Victoria's Discovery

Images of Rachel and her son were endlessly on Alexander's mind as he walked to his office. Odegaard, the child, had permanently changed him. His piercing green eyes, his dark hair, and his posture were all too familiar.

Their similarities are too great. Could it have happened? Odegaard might be the name of his child. The idea made his palms tighten. In their brief conversation, Rachel had been protective, even adamant, but Alexander was not easily convinced.

He would obtain the information he needed. His reverie was broken by the crisp click of heels at his door. Victoria appeared a moment later wearing a well-fitting emerald-green dress and a piercing expression.

"Alexander," she replied, as if indifferent, and shut the door. "We must speak." He wiped a palm across his face and sighed. "Victoria, not right now." "Oh, but I'm adamant." Her eyes narrowed as she took a step closer.

"I was struck by how... committed you are to our new business partner." Alexander's jaw tightened as he froze. "What are you discussing?" Victoria smiled sweetly at him. Don't try to be secretive.

During the meeting, I noticed that you were focusing on her. Her boy, too... Do you find the resemblance intriguing? He concealed his emotions, but his heart skipped a beat. "You're making things up." "Am I?" she inquired in a mockingly innocent tone.

You fail to remember that I am the one who knows you the best, my love. That look is not new to me. You gave her the same one all those years ago. Alexander interrupted , "It's enough, Victoria," Her eyes gleamed with hatred, but her smile remained unwavering. "All right. For now, I'll leave it alone.

But allow me to offer you some guidance: Don't let your feelings influence your decisions. There is too much at stake for this union.

Alexander was furious when she turned around and walked away. --- Victoria's heels clicked consistently on the slick floorboards as she made her way to her office.

Her conversation with Alexander had reaffirmed her concerns that Rachel Green was more than simply a business opponent.

She was dangerous.  Victoria took great satisfaction in being in charge of her life and marriage because she was the wife of one of the most influential businessmen.

But when Rachel came back, everything was in jeopardy. In order to hold Rachel accountable and remind Alexander of his allegiances, she needed leverage.

Victoria sat at her desk, opened her laptop, and began to search.  When Rachel Green's name was brought up, a wealth of articles about her commercial achievements arose, but Victoria was'nt interested in public knowledge.

She wants the dirt—the skeletons in Rachel's closet.  It didn't take long to find something interesting.  A few years ago, Rachel was entangled in a little difficulty when an unknown investor all of a sudden stopped sponsoring one of her initiatives.

The specifics were unclear, but Victoria had a feeling there was more to the story.  She smiled as she sat back in her chair.  "Rachel, let's see what else you're hiding."

--- Meanwhile, Rachel sat at her kitchen table and glanced at the contract with Sterling Enterprises.

This deal changed the game for GreenTech, so she should have been celebrating. Rather, she felt like she was walking a tightrope with no safety net.

She was startled out of her fantasy by Odegaard's laughter coming from the living room. He was hurrying in with a toy plane when she looked up.

"Look, Mom! It's in the air! He repeated those remarks as he swooped the jet. Her heart was bursting with love for him as she grinned. "That's incredible, my love." His tiny hands ripped the plane tightly as he crawled onto her lap.

"Do I have a dad, Mom?" The question hit her like a bolt of lightning.  She had always knew this day would come, but she was unprepared for it.

She brushed his hair gently and went on, "You have me." "And you have my undying love." "How about my dad, though?" His naive gaze pierced hers as he continued.

The doorbell rang just as Rachel was ready to answer, saving her from having to participate in the conversation.

She put him down and hurried to the door, saying, "I'll get it." Her heart stopped when she opened it. Alexander stood on the other side, his face unbreakable.

"Alexander." She hardly raised her voice beyond a whisper as she spoke. "Rachel," he said, glancing at her while Odegaard chuckled. "We must speak." The tension was palpable as they stood there, the weight of unspoken facts pressing down on them.

Before Rachel could respond, Odegaard looked around the corner, his curious eyes focusing on Alexander.

"Who's that, Mom?" Alexander's eyes softened as he looked at the child.  Softly, he said, "I'm... your mom's friend."

What Rachel witnessed made her heart hurt.  She knew she couldn't hide the facts indefinitely, but the timing seemed unfair.

She said, "Alexander, this isn't a good time," standing guard in front of Odegaard. He firmly stated, "I'm not leaving until we talk," while maintaining eye contact with her.

Another vehicle entered the driveway before she could object. Rachel's stomach fell when she spotted the sleek black automobile.  The door opened and Victoria came out, her heels clicking on the pavement as she approached with a sinister smile.

Victoria whispered sweetly, her eyes gleaming maliciously, "Rachel."  "What a delightful surprise." When Rachel realized she was encircled by two forces that could destroy everything she had worked so hard to safeguard, her heart began to skip.