Chapter 2

When we got back to my parents' place, we all broke down in tears and hugged each other tight.

My mom looked at me, then at Andy, and her tears wouldn't stop. "It's good you're back. It's good you're back," she kept saying.

My dad tried to keep a straight face, but after a heavy sigh, he pulled Andy into a hug. His eyes were red from holding back tears.

That night, after Andy had fallen asleep, my mom took my hand and asked softly, "Claire, are you planning to leave us again?"

I shook my head. "I'm staying for good. I found a job here, and I'm going to build my life here now."

My mom let out a sigh of relief, but then her worry came right back. "And what about Victor?"

Every time I heard his name, it still stung. "Mom, I have nothing to do with him anymore."

"But I heard he's made it big these past few years. He's the CEO of some... venture capital firm, worth several hundred million dollars now."

Her voice was tangled with worry, a hint of discontent, and a bit of regret she probably didn't realize herself.

I gave a bitter smile. "That has nothing to do with me."

Yeah, it didn't.

The next day, I went to my new company to report for duty.

It was a mid-sized internet company, and I was hired as the marketing director.

The boss was a man in his forties, and he was pretty polite to me. "Ms. Linford, welcome to the team. Your office is over there. I've already had the admin team get it ready for you."

I nodded and was about to head over when he called me back, "Oh, Ms. Linford, there's an important meeting this afternoon about our Series A funding. The investor's representative will be here, so I'd like you to join and get familiar with the situation."

"Sure, no problem," I replied.

I walked into my office, glanced out at the bustling city streets outside, and started thinking about how I'd take on this new chapter.

At two in the afternoon, I walked into the conference room with my notebook, right on time.

There were already a few people inside, and my boss was speaking with a man, his demeanor extremely respectful.

"Mr. Grant, it's truly an honor to have you here in person," my boss said.

The man he was talking to had his back to me. He was tall and straight, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit.

That silhouette looked oddly familiar.

My heart skipped a beat. A sinking feeling hit me.

Then, the man turned around.

His icy, familiar face appeared before me.

It was him.

Victor.

Seven years had passed since I last saw him. The youthful softness was long gone, replaced by striking, chiseled features and razor-sharp eyes. He carried an intimidating aura that instinctively kept people at a distance.

Our eyes locked for a split second in the air.

He glanced over my face with not a flicker of emotion, like I was a total stranger to him.

Then he turned to my boss, his voice low and cold. "Is everyone here?"

My boss quickly nodded, almost bowing. "Yes, everyone's here. Mr. Grant, let me introduce our new marketing director, Ms. Claire Linford."

My boss kept winking at me, hinting I should go over and say hello.

I stood frozen, my whole body going cold.

Not even in my wildest dreams did I think we'd cross paths like this.

He was the almighty investor, sitting high and mighty, and I was the one who had to play by his rules and report to him.

Could this be any more ironic?

Victor leaned back in his chair, his long fingers drumming lightly on the table. His gaze landed on me again, and a faint, almost mocking smile played at the corners of his mouth.

"Ms. Linford, director?" he repeated my title, the mockery in his eyes completely undisguised. "I've heard so much about you."

From his lips, those words were more humiliating than a slap to the face.

The atmosphere in the conference room instantly turned awkward.

My boss clearly sensed something was off, but he didn't dare ask. He gave a nervous laugh and tried to smooth things over. "So, uh, Mr. Grant, should we get started?"

Victor withdrew his gaze and gave a nonchalant nod.

Throughout the whole meeting, I was on pins and needles.

Victor didn't spare me a single glance. But every question he fired off was sharp and brutal, landing squarely on the weakest point of our proposal without pulling any punches.

My boss and a few colleagues were sweating bullets, looking like they'd been through a war zone.

Now I finally understood what my mom meant when she said he'd "made it big."

The man in front of me wasn't that guy who'd stand in the rain for hours to make me smile anymore.

He was a predator lying in wait. When he struck, he could tear his prey apart without breaking a sweat.

By the time the meeting ended, our proposal had been completely dismantled.

"You have three days. I want to see a proposal that actually impresses me." With that, Victor stood up, ready to leave.

As he walked past me, he paused, turned his head slightly, and spoke in a voice so low that only I could hear, "Claire, welcome back."

His voice was gentle, but it felt like an icy blade, cutting right through me.