Chapter 379
Chapter 379:
Now, suddenly, there was a tomorrow. Maybe many tomorrows.
“I still recommend continuing treatment,” Dr. Winters continued, putting her glasses back on. “And regular monitoring, of course. But, Victoria…” She leaned forward, her professional distance softening. “This is the time to think about what you want to do with this gift.”
Victoria nodded, unable to speak past the unexpected tightness in her throat. She gathered her coat and bag, thanking the doctor with practiced courtesy.
Outside, her driver waited by the car, his face carefully neutral as always. Victoria slid into the back seat, grateful for the privacy partition that allowed her a rare moment of unguarded emotion.
Years. The word echoed in her mind all the way back to her office.
Kane Industries occupied the top ten floors of a gleaming tower in Manhattan’s financial district. Victoria’s office, on the highest floor, offered views that stretched across the city—a daily reminder of the empire she had built from nothing.
She stood by the windows now, watching the afternoon light glint off nearby buildings. Behind her, Frederick Winters arranged papers on her desk, his movements precise and familiar after fifteen years as her lawyer.
“Everything’s prepared as you requested,” he said. “Though I still think we should wait for the quarterly board meeting to make the announcement.”
Victoria turned from the window. “I’ve waited long enough.”
Frederick sighed. “As you wish. But surely there’s no rush now, not with your health improving…”
“That’s exactly why there’s a rush.”
Her phone rang before she could explain. Camille’s name lit up the screen.
“Are you on your way?” Victoria asked, answering without preamble.
“Just arrived downstairs,” Camille replied. “I’ll be up in five minutes.”
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Victoria hung up without saying goodbye—a habit Camille had long stopped trying to change. She smoothed her jacket and moved to her desk, sitting in the chair that had become almost an extension of herself over the decades.
Frederick gathered his notes. “Shall I stay for this?”
Victoria considered, then shook her head. “No. This should be private.” When he left, she pressed her palms flat against the polished surface of her desk. For the first time in her memory, her hands trembled slightly.
The corner of her desk held a small silver frame, the only personal item in the otherwise austere office. It contained a photograph of Sophia, her daughter, smiling on a beach Victoria couldn’t remember the name of. Had she even been there when the photo was taken, or had she sent Sophia with a nanny while she closed some essential deal?
She couldn’t recall. The realization hit her with unexpected force.
When the door opened and Camille entered, Victoria was still staring at the photograph. Camille approached cautiously, noting Victoria’s unusual stillness.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
.
.
.