The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

"Daddy-!"

The door swung open, and Gwyneth burst into the room like a whirlwind.

Violet jerked back just in time-if she'd hesitated a second longer, her lips would've met McNeil's.

"Hey, Violet, what were you and Daddy just doing? Your face is all red!" Gwyneth piped up, her voice brimming with innocent curiosity.

Violet's cheeks flushed even deeper. Kids really had no filter.

"Your dad's not feeling well," she explained, forcing a smile. "I was just giving him his medicine."

Gwyneth seemed only half-convinced, but she just went, "Oh." She was about to leap right into McNeil's arms-luckily, Violet caught her in time, sparing his stitches from another mishap.

McNeil chatted quietly with his daughter for a moment, then looked over at Violet.

"Take Gwyn home to Winding Peak Lane," he said, his tone gentle but firm. "I'm not feeling well enough to look after you both right now."

Violet shook her head. "That's exactly why I should stay," she insisted. "Let me take care of you, McNeil. I'll even share a room with Gwyneth if it makes things easier."

The décor here was identical to their place on Winding Peak Lane; staying here felt no different than being at home.

"No," McNeil replied, his voice brooking no argument.

Victoria had headed off to work at Quantum Core Technologies.

Passing by HR, she overheard someone mention that Violet had taken a leave of absence. She paid it no mind and settled at her desk, diving into work.

Ailie and the engineering team had already released her game's stand-alone version in the app store, and now it was entering the final testing phase-just in time for Gwyneth's birthday.

Later, while checking WhatsApp on her phone, Victoria noticed a string of missed calls from McNeil the previous night, right before she'd gone to his place. She hadn't seen them at the time and hadn't picked up a single one.

By now, his fever had broken, and with Xenia there to help, she figured everything would be fine. She put it out of her mind.

Curtis had been swamped with several major projects lately, and it had been a while since he and Victoria had spoken much. But now that he'd wrapped up a few deals, he had time-and he was eager to see her.

Still, knowing Victoria was married left a sour taste in his mouth.

Violet had confided that she and her husband were headed for divorce-Curtis felt a mix of nerves and hope.

"Victoria, do you have plans tonight? The company's hosting a little get-together to celebrate the new project going live," he invited.noveldrama

Victoria really was busy. Every day, Lyndon sent her sarcastic texts, reminding her to keep an eye on the tournament and not disappear halfway through again.

Ailie sidled up, giving her a playful nudge. "Go! Opportunities like this don't come around often. If you want to make a name for yourself in this industry, you need visibility."

Victoria hesitated, but then nodded. Only by proving herself at a major company like Quantum Core Technologies could she pave the way to reclaim her position at Golden Era Enterprises. Owning twenty-five percent of the shares didn't mean anyone would actually follow her lead.

"Dress to impress tonight at the very least, wear something as nice as last time," Ailie reminded her.

Curtis's parties always drew a crowd of high-profile business moguls and politicians. Quantum Core Technologies never missed a chance to make headlines.

"Got it," Victoria agreed.

Meanwhile, the Turner family sent over two outfits: a wedding dress McNeil had ordered for Victoria-now perfectly tailored-and a couture gown Victoria herself had purchased.

"Haley, have someone take the wedding dress to storage," Victoria said after a cursory glance, leaving it for the staff to handle.

The custom-made cocktail dress she'd ordered from Paris a month ago, now laid out before her, instantly became her favorite.

Victoria declined Curtis's offer to send a driver; she was just an assistant and didn't want coworkers gossiping. Instead, she asked Yasmine to drive her to the hotel where Curtis was hosting the party-and she picked up Ailie on the way.

The luxury SUV glided to a stop in front of the hotel.

Yasmine opened the back door, and Victoria stepped out, her long, slender legs accentuated by black diamond-studded heels. The alabaster glow of her skin beneath the knee-length black dress caught the light, turning every head as she walked inside.