And there's nothing I can do. If I show up looking like this, claiming he drugged me, I'll just sound like the paranoid addict he's painting me to be. Aiden watched her, his heart breaking a little at the sight of her defeat. He walked over, picked up a mug, poured hot coffee into it, and set it gently on the table in front of her. Before he could say anything, a small voice broke the heavy silence.
Daddy, why is the pretty lady crying? Victoria gasped, her head snapping up. Standing in the hallway was a little girl with messy brown curls, wearing pink dinosaur pajamas, and clutching a worn-out stuffed bunny. Aiden's face softened instantly. He walked over and scooped the little girl up, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Hey, bug, how's the fever? All gone, Chloe mumbled, resting her head on his shoulder, her big brown eyes staring curiously at Victoria. Is she your girlfriend? Victoria blinked, completely derailed by the domesticity of the scene. The ruthless corporate battlefield she had been drowning in just seconds ago suddenly felt a million miles away from this tiny apartment filled with the smell of pancakes and the warmth of a father holding his child.
No, Chloe, Aiden chuckled softly, walking back into the kitchen with her in his arms. This is my boss, Ms. Harrington. She had a very bad night and she needed a safe place to stay. Chloe looked at Victoria. Her innocent gaze cutting through all of Victoria's defensive walls.
Are you sad because you don't have a bunny? You can hold Mr. Hops if you want. Chloe squirmed out of Aiden's arms, padded across the linoleum, and held out the stuffed rabbit to the billionaire CEO. Victoria stared at the battered toy, then looked up at Aiden who offered a gentle encouraging smile. Slowly, Victoria reached out and took the rabbit.
Her fingers, usually gripping luxury pens and crystal glasses, brushed against the soft worn fabric. A strange tight knot in her chest, one she hadn't realized was there, suddenly loosened. She wasn't alone. She wasn't surrounded by sharks. She was in a sanctuary guarded by a man who had risked everything to protect her and a child offering her comfort.
Victoria Harrington sat up straighter. The icy fire returned to her eyes, but this time it was tempered with something new. Gratitude and vengeance. She looked at Aiden, her voice steady and resolute. Aiden, what time does your shift start today?
Aiden raised an eyebrow. I took a sick day. To watch Chloe. Victoria stood up. The oversized flannel shirt swirling around her like a battle cloak.
Call Mrs. Higgins back. Tell her you're working overtime because you and I are going to buy a new suit, get me a fresh dress, and then we are going to walk into that boardroom at exactly 11:59 a.m. Tristan Hayes thinks he can take my empire. We are going to burn his world to the ground. The clock on Aiden's microwave read 8:15 a.m. They had less than 4 hours to dismantle a corporate coup. After a hurried call, Mrs. Higgins arrived to take Chloe for the morning.
Victoria knelt to the little girl's eye level, gently handing back the stuffed bunny. Thank you, Chloe. Mr. Hops was exactly what I needed. Chloe beamed, completely unaware that the woman thanking her controlled a $50 billion global supply chain. Once the door clicked shut, the warmth vanished from Victoria's eyes, replaced by absolute glacial focus.
She was no longer the vulnerable woman shivering on a bath mat. The Valkyrie was awake. Tristan has frozen my personal accounts, Victoria said, tapping furiously on Aiden's phone. He's thorough. If my black card's flag a transaction, he'll know exactly where we are.
We need cash. Aiden didn't hesitate. He grabbed his keys, pulled a small metal lock box from under his bed, and popped it open. Inside was a stack of $20 bills, his emergency fund for Chloe's braces. He grabbed the entire stack.
I've got $600. Will that cover a dress? Victoria looked at the worn bills, then at Aiden. She knew what that money represented to a man in his position. A muscle in her jaw feathered.
It will cover exactly what we need. Let's move. The drive back into Manhattan was a master class in tactical warfare. Using Aiden's phone, Victoria contacted Arthur Pendleton through a secure encrypted messaging app her father had built for the board years ago. She instructed Arthur to let Tristan talk, to let him present his fabricated evidence, and most importantly, to lock the boardroom doors once the meeting began.
At 10:30 a.m., they pulled up to a discreet high-end boutique in Soho. The manager, a woman who had dressed Victoria for years, took one look at the billionaire in the oversized flannel shirt and immediately locked the front doors to the public. "I need your sharpest power suit, Evelyn. Midnight blue or charcoal." Victoria commanded, her voice cracking like a whip. "And dress him.
Italian cut, dark." Evelyn didn't ask questions. 30 minutes later, Victoria emerged from the dressing room looking like a weapon. The charcoal blazer fit her perfectly, the sharp lines emphasizing her authority. Her hair, washed and quickly blown out, fell in sleek waves. But it was Aiden who made her pause.
Clad in a tailored, obsidian black suit that cost more than his car, his broad shoulders and commanding presence were no longer hidden beneath a cheap rental tuxedo. He looked like an executive. No, he looked like an enforcer. "You clean up well, Mr. Dempsey." Victoria murmured. "I prefer the flannel, Miss Harrington." Aiden replied, adjusting his cuffs.
"Keep the tags on. My private accounts will wire the funds by 1:00 p.m." Victoria told Evelyn. They reached the Harrington Enterprises skyscraper at 11:45 a.m. Walking through the front lobby was suicide. Tristan's private security team would intercept them. "Follow me." Aiden said, leading her toward the loading docks in the back alley.
"I manage the inbound freight schedules. The automated service elevators are blind spots." He punched a 12-digit override code into the keypad of a massive steel door. It hissed open. They stepped into the industrial elevator, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead as they bypassed the lobby entirely, shooting straight up to the executive floors. Victoria looked at the digital floor counter ticking upward.
Her hands were trembling slightly. The residue of the drug was still in her system making her heart race, but she clenched her fists refusing to show weakness. Aiden noticed. He reached out gently wrapping his large warm hand around hers. "You are Victoria Harrington." He said quietly.