𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜? 𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚘𝚖 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎?

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐂 𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 from the towering heights of Vishal's office stretches out like a sprawling canvas of the urban dynamism of Boston. Victoria leans back, feet resting up against the corner of her brother's desk as she looks out from this vantage point. The convergence of power and prosperity is palpable, as the Financial District pulsates with the heartbeat of global commerce.

Across the skyline, the glistening waters of Boston Harbour beckon, their cerulean hues inviting leisurely strolls along the waterfront and scenic boat rides to nearby islands. Sailboats glide gracefully across the harbour, their billowing sails painting a picturesque tableau against the backdrop of the city skyline. There's something special about the familiar comforts of home Victoria soon realised as she looks at the current view.

She feels a renewed sense of belonging and appreciation for the city that has always held a piece of her heart. After her time living in New York, she finds herself drawn back to the familiar streets with a mix of nostalgia and anticipation. Boston may not be New York, but in its own way, it offers a beauty and vitality that is all its own – a reminder that sometimes, the best things in life are found right where you started.

However, Victoria's small moment of tranquility was rudely interrupted when the mumbling sounds of Vishal enter the room, pushing Victoria's feet off his desk. She glares at him as he walks around his desk on the phone, both of them giving each other the middle finger at the same time.

"No, that's not what I asked for." Vishal's voice was stern and direct, like a stressed out CEO would sound like as he takes a seat with an exasperated breath.

The rest of Vishal's phone call blurred into the background as Victoria focused on her phone, texting back and forth with a friend back in New York.

"That's not him, is it?"

Vishal's voice, slightly more raised as he directs his attention to his sister once his call ended, causing Victoria to break out of her thoughts and looks up at him with a blank stare, "Do you think I'm stupid? Of course not."

"I'm just saying, Vic.." Vishal sighs deeply sitting back in his seat, "Don't let him get in your head again."

"He won't." Victoria's tone was harsh and abrupt, more blunt than she intended. With a heavy sigh she drops her phone onto Vish's desk, "I'm sorry, Vish."

"Don't be. I'd be the same if it happened to me." As Vishal observed his sister's frustration, a wave of sympathy washed over him. In that moment, his mind raced with thoughts of understanding and concern for his sister's well-being.

Thoughts of a late night phone call a month ago flooded Vishal's mind as he felt his heart sink remembering hearing his sister's heartbroken cries down the other end of the call. He wished he could erase the pain she was feeling or shield her from any further reminders of the hurtful past. At the same time, he recognised the importance of being there for her, listening without judgment, and offering a shoulder to lean on.

Vishal resolved to be a source of strength and understanding for his sister, ready to provide whatever support she needed to navigate through her emotions and find healing. In that moment of empathy, his bond with his sister grew stronger as he vowed to stand by her side through the ups and downs of life.

"How are you feeling being back in Boston?" His tone was more soft and calm, wanting to change the subject, knowing Victoria's thoughts would end up going into overdrive any moment, "Has the move gone as smooth as you were hoping?"

"Yeah, everything is going fine," She sighed, "I'm all moved back into the apartment, everything to do with Amor has came over. I've still got the New York office running and Abi is taking over all of that for me."

"Abi," Vishal chuckles as the mention of Victoria's crazy, blonde bombshell of a best friend who has been part of both their lives ever since they were in high school, "Is she still as crazy as always?"

"Even more so," Victoria scoffs with a hint of a smile.

The faint sounds of knocking, broke up their concentration. Vishal looked up, slightly flustered, before calling out, "Come in."

In walked Jen, Vishal's trusted assistant, carrying a tray of steaming coffees and wearing her usual bright smile. "Here are the coffees you asked for," she greeted them cheerfully, setting the tray down on the desk.

Vishal nodded his appreciation, his demeanour softening as he reached for his coffee. "Thanks, Jen. You're a lifesaver," he said with a grateful smile.

Victoria chuckled lightly, glancing over to the dark blonde assistant, "Daffodil is always brightening the place up as usual."

Vishal shot his sister a mock glare, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes when Jen laughed, "Is that my new nickname?"

"Well, Vish here can be all dark and gloomy at the best of times," Victoria shrugs taking one of the coffees and resting her feet back onto the desk. She smiles up at Jen, ignoring Vishal's glare burning a hole into the side of her head, "Then in you walk in and brighten the whole place up. Like a bright and warm feeling flower. A daffodil."

