Chapter 219
As expected, Curtis looked visibly uncomfortable.
Ailie was so angry her face had gone pale. She’d only been venting moments ago, yet Violet actually wanted her and Victoria to call an Uber to The Langford Group? If anyone found out, the office gossip alone would be enough to kill her.
She was the Investment Department Manager at Quantum Core Technologies, after all—well-known, trusted by the company, and regularly headhunted by rivals. If people saw her getting treated like this, how would she keep her reputation in the industry?
Plenty of people had overheard the conversation, and some were already snickering behind their hands.
With Ms. Marchand here, it seemed like nothing could get out of hand. Victoria finally ran into someone she couldn’t bulldoze, and maybe she’d think twice about playing favorites with Mr. Garcia’s support in the future.
Especially George, the head of the tech department-every time he saw Victoria, he looked like he wanted to bite her head off. His team had worked night and day developing that game, putting in endless overtime, hoping for a breakthrough. No one even cared much about overtime pay, dreaming instead of a year-end bonus that could rival two years’ salary.
They were all fired up, until Victoria failed to enter the encryption key, and all their work went up in smoke. Not only did they lose their chance at a bonus, but someone else stole their labor, and now they had to watch another company cash in on their sweat and tears.
Word had it that V&S Group was about to go public overseas thanks to the success of that game.
George could hardly contain his rage; if he could, he’d happily drink Victoria’s blood and gnaw on her bones.
“What’s the big deal?” Ailie retorted, her tone sharp. “So we can’t all fit in the company van surely we can figure out another ride. There are dozens of people here. Honestly, whether Ms. Turner and I go or not doesn’t even matter. It’s just a company tour, right? Ms. Marchand, do you really think we at Quantum Core Technologies are so sheltered that we need to go gawk at Mr. Langford’s company just to broaden our horizons?”
Violet knew Ailie was a troublemaker, always quick with a biting remark, but this time she was deliberately poking at Curtis’s pride-implying Quantum Core Technologies was beneath The Langford Group and only worthy of being on a field trip.
That wasn’t Violet’s intention at all. Quantum Core Technologies and The Langford Group were partners; Curtis needed resources, and he genuinely wanted to use McNeil’s reputation to boost his own tech firm. With a major conglomerate backing them, his people would feel confident showing what they could do, which might mean promotions and raises down the line.
But Ailie clearly didn’t like Violet, and she twisted the day’s plans to suit her narrative. Violet shot an awkward glance at Curtis.
“Curtis, that’s not what I-or McNeil-meant.”
Ailie rolled her eyes at Violet. Oh, listen to her “I and McNeil.” As if she had any claim on him, right in front of his actual wife. If it weren’t for Victoria always putting a stop to it, Ailie would have exposed Violet’s “other woman” act a long time ago.
“Let’s not waste any more time,” Violet said briskly. “We’re leaving in ten minutes, on the dot.”
She didn’t want to argue with Ailie; the more Ailie spoke, the wilder her accusations would get, and it might damage the friendship between Curtis and the others. With the two companies working together, a falling out would help no one.
Victoria finally spoke. “If there’s no room for the two of us in the company van, I don’t mind getting my own ride.”
She pulled out her phone, and everyone expected her to order an Uber, waiting for the show.
Instead, she dialed. “Maynard, pick out a car from the garage and bring it around to the front of Quantum Core Technologies. My colleague and I need to get to The Langford Group. We’ll be down in ten minutes.”