“Madam Chairwoman?”

Victoria looked up.

Her chief financial officer had stopped speaking.

“Sorry,” she said. “Continue.”

The presentation resumed.

But Victoria’s mind returned to Adrian.

She had hoped the test would end quickly.

Instead, his silence continued.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, something unexpected happened.

Victoria was leaving a private executive lunch when her personal security director approached her.

“There is something you should see.”

He handed her a tablet.

Victoria looked at the screen.

A photograph showed Adrian entering the Grand Beaumont Hotel the previous evening with a young woman Victoria recognized immediately.

Claire Whitmore.

Daughter of billionaire investor Richard Whitmore.

Crownridge Holdings had been negotiating a major infrastructure partnership with the Whitmore family for months.

Victoria looked at the second photograph.

Adrian and Claire sat together in the hotel restaurant.

Not across from each other.

Beside each other.

Claire’s hand rested on Adrian’s arm.

Victoria’s expression did not change.

“How long?”

“We checked the security logs after your office flagged unusual communication connected to the Whitmore negotiations.”

“And?”

“They’ve met privately at least four times in the past month.”

Victoria went silent.

A month.

Long before she had told him about the fake debt.

Her security director continued carefully.

“We also found messages sent through a personal device.”

Victoria raised her eyes.

“Show me.”

He hesitated.

“Madam Chairwoman—”

“Show me.”

He opened the file.

Victoria read the messages slowly.

Adrian had told Claire that his engagement was “complicated.”

He had described Victoria as sweet but lacking ambition.

In another message, he wrote:

My mother was right. I need someone who understands the world I’m trying to enter.

Victoria read it twice.

Then she continued.

Claire had responded:

Then why are you still marrying her?

Adrian’s reply appeared beneath it.

I haven’t decided yet.

Another conversation had taken place after Victoria told him she lost her job.

Adrian wrote:

Something happened. Her finances are much worse than I thought. Maybe this is the sign I needed.

Victoria stopped scrolling.

For the first time, genuine pain appeared across her face.

He had not betrayed her because of the test.

The test had only given him permission to do what he already wanted.

Her security director stood silently beside her.

Finally, Victoria handed the tablet back.

“Does Claire know who I am?”

“No.”

“Does Adrian?”

“No.”

Victoria nodded.

“Keep it that way.”

She walked toward the elevator.

That night, Adrian finally called.

Victoria answered on the fourth ring.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hello.”

His voice sounded unusually gentle.

“How are you doing?”

“I’m managing.”

“Listen, I’ve been thinking.”

Victoria said nothing.

“I don’t want us making emotional decisions.”

She almost smiled at the irony.

“What decision?”

“The wedding.”

“And what have you decided?”

There was a pause.

“I think postponing it is the responsible thing.”

Victoria looked out from her penthouse window.

She had returned home that evening for the first time in months.

Below her, the city stretched toward the horizon.

Adrian believed she was sitting in the modest apartment.

He had no idea she was standing fifty floors above Manhattan with a glass of wine beside her and Crownridge Tower glowing across the avenue.

“How long?” Victoria asked.

“I don’t know.”

“A month?”

“Maybe.”

“Six months?”

“Victoria—”

“A year?”

“I said I don’t know.”

She let the silence stretch.

Then she asked the question she already knew the answer to.

“Is there someone else?”

Adrian froze.

“What?”

“Someone else.”

“No.”

The lie came too quickly.

Victoria closed her eyes.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Another lie.

She opened her eyes again.

“All right.”

Adrian seemed relieved.

“Can we talk properly tomorrow?”

Victoria looked at the city.

“Yes.”

“Dinner?”

“Sure.”

“At your place?”

“No.”

She paused.

“Let’s meet somewhere nicer.”

Adrian sounded surprised.

“Where?”

“The Grand Beaumont.”

Silence.

Victoria almost heard the panic.

“The Beaumont?”

“Yes.”

“That’s expensive.”

“I know.”

“Why there?”

Victoria smiled faintly.

“I want one good evening before we decide what happens next.”

Adrian hesitated, then agreed.

“Seven?”

“Seven.”

After ending the call, Victoria placed the phone down.

Then she contacted her assistant.

“I need a private dining room at the Grand Beaumont tomorrow.”

“Of course.”

“And invite Claire Whitmore.”

Her assistant paused.

“Under your name?”

“No.”

Victoria’s eyes hardened.

“Tell her Crownridge Holdings wants to discuss the partnership.”

The next evening, Adrian arrived first.

He wore one of his best suits.

Victoria entered ten minutes later in the simple beige dress associated with her cover identity.

Adrian visibly relaxed when he saw her.

Perhaps part of him had feared she knew more than she should.

They sat.

For several minutes, they spoke politely.

Then Victoria reached across the table.

“I’ve been thinking too.”

Adrian watched her.

“I don’t want you marrying me because you feel trapped.”

“I don’t feel trapped.”

“Good.”

Victoria removed her engagement ring.

She placed it between them.

Adrian looked down.

“What are you doing?”

“Giving you a choice.”

He stared at her.

“If you believe marrying me will destroy the future you want, leave.”

“Victoria—”

“No anger. No guilt. Just honesty.”

He looked at the ring.

Victoria continued.

“If you walk away tonight, I will never contact you again.”

Adrian leaned back.

“You’re making this too dramatic.”

“Then the answer should be easy.”

He looked uncomfortable.

Victoria waited.

Five seconds.

Ten.

Twenty.

Then Adrian slowly pushed the ring toward her.

“I think we need different things.”

Victoria looked at the ring.

There it was.

The answer.

She picked it up.

“Thank you.”

Adrian blinked.