Semua Bab Her Fiancé's Father's Obsession: Bab 111 - Bab 120

JuliusI was in a meeting when my assistant knocked and stepped inside, her expression grim."I need to talk to you. It's really important." She whispered to me.I excused myself and followed her into the hallway. "What happened?""Lakeside Industries just announced their new marketing partner. Sinclair Holdings."My stomach dropped. "Jane was pitching them today.""I know, and from what I'm hearing, Sinclair didn't win on merit.""What does that mean?"She pulled out her phone and showed me a text from a contact at Lakeside. "Victoria apparently had insider information on JNE's pitch. She knew their price point and their strategy. She structured her entire presentation around undercutting them.""How the hell did she get that information?""That's the question, but Julius, this isn't just competitive intelligence anymore. It is corporate espionage."I looked at the time. Jane's pitch had ended an hour ago. She hadn't called or texted, which meant it had gone badly."I need to go hom

JaneI couldn't sleep. It was two in the morning, and Julius was passed out beside me, one arm flung across the pillow. I had tried everything. Warm milk, reading, counting backwards from a hundred.Nothing worked. My mind kept spinning and replaying Victoria's smile and her voice. "We have Julius in common."Finally, I gave up and grabbed my phone.I told myself I was just going to check emails. Maybe scroll through some mindless social media until my eyes got heavy.But my fingers had other ideas.I typed "Julius Armstrong Victoria Sinclair" into the search bar.Hundreds of results populated. Business articles mostly. Mergers and acquisitions. Market analysis. Nothing I hadn't seen before.Then I saw an article from Style & Society, one of those glossy magazines that covered the lives of the wealthy elite. The headline made my stomach drop."Power Couple in Waiting? A Look Back at Julius Armstrong and Victoria Sinclair's Epic Romance"The publication date was yesterday. My thumb ho

JaneI heard Julius’ car in the driveway and my heart hammered against my ribs.I had changed into soft clothes, leggings and one of his old college t-shirts. There was no armor tonight. I was done pretending.The front door opened and closed, then his footsteps echoed in the hallway."Jane?""Upstairs. In our room."He appeared in the doorway, still in his suit, tie loosened. His eyes found mine immediately, searching."Hey.""Hey," I was sitting on the edge of the bed, hands twisted in my lap. "Thanks for coming home.""Always," He shrugged off his jacket, draped it over the chair. "What's going on?"Where did I even start?"There's been articles about us, you and Victoria."His jaw tightened. "I've seen them.""You have?""My PR team flagged them. I told them to ignore it. Responding would just give it more attention," He sat beside me. "Is that what's been bothering you?""Partly," I took a shaky breath. "There was one with photos of you and Victoria when you were younger, and Jul

JaneThe evening had settled into a rhythm of champagne and conversation, and I had been talking to a few women when I felt that familiar prickle again, the one that meant Victoria was nearby.I turned slightly and there she was, gliding into our small circle with a glass of champagne and that perfect smile that never quite reached her eyes.Julius was across the room deep in conversation with some board members, too far away to run interference."Ladies, I hope I'm not interrupting." Victoria said, and everyone immediately made space for her. That's what you did when Victoria Sinclair decided to join your conversation."Not at all," One of the women said smoothly, though I caught the slight tightening around her eyes. "We were just discussing the museum's new modern art initiative.""How fascinating," Victoria said in a tone that suggested it was anything but, and then her gaze landed on me. "Jane, I've been meaning to tell you all evening how lovely you look. That color really is s

JuliusAn email came days after the gala, marked high priority, subject line reading simply: "We need to talk."I stared at it for a long moment before opening it, already knowing who it was from and dreading what it would say.Julius,I think it's time we had a frank conversation about certain matters that have come to my attention regarding the foundation's direction and your recent decisions. There are concerns from several board members that need to be addressed privately before they become public issues.Dinner tomorrow evening, 7pm at Rousseau's. I've already made the reservation.This really isn't optional, Julius. Your career and reputation are on the line.Victoria.I read it twice, feeling anger build in my chest with each pass. The thinly veiled threat, the assumption that I would simply comply, the manipulation wrapped up in concern for my career was vintage Victoria, and it made me want to throw my phone across the room."Fuck." I muttered, running my hand through my hair