LOGINVICTORIA Now that I was certain someone had been watching me again, it didn’t feel random, and it didn’t feel like a warning either.It felt controlled, as if someone was guiding me again. And I didn’t know if that made things better or worse. That was the part I couldn’t place.I didn’t sleep. I didn’t even try. There was no point pretending I could. My mind wouldn’t allow it anyway.By the time the clock hit 4 AM, I was still at my desk. The documents were spread out exactly how I left them. Only now, there were more notes added between them.I had cross-referenced every company filing from the last two years against the clause buried in the founding documents.The results were clear. And it wasn’t something I could ignore. Everything pointed in the same direction.The clause had never been used. Not once. But it also hadn’t been removed. It just sat there, untouched and quiet, waiting, like a loaded gun on a shelf, looking still and harmless until someone picked it up.I leaned ba
VICTORIA The admission still rang in my ears when I finally walked away from Clark. I didn’t rush or shake. Every step I took felt measured.I didn’t look back as I moved through the hallway. The lights stayed the same, but everything felt quieter now. It was like something had shifted and the building could feel it too.People glanced at me as I passed, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t acknowledge anything around me. Nothing about me was supposed to look different.I got into my car and shut the door quietly behind me. For a second, I just sat there without moving. The silence settled in fast, but I didn’t break it.I didn’t cry. I didn’t react. I catalogued everything instead.Clark had helped design a legal fallback that could erase my claim completely. That was the only fact that mattered right now.I started the engine and drove out slowly. The road ahead was clear, but my thoughts were not. They were moving faster than I wanted.Every detail lined up in my head. Every conversation,
CLARKShe stepped back like I had already chosen against her.That reaction bothered me more than anything else. Not the question, not the tension, just that step.It was small, but it said everything. She was putting distance between us.“I’m not helping Trent,” I said.And I meant it. More than she probably believed.“I didn’t say you were.”Her tone didn’t change. It still sounded calm, controlled, and unreadable.“You’re thinking about it,” I replied.Because I could see it even if she didn’t say it out loud.“I’m calculating,” she corrected.I let out a slow breath. That wasn’t her being defensive. That was her pulling back.I moved closer, lowering my voice.“The truth doesn’t automatically work for him.”I needed her to understand that.“It doesn’t automatically work for me either.”She didn’t hesitate. And she actually wasn’t wrong, so that was the problem. There was no clear answer here.I ran a hand through my hair, trying to steady my thoughts. Everything was moving too fas
VICTORIAThe confirmation email stayed on my screen longer than it should have.I didn’t react right away. I just stared at it, letting the weight of it settle properly before I did anything stupid.Clark. As a witness.I read the message again, slower this time, like it might change. But it didn’t, and somehow that made everything feel heavier.My fingers hovered over the screen for a second before I dropped my hand.Trent wasn’t just trying to win. He was trying to break me in a way that couldn’t be fixed later. And using Clark meant he knew exactly where to hit.I picked up my bag without thinking too much about it. Sitting here and overthinking wouldn’t help. I needed to see him and hear it from him directly.The drive back to the office felt longer than usual. The roads were clear, but my mind wasn’t. Everything kept circling back to the same point.Clark wasn’t on the outside anymore. He wasn’t just helping or watching. He was now part of the case whether I liked it or not.I st
VICTORIA I didn’t leave the office immediately after that. I stayed for a while, going through the files again, even though I already knew what they said. It wasn’t about understanding anymore. It was about making sure I didn’t miss anything. But there was nothing new. Just the same truth, sitting there, waiting. Eventually, I shut my laptop and stood up. There was nothing else to do here tonight. I grabbed my things and left the office without saying goodbye to anyone. Most people were already gone anyway. The building felt quiet, almost empty. The drive home felt longer than usual. Or maybe I just noticed it more. By the time I got to my place, the city lights were already bright, stretching across the skyline as if nothing had changed. But everything had. I stepped into my room and dropped my bag on the chair without thinking. My heels came off next, one after the other, landing softly on the floor. Then I walked toward the window. I stood there for a while, just looking ou
VICTORIAThe idea grew heavier in my mind, threading through everything I’d seen over the last few months.I went back through every interaction, every glance, every carefully measured word. The summit came first. The way he had anticipated every move, every question, every challenge. Nothing he did then had been casual or reactive. It had been precise. Then the aftermath. When the media had exploded, when investors had panicked, when the board had called emergency meetings. He had been calm, methodical, always one step ahead. It hadn’t struck me then, but now it was clear. He hadn’t been caught off guard at all.I leaned forward, elbows on the desk, pressing my hands lightly to my forehead. The realization didn’t make me angry yet. I wasn’t emotional. I was just cold. He hadn’t just stayed connected longer than he admitted. He had been guiding things, subtly and quietly all along.Every time I thought I had caught a mistake or a surprise, I noticed how quickly he corrected it. How h
VICTORIAAn hour later I was sitting alone at my desk with the USB drive in front of me.It was small and simple, but it made my stomach clench. Clark and Isabella were outside my office door, whispering about whether or not to let me watch it alone. I could hear Clark telling her no, and Isabella
VICTORIAI froze right where I stood. The footsteps behind me made my whole body stiffen. Cold air slipped in through the open window and brushed my bare arms, making me shiver. I turned around quickly, now ready to catch whoever it was, but the room behind me was empty. The whole penthouse was si
VICTORIAChills ran down my spine as I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and hit Isabella’s number. She picked up right away.“Vee? What’s wrong?” Her voice was sharp.“Come. Now,” I said. “Please.”That was all I managed. I didn’t trust my voice to say more. I hung up, got off the bed, and backe
VICTORIA“Clark…” My voice sounded too small.He grabbed the phone right out of my hand before I could even show him the screen. His eyes scanned it once, twice, and then his jaw clenched. I watched the muscle jump near his ear. He almost looked like he wanted to put a fist through a wall.I didn’t







