Ice & Prejudice

Chapter 92

Nik's POV:

Taking over Wolves Enterprises last week had been easier than I anticipated. My father had always been a pragmatic man, and he didn't make a fuss about handing me the reins. He gave me a one-year trial, which sounded more formal than it was. In reality, he was just eager to take a break, to spend time with Amara and Alisha.

Alisha was young, barely in school, and my father, after years of building his empire, seemed ready to slow down, at least for a little while. I could see it in his eyes-he trusted me. He'd spent years preparing me, letting me shadow him through high-stakes meetings, deals, and decisions. For over two years, I'd been working side by side with him, absorbing every detail, every lesson he had to offer. Even when I was younger, he ensured I understood the intricacies of the business, shaping me into the heir he envisioned. So when he finally agreed to step back and let me take over, it wasn't surprising. I'd proven myself, and he was ready to let go.

But now? It didn't matter. He could have them. I had Wolves Enterprises, and more importantly, I had my own reasons for taking control.

I wasn't here just for the company.

What did surprise me, though, was how smoothly the transition had gone. I expected more resistance, maybe a test or two to see if I could handle the pressure on my own. But no, just a brief conversation and then the keys were handed over. Maybe he thought I deserved it after everything-after my health scare, after all the years of dedication.

I officially took over last Monday, and by Friday, I was already making moves. Oxford was the first destination on my list.

Arriving in Oxford yesterday was a strange feeling. It had been years since I last stepped foot in this city. Bwack the, it was mainly for business meetings, interviews, etc. But now, I was back for a different reason. Not for the business or any corporate matters, though I'd handle that while I was here. No, this trip was personal.

When my father handed over the business, he also handed me everything that came with it-the office, the contacts, and most importantly, the family laptop. It was more of a tool than a privilege, holding decades of information and records that spanned generations of Wolves' business dealings. And when I got my hands on it, the first thing I did was search through everything I could find about Victoria.

I'd spent years pretending she didn't exist. That she never did. But deep down, I always knew that wasn't true. From the moment I deduced she was studying with Layla, I was obsessed. It turned out, the funding had never stopped. My father had been covering her education the entire time.

I searched through payments, invoices, tuition records, anything and everything tied to his finances. Every payment for rent, for tuition, all the bills for an Oxford University flat funded by Wolves Enterprises. All of it for Victoria. And obviously Layla as well, but that didn't matter.

So, their deal wasn't off after all.

When I scrolled through the financial documents and scholarships, it was all there in black and white-her name, her address, the payments that had been going to her since she arrived in Oxford. Everything I needed to know was neatly laid out, thanks to my father's impeccable record-keeping. I wasn't even surprised when I found out Layla's information was tied to Victoria's. After all, they were inseparable during their time at Ivy.

But the key detail? The flat they shared. Victoria still lived in the same place, the same damn place she had moved into at the start of her master's program. I knew it like the back of my hand now. Her address, the rent payments, the utilities-all funded by Wolves Enterprises.

Which meant my father had made a deal with Victoria that he'd fund her housing as well, while she was studying. From what I've found out she was interning at a hospital as clinical psychologist now, which meant she was still studying, even if it was just practice. The head of Wolves Enterprises was funding her, and I was now the head. I had full control and leverage over her, and there was nowhere she could go now.