Page 68 of His Master

Victor shrugged. “I don’t need to hear your deal. I think it’s time for me to set off and start something of my own.”

“But you can’t,” Vivien growled. “Victory Holdings’ non-compete clause?—”

“No longer exists,” Victor said. “Check those new bylaws you just pushed through with lightning speed. I’m impressed with how you were able to do that, by the way,” he added. “Did you call everyone on the board before the meeting and either threaten or bribe them into voting with you?”

“That’s not the point,” Vivien said. “You can’t just sneak a change to the non-compete clause under my nose.”

“Did you read the complete revised bylaws before you pushed through the vote?” I asked.

The look of pure hatred that Vivien sent me was all the answer I needed.

“I’ll challenge it,” Vivien said, glancing back to Victor. “The vote can’t be legal. I’ll take it to court and have it nullified.”

“Then your father will have control of the company again,” Victor pointed out.

Vivien sputtered. “I’ll have the non-compete clause reinstated,” she threatened.

“You do that,” Victor said. “I’ve already been ousted, and I officially quit on top of that. I won’t be a member of the company when you reinstate it, so it won’t apply to me.”

Vivien yelped. “I’ll…I’ll make sure it applies to owners of the company as well.”

Victor just shrugged. “I think it’s a good idea for me to sell my shares anyhow,” he said. “The profit will help fund my next endeavor.”

“You can’t do this!” Vivien shouted, near to tears of frustration. “Don’t I mean anything to you? Are you abandoning me, too?”

Victor did something I wasn’t expecting, then. He let go of my hand, then moved to enclose Vivien in a tight hug.

“Hey,” he said as Vivien burst into tears. “I’m always going to be there for you. You’re family, Viv. You’re like a sister to me. We’re always going to have that between us. But it’s not a good idea for us to be in business together anymore.”

Vivien sobbed and sagged in his embrace for a moment, throwing her arms around him and burying her face against his shoulder. I felt Victor’s heart nearly break for her.

“I’ll be here whenever you need me, okay?” he went on, rubbing her back. “I’ll give you whatever help you need with Victory Holdings going forward. But I can’t be a part of it anymore. It’s all yours now. It’s your company, your life, your future. And I forgive you for giving me the boot.”

“I was going to have them vote you back in,” she said, sniffled, then stood straighter, dabbing at her face and her evidently water-proof make-up with the edge of her sleeve. “Just as soon as you agreed to do things my way.”

Victor shrugged and caressed the side of her face, wiping her tears with his thumb. “Now you won’t have to worry about that.You can put your effort into running Victory Holdings all on your own. I know you’re smart enough.”

“Thanks,” she said, still working to pull herself back together.

The noise from the hall was starting to pour into the lobby, and when a pair of board members came around the corner, looking furious, I tensed.

Vivien glanced from me to Victor, then said, “You’d better get your omega out of here. I’ll handle everything else.”

“Thanks,” Victor said, then leaned in to kiss Vivien’s cheek.

She sighed heavily and turned to face the oncoming, angry board members. Victor and I stepped into the elevator, which was now being held by some poor young woman who had been in it already, and who had watched the emotional scene with wide eyes.

Victor nodded sheepishly to her, then pushed the button to close the doors, then the button for the parking garage.

As the elevator rushed down, the relative silence within the tight space rang in my ears. That was it. Victor’s dealings with his messed-up family and with Victory Holdings were done. I knew enough to know there would be weeks of legal wrangling as the bylaw changes and other company turbulence was smoothed out, but I was confident the end result would be Victor’s freedom, Vincent’s retirement, and Vivien coming into her own.

“I think I should drive,” Victor said once the valet, the same woman who had helped us before, brought my parents’ car around. “You’re looking a little flushed and flustered.”

“I feel a little flushed and flustered,” I said, letting Victor take the keys while I climbed into the passenger’s seat.

Victor adjusted the driver’s seat, then pulled the car out of the garage and into the extra-cheery Barrington sunshine.

“What do you want to do now to celebrate?” Victor asked, a smile on his face as he drove back toward my parents’ house.

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