Simms stared at Yulia, his usualposure gone, reced by impatience and a trace of menace in his eyes.


    "If you insist on pushing things that far-"


    Yulia cut him off before he could finish.


    "If I really do push things that far, no one wille out of this looking good. Don''t forget, you have blood on your hands-I know everything you''ve done.


    I brought Violet here today not to ask for luxury or power. I just want us to survive.


    We''re not asking for your wealth, nor do we expect you to hand everything over to us. But Violet is your daughter, and I''ve stood by you for decades. The least you can do is make sure we don''t end up out on the street, bing theughingstock of the city.


    And if word gets out, your reputation as President Miller is going to take a serious hit. I don''t have any other demands. You and I both know exactly what Violet is capable of.


    Give her a position at Golden Era Enterprises—a decent role, with a good sry. That way, I can have some security in my old age. That''s all I''m asking."


    This was Yulia''s way of buying time. No matter how clever she was, she couldn''t outmaneuver someone as cunning as Simms. But Simms knew perfectly well what she was up to.


    Still, as Yulia had pointed out, she was holding all the cards right now-and who knew what other evidence she might have tucked away? If he tried to turn on them now, it might backfire badly. The best move, at least for the moment, was to keep them on his side.


    "Let''s talk this through," Simms said, forcing a smile. “You just want a job for Violet? That''s not a problem. She was a vice president at Quantum Core Technologies, after all. Coming to ourpany as a department manager is more


    than reasonable."


    Violet could hardly believe what she was hearing. Was her father really offering her nothing more than a mid-level manager''s post?


    She opened her mouth to protest, but Yulia gripped her arm firmly.


    "That''s perfectly fine," Yulia said smoothly. "I''m sure a CEO like yourself knows how to recognize talent. As long as Violet proves. herself I''m sure you won''t hesitate to give her a better position in the future, right?"


    It was apromise, in and simple. Until she coulde up with a better n, Simms had no choice but to y along.


    Violet nced at her mother. She knew she didn''t have Yulia''s patience or her shrewdness.


    Still, the fact that her mother could negotiate with Simms and secure a ce for her at Golden Era Enterprises was no small feat. Maybe it was best to just ept the offer for now and figure things out once she was in thepany.


    After losing McNeil''s support, Violet had tried to get interviews at otherpanies, but everywhere she went, people treated her with thinly veiled mockery.


    "Mrs. Langford, you''re far too important for us. Our littlepany could never do you justice. Maybe try somewhere else?"


    No matter where she went, she got the same answer, making her wonder if they''d all coordinated their responses in advance.


    At the bigger firms, no one even bothered to read her résumé. Every application she sent vanished without a trace, as if she were invisible.


    At this point, her only options were to go crawling back to Simms or start her own business from scratch.


    But she barely had enough money to open a tiny café, let alone apany-and she simply didn''t have the credentials.


    For the first time, Violet regretted burning her bridges with McNeil sopletely. She wished she''d


    listened to her mother instead omet soon. Victoria had always a so


    showing her hand to Victoria


    humble and amodating, never letting anything slip.


    It never urred to Violet that, behind that fa?ade, Victoria would be the one to


    pull the rug out from under her—and that she might never recover from it.