Chapter 3 : Background Check

She could do this.

Victoria pulled out her tablet and opened the presentation for EVANGELINE.

She had given this pitch countless times. At university summits. Business events. Entrepreneur programs.

Every single time, people praised her idea right before rejecting it.

They’d say it was an interesting concept with a promising future.

But it always ended up getting deemed as too expensive. Not feasible.

She was tired of hearing it.

By now, every statistic and projection lived inside her head. She knew exactly which words made investors nod along.

The problem always came at the end.

The funding. That was where people lost faith.

Victoria spoke passionately as she explained EVANGELINE.

Ryder remained completely expressionless. He didn’t look impressed. But he didn’t look bored either.

That somehow made her even more nervous.

His eyes stayed on her the entire time, watching and calculating every figure she mentioned.

When she finally finished, silence filled the room. Ryder simply hummed.

“Hmm.”

Victoria’s stomach dropped.

Oh no. That was not the reaction she wanted.

“I can explain the financial projections again if you want—”

The hotel door suddenly opened.

A tall man in a fitted black suit walked inside carrying a tablet and notebook. He looked professional in the terrifying way assistants to billionaires usually did.

“Your next call, sir.”

Ryder’s attention shifted away from Victoria for the first time.

His silence, coupled by the interruption felt like rejection.

Embarrassment burned through Victoria. Of course she failed. What was she expecting?

That one dramatic hotel stunt would suddenly change her life?

She quietly picked up her tablet.

“This was a mistake.” She muttered.

The rejection hurt more than usual. Maybe because this time, she genuinely believed EVANGELINE had a chance.

Her grandmother needed a kidney transplant.

Rent was due.

Her savings were disappearing.

And she was running out of time.

Victoria headed toward the door before humiliation completely swallowed her alive.

“Leave your contact information with Sam before you go.”

She stopped in her tracks instantly. Victoria turned around so quickly she nearly gave herself whiplash.

Ryder had already shifted his attention back to his phone. Like asking for her contact meant absolutely nothing.

But to her it was a spark of hope. It was everything.

“Thank you.” She said quickly, not caring for how desperate she sounded.

The elevator ride down felt surreal. The same security guard glared at her suspiciously as she left.

Victoria leaned against the elevator wall and exhaled shakily.

She had pitched EVANGELINE to Ryder Lake. THE Ryder Lake.

Maybe he would never call. Maybe he was only being polite.

But for the first time in months, Victoria felt a tiny flicker of hope.

And hope was dangerous.

###

Sam Diaz watched the elevator doors close before returning to Ryder’s suite.

As expected, Ryder stood by the window.

“Should I blacklist her from all Tecna properties?” Sam asked.

This was not the first time someone snuck into a conference hoping to reach the board. Usually security handled it immediately.

Ryder stayed silent and Sam waited.

Finally, the boss spoke. “No.”

Sam looked mildly surprised.

“I want everything about her instead.”

“Everything?”

“Background. Financial history. Education. Personal relationships.” Ryder loosened his cufflinks absentmindedly. “I want the full profile.”

Sam nodded. “And your call with the chairman?”

“I’m already handling it.” Ryder picked up his phone.

Sam followed him toward the hallway. Then suddenly, Ryder stopped walking.

That alone was unusual. Ryder rarely paused for anything.

His expression darkened as he stared at something on his phone. “Change of plans. I need her information immediately.”

Then Ryder walked away.

Sam remained standing in the empty room for a second.

Interesting. Very interesting.

He glanced down at the contact information the woman left behind.

Victoria Monk.

What did his boss want her information for?

He wondered this, while he forwarded her name to Tecna’s private investigators.