Victoria didn't knock. She placed her palm flat against the frosted glass door and shoved it open. It swung inward with a heavy, pneumatic swoosh.
The laughter inside cut off instantly.
Julian snapped his head up. His expression shifted from relaxed to annoyed in a nanosecond. Elena scrambled off the desk, smoothing her skirt, but she didn't move far enough away. She hovered in his orbit, a satellite of silk and perfume.
Victoria walked in. She didn't stop at the door. She walked straight to the leather sofa area in the center of the room and sat down. She crossed her legs, placing her purse beside her. She looked comfortable. She looked like she owned the building.
Sorry to interrupt your... strategy session, she said. She let the word hang in the air, coated in sarcasm.
Julian frowned. What are you doing here, Victoria?
Your mother sent me, she said, checking her nails. She thought you might be hungry. She sent lunch.
Julian looked at her empty hands. Where is it?
I threw it away, Victoria said pleasantly. I saw you were already eating out of someone's hand. I didn't want to overfeed you.
Elena gasped. Mrs. Sterling! That is-
Victoria's head snapped toward her. The movement was so sharp it was almost audible.
I wasn't speaking to you, Miss Vance.
Elena flinched, her eyes tearing up instantly. She looked at Julian, the damsel in distress signal activated. Julian, she's doing it again.
Julian stood up. That's enough, Victoria. Apologize to her.
Apologize? Victoria stood up too. She walked over to the desk. She stood toe-to-toe with Elena.
She looked the girl up and down. It was a clinical, dissecting gaze.
"Miss Vance," Victoria said, her voice dripping with the sort of false concern one uses for a child who has misbehaved at a funeral. "We aren't at a beach club in the Hamptons. In corporate environments, we generally prefer our assistants to leave something to the imagination. It's about... decorum."
She gestured vaguely at Elena's hemline.
"Perhaps if you spent less time shopping in the junior section and more time managing Julian's calendar, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Elena turned scarlet. Julian!
Julian slammed his hand on the desk. Get out, Victoria! You have no right to come in here and harass my staff.
I have every right, Victoria turned on him. I am your wife. And frankly, Julian, your taste in staff reflects poorly on the family name. It looks... desperate.
Julian's eyes narrowed. Are you threatening me?
I'm protecting you, she said softly.
She leaned over the desk. She reached out and touched his tie. It was a dark blue silk.
Also, she whispered, her voice dropping to an intimate purr. You might want to check your tie. There's a smudge of lipstick on it.
It was a lie. A bluff.
But Julian flinched. His eyes darted down to his chest. His hand came up automatically to cover the spot.
Gotcha, Victoria thought.
She laughed. It was a cold, victorious sound.
You looked, she said.
Julian froze. He realized he had been played. His face darkened with fury.
Victoria stepped back. Pathetic, she said.
She turned and walked to the door. She didn't look back.
Goodbye, Julian. Try to get some actual work done.
She exited the office, the door swinging shut behind her.
Inside, the silence was deafening.
Elena sniffled. She moved toward Julian, reaching for his arm. Oh, Julian, she's so cruel. I don't know why you stay with her.
Julian stared at the door. His heart was pounding. Not from anger, exactly. But from adrenaline.
He looked at Elena. She was pouting. Her mascara was perfect. She looked like Seraphina. She looked exactly like Seraphina.
But for the first time in three years, looking at her didn't make him feel comforted. It made him feel... bored.
He looked down at his tie. The tie he had checked. The tie he had been terrified was marked.
Why had he checked? He hadn't kissed Elena. He had never kissed Elena.
But Victoria's accusation had made him panic. Because he felt guilty. Not for what he had done, but for what he had wanted to do.
Elena's hand touched his arm. Julian?
He pulled away.
Get out, he said.
Elena blinked. What?
Leave the office, Elena. I need to work.
But-
Now! he barked.
Elena recoiled as if slapped. She grabbed her tablet and scurried out of the room.
Julian stood alone in the silence. He reached up and loosened his tie. He ripped it off and threw it into the trash can.
He walked to the window and looked down at the street, fifty floors below. He tried to spot a tiny figure in a navy dress, but she was already gone.
