《The Clutches Of Hell Novel》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 A Hated Love Chapter 1 N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°Christian¡­ You have to believe me when I say that I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Victoria Coleman¡¯s face was paler than a ghost as she kneeled down in an estate. Without the lights on, she could barely see the man¡¯s expression but only the glimmer of light from the cigarette between his fingers until it faded away in the darkness. Feeling as if she was waiting for her death, thedy grew more and more anxious. While she kept her head down, she stared at her fingers in a trance and noticed the blood stains that had dried off on them, stunned by the fact that they had be the evidence to be used against her. Not knowing how long had passed, the man stood up and approached her in an intimidating manner. ¡°Victoria, you should know that we all have to be responsible for our actions. Be¡¯s legs may be fine for now, but she¡¯ll never be able to dance again. What about you, though? You get to move around like a machine that is up and running, taking everything for granted. How is that fair?¡±novelxo fast update The man spoke in a sinister voice, making her heart beat like a jackhammer. Meanwhile, Victoria caught a glimpse of the man¡¯s hand reaching for the golf club in the illuminating moonlight. ¡°I told you before¡ªI¡¯d marry you as long as you remain a good girl, but why? Why did you mess with Be?¡± As soon as the man finished his words, he swung the golf club and smashed her shin. ¡°Ah!¡± As the man hit Victoria¡¯s shin with all his strength, thedy was greatly overwhelmed by the pain. ¡°Christian¡­ I didn¡¯t do it¡­¡± Due to the pain on her shin, she slid back a little, only to realize her injured leg was limiting her movements. In the meantime, Christian Thatcher threw the bent golf club aside as he red at Victoria, who was now breathing weakly. ¡°This is the price you¡¯re paying for what you did to Be¡¯s leg. However, you should consider yourself lucky that you¡¯re going to live, but even so, I want you to remember that this is not the end.¡± While Victoria curled up and shook like a leaf, her vision slowly became blurry. Before she lost her consciousness, she vaguely saw the man reaching for his phone. ¡°Tell the Coleman Family about Victoria¡¯s attempted murder. Ask them whether they want to keep her or the Coleman Group.¡± Two yearster, a skinnydy walked out of the penitentiary¡¯s gate on the east side of Bloomsway. It was the town¡¯s first day of snow, but she couldn¡¯t walk fast due to the leg injury that seemed to bother her. As the snowkes kept falling from the sky, thedy ignored her scars and looked up, facing the sky while revealing her good looks. Since it was winter, there were only a number of buses that passed by that area. Therefore, she was forced to wait amidst the cold winter as she rubbed her shoulders with a frown on her face, and she gritted her teeth non-stop. At that moment, she recalled the spring she had been sent to prison, feeling surprised that it was already winter now that she was released. The next moment, she looked back at the penitentiary where she had spent two years living, standing at the bus stop while staring at the words written above the gate. ¡®Treasure your second chance.¡¯ As she read those few words, Victoria couldn¡¯t help but snigger andugh at herself. Do people like me really get a second chance after leaving the penitentiary? Thedy was caught up in her train of thought until she was interrupted by a bus that came her way amidst the snow. She then rubbed her leg to relieve the pain and got onto the bus. Having nothing more than an outdated cell phone and a few bucks with her, she inserted the coins into the farebox and went ahead to take a seat at the back. After all, the bus was the only ride that traveled from the penitentiary to the city. However, Victoria was the only passenger throughout the ride that night as she leaned on the window and kept her eyes on the scenery outside the bus, seeming as though she couldn¡¯t have enough of it. I can¡¯t believe the city has changed so much in two years. Suddenly, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop, creating an inertia that caused Victoria¡¯s head to bump onto the window. Feeling the pain, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was going on as she rubbed her head, but before she could find out what was going on, she felt a strong force pulling her away from her seat. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 A Hated Love N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Chapter 2 The driver dragged Victoria out of the bus whileining. At the same time, his face nched when he realized he had just hit a Bentley. ¡°Damn! I knew I would get jinxed for ferrying these scums out of prison every day. Look what it¡¯s gotten me into!¡± The man then shoved Victoria in a rough manner, pushing her into the pile of snow on the ground. In the face of all the contemptuous gazes fixed upon her, Victoria could only keep her head down in embarrassment with a pale look on her face until she caught a glimpse of a pair of shiny leather boots that appeared right in front of her. Stunned, she looked up and noticed a silhouette with a decent-looking ck suit before her eyes stopped on the face that had haunted her in her nightmares over the past two years. Victoria¡¯s mother, Denise Laurent, consulted a prophet in the same year in which her daughter was born and was told that Victoria would livefortably and wealthily in the first twenty years of her life. However, Denise waster told that Victoria¡¯s fate was foreseen to take a turn for the worse after that. In hindsight, Victoria was stunned, unable to believe that the prophecy turned out to be true since nothing happened during the first two decades of her life. Meanwhile, Christian seemed tougher than he appeared to be two years ago, but the contempt he had for Victoria remained the same. After staring at the man for a few moments, thedy snapped out of her trance and realized that she was being embarrassed. Therefore, she kept her head down and tried to get up from the ground, but when she tried to move, she was pinned down on the ground by the man¡¯s ck umbre. ¡°It¡¯s only been two years since we As Christian continued to pin her on the ground, Victoria¡¯s knee felt a strong tingling pain as though thousands of needles were piercing through her skin. If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the cold weather only worsened her condition as her forehead was covered in cold sweat. The next second, Victoria gritted her teeth and said shakily, ¡°L-Long time no see, Mr. Thatcher.¡± On the other hand, Christian looked down and fixed his gaze on thedy like a king looking at his servant. He wasn¡¯t able to see who was outside the car until he stepped out of his vehicle, finally remembering it was the day that Victoria was released from prison. I must say that Victoria has really changed a lot. After all, she no longer had smooth long hair but instead a short bob down to her ears. Meanwhile, she looked older due to her yellowish skin that was covered with scars and wounds. At the thought of that, he couldn¡¯t believe that thedy before him used to be the Coleman Family¡¯s princess. ¡°Well, it seems that you have really changed.¡± In the meantime, Victoria looked up and saw the man lighting up a cigarette, whereupon smoke began to billow into the air, making him seem as if he was a monster that would emerge from behind the mist. Soon, Victoria looked away and asked, ¡°If there is nothing else important, can I go, Mr. Thatcher?¡± ¡°Can you go?¡± Christian echoed her words and lifted her chin with the umbre, speaking in a chilly voice. ¡°You should know that two years of imprisonment isn¡¯t enough for you to atone for your sins, Victoria.¡± Victoria felt chills running down her spine when she heard that, not because of the winter, but because of her fear. After all, she still shuddered at the thought of the nightmarish experiences she went through back in the penitentiary. When she was sentenced to jail, everyone else in the Coleman Family chose to sacrifice her to save themselves. As time went by, none of them bothered to visit her at all. Nevertheless, Victoria knew that it was all Christian¡¯s idea because she was just like a pig to be ughtered to him, vulnerable and defenseless.novelxo fast update She was so cold that she began to clench her fists tightly, but thedy mustered her courage and looked up. ¡°I know it was my fault back then, but I was punished subsequently. Can¡¯t you just pretend that you didn¡¯t see me and let me go instead, Mr. Thatcher?¡± Christian raised his eyebrows and raised his lips upward, looking as if he just heard a joke. ¡°Be¡¯s leg will never recover because of you, Victoria. For that, do you seriously think the punishment you¡¯ve received so far is enough?¡± Upon hearing the man¡¯s words, Victoria was stunned to realize that Christian was stilling after her for Be. Deep down, she was bitterly dismayed that Christian was too blinded by his own emotions to see the permanent damage he had inflicted on her with the golf club back then since he only cared about Be. Thanks to you, my debts have technically been cleared because I¡¯m no different from a handicap now. Despite thinking that way, she didn¡¯t dare to speak her mind and bargain with a man like Christian, for she knew it would get them nowhere. ¡°What else do you want from me, Mr. Thatcher?¡± As it began to snow heavier and heavier, the man¡¯s voice sounded like the demon himself. ¡°Thew may have punished you for your sins, Victoria, but I haven¡¯t.¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 A Hated Love Chapter 3 Christian shifted his gaze to his assistant, Robin Hood, and beckoned thetter over. ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Get her cleaned up and take her to Delta Club.¡± Victoria¡¯s face nched when she heard the man¡¯s reply, for she knew that Delta Club was a ce where the rich and powerful people indulged themselves in debauchery. At the thought of that, she was disappointed, believing that Christian wanted to humiliate her by showing everyone there the contrast between her current status as a despicable criminal and her former reputation as one of their VIP guests there two years ago. As chills ran all over her body, she asked in a low and hateful voice, ¡°Is this really necessary, Christian?¡± Meanwhile, Christian responded with sarcasticughter even though he didn¡¯t expect her to question him. ¡°It¡¯s been two years since west met, Victoria, but I can¡¯t believe you haven¡¯t learned your lesson. Beggars can¡¯t be choosers. Don¡¯t you get it?¡± When she heard the man¡¯s sarcastic remarks, Victoria looked down, biting her lips in silence. No one else knew what that meant better than she did. After all, she had been humbled in the penitentiary, having learned how to abandon her pride there in the past two years. At the same time, Christian seemingly grew frustrated and tired of seeing Victoria¡¯s pathetic appearance, whereupon he made his way toward the car. ¡°Tell Charlotte to take good care of thisdy. Don¡¯t let me down.¡± Soon, the ck Bentley disappeared in the snow. In the meantime, Robin hesitated for a second before he walked up to Victoria and helped her up. ¡°Thank you.¡± Feeling touched, Victoria suddenly thought of something she wanted to ask. ¡°How is Be?¡± Christian shifted his gaze to his assistant, Robin Hood, and beckoned thetter over. ¡°Sir?¡± Robin peused end embiguously responded with e rhetoricel question. ¡°Well, she wes forced to give up dencing. Whet do you think?¡± Victorie smiled bitterly, finelly understending why Christien wouldn¡¯t stop giving her e herd time. As long es Belle isn¡¯t heppy, Christien will continue to meke me suffer. ¡­ Ever since Robin took Victorie to Delte Club, Christien never showed up egein over the next few weeks. It wes es if their cesuel encounter thet dey wes just e dreem, yet she found herself literelly stending in the lobby of Delte Club. ¡°Wee to Delte Club.¡± She eventuelly thumped her numb left leg when there were no more visiting customers, heving lost count of the times she hed bowed to them. On the other hend, Victorie¡¯s colleegue, Gebrielle Clerk, stood beside her with e sympethetic look on her fece. ¡°Whet¡¯s wrong with Miss Cherlotte? Why does everyone get to rest efter their shifts except you? The wey I see it, she is doing this to you on purpose to meke your life difficult. She is probebly jeelous of your good looks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s elright. I¡¯m fine.¡± Victorie shook her heed emotionlessly. ¡°Why? If I were in your plece, I would heve quitted e long time ego.¡± Gebrielle didn¡¯t understend why Cherlotte wented to pick et Victorie, whom she thought should be likeble insteed due to her good looks end epproecheble cherecter. Why is Miss Cherlotte so meen to her? Not only does she force Victorie to continue working efter her shift, she elso mekes her cleen up the mess thet those drunkerds leeve behind when they vomit. Whet hes she done to deserve thet? Robin poused ond ombiguously responded with o rhetoricol question. ¡°Well, she wos forced to give up doncing. Whot do you think?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Victorio smiled bitterly, finolly understonding why Christion wouldn¡¯t stop giving her o hord time. As long os Bello isn¡¯t hoppy, Christion will continue to moke me suffer. ¡­ Ever since Robin took Victorio to Delto Club, Christion never showed up ogoin over the next few weeks. It wos os if their cosuol encounter thot doy wos just o dreom, yet she found herself literolly stonding in the lobby of Delto Club. ¡°Wee to Delto Club.¡± She eventuolly thumped her numb left leg when there were no more visiting customers, hoving lost count of the times she hod bowed to them. On the other hond, Victorio¡¯s colleogue, Gobrielle Clork, stood beside her with o sympothetic look on her foce. ¡°Whot¡¯s wrong with Miss Chorlotte? Why does everyone get to rest ofter their shifts except you? The woy I see it, she is doing this to you on purpose to moke your life difficult. She is probobly jeolous of your good looks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s olright. I¡¯m fine.¡± Victorio shook her heod emotionlessly. ¡°Why? If I were in your ploce, I would hove quitted o long time ogo.¡± Gobrielle didn¡¯t understond why Chorlotte wonted to pick ot Victorio, whom she thought should be likoble insteod due to her good looks ond opproochoble chorocter. Why is Miss Chorlotte so meon to her? Not only does she force Victorio to continue working ofter her shift, she olso mokes her cleon up the mess thot those drunkords leove behind when they vomit. Whot hos she done to deserve thot? Robin paused and ambiguously responded with a rhetorical question. ¡°Well, she was forced to give up dancing. What do you think?¡± Victoria smiled bitterly, finally understanding why Christian wouldn¡¯t stop giving her a hard time. As long as Be isn¡¯t happy, Christian will continue to make me suffer. ¡­ Ever since Robin took Victoria to Delta Club, Christian never showed up again over the next few weeks. It was as if their casual encounter that day was just a dream, yet she found herself literally standing in the lobby of Delta Club. ¡°Wee to Delta Club.¡± She eventually thumped her numb left leg when there were no more visiting customers, having lost count of the times she had bowed to them. On the other hand, Victoria¡¯s colleague, Gabrielle rk, stood beside her with a sympathetic look on her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Miss Charlotte? Why does everyone get to rest after their shifts except you? The way I see it, she is doing this to you on purpose to make your life difficult. She is probably jealous of your good looks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m fine.¡± Victoria shook her head emotionlessly. ¡°Why? If I were in your ce, I would have quitted a long time ago.¡± Gabrielle didn¡¯t understand why Charlotte wanted to pick at Victoria, whom she thought should be likable instead due to her good looks and approachable character. Why is Miss Charlotte so mean to her? Not only does she force Victoria to continue working after her shift, she also makes her clean up the mess that those drunkards leave behind when they vomit. What has she done to deserve that? Already confused, she became even more puzzled when she realized Victoria decided to endure everything without a word of objection.novelxo fast update ¡°I won¡¯t quit this job because I¡¯m broke, but now that I¡¯m working here, I don¡¯t have to worry about going hungry or finding myself a roof over my head.¡± Victoria stopped massaging her leg and looked up with a brittle smile. ¡°I can¡¯t find any other jobs either.¡± Failing to see Victoria¡¯s situation from her perspective, Gabrielle decided it was better for her to keep quiet. In the meantime, Victoria had no choice but to swallow her pride and put up with all the adversities even though the people around her treated her with disdain and contempt. After all, she mustn¡¯t create more trouble for her family, having dragged them into a huge mess for what happened two years ago. The next minute, two limited-edition luxury cars pulled up not far away from the club. Then, three men and twodies stepped out of the vehicles, making their way toward the club¡¯s entrance while chatting andughing. Thus, Victoria quickly took her hand off her leg and stood straight with a professional smile on her face, bowing to them when they got closer. ¡°Wee to Delta Club¡­¡± Needless to say, neither of those rich people bothered to even look at the hostess as theyughed and entered the elevator. Suddenly, thedy walking behind them stopped in her tracks and sized Victoria up with a frown on her face, doubtfully calling out to her. ¡°Victoria?¡± she asked. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 I Would Have Come and Picked You up Myself Victoria was stunned as she subconsciously looked up, finding the face familiar, although she couldn¡¯t recall who exactly it was. In the meantime, thedy noticed her confusion and smiled ambiguously. ¡°It¡¯s really you. Why didn¡¯t you let me know after you came out of prison? I¡¯m your old friend, aren¡¯t I? If you told me that you wereing out, I would havee and picked you up myself.¡± As soon as the lady finished her words, Gabrielle was left with her mouth agape. Having expected that something like this would happen at some point, Victoria continued to fake a smile and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know you, Miss.¡± novelxo fast update Nevertheless, thedy wasn¡¯t about to let Victoria go so easily. She then folded her arms and continued to mock her, asking, ¡°What has really be of you? Was it tough living in the prison?¡± In response, Victoria pursed her lips in silence, trying her best to keep the smile on her face. Meanwhile, thedy began to lose her patience when all her sarcastic remarks failed to piss Victoria off. She soon raised her voice and spoke with a high-pitched voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Delta Club? How could you hire a criminal as your hostess? Look at how she treats your customers. I don¡¯t see her manners at all. Where is your manager? I want to see¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing, Scarlett?¡± When a deep voice interrupted thedy, Victoria turned around and saw a silhouette approaching them. At that moment, her memories came back and started to flood her mind. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. It¡¯s him¡­.Victoria didn¡¯t expect to see Lucas Spritz under such circumstances. Although Lucas was the only person who had ever visited her in prison, he did that with a strong grudge because he was Be¡¯s brother. ¡°Look what I ran into, Luke.¡± Needless to say, Lucas noticed Victoria¡¯s presence, and his eyes were filled with unfathomable energy. He then walked up to her and asked casually, ¡°When did youe out?¡± ¡°About half a month ago.¡± Stunned by Victoria¡¯s frankness, Lucas kept his head down and identally caught a glimpse of the faint scars on her face that prompted him to look away. ¡°Good to know that. Now that you¡¯ve regained your freedom, you should treasure your second chance.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Scarlett Palmer was unhappy when she noticed that Lucas wasn¡¯t going to give Victoria a hard time. After all, she had been waiting for a chance to humiliate Victoria, who was a revered and respected figure back then. Therefore, she raised her eyebrows and seized Lucas¡¯ arm, smiling coquettishly. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we invite our old friend to join us, Luke? What do you say?¡± While Lucas only looked at Scarlett in silence, Victoria knew it was unlikely for her to get away with what wasing at her because that was the reason Christian wanted her to work at Delta Club. Back then, she had gotten on the wrong side of more people than she could count, knowing that all of them would want to witness her miserable state. If it wasn¡¯t Scarlett today, it would just be someone else. I guess that¡¯s how my fate is. After stepping out of the elevator, Victoria found herself outside a VIP lounge as she could smell a strong alcoholic scent wafting toward her. Although it was dim inside the room, Scarlett shoved Victoria inside and asked, ¡°Look who I Would Have Come and Picked You up Myself we¡¯ve got here.¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Do You Think It¡¯s Fun Giving up on Yourself? In that instant, everyone else shifted their gazes to Victoria in a yful and judgmental manner. Meanwhile, Victoria appeared calm even though her palms were sweating. Just then, a man shouted, ¡°Damn! Isn¡¯t this the Coleman Family¡¯s daughter, Victoria? Isn¡¯t she supposed to be in jail for murder? Is it really her?¡± As soon as the man finished his sentence, the entire lounge was filled with murmurs, which delighted Scarlett very much. She then nudged Victoria¡¯s arm and said, What are you waiting for? Say hello to everyone. You¡¯re not dumb, are you?¡± Meeting Scarlett¡¯s sarcastic gaze, Victoria bit her lips and replied, ¡°Hi guys, I¡¯m Victoria novelxo fast updateColeman.¡± On the other hand, Lucas tilted his head and shot a gaze at Victoria with a frown on his face. In the meantime, Christian was sitting in his office with his assistant, coldly staring at the colorful exterior lights of the club that were shining through the city from afar. At that moment, Robin was seen standing in front of the desk while looking at the person sitting behind it. ¡°Charlotte asked if she should interfere with the matter at Delta Club,¡± At the same time, Christian was sitting on his leather chair, his decent gray suit making him radiate a sinister aura. A few momentster, Christian asked, ¡°Lucas is there too, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Christian lit up a cigarette with his lighter, curling his lips upward. ¡°Since Lucas is there, I suppose we shouldn¡¯t ruin their fun. Tell Charlotte to stay out of it. At the thought of Victoria¡¯s miserable state, Christian closed his eyes, finding it hard to believe that Victoria would be a different person in just two years. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. With the smoke rising from the cigarette between his finger joints to the air, he thought to himself, The night is still young. On the other hand, Victoria had already lost count of how many sses of wine she had guzzled down, feeling as though her stomach was burning at that moment. However, she wouldn¡¯t beg them to stop because she knew no one would show her mercy. At the same time, Scarlett straightened her body and gloated while watching Victoria struggle with the alcohol, smiling andughing in amusement. When Scarlett gave Victoria another ss of wine, Lucas eventually decided to step in and snatched the ss of wine with a frown before he swallowed it in one shot. ¡°What are you doing. Luke? This is for Victoria.¡± Scarlett¡¯s face darkened. Nevertheless, Lucas red at Scarlett without saying a word and approached Victoria, dragging her out of the lounge from the couch. ¡°Come with me.¡± Before realizing what was going on, Victoria couldn¡¯t react in time as she only felt an overwhelming pain in her wrist. ¡°W-Wait, Lucas. Where are you taking me?¡± No matter how Victoria tried to call out to Lucas, the man ignored her and continued to drag the woman outside the lounge, only letting go of her wrist when they arrived downstairs. Since Victoria had a bad leg due to the injury she sustained earlier, she lost her bnce and copsed onto the ground the moment Lucas let go of her. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s fun to give up on yourself?¡± Victoria was stunned when she heard Do You Think It¡¯s Fun Giving up on Yourself? what Lucas said. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Do You Really Love Be So Much? ¡°Luke¡­¡± Scarlett gave chase right behind Lucas, feeling anxious when she saw the man¡¯s reaction. After all, Lucas was once Victoria¡¯s admirer until she drove away recklessly in a desperate attempt to escape and ended up knocking Be down. Therefore, she was afraid that Lucas would fall for Victoria again. As Scarlett was wondering whether she should stop Lucas, a gray Ferrari pulled up outside the club¡¯s entrance. The next second, a familiar voice was heard. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Victoria looked back and saw Christian stepping out of his car, whereupon he walked closer to thedy with a pair of novelxo fast updatefurrowed brows. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? It¡¯s been more than half a month, and you still don¡¯t know how to greet a guest?¡± Victoria snapped out of her trance and clumsily got back on her feet, courteously bowing down to the man. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Thatcher.¡± However, the ufortable posture slowly made her feel nauseous as she shook like a leaf from head to toe. In the meantime, Christian squinted, seemingly catching the scent of the alcohol that surrounded her. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to drink at work. Don¡¯t you know that?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡­¡± Seeing Victoria¡¯s unconfident look, Lucas knitted his eyebrows and somehow stepped up to stop Christian from reacting further. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just doing my normal inspection in one of my properties, but it appears that my employee has upset you when I arrived and saw your conflict. Christian glimpsed at Victoria, adding, ¡°You¡¯ve been here for more than half a month. Didn¡¯t Miss Charlotte teach you what to do when you need to apologize?¡± Victoria closed her eyes and turned to Lucas. She then walked closer to him and bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Spritz. Can you forgive me?¡± While Lucas remained silent with a darkened expression on his face, Christian rolled up his sleeves and replied, ¡°Well, it seems to me that you¡¯re not going to ept her apology anytime soon. Fine, she¡¯ll just kneel down here until you forgive her.¡± On the other hand, Victoria bit her lips, her eyes filled with tears as she turned around and met Christian¡¯s cold gaze. This is what he wants. He wants to push me to the wall. Despite her dismay, she took a deep breath and slowly sank to her knees with her head down when she thought about the Coleman Family. Meanwhile, Scarlett was stunned when she saw Victoria¡¯s knees hitting the ground, noticing the cold gaze on Christian¡¯s face. ¡°Mr. Spritz, please forgive me¡­¡± Before Victoria could finish her sentence, she was sshed with a ss of wine. ¡°It¡¯s been two years, Victoria. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d still abandon your pride for a man.¡± For the next few seconds, Victoria froze in a trance, but by the time she snapped out of it, Lucas had already left. I guess he must be really disappointed with me. In the meantime, Christian remained unmoved about what he saw, walking closer to thedy before stopping in his tracks. ¡°Since our guest chose not to forgive you, you¡¯re going to continue to stay on your knees.¡± As soon as he finished his words, he walked away, only to hear thedy¡¯s voice behind him. ¡°Christian..¡± Victoria called out to the man and asked with a cold voice, ¡°Do you really love Be that Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Falling in Love With You Is My Biggest Mistake Does he really love Be more than her brother hates me? ¡°What did you just say?¡± The man stopped in his tracks and looked down, fixing his gaze on thedy. Victoria looked up as the makeup on her face faded. ¡°I should have never fallen in love with you, Christian. If I had known that you were in love with Be, I wouldn¡¯t even have looked at you. Falling in love with you is the biggest mistake I¡¯ve ever made in my life.