Chapter 4

Trixie's POV 

*Three years later*

Three years could change a person.

Standing before the full-length mirror in my private office, I adjusted the back of my dress and frowned when the fastening refused to cooperate.

“Could you help me with this, please?” I called out.

My assistant, Naomi, set the folder in her hands on the nearby desk and stepped forward. Within seconds, the fastening was secured.

"Thank you."

“You're welcome, Miss Quinn.” Naomi retrieved the folder. “The West Tech partnership documents are ready. The final proposals are arranged according to your instructions, and the meeting schedule has been confirmed.”

“Good, you can leave them on my desk.”

She obeyed, then hesitated a little. “Is there anything else you need before we leave?”

“No. That will be all.”

Naomi nodded and stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

I turned back to the mirror.

The woman staring at me wore an elegant dress, understated jewelry, and an expression that revealed very little. 

My shoulders were straight, my chin lifted, and my appearance immaculate. Nothing about me suggested the woman who had left New York three years ago with a suitcase, a broken heart, and no idea how to begin again.

Almost nothing until my fingers found the silver ring on my right hand.

I still twisted it whenever something weighed heavily on my mind. No amount of success had managed to break that habit.

“Some things never change,” I murmured.

My phone rang before I could examine that thought further. Claire's name appeared on the screen.

I answered with a smile. “You know, most people send a message before calling this early.”

“And miss the pleasure of disturbing your important business life?” Claire replied. “Never.”

I laughed softly. "How are you?"

"Busy, tired, and surrounded by people who don't appreciate my brilliance. So, perfectly normal." Her tone grew gentler. "How are you, Trixie?"

"Fine."

"That sounded suspiciously like the answer you give when you're trying to avoid a conversation."

"Then maybe you shouldn't ask questions you already know the answers to."

“Maybe you should stop pretending you're made of stone.”

 I didn't comment on that for a few seconds. Three years apart had changed our lives, but Claire still knew how to find the cracks in my carefully maintained composure.

We eventually turned to my mother.

Claire visited her regularly and kept me informed about her condition. Some days, my mother recognized her. On others, she struggled to remember familiar faces. 

There had been no miraculous improvement, but Claire made sure she was comfortable and properly cared for.

“She was calm during my last visit,” Claire assured me. “She even smiled when I showed her the pictures you sent.”

I closed my eyes briefly. “Thank you for being there for her.”

“Seriously, Trix. You don't have to thank me every time.”

“I know. I just—”

“I know,” Claire interrupted gently. "And she's your mother. You haven't abandoned her, Trixie. You've made sure she has people around her who care.”

I let out a slow breath. It was something I needed to hear, even after three years.

Then Claire changed the subject.

“Speaking of people who haven't changed, the Smith family is still making headlines.”

My fingers stopped moving against the ring.

“Are they?”

"Don't pretend you're not curious. Levi and Lia are still engaged. Williams Smith still controls the family empire, and his sons are more powerful than ever. Flynn is becoming increasingly influential, and Winter has been making moves of his own. As for Levi, he's still trying to prove himself to his father.”

I listened without interrupting.

The first two months after leaving the city, every detail about Levi's life had mattered to me. 

I would search for hidden meanings in every headline and wondered whether he ever thought about what he had done, but now, the information felt like news about people I had once known. 

“Does any of that concern you?” Claire asked.

“No.”

“Not even a little?”

I glanced at my reflection. “I don't need to know what they're doing to decide what I'm doing.”

Claire fell quiet for a moment. “That's the Trixie I wanted to hear.”

We spoke for a few more minutes before ending the call. I placed my phone beside the folder Naomi had left and opened it.

The West Tech partnership was one of the most important opportunities the company had pursued in years. Several powerful businesses had submitted proposals, but Smith Group's bid carried particular significance.

West Tech had refused to reveal who would lead the selection process.

That decision had been deliberate.

I had spent three years learning how powerful people negotiated, concealed weaknesses, and turned personal interests into business arguments. Under Joe West's guidance, I had learned to recognize the difference between confidence and intimidation, generosity and manipulation, loyalty and control.

He had given me a chance when I had nowhere else to turn.

More importantly, he had taught me to stop treating my own abilities as though they belonged to someone else.

I owed him a great deal.

But I had earned my place at West Tech through hard work, and I would not allow anyone to mistake his faith in me for a lack of competence.

My phone rang again. This time, it was Joe. I answered immediately. “Good morning, Mr. West.”

“How many times must I tell you to call me Joe when we're not in a board meeting?”

“Until I forget that you're the chairman of this company.”

“Then I suppose I'll be waiting a long time.”

His amusement brought a small smile to my face.

Joe had become more than my employer over the past three years. He had been my mentor, my greatest professional supporter, and the closest thing to a father figure I had known since losing my own.

He had never demanded that I explain every painful detail of my past. 

Instead, he had given me work, challenged my decisions, and expected me to stand behind them.

That had done more for me than pity ever could.

"Have you reviewed the Smith Group proposals?" he asked.

"Twice. I've reviewed the other submissions as well."

"And?"

"The strongest proposal will win. I won't recommend a partnership simply because a company has a famous name or influential connections."

"Even if that company belongs to the Smith family?"

"Especially then."

Silence settled over the line.

Joe finally spoke. "The Smiths are not people who accept losing gracefully. When their interests are threatened, they can be ruthless."

"I'm aware of that."

"And your history with Levi?"

"My history with Levi has nothing to do with the selection process."

"Are you certain?"

I straightened, my gaze fixed on the folder.

"I won't give Smith Group an advantage because of our past. I won't sabotage them because of it, either. If their proposal deserves the partnership, the evidence will speak for itself."

Another brief pause followed. I knew Joe well enough to recognize when he was considering a question he had not yet decided to ask.

Finally, his voice grew quieter. “”There's something else we need to discuss.”

“What is it?”

“Once you walk into that room, you may have to face Levi. Perhaps his brothers, too. You cannot control how they react to you, and you cannot predict what seeing them again will bring back.”

My fingers found the silver ring and I twisted it. During the three years, I had imagined what I might say if I ever stood before Levi again.

 Sometimes, I pictured his regret. Other times, I imagined the satisfaction of watching him realize what he had lost. However, those fantasies had never changed what happened.

I had built a life that no longer depended on his recognition. I closed the folder and looked directly into the mirror.

The woman staring back at me was no longer waiting for anyone to acknowledge her worth.

Joe's voice broke the silence. “Trixie, are you ready to face the people from your past?”

I lifted my chin, my eyes cold as they stared at my reflection. “More than ready.”