Chapter 22
Victoria sat in the car outside the Kane Industries building, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel. She wanted nothing more than to go home, crawl into bed, and shut the world out after her doctor’s appointment. The thought of lying down, letting the exhaustion and stress seep away, was tempting.
But she couldn’t. Not today.
Today was about taking another step toward reclaiming what was hers, dismantling the empire of lies Damian and Selena had built. She glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror, smoothing a stray strand of hair and forcing herself to take a deep breath.
“Let’s do this,” she muttered, grabbing her bag and stepping out of the car.
The moment she entered the gleaming lobby of Kane Industries, heads turned. The whispers started almost immediately. Victoria Cross—back from the dead and walking with the kind of confidence that made it impossible to ignore her.
“Victoria,” a familiar voice called.
She turned, and there he was. Damian. He approached her with a warm smile that felt practiced and insincere, his steps quick and deliberate.
“There you are,” he said, his tone soft, almost affectionate. “I was wondering when you’d arrive.”
Victoria narrowed her eyes, her stomach churning at the way he acted like they were some happy couple. “What do you want, Damian?”
He chuckled lightly, ignoring her tone. “I just wanted to make sure you’re doing alright. You’ve had a busy morning, I’m sure.” His gaze briefly flickered to her stomach, though he said nothing about it.
“I’m fine,” she replied curtly, stepping past him toward the elevators.
Damian fell into step beside her. “You know, you don’t have to handle this alone. I’m here for you, Victoria. Whatever you need.”
She stopped abruptly, turning to face him. “The only thing I need is for you to stay out of my way.”
His smile faltered, but he quickly recovered, his tone softening. “I’m only trying to help.”
“Help?” Victoria let out a bitter laugh. “The last time you ‘helped,’ Damian, you nearly destroyed everything I built. So forgive me if I’m not interested in your version of help.”
Before he could respond, the elevator doors dinged open, and she stepped inside. Damian hesitated, then followed, his presence like an unwelcome shadow.
The ride to the boardroom was tense and silent, the air thick with unspoken words. Victoria focused on the numbers lighting up above the doors, counting down the seconds until she could get away from him.
When the elevator opened to the top floor, she stepped out without a glance back, her heels clicking purposefully against the marble floor.
Inside the boardroom, Selena was already seated at the head of the table. She looked up as Victoria entered, her eyes narrowing into slits.
“Well, look who finally decided to show up,” Selena sneered, leaning back in her chair. “I wasn’t sure you’d make it, given your… delicate condition.”
Victoria’s expression didn’t waver as she walked to her seat, her gaze locked on Selena. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” she said coolly, sliding into a chair near the middle of the table.
Damian entered a moment later, taking a seat beside Selena, who glanced at him with an expression that seemed to say, Handle this.
The other board members began to file in, murmuring quietly among themselves. The tension in the room was palpable as the meeting began.
Selena wasted no time taking control of the conversation, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “As you all know, we’re here to discuss the quarterly financial reports and some restructuring proposals that Damian and I have been working on.”
Victoria leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed as she listened. She knew exactly what Selena and Damian’s “proposals” were—thinly veiled attempts to consolidate more power and further push her out of the company.
Halfway through Selena’s speech, the door to the boardroom burst open.
“Police! Nobody move!”
The room erupted into chaos as uniformed officers filed in, their commanding presence silencing the board members. One of the officers stepped forward, holding up a warrant.
“We’re here for Gregory Martinez,” the officer said, scanning the room.
Gregory, a middle-aged man sitting at the far end of the table, froze, his face draining of color. “W-What? Me?”
Two officers moved toward him, pulling him out of his chair as the room filled with gasps and murmurs.
“What is the meaning of this?” Selena demanded, standing up. “You can’t just barge in here and arrest one of my employees!”
The officer looked at her calmly. “Gregory Martinez is under arrest for his involvement in multiple counts of embezzlement and fraud. We have substantial evidence, including forged signatures and offshore accounts, tying him to these crimes.”
Selena’s face twisted with fury. “Forged signatures? Offshore accounts? Gregory would never do that! Let him go!”
The officer didn’t flinch. “His signature is on dozens of fraudulent transactions, and we’ve traced funds directly to accounts under his control.”
Gregory struggled against the officers, his voice trembling. “I didn’t do it! I swear, I didn’t—”
“Enough,” Selena snapped, her voice rising. “You’re making a mistake. Gregory’s been with this company for years. He’s loyal—”
“I didn’t do it!” Gregory suddenly shouted, his voice desperate. His eyes darted wildly around the room before landing on Damian and Selena. “I was forced!”
The room fell into stunned silence, all eyes turning to Damian and Selena, who exchanged a brief, panicked look.
Victoria, however, remained perfectly still, her expression unreadable. Inside, she felt a flicker of satisfaction. Another piece of Damian and Selena’s empire was crumbling, and Gregory’s arrest would only bring her closer to taking back what was hers.
