Victor arrived at the Victoria Group building ten minutes before the scheduled time.
He wasn't usually late.
That morning, however, he had checked his watch three times on the way there.
It wasn't anxiety.
At least, that's what he kept telling himself.
It was just a meeting.
A legal matter involving one of the group's companies.
Nothing personal.
Nothing to do with Camile.
Nothing that justified the unease he'd felt ever since discovering who she was.
Victor stepped into the elevator with two lawyers.
One of them was commenting on the negotiations.
“If we can amend that clause, the agreement will be much safer for both sides.”
Victor nodded.
“Let's review everything before we sign.”
The doors opened.
The top floor of the building was completely different from the rest.
Glass.
Steel.
Modern lines.
Employees moving quickly.
Assistants going in and out of offices.
Everything operated with precision.
Victor watched the activity.
There was no excess.
No unnecessary ostentation.
The place projected power without needing to announce it.
A woman approached.
“Judge Ventura?”
“Yes.”
“I'm Helena, legal director of the Victoria Group. The meeting will begin in a few minutes.”
Victor extended his hand.
“It's a pleasure.”
“Likewise.”
She gestured for them to follow her.
As they walked, Victor noticed something curious.
People seemed to straighten when Helena passed.
Not out of fear.
Out of respect.
That said a lot about the environment.
They reached an enormous conference room.
The central table was occupied by businessmen from different industries.
Victor knew some of them personally.
He had seen others in the newspapers.
Company presidents.
Investors.
Lawyers.
Executives.
Men used to making million-dollar decisions.
They were all talking while waiting for someone.
Victor took a seat.
One of the lawyers beside him leaned closer.
“Have you worked with the Victoria Group before?”
“A few times.”
“This is one of the most important deals of the quarter.”
Victor nodded.
“I know.”
The lawyer smiled.
“Then you know who's in charge.”
Victor looked at him.
“I do.”
He didn't need to say her name.
Everyone knew.
A few minutes later, the door opened.
The conversation stopped.
Camile walked in.
Victor went still.
For an instant, he had the impression that he was back at the bar.
But no.
The woman standing before him wasn't the one who had danced with him a few nights ago.
Camile wore an impeccable black suit.
Her hair was tied back.
Modest heels.
A folder in her hand.
She made no effort to draw attention to herself.
Even so, everyone looked at her.
She walked to the head of the table.
“Good morning.”
The response came almost in unison.
“Good morning.”
Camile placed the folder on the table.
“I hope everyone received the updated version of the contract.”
The lawyers confirmed that they had.
An executive replied:
“Yes.”
“Excellent.”
She sat down.
Opened the folder.
“Then let's begin.”
Victor couldn't take his eyes off her.
It was strange.
The same woman he'd considered nothing more than a stranger just a few hours earlier was now sitting before a table full of powerful people.
And they were all waiting for her word.
There was no hesitation.
No insecurity.
She knew exactly what she wanted.
“The initial proposal provides for a twenty-percent stake in the new operation,” Camile began. “We're not accepting it.”
One of the businessmen frowned.
“Camile, that percentage was discussed earlier.”
“It was.”
She turned a page.
“And that's precisely why I requested a review.”
She placed a document on the table.
“The risks have increased since the initial proposal. The stake needs to be adjusted.”
The businessman folded his arms.
“This completely changes the negotiations.”
Camile met his gaze.
“Yes.”
“We can't simply accept that.”
“I didn't ask you to simply accept it.”
Her voice remained calm.
“I asked you to analyze the numbers.”
The man fell silent.
Camile pointed to a graph.
“Here are the projections.”
Then to another.
“Here is the projected growth.”
And finally, to a third page.
“And here are the risks your company will assume if it maintains the original proposal.”
No one spoke.
Victor watched.
She didn't need to dominate the room through force.
She did it through preparation.
One of the investors finally asked:
“What would your counteroffer be?”
Camile answered immediately.
“Thirty-two percent.”
Several men exchanged glances.
“Thirty-two?”
“Yes.”
“That's too high.”
Camile smiled.
“Then present me with an alternative that makes more sense.”
The businessman had no answer.
Victor realized it.
She wasn't bluffing.
She knew exactly where she stood.
The meeting continued for nearly an hour.
Camile led every stage.
When someone disagreed, she listened.
When she needed to challenge something, she did so with arguments.
When an idea was good, she acknowledged it.
There was no gratuitous arrogance.
There was authority.
Authority she had earned.
Victor began to understand why people respected that woman.
She didn't demand respect.
She had built reasons to receive it.
At one point, one of the businessmen leaned back.
“Camile, we need more time to evaluate this.”
She closed the folder.
“Of course.”
He seemed relieved.
Then she added:
“By ten tomorrow morning.”
The man smiled awkwardly.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“That's very little time.”
“So is the deadline we have.”
She stood.
