Chapter 222
Ailie beamed. “Alright!”
Curtis’s car pulled up to The Langford Group before the others. He spotted Victoria and her companions waiting at the entrance.
“Why aren’t you going in?” he asked, his gaze soft but tinged with something more complicated.
“We can’t, apparently,” Victoria replied, glancing toward the front desk and the security guards.
“Just tell them we’re from Quantum Core Technologies. That should be enough.”
Curtis was about to lead Victoria inside when Violet appeared, moving quickly enough to intercept them. Victoria didn’t see McNeil he was probably off parking the car.
Switching to her work voice, Victoria greeted Violet with a polite formality. “Ms. Marchand.”
Ailie stood off to the side, pointedly avoiding Violet’s eyes, her posture stiff and chilly.
Violet nodded, keeping her focus entirely on Curtis. “McNeil asked me to show you around first. Ms. Ailie, Ms. Turner, please wait here. Someone from the company will come down and take you up through the staff entrance.”
Curtis never fully understood the tension between Violet and Victoria. Maybe it had something to do with that infamous project, but whatever the reason, Violet’s attitude toward Victoria always felt a little off-subtle, but unmistakable.
As deputy director, Violet’s interactions with Victoria were perfectly professional, but Curtis couldn’t shake the sense that something else simmered beneath the surface.
He glanced at Victoria, feeling powerless to intervene.
“Mr. Garcia, go ahead. Don’t worry about us-wouldn’t want to drag down your executive image,” Ailie muttered, tugging Victoria away as she went, grumbling under her breath.
“What a load of crap. The Langford Group belongs to the Langfords, not her. Who does she think she is?”
She put her hands on her hips, mimicking Violet’s clipped tone. “Mr. Garcia, McNeil asked me to show you around first…’ Please.”
Then she turned to Victoria, lowering her voice. “So, who’s that handsome guy you called over just now? Driver? Or is he one of the top execs? Seriously, you could’ve had him take us upstairs! The Langfords have an empire-you’re practically the lady of the house, and yet you’re letting her boss you around?”
Victoria hadn’t even thought about it that way. It was, after all, her first time visiting the Langford Group’s headquarters, despite everything.
Over the years, she and McNeil had poured their hearts into building an empire together, and yet Vertex Dynamics was still just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the Langford Group.
“McNeil’s the one who cares about these things. It’s none of my business,” Victoria said quietly.
If McNeil ever wanted to hand over Vertex Dynamics—or the entire Langford Group—to Violet, that was his prerogative. It had nothing to do with her.
Ailie was left speechless, torn between irritation and reluctant amusement.
Victoria and Ailie waited for their escort, and Victoria let her gaze wander across the lobby. Vertex Dynamics looked entirely different now compared to just a few years ago; after all, this was the very heart of the Langford empire.
She remembered how, years ago, McNeil had been nearly forced out by a bloc of shareholders who wanted him to give up his father’s shares and elect a new chairman.
It was Victoria who stood by McNeil’s side through those dark days, exhausting every resource the Turner family had to help him secure nearly two hundred million dollars in funding for Vertex Dynamics, making him the company’s largest shareholder.
She couldn’t help but think of that old saying: “I helped my husband achieve greatness, only to be the first sacrifice on his climb to the top.”
“Ms. Ailie, Ms. Turner-why are you still standing here?” Sandra sauntered up, her tone laced with mock concern. George gave them both a frosty once-over.
“Surely you aren’t waiting for us? With connections like yours, who are you trying to fool?”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but there was no mistaking the meaning.
Ailie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we’re waiting for you. You’re slow, you know that?” Nelly approached, glancing between Ailie and Victoria. “Vertex Dynamics already got word about our visit from Quantum Core Technologies. There’s no security restriction today.”
Ailie’s face flushed with anger as realization dawned-she’d been played by Violet on purpose.
“Oh. Well, we got here early, so we didn’t know.”
Victoria held Ailie back before she could lose her temper.
Nelly gave a tight smile. “It’s not that you were early. Maybe Ms. Marchand just forgot to mention it. Victoria, you really should focus on your work and stop with the little schemes. I’m telling you this for your own good.”