Chapter 176: A Helpful Enemy

Chapter 176: Chapter 176: A Helpful Enemy

"Host it with you?" Audrey asked. She rested the wire whisk against the edge of the glass bowl.

Victoria offered a warm, encouraging smile. "Yes. Not the logistics. I have a team for the boring parts. I mean the actual hosting. The presentation. The face of the evening."

The kitchen fell silent.

Vanessa stood frozen near the prep station. Her fingers gripped the handle of a chef’s knife so tight her knuckles turned white. She had spent the last hour meticulously dismantling Audrey’s confidence. She had pointed out her inexperience. She had highlighted the massive gap between a sports reporter and a Calloway executive’s partner.

And Victoria had just bypassed all of it to put Audrey at the center of the evening.

Vanessa took a breath. She forced her muscles to relax. A bright, polished smile stretched across her face.

"I think that is a fantastic idea, Victoria," Vanessa chimed in.

Audrey glanced over. She did not trust the sudden shift in tone.

"Do you?" Audrey asked.

"Of course," Vanessa said, setting the knife down. She walked closer to the center island. "It is a brilliant way to introduce you to the foundation’s inner circle. They need to see you."

Victoria nodded, pleased with the support. She walked over to her leather tote bag and pulled out a sleek tablet. She placed it on the marble counter between them.

"The event is next month," Victoria explained, tapping the screen to open a digital folder. "It is our annual donor appreciation dinner. In the past, we kept it very traditional. Speeches, standard catering, silent auctions. This year, I want something memorable. A curated tasting menu. Interactive. Personal."

Audrey looked at the screen. The guest list was staggering. Board members. Corporate sponsors. Philanthropists. Local politicians. It was a room filled with people who expected perfection.

"You want me to co-host a dinner for two hundred people?" Audrey asked.

"I want you to tell a story," Victoria corrected. "You are a journalist, Audrey. You know how to find the narrative. You know how to engage an audience. That is exactly what a good tasting menu requires. The chefs will handle the cooking. I want you to handle the presentation."

Audrey looked at the tablet, then at Victoria. The offer was genuine. It was a massive vote of confidence from Mason’s family.

"I would love to help," Audrey said.

Vanessa watched the exchange. Her smile never wavered, but a cold calculation turned over in her mind.

If Audrey succeeded, this would become another reason for the Calloways to accept her.

Victoria already liked her.

Mason was obviously devoted to her.

And now Audrey would have her own place in the family’s world.

Vanessa couldn’t let that happen.

Vanessa realized her mistake. Making Audrey feel inferior wasn’t going to work.

The easiest way to break her was not to tear her down in private.

It was to let her fail in public.

"Let me help with the background logistics," Vanessa offered. Her voice was smooth and helpful. "Audrey already has her hands full with the newspaper and the daily deadlines. I’ll have the dessert components delivered directly to the venue the morning of the event. That way nothing sits overnight."

Victoria smiled. "That would be wonderful, Vanessa. Thank you."

Audrey looked at the other woman. The hostility from ten minutes ago had vanished. Vanessa was volunteering for the grueling, invisible work just to make Audrey’s life easier.

"Are you sure?" Audrey asked. "I don’t want to push my responsibilities onto you."

"We are practically family," Vanessa said. "I want this night to be perfect for you."

Audrey studied Vanessa’s face. The offer seemed genuine enough.

She still wasn’t sure what to make of her, but perhaps Vanessa was willing to put the earlier tension behind them.

"Thank you, Vanessa," Audrey said.

"Don’t mention it."

Victoria tapped a specific section on the tablet screen.

"The final course is the most important," Victoria said, bringing the focus back to the menu. "The signature dessert. It is the last impression the guests will take home. I want you to oversee this specific course, Audrey. The presentation, the timing, the pairing. Everything."

Audrey nodded. "I can do that."

"That is perfect," Vanessa agreed. "Audrey can handle it."

Audrey noticed the strange emphasis on the word handle, but she dismissed it. She was too focused on the task ahead.

For the next hour, they discussed themes, flavor profiles, and venue lighting. Vanessa was the perfect assistant. She offered helpful suggestions. She praised Audrey’s ideas. She volunteered to manage the delivery schedules and the waitstaff coordination for the dessert course. She made herself indispensable to the planning process.

By the time the meeting ended, Vanessa had secured legitimate access to everything.

The master guest list. The venue floor plan. The vendor contracts. The media arrangements.

And most importantly, she had secured control over the logistics for Audrey’s signature presentation.

Audrey untied her apron and folded it on the counter. "I need to get back to the newsroom. Thank you for the invitation, Victoria. I am really looking forward to this."

"Me too," Victoria said. "Drive safe, Audrey."

Audrey grabbed her purse and walked out of the studio.

Victoria’s phone rang a moment later. She glanced at the caller ID.

"I need to take this," Victoria told Vanessa. "It is the venue manager. Could you lock up the studio for me?"

"Of course," Vanessa said. "Take your time."

Victoria stepped out into the hallway, pulling the glass door shut behind her.

Vanessa was finally alone.

She dropped the helpful, pleasant smile. Her face settled into a sharp, cold mask. She walked over to the marble counter and picked up Victoria’s tablet.

She did not want to destroy the entire event. A total disaster would reflect poorly on Victoria, and Vanessa needed to stay in the matriarch’s good graces.

She only needed a localized disaster. A spectacular, embarrassing failure that occurred right when Audrey held the microphone.

If the signature presentation fell apart, Victoria would feel embarrassed. The donors would complain. The media would report a disorganized mess. And the blame would fall squarely on the woman who was supposed to manage it.

Mason would be forced into a corner, trapped between a humiliated family and a defensive girlfriend.

Vanessa scrolled through the event documents. She opened the master guest list.

She skimmed past the politicians and the corporate sponsors. She stopped when she reached the media section.

The Calloway Foundation always invited a few select journalists to ensure good press for their charity work. Vanessa read the names.

Her finger stopped tapping the screen.

A well-known society columnist was on the list. A woman notorious for writing ruthless, biting critiques of high-society events. If the champagne was warm or the service was slow, this woman printed it in the morning paper.

Vanessa smiled.

If something went wrong during Audrey’s presentation, this columnist would be sitting in the front row, holding a notepad.

Vanessa pulled her own phone from her designer handbag.

She did not need to sabotage anything today. The event was weeks away. She had plenty of time to weave the net. She just needed to put a few pieces into place.

Vanessa looked at Audrey’s name typed neatly at the top of the presentation schedule.

She smiled.

"Let’s see how well you handle your first Calloway event."

She unlocked her phone and selected a number she hadn’t contacted in months.

The call connected.

Vanessa lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hello," she said pleasantly. "I need a small favor."