Page 82 of Silver Fox's Christmas Scandal
My daughter's tearful phone call had come Friday evening while I was reviewing quarterly projections.
Her boyfriend—some pretentious art student who'd never held a real job—had ended things via text message.
In the past, I would have offered hollow platitudes about young men being fools and let Elena retreat to her apartment to nurse her wounds alone.
Our relationship had been strained for so many years that emotional comfort felt foreign between us.
But something had shifted in me lately. Maybe it was watching Tessa navigate her own complicated family dynamics, or maybe it was the growing realization that I'd already lost too much time with my children.
When Elena sobbed into the phone about feeling worthless and unwanted, I'd heard echoes of the little girl who used to crawl into my lap after nightmares.
So I'd canceled my plans and taken her to see some romantic comedy she'd been wanting to watch, then out for ice cream afterward while she dissected every moment of her failed relationship.
We'd talked more in those four hours than we had in the previous six months combined.
But my choice had cost me the chance to meet Margaret Wynn, to see where Tessa came from, to understand the woman who'd shaped her into the remarkable person she'd become.
The guilt sat heavily in my chest, especially when I couldn't shake the feeling that Tessa's message held more weight than her casual tone suggested.
My office intercom buzzed and Tessa's sweet voice interrupted my brooding.
"Your ex-wife is here to see you." Her voice carried an odd tension that immediately put me on alert.
My blood turned to ice. Viktoria never came to the office unless she wanted to deliver maximum damage in front of an audience. "Send her in."
The door opened with more force than necessary, and Viktoria swept into my office wearing a black power suit and a smile that could cut glass.
She'd always known how to make an entrance, how to command attention and project authority. It was one of the traits that had attracted me to her twenty-three years ago, before I'd learned how destructive that charisma could be.
"Lucian." She settled into the chair across from my desk without invitation, crossing her legs dramatically. "You're looking tired. All those late nights must be catching up with you."
"What do you want, Viktoria?"
Her smile widened. "Straight to business. I always admired that about you." She opened her purse and pulled out a manila envelope, placing it on my desk with theatrics. "Though I have to say, your recent extracurricular activities have been quite entertaining to watch unfold."
I didn't touch the envelope, keeping my expression neutral despite the alarm bells screaming in my head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Really? Because I have it on excellent authority—and photographic evidence—that you've been sleeping with your assistant." She purred like a predator who'd caught their prey. "Such a predictable cliché, don't you think? The powerful CEO and his young, curvy secretary."
Heat flooded my veins, but I kept my voice level. "That's quite an accusation."
"Blake saw you leaving her apartment building three weeks ago. And these lovely pictures from a private investigator show you entering said building multiple times over the past month." She tapped the envelope with one perfectly manicured nail. "The tabloids are going to have a field day with this."
My son. Of course.
Blake had always been Viktoria's weapon of choice when she wanted to wound me, eager to please the parent who'd never criticized his lack of ambition or direction.
The betrayal shouldn't have surprised me, but it cut deep anyway. And to think I almost did what Tessa recommended by hiring him here part time before he graduated.
"You've been having me followed."
"I've been protecting our children's inheritance from your increasingly erratic judgment." She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "Did you really think you could parade around with some gold-digging assistantwithout consequences? The board is already questioning your leadership. This will be the final nail in your coffin."
"Tessa isn't a gold-digger."
The words slipped out before I could stop them, and Viktoria's eyes lit up with triumph. I'd just confirmed everything she'd suspected.
"Tessa. Such a sweet name for someone who's about to destroy your career." She stood, smoothing her skirt with satisfaction. "The board chairman and Daniel are already aligned on this. Your behavior is setting a terrible example for our children, and frankly, it's embarrassing for everyone involved."