¡± ¡°Really?¡± A few momentster, Christianughed it off in an eerie manner. ¡°So what, Victoria? novelxo fast update Don¡¯t you know that regret is the biggest poison?¡± It was a typical day during the winter, and it was especially cold in Bloomsway. In the meantime, Victoria was seen standing outside the club¡¯s entrance with a short dress, her face turning pale as the tips of her hair that were drenched by wine turned to ice. Overwhelmed by the extreme coldness and pain, she nearly fainted a few times. As it was getting closer and closer to midnight, the nightclub was visited by more and more customers, and they would all sneer at Victoria when they walked past her. Nheless, she couldn¡¯t care less about their reactions as she only fixed her gaze on her hands that were turning red due to the frostbite, trying her best to ignore everything else that was going on around her by applying what she had taught herself over the past two years. When Victoria was first bullied in the penitentiary, she fought back to protect herself initially, only to be beaten up more severelyter. Because of that, she no longer resisted as she gave in and let them beat her to a pulp until they grew tired of it. After everything she had been through, she wanted nothing more than to be left alone. A few momentster, Gabrielle secretly approached Victoria with a sweater, which she threw at her with a pair of furrowed brows on her face. ¡°Put it on. We¡¯ve been standing for about two hours, and you¡¯re going to freeze to death if this goes on.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Stunned, Victoria picked up the sweater from the floor and puckered her pale lips as she spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I don¡¯t want to get you into trouble.¡± ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re still worried about me even after what happened?¡± Gabrielle had no idea whose toes Victoria had stepped on, letting out a sigh while saying, ¡°I told you to resign, didn¡¯t I? Look at where your stubbornness got you. Give me a second. I¡¯m going to get you a ss of warm water.¡± Unwilling to impose on Gabrielle, Victoria extended her arm in an attempt to stop her, but as she got agitated, she was suddenly overwhelmed by a strong dizziness. The next second, she copsed onto the ground, bumping her forehead onto the marble stone. Meanwhile, Christian appeared to be sitting in his office at the nightclub with a darkened look on his face. At the same time, a woman with a curvaceous figure seemed to be pouring some wine into an empty ss, kindly reminding him about something. ¡°I heard that it¡¯s going to get as cold as twelve degrees tonight. I¡¯m afraid that the flowers we bought a few days ago aren¡¯t going to make it.¡± ¡°Well, we could always buy new flowers to rece them.¡± Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Fainted N?velDrama.Org owns all content. A half-smile appeared on Christian¡¯s face as he turned to face the woman. ¡°Charlotte Smith, manager of the Delta Club, since when were you such a saint that you would speak up for strangers?¡± Charlotte arched an alluring eyebrow and was about to say something when someone knocked on the door. The sound of the door knock shocked her, and she set down her teacup. I¡¯m not a saint, but that girl is quite resilient. It would be a pity if she died on my doorstep.¡± Then, she got up and swayed her hips over to the door to open it. Christian cast a narrow re at her back. However, the words Victoria spoke as she kneeled there were etched in his mind. That woman had truly changed a lot. He picked up the teacup and took a sip of the slightly bitter tenovelxo fast updatea. Charlotte stood at the door and exchanged words with the person who had knocked. Then, she turned around and returned to her office. When she saw that egotistical man¡¯s back, she froze and said softly, ¡°She has fainted.¡± The hands holding the teacup shivered slightly. ¡°What about Lucas?¡± ¡°I heard he was so worried that he sent her to the hospital himself.¡± Christian¡¯s expression was unfathomable as he pursed his lips. After a while, he said, ¡°Get two people to follow them.¡± Victoria appeared to be dreaming. In her dreams, she had returned to prison. She was beaten by the prison¡¯s chubby boss, and she set the facility on fire when she had enough. The massive fire had trapped everyone who had bullied her, including herself. However, just when she believed she had attained freedom, she opened her eyes and was once again confronted by reality. A slight frown formed on her face as she nced up at the drip bottle. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± A low voice was hearding from the side. Victoria was startled to see Christian seated on a sofa next to her. His long legs were crossed over each other. ¡°Victoria, you hadn¡¯t learned much in those two years of prison, but you mastered the art of manipting others into feeling sorry for you.¡± He arched an eyebrow and had a mocking expression in his piercing eyes. Her lips moved, but she remained silent. After all, he hade to the point where he could no longer tolerate her. However, her refusal to reply sparked a slight rage in him. ¡°Keeping quiet?¡± Victoria pursed her dry lips and turned her head to look at him. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, you already have your own answer, so what can I say?¡± Christian frowned. Although Victoria appeared submissive at the moment, she was actually rebellious. He got to his feet and made his way toward her. Before she realized what was happening, his tall frame had enveloped her. Then, he reached out and grabbed her chin. He said in a cold voice, ¡°Victoria, your appearance really makes me retch.¡± The grasp hurt her, but she knew it was not the time toin. The air was so frigid that it seemed like suffocation. Fortunately, there was a sudden knock on the door. Christian was visibly upset as he released his grip and sat on the sofa. ¡°Come in,¡± he replied coldly. Victoria drew in several big breaths of air. She assumed the nurse hade to check on her, but it was Lucas. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 I Haven¡¯t yed With Her Enough Lucas ced the chicken soup he had brought on the table. Then, he turned and raised his chin as he looked at Christian. ¡°Come out and let¡¯s have a talk. Christian gave a faint smile as if he had predicted that Lucas would be unable to bear it any longer. ¡°We can talk right here.¡± Victoria had no idea what they were going to talk about. Still, when she saw Lucas frown, she couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, ¡°Mr. Thatcher, since you two have something to discuss, I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She reached to pull up the cover and get out of bed, but as soon as her fingers touched the nket, a lighter flew at her and hit her on the back of the hand. Even though the lighter didn¡¯t weigh much, it hurt a lot Christian looked at her with his brow furrowed. ¡°Did I give you permission to move? Lie down.¡± Lucas¡¯ facial expression darkened as he noticed her hand had turned red from being hit by the lighter. Even his tone was venomous as he questioned, ¡°Christian, what will Be think if you keep her by your side like this?¡± Victoria felt pain in her chest when Be¡¯s name was mentioned. Christian fiddled with the ring on his finger and then looked up at Lucas. ¡°In light of this, Mr. Spritz, what do you rmend I do?¡± ¡°Allow her to leave Bloomsway City Christian¡¯s narrowed eyes had a murderous glint, but it was quickly hidden. ¡°She has a good attitude at work and is willing to do whatever is required of her. Logically, there is no reason for me to fire her.¡± ¡°Delta Club is a magnificent ce. You can hire anyone, so a mere hostess like her won¡¯t be missed.¡± Lucas was enraged as he raised his hand and mmed a chair to the floor. Then, how about I recruit this employee to work for me? What do you think?¡± novelxo fast update Obviously, Lucas¡¯ ability to maintain hisposure had worn thin. Christian reached up and adjusted his tailored suit with a careless expression. ¡°It is usible to assert that we have been friends since childhood. I have no reason to refuse if you want my employee to work for you, but what should I do? Of all the women, she is the one with whom I haven¡¯t yed with her enough.¡± ¡°How much longer do you n on ying? She¡­ With her condition like this, what else is worth ying with?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Victoria felt disrespected for being moved around like an object. She took a deep breath and then looked at Lucas. ¡°Mr. Spritz, I have no ns to change jobs at the moment. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.¡± ¡°Victoria!¡± Lucas nced at her in slight disbelief. ¡°Do you understand what you¡¯re saying?¡± Victoria knew that Lucas acted in this manner with her best interests in mind. Nevertheless, Be had already forced her into the abyss. She no longer wished to involve Lucas out of spite or generosity. I Haven¡¯t yed With Her Enough ¡°Yes, I do. You were upset with mest night, so you¡¯re still hesitant to let me off the hook. How about this? I¡¯m willing to do whatever it takes to calm your wrath, including groveling my way back inside there.¡± Lucas stared at Victoria with a cold expression. He couldn¡¯t let out his frustration and anger as much as he tried. However, he couldn¡¯t understand why she had behaved this way. ¡°Victoria, do you really think I won¡¯t let you go?¡± She lowered her head and refrained from looking at him. He appeared to be amused. ¡°It turns out I was the nosy one all along. Take care, Miss Coleman.¡± For some reason, as soon as the door to the ward was mmed shut, Victoria breathed a sigh of relief. Before she could feel too relieved, however, a chilling voice echoed above her head. ¡°You even mastered the art of reigniting love. Victoria, those two years weren¡¯t wasted after all.¡± When Victoria heard Christian sneer, she turned her head slightly bewildered. ¡°However, each of them intends to torment and aggravate you. You¡¯ll be digging your own grave if you try to seduce Lucas.¡± She finallyprehended what he had meant. Her entire body was enveloped in a chill that emanated from her core. Later, she muttered in a low tone, ¡°Mr. Thatcher, don¡¯t worry. I have no interest in being a part of your social circle anymore.¡± Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Money Is More Dependable Than Anything Else Victoria was hospitalized for two days. As soon as she saw the bill, she decided to discharge from the hospital even though she still had a fever. Even though her sry at Delta Club was decent, after deducting her basic expenses, she wouldn¡¯t be left with much. She still had to save that money for emergencies. She returned to the staff dormitory and changed her clothes. However, she was still dizzy from being lightheaded, so she clung to the locker next to her for support. Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps. Secondster, she felt a rough push, and everything around her began to spin. Pain shot through Victoria¡¯s body when her lower back was mmed against the locker. She couldn¡¯t help but mutter a grunt. Her roommate, Daisy Torres, uttered a loud, piercing tone from behind her. ¡°Victoria, what do you think a murderer like you is trying to do with my locker? Are you going to try to mess with it while we¡¯re gone?¡± ¡°I¡± A moment passed before Victoria looked up at Daisy, who bore a look of disgust on her face. Then, Victoria realized that since the incident that day was blown out of proportion, everyone at the club must have known about her imprisonment. The embarrassment she had anticipated overtook her. She averted her eyes and spoke softly, ¡°I was feeling a bit lightheaded, so I leaned on it. Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Who knows? If I continue to live with a murderer like you, I will probably pass away one day without even realizing it.¡± Meanwhile, Gabrielle, who had arrivedte, noticed that Victoria had her hand clutched on her lower back and that her face was getting pale. She hastily approached Victoria to support her. ¡°Daisy, what are you doing? Are you okay, Victoria?¡± Victoria shook her head as her face grew increasingly pale. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­.¡± Gabrielle observed Victoria¡¯s pale and red face. She instinctively extended her hand and lightly touched Victoria¡¯s forehead. ¡°Whoa! You have a fever and are burning up, so why are you leaving the hospital? Why did you not stay longer in the hospital?¡± novelxo fast update ¡°It¡¯s just a cold and nothing to worry about¡­¡± ¡°Tsk, stop acting.¡± Daisy clicked her tongue. Then, she checked her locker and violently mmed the door before she stormed out of the room. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the supervisor about changing dormitories. It is so disgusting to live with people like you.¡± Gabrielle red at Daisy as she walked out the door, her eyes reddening in rage. ¡°Who does she think she is? She is no better than any of us, as she also works at this club. Don¡¯t bother about her, Victoria.¡± Victoria was stunned for a moment when she saw Gabrielle, who was enraged by the injustice shown to her. ¡°Thank you, Gabrielle,¡± she uttered with a heart filled with gratitude. Thank you for showing me that the world is not as bad as it seems Soon after, there was a knock at the door. Gabrielle went to answer the door and was slightly surprised to see the person who had knocked. ¡°Huh? What brings you here, Miss Charlotte?¡± Charlotte merely hummed and did not respond to Gabrielle. Her almond-shaped eyesnded on Victoria as she sat on the bed and scrutinized her. ¡°You,e with me.¡± It had been two years since Victoria and Charlotte first met. Since the media gossip about Christian involved the female owner of the Delta Club, Victoria went to great lengths to obtain a membership card to investigate. However, she only saw Charlotte from a distance back then and did not see her particrly clearly. When Victoria was sent to the Delta Club two weeks ago, the assistant manager made the necessary arrangements on her behalf, and Charlotte did not show up. ¡°Your roommate was making a scene in the manager¡¯s office, demanding to be moved to a different dormitory.¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°It appears as though you are also aware of it. Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s because of me. I¡¯m willing to move out of the staff dormitory.¡± ¡°At least you¡¯re good at taking responsibility for your actions.¡± Charlotte curled her red lips as she looked at her. There are a lot of people working at Delta Club, and if everyone started causing internal conflict like you did, the club wouldn¡¯t be able to operate. How about I transfer you to the cleaning department, where there will be less friction between you and the other employees. What do you think?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Everything I Say Will Be In Vain When Charlotte informed Victoria that she was being transferred to the cleaning department, her eyes immediately shifted to Victoria to gauge her reaction. After all, young girls were better suited to be hostesses, whereas elderly retired women worked in the cleaning department. In general, cleaning was a dirty, exhausting, and unpleasant task. However, Victoria¡¯s expression remained unchanged as she replied with a simple hum and remained silent. Charlotte was a little disappointed, then raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°So, there¡¯s nothing you want to say?¡± Victoria shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t care what job I have as long as I get paid. Furthermore, Mr. Thatcher had stated that anything I say would be in vain, so I see no reason to offend him.¡± Charlotte was pleased with her response. After a brief hesitation, she smiled broadly. ¡°Since you have no objections, gather your belongings and report to the cleaning department.¡± ¡°Understood. Thank you, Miss Charlotte.¡± As Charlotte observed Victoria¡¯s return to her dormitory, she remained in the corridor and contemted for a while. Then, she took her phone out of her bag and dialed a number. The call went through quickly. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I have transferred her to the cleaning department, as per your instruction.¡± Christian was reading some documents when Charlotte¡¯s voice came over the phone, and he immediately stopped to flip the page. After a few moments, he whispered, ¡°What is her response?¡± ¡°There was no crying ormotion. She epted it quite calmly.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He frowned before he reached up, rubbed his swollen temples, and said, ¡°If so, then you may arrange additional work for her. After all, she should be considered young in the cleaning department at her age. It¡¯s only reasonable that she takes on more work.¡± Charlotte was stunned and hesitated briefly. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, isn¡¯t that too harsh? She¡¯s just a girl, after all.. When Christian remained silent, she realized she had crossed a line. She changed the topic as her guts scrunched up. ¡°Right, the young master from Harvest Real Estate will be celebrating his birthday here next Monday. Will you be here as well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll prepare your favorite wine.¡± novelxo fast update ¡°Just do as you see fit.¡± Christian focused on the document before him as soon as he hung up the phone. Nheless, he was unable toprehend anything. No crying, nomotion, and epting it calmly? Hah, Victoria, you manage to surprise me every time. I don¡¯t believe that the personality that you develop from a young age can change in just two years. Everything I Say Will Be In Vain He wanted to see how long she could keep up the act. ¡°Hey, the soap in the women¡¯s bathroom has run out, so refill it quickly! Are you waiting for me to do it?¡± Victoria had just cleaned up a private room where people had been drinking and having fun. She cleaned up the mess all afternoon, and by the time she was done, she was so worn out that she could not stand up straight. She had just stopped to drink some water when the patrolling supervisor summoned her back to work. ¡°Why are you always so clueless? Are those big eyes of yours just for disy?¡± After being subjected to continuous insults, she chose to disregard them. She took the new soap refill into the women¡¯s bathroom. Victoria was no longer required to look presentable or worried about being recognized because she had been working in the cleaning department for a week. Despite the exhaustion, she felt fulfilled. Victoria filled the soap dispenser neatly, then bowed her head and walked away with the cleaning box in her arms. However, as soon as she exited, the obnoxious supervisor was there to greet her. ¡°You¡¯re done here, right? Go on to the balcony and help out.¡± ¡°Balcony?¡± Victoria remembered that an important client had reserved the balcony for a birthday party tonight. She frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s already 8.30PM, so it¡¯s time for me to get off my shift. Also, I haven¡¯t eaten anything all day¡ª* ¡°What?¡± When the supervisor saw that Victoria refused to go, he raised his voice slightly. The supervisor remarked in a loud tone, ¡°We¡¯recking manpower right now, but you want to eat? Did the company hire you to opt out of work at the most important times? If that¡¯s the case, you need to tell Miss Charlotte earlier, then she¡¯ll arrange that for you!¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. There¡¯s a good chance Christian will find out if I tell Charlotte. Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Miss Charlotte. I¡¯ll go right now. Don¡¯t get mad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Hurry up and don¡¯t dawdle!¡± Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Compensation As Victoria watched the supervisor leave, her stomach was so empty that it hurt. Then, she walked submissively toward the lift. The Delta Club¡¯s balcony was an outdoor swimming pool. She thought it would be cold with that kind of weather, but when she opened the door, she saw many handsome men and pretty women. The most beautifuldies in Delta Club were dressed up. Victoria¡¯s mind was too distracted by the scene¡¯s resemnce to debauchery to worry about the weather. She kept her head bowed as she looked around for areas that needed to be cleaned up, as she did not dare to see too much. Right then, someone called her. ¡°Hey, janitor! Come here and collect these empty wine bottles, then bring us more wines.¡± Victoria was the only one dressed in a janitor¡¯s uniform, so she raised her head to look in the direction of the voice. She noticed a long table with a row of empty wine bottles next to the balcony swimming pool. Thebination of red and white bottles was quite opulent. She licked the corner of her lips as she picked up an empty box on the side. Then, she walked over and immediately began to clean up. Halfway through, someone threw a volleyball into the pool, which caused the water to ssh. She was startled and took a step back, but she identally bumped into the person standing behind her. Then, she heard a cute tone that sounded like ¡®ow. That person immediatelyined, ¡°How filthy! Watch where you are going!¡± When Victoria turned around, she saw a woman in a short white skirt. Victoria¡¯s cheeks were flushed as she apologized modestly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it¡­ ¡°A janitor is here to join the party, too? You have made my clothes dirty and are you able to compensate me? Such bad luck¡­¡± The trivial argument drew the attention of a person lounging on a couch by the pool. He cast a quick nce in Victoria¡¯s direction. He realized that her side face and lowered profile appeared quite attractive in contrast to the dazzling lights. He raised an eyebrow and spontaneously asked, ¡°What happened?¡° The woman who had been identally bumped into immediately feigned pity in response to his voice and turned around pathetically. ¡°Mr. Brooke, look! This janitor made my clothes dirty¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Anthony Brooke smiled as he swept a meaningful nce at her body. ¡°It¡¯s only a piece of clothing. You can ask her topensate. Come here, janitor.¡± Victoria knew that she had a string of bad luck, but she simply could not afford to offend anyone. So, she closed her eyes and walked over to him. When she approached Anthony, his eyes lit up, and he put down the ss in his hand. Then, hnovelxo fast updatee nced at her with great interest and said, ¡°Janitor, you have to compensate her for dirtying her clothes.¡± Victoria was stunned as she looked at the girl¡¯s skirt. She could notpensate for it because it was a piece of a collection from a particr brand. ¡°I am unable topensate you with my current ie. If you are willing, I can help you wash it after the party.¡± Perhaps Anthony did not anticipate Victoria¡¯s direct admission that she did not have the money. His cunning eyes curved up as he became more interested in her. ¡°Why not offer your own uniform as compensation since you cannot reimburse her? What do you think?¡± His voice was quite loud, and in an instant, the crowd that were surrounding them realized that something interesting was going on. Hence, they all began to stare in their direction. After being released from prison, Victoria only had a few alternate work uniforms. At that time, her undergarments were the only thing she wore underneath her janitor¡¯s uniform. Victoria¡¯s face turned pale as she realized he intended to humiliate her on purpose. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You can exchange your rags aspensation, but you still refuse?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°Mr. Brooke, I don¡¯t believe this janitor can do it. She doesn¡¯t even want to take off her uniform¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I must see this. Come on, take your clothes off.¡± Victoria clenched her cor and shook slightly as she was surrounded by jeers andughter. Suddenly, just as she was about to raise her hand, a sizable warm arm wrapped itself around her shoulder. She was startled when she suddenly felt as though her body were being pressed against a chest she was familiar with. Christian¡¯s lips curled upward, and his righteous eyes looked stern. He arched his thin dark brows, looking proud and outstanding like a king seated at the pinnacle. Victoria could just make out his perfect jawline when she looked up and couldn¡¯t help but gulp. His lips were curved seductively, but the words that came out of them were piercing, ¡°Oh? Mr. Brooke, when did you be interested in a nobody like this janitor?¡± Nobody¡­ Victoria lowered her head. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, that¡¯s not a very nice way to say it. We¡¯re just a group of people looking to have fun. Otherwise, there¡¯s not much to y with, is there?¡± ¡°Looking to have some fun? I see¡­¡± Christianughed, and then, before the crowd couldprehend the situation, the man who insulted Victoria fell with a ssh after being kicked by Christian into the pool. Victoria was stunned by what she had just witnessed. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Your World Is Hell to Me Christian and Victoria were surrounded by heavy breathing, which could be heard from all directions. Anthony¡¯s expression changed as he looked at Christian in confusion. ¡°What is this all about, Mr. Thatcher?¡± Christian slowly retracted his slender leg. Then, with a grin, he focused his attention on Victoria¡¯s frozen face. ¡°You mention that there¡¯s nothing to y with, don¡¯t you, Mr. Brooke? Isn¡¯t there something to enjoy now?¡± In the middle of winter, the water in the swimming pool was so chilly that only those who fell in could experience it. However, no one dared to speak. They knew who Christian Thatcher was; he was the type of man who could flip the entire Bloomsway upside down with a single stomp. Christian was entirely different from these wealthy young men at the party as he was not just any other young man who relied on his family¡¯s wealth. Even though the Brooke Family was not any average family, Anthony did not dare to provoke Christian. He looked at Victoria in Christian¡¯s arms, then immediately realized and remarked, ¡°Oh, so she belongs to you, Mr. Thatcher. We should have known better.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Christian did not refute what he had said. He lowered his attention to the wine on the table, then lifted a ss casually. ¡°ording to what you said, everyone is just looking for a good time. You are free to y however you choose. As an apology for interfering with your fun, I will pay for everything tonight.¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to do that for us, Mr. Thatcher.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your birthday, so of course, it¡¯s my treat. Have fun now, and I¡¯ll see you around soon.¡± Then, he led Victoria away, unconcerned about Anthony¡¯s reaction. The crowd behind him were stunned as he turned and walked out. After they had both stepped off the balcony, the one who struggled in the water finally dared to shout, ¡°Pull me up, damn it!¡± The party resumed rapidly, but Anthony could only stare at the empty bottles on the ground that Victoria had partially cleaned up. He had a glum expression on his face. Christian grabbed Victoria¡¯s shoulder and dragged her into the elevator. When the door shut, she was tossed away like trash. She subconsciously leaned against the elevator¡¯s wall as she was about to fall. He looked at her and made a snide remark, ¡°If I hadn¡¯te, what would you do next? Perform those dance moves in front of them? Hm?¡± ¡°I¡­ In fact, Victoria had made her decision before Christian arrived, but he was on time to stonovelxo fast updatep it. She briefly paused, lowered her head, and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t show up. Mr. Thatcher, I¡¯ll have toply with their request. He frowned and said curtly, ¡°Perhaps that man was right all along. You really know how to flirt, don¡¯t you, Victoria? If I don¡¯t show up, do you n on seducing a rich young man toe to your help? Hm?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Victoria gripped her fingers together and trembled visibly. ¡°But isn¡¯t that what you want to see, Mr. Thatcher? A convicted murderer who was rejected by her own family and shunned by her coworkers was trampled by all. Telling me to strip off my clothes is the least of insults. This is how I envision the rest of my days going forward. Who can I rely on to save me each time?