Jen chuckled at their banter, clearly enjoying the lighthearted moment, "I'll take that as a compliment." She then turns her attention towards Vishal who was trying his best holding back his annoyance towards his sister's remarks, "Do you need the files for Mr Drysdale bringing in yet?"

"No, not yet. I'll get them when he gets here, don't trouble yourself with them." Vishal replied, his voice slightly flustered as he quickly scanned through some documents on his desk. He seemed preoccupied with the task at hand, trying to maintain his composure in front of his assistant.

With a crooked brow, Victoria watches as Jen leaves the office and closing the door behind herself before she turns her attention back towards her brother whose eyes are fixated on the desk, "Have you hit your head? Gone too many rounds in your boxing?"

Vishal shot a brief glare in Victoria's direction, "Don't start."

"Don't start what?" Victoria couldn't help but notice Vishal's slight flustered demeanour, making her eyes light up with amusement, "You do realise Jen's job as your assistant is to get files if needed, right? Don't trouble yourself..seriously?"

The silence from Vishal was confirmation enough for Victoria making her chuckle, "For crying out loud, Vish. You're like one of those really tacky Netflix originals. The boss falling for the assistant."

Vishal rolls his eyes, about to bite something back until a message pings up on his computer from Jen, "The intern has arrived, I've got her in the main room downstairs."

"Just shut your mouth, Vic." Vishal scoffs shutting his down his computer screen before grabbing the other coffee on the desk. He comes to his feet ushering Victoria to stand, "Got something downstairs for you. Come on."

Victoria's brows knit with confusion as Vishal guides her out of the room, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You said you needed a new assistant or intern, right?" He comments opening his office door for her and steps towards the elevator."

Victoria rolls her eyes, "Well can't exactly use the assistant from New York, can I?"

Touchy subject. The assistant, whose name lingered on the edge of Victoria's memory like a whispered secret, had been an enigmatic presence in her professional life. However, the bond between them both was severed with some brutality. Which eventually led Victoria to make the decision to sever ties with her assistant with immediate effect before her move back to Boston.

The exact reasons behind Victoria's decision remained veiled in secrecy, known only to her, Vishal and the assistant she had let go. Some speculated that it was a matter of trust betrayed, while others whispered of hidden agendas and ulterior motives.

"Don't worry," A hint of a smirk twitches as the corner of Vishal's lips as he notices Victoria's slight hesitation regarding a new worker. He pushes himself off the wall of the elevator as the doors open out to Victoria's own office just one floor beneath Vishal's, "This one is nothing like that back stabbing bitch in New York. I made sure of it."

Victoria narrows her suspicious stare towards her brother as she follows him out of the elevator, "I was apprehensive at first when I said you could find me a new assistant but now that look on your face? I don't fucking trust you even more. Vish, I swear if you–"

"Vic, meet your intern.." Vish's voice was loud as he opened up the door into the main conference room of Victoria's office, "Isobel Usher."

Isobel's presence seemed to brighten the room instantly, her infectious enthusiasm radiating like a ray of sunshine. With her bubbly personality and warm demeanour, she exuded an aura of positivity that was hard to resist.

"Hi! You must be Miss Callahan," Isobel exclaimed, her voice filled with boundless energy. "I'm Isobel or Izzie, your new intern. It's so nice to finally meet you and I'm really excited to work with you and Amor. I've seen so many articles about the business."

The intern smiled brightly, almost jumping with excitement, "I'm really looking forward to this, I can help with anything and everything. Day or night. Oh, and I love to bake so I will always be coming in with something too! I hope you've got a sweet tooth."

Victoria offered a polite smile in return, though inwardly she couldn't help but feel a sense of skepticism. Isobel's bubbly personality was a stark contrast to her own reserved attitude. While Isobel seemed to radiate positivity like a ray of sunshine, Victoria often found herself shrouded in the shadows of her own thoughts.

"You.." Victoria's words trail off, taken aback by the level of enthusiasm that's already pulsating from this girl in front of her. Her mouth is agape slightly, glancing over to Vishal who has a smug grin.

Having someone with this much positivity and energy was Victoria's idea of hell and Vishal knew that but decided to do it just to piss her off. Victoria's nostrils flare for a split second as she composes herself and smiles flatly towards Isobel, "It's nice to meet you, Isobel."

—✤—

As Isobel settled into her role, Victoria couldn't help but observe her new intern with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. While Isobel approached each task with a sense of boundless energy and optimism, Victoria couldn't shake the nagging feeling that their differences might prove to be a challenge.

"Oh, come on.." Vishal chuckles, "She seems sweet. I don't see the big deal."

