"It's nice doing business with you, Mr. Sterling," Owen said, extending his hand firmly.
"The pleasure is all mine," Mr. Sterling replied, gripping his hand with equal strength. His gaze slid to Victoria, his lips tugging into a smile. "You and your sister sure do know how to convince and attract investment."
Victoria's cheeks warmed under the compliment. "I learnt from the best," she said softly, her eyes flicking briefly to Owen.
"Good, good." Mr. Sterling chuckled. "Then I'll have my PR department drop the office memo. Let's bring HexTech to life."
Owen and Victoria exchanged a quick glance. They couldn't have asked for more.
The meeting with the Winstons didn't drag—it was mostly a neat review and signing off on conclusions. By the time it wrapped up, the day already felt lighter.
Ann had popped in earlier, hovering by Victoria's office door, only to flee the second she caught sight of Owen approaching. Too shy to hold her ground, she'd sneaked out like a thief in broad daylight.
Victoria chuckled, shaking her head at the memory. "For someone who has a crush, she sure is a fast runner," she murmured, amusement dancing in her tone as she returned to her work.
Her eyes drifted to the small package Ann had brought for her, and a soft smile touched her lips. What would life look like without Ann? she wondered. "Hell, probably," she answered herself out loud, laughing quietly.
"I thought I saw your friend just now," Owen's voice broke into her thoughts as he walked into her office. He leaned casually against the edge of her desk, pretending to rack his memory. "What's her name again?"
"Ann," Victoria supplied.
"Yeah... Ann. Where's she off to?"
"Her office, probably. She came to drop something off."
"Oh." A flicker of disappointment crossed his face before he masked it with a shrug. "Thought I'd say hi, but… oh well."
Victoria didn't miss the subtle shift in his expression. Tilting her head, she smirked knowingly. "Do you, by any chance, have a..."
"Don't even dare," he cut in, eyes narrowing playfully. "I… it's just.. it's been a while since I last saw her, that's all."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Victoria rolled her eyes, lips tugging into a mischievous smile.
He straightened, adopting a mock-formal tone. "So, milady, what do you have planned for the rest of the day?"
"I do have a lunch date once I'm done here," she said without looking up.
His eyes darkened instantly. "Don't tell me it's that dude from this morning?"
"Owen…" She let out a helpless sigh. "He's just been nice. There's no need to be hard on him."
"What did I tell you in my office?"
"Owen—"
"Vic," he said firmly, folding his arms. His towering presence and the sharpness in his tone gave him the air of a king sitting high on a pedestal, staring down his subject. "I'm only looking out for you. And I don't like him."
"I understand," she said gently. "But I can't cancel on him last minute."
"Of course you can. A simple 'I'm busy' or 'I have a meeting' will do the trick."
Victoria chuckled, shaking her head. "So now you're teaching me to lie?"
"For a good cause," he countered with a sly grin.
"Just this once. He did say he has something to give me, so I have to go."
"Do you… by any chance have something towards him?" Owen asked, his voice dropping, almost careful.
"No!" she blurted. "I just, I don't feel like he has bad intentions. Besides, he had the chance to do whatever he liked, but he didn't. That should mean something."
Owen's jaw clenched as he finally took the seat across from her. His eyes pinned her down. "When was that?"
"When was what?" she asked, confused.
"When was the time he had the chance to take you—but didn't?" His words were quiet, but laced with an edge.
Victoria swallowed, her mind flashing back to that moment she hadn't thought about in while. "It… it was the very first day we met."
Owen stared on, silently waiting.
Victoria sighed, finally breaking the quiet. "Daniel had accompanied me to a business event and left to go do something important. I had a few drinks, and I was… a little tipsy. He"...her voice softened ..."noticed me across the crowd and helped me to my car. He even took my contact info just to make sure I got home safely. If he was a bad guy, he could have taken me somewhere else, had his way with me… but he didn't."
Owen's jaw clenched.
"We started conversing after that," Victoria continued, her gaze drifting away, "and with time, he developed feelings for me. But I turned him down—because of my engagement with Daniel. And then… when the engagement was called off, he said he'd shoot his shot, no matter what. He said he'd make me his." She sighed deeply, concluding, "That's all there is, Owen."
Owen was short of words. His lips pressed into a thin line, and he finally muttered, "Still… I don't like him. Just... be careful around him." He pushed back from his chair and stood, leaving her office in long strides.
"Thanks. I will," Victoria said softly, though his warning lingered in her mind.
---
Later that afternoon…
Seated across from Victoria, Dennis could barely take his eyes off her. The golden light streaming through the restaurant's windows made her skin glow. He leaned forward, his voice low, deliberate. "You look breathtaking."
Victoria blinked, cheeks heating under his gaze. She fiddled with her fork, forcing a smile. "Thanks," she said shyly, before straightening her shoulders. "So… what is it you have for me?" Her tone tried for normal, but her nerves betrayed her.
"Nothing," Dennis said casually, picking up his glass of tea.
Her brows furrowed. "Nothing? So you..."
"I just needed you to agree to lunch with me," he cut in smoothly, sipping his drink with maddening calm.
Victoria's jaw dropped. What?
He chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair. "I do have something to give you," he added, voice laced with meaning, "but mainly… I wanted to enjoy a meal with my fiancée."
The word fiancée landed like a thunderbolt.
Victoria froze, speechless. Blood roared in her ears, her mind spinning. She pushed back her chair abruptly, standing. "I… I need to use the restroom," she stammered.
Dennis only raised an eyebrow, though a knowing smirk tugged at his lips. "Sure," he said, not stopping her. He knew why.
---
Staring at her reflection in the restroom mirror, Victoria tried to steady her breath. But her thoughts scattered like broken glass.
"You look beautiful," a voice interrupted.
Victoria turned to see a tall, elegant woman washing her hands. "Thanks," she murmured neutrally.
The woman's lips curled into a cold smile as she dried her hands. Then her eyes flicked up to Victoria's with deliberate sharpness. "Dennis is mine. And mine alone."
Victoria stiffened.
"Whatever he's saying to you, whatever charm he's spinning…" The woman leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "He just wants a taste of you. We're already engaged. So this..." she straightened, smoothing her blouse with an air of superiority, "...should be taken as a mild warning. Stay clear."
Without another word, she tossed her hair back and left.
Victoria swayed where she stood, gripping the edge of the sink for balance. Engaged? Warning? The words echoed in her head like a curse. Her stomach churned with a mixture of fury and shame.
It took everything in her to compose herself. Straightening her posture, she fixed her makeup quickly, her hands trembling.
When she stepped back into the restaurant, her expression was cold steel. She didn't spare Dennis a glance as she strode to the table, grabbed her bag, and walked straight out.
She would not be a third party. Not again.