¡± Her eyes were red as she spoke, but she did not cry. Christian recognized those eyes, but their charm was overshadowed by destion. His chest prickled as he stared at her. It did not hurt, but it was not pleasant either. ¡°What did you say?¡± Victoria hesitantly said, ¡°Everyone thinks I ruined Be but in reality¡­ She was the one who ruined my life. You care about her, so you will do whatever it takes to make me pay for what I did to her. What about me? So, where are my rights? My entire life has been turned upside down because of her. If I didn¡¯t worry about you getting mad and taking it out on my family, I wouldn¡¯t want to wake up to the sun rising every morning because¡­ your world is hell to me.¡± Those were her most genuine thoughts. Suddenly, Christian recalled the day she was released from jail and the hollow expression on her face. Then, he asked, ¡°What would you do if you hadn¡¯t met me that day?¡± She remained silent. The dim lights in the elevator gave the impression that Victoria could vanish at any moment as they shone on her body. Christian raised an eyebrow and grabbed her slim wrist. He growled, ¡°Tell me!¡± Victoria struggled a little and felt difort from the unexpected movement, but she couldn¡¯t break free. Then, she made the decision to give up. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t met you, I would¡¯vemitted suicide! Are you happy now?¡± As Victoria was forced to reveal the secret concealed in her heart all this while, she felt as if all her energy had been drained from her. She slumped helplessly against the metal wall behind her. The tears she had suppressed poured like rain down her cheeks. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Does My Life Mean Nothing?! ¡°Christian, why just can¡¯t you believe that I¡¯ve never done anything to harm Be?! My life in thest two years was a living hell, and now, two yearster, you¡¯re destroying my hopes again. Does my life mean nothing while Be¡¯s does?!¡± This was the first time Victoria cried after being released from prison. She didn¡¯t bawl; tears just kept streaming down her face like a never-ending waterfall. Meanwhile, Christian frowned at the sight of her crying. Two years ago, he felt nothing when a crying Victoria tried exining to him, but now, seeing her cry made him beyond irritated. Such emotional turbulence made him purse his lips. Looking at her red-rimmed eyes, he said with a frown, ¡°Victoria, don¡¯t just constantly think about ending it all. Someone like you will just end up in hell even if you die. You¡¯ll never go to heaven.¡± ¡°If hell is a ce where you and Be don¡¯t exist, then it¡¯s very much heaven to me. However, Earth to me is absolute hell because of you!¡± Just then, the elevator doors opened with a ping. ¡°Good, very good.¡± Christian was so angry that he actually smiled. With that, he grabbed Victoria¡¯s arm and dragged her out of the elevator. Cameron happened to be standing right outside; he was delighted upon seeing Christian, but the second he saw who the man was dragging, his face paled as he hurriedly chased after Christian. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, what happened? Has she upset you?¡± ¡°F*ck off!¡± Startled by Christian¡¯s menacing gaze, Cameron dared not take another step further. Victoria¡¯s leg hurt terribly, and her stomach felt ufortable too. Christian¡¯s legs were long, and his strides were wide, so Victoria was practically dragged all the way into a room and hurled to the floor. But the next second, he grabbed her by the neck like he had done two years ago and leaned close to her. His face was only an inch away from hers, and their breaths intertwined. ¡°Victoria,¡± he pronounced icily, making her shiver. ¡°I¡¯m your hell, huh?¡± Since she couldn¡¯t breathe properly, Victoria¡¯s face flushed crimson as streaks of tears wet her face, making her look absolutely pitiful. However, the young woman didn¡¯t struggle. In fact, she hoped Christian would just end her there and then. s, the man wouldn¡¯t do as she wished. He didn¡¯t let go, nor did he exert any more force. Henovelxo fast update could feel the warmth of the skin beneath his palm and her beating pulse even more so. As he stared at her hopeless, dull eyes, he suddenly lowered his head and bit down on her lip hard, causing Victoria¡¯s pupils to dte a little. As soon as she felt the pain, a thick taste of blood spread between their lips. A lip like this was supposed to be dry, but it made Christian obsess over it like it was narcotics. ¡°Since I¡¯m your hell, Victoria, then mark my words-you can never escape,¡± he threatened in a husky voice. Two years ago, he wouldn¡¯t even bother taking a nce at her when she dressed up beautifully and gave herself to him, but now, he had actually kissed her when she stood absolutely disheveled in front of him in the dirtiest cleaner clothes. She wanted to push him away, but she didn¡¯t have the strength to do so. At that, she shuddered and pleaded with gnashed teeth, ¡°Christian, don¡¯t do this to me. Please¡­¡± However, the man did nothing, keeping his hand mped onto her neck as he fixed his gaze on her with a lowered head. She had a striking face, but right then, it was ashen. Suddenly, Christian came to his senses and let go of her. His gazended on her bare shoulder. The porcin skin had two streaks of jarring old scars that made a hint of frostce his eyes. At that, he chucked the jacket aside at her and ordered impassively, ¡°Scram!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Victoria grabbed the jacket and sat up slowly while biting her lip. Just then, a knock came at the door, and a familiar yet strange voice sounded behind it the next second. ¡°Christian? Are you inside?¡± Victoria could tell who the voice belonged to even after she turned to dust. At that, she looked up at Christian, only to find him looking unfazed and moving to open the door. Taken aback, she grabbed his suit pants. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her¡­¡± The man frowned in response. Seeing her pale face, he thought she was fearful. However, just as he was about to say something, the door opened. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 When Was She Released? ¡°Christian, I¡¯ming in¡­¡± Be, who was on crutches, stood at the door with her hand still at the doorknob, keeping the door open. It was evident she was anxious, so eager to prove something that she had forgotten her manners. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Uponing to himself, Christian frowned. ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you have a rehab session today?¡± It was clear that Be had seen Victoria as the former was taken aback for a second. Following that, Be shifted her gaze back onto Christian to find his cor wide open and his lips stained with blood. Even an idiot could tell what just happened between the two; what more when she wasn¡¯t one and had evene prepared? At that, she frowned and asked intentionally, ¡°When was she released, Christian? Why are you with her?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Christian snorted, not answering her but instead fixing his dress shirt, retorting with his eyelids drooped, ¡°Haven¡¯t you already found out? Scarlett told you, didn¡¯t she? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have come all the way here thiste at night.¡± ¡°I¡­ Be¡¯s eyes turned red-rimmed, arousing pity. ¡°I came because I learned that she¡¯s in Delta Club. I didn¡¯t know you two would¡­¡± She had a hard time continuing her words. She chewed on her lips, looking somewhat nervous. ¡°Christian, she¡¯s Victoria! Have you forgotten how she wanted to kill me?!¡± Victoria couldn¡¯t help frowning upon hearing so, and she fixed her clothes in silence before standing up and limping out. ¡°Please make way.¡± She spoke softly, standing behind the two. Be looked up at her in response, distressed. ¡°Do you hate me this much, Victoria? Have you not done enough damage to me two years ago? Why would you still show yourself to us aftering out of prison? Just what do you want to do- ¡°I¡¯m the one who asked her toe to Delta,¡± interjected Christian with a quirked brow when he saw Victoria¡¯s countenance shift barely visibly. ¡°Christian?¡± Be was rendered stumped, having some difficulty epting what Christian had just said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You and your brother like to question my reasoning whenever I hire someone. What? Are the Thatchers supposed to report the people we hire to you two?¡± He sneered at Be. novelxo fast update Meanwhile, Victoria looked up at Be, sizing her up. This was their first meeting in two years. Apart from the crutches in Be¡¯s arm, she was no different from two years ago, still looking like a frail princess. She, on the other hand, was miserable as hell. At that, she snorted self-deprecatingly, looking at Be with a crystal-clear gaze. ¡°Just who is the victim. Be? When are you going to finally tell the truth?¡± ¡°What?¡± Blood drained from Be¡¯s face as she bit her lip, then argued aggrievedly. ¡°Why are you still trying to deny what you¡¯ve done when it has alreadye to this? Just what happened for you to so ruthlessly want me dead?!¡± Victoria couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue who was the unapologetic one with her. No matter how the argument went down, it couldn¡¯t change the fact that she lost a leg and was put behind bars for two years. Who would even believe her? After straightening her cleaner uniform, she shrugged nonchntly and said, ¡°Two years have passed, and I don¡¯t want to argue who¡¯s right or wrong with you. I still have work to do, so if you two will excuse me.¡± With that, she bypassed the two and left the room. Meanwhile, iprehensible emotions flowed beneath Christian¡¯s eyes as he looked at Victoria¡¯s retreating figure. Not a single detail on the man¡¯s face went unnoticed by Be, and a sense of uneasiness arose within her. At that, she wrapped her arm around his and tried her best to look as defenseless as possible. ¡°Christian, you have to believe me. I just felt worried after finding out she hade to Delta after being released from prison. I don¡¯t mean anything else; I¡¯m here because I¡¯m scared that the person who harmed you in the past has suddenly shown up again¡­¡± Christian frowned in response. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± She looked up at him with a distressed look. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯ll put on her disguise again to trick you and my brother. If I hadn¡¯t discovered that she was lying to you while seducing Lucas, she wouldn¡¯t have gotten furious out of humiliation and wanted to run over me. But now, she¡¯s out and has even reappeared in front of you two. Lucas¡­ Well, he got bewitched and wanted to break up with Scarlett because of Victoria. I¡¯m genuinely worried that it¡¯ll happen again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying Lucas wanted to break up with Scarlett because of Victoria?¡± Christian narrowed his eyes, looking grim. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Two Years Cannot Change a Person¡¯s Nature Christian¡¯s intimidating aura and piercing gaze could seemingly see through everything, causing Be to take a nervous step back as a hint of panic shed across her eyes. ¡°Yes, Victoria said that she¡¯ll be with Lucas if he breaks up with Scarlett,¡± she said weakly, leading Christian to sneer, allowing the frost beneath his eyes to spread. He knew it! Two years certainly couldn¡¯t change a person¡¯s nature. ¡°Christian.¡± Be felt absolutely ufortable at the thought of what she saw the second she came in. ¡°Victoria still wants to hook up with you while keeping an ambiguous rtionship with my brother. Who knows if she has any STDs when she¡¯s so licentious. Best that you stay away from her.¡± The frost beneath Christian¡¯s eyes deepened upon hearing the word ¡®licentious. ¡°Who are you to tell me to stay away from whoever?¡± ¡°Christian, please don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m just worried about you.¡± Be¡¯s eyes turned red with oing tears in an instant, making her look exceptionally pitiful. However, the man only looked coldly at her and said nothing. ¡°Christian, I really have your best interests at heart,¡± she reiterated defenselessly, biting her lip. ¡°I know better than anyone what your purpose is.¡± Christian bypassed her and walked toward the door as a hint of disgust shed across his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t think about using your dirty tricks on me.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Blood drained from Be¡¯s face instantly, but when she wanted to say more, he had already strode away. As she leaned against her crutches, she looked down at her bad left leg with ferocity and pain. ¡°Why can¡¯t you see all that I¡¯ve done for you, Christian?¡± After returning to the dorm. Victoria leaned against the door with a hollow gaze. Momentster, she seemed to recollect something and rubbed her bleeding lip viciously. But as she did so, tears rolled down her eyes and into her mouth, making the bloodced tears bitter with a hint of metallic taste. She sat dazedly for about ten-plus minutes before dragging her sore body into bed. She had no time to be sad or cry, for she¡¯d have to get back to work after six hours of sleep. s, her day was destined to be agonizing. novelxo fast update Her stomach began burning excruciatingly not long after shey down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gabrielle was startled when she saw Victoria¡¯s pallid face as soon as she entered through the door. Victoria tugged her lips and answered, ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just an old gastric problem. Because of the sickness, her voice was a little hoarse. ¡°Let¡¯s get some gastric pills, then. You can¡¯t just suck it up and bare with it, can you?¡± Gabrielle tugged at her. ¡°There¡¯s a pharmacy nearby. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Just when the girls were about to hail a taxi after making a purchase at the local pharmacy, they heard someone calling out, ¡°Tori?¡± Victoria¡¯s pupils shrunk as her lips trembled. The voice was very familiar to her. ¡°Tori, is it really you?¡± A handsome young man that looked somewhat like Victoria approached them and patted Victoria¡¯s shoulder in glee. Victoria parted her lips and wanted to greet her brother, but she couldn¡¯t utter a word. It felt like something had jammed her throat.. ¡°I¡¯ll be right over there,¡± said Gabrielle, to which Victoria nodded. ¡°Why haven¡¯t youe looking for me?¡± Unconcealing distress and guilt surged beneath Vincent¡¯s eyes at the sight of his dear sister¡¯s thin clothing. Back then, the Coleman Family had abandoned Victoria to save themselves. Vincent pleaded and begged their family, only to be locked up. There was nothing he could do but watch them put Victoria behind bars. ¡°I hadn¡¯t managed to do so,¡± said Victoria with pain as she tucked a lock of errant hair behind her ear. Initially, she wanted to take ast look at her family before saying goodbye to the world. Who would have thought she¡¯d bump into Christian mid-n? A gust of autumn wind blew over, making her shrink her body from the chilliness. The next second, a suit jacket was draped over her shoulders. ¡°Why won¡¯t you put on a jacket if you feel cold? Also, what¡¯s with the outfit? Don¡¯t only cleaningdies wear something like this? When has your taste dropped so low?¡± Victoria drooped her eyelids in response, concealing the emotions surging beneath her eyes. T¡¯m a cleaningdy now, and this is my uniform.¡± Vincent was rendered stupefied with incredulity. To think the sister he babied and spoiled so much was now a cleaningdy! Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Christian Won¡¯t Let Her Leave So Easily ¡°Don¡¯t. Your jacket will get ruined.¡± Victoria removed the jacket and handed it to her brother. She was covered in filth from all the washrooms and puke she had to clean. ¡°Ruin it, my a*s!¡± With bloodshot eyes, Vincent aggressively grabbed the suit jacket from her and draped it on her shoulders again. ¡°I¡¯m going to get mad if you repeat this kind of bullsh*t!¡± Victoria smiled as she felt the warmth of the jacket, no longer rejecting Vincent¡¯s love. ¡°Quit your job too!¡± Vincent pulled his wallet out and shoved a bank card into her hands. ¡°Here, take it. Let me know when it runs out of money!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m pretty happy being a cleaner.¡± Victoria pushed the card back to him. However, he didn¡¯t take it but looked at her with distress. Tori, is it because you¡¯re mad at me for not standing up for you two years ago that you don¡¯t want to spend my money? 1-¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re overthinking it,¡± Victoria cut him off with concealed bitterness. ¡°Mom and Dad will surely get upset if they find out you¡¯ve given me money. Besides, Dad has a heart condition.¡± Vincent clenched his fists, loosened them, then clenched them again. He ultimately put away the bank card. ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want to take the card, you can at least let me help you find a better job, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Vince, Victoria mumbled. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to leave Delta Club. Christian would never let her leave so easily. Vincent¡¯s face nched reflexively for a moment before he gritted his teeth, so upset that the veins around his temples popped. ¡°Did Christian force you into bing a cleaner?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She nodded in affirmation. ¡°That f*cking b¡±stard!¡± Vincent loosened his necktie, his eyes turning bloodshot. ¡°Had he not done enough when he dragged you into the penitentiary two years ago?! I¡¯m going to find that son of a b- ¡°Vince!¡± Vincent turned around as he cussed, only for Victoria to drag him back, looking all spent. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. You¡¯re no match for him.¡± ¡°What am I supposed to do, then? Sit back and watch him mangle you?!¡± He enunciated with anger while punching his chest. ¡°What kind of a f*cking brother does that make me?!¡± Worried, Gabrielle approached the Coleman siblings and stood next to Victoria when things became loud. ¡°Think about your two children. Don¡¯t let your anger get the better of you.¡± Victoria didn¡¯t want to say more when Gabrielle was now here. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m heading back.¡± novelxo fast update With that, she took Gabrielle with her and left. ¡°Tori!¡± Vincent shouted from behind, irresolution and guilt surging beneath his eyes. Victoria stopped in response but didn¡¯t turn around. Christian Won¡¯t Let Her Leave So Easily ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Vincent clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles paled. ¡°It has nothing to do with you. It was my fault for loving the wrong person.¡± Victoria¡¯s voice deepened, and it wasced with a hint of hoarseness. ¡°Mom and Dad, have they¡­. have they asked about me?¡± Vincent parted his lips a few times but couldn¡¯t bring himself to utter a word, filled with utter guilt. ¡°Vince¡­ Good night. Remember, don¡¯t act rashly.¡± Victoria fought back the bitter tears hanging at the corner of her eyes and jogged to the taxi parked by the side of the road before getting in. Her parents hadn¡¯t forgiven her, huh? However, she didn¡¯t even have the right to me them. She could only me herself for loving and believing someone she shouldn¡¯t have. Gabrielle entered the taxi after Victoria. The former had a bunch of questions, but she just handed Victoria a piece of tissue in the end. ¡°Here, wipe it away, or people will think I¡¯ve bullied you.¡± By the time the pair returned to the dormitory, the lights were already out. ¡°Do you two have no civism, monkeying around in the middle of the night? Can anybody get some sleep here?¡± At that, Daisy said mockingly. ¡°Never mind, forget I ever asked. What manners can I expect from you two when one¡¯s a murderer and the other one¡¯s an escort?!¡± ¡°Ask yourself this, Daisy. Who¡¯s the one who talks on the phone untilte at night and disturbs everyone else¡¯s sleep?!¡± Gabrielle¡¯s face flushed with anger. Also, how dare you call me an escort! I¡¯m as much of a hostess as you are. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve ever done any shameless deals! ¡°So what if I talk on the phone, huh? Am I not allowed to sleep early when I¡¯m not on the phone today?!¡± Daisy rolled her eyes. ¡°You were still on your phone when we came in.¡± Gabrielle pointed at her, so livid that her finger was even shaking. ¡°I got tired from ying with my phone and wanted to sleep. Just as I put it down, you guys came marching in, making a lot of noise.¡± Daisy snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not asking for much. Since you guys are in the wrong, apologize and bow deferentially. Is that so hard?¡± Gabrielle was made so livid by Daisy¡¯s shamelessness that she was rendered speechless. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Do You Really Like Christian That Much? ¡°Sorry for disturbing your rest.¡± Victoria bowed differentially but with indifference in her eyes. Daisy hated how Victoria always acted lofty the most. Who does she think she is to act lofty when she¡¯s just a murderer?! ¡°What¡¯s with that attitude?! What? Do you feel aggrieved apologizing to me? Do you want to bet if I can make you jobless if you piss me off?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cross the line, Daisy!¡± Gabrielle snapped. However, Daisy continued to stare at Victoria like she hadn¡¯t heard Gabrielle. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you. Say something!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disturbing your rest,¡± said Victoria with indifference as she bowed deferentially once more, causing her short hair to conceal her gaze. Daisy¡¯s little stunts were nothingpared to the ones she suffered from those back in the penitentiary. Daisy had wanted to see Victoria get upset. But seeing how the woman didn¡¯t even resist a bit, she felt that her attacks had been nullified. With that, she red daggers at Victoria and turned around, focusing her attention back on her phone. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Meanwhile, Victoriay down after taking her medicine. However, because her gastric issues had caused her severe pain, she only fell asleep nearing dawn. Thus, her face looked awfully pallid when she woke up. Gabrielle had offered to help her apply for sick leave, but Victoria turned her down. With Christian¡¯s order still valid, Cameron wouldn¡¯t approve of her leave. After taking her gastric medication, she groggily went to Cameron¡¯s and clocked in. ¡°You¡¯re one whole minutete!¡± Cameron¡¯s finger was so close that it was nearly poking her face. ¡°You can forget about your sry for the month now!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m feeling somewhat unwell today. It won¡¯t happen again,¡± Victoria apologized deferentially. Therge uniform made her look petite. In actuality, she was five-foot-five and not petite at all. It was just that she was so skinny that she looked scrawny Meanwhile, a few cleaners showed up, but they weren¡¯t surprised to see Victoria being scolded again. chatting away as they clocked in. ¡°Again? You still want to do it again?!¡± Cameron turned a blind eye to the cleaners who werete. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Victoria lowered her head. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me. If every apology can change the situation, why would the world need cops for?¡± Cameron pointed at her, so worked up that his spit flew everywhere. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you used to be, but you¡¯re now a cleaner here, so you have to listen to me!¡± Do You Really Like Christian That Much? ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Victoria as she wiped the spit off her face. ¡°You¡¯rete for one minute today, so you¡¯ll have to clean another floor. The fourth and fifth floors are yours. I will inspect them,¡± said Cameron. There were about sixteen private rooms on each floor at Delta Club. The floor of the corridor and private rooms, the walls, and the washrooms all had to be cleaned, and it was normally a job for two. Victoria was already at her limit when she had to clean the entire floor herselftely. To make things worse, she was now assigned another floor. She bit down her lip while her jaw and back muscles clenched tightly. The raging fury within hnovelxo fast updateer surged wildly like it would burst out of her the next second. ¡°What? Do you have a problem with it?¡± Cameron raised his voice. Victoria¡¯s hands were hidden beneath her sleeves, clenched into fists, but her voice was as calm as still water. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better not. It¡¯s useless even if you do.¡± At that, Cameron checked the time. ¡°What are you still standing here for? Get to work! Are you expecting me to bring the trolley over to you?!¡± Meanwhile, a few staff sniggered as they passed by. Victoria lowered her head, grabbed the cleaning supplies from the janitor¡¯s room, and went to her floor to work. ¡°Tori.¡± Two older cleaningdies came up to her, and one of them asked with hesitation. ¡°Is the fifth floor also yours to clean now?¡± Victoria nodded in affirmation. ¡°Both the fourth and fifth floor¡­ are yours?¡± asked the other older cleaningdy. ¡°Yeah.¡± Victoria smiled faintly. ¡°You guys can go ahead and rest. Just leave it to me.¡± To that, the two older cleaningdies exchanged a nce before one of them sighed. ¡°But you¡¯ll exhaust yourself out before you even finish cleaning two floors! If you have some issues with Cameron, you should just find work somewhere else. You¡¯re so young and beautiful. You¡¯ll definitely be able to find a job somewhere.¡± Victoria shook her head in response. I¡¯d long be gone if I could leave. ¡°You child. As one of the older cleaningdies sighed, the other dragged her away. After that, Victoria grabbed the mop and continued cleaning the floor when a pair of leather shoes appeared within her vision suddenly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if possible, please move your feet. Thank you.¡± However, the person didn¡¯t budge, causing her to look up. Subsequently, she met Lucas¡¯ amber eyes ¡°Wee to the club. Please mind the wet floor.¡± Victoria moved aside with the mop and didn¡¯t even spare him a nce. Despite Lucas¡¯ burning gaze on her, she never spared him another nce and moved elsewhere instead. Do You Really Like Christian That Much? continuing to mop the floor. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 I Said Kneel! ¡°You just have to humiliate yourself like this, don¡¯t you?¡± Lucas strode over to Victoria and sped her wrist. The person Christian likes is Be, not you! Nothing you do will ever change that!¡± ¡°I know that Mr. Thatcher likes your sister. You don¡¯t have to reiterate.¡± Victoria struggled to break free a few times to no avail. ¡°Please let go of me. I need to finish my job.¡± There was a shing light at the end of the corridor. Victoria looked in that direction reflexively, but she didn¡¯t see anything there. Myck of sleep is probably making me see things. Lucas, on the other hand, didn¡¯t let go after hearing her words but only tightened his grip. ¡°Do you really like Christian that much? So much so that you¡¯re willing to be a cleaner just to stay by his side?¡± ¡°Does my love for him have anything to do with you?¡± Victoria smirked icily. ¡°Even if I like you, would you want to be with the perpetrator who tried to kill your sister?¡± Lucas pursed his lips before releasing her. ¡°Why did you have to run over Be? You and Christian were already getting engaged. She wouldn¡¯t have been a threat at all.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No reason. I just felt like it,¡± Victoria mumbled with drooping eyelids. Are you saying that I ran over Be? Huh, are you so sure that my car hit her and not the other way round? ¡°How is it that you can be so wicked?!¡± Lucas interrogated. ¡°You¡¯re Be¡¯s best friend. You should know that as a dancer, dancing is her life! Now that you¡¯ve broken her leg, her life¡¯s ruined! Do you know how miserable she¡¯s been in the past two years?!¡± ¡°What does her misery have to do with me? Someone as wicked as me loves to see my friends in misery. after all. The more awful her life, the happier I am.¡± Could Be¡¯s life in the past two years be worse than mine in prison?! Lucas couldn¡¯t believe she would actually say such words. Sure, she used to be a little insolent, but never this vicious. Is this actually who she is instead? ¡°Coleman, Mr. Spritz is a customer. How dare you speak to a customer like that!¡± Cameron approached the two. ¡°Kneel! Apologize to Mr. Spritz!