Victoria sits within her office with Vishal, looking through the glass walls towards the small desk outside of it where Isobel sits. The Callahan woman raises a brow watching as the preppy intern begins decorating her desk.

"Vish, she is putting not one but two framed photos of a dog on her desk." She deadpans.

"And?" Vish shrugs his shoulders, "You are very similar when it comes to Mercury."

"Bullshit!" Victoria exclaims with a look of disgust on her face like that was the most offensive thing Vishal could've said to her.

He rolls his eyes at her reaction, reaching over the desk and taking hold of Victoria's phone. He scoffs looking at the grey screen wallpaper, "Alright then so is this or is this not a close up of the damn thing's fur?"

"Well," Victoria's defence mode soon vanished when Vishal proved his point when it was in fact a close up of her beloved cat, Mercury. She rolls her eyes snatching her phone back off him, "Shut up. I don't know, she just seems.."

"Like the complete opposite to you?" Vish smirks, "That's because she is. Confession, I may have wanted to hire someone like Isobel for you just to piss you off with their preppy attitude but this will be good for you."

"How the fuck is having little miss sunshine in my office going to be good for me?" She narrowed a cynical glare to him, "By sending me into an asylum or an early grave? Which would you prefer?"

"You're so fucking dramatic, Vic.." Vishal scoffs under his breath before coming to his feet, "Are you going to show me the new plans you've designed for my offices? Or just sit there moaning that you've got your own daffodil now."

She catches the smug grin against her brother's lips yet again which just irritates her even further, "You bastard. This is your payback, isn't it?"

"And it's really satisfying seeing it playing out," He smirks.

Over the past few weeks since her return to the city, Victoria couldn't resist poking fun at Vishal's obvious crush on his assistant, Jen. Every time Jen's name came up in conversation, Victoria would raise an eyebrow and shoot Vishal a knowing look, much to his chagrin. And every time, Vishal would vehemently deny any romantic feelings, his protests growing more exaggerated with each teasing remark from his sister.

Unbeknownst to Victoria, Vishal was quietly plotting his revenge. He knew his sister's penchant for order and control, her preference for professionalism over frivolity. So, when the opportunity arose to hire an intern for Victoria's office, Vishal seized it with relish.

Enter Isobel – a bright and bubbly presence, much like a burst of sunshine on a cloudy day. Vishal knew that Isobel's vivacious personality would be the perfect foil to Victoria's reserved demeanour. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he imagined his sister's reaction to having someone so different from herself as her intern.

"Look at that," With his hands against his hips, Vishal steps back from the desk looking down at the new designs Victoria has created for his office renovation, "Me and the Devil agreeing on something. This looks insane, Vic."

"I'm going to ignore the Devil comment for now but that doesn't mean I won't punch you in the throat later," She quips back pulling another design out of the file, "Next, I want to inject a touch of serenity and balance into the ambiance, shades of blue are incorporated to evoke a sense of tranquility and productivity. Whether it's a rich navy accent wall, plush indigo upholstery, or hints of cerulean in artwork or accessories, blue brings a refreshing vibrancy to the palette. What do you think?"

"I think..you are the head of this company for a reason," Vishal wraps his arm around his sister's shoulders, pulling her closer to him with a look of pride on his face, "So you do whatever you think is right and I will back you all the way."

Victoria's face softens up at her brother before smugness takes over, "Grovelling won't work, dumbass."

Vishal chuckles, playfully pushing her away before looking down at his watch, "I've got another meeting. Ransom will probably be waiting for me upstairs, the dickhead is very punctual in the most irritating way possible."

"You're serious?" Victoria couldn't even hold back her laughter as she packs away all of the designs, "Ransom is a real name? What's his last name? Note?"

"Vic.."

"I'm not judging." She holds her hands up in surrender, but her composure lasted mere seconds before she starts laughing again, "I'm sorry, it's just ridiculous. He sounds like he should be some wannabe gang leader or something."

Vishal's expression froze for a moment, his eyes widening imperceptibly as the weight of Victoria's words sank in. Victoria's playful grin softened as she glanced at Vishal, sensing his unease, "Wait..is he actually?"

The silence from her brother was the answer she needed making her scoff in an obnoxious way as she starts to laugh again, "Perfect. My brother now has ties with some mafia. Vish, I know your favourite movie is the God Father but this is ridiculous."

