Chapter 439

The office door clicked shut behind her assistant, leaving Victoria Kensington alone with her spiraling thoughts. The weight of impending decisions pressed down on her shoulders like an invisible force. Technological innovation was the lifeblood of corporate survival in this cutthroat industry. With Velotra's spectacular market debut, her company InnovaTech needed nothing short of a miracle to compete in the autonomous vehicle sector.

Her manicured fingers drummed against the mahogany desk. Seven hundred million dollars already poured into research and development. Seven hundred million that might as well be burning in a bonfire if they couldn't deliver something revolutionary.

The Velotra situation had changed everything. Continuing investments now felt like gambling with company funds. Yet walking away would mean admitting defeat. Her jaw tightened at the thought.

Alexander Whitmore's face flashed through her mind. Even he couldn't predict whether InnovaTech's scientists would make the necessary breakthrough. Asking him would be pointless - he'd only give her that infuriatingly calm, noncommittal response he always did when cornered.

The grandfather clock in the corner marked the passing hours as Victoria remained motionless, lost in thought. A tentative knock startled her from her reverie. "Ms. Kensington? It's past noon. Shall I order your usual from The Grandeur?"

Victoria barely registered the question. Her phone screen remained stubbornly blank. Alexander understood the Velotra threat better than anyone. He'd undoubtedly anticipated how Vincent Holloway and Arthur Langford's enthusiasm for InnovaTech had cooled overnight.

She needed him now more than ever. Yet since last evening's disastrous dinner, complete radio silence. The memory of his transfixed expression watching Isabella Sinclair at the Velotra launch made her nails dig into her palms. That look - as if the entire world had narrowed to only her.

Perhaps he remained as shaken as she was by Isabella's stunning comeback.

Across town, Isabella Sinclair barely had time to breathe between meetings. The phone vibrating on her desk at five o'clock almost went unnoticed. "Sophia?" she answered, tucking the device between her shoulder and ear while sorting documents.

"Mom! School ends next week! There's a parents' meeting tomorrow - can you come?" The hopeful note in her daughter's voice made Isabella pause. Summer already? When had life become such a blur?

"Your father can't make it?" Even as she asked, Isabella knew the answer. With Velotra's explosive success, Victoria would be drowning in damage control, leaving Alexander to pick up the pieces.

"Daddy's free," Sophia admitted, "but I want you! Please, Mom?" That pleading tone undid her every time. "Alright, sweetheart."

Sophia's delighted squeal made her smile despite her exhaustion. "I've got to run now. See you tomorrow morning."

The next day, Isabella pulled up to the prestigious Maplewood Academy gates. Sophia came barreling toward her the moment she stepped out of the car. "Mom!" The force of the hug nearly knocked her over.

Elizabeth Moore, Sophia's teacher, looked pleasantly surprised when she spotted Isabella. "Ms. Sinclair! What a lovely surprise." They exchanged pleasantries while discussing Sophia's academic progress. From everything Elizabeth said, Alexander had been handling parenting duties flawlessly in her absence.

"Mom," Sophia whispered during the meeting, swinging their clasped hands, "can we go to lunch after? Just us?" Isabella squeezed her hand in agreement.

But as they exited the school building, a familiar black sedan pulled up. Sophia didn't seem the least bit surprised. "Daddy!" she called out cheerfully.

Alexander Whitmore stepped out, his gaze finding Isabella's before acknowledging his daughter with a quiet hum. The tension between them crackled like static electricity in the summer air.