Chapter 3

Droopy eyes spring open, and wide-eyed Victoria looks at her telephone, the unkind words of the unknown man sticking in her brain. There are some things in life to which it is better to turn a blind eye.”

The question raises two questions: who is that, and how did he get to know about her meeting with Alexander Carrington?

She had a constant feeling of anxiety, which she had to suppress immediately. She was not going to be bullied by some random person threatening to harm her and her family.

When she got into her apartment, she inhaled deeply in order to calm herself down. It was any ordinary room, almost gloomy, with the last of the evening light perhaps a few rays of sunlight breaking through the windows. She placed the phone down on the kitchen countertop, and she found herself flooded with questions and second thoughts.

These questions were not things that Victoria could afford to have hanging in mid-air, not even for a single day. She could not afford to be caught off-guard on the matters that Alexander was concealing. And if she was going to try to take this deal—and that was still a very big if—then she needed to know it all. But first, she wanted to find out who was aiming to make her stop the fight for the company.

Not wanting to give up, Victoria sat down on the couch and took out her laptop. She immediately typed in a message to Chloe, asking what had happened with the strange call and if the number could be traced. Chloe was very good at gathering information, and as far as Victoria was concerned, she had full faith in her.

“Can you track this number? Someone just called me and told me something very vague as a warning. She forwarded the number that was to make the call, and I dialed it by sending it.

As she typed the message, Victoria pulled a new tab and started searching for more information about Alexander Carrington. She found countless articles and interviews, all painting him as the epitome of success: He is highly talented and a very shrewd, heartless moneymaker who has an uncanny ability to make money out of anything. However, Victoria was wise enough not to fall for the obvious story being told to her. It seemed to me that there had to be more, still something that I did not fully understand, and that nevertheless anchored the careful and minute attention to detail to the not reflecting and purely selfless immediate proximity.

The more she read these articles, the more she saw the beginnings of the process that would splinter Alexander’s empire. They said financial problems exist; some hinted at the sale of assets; and others said investors are beginning to become impatient. Each of the thoughts was far from proof, but together they were enough to add up to a total of worrying—something was wrong.

She was startled by the vibration of her phone, so she had to shift her focus from the screen. A message from Chloe: "Mrs. Vic, be careful with this one; this is getting very funny’.”

Victoria fumed, and at the same time, she felt a surge of something like fear and frustration welling up inside her. She disliked being unknown, particularly when much was at stake. But she also knew that she couldn’t act first without understanding second.

It then brought her back to the conversation with Alexander. He had been so cool and so positive with his proposal, and now it seemed to her that it was really nothing more than something to stay afloat. He required her in the same way as she required his patronage. But if his company was on the verge of going under, then the risk definitely would not pay him.

Yet, there was something in the man that attracted her to him—something that she could not explain and did not want to explain. He is not just a cut-out CEO devoid of any human feeling; there was something more that she could not comprehend. And that made him dangerous.

When her cell rang one more time, it was Chloe calling her again.

“Hello Victoria, I got something for you,” Chloe said the moment the lady at the other end of the line answered with a ‘hello’.

‘The number goes back to a burner phone’, she says. ‘There is no way of identifying who called, but this is not a prank’.

Victoria sighed angrily, and her hand clutching the phone became tight. ‘What if they have seen the photos and somebody is trying to scare me?”

“Hmm,” said Chloe. “But the question is, who? And why?”

“I have no idea,” Victoria said in response. “But I’m going to find out.”

"I will be careful," Chloe urged. "This whole thing is going to be off. If you decide to go ahead with the deal, ensure that you have covered your bases.

”I will,” Victoria promised before ending the call.

As she was with her phone down and leaning back against the couch, someone was telling me not to get too close with Alexander, and I wanted to discover who it was that wanted me away from him. I have no idea why they think I’ll get scared or fail at anything, especially since she has nothing else worth fighting for other than her life.

But here I am in my apartment, as if it were some hellish trap—I’m playing a dangerous game that could go horribly wrong if I’m not careful.

On Monday, Victoria woke up feeling stronger. She’d meet Alexander again, and this time she would like the conditions. If he wants her to be his wife one day, she must appear to him so that he can deserve it by being an earnest husband. To be sure that he would not leave or else would take them without being in them as accomplices.

Thus, in a stylish black dress that showcases a great deal of confidence and respect, Victoria headed towards Carrington Tower. This time she was calm and bold, daring herself not to think about playing or any other excuses.

As soon as she got out of the lift and entered Alexander’s office, she noticed a small change in his behavior. He was still calm, but there was now an edge to him, a tension that had not been present before.

“Ms. Sinclair,” Alexander acknowledged her with a nod even as he maintained his steadiness. I wasn't expecting you so soon.

“I’m not someone who dawdles around,” Victoria answered, taking a seat without getting an invitation from him. “I’ve thought over your proposal, and I’ve got some conditions.”

Alexander raised his eyebrows slightly, inquiringly. “Go on.”

“If we are going to do this,” began Victoria firmly. “Firstly, I want full transparency; if your company is in trouble, I want to know exactly what I am getting myself into.”

Alexander clenched his jaws but nodded in agreement instead. “That’s fair enough; anything else?”

“Secondly,” continued Victoria, “it should be clear how one can exit from it.” “If things go south”, I should know that I may leave without losing anything.”

Alexander leaned back into his chair, looking at her now with an entirely different degree of respect. This was a hard bargain, Ms. Sinclair, though it was expected.

She made sure not to blink; her stare was unwavering. “Those terms are mine, whether they suit you or not.”

For a fleeting moment, there was silence, and Alexander’s expression was unreadable. But then slowly, he turned smiles at one end of his lips.

“Very well,” he said, smooth and confident in his voice. “You have a deal.”

Victoria exhaled, feeling both relief and anxiety mixed together because she knew it was the beginning of great difficulties. She had crossed the line now, with no way back.

Victoria and Alexander shook hands, sealing their agreement, when suddenly the office door burst open. Marcus Langston entered hurriedly, his face pale with urgency.

“We have a problem,” announced Marcus, his voice taut with tension. “The board is calling an emergency meeting because they’ve caught wind of something—something big.”

Immediately, Alexander’s smile vanished, replaced with a cold determination in his eyes. ”What is it?”

Marcus hesitated, looking briefly at Victoria before answering,They know about her.”

In that moment, Victoria knew she was caught in between them and that they were in trouble much worse than she had initially thought.