grow until it cannot be uprooted.

Whatever Nico has wanted from Quinn, he wouldn't get.

This was just the beginning. She'd come for everything else that was his.