Chapter 334
Chapter 334:
“Understood,” Camille agreed, settling into a chair beside Victoria. “No business talk.”
The evening air was cool but pleasant. The lake stretched before them, its surface glassy in the fading light. Birds called from the surrounding trees. From somewhere inside the house came the sound of dinner being prepared.
“It’s beautiful here,” Camille said, breathing deeply. “I can see why you love it.”
Victoria nodded. “I bought this place thirty years ago, after my first major business success. Everyone expected me to purchase something ostentatious— a mansion, a penthouse. Instead, I found this.”
“It suits you,” Alexander observed. “Understated but impressive.”
Victoria almost smiled at that. “The water helps me think. Always has.”
They sat in comfortable silence as the sun dipped lower, painting the lake in shades of gold and orange. Camille felt something inside her slowly unwinding, a tension so constant she’d forgotten what it felt like to be without it.
Dinner was served on the deck as darkness fell. Simple but delicious food—grilled fish, fresh vegetables, warm bread. Battery-operated lanterns created pools of golden light around their table. If security personnel remained vigilant in the shadows, they were invisible enough to maintain the illusion of normalcy.
Victoria ate slowly but steadily, another sign of her improving health. She asked questions about the Foundation, about Kane Industries, about plans for the coming months. Despite her earlier rule about no business talk, she clearly wanted to stay informed.
“The doctors say I can return to the office part-time next month,” she mentioned between bites. “Three days a week, four hours a day.”
“That seems ambitious,” Alexander said carefully.
Victoria raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t ask for your opinion on my recovery schedule, Alexander.”
“He’s right, though,” Camille added. “The doctors said to take it slow.”
“Four hours a day is slow,” Victoria countered. “For me.”
Camille couldn’t argue with that. Before her illness, Victoria regularly worked fourteen-hour days. Four hours would indeed feel like barely working to her.
After dinner, they moved to a fire pit near the lake’s edge. Security had cleared the area earlier, ensuring it was safe. The flames cast dancing shadows across their faces as they sat in comfortable chairs arranged in a semicircle.
“I’ve been thinking,” Victoria said, breaking a long but pleasant silence. “About what comes next.”
“I thought we weren’t talking business tonight,” Camille reminded her gently.
“This isn’t business. It’s life,” Victoria’s eyes reflected the firelight. “Specifically, yours.”
Camille tensed slightly. “What about it?”
“You’ve put your wedding plans on hold. Understandably, given recent events. But I’m wondering when you might reconsider.”
Alexander reached over to take Camille’s hand, a silent show of support. This topic hadn’t been discussed between them for weeks—not since the bombing, not since Rose’s threat, not since Victoria’s illness.
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