¡± However, Victoria just lowered her head and kept her gaze on the floor, unmoving. ¡°Do you not speak English?! I said to kneel!¡± Cameron raised his voice. At that, Victoria licked her dry lips and dropped to the floor with a lowered head, staring at her reflection. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Spritz.¡± She had just mopped the floor, so it was still wet, and now that she was kneeling, the water very quickly dampened her uniform. Her legs felt cold and painful as well because of the bruises she had gotten from kneeling outside a few days ago. Meanwhile, Lucas looked down at her and said nothing. A few customers happened to be passing by, and they took a few ganders at Victoria. One of them, who was a baby-faced young woman, couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and came up with a frown. ¡°What¡¯s going on? We¡¯re already living in the 21st Century; how is it that people are still forced to kneel?! Come on, stand up! Are you an idiot? Just because they asked you to kneel doesn¡¯t mean you should actually do so!¡± She pulled Victoria up before either Lucas or Victoria could say anything. Janice, don¡¯t meddle in other people¡¯s businesses!¡± A man came and pulled the woman aside before turning to Lucas. ¡°My friend just arrived in Bloomsway. She doesn¡¯t know any better. Please forgive her, Mr. Spritz. I¡¯ll take her away this instant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere! What kind of man is he to bully a woman?!¡± Janice Mooney stood in novelxo fast updatebetween Lucas and Victoria with her arms akimbo, making the man beyond apprehensive. However, Janice wouldn¡¯t leave no matter what he said. ¡°Thank you.¡± Victoria pushed her aside gently. ¡°I¡¯m good. You should go and enjoy yourself with your friends. Though the young woman stood up for her out of kindness, she couldn¡¯t drag her into the mud. ¡°See, she says that she¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t meddle in it anymore. Come on, hurry up. Let¡¯s go!¡± The man and another woman dragged Janice with all their might, but the young woman still didn¡¯t want to give up. turning her head around to shout, ¡°I¡¯m in Room 4502. Come to me if you need help!¡± Victoria nodded at her with a smile, but the smile disappeared as soon as she turned back around. ¡°I won¡¯t give a damn about you anymore since you like being tortured so much!¡± Lucas¡¯ gaze turned complicated when he saw her changing her expression in a split second. Then, he pulled out a tube of ointment, which he had asked someone to bring from abroad, and shoved it in her hands. He was sure her legs were filled with bruises when she had kneeled for so long the other day. However, Victoria shoved it back into his hands without even looking at it. ¡°It¡¯s my business how I want to torture myself. It has nothing to do with you, and I don¡¯t need you to give a damn about me either.¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 You¡¯re The One at Fault At that, Victoria looked up at Lucas. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I die, you and your sister won¡¯t be invited to my funeral. I don¡¯t want to see you two ever again in my life.¡± ¡°Victoria.¡± Lucas turned grim as he clenched the tube of ointment. You¡¯re the one at fault here, not Be and I!¡± Even if they never saw each other again, Lucas and Be would be the ones who refused to see her and not the other way around. Victoria tugged at her lips. Though she still looked indifferent, the smirk added a hint of mockery to her face. ¡°Why did I even bothering?! Forget about two hours, it serves your right to kneel for two days or years when you keep clinging onto your mistakes!¡± With that, he turned around and headed to the elevator, chucking the ointment into a trash can. A muffled metallic sound came from the collision of the ointment and the trash, making the atmosphere in the corridor even more depressed. Livid with rage, Cameron wanted to punish Victoria, but the door to a private room opened just then, and a head poked out. ¡°Cleaner,e here. Someone puked all over the ce.¡± ¡°Coming.¡± Victoria grabbed the cleaning supplies and went into the room in the front. The room was smoke-shrouded, filled with the smell of cigarettes, alcohol,dies¡¯ perfume, and the acidic smell of vomit, making Victoria unable to breathe. ¡°Sorry for disturbing,¡± she said, walking toward therge patch of vomit on the couch and coffee table with a washcloth. Her crisp voice was exceptionally jarring in the smoke-shrouded room, causing several men who were flirting with women to look in Victoria¡¯s direction. ¡°A gorgeous girl, eh? Just when I thought she¡¯d be some old hag!¡± ¡°She looks pretty fine; I wonder what her body is like. Take your clothes off and let me have a look at it. If I like it, you can be my chick. What do you say?¡± ¡°Dude, you must be blind! Do you not see how hot she is? Be my chick. I guarantee you¡¯ll get more than you earn here!¡± Despite the obscenities the men hurled at her, Victoria turned a blind eye to them and focused on cleaning the vomit. The gooey texture of the cloth and the rotten, acidic smell made her stomach churn, but she endured it with gritted teeth. ¡°My shoe got stained as well. Why don¡¯t you wipe it clean for me too, gorgeous?!¡± A mantched his zing gaze on her. Victoria stood up and took a step back, trying her best to calm her surging stomach. ¡°The washcloth is You¡¯re The One at Fault dirty. I¡¯ll go and get a new one.¡± She turned around the second she finished her words, but the man spoke once more, ogling her. ¡°Don¡¯t bother! With a beauty like you, nothing is disgusting.¡± However, Victoria remained unmoving, only keeping her head lowered. She clenched the washcloth in her hand, allowing the vomit to drip down from the cloth and onto her shoes and shirt. Just the sight of it looked disgusting, and the group moved away from her with unconcealed disgust. The man, however, continued leering at her, sizing up her body for some time. Victoria licked her dry lips, walked to his side, and squatted down. Before she could see whernovelxo fast updatee the filth on his shoe was, he suddenly grabbed her hair, pulling her closer to him. The momentum caused her to kneel with a thud, and she leaned back reflexively only to realize she was kneeling in front of him by the time she came to herself. Everyone in the room burst intoughter the next second. Some even blew whistles at her. On the other hand, Victoria kneeled on the ground like a toy, being ridiculed and toyed with. She was in absolute difiture, Her hands pressed against the vomit-filled washcloth while her jagged short hair concealed the utter forbearance in her eyes. She bit her lip hard while her whole body shuddered. There¡¯s an ashtray on the coffee table. It¡¯ll be a good weapon to his head! At that, she felt for the ashtray, but the second she touched the edge, she withdrew her hand. Doing so will only piss off Christian¡­ ¡°Sweetheart.¡± The man pulled at her hair like a scoundrel while chucking a wad of cash on the coffee table with a malicious gaze. One hundred for a favor. What do you say?¡± Victoria, who was forced to look at him, removed her liquid foundation while her stomach continued to churn. However, she could only fight back the ufortableness and make sure she didn¡¯t puke. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Meanwhile, everyone in the room ridiculed her and said, ¡°Hurry up, sweetheart. You¡¯ll get more than you¡¯ll ever earn working as a cleaningdy!¡± ¡°Huh, James sure doesn¡¯t mind the filth. She¡¯s nothing but a cleaner that cleans the disgusting washroom every day. At least have her shower first.¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Need a Girl? A strong metallic taste spread in Victoria¡¯s mouth as she bit down on her lower lip until it bled. This was done in an attempt to force down the gastric juice that was gushing up to her throat. When the man saw that she had not moved for a long while, he grew more and more impatient. At the same time, the jeering voices in the room were bing louder. Click. The door of the room was suddenly opened and in came the tall figure belonging to Christian. Christian nced across the room coldly and eventuallynded his gaze on Victoria, who was kneeling on the floor. He knitted his eyebrows slightly upon seeing that but soon wore an indifferent look once again. Meanwhile, Charlotte leaned against the wall idly with a nonchnt but seductive look on her face. The crowd that was moring just a moment ago instantly quieted down. Everyone was standing straight in fear and two of them bolted to open the window to ventte the room. ¡°M-Mr. Thatcher.¡± The man quickly pushed Victoria away and stood with the others in apprehension. As she was not prepared for the sudden shove, she lost her bnce and fell to the ground. The ashtray that she had been holding on moments ago slipped from her hand as she fell, breaking into pieces. However, at times like this, the people around her could not spare the time to care about her or wonder why she would be holding an ashtray in the first ce. She stumbled to get back on her feet, then moved aside with her head lowered. Several broken pieces of the ashtray stuck in her palm resulted in her blood flowing from the cut and slowly dripping down onto the floor. Meanwhile, Christian was stunned for a moment as his gaze fell on her bleeding hand. Though, he looked away shortly after as if he had seen nothing. Everyone in the room was getting unnerved by the silence as no one dared to speak up. ¡°Need a girl?¡± He looked past Victoria to look at the man behind her. ¡°Do you want me to call some girls for you?¡± Hearing that, the man gave a hollowugh. He gulped nervously, then he stuttered, ¡°T-There¡¯s no need to trouble you.¡± Christian stared at him and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s not troubling at all. You¡¯re the customer here, so satisfying your desire is what the Delta Club should do. Charlotte,¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call a few people over to entertain this handsome guy.¡± Charlotte curled up her red lips as she gave the man a wink before saying slowly. ¡°Six machos. How does that sound?¡± The man¡¯s face turned pale upon hearing that, and he could not stop the trembling of his legs and hands. He was breaking out in cold sweat. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared.¡± She chuckled as she looked at him with her enchanting eyes. ¡°I have a drug here, and you can have it. Free of charge. Just take it as my generous treat for you.¡± At this moment, his forehead was dripping with cold sweat. He looked at the others for help, but all of them just looked away. He gulped anxiously as more beads of cold sweat were forming on his head. ¡°M-Mr. Thatcher, i-it¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t cause any trouble here. Next time, 1-1¡­¡± His knees buckled under Christian¡¯s cold stare. Thud! He fell on the mixture of vomit and broken pieces of the ashtray. He was so frightened that he could not even talk anymore. After 15 minutes, Victoria had finally finished with her cleaning and left the room. When she saw Christian standing in the hallway with his back facing her, she frowned immediately. With the cleaning tools in her hand, she walked in the opposite direction. novelxo fast update ¡°Come here. A clear and cold masculine voice sounded from her back. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she lowered her head and walked back to him. ¡°Thank you¡­. for just now.¡± ¡°Do you really mean it, though?¡± Christian lowered his head to look at her with a hint of mockery showing in his eyes. ¡°Or perhaps you are ming me for ruining your fun times?¡± When she heard that, she raised her head sharply to look at him with disbelief in her eyes. What¡­ does he mean? ¡°Am I wrong about that? You failed to seduce Anthony that night, so you changed your target this time.¡± His gaze thennded on her still bleeding hand. He frowned slightly at the sight but quickly looked away. ¡°Victoria, you really can ept any kind of man, don¡¯t you?¡± At this moment, the disbelief in her eyes dissipated gradually as she lowered her head once again. She mocked herself inwardly. Did I actually think that he¡¯d care about me? Haha. Something¡¯s definitely wrong with 1. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Even if she was raped by that disgusting man just now, Christian would probably think that she was the one seducing him first anyway, Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Will You Let Me Leave? ¡°Though, there¡¯s no need for you to waste your energy. No matter who you seduce, they won¡¯t have the ability to let you leave anyway.¡± Christian grabbed her chin, forcing Victoria to raise her head. She looked down as she refused to meet his gaze. ¡°What about you? Will you let me leave?¡± ¡°This is what you owe to Be.¡± When his gaze fell upon her split lip, he looked deep in thought for a moment as he lifted his fingertip toward her lip. Just when he was about to touch her lips, he knitted his brows slightly before moving his finger back to its original position. She tried to curl her lips upward to put on a smile, but she just could not do it no matter what. Instead, the corners of her eyes were bing moist by the second. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He scoffed at the sad look on her face. Thinking that she was being sad for another man, he said with a voice dripping with sarcasm, ¡°Feeling sad because you failed to seduce that man?¡± At this moment, his handsome and delicate face was so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath beating on her face. She could even make out every single detail of his face without the need to stare at him long and hard. Victoria had pictured herself leaning into his embrace as she listened to his heartbeat countless times, but she had never expected it to happen in this kind of situation. His words held no affection but only sharp irony. It was like the sharpest knife in the world that sliced through her heart and made her bleed. The instant she tried to open her mouth to speak, she felt her throat closing up along with the pressure building behind her eyes and nose. In the end, she could not utter a single word. Am I such a promiscuous woman in his eyes? ¡°Does being in prison for two years make you yearn for a man¡¯s touch this much?¡± Christian spoke next to her ears as he moved his hand across her waist in an upward motion. When his hand reached her cor, he suddenly pulled on it forcefully. Rip! A big part of her uniform was ripped, revealing her fair skin and the worn-out shirt that she wore underneath. Despite his hot breath blowing into her ear, she could only feel chills running down her spine. A look of disbelief crossed her face as she looked at the button that had been torn off from her uniform and fallen onto the floor. Her eyshes were quivering as she was stunned by his act. She quickly came back to her senses a secondter and pushed him away frantically. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± How can he do this to me?! What am I to him? ¡°d that you caught on to that,¡± Christian said with sarcasm. Although she had already guessed that he would say so, she still felt unbearable pain in her heart as though it was being pricked by thousands of needles. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. She knew that she should have given up a long time ago, but there was always a sliver of hope inside her that he would reciprocate her feelings. ¡°If I say that I didn¡¯t push Be, but she was the one who ran in front of the car on purpose, will you¡­ believe me?¡± Her voice was shaking at the end of the sentence. Even though she had said this many times, there was no one who would believe her. Even her brother did not believe in her words as the police held concrete proof of her so-called crime. On top of that, they reckoned that it was something that she would do, so they never once believed that she was innocent. Yet, she still decided to tell Christian. After all, for a smart person like him, he might see through Be¡¯s trick! ¡°You really learned nothing after two years in prison.¡± He chuckled while touching the obvious scars on her cheek. ¡°Guess you got these scars for nothing, huh?¡± Victoria took a few steps backward to get away from his touch with her tears unconsciously novelxo fast updatetrailing down her face. When she noticed that, she lowered her head and quickly wiped them off. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be pitiful in front of me. That won¡¯t work on me.¡± His expression was calm as he said that. ¡°Do you still have anything else to say?¡± She felt suffocated as though someone was putting their hands over her neck, choking her, and it made her chest tighten up even more. ¡°I should go back to work if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± Without waiting for Christian to say anything, she covered up her exposed skin with her hand, then ran toward the workroom located at the end of the hallway with the cleaning tools in her other hand. At the moment, her knees were in extreme pain, and so was her left leg which was nearly broken by Christian in the past. Nevertheless, she continued to run all the way into the workroom. It was not until she closed the door behind her that she finally let herself slump down onto the floor in agony. Then, she rolled up her pants to inspect her injury. Instead of recovering, the bruises on her knees had gotten worse. Those ck-and-blue marks spotting her knees simply looked intimidating. You need to take good care of your left leg from now on. Or else you¡¯ll really lose it forever. Can I still dance, though? No. What if I just dance for four hours? If it¡¯s not doable, two hours is fine with me too! I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t do that. That was her past conversation with the doctor two years ago. Everyone had been reminding her that Be was a dancer, but did anyone remember that she was a Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Will You¡­ Believe Me? dancer too? Knock knock. Someone knocked on the door. Victoria wiped off the tears that had been flowing down her cheeks without her notice. Then, she endured the pain as she stood back up to answer the door. ¡°Yes? Do you need anything?¡± The person standing at the door was Janice Mooney, the customer who stood up for her just now. When Victoria realized that Janice was staring at her legs, she quickly rolled down her pants with her left hand while using her right hand to hold her torn shirt in ce. She looked like a mess at this moment. ¡°Did they bully you?¡± Janice had knocked on the door when she heard the sound of weepinging from the workroom. And when she saw the terrible bruises on Victoria¡¯s legs, she was shocked and angry. ¡°I¡¯m awyer. You can tell me if you¡¯re facing any trouble. I¡¯ll help you!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°Thank you, but that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Victoria was abandoned by her family and friends, yet a stranger whom she had never met before was showing concern for her. She could not find any words to describe the mixed feelings that she currently felt. ¡°Are you afraid that the legal fees will be too expensive?¡± Janice patted her chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t take your money! If I don¡¯t win this case, I can ask my mentor to help you with it. I¡¯ll pay the legal fees!¡± Tm really fine. Thank you,¡± Victoria said. Janice frowned upon hearing that. Confusion and anger were evident on her baby face. ¡°Do you have something that you can¡¯t tell me? Are you afraid that this club will take revenge on you or- ¡°Miss, don¡¯t try to be a hero here. Karma wille back and bite you.¡± Daisy cut Janice off with a smirk on her face as she linked arms with a man in his fifties and walked over to them gracefully. ¡°I¡¯d advise you to stay away from Victoria. She¡¯s a criminal after all.¡± When the old man first saw Victoria¡¯s face, he had had some impure thoughts of her, but after hearing that¡­ Likewise, Janice was stunned as well. This janitor looks so shy and gentle. How could she be a criminal? ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Daisy let go of the old man and walked over to Victoria. She then pushed Victoria and bellowed, ¡°Tell her yourself!¡± Since Victoria was young, she had hated people touching her, especially pushing her. However, she had been forced to fix this quirk during her time in prison. ¡°Two years ago, I served in prisnovelxo fast updateon for attempted murder. ¡°What¡­¡± When Janice heard that, she felt shocked and awkward, and she did not know how to describe her feelings at the moment. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for your kindness. I still have a job to do, so I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Victoria was already used to the reaction that people would give her upon learning that she was a murderer. She turned around to take the cleaning tools before leaving the workroom and shut the door behind her. Meanwhile, Daisy linked arms with the old man again. The corners of her eyes were slightly raised, and hints of satisfaction and jealousy could be seen in her eyes. ¡°A pretty murderer is still a murderer, Mr. Barlow. Stay away from her if you see her next time. Who knows if she will kill you for your money,¡± she said loudly on purpose to make sure that Victoria, who was mopping the floor at the front, could hear her. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 She Doesn¡¯t Deserve to Die Yet With disdain clearly showing on his face, the old man said, ¡°Everything about Delta Club is good, but I just don¡¯t get why they would employ a person like her. She¡­¡± Their voices faded away as they walked into a room and the door closed behind them. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Victoria could hear what he said just now clearly. At first, she would be angry and sulking whenever she heard these kinds of remarks, but she was used to it by now after listening to it so many times. ¡°Here¡­¡± A pair of women¡¯s shoes suddenly appeared in front of her. ¡°Take this.¡± Right then, something was shoved into her hand. And when she lifted her head, she saw Janice take off immediately after passing her the item in hand, not giving her the chance to refuse. Victoria opened her hand and realized that it was Janice¡¯s name card. Janice Mooney from Voyage Legal Firm. Meanwhile, in the CEO¡¯s office of Delta Club, Christian was sitting on the couch with his slender legs crossed. The sun shone through the window and cast on his body, making the white shirt he was wearing glittery. The way that he was almost glowing under the sunlight added a sense of mystery to him. After she brewed the tea, Charlotte served him a cup of it. The corners of her eyes were upturned, and hints of caution were apparent in herzy but captivating eyes ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t understand the rtionship that you and Miss Spritz have at all.¡± He tilted his head to look at her before lifting the cup and taking a sip out of it. I¡¯ve never seen you on friendly terms with her, so it doesn¡¯t seem to me like you care about her.¡± She paused for a moment after that. When she saw that he did not get angry, she then slowly added, ¡°Yet, I wouldn¡¯t say that you don¡¯t care about her either. It¡¯s been two years since Victoria ran her over, but you¡¯re still punishing Victoria for her sake.¡± The rich aroma of the tea reached his nose and calmed his mind. He blew on the tea lightly before taking a few sips of it. It was a wonder how he could look so elegant and magnificent even just by carrying out such simple acts. Just when Charlotte thought that he would not say anything, he suddenly asked her, ¡°Who said that it¡¯s for Be¡¯s sake?¡± ¡°Is it not, though?¡± She raised her brows as she said that. Despite her confusion, she did not let it show on her exquisite features. However, she did not get a reply this time. Christian put down the tea cup, then looked at her with his deep eyes. ¡°Having too much free time on your hand?¡± ¡°Of course not. This is such a big club, after all. If it¡¯s not because you came and I needed to serve you for a while, I won¡¯t even have the time to have a sip of water.¡± Charlotte smiled delicately as she took the tea cup and refilled it for him. Then, she changed the topic. ¡°By the way, Gabrielle came to see me earlier today.¡± Christian took the tea cup once again. His well-defined fingers were adding radiance to the cyan- colored tea cup as he held it; the sight was simply as pretty as a picture. When he looked at his hand, an unnoticeable frown formed on his face as Victoria¡¯s bloody palm suddenly shed across his mind. ¡°She said that Victoria had a gastric problemst night and there were injuries all over her knees. And she had to work for more than 10 hours every single day. So, Gabrielle was afraid that Victoria would copse if this continued. Charlotte sat on the other couch and leaned against it leisurely. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have any casualties here. So, I¡¯m thinking of reducing her work load. What do you think?¡± ¡°Are you seriously asking me for my opinion on a minor matter like this? Now, I¡¯m starting to question your capability to work as the Delta Club¡¯s CEO. Feeling slightly annoyed, he raised his hand and pulled on his necktie to loosen it before standing up to head out. Just when he was about to exit the room, he stopped in his tracks and said coldly, ¡°Send her some medicine. She doesn¡¯t deserve to die yet.¡± Then, he left. When Charlotte heard that, a spark of interest shed in her peach blossom eyes. Tsk tsk. She doesn¡¯t deserve to die, or is it you who don¡¯t want to see her die? By the time Victoria changed her clothes and ate her lunch, her 15-minute lunch break was already up. She barely had the time to rest at all. She massaged both of her legs, which were so sore as though she had just run several marathons in one go. While in a haze, she grabbed the cleaning tools and started to make her way out of the canteen. When are days like this going to end? At this moment, a few people who had juste for lunch looked at her and whispered, ¡°Our lunchtime is two-hours long, right? Why does she always go back to work at 12:15PM?¡± ¡°I know her. She was a hostess previously, but after she offended someone, she was then reassigned to be a janitor. And she needs to work more than 10 hours a day.¡± ¡°Why is she still staying here then?¡± It just so happened that Daisy passed by while they were having the conversation. So, she said loudly, ¡°You know nothing. She has seduced so many rich men in these few days. This kind of suffering is nothing once she bes a rich woman in the future. This is called being resilient!¡± Hearing that, many gazesnded on Victoria; some filled with disdain, some with irony, some with indifference, and only a few of them filled with sympathy. ¡°Fie! Do you really think that you can turn from rags to riches? Why don¡¯t you take a look at yourself in the mirror? You¡¯re just daydreaming!¡± Daisy spat at Victoria with her eyes full of disdain and contempt. When Victoria lowered her head and saw the spit on her shoes, the muscles on her arms tightened as she balled up her fists subconsciously. She unclenched them at first but soon after, she held her fists tight once again. The wound on her palm was torn again from the pressure, and the blood dripped down onto the floor from her calloused hand. She was having a hard time deciding whether to endure the harsh remarks She Doesn¡¯t Deserve to Die Yet thrown at her face or submit to her rage and fight back. ¡°Not happy about me?¡± Daisy walked up to her and arrogantly jabbed at her chest with an index finger a few times. ¡°Spit back at me if you dare-Ah!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Victoria had already raised the mop that was still stained with dirty water and pressed it on her face. At this moment, the crowd was stunned. Daisy¡¯s entire face was covered by the mop. When she breathed in, her nose was filled with the smell that made her want to vomit. She brandished her hands, wanting to push the mop away, but to no avail. So, she shouted in a shrill voice, ¡°Victoria Coleman! You shameless b*tch! Let go of your hands now!¡± novelxo fast update Thud! Just as she finished her sentence, Victoria kicked her on her knees, making her stumble and kneel right in front of Victoria. The mop fell onto the ground at the same time. Then, Daisy raised her head that was covered in dirty water and was about to scold Victoria. When she met Victoria¡¯s eyes, all she could see was darkness and malice in them. It was as if she was looking at an offended beast. At this moment, everything she wanted to say was stuck in her throat. All of a sudden, she was covered in goosebumps as she felt chills running down her spine. However, when she looked closer, she realized that Victoria¡¯s expression was calm as usual, as though what she saw a moment ago was just an illusion. