Victoria’s POV
Javier was a jerk.
A reckless, loud-mouthed i***t who couldn’t follow simple instructions.
I stood by the window in my office, gripping a glass of wine so tight I thought it might crack.
He had one job. One.
Take the girl, make her vanish for a few days, scare Elle enough to make her crawl back into her corner. No blood, no mess. Just control.
But no, he ran the moment things got tough. Coward.
I pressed my fingers to my temple and muttered, “If only it were Ray.”
Ray would’ve handled it. Clean. Quiet. No mistakes.
But Ray was gone.
The name itself brought an ache I hadn’t felt in a long time. He’d been the only man who ever made me feel… seen. Not adored. Not worshipped. Seen.
Before Jordan. Before the business. Before I wear my mask every day.
I sat on the couc
