Chapter 3

I unplugged the backup flash drive. Just as I was about to leave, Victor's assistant pushed open the door and walked in.

Seeing the demolished front door and me standing in the foyer, Chris stumbled back two steps in shock. "M-Ms. Norris... what are you doing here?"

"This is my penthouse. Why can't I be here?" I said flatly.

He swallowed hard, avoiding my eyes. "Mr. Bates asked me to... pick up a few changes of clothes for Miss Kemp."

I pointed toward the master bedroom. "Go ahead and get them. And while you're at it, tell Victor I'm putting this place on the market tomorrow morning. Tell him to clear Sallie's garbage, along with himself, off my property."

His eyes went wide. For a long while, he couldn't utter a sound. Grabbing my handbag, I walked out of that suffocating penthouse without looking back.

Standing downstairs in the cold night air, I dialed Alexander's number. "Mr. Mercer, I've got the core technical architecture."

Alexander's deep, velvety chuckle vibrated through the line. "Well done! I can't wait to see Mr. Bates's face at tomorrow's board meeting."

I ended the call and looked up at the night sky.

"Victor, you really think I'm just throwing a tantrum? No. I am severing every tie, tearing you out of my life once and for all."

...

The next morning, I showed up right on time in the boardroom at the Bates Group headquarters. Today was supposed to be the final handoff meeting for our flagship initiative, Starry Sea.

The doors of the boardroom swung open, and Victor walked in. Trailing right behind him was Sallie, her wrists wrapped in thick layers of gauze.

She wore an ill-fitting designer suit, her face pale. She looked like a fragile flower that would break at the slightest breeze.

Victor carefully helped her sit down right next to the head of the table before sweeping a glare across the room to me.

"Veronica, I haven't settled the score with you for yesterday's disaster, so you'd better behave yourself today," he said, slamming an appointment memo onto the conference table. "As of today, Sallie is taking full control of Starry Sea.

"Hand over the core data architecture and system credentials to her. Then go to HR to claim three months of paid leave and reflect on your behavior."

The executives in the room exchanged stunned looks, none of them daring to make a sound. Sallie stood up timidly, her eyes brimming with fresh tears.

"Veronica, please don't be mad at Victor. I just wanted to take some of the pressure off him. If you don't want me here, I'll leave right now."

She made a motion to turn toward the door, only for Victor to instantly pull her back into his arms.

"Where are you going? This project needed someone detail-oriented to manage anyway." Victor turned back to me, his tone dripping with an unyielding command. "Veronica, you made such an ugly scene at the wedding yesterday. Handing over the project now will count as making up for your mistakes."

This boardroom was where the two of us had pulled three all-nighters straight to secure our first round of venture funding years ago. Now it had degenerated into his bargaining chip to humor his damsel in distress.

Looking at his smug face, I suddenly found the whole thing hysterically absurd. "Sure."

With crisp efficiency, I pulled a flash drive from my bag and slid it across the conference table right to Sallie's hands. "All the project files, client directories, and underlying source code are right here."

Victor froze, surprised that I had conceded so easily. His gaze softened slightly, and he adopted a patronizing air of approval.

"Smart move. I knew you'd see the bigger picture eventually." He stepped forward, reaching out to wrap me in a condescending embrace. "Once Sallie gets the hang of things and smooths out the project, I'll take you to the Maldives for our honeymoon."

I pivoted away to dodge his arms, pulled another piece of paper from my folder, and set it lightly on the table. "No need. That's my resignation letter."

Victor's arms froze in midair, the smug smile on his face instantly shattering into pieces.

"What kind of tantrum are you throwing now?" he growled through gritted teeth. "Handing the project over to Sallie is only temporary! Is it worth threatening me with your resignation?"

[The scumbag is totally breaking down! He thought she couldn't live without him, but she just flipped the table!]

I looked him dead in the eyes, my tone eerily calm. "I'm not threatening you, Victor. I am dumping you. As of today, I have zero ties to the Bates Group."