“If we can't reach an agreement tomorrow, we'll move forward with another proposal.”
There was no threat.
It was simply a decision.
The businessman nodded.
“Understood.”
Camile sat back down.
Victor remained quiet.
One of the things that surprised him most was how easily she commanded everything.
The woman from the bar was here.
Only now he could see what he hadn't noticed before.
The confidence.
The intelligence.
The discipline.
The strength.
He had mistaken all of that for arrogance.
One of the lawyers beside him leaned over discreetly.
“Impressive, isn't she?”
Victor answered quietly:
“Yes.”
The man smiled.
“She’s like that in every meeting.”
Victor looked at Camile.
“I noticed.”
The lawyer continued:
“When Camile Victoria enters a negotiation, you'd better know exactly what you're doing.”
Victor didn't respond.
Because now he understood the phrase perfectly.
After nearly two hours, the meeting came to an end.
The businessmen began gathering their documents.
Camile was talking with Helena.
Victor remained seated.
He didn't know exactly why.
Maybe he was waiting for an opportunity to speak with her.
Maybe he wanted to find out whether she was still angry.
Maybe he simply wanted to hear her again.
One of his colleagues called out:
“Victor.”
He stood.
“I'll be right there.”
Camile closed the folder.
“Helena, send the new version to everyone today.”
“Of course.”
“And schedule a meeting with the board for Friday.”
“I'll do it.”
Camile turned.
That was when her eyes met Victor's.
For several seconds, neither of them said anything.
He waited for some sign.
A smile.
A provocation.
Anything.
Camile merely looked at him.
Her expression was completely different from the one she'd worn that night at the restaurant.
There was no anger.
No resentment.
There wasn't any interest, either.
It was almost worse.
Indifference.
Victor felt the impact.
She looked away.
Picked up the folder.
Walked past him.
Without a word.
Without a greeting.
Without even a nod.
Victor stood there.
She walked to the door.
“Camile.”
She stopped.
Turned slowly.
“Yes?”
He didn't know exactly what to say.
That was new.
Victor Ventura was rarely at a loss for words.
“We...”
She waited.
“We know each other.”
Camile stared at him.
“I know.”
“You're not going to say anything?”
She furrowed her brow slightly.
“About what?”
Victor had no answer.
Camile continued:
“We're in a professional meeting, Judge Ventura.”
The way she pronounced his title was cold.
Formal.
Distant.
“I don't think there's anything for us to discuss.”
And she left.
Victor stared at the closed door.
One of the lawyers passed him.
“Everything okay?”
Victor took a moment to answer.
“Yes.”
But he wasn't.
In the hallway, Camile walked beside Helena.
“Will Judge Ventura be involved in the next stages?” Helena asked.
“Probably.”
“Is there a problem?”
Camile kept walking.
“None.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Helena fell silent.
Camile didn't usually show irritation.
But she had noticed his look.
And she knew exactly what Victor was trying to do.
He wanted to find out whether he still had any effect on her.
He wouldn't.
She wouldn't allow it.
“Helena.”
“Yes?”
“I want all legal communications to go through the legal department. I don't want personal matters mixed with work.”
“Of course.”
Camile entered her office.
Closed the door.
Only then did she let out a breath.
She leaned against the desk.
Victor was here.
That was irritating.
She didn't want to see him.
She didn't want to remember.
And, above all, she didn't want to admit that seeing him had affected her a little.
Not out of desire.
But because there had been something different in his eyes.
He seemed to have discovered something.
Maybe who she was.
Camile sat down.
“His problem.”
She opened her computer.
Returned to work.
In the hallway, Victor was still standing there.
Rafael had arrived to meet him.
Seeing him like that, he frowned.
“What happened?”
Victor looked at Camile's office door.
“She ignored me.”
Rafael smiled.
“And?”
Victor shot him an irritated look.
“And nothing.”
“What did you expect?”
Victor fell silent.
Rafael realized it.
“Ah.”
“Don't start.”
“You wanted her to treat you differently.”
“No.”
“You did.”
Victor drew a deep breath.
“She’s doing it on purpose.”
Rafael shrugged.
“Maybe because you deserve it.”
Victor didn't respond.
Rafael started walking.
“Come on.”
Victor followed him.
But before stepping into the elevator, he looked at the office door again.
Camile was on the other side.
The woman he'd treated like a stranger.
The woman everyone in that company now respected.
The woman he'd sent away.
And for the first time, Victor realized something that struck at his pride in a different way.
He didn't just want to know who she was.
He wanted her to look at him again the way she had that first night.
With interest.
With a challenge.
With that provocative smile.
But now he was the one standing outside.
And Camile had closed the door.
The elevator doors closed.
Victor remained silent.
Rafael looked at him.
“You're thinking about her.”
“No.”
“You are.”
Victor watched the numbers descend.
This time, he didn't answer.
Because he knew he was.
And this was only the beginning.