Victor leaned back slightly, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp, gleaming with a mix of arrogance and frustration. “I never knew you were so good at manipulating people, Mr. Kane,” he said, his tone calm but cutting. “Quite the Loki, aren’t you? Making Avey fall for you so hard that she didn’t even care about her public image. I must admit, it’s shocking.”
Lucian’s eyes narrowed dangerously, his sharp gaze locking onto Victor. For a moment, the air in the room felt heavier, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
“If you want to fight, just say so,” Jimmy cut in, his voice low and steady. He leaned forward slightly, his muscles tensing under his shirt as he glared at Victor. “Why waste time with games? I’ll take you on anytime.”
“stay out of it,” Lucian said firmly, his tone brooking no argument.
Victor’s smile didn’t falter, though his eyes glinted with something darker. “Oh, it does concern me,” he said smoothly. “Have you forgotten the dates Avey and I used to go on?”
Lucian sighed heavily, his expression hardening as he leaned back in his chair. His next words were calm but laced with venom. “Do you really think I don’t know what those were? You were nothing but a dog she paid to parade around. She used you, Victor. To make me jealous. That’s it.” He paused, letting his words sink in before delivering the final blow. “You were just her lapdog, chasing scraps money, favors, or whatever bones she tossed your way. And now, you actually think I didn’t see through that?”
Victor’s calm facade cracked for the briefest moment. His lips tightened, and a flicker of anger flashed in his eyes. The words stung more than he cared to admit, not because they were true but because they struck at the very heart of what he despised being underestimated.
Dog? For scraps? Victor’s fists clenched under the table, though his outward composure remained intact. His mind churned with frustration. These fools will never understand. My plans go far beyond their petty assumptions.
Victor kept his tone even, refusing to take the bait. “You think you know everything,” he said inwardly, masking his growing irritation. Money? Power? I already have those in abundance. Following her was never about her. It was about what she represents the stepping stone to something much greater.
He didn’t rise to Lucian’s mockery, though his silence spoke volumes. His deep, calculating gaze fixed on Lucian, who, for his part, seemed utterly unbothered.
Lucian’s lips curled into a faint smirk, his expression one of quiet triumph as he watched Victor stew in his own silence.
Victor finally spoke, his tone soft but with an edge that hinted at his wounded pride. “Tell me, Lucian,” he said, leaning slightly forward, “how does it feel to reject something you’ve wanted your entire life? To have it handed to you on a silver platter, only for you to push it away? Quite a spectacular feeling, isn’t it?”
Lucian’s smirk faded slightly, replaced by a calm, unreadable expression. He shook his head slowly, his eyes taking on a distant, almost melancholic glint. “You wouldn’t understand,” he said simply, his voice low and steady.
Victor leaned back in his chair, his expression calm but his sharp eyes glinting with barely concealed amusement. “Honestly, I was shocked when I found out Avey proposed to you,” he said smoothly, his tone casual but deliberate. “But what really stunned me was hearing that you rejected her. I couldn’t believe it for a while. You, of all people, walking away from her?”
Lucian sighed deeply, his fingers rubbing at his temple as though trying to ward off the headache this conversation was causing. His voice was calm, but the edge of weariness was unmistakable. “So, what have you come to ask me? Get straight to the point. Don’t play games.” He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening. “Or I’m leaving right now.”
Before Victor could respond, Garry, still chewing on a bite of his burger, waved his hand in the air as if he were a detective solving a case. “Oh, I’ve got it,” he said, his words slightly muffled by the food in his mouth. He swallowed and pointed his burger at Victor. “Maybe he’s here to ask if you’ve really given up on Avey. Y’know, confirm you’re out of the competition so he can have a clear shot.”
Victor’s smile didn’t falter, but his eyes flickered toward Garry, intrigued.
“Or,” Garry continued, tapping a finger on the table, “he’s here to figure out how it even happened. Like, what kind of magic spell made her suddenly confess to you after all this time.”
Jimmy snorted softly, shaking his head, but Garry wasn’t done.
“Or maybe,” Garry added, gesturing dramatically with his half-eaten burger, “he wants to know why you gave up on her. Like, what’s the real reason? Or…” He paused, leaning forward conspiratorially. “Maybe he just needed an excuse to come here, talk to you, and then twist the story to Avey later. You know, make it seem like you said something to encourage him. Classic manipulation.”
Lucian raised an eyebrow, but Garry kept going, undeterred.
“Or,” he said, smirking now, “he thinks there’s something deeper going on. Something the rest of us can’t see. You’re a man of mystery, after all.”
Victor chuckled softly, raising a hand and snapping his fingers, pointing directly at Garry. “You’re smarter than you look,” he remarked, his tone carrying a hint of condescension.
“I know, right?” Garry said, taking another bite of his burger, though his eyes were filled with annoyance. He was clearly tired of the day’s endless drama. “But seriously, can we wrap this up? I’m sick of seeing your faces.”
Jimmy leaned back, crossing his arms as he regarded Victor coolly. His voice, when he spoke, was sharp and to the point. “Lucian’s over her,” he said firmly. “He’s given up. That’s the end of it. And whatever the reasons are, they don’t concern you. So take your curiosity elsewhere before you annoy me.”
—-