When Love is a Question Mark
Chapter 68: Why free access?

Chapter 68: Why free access?

Victoria returned to the office, her hands trembling slightly as she parked the car. The meeting with Lily had left her with more questions than answers. She’d never seen a CEO act that way before—so calm yet so determined, ready to take a gamble.

She stepped out, feeling the chill of the air touch her cheeks. The usual buzz of the office greeted her as she entered the building. People moved with a sense of purpose, their expressions sharp and focused. Normally, Victoria felt a rush of energy walking into this place, like everything was in motion, gears turning in sync. But today, something was different.

The air felt heavy, as if everyone sensed a shift. She caught snatches of conversations as she walked by, but none of it settled the unease swirling in her head. She clutched her bag tighter, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. She headed straight to her office, hoping the familiar setting would clear her thoughts.

Once inside, she closed the door behind her and set her things down. She took a deep breath, letting the quiet calm her racing mind. Her desk, with its neat stacks of files and papers, felt like a small island of stability. She sat down and let the morning’s whirlwind catch up to her.

She opened her laptop, replaying the meeting in her mind. Lily’s voice echoed, calm yet confident, her tone impossible to ignore. Giving Lopez Digital Studios free access felt risky to Victoria, a gamble she didn’t understand. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something she was missing.

Sighing, she pulled up the draft from the meeting. Her fingers hovered over the keys, but her mind kept drifting to the questions that had been gnawing at her since she left the restaurant. Why was her boss so keen on this deal? What did she see that Victoria didn’t?

A notification flashed on her screen, snapping her back to the present. It was an email from Zinnia. Victoria’s heart skipped a beat as she opened it.

"Hi Victoria! I’ve attached the draft contract for our potential cooperation with Lily Oceanic Industries. Could you take a look and let me know what you think? If there’s anything you want to change, just let me know."

Victoria read through the email, feeling a small smile tug at her lips. Zinnia’s tone was polite, as always, but there was a hint of excitement that was hard to miss. It was the kind of enthusiasm that made you want to root for someone. For a moment, Victoria felt her own excitement flicker to life.

But she knew better. This wasn’t something she could leave to chance. She had to handle this contract herself. She began typing a reply, her fingers moving with a renewed sense of purpose.

"Hi Zinnia, thank you for sending over the draft. I appreciate your effort, but I’ll take care of drafting a new contract. I’ll be coming over to your company this afternoon to discuss it. We can go over everything together then."

Victoria hit send and leaned back, exhaling slowly. She wondered how Zinnia would react to the final terms. Would she see the strategic play behind Lily’s decision, or would she be as confused as Victoria felt?

She had to make this partnership work. It was crucial, not just for the company, but for their careers. Lily had been clear—get the deal done, no mistakes. Yet, even now, Victoria’s mind kept circling back to the same question. Why had Lily been so firm, yet so secretive?

No one outside the upper management even knew who Lily really was. Victoria had always been the one handling the public side, the face of Lily Oceanic Industries in this country. It was part of the strategy, but it also meant carrying the weight of Lily’s decisions without revealing her identity. That wasn’t easy, and it made moments like these feel even heavier.

She took another breath, steadying herself. She couldn’t afford to let her doubts interfere. This contract had to be flawless. The stakes were too high, and there was no room for errors.

She pulled up the old draft and started revising. Each line was carefully reworded, every clause scrutinized. Hours slipped by, but Victoria didn’t notice. She was too focused on making sure every detail was perfect. Once this went to Lily, there wouldn’t be much room for changes. It had to be right the first time.

Finally, after what felt like an endless session of edits, Victoria leaned back and scanned the contract one last time. Satisfied, she saved the document and opened a new email. She addressed it to her boss, the elusive CEO.

"Hello Miss Aquila, I’ve attached the revised contract draft for your review. Please let me know if there are any further adjustments needed. I’ll finalize it as soon as I hear back from you."

She hit send, feeling a mix of relief and anticipation.

Meanwhile, across town, Lily was at home, savoring a rare moment of quiet. When her phone chimed, she glanced at the screen and saw Victoria’s name. Her eyes brightened as she opened the email, scrolling through the contract. A smile curved on her lips as she read. It was exactly what she’d been hoping for.

Lily leaned back, letting her thoughts drift to Zinnia. There was a flutter of excitement in her chest. Helping Zinnia grow her career, giving her a bigger platform, was something Lily had wanted for a long time. But beneath the excitement, a flicker of anxiety crept in.

What would Zinnia think if she found out Lily was behind all this? Lily hadn’t been able to talk about what happened with James. The guilt lingered, making her hesitant to bring it up, even now. She wanted to support Zinnia, to be there for her, but she didn’t know how to bridge that gap without reopening old wounds.

Lily sighed, brushing those thoughts aside for now. She’d deal with that later. Right now, she needed to make sure this collaboration went smoothly. She quickly typed out a response to Victoria, confirming that everything looked good.

"Looks perfect, Victoria. Go ahead and finalize it. Thank you for your hard work."