Chapter 237: Chapter 237

Violet

He leaned forward slightly, hope creeping into his expression. "Did you find something? Something on him? Is there a deal we could use? Something that could actually make a difference?"

The eagerness in his voice, the way his eyes lit up at the prospect of information that could hurt Elijah, made something twist uncomfortably in my stomach.

I was torn between two versions of myself. The one who wanted revenge, who wanted Elijah to suffer consequences for everything he'd done, who wanted to prove that actions had repercussions. And the one who felt sick at the thought of actively destroying someone, regardless of what they deserved.

"I saw a file open on his computer," I said slowly, the words feeling heavy on my tongue. "This afternoon. I went to his office to... it doesn't matter why. But he wasn't there, and his computer was unlocked, and I saw some project files."

Dane's entire posture changed, straightening with interest, his coffee forgotten. "What kind of project files?"

I hesitated, thinking through what I'd quickly glanced at. The entire folder consisted of important projects, the biggest being a giant commercial skyscraper in the heart of the adjacent town valued at nearly 100 million dollars. I ignored that and quickly browsed through all and found two in particular that caught my attention because they were marked as the lowest priority.

The Riverside Development Project and the Harbor District Revitalization contract were two major deals for any other company, but for Elijah they were not that big.

The two projects were valued roughly at 10-15 million dollars each which was a small amount for a billionaire like Elijah Lockwood. The riverside one was estimated to be 10 million dollars while the Harbor one was around 14.

Neither of them would create a very big dent in Elijah’s fortune but to Dane, they could mean a huge boost in his turnover.

I thought about the numbers I'd memorized. The Riverside project, worth ten million but with tighter margins, more competitors already in the running, and with less strategic importance to the company's long-term portfolio.

The Harbor District contract was relatively a bigger cash cow, worth fourteen million with minimal competition and enormous strategic value for establishing dominance in that market sector. Because, Elijah was branching out and I didn’t see any other tenders in that sector so probably this was just a feeler he put out.

Besides, Elijah could throw in another few millions at the last possible second if he really wanted to tap in that sector. He would aggressively pursue a deal if he made up his mind about it, I knew that much.

If I told Dane about the Harbor District deal, gave him the details that would let his company swoop in and steal it, the damage to Elijah would be a lot higher.

But the Riverside project... losing that would sting a bit, but it wouldn't be catastrophic. It was the kind of loss a company the size of Elijah's could absorb and recover from within a month.

"There's a proposal for a development project," I said, choosing my words carefully. "Riverside something. Mixed-use commercial and residential if I remember correctly. The budget is around fourteen million as of now, and the client decision is expected within two weeks."

I gave him the details I remembered, the timeline, the general scope, enough specific information to sound credible and useful without revealing the 100 million dollar project at all.

Dane's face lit up with genuine excitement, his exhaustion from earlier completely forgotten. "Riverside. Yes, I know exactly which project you mean. We looked at bidding on that ourselves months ago but backed out because we thought Lockwood Enterprises had it locked down."

He leaned forward, practically vibrating with enthusiasm. "This is incredible, Violet. Do you know who else is bidding? What does Elijah's actual pricing structure look like?"

I gave him a few more details, careful to stay within the boundaries of what I'd decided to share even though some part of me thought Elijah deserved a greater loss.

I told myself this was a compromise and a way to satisfy the part of me that wanted to prove Elijah couldn't manipulate me without any repercussions.

But I also didn't want to turn into someone who was so lost in revenge that she would actively orchestrate total corporate destruction.

But even as I rationalized it, guilt gnawed at my insides. I was still betraying trust.

I was still sharing confidential information I had no right to access, let alone distribute to a competitor.

"This is huge," Dane said, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "I need to call our development team first thing tomorrow. We might actually have a shot at underbidding him now that we know his numbers."

He continued talking, outlining strategy, mentioning background information about the client that he apparently already knew from previous business dealings. His excitement was palpable and he continued to ramble on.

But I just felt numb, like I was watching myself from outside my body again, disconnected from the reality of what I'd just done.

"You've done something really valuable here," Dane said, reaching over to pat my hand where it still rested on the table. "I know it probably wasn't easy to go through his files like that. But this could genuinely help level the playing field."

The praise felt hollow and undeserved. I nodded and took a sip of my coffee, needing something to do with my hands, and needing a moment where I didn't have to look directly at him.

The coffee was lukewarm now, probably from sitting too long while we talked, but I drank it anyway, letting the bitter taste ground me in the present moment.

"Dane," I said, setting my cup down carefully. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Anything."

I looked at him directly, studying his face in the dim restaurant lighting. I was trying to see past the charm and confidence to find out whatever genuine person existed underneath.

"Do you actually like me?"