The Rebirth of My Dead Billionaire Wife

Chapter 51

The glow of the morning sun filtered through the windows as Victoria sat at her kitchen table, her hands wrapped around a warm cup of tea. Her home, once a sanctuary, now felt like a fortress. Security cameras lined the exterior, guards patrolled the perimeter, and every entrance had been reinforced.

It was necessary—she knew that. But it didn’t make the suffocating feeling of being trapped any easier to bear. The only places she went now were work, home, and the occasional doctor’s appointment. Even those outings felt like a calculated risk.

Elena walked into the kitchen, munching on an apple. “Well, good morning, our queen in captivity,” she teased, though her tone carried a hint of concern.

Victoria gave her a half-hearted smile. “Very funny. It’s not captivity, just… extra precaution.”

Elena plopped down across from her, raising an eyebrow. “Precaution that involves four guards outside and someone following you everywhere? Yeah, sounds like captivity to me.”

Before Victoria could respond, the doorbell rang. Elena sprang to her feet. “I’ll get it. If it’s Zayden with another fruit basket, I swear—”

“It’s probably Tobias and Jonathan,” Victoria said, standing up to stretch. “They said they’d come by this morning.”

Elena opened the door, and sure enough, Tobias and Jonathan entered, both carrying laptops and thick folders. Tobias greeted Elena with a grin. “Elena! Always a pleasure to see the baddest influence in town.”

“Flattery won’t get you my coffee,” Elena retorted, but she smirked as she gestured for them to come in.

The group gathered in the living room, where Victoria settled onto the couch, her bump now unmistakably prominent. Jonathan pulled out his laptop, while Tobias sifted through a pile of papers.

“We’ve been digging into the Xanos situation,” Tobias began, setting his folders on the coffee table. “And while we’ve got some leads, nothing’s concrete yet.”

Jonathan nodded, his expression grim. “The most recent trace puts Xanos overseas, but we’re pretty sure that’s a smokescreen. It could be a trap to throw us off their real location.”

Victoria frowned, her hands resting protectively over her belly. “Overseas? Where specifically?”

“Singapore,” Jonathan replied, flipping his laptop around to show her a map. “There’s a trail of offshore accounts originating from there, but it’s too clean. Almost like they want us to find it.”

Tobias leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “That’s what worries me. Whoever Xanos is, they’re playing a long game. Damian and Selena were pawns, and now that they’re out of the picture, Xanos is ramping up the psychological warfare.”

Victoria sighed, leaning back against the couch. “So we’re chasing shadows.”

“For now,” Jonathan admitted. “But we’ll keep digging. If there’s a real trail, we’ll find it.”

Elena, who had been pacing the room, chimed in. “I don’t get it. What does Xanos even want at this point? They’ve already done enough damage to the company.”

“They want control,” Tobias said bluntly. “Selena and Damian might’ve been the face of the operation, but Xanos is the puppet master. Without them, they’re probably scrambling to find a way to stay in the game.”

“Or,” Victoria interjected, “they’re planning something bigger. Something we’re not seeing yet.”

The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of her words sinking in.

Jonathan broke the tension with a sigh. “Either way, we’re not going to let them win. The key is to stay ahead of them. Keep the company secure, keep you secure, and figure out who this Xanos is before they make their next move.”

Victoria nodded, her resolve hardening. “I trust you both to handle the investigation, but we can’t let this consume us. I still have a company to run—and a baby to prepare for.”

Elena grinned, her tone lightening the mood. “Speaking of the baby, I vote we name her after me. Little Elena Kane has a nice ring to it.”

Tobias chuckled. “You’d be the worst influence. That poor kid wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Elena gasped in mock offense. “I’d be the coolest influence, thank you very much.”

Victoria laughed softly, grateful for the brief moment of levity. “Let’s focus on keeping her safe first, okay?”

Jonathan closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair. “We’re doing everything we can, V. And if Xanos thinks they can scare you, they’ve got another thing coming.”

Tobias nodded in agreement. “We’ll keep digging, but in the meantime, don’t let them win by living in fear. You’ve already been through so much, and you’ve come out stronger every time.”

Victoria smiled faintly, her hand resting on her belly. “Thank you, both of you. I just want to get to the other side of this—whatever that looks like.”

Jonathan stood, stretching. “We’ll make sure you do. And hey, once this is all over, you can name your daughter after me instead of Elena.”

“Ha! Dream on,” Elena retorted, tossing a pillow at him.

As Tobias and Jonathan packed up their things to leave, Zayden arrived, carrying a bag of groceries. “Am I interrupting?” he asked, setting the bag on the counter.

“Perfect timing,” Victoria said, standing to greet him. “We were just wrapping up.”

Zayden glanced at Tobias and Jonathan. “Any updates?”

Tobias nodded. “Xanos is playing games, but we’ll figure it out.”

Zayden’s jaw tightened. “Good. Because no one messes with my family.”