Chapter 475

Victoria Ashford nodded and headed to the pantry. In her mind, Penelope Ashford was the epitome of high society. Penelope moved effortlessly among elite circles for the family business. Even Reginald Ashford couldn't stop praising his eldest daughter.

To appease Penelope, Reginald never publicly acknowledged Victoria as his daughter. If not for needing an unmarried daughter for business alliances, Victoria would still be trapped in that tiny apartment.

Victoria carried the coffee tray toward the conference room.

As she opened the door, she saw Nathan Blackwood speaking with Dominic Kingsley near the entrance. Nathan appeared aloof and composed, but when his gaze landed on Evelyn across the room, his eyes softened noticeably.

The stark contrast to the disdain he showed Victoria made her heart ache.

The three figures at the table seemed to exist in their own exclusive world, far removed from ordinary people.

When Nathan looked up and noticed Victoria standing there, his expression immediately darkened.

Victoria pretended not to notice his reaction and quietly entered to serve the coffee. "Your coffee, everyone."

Evelyn heard her voice and glanced over silently. Before she could speak, Nathan's icy tone cut through the air.

"What are you doing here?"

Nathan shot Dominic a questioning look since this was his company. Why was this woman present?

Dominic shrugged innocently, then suddenly remembered. "This must be the new assistant from Sterling Corporation. Benjamin needed extra help, right?" He turned to Evelyn for confirmation.

Evelyn hesitated briefly before nodding. She studied Victoria with a measured gaze. "Since you're new here, focus on adapting quickly."

Victoria tensed slightly, unprepared for Evelyn's composed reaction.

Cool, collected, and slightly patronizing.

That simple statement served as both acknowledgment and subtle warning.

Victoria nodded, suppressing the turmoil inside. "Understood, Ms. Sterling."

She knew perfectly well that without her father's influence, she'd never have gotten this assistant position based on her qualifications alone.

Reginald Ashford wanted Victoria to emulate Evelyn, hoping it would bring her closer to Nathan's inner circle.

Nathan frowned. His expression remained neutral, but discomfort prickled at him.

He watched Evelyn intently, searching for clues in her demeanor.

"It doesn't add up," he thought. "Sterling Corporation and Ashford Group have no business ties. Is this really coincidence?"

Victoria proactively served black coffee to the two men and a milk coffee to Evelyn before stepping aside to prepare meeting notes.

Evelyn took a small sip before setting the cup aside. She resumed the earlier discussion.

"Mr. Sinclair wants to increase his investment because he's bullish about AI prospects and confident in our R&D capabilities. But he has one condition - when the project matures, he wants it listed in Liberty. That would definitely make waves on Wall Street and globally."

Nathan's eyes darkened. He always separated business from personal matters. His tone remained flat.

"He's been in Liberty too long and lost touch with domestic realities. I believe we should expand in Montecito first. I oppose listing in Liberty."

Dominic interjected, "Mr. Sinclair's idea has merit. A Liberty listing would attract more investors and global attention, propelling our project to the top. We'd become untouchable. But..." He hesitated. "It somehow feels like betraying our country."

Evelyn frowned, tapping her fingers thoughtfully on the table.

Seeing this, Victoria hurried forward to refill Evelyn's coffee with careful movements.