Vishal glances behind Victoria as she continues her rant seeing the door opening and he sighs, "Vic, can you just–"

"You can shut up if you're going to try and claim that this mafia business is PG." She scoffs completely oblivious to a new presence in the room, "You're going to try and say that the fucking mob of Boston is all sunshine and daisies, huh? With some leader with the name of Ransom of all things? Please."

As Victoria continued her oblivious rant, Vishal's anxiety only grew, each passing moment filled with a mounting sense of dread. Would Ransom reveal himself, unleashing his wrath upon Victoria for daring to mock him? Or would he choose to remain silent, his presence serving as a silent reminder of the dangers that lurked in the shadows?

With bated breath, Vishal awaited Ransom's response, his heart pounding in his chest. But to his surprise, Ransom remained eerily silent, his expression unreadable as he observed Victoria from behind.

With a mischievous glint in her eye, her words dripping with sarcasm as she poked fun at the elusive figure, "What if he or someone in the gang gets kidnapped, what would happen? It's not like the enemy could send a ransom note, sounds very cliche given thats his name. How about bribe?"

"For your information," Victoria turns around to the sound of a new voice interrupting her mocking. She is immediately met with ocean eyes that darken instantly, his height towering over her as he steps closer, "People never get to that stage when it comes to me or my men."

"Huh," Victoria scoffs, not seeming in the least bit fazed by Ransom's towering figure in front of her, "Well I guess it makes sense you being part of some mafia. You've got the arrogance nailed perfectly."

Ransom, known for his sharp wit and unshakable confidence, chuckled in response, but there was a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. "You know, Victoria, you've got quite the mouth on you. Especially towards someone like me," he retorted, a hint of edge creeping into his voice.

"Is this the part where you expect me to stutter and apologise?" She raised a brow, her eyes darkening with immediate irritation towards the man, "To get on my knees like a little bitch who doesn't dare speak back to someone like you. Not gonna happen."

The air crackled with tension as Victoria and Ransom found themselves face to face for the first time, their initial encounter marred by an immediate clash of personalities. From the moment they exchanged glances, it was evident that their dynamic would be anything but smooth.

Ransom, exuding an aura of self-assured arrogance, couldn't help but let his status as a mob boss seep through his attitude. His confidence bordered on cockiness, a testament to his position of power within the criminal underworld. As he spoke, his words carried an undercurrent of dominance, as if daring anyone to challenge his authority.

But Victoria, with her sharp wit and unyielding spirit, remained unfazed by Ransom's bravado. She met his gaze with a cool indifference, her expression betraying no hint of intimidation. If anything, his arrogance only fuelled her determination to stand her ground.

"Your sister has some bite on her, Vish." Ransom retorts, his darkened gaze not breaking away from Victoria's unfazed one.

"Yeah, she's a real barrel of laughs," Vishal finally stepped in with a scoff, diffusing the situation with a few well-chosen words. With a resigned sigh, he ushered them towards a tentative truce, knowing all too well that their animosity ran deeper than mere words could convey.

Their initial exchange was rife with barbed remarks and thinly veiled insults, each word a challenge to the other's pride. Yet beneath the surface, there simmered a palpable chemistry that neither could ignore..a magnetic pull that defied logic and reason.

"Your assistant said I'd find you here," Ransom comments plainly, eventually breaking eye contact from Victoria and looking over to Vishal's direction with a teasing look, "Or lover shall I rephrase."

"Fuck you both," Vishal rolls his eyes, instant exasperation seeping through his veins towards both parties who love to mock him, "Come on, we're gonna be late."

"Lovely to meet you, Tori." Ransom says cooly, sarcasm fuelling his words with the new found nickname he had a feeling would piss the woman off.

As Ransom strode out of Victoria's office, his departure was accompanied by an air of smug satisfaction that didn't go unnoticed by Victoria. She stood at her desk, watching him go with a glare that could cut steel, her jaw clenched in frustration.

Vishal, trailing behind Ransom, exchanged a knowing glance with Victoria, silently acknowledging the tension that hung thick in the air. He offered her a reassuring nod before following Ransom out of the room, leaving Victoria alone with her thoughts.

As the door clicked shut behind them, Victoria let out a frustrated sigh, her gaze lingering on the spot where Ransom had stood just moments before. His arrogant manner grated on her nerves, his smug grin which was going to leave her in the most sour mood possible for the rest of the day.

—✤—

no offence to klola, but feels real nice writing someone else for a change..

i say this like i'm not about to go and continue the next chapter for them now i've posted this lmfao..

hope u liked it tho, i'm alr loving ransom + victoria idec