But there was no need to argue that point. At least not before the wedding.

He stood up and poured two fingers of whiskey into crystal tumblers. One for each of them.

He handed it to her then settled behind his desk, waiting for her to talk.

She took the glass but immediately set it aside to excitedly sign, “I had an idea I wanted to share with you. That baijiu company you bought…my American pop star friend was really curious about it as she has been looking for partnership opportunities that will help her increase her fan base in China. I don’t know if you have any interest at all in becoming a legitimate business. But if you did, I believe that brand, if marketed right, could be worth billions—real billions, not washed billions.”

Victor tilted his head. This was not the discussion he thought they would be having when she sat down. But he couldn’t say he disliked the topic. The Rustanovs were rumored to be trillionaires now. And that was because, under the leadership of Alexei Rustanov, they’d become a legitimate operation at just the right moment in history. Could this be their moment?

“Tell me more,” he invited Nora after a few moments of consideration.

“Sure. All you would have to do is…” Nora launched into a concise explanation of how to grow their baijiu business from Asian-only markets to trending ones in America. Then she concluded with, “I honestly think this could be the next big thing.”

Having never attended university, Victor tended to do business as his father had. With his gut. He liked that Kuang was the same.

But Nora had studied these things formally, and her ideas held merit.

“I will talk this over with my Silent Triad partners and perhaps your father as well. It seems like it could be a great way forward into the future. And perhaps he would like to come on as an investor.”

A pleased smile spread across her elegant face. “Truly? You would talk to my father about this?”

“You seem surprised.”

She dipped her head, her expression a bit sheepish. “My father never listens when I share my ideas. He thinks I’m still a little girl. The same spoiled brat who used to only care about shopping and high school.”

So she resented her father. Victor tucked that new piece of information away before signing, “Thank you for showing me that his assessment of you is obviously not true.”

Still, she shook her head. “It would be better for you to claim this idea as your own. He might dismiss it outright if he hears it comes from me.”

“We’ll see,” Victor answered. “I’m good at reading the room. I will decide for myself which way to go the next time I meet with your father. Thank you for your good advice either way.”