Victoria sat behind her sleek glass desk, sunlight catching the gold trim of her cufflinks, but her mind was far from quarterly forecasts. Her lips still tingled with mory. The way Alex had touched her... not just her body, but sothing deeper, sothing dangerously tender. She’d felt owned, rewired. No man had ever made her feel that... claid.
She exhaled softly, a smile brushing her mouth before she could stop it.
God... I almost forgot he’s supposed to be my daughter’s boyfriend.
The thought should’ve sobered her. It didn’t.
The door clicked open. Margaret stepped in, tablet in hand, but paused mid-step, eyes narrowing with a grin.
"Well," she said, cocking her head. "Soone looks far too satisfied in the middle of busy afternoon. Dare I ask who... or what... you’re thinking about?"
Victoria tilted her head slightly, lips still curled in the aftermath of Margaret’s teasing.
The assistant’s eyes twinkled with mischief, but Victoria waved her off with a smirk.
"Get out before I fire you."
Margaret only laughed, tapping her tablet. "Too late. I already sent myself a raise."
Then she turned, sauntering out the door, the click of her heels echoing lightly.
As soon as the door shut, Victoria leaned back in her chair.
Her fingers traced the rim of her coffee cup, but her mind was far from caffeine or quarterly numbers.
She couldn’t keep doing this in shadows.
He couldn’t keep slipping into her house under the cover of night. It was dangerous. Risky.
And too addictive.
Victoria wasn’t the kind of woman who let her personal cravings jeopardize her empire. If she wanted to keep seeing Alex....freely, frequently....she needed justification. Sothing even her most cynical board mbers wouldn’t question.
That’s when a mory sparked. A boardroom discussion a week ago. David Bennett, their Chief Strategy Officer, had voiced it...
"We’ve hit a wall. Innovation’s flatlining. All our current projects are safe bets... but we’re bleeding vision."
Her lips parted slightly, the click of strategy falling into place.
A ntorship program. Carefully structured. Respectable.
And with Alex as her first ntee...
handso, brilliant, conveniently under her personal guidance.
She pressed the intercom. "Margaret?"
"Yes, Victoria?"
"Tell every departnt head to clear their final hour today. I want a eting before close."
There was a brief pause. "I’ll inform them right now."
"And Margaret?" Victoria added, standing, already reaching for her blazer. "Have soone bring up the last quarter’s CSR proposals. We’re going to build sothing new.
____
Later that Afternoon – Executive Boardroom
The room buzzed with low conversation as departnt heads filed in. A digital display pulsed quietly at the end of the table.
Victoria entered last, the room stilling like students awaiting a professor. She didn’t sit. She stood at the head, her presence composed but electric.
"We’re too insular," she began without preamble. "We’ve beco too reliant on established pipelines and partners. Which makes us vulnerable."
David leaned forward slightly, attentive.
Victoria continued, "So I propose we seed our future. Not just through acquisitions, but cultivation. We launch a ntorship program. One that identifies raw, rising talent and aligns them with our vision, our resources...and our legacy."
She tapped the tablet in front of her, syncing to the display. A sleek, minimalistic logo appeared:
FutureMinds Innovation Initiative
"There’ll be weekly strategy sessions, monthly impact evaluations, quarterly funding reviews. Every engagent will be purposeful and asurable."
She glanced toward David. "A week ago, David raised a valid concern...how we’ve grown dependent on predictable partnerships. That thought stuck with . This is one way we solve it."
David gave a nod, a flicker of approval behind his composed expression.
Claudia, the CFO, crossed her arms, thoughtful. "It’s a strong PR move. Grooming the next generation. Adds polish to our ESG report too."
"And," Victoria said smoothly, "I’ve already selected the pilot candidate. His na is Alexander Hale. He’s developing forward-thinking models in sustainability...exactly where we’re lacking strategic presence."
Margaret, seated at the end, didn’t even blink. She was already typing up the docuntation.
Victoria’s smile was gracious but firm. "We ntor him. We position ourselves as visionaries. And in doing so, we build a new wing for our company."
The room murmured in agreent.
Victoria folded her hands. "eting adjourned. Margaret will circulate the details by end of day."
As the executives stood and filed out, Victoria remained still, her eyes lingering on the logo glowing on screen.
FutureMinds Innovation Initiative.
She’d built it for them.
But also...for him.
And now, she had all the cover she needed.
____
Later That Evening – Alex’s Apartnt
His phone buzzed—Victoria Blackwood.
He stared for a mont. They hadn’t planned on calls. Not this soon.
Still, he answered. "Breaking the rules already?"
Her voice ca through soft, but charged. "I had to. I sent you sothing. Check your email."
Curious, he opened it. A subject line flashed on screen:
Blackwood Innovation Initiative – First Engagent
Details followed. Ti. Address. Tomorrow.
He let out a low whistle. "You really built all this... for ?"
"For us," she corrected, then added, a touch more softly, "I thought you’d be impressed."
He smiled. "I’m more than impressed. You’re terrifyingly brilliant, you know that?"
A small laugh slipped through the line, and for a second, she sounded almost shy.
"Wear sothing that makes them stare," she murmured. "Especially ."
Then the call ended.
Alex chuckled under his breath, eyes still on the screen. "This is insane... and I love it."
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