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m a criminal.¡± Victoria picked up the mop and did not even look at Daisy as she walked toward the exit with the mop in her hand. However, she stopped in her tracks just outside the door. After some time, the pin-drop silence of the canteen was broken by boos and hisses that were filled with all sorts ofments. Some of the workers were evenughing at Daisy for getting her butt whipped by Victoria. ¡°I didn¡¯t even dare to make a sound when I saw that fierce look on Victoria just now!¡± ¡°It¡¯s better if we stay away from her from now on. Who knows when she will want to¡­¡± ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with Miss Charlotte too. There are so many people out there, but she just had to choose this kind of person. What happened just now was really scary. From now on. I¡¯m going to bring along a stun gun whenever Ie to work!¡± ¡°Daisy had iting, though. Both of them are like two peas in a pod, so it¡¯s more or less just a dogfight.¡± ¡°I felt quite satisfied when Victoria pressed that mop on Daisy¡¯s face. She gossiped about me quite a lot. after all.¡± When Daisy heard all thesements, her face started changing from pale to red as she felt humiliated and angry. The shade of red was getting deeper and one could easily mistake her face for a palette. She held herself up off the ground while grinding her teeth with hate. I¡¯ll definitely make her pay for this! She Doesn¡¯t Deserve to Die Yet At the door, when Victoria heard their discussions, a sarcastic and bitter smile tugged on her lips. She could never get rid of this tag for the rest of her life. Even though she was forced to fight back, she would still be the party at fault because of her past. She was like a filth in everyone¡¯s eye, something to be avoided at all cost¡­. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 I Did It On the second floor of the mansion, Be took photos from a man excitedly and flipped through them one by one. There was nothing much about Christian and Victoria in the first 10 photos, but for those after that¡­ With her reddened eyes, she raised the photos and asked the man, ¡°When did this happen? Why are you only telling me this now?¡± ¡°I took them this morning.¡± The man nced at the door of the room cautiously and was anxious to leave. ¡°I should leave now if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± ¡°Why are you only telling me this now when you took it in the morning?¡± Her eyes were full of pain and anger at this moment. If she knew about this earlier, she could still probably stop them. ¡°Tell you earlier and let you stir up trouble in Delta Club?¡± He massaged his be. ¡°Miss Spritz, I will be fired if Mr. Spritz knows that I helped you take these photos. So, please don¡¯t ask me to do this kind of thing anymore.¡± He left the room hastily after he said that, and Be could not even stop him. While biting her lips, she looked at the photo of Christian kissing Victoria, and her vision was blurred with her tears. Throughout these two years, not even once had Christian toughed her hand. And yet, Victoria had just been released from prison not long ago, and he¡­ I can¡¯t lose to her like this. No way. It was only at 9.00PM that Victoria finally dragged her exhausted body back to the dorm. Just as she pushed the door to her room open, a shirt was thrown at her that covered her head. She realized that it was the shirt she wore earlier. ¡°I had no idea that you were this shameless, Victoria.¡± Daisy sneered as she blocked the door. The dorm rooms were not that far apart from one another, and the corridor was so quiet at the moment that people from other rooms could easily hear the stirring outside. So, a group of men and women came out to watch the fun almost immediately upon hearing the ruckus. ¡°Please move.¡± Victoria¡¯s expression remained indifferent as usual, but her trembling body gave away her emotions. ¡°You¡¯re embarrassed now?¡± Daisy opened her hand widely and continued to block Victoria¡¯s way. She then shouted at the crowd who were watching, ¡°You guys be the judge. Do you think I still dare to stay with this kind of shameless b*tch?¡± The crowd started to boo and hiss. ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°Who dares to? You might be killed in the middle of the night while you¡¯re sleeping.¡± ¡°She should just stay in prison forever! Isn¡¯t it dangerous to release her back to society?¡± At this moment, Victoria clutched the torn uniform in her hand and stared at the arrogant woman in front of her. ¡°What the f*ck are you looking at?!¡± Daisy raised her chin slightly and poked her finger at Victoria¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Why not try telling everyone here who you¡¯re seducing this time? Is it Dexter? Cyrus? Or someone else?¡± Dexter and Cyrus both had girlfriends who were working at the Delta Club, and they might be among the crowd now. It was obvious that Daisy was trying to stir up trouble. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Victoria tightened her back muscles as she tried to ignore those revolting comments from the crowd. ¡°Please move. I want to go in.¡± She was exhausted both physically and mentally, so she really did not have the energy to entertain Daisy anymore. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re all idiots?!¡± Daisy yelled in her piercing voice while pulling on Victoria, not letting her pass. At this moment. Victoria¡¯s face darkened. Her anger was building up inside her at a fast rate, ready to explode. ¡°Don¡¯t push my button, Daisy!¡± However, Daisy grabbed her shirt, not nning on letting her go. ¡°I like to push your button, so what? There¡¯s nothing you-Hey!¡± ¡°You¡¯re really annoying!¡± Victoria threw that torn uniform onto Daisy¡¯s head and kicked her onto the ground. Then, she simply grabbed a chair behind the door and raised it before smashing it down onto Daisy¡¯s head. Instantly, the uniform on her head was dyed in crimson. The sight was simply horrifying. The crowd that was moring just a moment ago became silent at once, as though their brain had stopped functioning upon seeing the sight before them. The only noise that filled the silence was Daisy¡¯s cursing as she red at Victoria furiously. However, Victoria seemingly did not hear her. She took the chair up and hit Daisy again. Her expression was very calm throughout the process, making people seized with terror. Although there were many people looking at them, no one came forward to stop her. The puddle of blood on the floor was slowly growing in size, and people were gagging as the smell of blood grew stronger as well. At this moment, Daisy finally stopped cursing and used her weak, trembling voice to beg Victoria to spare her life. Her shricks of agony that tumbled out of her mouth as the blows rained down on her made the people around her feel chilly to the bone. ¡°You should have behaved yourself when you already knew that I¡¯m a bad person. This will teach you not to mess with me anymore Victoria¡¯s legs and stomach were killing her at this moment, but this pain was nothingpared to the agony she had suffered in prison for two years. Then, she threw the chair aside and squatted down to take the bloody uniform off from Daisy¡¯s head. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Meanwhile, Daisy was curling up her body on the floor with blood all over her face, making her look hideous. Her eyes were wide in horror with a hint of spite toward Victoria that she thought was well- hidden. ¡°Do I make myself clear?¡± Victoria looked down at her. Despite knowing that Daisy was reluctant, she did not make anyment about it. Her life in prison and Christian had taught her about thew of the jungle. Nobody would sympathize with the weak. Daisy nodded as her body trembled in fear. Her tears cleared some of the bloodstains away as they trailed down her face before bing one with the blood at once. ¡°What¡¯s with this crowd? Is there an event that I don¡¯t know about?¡± A mellow feminine voice traversed through the crowd and reached Victoria¡¯s ears. novelxo fast update The instant Victoria recognized whose voice it belonged to, she froze up immediately, and her mind went nk. Oh no, I shouldn¡¯t have acted on impulse just now. She stood up, and her body was trembling uncontrobly. If Charlotte tells Christian about this¡­. She licked her chapped lips and did not dare to think any further. The crowd parted voluntarily, giving way to Charlotte. When she walked up to the door and saw the person on the floor covered with blood, she was so furious that she startedughing. ¡°Someone sure has the guts to have beat her into this state. Who did this?¡± With her eyshes quivering badly, Victoria took a step forward. Her voice was a little hoarse since she did not drink water for quite a while. ¡°I did it,¡± she said simply, not giving any further exnation. No one ever listened to her exnation anyway, so why bother? ¡°M-Miss Charlotte.¡± Daisy climbed up from the ground while crying. ¡°If you don¡¯te here on time, Victoria would have b-beaten me to death by now. Y-You can¡¯t let this kind of person stay in Delta Club. She¡¯s too d-dangerous¡­¡± The others went along with her, asking Charlotte to fire Victoria. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 ¡°Since all of you are so assertive, why not be the CEO instead?¡± Charlotte blinked her sparkling eyes and nced at the crowd with a nonchnt smile. At once, the crowd turned silent and lowered their heads. None of them dared to talk anymore. Then, Charlotte¡¯s gazended on Daisy¡¯s face that was full of blood and clicked her tongue. With her head tilted, she looked at Victoria. ¡°Since you¡¯ve beaten her to this state, I¡¯ll deduct three months of pay aspensation for her medical fees. Do you have any objections to this?¡± ¡°No.¡± Victoria looked down, her palms covered with sweat. She was afraid there would be other punishments apart from her three-month sry deduction. ¡°You¡¯re only deducting three months of her sry?¡± Daisy wasn¡¯t crying anymore. Instead, she shouted in a shrill voice, ¡°I disagree, Miss Charlotte! Deducting three months of her sry is too lenient for when she¡¯s beaten me to this state. I want¡­¡± ¡°What do you want, then?¡± Charlotte cut her off with a half smile. At this moment, Daisy was feeling as though someone was choking her throat. She couldn¡¯t say anything for some time, and only her face reddened. Meanwhile, blood was trickling down her face from the wound on her head. It was scary, but somehow hrious. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°I want two of you to send Daisy to the hospital. The rest of you should go back,¡± Charlotte said with a smile. The crowd that was watching the fun pushed the job to each other. In the end, two women came forward unwillingly and brought Daisy to the hospital while the rest of them returned to their own rooms. Then, Charlotte passed by Victoria and entered her room. When she saw the blood stains on the floor, she chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re really ruthless.¡± Hearing that, Victoria felt her heart skip a beat. She clenched both sides of her shirt but quickly released them. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright, you can tell me now¡ªwhy did you beat Daisy up?¡± Charlotte sat beside the bed and raised her eyebrows. Without waiting for Victoria to answer, she continued, ¡°Never mind. Don¡¯t tell me. I¡¯m not interested in hearing it either.¡± She then took out two tubes of ointment from her bag and threw them at Victoria. After Victoria caught them, she looked at the description on the box and saw that they were treatments for bruises and other wounds. With the ointments in her hand, she asked after hesitating for a moment, ¡°Are they from you?¡± ¡°Who else?¡± Charlotte stretched her body and used one hand to prop her chin. Then, she asked Victoria with a smile, ¡°Who do you want them to be from? Mr. Thatcher?¡± ¡°N-No.¡± Victoria¡¯s face was burning, and she was acting a little awkward. ¡°Thank you, Miss Charlotte. How much are they? I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± Since Charlotte was working under Christian, she thought that these ointments were from him. Something is really wrong with me. He¡¯s the one who wants me to use my life topensate for Be¡¯s injuries, so why would he care about my injuries? ¡°Never mind. They¡¯re cheap.¡± Charlotte stood up, avoided the blood stain on the floor, and left the room elegantly. Just then, Victoria dragged her legs. It felt like two shot puts were tied to her ankles as she followed behind Charlotte. She suddenly asked in a soft voice, ¡°Miss Charlotte, can I ask you a question?¡± Hearing that, Charlotte stopped walking and turned around to look at her while raising her eyebrows. ¡°Did Mr. Thatcher mention when I¡¯d be able to leave this ce?¡± Victoria licked her chapped lips. Her eyes, which were always filled with exhaustion and vicissitudes, had little sparks in them for the first time. ¡°Nope.¡± Charlotte tucked her hair to the back of her ear. There was an alluring charm in her every action. ¡°I think he might not have thought about this question.¡± Has he never once thought about this question? Do I need to stay here for the rest of my life to atone for Be? At this thought, the spark in her eyes fizzled out. Although she was standing under a bright light, she couldn¡¯t see the front. Every part of her life was just blurry. No matter how she walked it, she would end up standing at the end of a cliff, staring right at the abyss. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± She took a deep breath while trembling and wiped off the tears at the corners of her eyes before returning to her room absent-mindedly. ¡­ One week had passed in just the blink of an eye. After Daisy was hospitalized, the others didn¡¯t dare gossip about Victoria anymore after seeing how tough she was. However, Victoria¡¯s workload was still as much. She was in charge of cleaning two floors on her own. Despite having a sore waist and back every day, it was wishful thinking for her to have a day off. As she was cleaning the hallway, a man scolded her with his face full of disgust, ¡°You there! Can¡¯t you pay attention when mopping the floor? You¡¯ve stained my shoes!¡± ¡°Sorry, should I get a new towel and wipe them for you?¡± Although her mop hadn¡¯t touched his shoes at all, she still apologized to him since exining would only cause her more trouble. She was already tired every single day, so she didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with this kind of trouble. ¡°Forget it!¡± the man said unhappily. ¡°Pay attention next time. You can¡¯t afford topensate me if you dirty them. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Be careful, for the floor is slippery.¡± With the mop in her hand, she stood aside and waited for the man to walk away. After that, she turned around and looked at Gabrielle, who had just arrived not long ago. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Miss Charlotte is looking for you.¡± With a frown, Gabrielle said while walking, ¡°Everything on that man just now is only worth eight thousand at most. He¡¯s not a rich man, so there¡¯s no need for you to treat him like that.¡± Hearing that, she just smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. Since she didn¡¯t mind it, Gabrielle didn¡¯t continue talking about it either. She brought her to the CEO¡¯s office and left right after. Then, Victoria knocked on the door and entered the room after getting permission. When she saw the people inside, her face turned pale. She lowered her head and said, ¡°Mr. Thatcher, Miss Charlotte.¡± Christian was sitting on the couch with the sunlight shining from his back, so she couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly. He crossed one leg over the other, and there was a lit cigarette between hinovelxo fast updates fingers. It was just like the scene where he used the club to break her leg two years ago. This version of him had appeared countless times in her nightmare, startling her awake. At this moment, she didn¡¯t even dare look at him. ¡°You¡¯re quite fast.¡± Charlotte prepared some tea and put it on the table before asking with a smile, ¡°How¡¯s Daisy? Can she be discharged yet?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t visit her.¡± There was sweat forming on her nose, and her fingers were trembling uncontrobly. Has Christiane to hold me ountable after a week? Is he going to send me to jail just like two years ago? At this moment, her eyshes were quivering while her throat was turning dry. Fear was engulfing her at this very moment. I should¡¯ve held it back. I shouldn¡¯t have beat Daisy up¡­ ¡°I¡¯m just asking. Why are you so nervous?¡± Charlotte lifted her charming eyes a little and gave Victoria a cup of tea with a smile. ¡°Have some tea and loosen up a little. I won¡¯t eat you up.¡± The faint smell of cigarettes wafted through the office. Throughout the entire time, Christian said nothing and did not move an inch. Yet, every inch of the room was filled with his aura, making Victoria extremely tense. She took the tea cup in both of her hands. Before she could thank Charlotte, Christian looked at her all of a sudden. ng! The tea cup fell to the ground and broke into pieces. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± With an extremely pale face, she squatted down to pick up the broken pieces on the ground. Just then, she identally cut her hand with a broken piece and blood started flowing out. It was as though she couldn¡¯t feel the pain at all as she continued to pick up the broken pieces on the ground. ¡°You can¡¯t even hold a cup on your own? Do you think that you¡¯re still the youngdy of the Coleman Family, huh?¡± Christian stood up and walked up to her,nding his gaze on her bleeding hand with coldness hidden in his eyes. Although it was her hand that was injured, she felt that her heart was the one bleeding. She lowered her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± This apologetic look of hers made him feel a little annoyed. As such, Christian frowned and ordered Charlotte, ¡°Treat her wound. I don¡¯t want others to think that I¡¯m abusing my employees. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Charlotte replied with a smile and took out a medical kit to treat Victoria¡¯s wound. At the same time, she asked casually, ¡°Do you want me to prepare an outfit for Victoria?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Christian walked to the side of the table and threw the cigarette, which still had half of it left, into the ashtray. Meanwhile, Victoria felt a little pain when the alcohol came into contact with her wound. Cold sweat formed on her forehead, but she just grinded her teeth without making a sound. However, she was feeling very unsettled in her mind. Why did Charlotte ask whether he wanted her to prepare an outfit for her? Does she want me to drink with the customers? ¡°We¡¯re done.¡± Charlotte kept the medical kit and raised her head to look at Victoria. As soon as she looked at her, she clicked her tongue. ¡°This scar on your head¡­ It¡¯s such a waste.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Charlotte. I should leave now.¡± When Victoria heard what Charlotte said just now, she became even more unsettled. She stood up with her pale face, wanting to go outside. At this moment, Christian stopped her from the back. ¡°Did I ask you to leave?¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± she turned around and asked. However, he didn¡¯t say anything and simply walked past her, going outside of the room. When he saw that she was not following him, his actions came to a halt as he said with a frown, ¡°Are you not coming?¡± Hearing that, Victoria clenched the corners of her shirt and dragged her heavy legs, promptly following him from behind. The sun was setting, pulling his shadow into a very long shape that ovepped with hers. Even this made her feel so much pressure that she nearly couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Mr. Thatcher.¡± The driver was already waiting beside the Bentley. After Christian entered the car, the driver closed the car door. Meanwhile, Victoria walked to the other side of the vehicle. Just as her right leg was about to step into the car, she heard him say, ¡°Bring something to cover the seat. Don¡¯t dirty my car.¡± At once, her body froze a little as she retracted her foot silently. Right then, she only felt that standing in the fall wind while dressed in such a thin uniform made her chilly from within. Since there was no towel or cushion in the car, the driver took a bunch of tissues and covered the seat where Victoria was going to sit, lest she dirtied it. ¡°Cover the floor as well.¡± Christian was sitting in the car, looking at his documents, not giving Victoria a single nce. With the tissues in his hand, he smiled at Victoria sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. My shoes are dirty, so you should cover the floor.¡± The sun hadpletely set by then. Chilliness was entering her pores through her uniform, making her tremble from the cold. When the driver was finished covering the floor, she got into the car and sat straight. She didn¡¯t want to, nor did she dare to touch the seat in case Christian med her for making his car dirty. The car drove along the road. Meanwhile, Victoria tilted her head to look out of the window. The mall that was her first choice whenever she wanted to go shopping had been removed, and in its ce was now a club. The food street near Golden Oak University hadpletely changed too, and it was rebuilt into a shopping center. After two years in prison, the world looked like it had changed drastically when she was finally released. Atst, the car stopped in front of a five-star hotel. After Victoria got down from the car, only then did she realize that there were already many luxurious cars parked here. Moreover, everyone came out of their cars dressed in formal attire. It seemed like a cocktail party was being held there. ¡°Mr. Thatcher.¡± Victoria lowered her head, letting her uneven fringe cover her expression. ¡°Can I wait for you outside?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Christian stopped walking and looked at her with a half-smile. Hearing that, she tugged on a bitter smile on her lips and followed behind him as they entered the banquet. At this moment, her blue janitor uniform was extremely horrible to look at within a bunch of suits and gowns, making her look out of ce. From the moment she arrived, countless people had been looking at her with curiosity, contempt, and disdain. She lowered her head the whole time, trying hard to minimize her presence. ¡°Mr. Coleman.¡± Although Christian met several people who came to talk to him, he just nodded to them. However, he stopped walking when he met Glen. ¡°Mr. Thatcher?¡± Glen had a ss of champagne in his hand, and he was smiling a little awkwardly. ¡°Long time no see.¡± When Victoria heard that, she raised her head sharply and stared at the elegant middle-aged man in front of her. Instantly, the area around her eyes started to redden. She licked her chapped lips and was about to greet her father. Yet, before she could say the word ¡®Dad¡¯, Glen excused himself, saying that he had something else to do. At this moment, she stared at him from behind, and he looked as though he was running away hastily. Suddenly, she could only hear a humming in her ears and nothing else. After some time, she wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes and lowered her head, swallowing the word ¡®Dad¡¯ which had reached the top of her throat just now. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you happy to meet your dad?¡± Christian bent down a little and raised her chin, looking at her on the same eye level. Her tears had blurred her vision at one point. She tried hard to widen her eyes, not letting her tears fall. ¡°Yes, tha¡ª¡± She tried her best to suppress the sob in her throat. ¡°Thank you.¡± Looking at the tears in her eyes, he frowned a little and strengthened his grip on her chin. ¡°You¡¯re wee. Since you¡¯re happy, I¡¯ll help you meet him more often.¡± ¡°Thank you, then.¡± Victoria put on a smile and took a step back, avoiding his touch. Christian chuckled a little and looked at his hand, which was left in the air, before grabbing a ss of champagne with his well-defined hand and taking a sip. Just then, Be shouted, ¡°Christian!¡± Victoria raised her head and saw that Lucas was walking over to them while pushing Be, who was sitting on a wheelchair. She was in a white off-the-shoulder knee-length dress with her ck hair tied in a bun, showing off her beautiful features and long neck. Her delicate beauty mixed with her elegance made her seem like a little white flower swaying in the wind. On the other hand, Lucas was dressed in a dark blue suit. With his handsome features, it made people think that a noble person ought to look like this.novelxo fast update When he saw that Victoria was here, his expression became disgruntled. ¡°Why do you want toe here so badly even though you¡¯re dressed like this? What are you even thinking?¡± ¡°Lucas!¡± Be red at him. Then, she looked at Victoria before saying gently, ¡°Our height and weight are about the same. I still have another dress, and you should change into it. It isn¡¯t suitable for you to be wearing this at a cocktail party.¡± ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be here if she knows that wearing this is not suitable!¡± Lucas walked up to Victoria and held her hand while frowning. ¡°Follow me. The dress is in the car.¡± At this moment, Christian¡¯s gazended on their locked hands. He chuckled before saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you two to worry about my people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just caring for Victoria.¡± Be bit her lip. ¡°There are many people here who know her. If they see what she¡¯s wearing, they will probablyugh at her.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t wear your clothes even if everyone in this worldughs at me. There¡¯s no need for you to act like this.¡± Victoria broke free from Lucas¡¯ hand and stood behind Christian. Seeing that, Be wanted to say something but did otherwise. There was darkness in her eyes, and her tears welled up noticeably. ¡°Act? Be treats you genuinely, yet you¡¯re giving her this kind ofment?¡± Lucas¡¯ face darkened at once. ¡°If I knew that you were this ungrateful, I would¡¯ve asked Be to charge you with attempted murder and let you stay in prison for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°Lucas, she was still my friend nheless. Don¡¯t say that.¡± Be tugged on Lucas¡¯ arm with bitterness written all over her face. Seeing that, Lucas felt bad for her and stroked her head. ¡°You will suffer for being this kind all the time.¡± Every time Victoria met this pair of siblings, she always felt disgusted as though she had eaten a fly. She clenched her fists and asked softly, ¡°Mr. Thatcher, can we leave now?¡± Before Christian could answer, Be said gently, ¡°Christian, my parents have just arrived and are asking to see you.¡± Subconsciously, Victoria tugged on his arm and was nearly begging. ¡°Mr. Thatcher¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to see them at all. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Christian ignored Victoria¡¯s low attitude and pushed her hand away with ease. ¡°Push the wheelchair.¡± Victoria just stood in the same ce without moving and looked at him in his eyes. ¡°Do you really need to do this?¡± ¡°Victoria, I¡¯m very impatient.¡± He swayed the ss of champagne in his hand and took a sip. The way his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down was so seductive that many female guests took a double take. However, in Victoria¡¯s eyes, he was just a demon no matter how alluring he was. Meanwhile, she was just a little ant, so she could only obey this demon¡¯s words. While lowering her head, sheughed at herself and walked to the back of the wheelchair resignedly. There was an enormous difference between Be¡¯s position and her position in Christian¡¯s heart. Why did she think that he would listen to her? ¡°Just let Lucas do it.¡± There was jealousy and hatred deep inside Be¡¯s eyes, but her face was full of worry. ¡°Victoria is already being looked down on aftering here in her uniform. If she¡¯s asked to push my wheelchair, I¡¯m afraid the rest will think she¡¯s my maid.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t even care about this. Why are you so concerned?¡± Lucas said with a poker face and left right away. ¡°In that case, thank you, Victoria.