Chapter 391
Curtis opened his mouth to speak, but for a long moment, no words came out.
So Victoria was really planning to leave Starfall City for good, never to return? How on earth was he supposed to meet up with her after this?
A wave of sadness washed over him. But Victoria had clearly thought everything through; she was more than ready to move on, and he knew there was nothing he could do to make her stay.
“Safe travels,” he finally managed. “Text me when you get there, okay? And send me your new contact info-who knows, maybe I’ll find myself in Evermore City one of these days and come looking for you.”
Victoria just took Curtis’s words as polite small talk, but Curtis meant every bit of
it.
A company like Quantum Core Technologies didn’t have to be based in Starfall City. Moving it to Evermore City was perfectly doable.
Victoria agreed with a nod, waved goodbye, and stepped out of his office.
She headed straight to meet Ailie, and the two of them caught up over coffee at a cozy café.
Victoria recounted the whirlwind events of the past couple days, spinning the story with a wry smile. As she spoke, Ailie’s eyes widened, her excitement almost contagious.
“Wow, you’re a total legend! Why didn’t you invite me to sit in and watch when you got divorced? That would’ve been the ultimate show. So now you’ve walked away with half the Langford family fortune, right? Did you get everything back from Violet? You can’t let her off easy.”
Victoria couldn’t help but laugh at how invested Ailie looked-almost more thrilled than she was.
Maybe that’s just how it is with real friends: they care about your wins like their
own.
“Don’t worry. Everything Violet got from the McNeils, she’ll have to give back. And if she doesn’t, someone else will take care of it for me.”
Unless Violet had superpowers, Victoria wasn’t letting her walk away unscathed; the law certainly wouldn’t either.
“That’s more like it. We’ve all had enough of her attitude these past months. No real talent of her own-just leeching off men and always trying to keep us down.”
She lowered her voice, glancing around. “And wasn’t she supposed to be the big boss at V&S Group? McNeil, too—what a piece of work. When the game studio almost went under, I thought it was over. Turns out, he secretly bought it from Curtis behind everyone’s back and promptly handed it as a gift to Violet Marchand.”
Honestly, taking half his assets is a bargain for a jerk like that.
Ailie kept venting on Victoria’s behalf, until Victoria stirred her coffee slowly and replied, her tone calm and unhurried.
“V&S Group is mine. The person who bought the game studio was working for me. V&S Group is back under my control now-Violet has nothing to do with it. She’s not running anything.”
Ailie stared at her as if Victoria had suddenly sprouted a second head, nearly choking on her latte.
“Oh my god, Victoria. You’re a total secret boss! When did all this happen? Why didn’t you ever tell me? Tell me, what else are you hiding up your sleeve? I want to see it all.”
When she’d first heard McNeil spent billions to buy V&S Group, Ailie had grumbled to herself that Violet wasn’t worth a fraction of that.
Victoria simply smiled. “The money’s already in my account. Actually, I wanted to meet up today to tell you I’ll be heading to Evermore City in a few days. I’ll be gone from Starfall City for a while.”
Ailie looked at her curiously. “Evermore City? Why there?”
Victoria rested a gentle hand on her stomach.
“For him, of course. The environment there is better than Starfall City, and I have people who love me-friends who really care. I want to bring this little one into the world somewhere safe and peaceful.”
“So… McNeil has no idea you’re pregnant, right?”
Because if he did, considering the Langfords’ obsession with their bloodline, they’d never let Victoria just walk away. McNeil was the only heir in three generations. No way the Langfords would let the mother of their grandchild leave without a fight.
“Whether he knows or not doesn’t matter. What matters is how I want to live. With all this money, shouldn’t I finally enjoy myself for a change?”
She smiled, looking at her friend. “Once the baby’s born, I’m thinking of starting a racing club in Evermore City and getting back to what I love. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll start hunting for my mother’s artwork around the world.”
There was something even more important she hadn’t shared with Ailie: only by going to Evermore City and using her brother’s connections could she truly turn the tables.
After all, the Langfords’ fortune had never been her real goal. What she wanted was her grandfather’s company-The Turner Group, now known as Golden Era Enterprises.
Golden Era Enterprises couldn’t compare to the Langford Group in size, but she’d never forgive her father for climbing to the top by trampling on her mother and grandfather, only to let that woman reap the rewards.
Ailie gave Victoria a big thumbs-up. Honestly, she sometimes wished she could just leave her own troubles behind, but her family back home depended on her paycheck every month; she didn’t have the freedom or means to live as boldly as Victoria.
“Don’t forget about me when you’re in Evermore City, okay? Do you know when the baby’s due?”
Victoria touched her belly, her face glowing with happiness.
“Not for a while-seven months from today.”
Ailie let out a low whistle.
“McNeil’s getting off easy, the bastard. He gets to be a dad without lifting a finger.
The heir’s all taken care of and he doesn’t have to do a thing.”