My Ex-Wife Invited Me to Dinner to Humiliate Me — She Had No Idea I Owned Her Lover’s Company
Chapter 2
Saturday night arrived.
I wore a dark navy suit.
Nothing designer.
Nothing flashy.
Exactly the image Victoria expected.
The restaurant was full when I arrived.
Victoria spotted me immediately.
She smiled.
The smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Daniel.”
“Victoria.”
She kissed the air beside my cheek.
“You came.”
“You invited me.”
She laughed.
Then she introduced the people at the table.
Her sister.
Two friends.
And Adrian.
Adrian stood and offered his hand.
“Daniel Mercer.”
“Adrian Cross.”
His handshake was firm.
Confident.
He looked at my suit.
Then my watch.
A faint smile appeared.
Victoria noticed.
“You still don’t believe in expensive things, I see.”
“I believe in useful things.”
One of her friends laughed.
Adrian smiled.
“That’s charming.”
We sat.
The conversation turned toward careers.
Victoria’s sister asked Adrian about his recent promotion.
He spoke for ten minutes.
Everyone listened.
Then Victoria looked at me.
“What about you, Daniel?”
“I run a private investment office.”
She smiled.
“Still?”
“Still.”
Adrian laughed.
“You mean you still do consulting?”
“Something like that.”
Victoria lifted her glass.
“Daniel has always been modest.”
The table laughed.
I didn’t correct her.
Dinner continued.
Adrian started talking about a major acquisition his firm was negotiating.
A shipping and logistics company.
He sounded proud.
Then he mentioned the name.
Mercer Holdings.
I looked at him.
“You work on that account?”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“It’s one of the most valuable private deals in the city.”
I almost laughed.
Because Adrian didn’t know that Mercer Holdings was owned by me.
And the company he thought he was negotiating to acquire wasn’t actually for sale.
Not to him.
Not to anyone without my approval.
Victoria looked at me.
“You look surprised.”
I took a sip of water.
“I’m just listening.”
She smiled.
She thought I was intimidated.
She had no idea.
