Chapter 353: We'll See

Chapter 353: We'll See
[Victoria]

The photo arrived on my phone just as I was reviewing quarterly PR metrics in my office. A simple text from one of my contacts at the upscale shopping district: "Thought you'd want to see this."

I opened the attachment with casual curiosity, expecting another celebrity sighting or social media trend we might need to monitor. Instead, my breath caught in my throat.

There they were—Theodore and Sarah, walking hand in hand through the luxury shopping center. She was radiant in a flowing maternity dress, her rounded belly prominent, while Theodore carried multiple shopping bags from high-end baby boutiques. But it wasn't just the domestic scene that made my chest tighten like a vise. It was the way he looked at her.

In all the years I'd worked beside him, fantasized about him, sacrificed everything for the mere possibility of earning his attention, I had never seen that expression on Theodore Pierce's face. Pure tenderness. Protective devotion. Love.

My phone slipped from suddenly numb fingers, clattering onto my glass desk. The sound echoed through my office like a gunshot, and I felt something inside me crack—not break, but splinter into jagged pieces that cut deeper with each breath.

I'd told myself for months that his interest in Sarah was purely about the baby. That once the child was born, once the novelty wore off, he would see her for what she really was—a convenient vessel for the Pierce heir, nothing more. I'd convinced myself that his coldness toward me was simply his way of maintaining professional boundaries, that underneath it all, he still valued what we'd built together over the years.

But this photo... this photo shattered every delusion I'd carefully constructed.

Theodore Pierce was in love with Sarah Sullivan. Not with the idea of her, not with what she represented, but with her. The way his free hand rested protectively on the small of her back, the slight smile that softened his usually harsh features, the attention he paid to her every step—it was everything I'd dreamed of, everything I'd worked toward, everything I'd destroyed myself trying to achieve.

And he was giving it all to her without a second thought.

---

The Pierce Technologies office felt suffocating when I returned from lunch. Every corridor seemed narrower, every breath more labored. I passed the conference rooms where Theodore and I had worked late into countless nights, developing strategies that had built this empire. I'd been by his side through hostile takeovers, media scandals, board rebellions. I'd sacrificed relationships, opportunities, pieces of my soul, all for the chance to matter to him.

What a pathetic fool I'd been.

Sitting in my office, staring at the city skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows, I felt the weight of every year I'd wasted. Every man I'd pushed away because he wasn't Theodore. Every opportunity I'd declined because it would mean leaving his orbit. Every night I'd spent alone, imagining what it would feel like to be the woman who made Theodore Pierce smile like that.

I wasn't naive enough to think I could still win him. The photo had made that crystal clear. But I also couldn't stomach the thought of watching Sarah Sullivan live the life that should have been mine. Call it selfishness, call it justice—I didn't care anymore about labels or consequences.

My hands found my phone almost automatically. The number was already saved in my contacts, hidden under an innocuous business listing. I'd been given it weeks ago by Sarah's former stepmother during one of our carefully orchestrated encounters. At the time, I'd told myself I was just keeping options open, that I'd never actually use it.

Desperation changes everything.

"This is Victoria Cross," I said when the call connected. "You mentioned you could provide certain... specialized personnel."

The voice on the other end was professionally neutral. "Ms. Cross. Yes, I remember our conversation. Have you decided to move forward?"

"I need to know if you've found the talent we discussed. The specific requirements I outlined."

A pause. "We have identified several candidates who meet your criteria. However, I want to be absolutely clear about the scope of my involvement. I provide recommendations and facilitate introductions. What happens after that is entirely outside my purview."

"I understand completely." My voice was steadier than I felt. "I need this handled immediately. Time is becoming a factor."

"Very well. I'll send you the relevant information within the hour. But Ms. Cross—once this process begins, there's no controlling the outcome. Are you certain you want to proceed?"

I thought of Theodore's smile, of Sarah's radiant face, of all the years I'd lost chasing shadows. "I've never been more certain of anything in my life."

---

The confrontation with Alex came faster than I'd expected. I was reviewing the information packet when he appeared in the hallway outside the main conference room, his face grim with determination.

"We need to talk," he said without preamble.

I glanced around at the passing employees, then nodded toward a quieter corridor. Alex followed, his jaw set in a way that told me this conversation wouldn't be pleasant.

"The woman who's been impersonating Sarah," he said the moment we were alone. "It's your cousin Nora, isn't it?"

My mask of professional composure didn't slip. "That's ridiculous, Alex. Nora would never—"

"Cut the bullshit, Victoria." His voice was low but fierce. "We both know what she's been doing. The plastic surgery, the voice coaching, the entire elaborate setup. And we both know she didn't do it alone."

I straightened my shoulders, meeting his glare with cool indifference. "Even if that were true—which I'm not admitting—what exactly are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting that Theodore is starting to piece things together. And when he does, everyone involved is going to pay." Alex stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Walk away, Victoria. Before you lose everything."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Lose everything? Alex, I lost everything the moment I realized that no matter what I did, how hard I worked, how much I sacrificed, Theodore would never see me as anything more than an employee. So tell me—what exactly do I have left to lose?"

"Your job. Your reputation. Your freedom, if Sarah decides to press charges for what happened to her at that hotel."

"You have no proof that I was involved in any hotel incident," I said smoothly. "And even if you did, prove that Nora acted on my instructions rather than her own obsession."

I turned to walk away, but Alex's voice stopped me.

"Victoria. One way or another, this ends now. Either you put a stop to whatever you're planning, or I will. And if Theodore finds out what you've done, you won't just lose your job. You'll lose everything that matters to you."

I looked back over my shoulder, allowing myself a small, cold smile. "We'll see who's left standing when the dust settles, Alex. We'll see."

I was halfway to my car in the Pierce Technologies parking garage when my phone rang. The number wasn't one I recognized, but something about the timing made me hesitate before declining the call.