Chapter 234
Violet beamed, her eyes crinkling with warmth.
McNeil frowned. “Yesterday, you called your mom. She said she was away on a business trip?”
Gwyneth nodded, a little confused. “Yeah…”
Something felt off today. Dad had never cared much about where Mom went before.
“Let’s get in the car.”
Violet was quick to usher them along, not wanting father and daughter to linger on the topic of Victoria. McNeil’s expression stayed stony as he waited for Violet and Gwyneth to climb in, then closed the door behind them. Leaning down to the half- open window, he met Violet’s eyes.
“You and Gwyn head home. I’ve got some things I need to finish at the office.”
Violet paused, caught off guard. “What time will you be back tonight? I’ll ask the chef to prepare you something for supper.”
“That won’t be necessary,” McNeil replied coolly.
That evening, Curtis invited Victoria and Ailie out for dinner.
Osborn wouldn’t stop calling, practically harassing Victoria, until she finally had to ask Curtis for approval.
“Would it be all right if I invited a friend to join us?”
Curtis assumed she meant Yasmine, the one who often drove Victoria around, and agreed right away.
Osborn showed up wearing his signature blue scarf and a tracksuit, a lollipop tucked between his lips. The moment he realized they weren’t alone, his expression darkened.
“I thought this was supposed to be our candlelit dinner.”
Victoria handed him a plate and utensils, ignoring the comment.
“Let me introduce everyone,” she said. “This is my boss, Mr. Curtis Garcia; my close friend and colleague, Ailie. And this is Osborn, an old friend of mine from Evermore City.”
Curtis sized Osborn up; Osborn shot Curtis a glance in return.
“Mr. Garcia, that new game from Quantum Core Technologies is impressive,” Osborn remarked.
Curtis’s face shifted almost imperceptibly-he couldn’t tell if that was a compliment or a veiled jab.
Ailie, meanwhile, couldn’t stop staring at Osborn. She leaned in to whisper in Victoria’s ear.
“How do you only know people who are either loaded or ridiculously handsome?”
Victoria’s voice was cool. “Handsome? I don’t really see it.”
Ailie rolled her eyes. “You’re wasting a perfectly good opportunity—”
Osborn overheard and smirked, clearly pleased with himself. He made a point of squeezing in right beside Victoria, drawing a few wary glances from Curtis, who was just now realizing that this guy was a serious rival.
This man liked Victoria-just as much as he did.
Curtis had always assumed Victoria wasn’t the social type, but clearly, her circle was much broader than he’d thought.
After exchanging a few lukewarm pleasantries with Osborn, Curtis steered the conversation to business.
“Mr. Langford wants you at his office tomorrow. What’s your take on that?”
Curtis couldn’t figure out why McNeil wanted Victoria to go alone to Vertex Dynamics to sign a contract. Was he trying to poach her from Quantum Core Technologies?
“And what do you think, Mr. Garcia?” Victoria asked.
Curtis had always looked out for her-as company CEO, he deserved to be consulted first.
“If Mr. Langford is really offering you a three-percent share, then I’m fine with you signing the contract. But only if you stay with Quantum Core Technologies.”
He wasn’t about to let McNeil lure her away.
“Your talent goes far beyond the Investment Department. You’ve got real gifts in software development, and Quantum Core is an amazing place for programmers. We have “
Curtis caught himself, hesitating.
“I mean, we have a great team here. Honestly, Victoria, if you’re looking for a
bigger challenge, the technical division would be an excellent fit.”
Curtis’s earnest encouragement was exactly what Victoria had hoped for.
“With your endorsement, I’ll give it a try,” she said.
The truth was, Victoria had been struggling to find a natural way to transition into
the technical team at Quantum Core. Being too obvious or eager would have only made Curtis suspicious.
And besides, with Violet, Simms, and McNeil still in the mix-all seasoned veterans in the business world-she had to tread carefully.