CHAPTER 18: THE PROFESSIONAL COVER

Victoria sat behind her sleek glass desk, sunlight catching the gold trim of her cufflinks, but her mind was far from quarterly forecasts. Her lips still tingled with memory. The way Alex had touched her... not just her body, but something deeper, something dangerously tender. She’d felt owned, rewired. No man had ever made her feel that... claimed.

She exhaled softly, a smile brushing her mouth before she could stop it.

God... I almost forgot he’s supposed to be my daughter’s boyfriend.

The thought should’ve sobered her. It didn’t.

The door clicked open. Margaret stepped in, tablet in hand, but paused mid-step, eyes narrowing with a grin.

"Well," she said, cocking her head. "Someone looks far too satisfied in the middle of busy afternoon. Dare I ask who... or what... you’re thinking about?"

Victoria tilted her head slightly, lips still curled in the aftermath of Margaret’s teasing.

The assistant’s eyes twinkled with mischief, but Victoria waved her off with a smirk.

"Get out before I fire you."

Margaret only laughed, tapping her tablet. "Too late. I already sent myself a raise."

Then she turned, sauntering out the door, the click of her heels echoing lightly.

As soon as the door shut, Victoria leaned back in her chair.

Her fingers traced the rim of her coffee cup, but her mind was far from caffeine or quarterly numbers.

She couldn’t keep doing this in shadows.

He couldn’t keep slipping into her house under the cover of night. It was dangerous. Risky.

And too addictive.

Victoria wasn’t the kind of woman who let her personal cravings jeopardize her empire. If she wanted to keep seeing Alex....freely, frequently....she needed justification. Something even her most cynical board members wouldn’t question.

That’s when a memory sparked. A boardroom discussion a week ago. David Bennett, their Chief Strategy Officer, had voiced it...

"We’ve hit a wall. Innovation’s flatlining. All our current projects are safe bets... but we’re bleeding vision."

Her lips parted slightly, the click of strategy falling into place.

A mentorship program. Carefully structured. Respectable.

And with Alex as her first mentee...

handsome, brilliant, conveniently under her personal guidance.

She pressed the intercom. "Margaret?"

"Yes, Victoria?"

"Tell every department head to clear their final hour today. I want a meeting before close."

There was a brief pause. "I’ll inform them right now."

"And Margaret?" Victoria added, standing, already reaching for her blazer. "Have someone bring up the last quarter’s CSR proposals. We’re going to build something new.

____

Later that Afternoon – Executive Boardroom

The room buzzed with low conversation as department heads filed in. A digital display pulsed quietly at the end of the table.

Victoria entered last, the room stilling like students awaiting a professor. She didn’t sit. She stood at the head, her presence composed but electric.

"We’re too insular," she began without preamble. "We’ve become too reliant on established pipelines and partners. Which makes us vulnerable."

David leaned forward slightly, attentive.

Victoria continued, "So I propose we seed our future. Not just through acquisitions, but cultivation. We launch a mentorship program. One that identifies raw, rising talent and aligns them with our vision, our resources...and our legacy."

She tapped the tablet in front of her, syncing to the display. A sleek, minimalistic logo appeared:

FutureMinds Innovation Initiative

"There’ll be weekly strategy sessions, monthly impact evaluations, quarterly funding reviews. Every engagement will be purposeful and measurable."

She glanced toward David. "A week ago, David raised a valid concern...how we’ve grown dependent on predictable partnerships. That thought stuck with me. This is one way we solve it."

David gave a nod, a flicker of approval behind his composed expression.

Claudia, the CFO, crossed her arms, thoughtful. "It’s a strong PR move. Grooming the next generation. Adds polish to our ESG report too."

"And," Victoria said smoothly, "I’ve already selected the pilot candidate. His name is Alexander Hale. He’s developing forward-thinking models in sustainability...exactly where we’re lacking strategic presence."

Margaret, seated at the end, didn’t even blink. She was already typing up the documentation.

Victoria’s smile was gracious but firm. "We mentor him. We position ourselves as visionaries. And in doing so, we build a new wing for our company."

The room murmured in agreement.

Victoria folded her hands. "Meeting adjourned. Margaret will circulate the details by end of day."

As the executives stood and filed out, Victoria remained still, her eyes lingering on the logo glowing on screen.

FutureMinds Innovation Initiative.

She’d built it for them.

But also...for him.

And now, she had all the cover she needed.

____

Later That Evening – Alex’s Apartment

His phone buzzed—Victoria Blackwood.

He stared for a moment. They hadn’t planned on calls. Not this soon.

Still, he answered. "Breaking the rules already?"

Her voice came through soft, but charged. "I had to. I sent you something. Check your email."

Curious, he opened it. A subject line flashed on screen:

Blackwood Innovation Initiative – First Engagement

Details followed. Time. Address. Tomorrow.

He let out a low whistle. "You really built all this... for me?"

"For us," she corrected, then added, a touch more softly, "I thought you’d be impressed."

He smiled. "I’m more than impressed. You’re terrifyingly brilliant, you know that?"

A small laugh slipped through the line, and for a second, she sounded almost shy.

"Wear something that makes them stare," she murmured. "Especially me."

Then the call ended.

Alex chuckled under his breath, eyes still on the screen. "This is insane... and I love it."