Noah attended a business dinner that evening, expecting nothing more than another routine meeting. He never imagined he would run into Victor Kane.
At least, that was what Noah believed.
In reality, Victor had deliberately arranged the encounter.
As Noah stepped out of the private dining room, Victor approached him with a faint smile.
"Congratulations on the partnership deal, Noah."
Noah stopped abruptly. He stared at Victor in confusion.
"You must be mistaken, Mr. Kane. I think you forgot that we never signed any deal. We aren’t partners."
Victor chuckled. "I haven’t mistaken anything. I know exactly what I’m saying."
He casually lit a cigar and took a slow drag before releasing the smoke into the air.
"The company you signed the contract with is under Orion Holdings. I fund it entirely. So, technically, we are partners."
Noah looked incredulous. For a moment, he felt as though the ground had disappeared beneath his feet.
He had deliberately avoided Victor because he knew Victor Kane was Elias Rowan’s sworn enemy. Noah had no intention of becoming involved in their war.
That was precisely why he had kept his distance. Yet somehow, Victor had managed to pull him into it without him even realizing it.
"You tricked me."
"Tricked you?" Victor smirked. "You didn’t verify the company before signing the agreement. How is that my fault?"
Noah’s face paled.
Victor was right.
He hadn’t investigated the company properly. All Noah had known was that it was an emerging business that had performed remarkably well in recent years.
He hadn’t bothered to find out who was actually backing it.
His desperation to secure a new business opportunity and prove himself in the market had made him overlook the most basic due diligence.
"Accept it, Noah." Victor’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "You were desperate."
Noah’s jaw tightened.
"You wanted a partner to help recover the losses your company has suffered recently."
"Yes." Noah nodded reluctantly. "My company has been facing losses. That’s normal in business. But I can recover without you. Since I know who is behind the company now, I’ll terminate the partnership."
He turned to leave.
"Don’t be impulsive." Victor’s cold voice stopped him. "Ending the partnership won’t help you. It will only make things worse for the Sinclair Group."
Noah slowly turned around.
Victor continued calmly, "Your problems with Elias Rowan aren’t exactly a secret anymore. No one in this city wants to risk doing business with you."
Noah had nothing to say because everything Victor had said was true.
"It’s only me who is willing to work with you," Victor continued. "If you turn your back on me now, things will become much more difficult for your company."
Noah knew it was true.
Ever since his confrontation with Elias at the charity event, the Sinclair Group had been struggling.
Suppliers who had worked with them for decades were suddenly hesitant to renew their contracts, afraid of offending the Rowans.
Banks had become reluctant to approve new loans. Investors refused to inject additional capital. Even old business partners had stopped taking the initiative to renew their agreements.
Every door seemed to be closing. Running the company had become a constant struggle.
"The reality is that you need me to survive," Victor said bluntly. "And I need someone experienced and hardworking like you for my next project."
Noah clenched his jaw. He didn’t want anything to do with Victor. But at this moment, he couldn’t simply walk away.
The Sinclair Group needed a breakthrough. Besides, he needed to stay close to Victor to keep an eye on him. This way, he could protect Elena.
"What project are you talking about?" he finally asked.
Victor’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "A ten-billion-dollar AI project. You might have seen the announcement two days ago."
Noah’s eyebrows lifted. He immediately remembered Victor’s press conference.
Victor had unveiled a massive AI initiative that had already attracted considerable attention in the business world.
"Yes, I saw it."
"The core framework is ready," Victor said. "What we need now is someone capable of developing the platform."
He extended his hand slightly. "Join me. It will benefit both of us."
Noah thought for a while.
The project sounded promising. More importantly, it could be the breakthrough the Sinclair Group desperately needed.
He had no idea that the framework Victor was talking about had originally been developed by Novacrest Global and that Elena was its core designer.
After a moment, Noah nodded. "I’m interested."
"Excellent." Victor’s lips curved into a triumphant smile. But then his expression changed. "There is one problem."
Noah frowned. "What problem?"
"Novacrest Global is developing a similar platform. My insider told me about it." Victor took another drag from his cigar. "We need to launch ours before they do. Otherwise, our project will lose its advantage in the market."
Noah considered his words carefully. He immediately saw an opportunity. If the project succeeded, the Sinclair Group could recover.
Their suppliers would return. Investors would regain confidence. The banks would once again be willing to work with them. Their competitors would have no choice but to take them seriously.
It could be the turning point they desperately needed.
"Then we’ll develop it before them." Noah’s voice carried a newfound determination. "Together, we’ll make sure we are first."
Victor smiled. "I like your confidence." He paused before adding casually, "But there is something else you should know."
He leaned closer. "Elena has been facing serious backlash from her own team ever since I announced the project. She might be fired."
"What?" Noah’s eyebrows drew together. "Why?"
Victor sighed, deliberately making himself sound sympathetic. "Poor woman."
He shook his head.
"She is the core designer of the similar project Novacrest Global has been developing. After I announced my version, people inside her company began questioning how I obtained such a similar framework."
"They think she leaked it?" Noah was taken aback.
Victor shrugged. "They are calling her a traitor. Some are demanding that she be suspended immediately."
Noah’s hands curled into fists. "This is insane."
"I know," Victor sighed, feigning helplessness. "But what can I do? People are suspicious, and the evidence appears to point toward her. Elias is making his decision tomorrow."
Noah’s expression became increasingly troubled. "Tomorrow?"
Victor watched him carefully. He could clearly see the worry and fear in his face. "He’ll decide whether Elena stays on the project or leaves Novacrest Global altogether."
"This isn’t fair." Noah ground his teeth. "Just because another company announced a similar project doesn’t mean Elena is guilty."
Noah’s eyes hardened with determination. "If Elias dismisses her, the Sinclair Group will take her back. She will always have a place in my company."
He had stayed away from Elena because he believed she was finally living peacefully with Elias. But if she were being persecuted and blamed for something she hadn’t done, he couldn’t simply stand by and watch.
Victor’s eyes gleamed. "If she joins us, she’ll be an enormous advantage. With her knowledge, we could develop the platform even faster and make sure we beat Novacrest Global."
Noah nodded. "Leave this to me." Determination shone in his eyes. "I’ll talk to Elena. This time, she has to listen to me."
Victor’s lips curled into a subtle smile. That was exactly what he had wanted.
He had carefully manipulated Noah’s circumstances, using the Sinclair Group’s desperation and Elena’s predicament to push him exactly where he wanted him. Now Noah was willing to approach Elena himself.
And once that happened, Victor could use their connection to create the final piece of evidence Elias needed.
Victor took another slow drag of his cigar. ’Everything is falling into place.’
First, he would destroy Elias’s marriage. Then he would destroy his empire. And by the time Elias realized he had been manipulated, it would already be too late.