Elena leaned back in her seat, her smile soft but sure. Her fingers traced the rim of her wine glass as her eyes locked onto Victor.
"I know money isn't the issue," she said calmly. "You're more interested in two other things."
Victor lifted his whiskey to his lips, a lazy smirk curling on his face.
"That's interesting," he drawled. "So, what are these two things you speak of?"
"You want to know if investing in my company is actually worth it," she said, her voice calm and controlled. "And second, what exactly you stand to gain by helping me."
Victor chuckled, giving a small nod. "Always clever," he said. "Alright, you've read my mind. I'm all ears."
Elena tilted her glass and took a slow sip, her eyes never leaving his. She shifted, crossing one leg over the other—elegant, steady. Her gaze scanned him—not with flirtation, but with quiet calculation, like a chess player studying the board before a winning move.
"Let me brief you on the Moretti Foundation," she began, her tone shifting into business mode. "As you already know, we're primarily a distributor. We don't manufacture—we sell. We take other companies' products and put them in front of the right people. We've got the best ad agencies under our wing and hold the highest sales figures in New York across multiple sectors."
Victor raised a brow, a playful grin tugging at his lips.
"Yeah, yeah—I know all that. Come on, Elena, give me something I don't already know."
She narrowed her eyes slightly, but the corner of her mouth twitched into a knowing smile. She understood the game—Victor might look like a playboy, but beneath all that charm was a sharp, calculating businessman. If she wanted him in, she had to be real with him.
"Alright," she said slowly. "But this stays between us."
Victor leaned in slightly, the grin still playing on his lips.
"Now you've got my full attention."
She took another sip, then set the glass down with care.
"Everyone gives credit to my father, Jude Moretti. And yes, he founded the company. But the real genius behind its growth—the reason we stayed ahead of everyone else—was my mother. She was the smartest person I've ever known. Everything I know, everything I am, I learned from her."
Victor blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"Interesting. So what exactly did she do?"
Elena's eyes lit up, her voice growing stronger.
"She created the policy that made us untouchable. We only sign two-year contracts. After that, if a company wants to renew, the terms change. We raise our interest by ten percent—no negotiations."
Victor leaned back, intrigued.
"Sounds a bit... bold."
Elena smiled.
"It is. But here's the kicker—if they walk away, they struggle. We've built such a strong brand and customer network that anything we reject instantly drops in market value. The other firms grab the leftovers, but no one offers the reach we do. So eventually, they come running back."
Victor's brows shot up. "How do you even pull that off?"
She leaned forward now, eyes gleaming. "Because while everyone else is chasing trends, we set them. Our analytics, our marketing strategies, the influencers we partner with—it's all calculated. My mom designed a system that not only predicts customer behavior but molds it.
People don't even realize they need something until we show it to them."
Victor let out a low whistle, setting down his glass.
"Damn… and here I thought you just looked good in a dress."
Elena chuckled.
"I do. But I also know how to flip a market."
He gave her an impressed nod, his smirk now edged with genuine interest.
"Alright, now you've got me curious. What's next?"
Elena's fingers curled lightly around the stem of her wine glass. Her expression turned serious, layered with frustration and a quiet trace of disbelief.
"Here's the catch," she said slowly. "I've been the one handling all those deals—the contracts, the terms, the negotiations. No one else understood the real engine behind the Moretti Foundation's growth. Except maybe Chloe."
Victor raised a brow.
"Chloe? Your best friend turned backstabber?"
Elena nodded, her mouth tightening.
"She knew just enough to be dangerous. Not everything—but enough to pull a fast one on me. And that's what still surprises me. She outsmarted me. For the first time."
Victor tilted his head, curiosity piqued.
"Wait… are you saying no one else in the company knows how these contracts actually come in?"
"They know the drill," Elena said with a faint smile. "They know the motions. But none of them understand how to make it happen. There's a difference between following a system and creating one. My mother created it. I perfected it."
She paused for a moment, then continued.
"Clifford—the current CEO—was the only one my mom ever trusted enough to keep close. But he wasn't chosen for his brains."
Victor gave a short laugh.
"That bad, huh?"
"No," Elena said, shaking her head. "Actually, he's brilliant in his own way. He has one real strength—leadership. He can rally a team, keep people motivated, and make sure operations run smoothly. But when it comes to strategy, forecasting outcomes, or negotiating critical deals? He's clueless. He doesn't even realize why my father favored him so quickly after he joined the company. It wasn't because he was a genius—it was because he knew how to follow instructions and get others to follow, too."
