Victoria was silent for a moment before she finally replied, her voice cool and measured, “I’ll think about it.”
McNeil’s tone was clipped. “My patience is limited. You don’t have much time.”
The line went dead. Without missing a beat, Victoria called Yasmine. “I need you to tally up all my current assets. Sell anything that can be sold.”
She was buying time, fighting for every extra day. If V&S Group could last just one more day, it was worth it. McNeil always kept his word—she knew he wouldn’t wait long. Meanwhile, she was drowning in work at Quantum Core Technologies, overseeing the development of their new game. K had also finally surfaced with news.
For the first time, Victoria found herself completely overwhelmed. She even called her older brother, who, thankfully, still sounded as calm as ever.
If Stein could still answer the phone, it meant—for now—he was safe. That was a relief.
The days blurred into a whirlwind of work, but Victoria still made sure to carve out time each day to be with Gwyneth.
Gwyneth’s visits to Winding Peak Lane had grown fewer and farther between. Victoria knew the reason: Quantum Core Technologies was expanding rapidly, keeping everyone on their toes.
Ever since Violet joined, the company had grown stricter, its policies tighter. Violet herself was a workaholic. After being promoted to vice president, she’d led the company to new heights—profits had more than doubled. Most credited Violet for the surge.
Of course, some grumbled about the longer hours. But when payday came and bonuses were up twenty percent, every complaint evaporated.
One evening, McNeil called to tell Victoria to pick up Gwyneth—the next day there was a parent-child activity at kindergarten. Victoria understood: he was asking her to come home, to tuck Gwyneth in for the night.
But then George messaged her last-minute: there was an urgent project, and she needed to work late. Victoria was caught between a rock and a hard place.
She called McNeil back. “Something’s come up at the office—I might not make it tonight. I won’t be able to put Gwyneth to bed, but I promise I’ll be home first thing to take her to school tomorrow.”
Victoria was still under McNeil’s thumb. It had been nearly two weeks since he’d first told her to consider selling V&S Group to him.
He hadn’t pushed further—perhaps because Victoria, unlike before when she’d found out about him and Violet and stubbornly moved out, was now more compliant.
She did everything she could to stall, but the smartest move was to obey him in every other way.
McNeil hadn’t played his trump card yet, and she dared not make any sudden moves. They circled each other cautiously, both unwilling to show their hands.
McNeil’s voice was cold. “You’re the one responsible for fixing this. I want a mother who comes home at night, a wife who fulfills her duties. Or you can choose to be a career woman. Up to you.”
He hung up without a hint of courtesy. Given the choice between being the perfect wife and mother or the uncompromising career woman, Victoria didn’t hesitate—she chose the former.
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