¡± Be smiled gently. ¡°Just follow Lucas. My parents are in front.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of acting like this every day?¡± Victoria pushed the wheelchair and said mockingly. When Be heard that, surprise crept on her face along with hints of innocence and confusion. ¡°What do you mean by that? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Victoria was disgusted by her reaction. She pressed her lips together without engaging in conversation and simply pushed the wheelchair quietly while following behind Lucas. After a while, they arrived at Kevin and Nancy¡¯s side. Just as Victoria stopped walking, the disgruntled Nancy pushed her away. Nancy was quite strong, and since Victoria hadn¡¯t been guarded against her, she stumbled and knocked into a table at the back. Squeak! The friction between the table and the floor made a screeching sound, and all the wine and dishes fell onto the ground. Likewise, Victoria fell and sat on the floor. Her tailbone was in so much pain from the fall, so she bit her lip as tiny beads of sweat formed on her forehead. When Christian saw that, he knitted his brows together and took a step forward. However, he took a step back almost immediately and just looked from the side. ¡°How are you, Be?¡± Nancy checked on Be and didn¡¯t hide the worry on her face. ¡°Why is this murderer with you? Did she hurt you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Victoria like this, Mom. She used to be my best friend, after all.¡± Be furrowed her beautiful brows together, looking a little unhappy. ¡°You treated her as your friend, but what did she treat you as?¡± Nancy choked up a little. ¡°Had you not been rescued on time, I don¡¯t know whether¡­ you¡¯d still be alive or not.¡± Since it was getting loud here, many people looked in their direction and pointed their fingers at Victoria on the ground. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she put in prison for attempted murder? Why is she here?¡± ¡°Miss Spritz was so kind that she didn¡¯t charge her with intentional homicide because they used to be friends. As such, she¡¯s been released after two years.¡± ¡°Miss Spritz is really kind. She still thinks about the past even when she was almost murdered.¡± ¡°Why did the security let her in? Who can guarantee our safety?¡± As Victoria was sitting on the floor, she bit her lips forcefully without letting go until it tore slightly. There was a taste of blood in her mouth. While in her daze, she realized these onlookers looked at her with mockery, disdain, contempt, and fear¡ªall of which ovepped with the scene from two years ago. Her face turned pale, and her body trembled uncontrobly. Why does no one believe that I didn¡¯t do it? She raised her head and looked at Christian pitifully. Only then did she see that he was standing there with the ss of champagne in his hand, looking at her from above with coldness and disgust. At this moment, she opened her mouth, but her throat was blocked as though a cloud of cotton was stuck inside, making her unable to say a word. She looked at her surroundings in a daze to see Lucas, Be, Mr. and Mrs. Spritz, and all the other famous and wealthy people¡­ She practically knew everyone there, but at that very moment, they simply looked at her in disgust as though they were looking at a maggot. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting up? Are you waiting for people to help you up?¡± Christian said in an icy tone and looked at her with his cold gaze. ¡°I think she¡¯s feeling the pain from the fall and can¡¯t get up herself.¡± Be turned the wheels of her wheelchair and arrived at Victoria¡¯s side. She then reached out her hand with concern. ¡°Where are you injured? Do you want to go to the hospital?¡± When they looked each other in the eyes, Victoria could clearly see the satisfaction hidden deep inside Be¡¯s eyes. Thus, she ignored the woman¡¯s outstretched hand and supported herself with both her hands on the ground as she stood up slowly. Her uneven fringe had be messy from the earlier fall, and it lifted to show the obvious crescent scar on her forehead. On top of that, wine had spilled over the crotch area of her pants. At this moment, there were people pointing at her from afar andughing at her tantly. Theyughed at her shirt, her scar, and her pants, which looked like she had peed herself. Meanwhile, the man that she had used her life to love was just standing in front of her and trampling on her dignity, just like everyone else at the banquet. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Clear everything up. This is what you¡¯re best at.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Victoria replied to him with her head lowered, and she could hear her own voice shaking. She didn¡¯t look at anyone again and just looked for a waiter to ask for some cleaning tools. Under the gazes of the crowd, she looked down and cleaned the floor in silence. ¡°Victoria.¡± Scarlett walked over and kicked Victoria softly, who was squatting on the ground. ¡°Your ex- friends wanted me to ask you if you clean toilets when working as a janitor. What if you can¡¯t flush the toilet? Do you use your hands to clean them up?¡±novelxo fast update Hearing that, Victoria stood up and looked at the few celebrities who used to call her their bestie two years ago. Then, her deadly gazended on Scarlett. Her gaze was making Scarlett very ufortable. ¡°I¡¯m asking you something!¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s going to pounce on your boyfriend.¡± Victoria pocketed her gaze. As Scarlett became distracted while looking for Lucas, Victoria threw the cloth into the bucket and carried it out of the banquet hall. After she put the things back to their original ces and was on her way to return to the banquet hall, she met Lucas at the entrance. She gave him a calm nce and looked away almost immediately. Just as she was ready to walk past him to enter the hall, he suddenly pulled her and dragged her in the direction of the stairway. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Victoria struggled. When Lucas heard that, he stopped walking and turned around to look at her. ¡°Don¡¯t move around if you don¡¯t want to get other people¡¯s attention.¡± She pressed her lips together and followed him to the stairway with a disgruntled expression. Then, she asked in a low voice, ¡°What do you need me for?¡± ¡°How are the injuries on your legs?¡± As he said that, he squatted down to roll up her pants. Almost immediately, she took a step back, avoiding his touch. ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°You kneeled for such a long time that day and didn¡¯t even ept my ointment. Aren¡¯t you scared that you¡¯ll lose your legs?¡± He raised his head and looked at her with some anger on his handsome face. She was toozy to exin anything to him, so she repeated, ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± In this life of hers, she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the Spritz Family. She couldn¡¯t afford to mess with them, after all. As she said that, she raised her leg and wanted to leave, but he grabbed her shoulder from the back. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Victoria clenched her fists and didn¡¯t look back. ¡°Mr. Spritz, you have a girlfriend. Aren¡¯t you afraid that she will misunderstand you if she finds us here?¡± When Lucas¡¯ grip on her shoulder loosened a little, she didn¡¯t even look at him at all and just left the stairway right away. However, her rotten luck made her bump into Scarlett on the way out. Victoria paused for a moment and continued walking, but when she walked to the left, Scarlett walked to the left too, and when she walked to the right, Scarlett followed suit, blocking her path entirely. ¡°Why did Luke want to see you?¡± Scarlett asked while grinding her teeth. Victoria didn¡¯t answer her but threw another question at the woman instead. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I broke Be¡¯s legs during that ident? Do you think Mr. Spritz would want to be with his sister¡¯s enemy?¡± Hearing that, Scarlett hesitated for a moment. Nheless, she still felt uneasy about it. ¡°If you have nothing to hide, just tell me why he was looking for you.¡± ¡°What do you want to know? You can just ask me instead.¡± Lucas came out of the stairway, and his expression didn¡¯t look too good. When Scarlett saw him, the jealousy and anger on her face dissipated and only panic was left. She then ran to his side and linked arms with him before saying softly, ¡°Luke, I¡­¡± Victoria didn¡¯t want anything to do with this couple, so she entered the banquet hall right away since Scarlett wasn¡¯t blocking her way. However, at the banquet, everyone had morous attire with heavy makeup on, chatting with each other with wine sses in their hands. On the contrary, she had uneven short hair and was wearing a janitor¡¯s uniform, making her look out of ce. At once, she didn¡¯t know where to go. She looked at Christian, who was standing beside Be while talking to Kevin and Nancy. Although she didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, she saw a faint smile on his handsome face. Meanwhile, her father and a few men in suits were talking andughing. He just tilted his head to nce at her and looked away almost immediately, making it seem as though he had seen some dirty rubbish. This was the first time she realized that she was truly alone. ¡°Miss, Mr. Thatcher is asking for you,¡± a waiter came to her and said. Victoria nodded in exhaustion and dragged her heavy legs over to Christian¡¯s side. ¡°Victoria, your shirt is all wet. You¡¯ll catch a flu if you wear this for the whole night,¡± Be said gently. ¡°Just change into my dress.¡± ¡°Why are you still treating her so well when she broke your leg? Are you dumb?¡± Nancy was frustrated. ¡°Are you going to count the money for your kidnappers happily if they sell you off?¡± Hearing that, Victoria lowered her head and bit her lips. Although anger was gushing out of her chest, there was nothing she could do other than to hold it back. Christian chuckled and said strangely, ¡°Mrs. Spritz, I think you don¡¯t know much about your daughter.¡± Be? Dumb? Haha, what a joke. ¡°What?¡± Nancy looked at him, clueless as to what he was talking about. However, the wheelchair- bound Be looked disgruntled. However, he didn¡¯t n on exining at all. He put the empty ss on the waiter¡¯s tray and took a new ss of champagne, striding away with his long legs. Meanwhile, Victoria followed behind him with little steps. Her stomach was weak, and it hurt since she hadn¡¯t had dinner yet. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Did Lucas look for you?¡± he asked casually without stopping his footsteps. Hearing that, she was stunned for a moment. Only after a while did she realize that he was asking her a question, so she hummed in acknowledgement. ¡°You¡¯re working really hard to get back into this circle.¡± He stopped walking and looked at her from above. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s still a possibility between you and Lucas after you broke Be¡¯s legs? Huh?¡± His dark eyes were staring at her, and his expression was still as usual. Yet, she still felt that he was unhappy even though she didn¡¯t know when she had provoked him. She licked her chapped lips and looked at the ground to avoid his gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Christian chuckled, but there was a hint of mockery to it. Victoria opened her mouth to exin herself, but she didn¡¯t say anything in the end. Since he never believed her, there was no need for her to exin at all. ¡°Long time no see, Mr. Thatcher.¡± Someone came up to them with a wine ss in his hand and smiled with a fawning face. Hearing that, Christian nodded and wanted to leave right away, but when he saw Victoria from the corner of his eyes, he stopped and said, ¡°Are you Mr. John from Gxy Jewelries?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Mr. John didn¡¯t know that Christian would remember his name, so he was ttered. ¡°I¡¯m Larry John from Gxy Jewelries. I coborated with yourpanyst year¡­¡± Then, he said a bunch of things and cheered with Christian out of courtesy. ¡°I¡¯m a bad drinker. Would you mind if I asked someone to drink for me?¡± Although Christian was talking in a friendly way, he didn¡¯t wait for Larry to reply and had already passed the wine ss to Victoria standing behind him right away. When Larry saw her uniform, the smile on his face froze for a while, and he quickly said, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± He lifted his wine ss and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll finish this ss as my respect to you!¡± Victoria looked at the champagne in her hand, and her expression turned disgruntled. Although it was normal to be asked to drink at a banquet, no one would dare say anything when Christian didn¡¯t want to drink because of his status. It was obvious that he was doing this just to y with her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you drinking?¡± Christian tilted his head to look at her. ¡°Are you looking down on Mr. John, or are you looking down on me?¡± When Larry heard that, his gazended on Victoria, and his brows snapped together with an unhappy expression. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to,¡± Victoria said softly and lifted the champagne ss before taking a small sip. Then, Christian nced at the champagne, which didn¡¯t reduce at all, and said in a cold voice, ¡°Only one sip? Are you trying to disrespect Mr. John?¡± ¡°How would I dare?¡± She put on a bitter smile and held back the tears that were going to flow out of her eyes. After lifting her head, she finished the whole ss in one shot. The champagne followed her throat into her body, and a burning pain could be felt in her stomach as though a fire was burning inside her while thousands of needles stabbed her stomach. Yet, this was nothingpared to the ache in her heart. She had a weak stomach before she went into prison, so it was best for her to not drink. Christian knew about all of this. When the others saw that Larry had sessfully talked to Christian, they started to gather around him. All of them stepped up, trying totch onto this powerful man. After a while, Victoria lost count of the number of sses she had consumed. She only knew that her stomach was burning and she was numb from the pain. However, she didn¡¯t have the channovelxo fast updatece to say no. ¡°Go outside if you want to puke.¡± Christian tilted his head to look at her. When he saw the cold sweat on her forehead, he frowned a little and returned to his usual expression almost immediately. At this moment, her stomach was turning upside down and gastric juice was gushing up her throat, but she held back the disgust and swallowed it back. As soon as she heard that, she nodded and stumbled to the washroom while covering her mouth. ¡°Ugh!¡± She clenched her cor and vomited as soon as she entered the cubicle. Her lunch had already been digested, so she only vomited some gastric juices after trying to vomit for some time. Just then, a flush could be heard and someone went out of a cubicle. The person then turned on the tap to wash her hands. ¡°Did you see Victoria at the party today?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s quite difficult not to notice her when she¡¯s wearing that horrible shirt. How dare she come to such an asion? Doesn¡¯t she feel embarrassed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s bad enough if she just embarrasses her own people, but she made me feel embarrassed too. I went shopping and karaoke with herst time. Many people still think that I¡¯m her friend, so they were asking me why I hadn¡¯t gone up to greet her!¡± ¡°Be is just too kind. It would¡¯ve been great if she charged Victoria with attempted murder and let her rot in prison forever.¡± Click. Victoria opened the cubicle door and walked out of it. She then quietly looked at the two women who were fixing their makeup at the bathroom sink. Just like Be, they used to be her so-called besties Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything if you were here all along? You scared me,ing out so suddenly!¡± Ellie smiled shyly, then dragged the blushing Jessica with her and left. Once they left, Victoria finally trudged toward the washbasin with her legs which felt like lead. She washed her face, and when she looked up at her reflection in the mirror, she realized that her eyes had unknowingly reddened. She took a deep breath, trembling. She bit her lip to suppress the sobs in her throat, then bent over to wash away the tears on her face. Victoria gathered herself and returned to the banquet hall, only to find out that the banquet had already ended. She exited the hotel and looked for the car, but no matter where she looked, she couldn¡¯t find the Bentley¡­ Christian had left her behind. ¡°That¡¯s settled then, Mr. Coleman. I¡¯ll have my secretary send the contract over tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure! I¡¯ve always wanted to partner up with you, and I¡¯ve finally found the opportunity.¡± Hearing the familiar voice, Victoria turned around to look at the entrance of the hotel. She wanted to go forward but hesitated out of fear. She simply looked at Glen as she froze. When he saw her, Glen immediately stopped smiling. He simply nced at her with a frown before averting his gaze. ¡°Dad.¡± While gripping her hands, Victoria mustered her courage and walked over to him. ¡°Christian isn¡¯t here, so you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡± You don¡¯t have to avoid me like that. ¡°Mr. Lowe, I still have something to attend to, so I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Glen immediately interrupted her and opened the car door, leaving as soon as he got into the vehicle. Victoria stood where she was, dumbfounded. As she watched the car disappear from sight, she felt lost and bewildered, her heart chilled to the core. Pedestrians and cars passed by, and lights illuminated the streets. People were chatting andughing nearby. The city was bustling at night, but the liveliness had nothing to do with her. The cold breeze blew in her face, and her dry face was moistened with tears yet again. ¡°No one wants me anymore¡­¡± Victoria mumbled, licking her dry lips as she walked straight toward the traffic. Even her family had abandoned her. Why was she still suffering for their sake? Being dead would be nice. If she died, she wouldn¡¯t have to work herself to the bone, and she wouldn¡¯t have to be mocked by people. Victoria looked at the car in the distance driving toward her. She closed her eyes and spread her arms, a smile gracing her lips. She had never been so close to death like this before, but she wasn¡¯t scared at all. In fact, she anticipated it. Bang! Just as the car nearest to Victoria was about to run into her, a white Ferrari rushed into the scene and collided with the ck car with a bang. After the two cars ran into each other, they didn¡¯t stop. Instead, they spun and rammed into the green belt at the side. Screech¡ª N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Screech¡ª Brakes sounded one after the other, and along with the braking sounds, the traffic on this road was thrown into chaos. Victoria opened her eyes. The blinking headlights were so blinding that she couldn¡¯t quite keep her eyes open. She stood frozen at the center of the ident, and she could hardly make out someone scrambling out of the Ferrari, running toward her in panic. When the person neared her, she finally recognized the driver whose head was all bloody. It was her elder brother. ¡°Tori, are you all right?¡± Vincent pressed her shoulders, looking up and down at her in worry. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Go somewhere else if you want to die!¡± The driver of the ck car got out, holding his bloodied head. He interrupted Vincent angrily and said, ¡°And you, watch where you¡¯re going! How can you just drive into oing traffic? Did you buy your way to a driving license?¡± ¡°Quit yapping. Tell me, how much money do you want? I canpensate you! Is a hundred thousand enough?¡± Vincent quickly signed a check and tossed it at the owner of the ck car, annoyed. As he held the check in his hand, the man was so pissed that his face reddened. ¡°This isn¡¯t about money. I didn¡¯t get hurt too seriously this time, but what if someone died? Can your stinking money buy my life back?¡± ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. My brother did it because he was worried about me. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Victoria bowed at the man, full of regret as she apologized to him. When she recalled the scene just now, her heart was still pounding. If something happened to her brother, but she herself was in one piece¡­ She licked her dry lips, feeling like an invisible hand had clutched her heart, squeezing it so that she couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Why are you apologizing to him?¡± Vincent frowned. Then, he signed another check and tossed it at the man. ¡°He¡¯s justining that the numbers are too small.¡± The man looked at the number on the check and swallowed, not making another sound. After the traffic police came over, they were informed that both parties hade to an understanding. After reprimanding and fining both parties, they towed away the badly damaged white Ferrari and ck car. Victoria was worried about Vincent¡¯s injury on his head, so she forced him to go to the hospital with her. When the doctor said that Vincent had almost injured a vital spot which nearly cost his life, she pursed her lips tightly, tears running uncontrobly down her face. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the doctor. Doctors always like to exaggerate things so that they can earn more.¡± Seeing Victoria cry, Vincent was heartbroken as he red at the doctor. The doctor went silent, reluctant to get into an argument with Vincent. ¡°Your wounds are quite deep, so you have to be hospitalized.¡± ¡°I refuse to!¡± Vincent stood up. Not caring for the doctor¡¯s angered protests, he pulled Victoria along with him as he walked out of the hospital straight away. If he got hospitalized, their parents would ask what happened, and they would me Victoria again! It was quite cool at night, so he took off his jacket and draped it over her body. ¡°Don¡¯t take it off this time. If you treat me like a stranger again, I¡¯m really going to be mad!¡± ¡°Vincent¡ª¡± Victoria called his name quietly, stopping in her tracks. ¡°Your wounds are very deep, so I think you should be hospitalized.¡± ¡°Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill like that quack doctor? I said I don¡¯t need to!¡± Just then, Vincent neared her and took a whiff. His expression changed drastically. ¡°Who made you drink alcohol? Don¡¯t you know your body¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°I just drank a little. It¡¯s fine, Vincent.¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes glistened as she spoke softly. ¡°Nonsense!¡± The smell was so strong that she couldn¡¯t possibly have drunk just a little. novelxo fast updateVincent frowned and asked, ¡°Does your stomach hurt?¡± Victoria was having severe gastric pain, so after hesitating for a little, she nodded. ¡°F*ck!¡± Vincent shouted. Seeing her pale face, he carried her in his arms and went back into the hospital. Her gastric problem was quite severe, and after the doctor checked up on her, he reprimanded her for not taking care of her body. Then, he prescribed her some bottles of medicine and went out. The ward instantly fell silent, and the siblings didn¡¯t say anything. A momentter, Victoria asked withplicated feelings, ¡°Vincent, why did you run into that car just now?¡± If he were a little unluckier, he would have lost his life. ¡°What¡¯s the other option? Should I have stood by and watched while you got killed in an ident?¡± When he recalled the scene just now, Vincent shuddered. Victoria lowered her head, a sour feeling welling up in her heart. She knew Vincent loved her, but she never thought that Vincent would prioritize her even in moments between life and death. ¡°Tori.¡± Vincent ced his hands on her shoulders. When he remembered how she closed her eyes and prayed for death, his voice turned grim. ¡°Just pretend you¡¯re doing it for my sake. Don¡¯t die, okay?¡± Victoria¡¯s head was lowered, her untidy bangs covering the fatigue and bitterness in her eyes. ¡°Just hang in there for a bit longer, alright?¡± Vincent¡¯s eyes were filled with pleading. ¡°I know I¡¯m not capable enough, and I can¡¯t win against Christian. However, I¡¯ve already started learning the ropes in thepany. Trust me on this. Just a little longer, and I¡¯ll definitely think of a way to pry you away from Christian¡¯s grasp!¡± ¡°Vincent¡ª¡± Victoria looked up, her voice soft. ¡°I¡¯m really tired, though. I can¡¯t hold on any longer.¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Vincent said, ¡°You¡¯ve survived two years in prison, haven¡¯t you? Just hang in there for a little longer, okay?¡± Victoria licked her dry lips, not answering him. ¡°Do you not believe me?¡± Vincent raised a hand. ¡°I swear, if I don¡¯t keep my word, I¡¯ll get run over by a car when I go out, and get struck by lightning on rainy days. I will not die a proper death!¡± Victoria grabbed his raised hand. ¡°Vincent, don¡¯t say that¡­¡± ¡°Then promise me that you won¡¯t seek death anymore, alright?¡± Vincent said anxiously,¡±You managed to survive such a harrowing time in prison, and your current situation must be better than being in prison, right? In that case, just¡ª¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not better at all.¡± With her voice hoarse, Victoria interrupted and said, ¡°Vincent, do you know how it feels like to be called a murderer everywhere you go?¡± She took a deep breath and said shakily, ¡°Do you know how embarrassing it is to kneel on the ground while apologizing to others? Do you know¡­ How terrible I felt when Dad ran away at the sight of me?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. In prison, she kept telling herself that everything would be better when she was released. However, when the time came, she realized how cruel reality was. ¡°Vincent, just pretend you never had a sister. Just let me leave in peace, alright?¡± Victoria tried to smile. ¡°I will try my best so that it looks like a pure ident. I won¡¯t let Christian get any excuses to turn his wrath on the Coleman¡­¡± Family. ¡°You¡¯re great at nning things, huh?¡± Just then, the door to the ward opened with a click, allowing Christian to walk in with a half-smile. His usually perfect suit was a little messy, and there was a thinyer of sweat on his forehead, perhaps because of the higher temperature in the ward or something else. Victoria¡¯s face instantly turned pale. She was terrified and panicking at that moment. Why is he here? ¡°You want to make it like a pure ident to deceive me?¡± Christian walked over to the bed, one step after the other. He stared at her intensely with his dark eyes. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re that amazing, or do I look like an idiot to you?¡± Vincent straightened his back, stood up, and shielded Victoria behind him. ¡°Christian, you¡¯d better watch yourself! Be¡¯s legs are precious to you, but what about Tori¡¯s? You broke her legs, and she was sent to prison as well. What else do you want?¡± ¡°You have quite the temper, Mr. Coleman.¡± Christian cocked his head to the side as he looked at Vincent, speaking calmly. Vincent braced himself and was about to say more when Victoria tugged at his sleeve, shaking her head at him. He frowned, then moved aside in annoyance. ¡°Mr. Thatcher.¡± Victoria sat up, then raised her head to look at Christian. ¡°You and Miss Spritz hate me so much, so I¡¯ll pay for the crimes Imitted two years ago with my life. Is that alright with you?¡± Her face was very pale, and her work clothes loosely covered her body. She looked unusually thin and weak. Christian looked down at her. Her eyes were calm like a stagnant puddle, which was a stark contrast to the mania and adoration they used to hold two years ago. His thin lips pursed into a line as he grew a little annoyed for some reason. ¡°Death is too easy for you.¡± ¡°So my life isn¡¯t even worth one leg of Miss Spritz¡¯s¡­¡± Victoria tried to smile, but she couldn¡¯t pull it off at all. She only felt pathetic. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Thatcher, quit the bullying!¡± Vincent clenched his fists, his eyes turning bloodshot. Christian smoothed the wrinkles on his suit, saying casually, ¡°Mr. Coleman, you should be thanking me. If not for me, Victoria might not even choose to keep living.¡± Vincent¡¯s rage was almost uncontroble as he raised his fist, swinging it toward Christian¡¯s face. ¡°Vincent!