Mike appeared at my elbow with a fresh glass of champagne.
“The Northridge guy wants a meeting,” he said quietly. “Monday. His people will call our people.”
“Good.”
“She’s impressive.”
“She’s the best engineer in the room and it’s not even close.”
Mike gave me a look I chose to ignore. “I meant at this. The networking. The people part. She’s a natural.”
He was right. Charlie, who’d told me she didn’t belong in this world, was currently explaining deep-sea pressure dynamics to a retired admiral who looked like he wanted to adopt her.
“You should be proud,” I told her when the group finally dispersed. “You’ve made quite an impression.”
“They seemed genuinely interested,” she admitted, and the surprise in her voice—the fact that she hadn’t expected to be taken seriously—made something in my chest ache.
“Of course they were. Your work represents a significant advancement.” I studied her over the rim of my glass. “You didn’t expect to be taken seriously?”
“In my experience, these kinds of events are more about appearances than substance.”
“Some are. But not this one.”
The string quartet had shifted to something slower when a voice cut through the warmth of the evening like a blade.
“Asher Pierce. Still mixing business with pleasure, I see.”
Victoria Mercer. Black dress, sharp smile, the calculating gaze of a woman who collected leverage the way other people collected art. She’d been angling for a Pierce Construction partnership for years, and I’d declined every time. Victoria didn’t build things. She acquired positions and dismantled anyone who threatened them.
“Victoria.” I kept my voice even. “I wasn’t aware you were on the guest list.”
“Last-minute invitation. When I heard you were showcasing your latest ... investment, I couldn’t resist.” Her gaze slid to Charlie, lingered, then returned to me with an expression that was pure calculation. “Lovely girl. Richard Sterling mentioned her. Said she was ... dedicated.”
The pause before dedicated carried the weight of everything Richard actually would have said. I felt Charlie stiffen beside me.
“Careful, Victoria.”
“I’m always careful, darling. That’s why I know things.” She lowered her voice. “Like how Pierce Construction’s CEO personally arranged for the SEAS project lead to attend tonight. Personally selected her wardrobe. Personally escorted her past the press.” She smiled. “The optics are ... interesting. Especially given how recently the acquisition closed.”
The implication was clear. She wasn’t attacking Charlie’s credentials. She was threatening mine—framing my interest as a liability, something she could use.
I stepped closer to Victoria, lowering my voice to something that had made boardrooms go quiet.
“If you think you can leverage a single thing about my professional conduct, you’re welcome to try. But I’d think very carefully before you do.” I held her gaze until her smile flickered. “Richard Sterling is facing a fraud investigation. Anyone associated with his version of events should be choosing their next words very carefully. Are we clear?”
Victoria’s composure cracked, just barely. She excused herself and disappeared into the crowd.
Charlie was watching me with an expression I couldn’t read.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“No one worth knowing.”
“She knew my name.”
“A lot of people know your name. You built something remarkable.” I offered my arm again. “Dance with me.”
It wasn’t a question. It should have been. But the adrenaline from Victoria’s threat and the proximity of Charlie in emerald silk had burned through the last of my restraint.
