Controlled

Controlled
Lance's POV

At GlamHome.

The building was finally quiet. The type of silence that happened only after everyone had gone home. Most of the floors were already dark except for a few security lights and the blue glow of computer screens that had been left on. It had been a long day, the kind that made my head feel heavy. My phone kept buzzing from messages Victoria sent earlier, and I knew I had to respond at some point. She had been trying to talk about wedding plans already. I ignored most of it.

I stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hallway that led toward the exit. I loosened my tie as I walked. I needed air. Today had drained me more than usual. Meetings, stock reviews, calls, and then the added pressure of Victoria returning. Every staff at home kept looking at her like she was some symbol of order restored.

In a way, she was.

At least for me.

Her return was supposed to straighten everything again. Remind me of the path I was supposed to stay on. Remind me not to get distracted. Not to fall into something that had no future.

My fake marriage with Diane was exactly that. Fake. Business. A contract with rules. Clear rules.

But somehow, things had shifted. And I hated it.

As I walked past GlamHome’s unit, something caught my attention. One of the office lights was still on. That floor should be dark by now. Everyone in GlamHome left earlier than most departments.

My steps slowed.

It was Diane’s office.

I stared at the light through the glass for a few seconds. I did not expect her to still be here. She usually left early these days. I wondered what she was doing. Then I told myself I had no reason to wonder.

Still, I found myself walking toward the door.

When I reached the office, I saw her inside. Seated at her desk. Leaning forward slightly. Typing something fast on her laptop with a serious face. She did not even look tired. She looked focused. Too focused.

I opened the door without knocking.

She looked up fast. Her hand went straight to the laptop, like she wanted to close it immediately.

That bothered me.

“You do not need to hide anything from me,” I said as I stepped fully into the room. “If you are trying to hide something, there is no need for that.”

She pressed her lips together and looked away for a moment. “I was not hiding anything. I was just working.”

“At this time?” I asked. “It is late.”

She shifted in her seat. “I needed some time alone. I had things to settle, so I stayed back.”

I moved closer to her desk. “What things?”

She paused. “Personal things.”

Something in her tone made me look more closely at her. She was calm. Too calm. Ever since Victoria came back, ever since she forced her out of the main mansion, she had not reacted further nor did she complain. She had been acting like nothing bothered her.

But it bothered me.

“Diane,” I said quietly, “let me in on it.”

Her eyes lifted slowly to meet mine. “Why?”

“Because you are still in my company,” I replied. “And whatever you are doing affects something.”

She stared at me. I could tell she was thinking of how much she wanted to say. Or how much she wanted to hide. “This isn’t about your company,” she said coldly

“What is it then?”

“My business.”

“Let me in on it.” I pressed. I shouldn’t have. But I did.

She finally sighed, giving me a look that said she didn’t understand why I needed to see it but okay. “If you want to see it, fine,” she said.

She turned the laptop toward me.

I stepped closer and looked at the file on the screen. The Ward Project.

I opened it. What I saw made me raise my brow slightly. A full plan. Detailed. Calculated. Clean. A trap designed to pull Mike in and hit him from the inside.

From what I saw, I could tell he had done her more damage than just a divorce. I suddenly wondered what he and his biography looked like.

When I finished reading, I closed the document and looked at her.

“You have a solid plan,” I said in a flat tone.

She blinked once. “You think so?”

“Yes. It is strong,” I said. “If you follow this exactly the way you planned it, you will get what you want.”

She nodded, but her voice was small. “Thank you.”

I put my hands in my pockets. “If you do not mind, I would like to join you in this.”

She froze. “You want to join me? On the revenge?”

“Yes.”

I said it with no hesitation.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Why?”

“Because…” I hesitated. I wanted to tell her that I wouldn’t be at peace if she went down that path alone. Mike looked like a dangerous man and probably won’t hesitate to hurt her if he figured out what was coming for him. “Because I want to.”

Her expression shifted, as if she wanted to say something else but held it back. “Lance… if you work with me on this, we will be meeting often. We will be working closely. It will not be simple.”

“I know. I know why she said that,” I replied.

“And Victoria?” she asked. “How will you handle her?”

I kept my face emotionless. Her question was valid.

It was also the question I had been waiting for her to ask, even though I did not want her to ask it.

I straightened slightly. “Victoria will not affect this.”

Diane watched me for a few seconds before she spoke again. Her voice was calm but held certainty. “She asked me to leave your house and move to the other one.”

I kept my eyes on her. “I know. I was there.”

“And you did not disagree,” she added.

I did not answer immediately. Not because I did not have an answer, but because I did not want to give one.

Finally, I said, “It was not the right time to argue with her.”

She nodded slowly. No emotion. No complaint. No anger.

Something about her silence irritated me, and I didn’t know why.

“You seem unbothered,” I said before I could stop myself.

She shrugged. “I do not expect anything from you, Lance. So nothing surprises me.”

The words hit harder than they should have.

I looked away for a moment.

“It is better this way,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “You and I have a contract. Victoria and I have a real engagement. This arrangement must stay clear.”

“I know,” she replied. “I didn’t say anything against it.”

Her calmness felt wrong. It felt too controlled. I could not tell if she meant every word or if she was just building another wall.

Before I could speak again, her phone alarm beeped. She picked it up.

“It is time to go home,” she said. She stood and began packing her things.

I watched her quietly, then said, “Come with me. Let’s leave for home together.”

“No,” she said simply. “I drove. I want to go back the same way.”

I tried not to react. And I didn’t show any annoyance.

“As you want,” I said.

She walked to the door and opened it. I followed behind. We stepped into the quiet hallway.

She turned slightly. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” I said.

I watched her walk away without looking back. Something tugged at me again, something I refused to name. I forced the feeling down and walked toward the elevator.

When I got to my car, I sat for a few seconds before pulling out my phone, typing a message to Diane.

Tomorrow we begin stage one. Prepare the structure for the new company.

I sent it, resting my head on the seat for a moment.

This had to stay business and controlled.

And Diane…

Diane had to stay at a distance.