By midday, Li Holdings hummed with the quiet efficiency Grace Wu had come to expect. Reports flowed seamlessly between departments, emails stacked in tidy threads, and the soft shuffle of footsteps passed intermittently outside her office.
But beneath the surface, Grace felt the shift.
Victor Zhou's shadow lingered—not loud, not disruptive, but present.
Lilly's movements felt the same. Sharp. Controlled. But there was a lightness in her steps that hadn't existed before.
Grace recognized the pattern.
Victor's influence was subtle—like water trickling through cracks in stone. It wouldn't show until the foundation had already begun to weaken.
Still, Grace couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that Lilly wasn't just letting it happen—she was inviting it.
A faint knock at the edge of Grace's desk broke her thoughts.
Emily leaned in, balancing a stack of files against her hip.
"You've been quiet today," Emily mused, dropping the files onto the desk with a soft thud. "Which usually means you're overthinking something."
Grace smirked faintly, sliding the top file open.
"Just keeping up," Grace replied smoothly, flipping through the pages.
Emily arched a brow, settling into the chair across from her. "You sure about that? Because it looks like you're staring holes into the wall."
Grace exhaled softly, glancing toward Lilly's closed office door.
"Lilly's playing with fire," Grace said finally.
Emily chuckled under her breath, shaking her head. "Oh, you're worried about Victor."
Grace's gaze drifted back to Emily, studying her reaction carefully.
"You're not?" Grace asked.
Emily shrugged, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'm always worried about Victor," Emily admitted. "But Lilly's not Rocky. You know that."
Grace frowned slightly, leaning back in her chair.
"Everyone keeps saying that," Grace muttered.
"Because it's true."
Emily's eyes softened, her voice dipping lower.
"Victor might think he's circling her," Emily continued, "but Lilly's the one holding the leash. Trust me—he knows it too."
Grace didn't respond right away.
Her fingers traced the edge of the file absentmindedly, thoughts flickering between the past and present.
That's what worried her.
Victor did know it.
And that was exactly the kind of challenge he enjoyed.
"I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse," Grace admitted.
Emily smiled faintly, rising from the chair and tapping the desk lightly.
"Better," Emily said confidently. "Victor respects Lilly. He never respected Rocky."
Grace's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Respect doesn't mean safety."
Emily's smirk lingered. "It doesn't have to. It just means she knows how to handle him."
Grace wasn't convinced.
But before she could push the conversation further, the door to Lilly's office opened.
Lilly stepped out, her expression calm but focused, as if she'd already anticipated whatever Grace had been thinking.
"Grace," Lilly called, motioning her over. "Come with me. We're heading to Skybound for the afternoon meeting."
Grace rose smoothly, grabbing her coat.
As she followed Lilly toward the elevator, she could feel Emily's gaze trailing after them—curious, but trusting.
Grace wasn't sure if she shared that sentiment yet.
The drive to Skybound's downtown branch was quiet, the low hum of the car engine the only sound between them.
Grace sat in the passenger seat, her gaze flicking toward Lilly as the city skyline drifted past.
"You didn't tell me you were meeting Victor again," Grace said casually.
Lilly's hands remained steady on the steering wheel.
"I didn't think I needed to," Lilly replied smoothly.
Grace arched a brow.
"Should I start blocking out his name on your calendar?"
Lilly's lips quirked slightly at the edge, but her gaze didn't waver.
"Victor's not a distraction," Lilly said softly.
Grace shifted slightly in her seat.
"I didn't say he was," Grace replied. "But he's not exactly the type to stay out of personal affairs."
Lilly's eyes flicked to her briefly, before returning to the road.
"I know," Lilly admitted. "And I'm counting on it."
Grace's brows knit together.
"Counting on it?"
Lilly exhaled, drumming her fingers lightly against the steering wheel as she slowed for a red light.
"Victor's interested in power," Lilly explained. "He's drawn to people who hold their ground, not those who crumble under pressure."
Grace watched her carefully.
"You think if you let him get close, he won't push harder?"
Lilly's smirk deepened.
"No," Lilly said simply. "I think if I let him get close, he'll want more."
Grace blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness of her response.
"And you're fine with that?"
Lilly's gaze remained steady, unwavering.
"I'm fine with using it," Lilly replied.
The light shifted to green, and the car eased forward smoothly.
Grace sat in silence, digesting Lilly's words.
This wasn't recklessness.
Lilly wasn't being swept along by Victor's presence.
She was steering the ship.
But Grace couldn't ignore the warning signs—the small shifts that didn't align with how things had unraveled before.
Victor might respect Lilly.
But respect wasn't a shield.
It was a door.
And Grace wasn't sure Victor would bother to knock before stepping inside.