Page 60 of Alpha-Ex Wedding Ruse
Elena grimaced like I’d asked if she was marrying her cousin.
“Luca trusts my judgment,” she said breezily. “So, whatever I say, go with that.”
Okay. Heard that loud and clear.
But it was strange, this didn’t sound like Luca at all. Five years ago, he would’ve hated “soul-crushing elegance”. He’d once told me crystal centerpieces made his skin crawl.
Either Elena had steamrolled him…
Or he’d changed more than I realized.
The rest of the meeting blurred into talk of peonies and gold-accented tableware, suspended candles, and imported crystal. I took notes. Smiled when I needed to. Agreed where appropriate.
We were entering the difficult stretch of this planning process, where everything became more real and personal. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. But I was up for the challenge. Even if it meant proving Elena wrong, one perfectly executed detail at a time. And giving her a wedding she’d never forget.
After the meeting, I made my way to the restaurant Victor had texted me about. He was already waiting when I arrived.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” I said, reaching for a chair, but before I could pull it out, Victor stood and helped me.
“Thank you,” I murmured, offering a small smile as I settled in.
He took his seat across from me, his gaze soft but steady. “You look beautiful, Leila,” he said.
I smiled politely. “Thank you.”
“I hope you don’t mind. I went ahead and ordered us some wine. Red. Non alcoholic—I thought it’d be better to keep things light and easy.”
“That’s perfect. Thank you.”
For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Just looked at me like he was still wrapping his head around the fact that I was sitting here in front of him.
Victor’s eyes were brown, warm, and observant, unlike Luca’s steel gray ones. But like his brother, his hair was jet black and slicked back with meticulous precision. It gave him a refined, uptight look, though his personality was anything but.
I didn’t know him well, not intimately, but I knew enough to see the differences. Victor didn’t have that iron grip presence Luca carried everywhere. He had a lean, athletic build, wore a shirt dress under a soft knit sweater, and—most refreshingly—he actually knew how to smile.
“It’s really good to see you again, Leila,” he said finally, his voicegentle. “I didn’t realize you’d left Vaughn Industries until I came back from Germany.”
I remembered that trip. He’d been gone when the whole nightmare unfolded, when everything between Luca and I collapsed.
“When I got back and heard about your…scandal, for lack of a better word, I guess,” he said, offering an apologetic smile, “I was shocked. Luca fired you and publicly humiliated you. I mean, I know he can be cold, especially when he’s mad, but I didn’t think he was capable of that. Not toward you.”
I forced a small smile, willing my face to stay calm even as the memory stung like it had happened yesterday. The shame. The betrayal. The way he turned on me.
“It’s okay, Victor. It’s in the past now.”
Thankfully, the waiter appeared just then, saving me from having to say more. He placed two glasses of wine in front of us, then handed us menus. I scanned mine and settled on the safest thing: shrimp fried rice.
Once the waiter left, Victor leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the table with a look of sincere interest.
“I want to hear all about you. How the last five years have been. You mentioned you live in the Bronx now. What made you move there? How did you get into event planning? How have you been, really?”
He asked it like he meant it. Like he actually cared. It had been so long since someone asked about me and genuinely wanted to know the answer. Not to dig up dirt. Not to gossip. Just to know.
Even though I didn’t love talking about that chapter of my life, the darkest one, I couldn’t bring myself to dim Victor’s warmth. So, I answered.
“I just wanted to get out of Manhattan,” I began, taking a sip of my wine. “Honestly, I liked the idea of a big move—different state, different world. But I couldn’t afford that. The Bronx was closer. Familiar enough, but still far enough to feel like escape.”
Victor nodded, listening intently.
