As Victoria surveyed the dining room, she immediately noticed the romantic ambiance Chad had clearly requested. Their table was positioned in an intimate alcove, candlelit and adorned with fresh roses. The lighting was deliberately dim, creating an atmosphere more suited to a seduction than a business meeting.
Victoria's expression remained perfectly neutral, though inwardly she sighed with irritation. Chad's tactics were as predictable as they were transparent. She decided to address the situation head-on rather than endure an evening of his manipulative games.
"Alright, Chad," she said, leaning back in her chair and fixing him with her most direct stare. "Let's skip the elaborate setup and romantic atmosphere. What exactly are you trying to accomplish here?"
Chad had the grace to look momentarily caught off guard by her directness, though he recovered quickly with his characteristic charm. "Can't an old friend simply want to enjoy a pleasant evening with excellent company?"
"An old friend, perhaps. But you're not an old friend, Chad. You're a business rival with a history of ulterior motives." Victoria took a sip of the wine he had pre-ordered, noting with irritation that it was indeed her favorite vintage. "So again, what are you really after?"
Chad's façade of casual charm finally slipped, replaced by something more genuine and, oddly, more vulnerable. He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair and met her gaze directly.
"You're right, as usual," he admitted. "I do have an agenda tonight, though it's not what you might expect." He paused, seeming to gather his thoughts. "It's been years, Victoria. We've both met other people, built our careers, moved on with our lives. But lately, thoughts of you keep popping up in my mind. I can't seem to completely forget you."
Victoria felt a familiar exhaustion settle over her shoulders like a heavy cloak. She had dealt with Chad's romantic manipulations before, and the fact that he was returning to old patterns after all these years was both predictable and deeply annoying.
"So what are you trying to say?" she asked, her voice flat with barely concealed irritation.
Chad leaned forward, his expression intense and seemingly sincere. "I want you back, Victoria. I want us to start fresh, to see if we can build something real this time."
Victoria stared at him as if he had suddenly sprouted a second head. She blinked slowly, processing his words with growing disbelief. Did he actually think she was stupid enough to fall for this routine again? The Chad she remembered had always been calculating, but this seemed like a particularly clumsy departure from his usual sophisticated manipulations.
"Okay, first off..." Victoria began, her voice taking on the dangerously calm tone that her employees had learned to fear. She gently laid her palms flat on the table, folded them precisely, then her hands disappeared beneath the white tablecloth.
When they reappeared, she was holding a small recording device, no bigger than a button, which she placed on the table between them with deliberate precision.
"If you want a serious discussion, then we'd have to get rid of these things, don't we?" she said conversationally, as if discovering surveillance equipment was an everyday occurrence.
Victoria wasn't even offended by the discovery. She had expected no less from Chad, especially given the surprisingly personal turn their conversation had taken. His romantic overtures had always been carefully documented for potential later use, and some patterns never changed.
Chad merely smiled, completely unflinching at being caught in his deception. His lack of shame or surprise told Victoria everything she needed to know about how thoroughly he had prepared for this evening.
Swiftly, Victoria began searching the immediate area around their table. Her movements were efficient and practiced, suggesting this wasn't her first experience with corporate espionage. She discovered and disarmed three more recording devices: one attached to the underside of Chad's chair, another cleverly concealed within the floral arrangement, and a third embedded in what appeared to be a decorative napkin ring.
Rather than confronting Chad about each discovery, Victoria simply collected the devices and dropped them into her water glass one by one, watching with satisfaction as they short-circuited and died. She didn't bother asking about his ulterior motives; she would discover those soon enough, one way or another.
After destroying the last device, Victoria settled back into her chair and fixed Chad with an expectant look. "So, what were you saying?"
"That I want us to be together again," Chad supplied patiently, his composure still completely intact despite having his surveillance operation systematically dismantled.
Victoria's response was immediate and unequivocal. "No." Her voice carried the finality of a judge's gavel. "Now, is that all, or do you have something more threatening to deploy this time?"
Chad laughed, clearly amused and entertained by her blunt rejection. The sound was genuine, lacking any trace of the calculated charm he had been projecting earlier. "This is exactly why I can't seem to forget you, Victoria. No one else would handle this situation with quite your particular brand of ruthless efficiency."
"It's called the Victoria effect," Victoria answered smugly, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. She had always taken a certain pride in her ability to unsettle people who thought they could manipulate her.
Chad looked at her with genuine fondness, his lips twisted into an appreciative smirk. "You read me like a book," he said, pausing to take a sip of his wine. "How is James, by the way?"
Victoria raised an eyebrow, thoroughly unimpressed by the transparent attempt to probe for information. "Really, Chad? I pegged you as someone thorough, and this is all you've got? I'm totally disappointed."
Chad simply shrugged, his expression unapologetic. "Well, you are quite airtight when it comes to protecting your personal information. I've got to use whatever's at my disposal."
Victoria leaned forward slightly, though they remained separated by the width of the table. Her eyes glittered with dangerous curiosity as she posed her next question.
"And what might that be?"
Chad's smile took on a predatory quality as he reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew his phone. With deliberate slowness, he swiped through several photos before turning the screen toward Victoria.