¡± Victoria removed the needle and stood barefoot on the floor, shielding Christian behind her. Their family couldn¡¯t afford to mess with Christian, after all. Vincent¡¯s fist hung mid-air, his eyes a ring red as he seethed through gritted teeth. ¡°Move, Tori!¡± he yelled. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte; Teresa and the children must be waiting for you. You should go home.¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes were filled with pleading. Vincent was the only person alive who was good to her, and she couldn¡¯t drag him down because of her. Vincent retracted his fist, suppressing the tears in his eyes as he red at Christian. ¡°Never forget this, Thatcher. If anything happens to my sister, I¡¯ll make you pay even if it costs me my life¡ª¡± ¡°Vincent, please go home.¡± Victoria tugged at his shirt, interrupting him. ¡°Be careful of the injury on your head. If you feel anything wrong,e to the hospital as soon as possible.¡± Vincent looked at her with his reddened eyes. He wanted to say something, but he felt as if something had lodged within his throat. He couldn¡¯t utter a single word. A momentter, he took out a card and forced it in her hands. He red at Christian at the side, then turned around and left. Victoria looked down at the card in her hands. It was still the same card fromst time. She sighed silently, then stuffed it in the pocket of her work clothes. As long as she didn¡¯t touch the money in the card, her parents probably wouldn¡¯t know. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She bowed deeply toward Christian and said in exhaustion, ¡°I apologize on my brother¡¯s behalf for what happened just now. Please forgive him.¡± ¡°I see that you siblings are on good terms with each other,¡± Christian said, his motives unfathomable. Victoria pursed her lips, then kneeled on the floor. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Please forgive him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not some emperor who likes seeing people kneel in front of me.¡± Christian looked down at her, a slight frown on his brows. ¡°Get up.¡± The bruise on Victoria¡¯s knees hadn¡¯t healed, and her stomach was also hurting excruciatingly. She supported herself with both hands on the floor as she got up with great difficulty. ¡°Why the infusion?¡± Christian looked sideways at the drip bottle. The smell of alcohol hadn¡¯t departed from her mouth, and it made Victoria want to retch. She suppressed the raging emotions within her, but when she spoke, there was still an unmistakable bitterness in her voice. ¡°I drank too much alcohol, and it triggered my stomach problem.¡± Christian¡¯s jet ck eyes gazed at her for a few seconds. Then, he averted his gaze and scoffed nonchntly. Victoria didn¡¯t know what she was expecting. She knew she shouldn¡¯t expect him to feel remorse because of this, but when she heard him scoff, she still couldn¡¯t help but be disappointed. It turned out that her status in his heart was even lower than she had imagined¡­ She had overestimated herself. Knock knock!novelxo fast update Someone knocked on the door just then, and without waiting for a response from within the ward, they opened the door and strode right in. Be sat in a wheelchair, donning a white dress. A perfect smile hung on her face, and when she saw that Christian was here too, surprise and jealousy shed across her eyes, but she quicklyposed herself. She wheeled herself next to him while saying shyly, ¡°You still remember that I have a rehabilitation appointment today, Chris. Given how busy you are, I thought you¡¯d have forgotten.¡± Victoria lowered her head. She gripped her clothes with her hands which had been hanging limply at either side of her body. She felt the chill from the floor traveling up from her feet to her heart, turning everything cold. No wonder Christian woulde to the hospital; it was because Be had a rehabilitation session here. ¡°How is your leg?¡± Christian swept a nce at Be¡¯s leg which was exposed to the cold weather. A mocking look shed across his eyes. ¡°The doctor said that no matter how well it heals, it can never return to what it used to be.¡± Be smiled bitterly. Then, she said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s alright, though. Even if I can¡¯t dance for the rest of my life, I won¡¯t me Victoria.¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Miss Spritz.¡± Victoria stared directly at her, every syble forced out of her throat. No one knew the truth two years ago better than her and Be. ¡°You were my friend, after all. How could I bear to me you?¡± Be sighed. ¡°If I really did me you, I would¡¯ve sued you two years ago, and you wouldn¡¯t be released from prison so easily.¡± ¡°Should I thank you, then?¡± Victoria suppressed the fury raging within her heart, her expression filled with ridicule. Easily? During her two-year stint in prison, she had to endure humiliation from those people every single day. She almost died a few times, yet Be was iming that she had it easy! ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal between us.¡± Be took her hand while saying worriedly, ¡°I heard that you were attempting suicide just now. Did you get hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, sorry for the disappointment.¡± Victoria forcefully removed her hand from Be¡¯s, then wiped it against her own clothes. She found it unhygienic. ¡°Why would I be disappointed?¡± Be bit her lip, saying in all earnesty, ¡°If something really happened to you, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get over it for the rest of my life.¡± Victoria was disgusted by her fake behavior, so she lowered her head and kept silent. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so it must be pretty difficult to hail a taxi now. Why don¡¯t I ask my driver to send you home, and I¡¯ll go home after that?¡± Be expressed sincere earnesty on her pretty face, ignoring the drip bottle by the bed as if she didn¡¯t know that Victoria was ill. Meanwhile, Victoria was so pissed by Be¡¯s shameless disy that she trembled. However, when she saw Christian from the corner of her eye, her fury turned into reluctance and endurance. She pursed her lips and walked up to the bed before putting on her shoes. Be slightly lowered her gaze, hiding the fleeting glee in her eyes. ¡°Stay in the hospital and heal your illness. You don¡¯t have toe to work for the next few days.¡± Christian took out a cigarette, holding it between his slender index finger and middle finger. In the end, he didn¡¯t light it up and put it back instead. Be blinked while asking in surprise, ¡°Are you sick, Victoria?¡± Victoria frowned, ignoring her. In terms of acting, she couldn¡¯t win against Be. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Be sighed, then said in helplessness and pity, ¡°If I really sent you home tonight, Chris might think I was doing it on purpose.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you?¡± Christian nced at her, half-smiling. ¡°Of course not.¡± Sorrow appeared on Be¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t think of me like that, Chris. Even though Victoria caused me to lose my ability to dance, I truly don¡¯t me her.¡± Christian chuckled for some reason and chose not to respond. Instead, he said to Victoria, ¡°Go back to work when you get discharged. Don¡¯t try anything funny.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Victoria released her hands¡¯ grip on her clothes, then tightened it again. After some hesitation, she said, ¡°Thank you for giving me time to stay in the hospital.¡± She couldn¡¯t control her own heart. She knew she should¡¯ve given up on him by now, but whenever he offered her the slightest bit of care, she felt her heart thumping again. She knew she was terrible, but she couldn¡¯t change it. Love was an addictive affair. Even if she knew it was poison, she regrettably couldn¡¯t break free. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Christian allowed himself a small smile, her silhouette reflecting in his dark eyes. ¡°You have to get better so that you can live, and it¡¯s only by living that you can¡ª¡± He leaned in closer to her ear. ¡°Pay back the debts you owe.¡± Victoria¡¯s heart froze. She felt as if her entire body was ced in a fridge, and she was chilled to the bone. She watched as Christian and Be left the ward together. The handsome and beautiful couple roused jealousy in others, but as for her¡­ She lowered her head to look at the work clothes on her body, as well as the needle mark on her hand. She smiled destely. From the beginning until the end, she was a mere clown trying to get in between a match made in heaven. She was extremely foolish and pitiful. ¡­ It waste fall, and the chill of the night went deep into the bones. Ding! The doors of the lift opened, and Christian wheeled Be out of the lift. They proceeded to leave the hospital. ¡°A rehabilitation appointment at 10.00PM? Your doctor is quite the entric character.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mock me, Chris.¡± Be pouted, looking like a proud little woman. ¡°The rehabilitation appointment was an excuse. I just wanted toe and pay Victoria a visit.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Christian queried, a dark look in his eyes. ¡°Of course.¡± Be ced her right hand on the handle of the wheelchair, lowering her gaze as she said, ¡°I heard that Victoria wanted tomit suicide, so I rushed over as soon as possible. I was afraid that something might happen to her.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been an hour after Victoria¡¯s attempted suicide, but you already received news about it. You have quite the connections.¡± Christian hummed a little, speaking meaningfully. ¡°It was just a coincidence.¡± Be¡¯s eyes glistened. She had been tailing Christian after the banquet, and when she saw himing to the hospital, she followed suit. She didn¡¯t expect that he had rushed to the hospital just to visit Victoria! She felt a little upset inside as she probed, ¡°What about you, Chris? Why are you here? Did you also come to visit her because you heard she attempted suicide?¡± Christian paused in his tracks, striding as he circled to the front of the wheelchair. He looked down at her, his gaze dark. ¡°I¡¯m only asking.¡± Be smiled, but her heart grew uneasier as time ticked by. ¡°Chris, you don¡¯t have to talk if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Could it be that Christian really came all the way here just to visit Victoria? ¡°Be.¡± Under the dim streetlights, Christian¡¯s expression was unclear. Be hummed in response and looked up at his handsome face, her eyes tinted with adoration and longing. She liked hearing Christian call her name. Every time he pronounced her name, her heart would race. ¡°You are a smart person. You should know which questions you should or should not ask, as well as things you should or should not do.¡± Christian supported himself with his right hand on the wheelchair. His suit wrinkled a little as he bent over. Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she blinked, saying, ¡°Me, smart? My mom always calls me silly, though.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Christian straightened up, chuckling for some reason. He walked over to the Bentley parked at the side. After getting into the car, he rolled down the window and said calmly, ¡°Stop following me. You might bump into my car if you follow too closely. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Be¡¯s smile froze on her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but he didn¡¯t give her a chance. He rolled up the window and soon disappeared from her line of sight. ¡°If I really were smart, I wouldn¡¯t have used my leg as a bargaining chip.¡± Be ced her hand on her broken leg. She looked up at the ward Victoria was in, mumbling, ¡°Victoria, why did you conovelxo fast updateme back so shamelessly?¡± ¡­ Victoria only stayed in the hospital for a day before leaving. She didn¡¯t have much money, so she couldn¡¯t use all of it on the hospital bill. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re decent enough toe back?¡± Daisyy on the bed, bandages wound around her head. She looked a little funny. ¡°I thought you died somewhere out there.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Daisy, if you don¡¯t want to get beaten up again, you should keep your mouth shut!¡± Gabrielle was putting on makeup, and when she heard what Daisy said, she retorted with a frown Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Daisy was about to say something more, but when she met Victoria¡¯s gaze, a wary look shed across her eyes as she swallowed back her words. She simply huffed reluctantly. Gabrielle messed up her eyeliner, so she removed it and tried again. As she did so, she asked, ¡°Victoria, have you eaten dinner? If not, I can add more to my delivery order.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have a bowl of porridge, then. Thank you.¡± Victoria found her cab and looked for a clean change of work clothes. ¡°You asked her if she ate, but why didn¡¯t you ask me?¡± Daisy supported herself with her right elbow on the bed, reclining as she shouted, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten anything either. Just order something for me as well; I¡¯m not picky!¡± ¡°No, you can order what you want yourself. I don¡¯t have any spare money to spend on your meals.¡± Gabrielle applied some lipstick and pursed her lips, then wiped away an extra spot with a cotton bud. Daisy was so enraged that her face turned red. She sat up and shouted, ¡°Gabrielle, we¡¯ve known each other for years, but you¡¯d rather buy food for a murderer you met not even a month ago instead of me?¡± At the mention of the word ¡®murderer¡¯, Victoria stopped changing her clothes briefly before she resumed buttoning her top. ¡°Since when did I buy food for Victoria? She always returns the money to me. Why don¡¯t you return the money you owe me, then I¡¯ll buy food for you?¡± Gabrielle responded. Daisy cursed while saying, ¡°You little wretch. Why are you acting like everyone is dying to eat the food you order?¡± Victoria and Gabrielle ignored her. When their food arrived, they ate a little and went to work together. ¡°V-Victoria, ady is looking for you at the entrance.¡± A colleague walked over and shakily ryed the message to Victoria. Before Victoria could ask who thedy was, the colleague left in a hurry, seemingly scared of a murderer like her. Victoria ced the cleaning tools into the store room and went to the entrance. It was then that she realized the person looking for her was the femalewyer with a child-like face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that I took so long to visit you,¡± Janice¡¯s face went red as she said remorsefully. Victoria couldn¡¯t think of any reason Janice would see her. ¡°Is there something you want to talk to me about?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk elsewhere.¡± Janice looked at the peopleing and going, then led Victoria out of Delta Club, finding a rtively quieter ce. ¡°Well, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Janice sped her hands together. ¡°I¡¯ve told my teacher and my dad about you, but my teacher refuses to be involved in this matter. I asked my dad for help, but in the end, he also told me that he couldn¡¯t help me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, thank you.¡± Victoria never thought that a stranger would take her case so seriously. She was stunned for a moment before thanking Janice earnestly. Back then, when her family heard that she had provoked Christian, they didn¡¯t even try before choosing to abandon her. In contrast, her own family was really cold-blooded. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Seeing that, Janice grew anxious. ¡°Why are you so indifferent about this? You should know that my dad is the new secretary of the municipalmittee. If even he can¡¯t help, the others will be even less likely to help. Who exactly did you provoke?¡± ¡°Thank you for helping me.¡± Victoria bowed to her, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think you should keep intervening in this matter. It might drag you down.¡± However, she hadn¡¯t expected that thiswyer¡¯s father would be the secretary of the municipal committee. She didn¡¯t even realize that even when the secretary of the municipalmittee had spoken up, Christian was still reluctant to let her off. Janice had studied to be awyer exactly because she wanted to fight injustice, but she never expected to run into such huge difficulties in her first case. She held it in for a long time, then said with a reddened face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already helped me a lot. I should be the one thanking you instead.¡± Victoria curved her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me; I didn¡¯t help you with anything,¡± Janice said, feeling deted. ¡°Just try to appease the person you provoked. If they don¡¯t fess up, no one can help you.¡± After seeing Janice off, Victoria went to the store room to fetch her cleaning tools, resuming her work. However, Janice¡¯s words kept echoing in her mind. Just try to appease the person you provoked. If they don¡¯t fess up, no one can help you. If she appeased Christian, would he really let her off? ¡°Victoria, Room 3420 spilled their wine. Please go and clean it up,¡± a colleague said, going over to her. Victoria gave a quick response, putting away those messy thoughts as she took her cleaning tools to Room 3420. Unfortunately, her father and Christian were both there, along with a few middle-aged men in suits and leather shoes. Christian sat in the middle, and when she came in, someone in the room wasughing while saying something to him. He simply nodded once in a while, appearing not too distant, but not too intimate either. When he saw her enter, he simply gave her a nce before averting his gaze as if he had simply seen a stranger. Meanwhile, Glen was holding a wine ss, and when he saw Victoria¡¯s attire and the cleaning tools in her hands, he frowned, embarrassment tinting his gentlemanly and handsome face. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get someone else to clean it up?¡± The atmosphere was a little awkward, so someone put forth the suggestion. A few of them immediately agreed to let Victoria leave and have someone elsee to clean up. However, some of them wanted to watch how things panned out, quite delighted to see Glen in a troubled situation. Victoria was also reluctant to stay here and endure her father¡¯s disdain. It was too much for her, after all.novelxo fast update She took her cleaning tools and got ready to leave. ¡°Please wait a moment, I¡¯ll ask a colleague toe and clean it up.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Christian swept a sideways nce at Glen and stopped Victoria. ¡°You can proceed with the cleaning.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be inappropriate? Let¡¯s change her out,¡± one of them suggested. ¡°There¡¯s nothing inappropriate about this.¡± Glen¡¯s gaze fell upon Victoria for a few seconds, but he quickly frowned and looked away as if he had seen something unsightly. ¡°I¡¯ve already cut off ties with her; what she does is of no importance to me.¡± The middle-aged man who had suggested switching Victoria out smiled awkwardly and fell silent. He could only give Victoria a sympathetic look. Mr. Coleman was known for his kindness, and he would donate huge amounts to charity every year. He was a wonderful man, but in reality, this saint everyone praised was cruel to his own daughter. Victoria froze, holding the cleaning tools with such force that her fingertips turned white. She looked sideways at Glen, coldness running throughout her body. Her father did this in order to cut off ties with her lest Christian misunderstood them, right? Huh, how wary her father was, fearing that she might drag the Coleman Family down with her! ¡°Just clean it up and leave.¡± Seeing that Victoria hadn¡¯t moved, Glen¡¯s expression darkened. Victoria lowered her head and sounded a response. She took a cloth and cleaned the wine off the table and floor. She moved with the same agility as before, but only she knew what she was feeling inside. Christian looked at her work clothes hanging loosely off her, feeling annoyed for some reason. He took out a cigarette and lit it between his fingers. Hidden by the smoke, his expression was unclear. ¡°I have finished cleaning up. I hope you enjoy your time here.¡± Victoria didn¡¯t look at anyone else as she spoke formally, then took her cleaning tools and went out. The door only opened for a bit before closing again. The smell of smoke became stronger in the room, and the atmosphere was a little depressing. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 The people in the room could obviously sense that Christian was in a bad mood. Ever since Victoria left, none of them dared to speak. On the contrary, Glen rxed considerably, resuming his usual gentle and friendly behavior. He poured out some wine for some people, smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t let a stranger dampen the mood. Let¡¯s keep drinking.¡± He clinked sses with a few others, then downed the wine. Soon, the atmosphere in the room turned better as if Victoria never appeared. However, the smoke still hung in the air as Christian sat in the center of the room, looking rather unamused. After a few drinks with the others, Glen grew bolder, but when he spoke to Christian, he was still extremely careful. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, what do you think of the new project ourpany recently developed?¡± If this project waspleted, the returns would be quite grand. However, the downside was that this project was too huge. It would involve too many areas; be it funds or other aspects, Coleman Group couldn¡¯t handle it alone. ¡°Not bad.¡± The cigarette was running out, so Christian tossed the cigarette butt into the ashtray. Hearing that, the other people in the room had their own thoughts, but all of them were envious. Not many projects could get Christian¡¯s stamp of approval. Coleman Group had found itself on a cruise to great riches, and it would most likely earn a handsome profit within a year. Glen couldn¡¯t hide his glee either. If he managed to partner with Thatcher Group, he would be able to earn loads off this project. Also, with one partnership established, even more partnerships would follow¡­ ¡°However, the Thatcher Group has no intention of partnering up. My apologies.¡± Watching Glen¡¯s gleeful expression, a dark light shone in the depths of Christian¡¯s eyes as he spoke calmly. Glen¡¯s smile froze on his face, and it seemed like someone had sshed him with cold water from head to toe. In his desperation, he asked, ¡°Since you think this project is alright, Mr. Thatcher, why are you reluctant to partner with me?¡± He had been preparing this project for almost two years, and he had always been fighting for a chance to partner with Thatcher Group. Also, Christian definitely expressed an intention to partner up before this, so why did he change his mind all of a sudden? ¡°Are you questioning me?¡± As the lights illuminated Christian¡¯s body, the upturned cor on his shirt cast shadows on his corbone, enhancing the coldness in his expression. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me, Mr. Thatcher.¡± Glen tried to appear calm, but he still couldn¡¯t retain his usual gentleness. ¡°I¡¯m just asking for the reason so that I can learn from my mistakes.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with the project you suggested, Mr. Coleman. Thatcher Group simply has some funding issues.¡± Christian stood up. ¡°I still have something to attend to, so I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. His words were courteous, but his actions less so. When he finished speaking, he didn¡¯t care for the others¡¯ responses as he opened the door and left. When he stood up, the people in the room stood up as well. After the door closed, they finally took their seats again. Only Glen was still standing, wine ss in hand. The look on his face was dark and foul. Thatcher Group wasn¡¯t only a toppany in the country; it was also thergest enterprise around. They had excellent funding management, and many finance professors in various schools would use them as a case study. But now, Christian actually said that there were funding issues. It was obviously just an excuse, and a poor one at that. ¡°No wonder you declined when I suggested a partnership with you, Mr. Coleman. You already had an ideal partnership in mind.¡± One of them smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that your ideal partner doesn¡¯t seem too satisfied with your project, Mr. Coleman.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also heard about this new project from the Coleman Group, and the returns would be quite attractive. Logically speaking, Mr. Thatcher shouldn¡¯t have a reason to give up on this golden opportunity.¡± ¡°Perhaps Mr. Thatcher doesn¡¯t have a problem with this project; he just doesn¡¯t like Mr. Coleman¡¯s janitor of a daughter.¡± The few of them sneered. Glen¡¯s face turned from dark to pale, then from pale to red. It was quite a sight to behold. He put down his wine ss and grabbed his briefcase. ¡°I still have something to attend to at work, so I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too discouraged, Mr. Coleman. This isn¡¯t your fault. After all, no one would want to have a murderer as their child. Your daughter is to me for provoking someone she shouldn¡¯t have.¡± The person who always held enmity toward Glen was gleeful. Glen suppressed the fury in his heart as he smiled and said, ¡°Pardon the unsightly scene, Mr. Hawkins. Just take it as an example for you to discipline your daughter better. I heard that she was involved in quite a number of scandals with some minor celebrities recently. I wonder if your inws would mind.¡± The smile disappeared from the man¡¯s face. Seeing that, Glen felt slightly better inside, then he opened the door and left. ¡­ Meanwhile, Victoria scrubbed the floor in a daze, unsure of what she was feeling right now. As a stranger, Janice came all the way to Delta Club to apologize for being unable to help her. However, her biological father actually insulted her in front of Christian for the sake of profit. The contrast was so stark that she couldn¡¯t even deceive herself. ¡°Victoria.¡± Glen walked up to her, calling her name with a dark expression. Victoria straightened up, her eyes filled with disbelief. He had called her ¡®Tori¡¯ for twenty years, but he was addressing her as ¡®Victoria¡¯ now. She let it go immediately. He didn¡¯t want a daughter like her, so it should matter less that he called her ¡®Victoria¡¯. She gripped the mop and said mockingly, ¡°Is the noble Mr. Coleman finally willing to humble himself and talk to a murderer and janitor like me?¡± ¡°Speak properly and quit the nonsense!¡± Glen frowned, reprimanding her at once.novelxo fast update ¡°With what identity are you requesting this of me?¡± Victoria smiled, a mocking look on her face. ¡°As a father? Or an esteemed guest of Delta Club?¡± People came and went in the corridor, and they kept staring at the two and whispering to each other. Their voices were very small, so Glen couldn¡¯t discern their words. However, when two Delta Club hostesses walked by him, he heard them very clearly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the murderer? I can¡¯t believe that she¡¯s Glen¡¯s daughter!¡± ¡°Tsk, Glen donated so much money and goods, but who knows if he¡¯s just pretending? If he really is a saint, how could he raise a murderer?¡± Glen¡¯s face turned red, and he was so embarrassed that he wished he could just disappear. He red at Victoria and lowered his voice as he said, ¡°Come with me.¡± With that, he walked toward the stairwell with such speed that it looked like demons were chasing him. Watching his figure, Victoria couldn¡¯t decide if she was angry or disappointed. Even if Christian weren¡¯t here, her father, who used to love her the most, was now reluctant to be seen with her in public. She was a disgrace to him. She pursed her lips and hesitated for a bit. In the end, she still put down her cleaning tools and walked toward the stairwell. ¡°Answer me. Did you cause the injury on Vince¡¯s head?!¡± Glen pointed at her, growling in a low voice. ¡°Yes.¡± Victoria looked at him, unsure of what she was expecting. ¡°I got suicidal and wanted to kill myself by getting run over with a car. To save me, Vincent drove in and collided¡ª¡± With that car. Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted with a loud p. Victoria put a hand to her burning right cheek, staring straight at Glen. She first felt disbelief, then coldness, and in the end, only bitterness and disappointment remained. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¡°If something happens to Vince, I certainly won¡¯t let you off!