The Billionaire's Challenge

Two Paths

Chapter 10

Two Paths

(Audrina’s POV)

The morning sunlight streamed through the windows of my office, casting long shadows across the desk piled high with sketches, notes, and open documents. It should have felt energizing, but instead, a heavy weight pressed down on my chest, tightening with every passing second.

Tonight was shaping up to be one of the most important nights of my life—and I had absolutely no idea how I was going to pull it off.

I leaned back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling as if it held the answers to my problems. But, of course, it didn’t. I was on my own with this one.

Accius and Kade. Two names that felt like anchors, pulling me in opposite directions. On one side, there was Accius. Mysterious, enigmatic Accius, who had shown up out of nowhere and handed me a project bid that could elevate my firm and set us on a path of success for years to come. He was the wildcard, and his interest in me was just as baffling as it was unnerving. The idea of turning down his offer—and whatever it was he wanted to discuss tonight—made my stomach twist with anxiety.

Then there was Kade Dupont. Airelle’s older brother, a man with more power and influence in the industry than anyone I knew. He was the one person who could step in and fix our financial disaster right now. The thought of blowing off a meeting with him was insane. It would not only risk our firm but also disappoint Airelle, and after everything she’d been through to get him involved, I couldn’t do that to her.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. How could I choose? One meeting was about long-term growth and survival, while the other was about short-term survival, keeping us afloat in the face of a threat that loomed closer with every second.

I glanced at my phone, hesitating for a moment before opening the messages. I typed out a quick text to Accius:

Audrina: “Something came up. Can we reschedule for another night?”

I stared at the screen, my heart pounding. The reply came almost instantly.

Accius: “No deal. If you want to talk, be there tonight. 7 PM. Don’t be late. 😉”

The audacity of that winking emoji almost made me chuck the phone across the room. I bit back a groan, my fingers itching to fire back a snarky reply, but I knew it would get me nowhere. Accius wasn’t the type to negotiate on terms he had already set. I had the feeling that, for him, it was all or nothing. Either I showed up, or whatever it was he had in mind would disappear just as mysteriously as it had appeared.

I dropped the phone onto my desk and leaned back in my chair, squeezing my eyes shut. Dammit. I didn’t have time for his games. But I also couldn’t afford to alienate him—not when his offer was a lifeline for the future of my firm.

But what about Airelle? I couldn’t bail on her. Not when we were finally getting somewhere with Kade. He had agreed to help, and I knew it was because he cared deeply for his sister, but Kade Dupont was not a man you stood up without consequences. If I didn’t show up to the meeting tonight, it would send all the wrong signals—not just to him, but to Airelle as well. She would think I wasn’t taking this seriously, that I was willing to let everything we’d worked for slip through our fingers.

No. I had to make it to both.

I opened my eyes, staring blankly at the sketches on my desk as my mind raced through a thousand different scenarios. What if I could time it perfectly? Go to the dinner with Accius first, then slip away in time to make it to Kade’s?

But what if one meeting ran long? What if I got caught up in a conversation I couldn’t leave? Accius didn’t seem like the type to let me walk out without getting what he wanted first. And Kade… well, I didn’t know Kade, but I doubted he was the patient type either.

I needed a plan. A solid, foolproof plan that would allow me to navigate both events without pissing off either man. My heart pounded faster just thinking about it.

If I went to see Accius first, I could try to keep it brief, keeping my eye on the clock the whole time. But there was something about Accius that made me think it would be easier said than done. He wasn’t someone who took kindly to being rushed or controlled. I’d already gotten a taste of that in his messages, and the last thing I wanted was to be on his bad side when he held the key to a potentially transformative project.

But I couldn’t risk Kade’s wrath either. He was stepping in because Airelle had convinced him, and if I showed up late—or worse, didn’t show up at all—what would that say about me? About our company? I needed Kade to understand that we were serious, capable professionals, worthy of his assistance. Any sign of flakiness, and this opportunity could vanish in an instant.

The pressure was suffocating. I stood up, pacing back and forth in the small confines of my office, my thoughts swirling in a chaotic mess of doubts and possibilities. Maybe I could ask Airelle to push back the meeting with Kade. Just an hour or two, to give me some breathing room with Accius. But that would be too risky. Airelle had already said Kade was going out of his way for us. There wasn’t any flexibility there.

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. This was impossible. But I had to figure it out. Somehow.

As I debated my next move, my phone buzzed again, and I glanced at it with a sinking feeling. Another message from Accius.

Accius: “Don’t overthink it, beautiful. Just show up. I’ll make it worth your while.”

I stared at the message, frustration bubbling up inside me. How could he make it sound so simple? Didn’t he realize the position I was in? But, of course, he didn’t care. Accius wanted what he wanted, and he expected me to fall in line.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the rush of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. I had to think strategically. If I went to Accius’s dinner first, I could try to steer the conversation, get what I needed from him quickly, and then leave. If I left by eight, I might just make it to the meeting with Kade by eight-thirty. It would be tight, but it was doable.

But what if it didn’t work? What if I ended up getting cornered in some drawn-out conversation with Accius that I couldn’t escape? Or worse, what if I showed up to Kade’s late and blew our one shot at getting his support?

The risks weighed heavily on my mind, but as I stared down at my phone, I knew I couldn’t let fear paralyze me. I had to act. I had to trust myself to handle both situations with the skill and finesse I’d developed over the years.

One step at a time, I told myself. I’d go to dinner with Accius, hear him out, and then make my way to the meeting with Kade.

Somehow, I’d find a way to juggle both.

As I made up my mind, another notification popped up on my screen. A name I hadn’t expected to see: Gerald, my father’s assistant.

My breath caught in my throat. What did he want now?

The screen blinked as the message notification hung there, like a silent dare.

I hovered over the notification, debating whether to read it or ignore it. If Gerald was reaching out, it could only mean one thing: my father wanted to get involved.

And I wasn’t sure I had the bandwidth for that right now.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to set the phone down without opening the message. I’d deal with that later. Tonight was about my firm, my future. I needed to focus on that and keep everything else at bay, at least for now.

I stared at the clock, counting down the hours until I’d have to face Accius and then Kade Dupont. Two men who could change the course of my life in very different ways.

And somehow, I had to find a way to navigate through the night without losing myself in the process.