The afternoon sun stretched long shadows across the Skybound lobby as Grace Wu followed Lilly Li toward the conference room. Their heels echoed softly against the marble floors, a rhythmic reminder that even here, control was everything.
Skybound's downtown branch mirrored Li Holdings—clean, efficient, and tailored to reflect power in every detail.
Lilly strode ahead with the calm ease of someone who belonged. Grace, two steps behind, kept her gaze sharp and her posture straight.
She wasn't here to second-guess Lilly.
She was here to watch the cracks form before anyone else did.
The meeting unfolded as expected—numbers, projections, and sharp but polite negotiations. Lilly's voice carried through the room with her usual poise, fielding questions and maneuvering objections with little effort.
Grace barely glanced at the charts. The details didn't matter.
Her focus remained on the tension lingering beneath the surface.
Skybound's executive team respected Lilly. That much was clear.
But there was something else there too.
Grace caught the flicker of glances exchanged between board members. Small, but telling. They were nervous.
Not about the project—about Lilly.
She didn't ask why, but the answer was obvious. Victor.
By the time the meeting concluded, the air felt heavier.
Lilly rose smoothly, offering polite nods and handshakes as the executives filtered out of the room.
Grace lingered, collecting her notes in silence.
When the last board member left, Lilly exhaled softly, rubbing the edge of her temple as she leaned against the back of the chair.
"You noticed it too," Lilly said without looking up.
Grace's eyes flicked to her.
"They're watching you," Grace replied, setting the papers aside.
Lilly's lips curved faintly, but there was no humor in her expression.
"They're wondering how much of Skybound will belong to Victor by the end of the year."
Grace arched a brow. "And how much will?"
Lilly glanced at her, amusement flickering in her gaze.
"None," Lilly replied simply.
Grace held her stare for a long moment.
"You sound sure of that."
"I am." Lilly straightened, smoothing the wrinkles in her blazer. "Victor doesn't need to own Skybound. He just needs people to think he does."
Grace crossed her arms, leaning casually against the edge of the table.
"And you're fine with that?"
Lilly's gaze shifted, locking with Grace's.
"I can use that fear," Lilly said softly.
Grace studied her carefully.
Lilly wasn't bluffing.
But Grace knew Victor well enough to recognize the danger in that kind of arrangement.
"Victor's not someone who stays in the shadows forever," Grace warned.
Lilly smiled faintly.
"No," Lilly agreed. "But I'm not Rocky. I know how to keep him at a distance."
Grace didn't argue, but the words felt hollow.
In the last timeline, Lilly had been careful—and Victor had still found a way inside.
This time, the game was unfolding faster. And if Lilly thought she could slow it down by sheer force of will, she was underestimating Victor's patience.
The drive back to Li Holdings was quieter than usual.
Lilly kept her focus on the road, but Grace could see the subtle tension in her grip against the steering wheel.
"Emily's going to ask how the meeting went," Grace remarked, breaking the silence.
Lilly's lips twitched faintly.
"Tell her it was productive."
Grace smirked. "She'll ask for more details."
Lilly's gaze flicked to Grace briefly, amusement flickering.
"Then lie."
Grace chuckled softly, but the humor faded quickly.
Her gaze drifted toward the city skyline, the faint glow of Macau stretching endlessly ahead.
Lilly wasn't the problem.
Victor was.
And the closer he got, the harder it would be to separate him from the company—or from Lilly.
Grace tapped her fingers lightly against her knee, weighing her options.
Interfering directly wouldn't work. Lilly wouldn't appreciate it, and Victor would recognize the move immediately.
But there were other ways to shift the pieces on the board.
Grace glanced at her phone, scrolling through her contacts until she landed on a familiar name.
Victor Zhou.
She stared at it for a long moment, her thumb hovering over the call button.
She didn't need to confront him—not yet.
But if Victor was making moves, Grace wanted to see the full picture before anyone else.
Because in this game, the only advantage was staying one step ahead.