Chapter 46
Yulia couldn’t help but dwell on her disrupted engagement party with Simms. Everything had been set to go perfectly-until Victoria arrived and threw everything into chaos. Now, instead of celebrating openly, she and Simms had to hide their relationship again, tiptoeing through shadows.
There was only one way forward: She needed Victoria’s blessing.
Night fell, and the city pulsed with energy. At the Velvet Room-the most
notorious club in Starfall City—a crowd buzzed with life, laughter, and the clinking of glasses.
Inside a private lounge, McNeil, Curtis, Marcus Green, and Isaac lounged on plush couches. Violet sat close beside McNeil, while Gwyneth nestled contentedly in Violet’s lap, refusing to budge an inch.
“Look at you two. After everything, you still ended up together. Cheers to that!” Marcus grinned, raising his glass to McNeil and Violet.
Violet’s eyes sparkled as she reached for a glass, but McNeil gently stopped her. “You just had surgery. No drinking.”
Marcus gave McNeil a playful scowl. “Seriously? You’re already this protective, and you’re not even married yet. If you keep this up, we’ll lose a friend to a wife.”
When Marcus said “wife,” Violet’s cheeks flushed a deeper red, but her smile only grew warmer.
Gwyneth, ever the little charmer, kept calling Violet “Ms. Marchand” with affectionate familiarity. Watching the three together, it was easy to imagine they really were a family.
Isaac watched them, thoughtful. There was something about Violet and Gwyneth’s closeness. Suddenly, a mischievous glint lit up his eyes. He turned to McNeil, feigning secrecy.
“Wait, Gwyneth isn’t your and Violet’s daughter, is she? Have you been hiding something, man?”
Violet turned scarlet, ducking her head to play with Gwyneth, hoping to hide her embarrassment.
Gwyneth tightened her hug around Violet’s neck and whispered in her ear, “Violet, last time Mom bought so many snacks, I brought them all for you. I’ll give them to you later.”
McNeil took a slow sip of his whiskey, his voice cool and even. “No, she’s not.”
Violet’s face went pale in an instant.
Isaac and Marcus exchanged a look. So McNeil really had someone else in his life. But why had none of them ever met this mysterious wife?
Isaac seized on a change of subject. “Curtis, what’s got you so busy over there? You’ve been glued to your phone since you got here. Usually you’re the loudest in the room, but tonight you haven’t said a word.”
With Violet present, it seemed tactless to keep discussing Gwyneth’s mother. Shifting their attention, they focused on Curtis.
Curtis was in fact texting Victoria. After their interview, she’d gone radio silent. When he asked Ailie about it, he learned Victoria might not even be interested in the job.
Curtis was on edge. He’d spoken with Victoria, and he knew talent like hers was rare. According to Ailie, Victoria was the financial prodigy every firm had been trying to recruit six years ago.
He couldn’t let her slip away. Instead of pestering her about joining, Curtis smartly sent her a few tricky proposals he’d been struggling with, hoping to spark her interest.
To his relief, Victoria responded
thoughtfully, answering each
question in detail and even providing
in-depth analysis. For anything she wasn’t sure about, she replied politely, promising to follow up once she had the facts.
Curtis had already told Ailie, in no uncertain terms, that they had to do whatever it took to bring Victoria on board.
He finally put his phone down and looked up. “I recently hired a new assistant-a
real diamond in the rough. Just chatting business.”
With the conversation wrapped up, McNeil turned to Curtis. “Actually, I’ve got a favor to ask. Violet’s
getting stronger, and she can’t stand sitting around any longer. She’s got a Master’s from Northriver University in finance. The Langford Group isn’t the right fit for her, but I was hoping you could find a place for her at your firm.”