The Mask Slips

Victoria adjusted her posture, her hazel eyes narrowing as she tried to recalculate her attack. She leaned forward slightly, resting her forearms on the edge of my mahogany desk, trying to force an intimacy that wasn't there.

"Well, it's not just business, Robin," Victoria dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, her tone dripping with fake concern. "He was so stressed when he came over around midnight. He mentioned he stopped by your place first, but that you... turned him away? He seemed so disappointed, poor thing. A man like Ethan—a Vance—isn't used to being locked out in the cold. He came straight to my apartment looking for a little warmth."

She leaned back, watching me intently, waiting for the trap to spring. She had just handed me a direct confession wrapped in a sympathy note. She expected me to snap, to accuse her, to demand answers about why my fiancé was at her apartment at midnight.

Instead, I took a slow, deliberate sip of my black coffee. The dark, bitter roast tasted delicious on my tongue.

"I had a terrible migraine last night," I replied coolly, my eyes locking onto hers with unblinking composure. "And as you know, Ethan can be quite... loud when he's stressed. I simply didn't have the patience to soothe his ego last night. I'm glad he had somewhere else to run. It saved me from having to listen to him whine about his father."

Victoria’s jaw visibly tightened. The polite, sisterly mask she wore was threatening to split right down the middle.

"You sound remarkably detached for a woman who is supposed to walk down the aisle with him in three weeks," Victoria remarked, her voice dropping the sweet act entirely, taking on a sharp, icy edge. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you don't care where he sleeps."

"I care about my peace of mind, Victoria," I said smoothly, leaning back and resting my hands over my lap. "Ethan and I have an understanding. He gets his freedom, and I get mine."

Victoria stared at me, a deep crease forming between her perfectly manicured brows. She searched my face, looking for the nervous, insecure girl who used to flinch at her presence. But she couldn't find her. The woman sitting across from her was calm, radiating a cold, dangerous confidence that didn't make any sense to her.

Her gaze drifted downward, scanning my neck. For a brief second, her eyes snagged on the high lace collar of my blouse—the exact spot where a faint, dark shade of concealer was struggling to cover the bruise Damon had left near my collarbone.

Victoria’s eyes widened slightly. A sharp flicker of shock crossed her features before she masked it with a tight, suspicious frown. She knew what a bite mark looked like. But she also knew Ethan hadn't gotten close enough to give me one last night.

"Is that a mark on your neck, Robin?" Victoria asked, her voice quiet, sharp, and laced with sudden suspicion.

"Just a minor skin reaction," I lied effortlessly, resting my fingertips over the lace collar without a hint of hesitation. "My skin has been terribly sensitive lately."

Victoria stood up slowly, picking up her untouched iced coffee from my desk. The triumphant aura she had walked into my office with was completely gone, replaced by a deep, restless unease. She couldn't read me anymore. The leverage she thought she held over my head—Ethan’s infidelity—had proven completely useless.

"Well," Victoria said, her voice stiff as she straightened her jacket. "I'm glad to see you're so... understanding about Ethan's late nights. Just make sure you don't get too comfortable, Robin. Things in this company have a habit of shifting when you least expect it."

"I count on it," I replied with a cool, sharp smile. "Thank you for the coffee, Victoria."

She hesitated for a fraction of a second, her eyes lingering on me with dark suspicion, before turning on her heel and marching out of my office. The glass door clicked shut behind her.

I sat alone in the quiet room, watching her retreat down the hall through the frosted glass. A soft, breathless laugh escaped my lips.

Victoria thought she was playing a master game of chess, using Ethan as her pawn to break my spirit. She had no idea that the game had already changed.