Chapter 3

The next three days were pure hell for the marketing department.

We were working overtime, pulling all-nighters, and stuck in endless meetings.

Everyone was running on autopilot, tweaking the proposal like crazy.

As the marketing director, I was under the most pressure.

I was basically camping out at the office, barely catching three or four hours of sleep each night.

Andy had to stay with my parents for the time being.

By Friday afternoon, we finally managed to send the new proposal to Victor's email before the deadline.

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief, slumping in their chairs, feeling completely drained.

When I finally dragged myself home, Andy was already asleep.

Seeing his peaceful little face, I was hit with guilt all over again.

I whispered to him, "I'm sorry, Andy. I promise I'll spend more time with you."

I kissed his forehead and then headed to the study.

Though the proposal was submitted, I still couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

I fired up my laptop and started digging into Victor and his company, Voyager Capital.

I had no idea what I was in for until I did. Then I was floored.

Voyager Capital had only been around for five years and was already one of the fiercest dark horses in the industry, with a sharp eye for investments, ruthless tactics, and a legendary track record.

And Victor, as the founder and CEO, was known in the business as the "Capital Butcher."

Reports said he was cold as ice, decisive, and never gave anyone a second shot.

Staring at Victor's confident, ambitious photo on my screen, I felt a swirl of emotions inside.

Just then, my phone rang.

It was an unknown number.

I hesitated for a moment, but picked up anyway. "Hello?"

"Claire, it's me." A woman's voice came through the line, all sweet and syrupy, with a touch of forced gentleness.

It was Emily. Her name felt like a needle stabbing right through me.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice turning cold.

"I heard you're back, and now you're working at LuminaTech?" she said.

"What's that got to do with you?"

"Of course it does," Emily said with a laugh. "Victor is the investor for LuminaTech's latest round of funding. Didn't you know?"

Yeah, I knew all along, but I couldn't bring myself to face it.

"Claire, do yourself a favor and quit now," Emily said, her tone condescending. "Victor doesn't want you around. Why embarrass yourself? Wouldn't it be better to hold onto a little dignity?"

"Dignity?" I snorted. "Did you two ever let me keep any dignity at my own wedding?"

Emily was caught off guard for a second, then her voice turned sharp. "That's all in the past. Why are you so petty? Victor already explained everything.

"He was confused back then, but his heart always belonged to me. He's stayed single for seven years, all because he was waiting for me!"

"Oh, really?" I shot back, my voice icy. "Then why hasn't he married you?"

There was a sudden silence on the other end.

Everyone knew it, but nobody ever had the guts to say it to Emily's face.

After that whole wedding fiasco, Victor never got together with Emily.

She waited for years, but Victor never made it official with her. In the end, she gave up and settled for marrying a trust fund baby.

Rumor had it that her married life was nothing like she had hoped.

"Claire, don't get cocky!" Emily spat, her voice sharp and full of spite. "Though Victor didn't marry me, he'd never pick you. Who do you think you are?

"Some woman he humiliated in front of everyone, now showing up with a kid. Nobody knows who the father is. What makes you think you deserve to be anywhere near him?"

"What did you say?" I snapped, my blood boiling.

She could say whatever she wanted about me, but she had no right to mess with my kid.

Emily sneered, "I said your son's a bastard! So what? Born to a mother but dumped by his dad, a fatherless brat..."

Before she could finish, I slammed the phone down and blocked her number.

I was trembling with fury, my chest rising and falling as I struggled to breathe.

I walked into Andy's room, and the moment I saw his peaceful little face, tears started streaming down.

My precious boy. He's my everything.

Emily and Victor.

Everything you owe me. I'll take it all back, piece by piece.