Victor''s expression was unreadable, but his voice carried a chill-low and dangerous.


    A shiver ran through Isadora before she could stop it.


    She lowered her gaze, saying nothing.


    Victor''s lips curled into a cold, almost wicked smile, making his striking face look all the more seductive.


    "Isadora, you really do have a habit of turning your back on people the moment you hike up your skirt."


    ***


    At the mall, while Isadora was making her rounds, she couldn''t get Victor''s fierce, dangerous look out of her mind.


    She was frustrated with herself-how had things soured again just when she thought their rtionship was finally thawing? The thought gnawed at her, leaving her restless and annoyed.


    "Ms. Vaughan? Ms. Vaughan?"


    The sound of her name snapped Isadora out of her thoughts.


    "Yes?" she replied, regaining herposure.


    Her assistant, J, looked a little concerned. It was the first time she''d ever seen Isadora so distracted during a walkthrough. Usually, Isadora was focused and meticulous. Something was off today.


    J handed her a cup of coffee, lowering her voice.


    "Ms. Vaughan, Director Valery just mentioned that the women''s boutique-M Boutique isn''t performing well. The numbers are dragging down the mall''s overall statistics. She wanted to ask if corporate ns to let their lease expire at the end of the year instead of renewing."


    Isadora nced at the storefront.


    She remembered M Boutique well. When Vaughan Galleria first opened its doors twenty years ago, M Boutique was among the very first tenants.


    But times had changed. With the rise of online shopping, mid-tier brands like this no longer carried the same weight. Their prices were steep, and their niche clientele had only shrunk over the years. Inevitably, sales kept dipping.


    In a calm, measured voice, Isadora asked, "Director Valery, what''s your take on the situation?"


    Valery cleared her throat. She''d been waiting for an opportunity to get rid of this underperforming store for a while.


    "Their lease is up at the end of the year. The distributor wants to renew, but their sales have been on a steady decline. Frankly, my rmendation is to cut them loose."


    Isadora looked up, her gaze lingering on Valery with a hint of something inscrutable.


    "Director Valery, as the general manager of the mall, have you tried to help them turn things around? Have you included M Boutique in any recent mall promotions or events?"


    Valery hadn''t expected such a pointed, professional question. Every mall set aside a budget to help tenants with marketing and sales-but priority always went to the brands that drove business and had high visibility. Stores like M Boutique? She''d barely spared them a thought. Putting funds into a struggling boutique felt like a waste.


    "We''ve done some things," Valery said, hedging. "But there are so many stores here, it''s hard to give everyone the same attention. Maybe the results just didn''t meet expectations."


    Isadora had worked her way up from the ground floor-she knew the business inside and out. She could spot an evasive answer a mile away.


    Her tone turned cool and direct.


    "Director Valery, before you ask me to terminate a lease, I expect you to make a genuine effort to help struggling tenants recover. It''s not enough to kick out anyone withgging sales just to boost your numbers."


    "M Boutique has stood with us for twenty years. Back when we were just a small shopping center, they were one of the first to take a chance on us and helped put us on the map. Now that they''re struggling, I believe we owe it to them to basic decency, if nothing else to do everything we can to support them."


    The other managers fell silent, taken aback by Isadora''s professionalism and rity.