Chapter 3
The day passed in a blur of spreadsheets and strategic planning. I sat in my office, sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows, conducting back-to-back meetings with the precision of a surgeon. Product development. Q3 projections. Patent filings. My team noticed nothing different about me—why would they? Victoria Sterling, the machine, performed exactly as expected.
But between meetings, I made other calls.
"Marcus," I said to my CTO during our private session, "I need a confidential analysis. No one else sees this. Potential synergies between Sterling Tech and Shaw Industries—infrastructure, patents, market positioning. Everything."
Marcus's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Shaw Industries? Victoria, they're our biggest—"
"I know what they are." I cut him off with a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "Can you have it by tonight?"
He studied my face for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Six PM."
At 7:45 PM, I stood in the lobby of Shaw Industries' headquarters, my reflection staring back from the polished marble. Black Armani suit. Leather portfolio. Diamond studs—the ones Ethan gave me for our fifth anniversary. I'd almost left them home, then decided against it. Let them be a reminder of what betrayal cost.
Dylan's executive assistant—a sharp-eyed woman in her forties—escorted me to the elevator. We rode in silence to the top floor, thirty-two stories up. When the doors opened, I stepped into a space that screamed power and money. Dark wood. Abstract art that probably cost more than most people's houses. And windows—endless windows overlooking Silicon Valley's glittering sprawl.
"Mr. Shaw will see you now," the assistant said, gesturing to double doors at the end of the hall.
I walked forward, heels clicking against hardwood, and pushed through.
Dylan Shaw stood by the windows, hands in his pockets, silhouetted against the city lights. He turned as I entered, and I took in the details I'd only glimpsed at industry conferences: six-foot-two, dark hair touched with silver at the temples, Tom Ford suit that probably cost five thousand dollars. A vintage chess set sat on his desk—white pieces facing black, mid-game.
"Victoria." He moved to the conference table, gesturing to a chair. "I won't insult you by pretending this is a social call."
"Good." I sat, placing my portfolio on the table. "I've never liked wasting time."
He poured amber liquid into two crystal glasses. "Macallan 25. Your company went public the year this was distilled."
I accepted the glass but didn't drink. "I'm curious—does Ethan know we're meeting?"
"Hunter?" Dylan's eyebrow arched. "He's still at the office, actually. Pulling another all-nighter on the Silverton account." A pause. "Why?"
Instead of answering, I opened my laptop and turned it toward him. My finger hovered over the play button. "Before we discuss business, you need to understand what you're really dealing with."
I pressed play.
Ethan's voice filled the quiet office. *"Relax, my wife's on a business trip—she's not home until Friday."*
I watched Dylan's face as the recording progressed. The five minutes I'd edited together contained everything necessary—Ethan's affair, his cruel words about me, the timeline showing it had been going on for months. I'd removed the most explicit sections, keeping it professional. Strategic.
When it ended, Dylan leaned back in his chair, swirling his whiskey. "Well. That's... not what I expected."
"No?" My voice remained steady, though my hands were ice-cold around the glass. "What did you expect?"
"Industrial espionage. Patent disputes. Poaching allegations." His eyes met mine, and something flickered there—respect, maybe, or recognition. "Not a front-row seat to your husband's spectacular implosion."
I opened my portfolio, sliding documents across the table. "Shaw Industries has cash flow problems. You've overextended on acquisitions, and your stock dropped fifteen percent last quarter. My infrastructure could solve your scaling issues. Your AI patents could accelerate my development timeline by eighteen months."
Dylan picked up the first page, scanning the numbers. His expression didn't change, but I saw the moment he recognized the accuracy of my analysis.
"A merger," he said slowly. "You're proposing a merger."
"Eight billion dollars combined market cap. Me as CEO. You as Chairman." I leaned forward. "But first, I want something else."
"Revenge."
The word hung between us like smoke.
"I want Ethan Hunter to understand what it means to betray someone who thinks ten moves ahead." My voice dropped, each word precise as a scalpel. "I want him professionally destroyed. And you're going to help me do it."
Dylan set down his glass. A slow smile spread across his face—not cruel, but calculating. Appreciative.
"I've always admired your strategic thinking, Victoria," he said. "I've watched you dismantle competitors with nothing but quarterly earnings and well-timed press releases. But I never imagined it could be this ruthless." He stood, moving to the chess set, picking up the white queen. "I'm in—on one condition."
I waited.
"We do this my way. Methodically. So he never sees it coming until it's too late." Dylan turned the piece in his fingers. "No impulsive moves. No emotional outbursts that could expose what we're doing. Can you handle that?"
I thought of Ethan above me in our bed, laughing about my coldness. Thought of the black lace crumpled in the trash.
"Try me," I said.
Dylan's smile widened. He extended his hand across the table.
I took it, his grip firm and warm, sealing an alliance that would reshape everything.
"Then let's begin," he said. "I already have the perfect opening move."
You may also like