Victor leaned back in his chair, processing.
"So what you're saying is… without you, the company's brain is gone."
A cold smile touched Elena's lips.
"Exactly. And Chloe knew it too. That's why she didn't even try to keep the company. She couldn't pull the strings, so she cashed out and ran. It was the only smart move she had."
Victor narrowed his eyes.
"You're serious about this collapse thing, aren't you?"
"I've done the math," Elena replied, her tone sharp and certain.
"The Moretti Foundation will lose its crown within a year. By the third year? It'll be just another company struggling to stay relevant."
Victor gave a low whistle.
"Damn."
Elena pressed on.
"Two of our biggest contracts—ones I personally secured—are ending soon. One in three months, the other two months after that. If those companies don't renew—and they won't without someone like me negotiating—Moretti's projected 60% profit margin will drop to 50% or less. That kind of fall in our circle? It's loud."
Victor's eyes stayed locked on her, and for the first time all evening, he looked genuinely impressed… and maybe even a little concerned.
"And this is where I come in," he said slowly.
Elena nodded.
"Yes. I need someone with deep pockets and deeper connections. Someone who can legally acquire those shares, back me up, and help steady the ship until I'm in a position to take back full control."
Victor rubbed his chin, the smirk returning—softer now, more thoughtful.
"You know… I came here thinking you just wanted to toy with me. Flirt a little. Maybe get a drink or two. But what you're really offering is a stake in saving an empire."
Elena leaned in, her voice dropping just enough to make him focus.
"Not just saving it, Victor… reviving it. Bigger. Smarter. And ten times more profitable."
"One of those contracts is with a company that sells electric cars. The other deals in high-end kitchen equipment. Combined, the products tied to these contracts are worth five hundred million dollars. That's the amount you'll be investing."
Victor nearly choked on his drink.
"What?" he said, eyes wide. "You expect me to buy all of it?"
Elena raised a hand, chuckling softly.
"Calm down. I know it sounds crazy, but there's a reason. Buying that stock is the only move big enough to get the board's full attention. And once you do, they'll offer you something they've never offered an outsider before—VIP shares. That's twenty percent ownership in the Moretti Foundation. It comes with voting rights and a seat at the table. You'll be allowed into board meetings, able to pitch ideas, and influence decisions."
Victor leaned back, still trying to wrap his head around it.
"And what exactly am I supposed to do with the stock I just bought?"
She gave him a knowing smile.
"You won't have to worry about that. The company will sell it for you. At first, the sales will go smoothly. But once the contracts officially expire, the two firms we were working with will start looking for new partners—because they'll reject the 10% increase in renewal terms. They'll shop around, but none of the other companies can offer the kind of visibility and reach we did."
Victor frowned.
"And that's where things fall apart?"
"Exactly," Elena nodded.
"Moretti Foundation won't know how to win those firms back. But when they realize someone—you—has already made a massive order connected to those products, they'll panic. They'll scramble to renegotiate, and they'll likely agree to whatever terms those companies set, just to keep you happy. A private investor buying half a billion worth of stock? That kind of loyalty is rare. They'll bend over backwards to keep you."
Victor crossed his arms, watching her carefully now.
"So basically, I shake the table, get a seat, and make them dance."
She grinned.
"And I'll be right there, guiding your every move."
There was a long pause. Victor's expression turned thoughtful. Then he looked her straight in the eye, his smirk returning.
"I trust you can pull this off, Elena. You're brilliant. But I need to know… what do I gain from this? What's in it for me?"
Elena didn't flinch. Her voice softened, but her words carried weight.
"What do you want?"
He didn't hesitate.
"You. I want you."
She blinked, caught off guard by his bluntness. Then she smiled—slowly.
"That's not too much to ask."
Victor returned the smile with one of his own.
"Then it's a deal," Elena said. "Your reward comes once the first phase of this plan works."
"I'm patient, Elena," Victor interrupted. "I don't like rushing things."
Elena laughed lightly, her mood relaxing.
"Good. Then we wait. Let the contracts expire, and then we make our move."
As they clinked glasses in agreement, neither of them noticed the shadowy figure a few tables away—someone who had been watching them closely the entire time. Unseen… but not uninterested.