Chapter 138
**The Langford Group**
McNeil sat behind his desk, phone pressed tightly to his ear, his expression unreadable. Outside, his secretary and assistant hovered anxiously, neither daring to step inside. For more than two hours, the old man on the other end of the line had been berating McNeil relentlessly, his tirade showing no sign of ending.
McNeil barely moved, not daring to let the phone stray from his ear for even a second.
As soon as Curtis finished handling the crisis at Quantum Core Technologies, he hurried to McNeil’s office.
“Grandfather, I have something urgent to deal with. If you’re not done yelling at me, you’ll have to wait till I get back to the manor-I’ll listen to every word,” Curtis said dryly, before hanging up and finally turning his attention to McNeil.
“How did things go over there?” McNeil asked.
He’d already seen the news. They had poured over a billion dollars into this project, and never imagined it would end like this.
Curtis shook his head. “It’s hopeless.”
McNeil tapped his fingers on the desk, thoughtful. “I remember you once told me the lead developer was a talented young woman at your company. Set up a meeting I’d like to meet her.”
After all, nobody says no to money. With the right incentive, almost anything could be resolved.
Victoria’s face flashed through Curtis’s mind, and guilt gnawed at him.
He’d considered reaching out to Victoria from the start, but pride held him back. Back then, he’d sided with Violet-even though he knew full well that Victoria was the one who had written the original code. For the sake of the company, he’d kept her name out of it entirely.
Now, having to go back and ask for her help-it was something he just couldn’t bring himself to do.
“McNeil, this is complicated,” Curtis admitted, his tone uneasy.
He couldn’t quite explain it, but Curtis didn’t want Victoria and McNeil to cross paths. The atmosphere between them at that restaurant last time had been strange-he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about their dynamic made him uncomfortable.
“What’s so complicated?” McNeil pressed. “Isn’t she your company’s star developer? Just ask her to patch things up and relaunch the game. Name your price-I’ll cover it.”
A vein pulsed in Curtis’s forehead. “Not everything can be solved with money. The problem is, Violet stole her intellectual property. How am I supposed to approach Victoria now?”
McNeil was Violet’s biggest backer, the company’s main financial muscle. Even as president, Curtis’s own authority was limited. If Violet hadn’t been so desperate for the spotlight, he wouldn’t be in this humiliating position, with no courage left to face Victoria.
Truth be told, Quantum Core Technologies’ losses weren’t even catastrophic. If things really went south, they could always cut their losses and move on.
McNeil looked up, his eyes cold and sharp. “A billion dollars is not pocket change, Curtis. If you’re too embarrassed to ask, I’ll do it myself.”
“I think I should handle this,” Curtis started—but just then, Violet strode in.
She wore a crisp white silk blouse, a matching knee-length skirt, and a long
tailored blazer, her whole appearance exuding professionalism as she entered the office.
McNeil eyed her, his brow creasing. “You’re out of the hospital?”
Violet smiled lightly. “Yes, I just needed some rest. Nothing serious-no reason to stay cooped up in bed. You know I can’t stand sitting still.”
She turned to Curtis, her smile polite but firm. “Mr. Garcia, there’s no need for either of you to go. I’m the most appropriate person for this.”
Curtis said nothing. Truthfully, he’d much rather have Violet handle it than risk McNeil getting involved with Victoria. As a man, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off between McNeil and Victoria—something he couldn’t quite explain, but instinct warned him to keep them apart.
Violet felt the same. McNeil was with her every day; Victoria was always buried in work. As far as Violet was concerned, whether or not McNeil and Victoria were actually divorced, they were at least completely out of contact.
She had no intention of giving them the chance to reconnect privately.
Sensing McNeil’s suspicion, Violet kept her tone light. “After all, we neglected to respect her from the start. When the game launched, we didn’t give her any credit. The tech team, not knowing the truth, credited me instead. Now that there’s a problem, it’s only right that I take responsibility for most of it.”