The moment Adrian said her name, the air in the office turned razor-thin.
Victoria.
So that was her name.
Lila didn't move, but every instinct sharpened. The woman standing in the doorway looked like she had stepped straight out of a luxury magazine—flawless waves of dark hair, designer suit tailored within an inch of its life, and the kind of poised confidence that usually came from old money and older entitlement.
But it wasn't her appearance that made Lila's guard snap fully into place.
It was the way Victoria was looking at her.
Like she had already decided Lila didn't belong here.
Adrian's voice remained cool. "I asked you a question."
Victoria's lips curved into a small, practiced smile as she stepped fully into the office, heels clicking softly against the floor.
"I was in the building," she said smoothly. "I thought I'd stop by."
Lila almost snorted.
Right.
From the tightness in Adrian's jaw, he wasn't buying it either.
"You don't 'stop by' my office unannounced," Adrian replied, his tone dropping several degrees.
Marcus, still by the door, looked like he was contemplating early retirement.
Victoria finally shifted her attention back to Adrian, though the flick of her gaze toward Lila did not go unnoticed.
"My apologies," she said lightly, which sounded suspiciously like not an apology at all. "I didn't realize you were… occupied."
The slight pause before the last word was deliberate.
Calculated.
Lila felt the jab land—and immediately refused to react.
Instead, she straightened slightly in her chair and spoke with crisp professionalism.
"Ms. Evans, from Stratagem Consulting," she introduced herself coolly. "We were in the middle of a meeting."
Victoria's eyes sharpened.
Ah.
So the outsider had teeth.
Interesting.
"Were you?" Victoria said, her tone pleasant but edged. "How… productive."
Adrian's patience visibly thinned.
"Victoria."
One word.
Warning wrapped in steel.
Victoria finally exhaled softly and walked further into the room, her movements graceful and completely unhurried—like she had every right to be there.
Which, judging by Adrian's expression…
She might.
Lila filed that away immediately.
Important.
Very important.
Victoria stopped beside Adrian's desk, folding her arms lightly.
"I actually came to discuss the Westbridge development," she said, her gaze sliding briefly toward Lila again. "Imagine my surprise when I heard you were entertaining outside firms."
There it was.
The real reason.
Lila's grip tightened slightly on her tablet.
So Victoria had a stake in Westbridge.
Adrian's expression turned glacial.
"I don't recall needing permission to review proposals."
Victoria's smile didn't falter—but her eyes cooled.
"Of course not. But Blackwood Holdings and my family have had a… long-standing understanding."
Understanding.
The word hung heavy.
Lila's mind raced.
Family connections.
Old business ties.
Possibly something more personal.
And suddenly the hostility made perfect sense.
Adrian stepped forward slightly, positioning himself—subtly but unmistakably—between Victoria and Lila.
The move was small.
But Lila noticed.
Victoria definitely noticed.
And for the first time, a crack appeared in Victoria's polished composure.
"How protective," Victoria murmured.
Adrian's voice was flat. "Say what you came to say."
The temperature in the room dropped another few degrees.
Marcus very quietly edged closer to the door.
Smart man.
Victoria's gaze returned to Lila, slow and assessing.
"You must be very confident, Ms. Evans," she said. "Westbridge is… complicated. Most firms know better than to involve themselves."
Translation:
You're out of your depth.
Lila smiled politely.
The kind of smile that looked pleasant but carried teeth.
"I find complications are usually just poorly organized opportunities."
Marcus made a small choking sound near the door.
Adrian went very still.
And Victoria's eyes flashed.
"Well," Victoria said slowly, "that's certainly… ambitious."
Lila tilted her head slightly.
"I prefer prepared."
The silence that followed was thick enough to cut.
For three long seconds, the two women simply looked at each other.
Neither backing down.
Neither blinking.
Adrian watched the exchange with sharp, growing interest.
This was not how most people reacted to Victoria Hale.
Most people folded.
Miss Lila Evans, apparently, did not come with a folding function.
Victoria finally turned back to Adrian, though the tightness around her mouth betrayed her irritation.
"I assume you haven't made any decisions yet," she said smoothly.
Adrian's reply was immediate.
"No."
A beat.
Then, deliberately—
"But I will."
Lila felt something shift in the room.
Pressure.
Expectation.
Danger.
Victoria's gaze snapped back to Lila, sharper now.
"You know," she said lightly, "Westbridge requires more than good spreadsheets. It requires… relationships."
Ah.
There it was.
The real warning.
Lila met her gaze steadily.
"I've found results tend to speak louder than relationships."
Victoria's smile thinned.
"And I've found," she said softly, "that results often depend on who's standing behind you."
The implication was crystal clear.
Power.
Influence.
Access.
Things Lila Evans decidedly did not have.
For the first time, the air between the two women sparked openly.
Adrian moved then.
Just one step.
But it was enough to draw both their attention.
"That's enough," he said quietly.
Not loud.
Not angry.
But final.
The authority in his voice was absolute.
Victoria's lips pressed together.
Lila leaned back slightly, though her eyes remained sharp.
Adrian's gaze swept between them, unreadable.
"We're done with interruptions," he continued. "Victoria, if you have business, schedule it properly."
A long pause followed.
Victoria clearly didn't like being dismissed.
But after a moment, her expression smoothed back into elegant calm.
"Of course," she said.
But as she turned to leave, she paused beside Lila's chair.
Close enough for her perfume to linger.
Close enough for her voice to drop low.
"Be careful, Ms. Evans," Victoria said softly. "This world isn't kind to people who overreach."
Lila didn't even blink.
Her reply came smooth as glass.
"Good thing I don't scare easily."
Victoria's eyes flashed one last time.
Then she walked out.
The door closed.
Silence exploded into the room.
Marcus exhaled like he'd been holding his breath for five minutes straight.
Adrian, meanwhile, was watching Lila with a look that was far too intent.
"Well," he said slowly.
Lila lifted a brow.
"Well?"
For the first time since she'd entered his office…
Adrian Blackwood smiled.
Not polite.
Not faint.
But sharp and unmistakably intrigued.
"You just made things very complicated, Miss Evans."
Lila's pulse skipped—once, hard—but her expression stayed cool.
"I thought you liked complications, Mr. Blackwood."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"Oh," he said quietly.
"I do."