Chapter 14

Vivian Lancaster's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

Her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. But soon, a cold smirk curled at the corner of her lips, as if she had just thought of something.

"Ryan Gallagher, you'd better think carefully," she said, her voice laced with icy venom. "Numbers don’t prove anything. A small company will always be just that—small."

I nearly laughed out loud. My friend’s company was no longer the underdog it once was. Just the projects they had recently secured were worth hundreds of millions. Meanwhile, Vivian was barely scraping by, relying on old clients to keep her business afloat.

What was even more ridiculous was her blatant favoritism toward Ethan Winslow. In every meeting, that incompetent fool couldn’t even present basic data properly, yet she always found excuses to cover for him.

"Is the driver here yet?" my friend suddenly asked, completely ignoring Vivian’s presence.

I was about to check my phone when a young man in a chauffeur’s uniform came running up, slightly out of breath. "Sir, where’s the car?"

My friend winked at me. "Let’s take yours today. Mine’s a bit too flashy."

I handed over the keys. In less than two minutes, the Porsche 911 was parked smoothly in front of us.

"Sir, this car is amazing!" The driver couldn’t resist running his hands over the steering wheel in admiration.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan practically drooling over the car. Vivian, on the other hand, stared at the license plate, her expression shifting between disbelief and fury.

"Nothing special," my friend said casually. "Just a year-end bonus from the company. Oh, by the way, my buddy here is looking for a driver. Twenty grand a month. Interested?"

"Seriously?" The driver’s voice cracked with excitement.

"You can sign the contract right now."

As they chatted animatedly, Vivian suddenly turned on her heel and stormed off. Ethan scrambled after her, but not before casting one last longing glance at the sports car.

"Are you really hiring him?" I whispered to my friend.

"Of course," he murmured back. "You’ll need someone reliable to pick you up after all those business dinners. As for the salary… well, you’re worth it now."

Warmth spread through my chest. Back at Vivian’s company, I’d worked myself to the bone for a measly fifteen grand.

In the days that followed, we threw ourselves into the project. Strangely, Vivian and Ethan went completely silent—no sudden appearances, no updates on social media.

Then, on the day we were wrapping up the project, my friend pulled me aside with a mysterious glint in his eye. "I just got a call from Vivian…"