Chapter 451

If Ryan hadn’t known that Edward came to see me, I wouldn’t have dared to stand my ground. But now that he does, I figured it was time to show some backbone.

I was here to talk to Ryan, not Edward. If Ryan wasn’t happy, I’d pay attention. But if Edward didn’t like it, he was just meddling as far as I was concerned.

Maybe it was because my reply was so frosty, but Edward actually called me out of the blue.

I glanced out the window, not really wanting to pick up. But he was Uncle Ryan, and if I ignored the call, it’d look like I had something to hide.

I put the phone to my ear, and Edward’s deep voice came through. “Victoria, Ryan’s straightforward–don’t mess with his feelings.”

“Mr. Jennings, you’re being too harsh. Ryan knows everything about me–there’s nothing I’m hiding from him,” I said firmly.

“So, shouldn’t you keep your distance from your ex-husband?” Edward paused for a moment before saying.

“It’s impossible for me to completely cut him off–we share a daughter,” I answered, matter-of-factly.

Edward paused for a moment. “Why not just find another job? You don’t have to work for him.”

“I’ve only just started this job, and it’s not that easy to keep switching around,” I said. Honestly, I like it here because Jared gave me a real chance to prove myself. As my boss, he lets me do my thing, and because he respects me, everyone else does too. That’s the real reason I’m staying.

If I ended up with a boss who’s always making my life difficult, I’d just be making things harder for myself.

“If you’re interested, you could always join my team. I can give you even more opportunities,” Edward said after thinking it over.

“I really appreciate it, Mr. Jennings, but I’m happy where I am,” I replied, holding firm.

Edward sounded a little pissed now, his voice going cold. “Do you really like your job, or do you just enjoy having your ex chase after you?”

“Mr. Jennings, if anyone should be asking me these questions, it ought to be Ryan–not you. As his uncle, you’re overstepping,” I shot back. “Maybe you’re used to being the king in your own world, but with me? That era’s over. I’m not playing along.”

Maybe my new attitude was just too much for him, because he snapped, “Looks like Ryan’s been pampering you so much, you don’t even respect me anymore!”

“I was raised to respect my elders, Mr. Jennings, but don’t you think you’re the one crossing the line here?” I fired right back, not holding anything back.

“I’m just looking out for Ryan,” Edward replied, as if that justified everything.

“But is it really caring if you go overboard? If you want what’s best for him, you should give him space to grow. If you always fight his battles for him, he’ll never grow up or learn to take responsibility,” I kept my temper in check and tried to reason with him.

Edward fell silent again. I couldn’t tell if he agreed with me or not.

“So, are you going to be the one to guide him now?” he finally asked after a long pause.

I took a deep breath. “Honestly, I think he’s already great as he is. He doesn’t need anyone telling him what to do.”

Edward let out a laugh. “You’ve got some fire in you.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “Well, it’s better than being walked all over every day.”

“I’m not bullying you,” Edward said.

“Mr. Jennings, doesn’t your conscience hurt when you say that?” I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Edward laughed again. “People like us lost our conscience a long time ago. Of course it doesn’t hurt.”

“Guess a dog must’ve eaten it, huh?” I shot back, unable to hold my temper.

Edward seemed to get pissed off by that. His voice turned icy. “Victoria, think about my offer again. If you ever want to strike out on your own, I can help you make it happen.”

With that, he hung up.

I gripped my phone, feeling like some invisible hand had just scrambled my thoughts.

Starting my own thing?

Sure, I’ve thought about it. But with what I’ve got right now, all I can do is handle what’s in front of me.