Chapter 196 Landon's Arrival

In the afternoon, Victoria totally bailed on the bidding meeting.

Since her secret identity as Dor got blown in the morning, Horizon Group's stock price went through the roof.

In the office, Victoria was chilling on the sofa with Lila.

Victoria noticed Lila had been staring intently at her for a long time without saying a word.

Victoria rubbed her forehead, tilted her head, and finally broke the silence. "Spit it out already. Staring at me like that is super creepy."

Lila just snorted and let out a cold laugh.

Then she finally spoke, "Seriously, how many more secrets are you hiding from me? I had to find out from the news."

There was a hint of hurt in Lila's voice.

Victoria's face stayed calm as she slowly said, "Alexander just found out too."

Her implication was clear: even her partner had just learned about it, so Lila had no reason to feel slighted.

Lila's mouth twitched.

She turned sideways on the sofa, propped one hand on the back, and leaned in closer to Victoria. "Come on, spill the beans. How many more secrets are you hiding? I swear I won't tell anyone, okay?"

Victoria looked at Lila's curious eyes and smiled but didn't answer right away.

Lila wasn't in a rush and waited patiently.

After a few seconds, Victoria finally said, "Lila, I can only say that the rest of my secrets aren't exactly convenient to share."

Lila went quiet.

Honestly, for Victoria, it didn't matter what kind of secret identity she had. She was just super smart and good at everything she tried, so she rolled with it.

Victoria didn't care about these identities. For years, she kept them under wraps to avoid drama and having to explain herself.

"But no matter what my secret is, I'm still me, and that won't change," Victoria added.

Meanwhile, in another fancy villa area.

"Mr. Howard, Victoria is way too mysterious. Not only can she save a company from going under, but she also has two different identities in totally different fields. It's insane," a guy in black reported to Christopher, who was lounging on the sofa. "These identities of hers can bring a lot of influence, especially her researcher gig. She's got a whole research institute behind her and maybe even some high-level government connections. If she really marries into the Howard family, it'll be a huge boost for Alexander, making our plan a lot harder to pull off."

Christopher was flipping through Victoria's file. It looked pretty basic and didn't even mention her two recently exposed identities.

He remembered seeing her once at the Howard Villa. She was definitely not like other women, not just a pretty face.

Underneath those good looks were her boldness, confidence, and brains.

A woman like Victoria was hard not to be drawn to.

The guy in black noticed Christopher staring at her photo and smirked.

"In the end, whose wife she'll be is still up in the air." Christopher's voice was cocky, confident, and had a hint of something darker.

The afternoon bidding meeting wrapped up.

Victoria got the results right away. Billy sent her the info. Looking at the three companies listed, they were exactly what she expected.

She just replied: [As usual, wrap up the work properly.]

Billy quickly responded: [Got it, Victoria.]

Victoria thought for a moment and sent another message: [Blacklist XC Pharmaceuticals. No more deals with them.]

Billy: [Got it.]

XC Pharmaceuticals had tried to steal formulas before, which was a total dealbreaker for her. No point in working with a shady company like that.

Soon, she got a text from Nolan, just a simple: [Thanks.]

She glanced at it and deleted it without a second thought.

Victoria really didn't expect one of the three companies to be Nolan's; he hid it well.

Honestly, he didn't need to thank her because one of the companies she initially had her eye on was his.

Nolan's game was deeper than anyone else's, flawless. If he hadn't revealed it this time, she wouldn't have found out.

In the evening, at Serenity Grove Manor.

An unexpected guest showed up.

Victoria was the first to get home and saw Landon sprawled on the sofa as soon as she walked in. "What brings you here?"

Victoria walked over and squinted at Landon, who was half-lying on the sofa, messing with his phone.

Landon looked up when he heard her voice and immediately sat up straight, obediently calling out, "Victoria."

Victoria nodded and sat on the sofa opposite him.

"Running away from home?" She raised an eyebrow and gestured to the black suitcase next to the sofa.

Landon put his phone down and laughed sheepishly. "You're so sharp, you guessed it right away."

Victoria's eyelids lowered slightly, and the corner of her eye twitched. She had just asked casually.

Actually, Landon was a year older than her.

But somehow, Victoria always seemed more mature and composed, while he sometimes acted like a kid.

Seeing her not speak, Landon pouted and continued, "Victoria, my mom kicked me out, so I had no choice but to come here."

In the past, Landon wouldn't have dared to come here to stay because Alexander would definitely not allow it and would send him to a hotel instead.

But now things were different with Victoria around.

He had never stayed at Alexander's place for even one night, even though Serenity Grove Manor was huge with so many rooms. Alexander would always dismiss him with, "There's no room for you at Serenity Grove Manor."

This time, no matter what, he had to stay, or it would be hard to complete the task Saskia had given him.

Victoria stared at him silently for a few seconds, raising an eyebrow. "If Alexander agrees, I have no objections."

Landon was dumbfounded.

This wasn't what he had expected.

"Victoria, Alexander definitely won't agree. He'll just tell me to go sleep on the street," he said bluntly.

Victoria was taken aback. "How could that be? After all, you are Alexander's younger brother."

Landon instantly straightened his back, looking very serious and determined. "It definitely could be. Alexander is only good to you. All the taboos are non-existent with you, but with us, they are real. Whoever touches them is out of luck. Alexander has only ever been gentle with you. He will only love you in this lifetime. So, as long as you agree, Alexander will definitely have no objections."

Victoria listened quietly, realizing his true intention.

Then she called Sawyer and said, "Sawyer, please arrange a room for Landon."

Sawyer glanced at the very happy Landon and nodded. "Okay."

After speaking, Victoria got up and went upstairs to the master bedroom.

After watching her leave, Sawyer finally spoke, "Please follow me."

Landon got up, put his arm around Sawyer's shoulder, and said proudly, "Sawyer, see, I guessed right. With Victoria here, I can definitely stay."

An hour ago, Landon had suddenly shown up with a suitcase, leaving Sawyer bewildered. Then he said he wanted to stay at Serenity Grove Manor for a while. Sawyer asked without hesitation, "Did Mr. Alexander Howard agree?"

Landon had simply replied, "Don't worry, Sawyer, Alexander will definitely agree."

And then he had been waiting there.

Landon actually came to ask Victoria for help, and it turned out to be the right move.

Landon had often come here before, trying to stay, but Alexander never allowed it.

Billionaire's Bad Girl
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