¡± Veins were bulging on Glen¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve already said this two years ago¡ªyou no longer have any connections to the Coleman Family, so why are you bothering Vince again? Will you only be appeased when he¡¯s dead?¡± ¡°Can you really sever blood ties?¡± As the taste of blood spread in her mouth, Victoria wiped a corner of her lips to discover that it was injured. ¡°If you regret birthing me so much, then you should¡¯ve aimed somewhere else back then.¡± She even thought that if her father knew of her suicide attempt, he might care about her at least a little. Evidently, she had overestimated herself. Glen gulped for breath as a twisted expression appeared on his face. However, fearing that someone might overhear, he lowered his voice and growled, ¡°Vince is so good to you. If you have the smallest bit of conscience, stop dragging him down!¡± Hearing that, Victoria grabbed the fabric of her clothes, slightly tilting her head back to stop her tears from falling. If she wasn¡¯t scared that Christian might turn his wrath on the Coleman Family, she would¡¯ve died earlier instead of living in such suffering and humiliation. However, to her father, she was only a burden! ¡°If you¡¯re looking to Vince just for money, I can give you that.¡± She was still the daughter he used to pamper, after all. When he saw her like that, Glen softened a little. He opened his briefcase and signed a check before passing it to Victoria. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three hundred thousand first. Send your ount number to my secretary, then I¡¯ll have him send you two million. Don¡¯t get involved with the Coleman Family anymore.¡± ¡°Three hundred thousand?¡± Victoria took the check and looked down at the number written on it. She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s equivalent to six years of my sry.¡± Glen put his pen back in his briefcase, saying, ¡°As long as you keep to yourself, this sum of money should be enough tost you all your life. I won¡¯t hold a grudge against you for ruining my partnership today, but don¡¯t you dare appear in front of me again¡ª¡± Rip! Victoria smiled as she looked at him. She tore the check in pieces and threw it in his face. ¡°Partnership? What partnership? The one with Christian?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Glen was jumping in rage. He had only started talking when he was interrupted by Victoria¡¯s sneering. ¡°Why is it my fault that Christian refuses to partner with you? Just because I hurt the woman he loves, and he hates me now?¡± Her smile was deste. ¡°Hahaha! You all say that I hurt Be, but why doesn¡¯t anyone believe that I¡¯ve been wrongly used? Just because Be is a gentle and generous person, but I¡¯m a shy girl from a rich family? Huh? You feel injustice, but what about me? Who would take pity on me?¡± Her mind was in a mess, and she didn¡¯t even know what she was saying. She only knew that some things had been suppressed in her heart for so long that they almost suffocated her. Why did everyone me her? Why did everyone pin her as the criminal? What crimes had she actuallymitted? She never did anything, but the love of her life broke her legs. She was thrown into prison for two years, and she had to stay in Delta Club to work a humiliating job. Wasn¡¯t she the one who was suffering the most injustice? Victoria used to be a wretch, but she had never behaved like that in front of Glen. He was so mad that his face went red. He grabbed at his chest, seeming as though he couldn¡¯t breathe. Seeing that, Victoria wanted to just ignore him so that he could experience for himself what it felt like to be abandoned by his own family. However, it was exactly because she knew too well the feeling of being abandoned by family that she couldn¡¯t do the same thing. ¡°Where¡¯s the medicine?¡± Victoria suppressed the raging emotions in her heart, walking toward Glen as she asked. Glen¡¯s heart disease was working up, and every breath he took was heavy and thick. Even so, he still said stubbornly, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s none of your business!¡± ¡°Is it in your briefcase like it was in the past?¡± Victoria ignored his rejection and snatched his briefcase. She flipped through it, produced the medicine, then fed it into his mouth. The medicine bottle wasn¡¯t too big, and it would¡¯ve been more convenient to put it in his suit pocket. However, Glen felt that it would crease the suit and affect his image, so he insisted on putting it in his briefcase. Glen took some time to recover himself, but still he treated Victoria unkindly. ¡°It was inevitable that you appeared in front of me today, so I am not the one to me here. In the future, as long as you don¡¯te to me on purpose, I won¡¯t go to you either. It only gives me pain.¡± Unwilling to stay behind and be humiliated, Victoria left right away after she said that. However, perhaps because themotion was too loud at the stairwell, Victoria found quite a number of people at the entrance when she went out, trying to peer inside with their necks stretched. When they saw her walking out, the people saw the obvious outline of a palm on her face. They smiled awkwardly and scattered. Glen also came out soon after, but he didn¡¯t even spare Victoria a nce as he went to the elevator section to wait for the elevator. Unexpectedly, when the doors to the elevator opened, Be wheeled onto the scene in her wheelchair. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Coleman.¡± ¡°A coincidence, indeed.¡± Glen smiled warmly. ¡°I received some decent supplements recently, so do tell me when you¡¯re free so that I can have them delivered to you.¡± ¡°I shall thank you in advance, then, Mr. Coleman.¡± Be nced at Victoria and said smilingly, ¡°However, Victoria just got discharged from the hospital, so she is in ill health. Do you think it¡¯s more suitable for those supplements to be used on her?¡± ¡°She severely injured your leg, so she has no right to use those supplements.¡± The smile disappeared from Glen¡¯s face, and it was reced with a frown as he continued, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to deliver the supplements to you. I still have something to attend to, so I¡¯ll be going now.¡± He passed by her and entered the elevator. ¡°Victoria works here. Won¡¯t you talk to her for a bit before leaving?¡± Be tried to hold him back with her innocent behavior. Glen pressed the button to close the doors, pretending not to hear her question. Be watched the doors of the elevator slowlye to a close, then curved her lips as she turned with the wheelchair to face Victoria. Sheined, ¡°Mr. Coleman is a good man, so why is he so cruel when ites to you? I already said I don¡¯t me you, but Mr. Coleman still¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°There¡¯s only the two of us here. You don¡¯t have to put on an act anymore, Miss Spritz.¡± Victoria looked at Be coldly, feeling more like a fool as time ticked by. She had thought her enemy was her friend. ¡°Put on an act?¡± Be sighed and said helplessly, ¡°Victoria, even though you did this to me, I really don¡¯t me¡ª¡± Victoria interrupted her, saying, ¡°We both know how it actually yed out back then. Miss Spritz, don¡¯t you feel disgusted when you put on such fake acts?¡±novelxo fast update ¡°We both know?¡± Be slowly pronounced the sybles, then smiled. Her smile was a little eerie. It looked like either a smile of mockery or of glee. Victoria felt goosebumps as difort spread throughout her entire body. ¡°Miss Spritz, is there anything else? If not, I¡¯ll leave right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver your medicine.¡± Be took out a tube of ointment. ¡°I recall that you have a bruise on your leg, so you should apply some of this. I don¡¯t know if this ointment can help with the swelling on your face, though.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Victoria lowered her head to look at the ointment without taking it. It was something Be so ¡®kindly¡¯ delivered, so she didn¡¯t dare use it. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so shy. Take it.¡± Be stuffed the ointment in Victoria¡¯s hands. She nced at the mark on Victoria¡¯s face and said worriedly, ¡°Who did this? By the size of the palm, it looks like a man did it.¡± She seemed to have thought of something as she suddenly covered her mouth, saying in surprise, ¡°C- Could it be that Mr. Coleman did it? He¡¯s such a saint, and he would even worry for children in the mountain areas who can¡¯t go to school. How could he hit his own daughter with such force? Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 ¡°You should leave your medicine for yourself, Miss Spritz.¡± With a disgruntled expression, Victoria stuffed the ointment back into Be¡¯s hand. Every word from Be was hurting her badly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you u-use the medicine I¡¯m giving you?¡± Be said bitterly, the ointment in her hands. ¡°Is it because you love Christian, but he loves me? Is that why you¡¯re jealous of me? Is your one-sided love for Christian stronger than our ten years of friendship?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really good at reversing the truth, Be!¡± Victoria clenched her fists and said while grinding her teeth. Be was the one who framed her, but she was also the one who was acting pitiful. How can someone be so shameless? ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts.¡± Be sighed before saying softly, ¡°Victoria, Christian didn¡¯t like you when you had no scar on your head and were all dressed up two years ago. Do you think he will now?¡± She held Victoria¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m the one he¡¯ll always love. It¡¯ll be a waste of your energy for you to keep hounding here. I¡¯m giving you a piece of advice as your friend here¡ªstop daydreaming. Don¡¯t dream of being a white swan when you¡¯re just a little duckling. You¡¯ll beughed at.¡± After saying that, she stuffed the ointment into Victoria¡¯s hand. ¡°I said that I don¡¯t need your ointment!¡± Victoria squeezed every word from her throat and threw the ointment onto the ground in front of Be. Then, she bent down and propped both of her hands on Be¡¯s wheelchair before saying word by word, ¡°I admit that I can¡¯t win an argument against you, but remember this, Be Spritz¡ªsomeone will know your true colors one day!¡± ¡°What are you doing, Victoria?!¡± Just then, Lucas and his client got off the elevator, and his expression changed immediately when he saw Victoria¡¯s hostile posture. ¡°Calm down, Victoria!¡± Be¡¯s tears came out so quickly as she shouted while choking up, ¡°So what if you beat me up and force me to say that I¡¯ll give up Christian to you? He doesn¡¯t even like you!¡± This scene was so dramatic that it left Victoria stunned for a moment before she reacted. She looked at Lucas, who was running in her direction frantically. Before she could exin, the man pushed her away. ¡°Stay away from Be!¡± He used so much strength that it made her stumble a few steps back, and her body knocked against the corner of the wall painfully. ¡°How are you? Are you hurt?¡± Lucas checked on Be and asked her worriedly. While biting her lip, Be shook her head and said pitifully, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Lucas. Don¡¯t me Victoria. She was just not in her right mind for a second.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re fine when you¡¯re crying?¡± When he looked at her reddened eyes, he was furious and felt bad for her. Looking at this scene unfolding from the side, Victoria suddenly had a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Right! At the banquet a few days ago, Mrs. Spritz pushed me away and shouted at me too. What did I do? ¡°I¡¯m really fine, Lucas. Don¡¯t me Victoria.¡± Be tugged on Lucas¡¯ sleeve and forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for her to be a janitor at the club.¡± ¡°Not easy? She should pay the price if she wants to stay here and get back into the circle.¡± He looked at Victoria coldly, his eyes full of disgust. Victoria opened her mouth, wanting to exin, but in the end, she justughed at herself. When has someone ever believed me every time I had a conflict with Be? Not to mention that Lucas is her biological brother. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m really fine, Lucas. Don¡¯t be so impulsive.¡± Be was so anxious that she was going to cry. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wait. She needs to be punished for doing something wrong.¡± He took out his handkerchief to wipe her tears off. The darkness in his eyes was obscure. ¡°I will never let her bully you again.¡± Back then, Be took the initiative to be friends with Victoria just to help him pursue her. In the end, he caused her to lose her leg¡­ He was guilty of that. ¡°Lucas, you arrived just in time. Victoria hasn¡¯t done anything yet, but you¡­ Anyway, I don¡¯t me her, so don¡¯t interfere!¡± Be said hastily with her face full of worry. When Victoria saw Be¡¯s superb acting, she knew that she could never do that, finding it ironic. Christian and Lucas were both talented rookies in the business industry. People in the business industry, the media, and the public praised them for being smart and shrewd, praising them for being geniuses in business. Even though her father had been running the mall for so many years, many said that he was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing and had many dirty tricks in mind. However, these people who were beingplimented for their smarts were the ones who believed in Be¡¯s nonsense again and again. Instead, her deadbeat brother, who was said to be always doing nothing, believed her every time¡­ How hrious! ¡°Kneel down and apologize, or I¡¯ll ask Mr. Thatcher to chase you out. Choose for yourself.¡± Lucas didn¡¯t bother with Be anymore and looked straight at Victoria. ¡°Kneeling? Again?¡± Victoria smiled. Why does everyone like to step on me sinceing to Delta Club? She looked at the brother of her best friend, who she thought was righteous, and kneeled down slowly. I was just blind and not good at judging people. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Spritz.¡± When Lucas saw that, a stream of disappointment shed in his eyes. His face was dark as he said, ¡°You¡¯re hopeless!¡± She could throw her dignity away just to stay in Delta Club and continue such an intoxicating life. Why did I love such a woman so madly back in the day? ¡°The bruises on her legs might not have recovered yet. Don¡¯t let her kneel for long, Lucas.¡± Be stood on Victoria¡¯s side and emphasized the words ¡®for long¡¯. The more she acted this way, the more Lucas felt sorry for her. ¡°You always get hurt and don¡¯t remember it. You¡¯ll suffer in the future.¡± As he spoke, he pushed the wheelchair and walked in the direction of the private room he had already booked. At this moment, Be turned around and saw that Victoria had already stood up. She was a little disappointed by that, for she thought that Lucas would make her kneel for half a day just like the other day¡­ Too bad. After Victoria saw the siblings disappear at the door of the private room, she looked down and stood there for a moment before she continued cleaning while enduring the burning pain in her back and face. She was working the night shift today, so when she finished work, it was already 2.00AM. Daisy was not in the dorm, and she was probably staying outside with a customer. On the other hand, Gabrielle was removing her makeup in front of the mirror. When she saw that Victoria came back, she eximed, ¡°Did someone really hit you?¡± Hearing that, Victoria gave her a small hum of acknowledgement in exhaustion. She sat on the bed and was so tired that she didn¡¯t want to move at all. ¡°I heard that Glen Coleman hit you, and he¡¯s your¡­ father?¡± Gabrielle went up to her and felt the pain just by looking at the p mark on her face. The corner of her mouth was scraped, and her face was very badly swollen. How much strength did he use in this p? ¡°No.¡± Victoria paused for a moment. Her eyes drooped as she said, ¡°He¡¯s not my father.¡± ¡°I thought so too! If you¡¯re really his daughter, how would he let you be a janitor in this kind ofnovelxo fast update ce and even hit you? Those people are just talking nonsense. They have too much time on their hands!¡± Gabrielle was quite careful when talking about this just now, but when she heard what Victoria said, she became more at ease as she talked. However, Victoria didn¡¯t reply to her. Instead, she looked down and stared at her hands, which were turning rougher ever since she became a janitor. At this moment, she felt a little sore in her chest Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 ¡°I¡¯m almost done removing my makeup. I¡¯ll treat your wounds for you once I¡¯m done.¡± Gabrielle returned to the mirror and took a piece of makeup wipe. She quickly finished removing her makeup and took the medical kit to treat the wound on Victoria¡¯s face. ¡°I think my back is wounded. Can you please help me clean the wound too? Thanks.¡± After the wound on her face was treated, Victoria removed her uniform and turned her back to Gabrielle with only her bra on. When Gabrielle saw the new wound on Victoria¡¯s back, which was as long as a person¡¯s middle finger, as well as other old wounds that were intertwined with each other, she pitied someone for the first time. ¡°Are all of these wounds on your back from the time you were in prison?¡± Victoria just gave her a small hum of acknowledgment. She didn¡¯t want to recall that memory since those days were like a nightmare for her. ¡°What about this new wound?¡± Gabrielle was afraid that she would hurt Victoria, so she tried her best to be soft when treating her wound. Yet, she still saw Victoria twitching slightly from the pain. She thought that Victoria would shout in pain and ask her to be softer, but she didn¡¯t even grunt. On the contrary, it seemed as though she was¡­ used to it. At this moment, Victoria¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°I hurt myself by ident.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. When Gabrielle heard that, she wanted to say that the wound was nothing like an idental injury, but as she was about to say that, she changed her words in the end. ¡°Victoria, do you think it¡¯s really necessary for you to work overtime with that little sry and have people always harassing you here?¡± Victoria touched her knees, which were still a little painful, and pressed her lips together without saying anything. ¡°People wereughing at you when you kneeled for half a day at the entrance of the club, when you were pped by Glen Coleman today, and when Mr. Spritz asked you to kneel.¡± Gabrielle¡¯s voice became a little softer. ¡°You¡¯re so capable. Going anywhere else will be better than staying here. Don¡¯t you feel that you have lost your dignity and feel upset about staying here?¡± ¡°Just take me as coveting the intoxicating life here.¡± When her wounds were all treated, Victoria wore her uniform and rolled up her pants. She then took out some ointment to apply it to her horrible bruises. Hearing that, Gabrielle pursed her lips and kept the medical kit. ¡°Just don¡¯t say it if you don¡¯t want to. Why do you need to lie? Let other people be concerned about you. I don¡¯t care anymore!¡± Victoria was stunned for a moment andughed at once when she heard that. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you the grilled fish from your favorite restaurant tomorrow. Don¡¯t be mad.¡± A person who had known her for eight years said that she was staying in the Delta Club to squeeze herself back into her previous circle by any means. Yet, a person she had only known for less than a month felt that it was a lie for her to say that she was coveting the intoxicating life. This world was always different from what she had imagined. After Victoria was done washing up and lying in bed, her tears were flowing down without a sound in the dark. No one could stand their dignity being trampled on, and this applied to her as well. However, just like what Janice said, no one could help her unless she pleased Christian and sought his forgiveness. She really didn¡¯t want to and wasn¡¯t willing to be a janitor at the Delta Club for the rest of her life. ¡­ Victoria kept thinking about how to seek Christian¡¯s forgiveness, but half a month had already passed when shest saw him. He came to the club with a few people to talk business with them. When he passed by her, he didn¡¯t even give her a nce and just entered the private room while surrounded by the crowd. Seeing that, Victoria held the mop and stood there dazedly for a moment. She suppressed the bitterness in her heart and put the cleaning tools back into the storeroom before looking for Cameron. ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to be a janitor and want your previous job back?¡± Cameron widened his eyes and studied Victoria up and down before he said mockingly, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the boss here? That you can work at whichever position you want to?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. I just want to work in my previous position for one or two hours, and not change my job.¡± After hesitating for a moment, Victoria took the jade ne from her neck and gave it to Cameron. ¡°It¡¯s from the Renaissance period.¡± This jade ne was her eighteenth birthday present, which her brother spent twenty million buying at an auction. He was scolded badly by their father for that. ¡°The Renaissance period? Why don¡¯t you say it¡¯s from the Byzantine era or the Viking Age?¡± He didn¡¯t believe a janitor could have such a valuable item at all. Yet, when he took the jade ne and touched it, his eyes sparkled at once. Even if this jade ne was not from the Renaissance period, it was definitely valuable. Cameron kept touching the ne and couldn¡¯t get his hands off it, but he still didn¡¯t agree to Victoria¡¯s request. ¡°Miss Charlotte personally asked you to be a janitor. If I simply¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just two hours. She won¡¯t find out.¡± Victoria pressed her lips together and reached out her right hand to his front. ¡°Never mind, then. I don¡¯t want to put you in a difficult position.¡± Seeing her hand, he took a step back with the jade ne in his hands and smiled sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s actually not that difficult. How about this? I¡¯ll give Miss Charlotte a call and ask her about it.¡± As he said that, he didn¡¯t even give Victoria the chance to say no, and he already took out his phone to dial Charlotte¡¯s number with one of his hands while his other hand held onto the jade ne. At this moment, Victoria frowned and regretted it. Since Charlotte was under Christian, she wouldn¡¯t agree to change her job position without his agreement. However, judging by Cameron¡¯s face, she could tell that he wouldn¡¯t return the jade ne to her no matter if there was a deal or not. ¡°Okay. Understood. Sorry for disturbing you.¡± Cameron hung up the phone with a smile, but when he turned around to look at Victoria, he returned to his arrogant, superior attitude. ¡°It¡¯s a deal. I tried very hard to convince Miss Charlotte to agree to changing your job position.¡± ¡°Thank you, Cameron.¡± When standing at the side, Victoria could clearly hear whether he tried hard or not, but there was no need to expose what she knew as long as it didn¡¯t affect her. But did Charlotte, or should I say Christian, really agree to it so easily?novelxo fast update ¡°There¡¯s no need to be this formal with me.¡± Cameron hung the jade ne on his finger and swayed it. ¡°So, this jade ne¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s yours,¡± she said. Hearing that, he kept the jade ne with a delighted smile. He became happier whenever he looked at it. ¡°Alright, then. Pass your job to Megan and the others before you change your clothes. Go to Room 5231 after that. Remember to read the room and don¡¯t mess with people you shouldn¡¯t.¡± It was Charlotte¡¯s order for Victoria to enter Room 5231. Although he didn¡¯t know why, it was none of his business, so he didn¡¯t ask about it. When Victoria heard that, her eyes sparkled since Room 5231 was the private room Christian had entered just now. With that, she didn¡¯t need to find other excuses anymore. She left the room after giving him a small hum of acknowledgment. After she passed her job to the other janitors, she looked for the shift leader to take a bodycon dress. She then entered Room 5231 with simple makeup on. At this moment, Christian looked up and saw that Victoria was not in her loose janitor uniform but a light purple floral-printed bodycon dress. When she walked, her long legs loomed, making her look seductive. When he saw that, he tightened his slender fingers around his wine ss before lifting it to take a sip as if nothing happened. ¡°Hello,¡± Victoria greeted them with her head down and walked to Christian¡¯s side under the crowd¡¯s stares. The people in the room were surrounding him, but none of them dared sit too close to him. Since there was enough space for a person to sit beside him, she seated herself right there. Although she wanted to please Christian, she was still a little afraid of him. The seat wasn¡¯t very spacious, but she didn¡¯t dare touch his body, so she moved her body closer to the man on her other side until their bodies were nearly touching each other¡¯s. ¡°Did I ask you to sit?¡± Christian¡¯s gazended on her thigh, which was nearly touching the man¡¯s. He paused for a moment and found it an eyesore. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 His gaze was giving Victoria too much pressure. She tightened her back muscles and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her actions were so big that it made the slit on her bodycon dress sway front and back. Although there was an obvious scar on her legs, it didn¡¯t make people feel that it was hideous. In fact, it was resonating with the floral prints on her dress, making her even more alluring. A few of them fixed their gazes on her and couldn¡¯t get their eyes off Victoria. Seeing that, Christian put down his wine ss as his eyes turned dark. He leaned back onto the couch and crossed his legs before saying coldly, ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°This new girl is too naive, squeezing into such a small space. It¡¯s spacious beside me. Come and sit here,¡± one of them said with a smile while patting on the couch. At this moment, Christian stared at Victoria, and his lips were so tense that they became a line. The darkness in his eyes was obscure as well. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lambert, but it¡¯s okay.¡± Victoria suppressed the humiliation that she was feeling and forced a smile. ¡°Mr. Thatcher doesn¡¯t like me to sit beside him. I¡¯ll just stand here.¡± ¡°Is Mr. Lambert being rejected?¡± Someoneughed. Mr. Lambert smiled and said resignedly, ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s normal. Mr. Thatcher is so handsome and charming. I¡¯m nothingpared to him! However, it¡¯s better this way since I don¡¯t need to be punished by my wife when I get back home.¡± Hearing that, everyone in the roomughed together, but their topic returned to business almost immediately. Christian didn¡¯t ask Victoria to leave, but he didn¡¯t look at her at all, making it seem as though he was treating her as an invisible person. As the others chatted and talked about business, he just said one or two sentences asionally. The rest of the time, he was just sitting there quietly. Even so, no one dared to neglect him. Although it looked like they were talking happily, they would look at him from time to time and change the topic when they felt that something was wrong. ¡°It is really our pleasure to be able to invite Mr. Thatcher today. Let me give Mr. Thatcher and everyone here a toast!¡± Someone stood up and raised his wine ss at Christian and the others with a smile. The others followed him as they stood up and raised their sses as well, clinking with each other. Christian was thest one to stand up. He raised his ss and clinked sses with them too. ¡°Let me drink it for you, Mr. Thatcher. You¡¯re not good at drinking,¡± Victoria put on a smile and said softly. At this moment, everyone in the room was stunned and looked at her with confusion. Is this hostess trying to drink for Mr. Thatcher? Meanwhile, Christian looked at her for a moment before he picked up the wine bottle and added more wine to his ss before giving it to her. While pressing her lips together, Victoria took the ss and drank it in one shot without any hesitation. ¡°You really can hold your liquor,dy!¡± Someone pped and persuaded her with a smile. ¡°Come on. Have another ss.¡± The expensive red wine flowed into the ss from its wall, and the aroma of the wine spread throughout the room. The wine ss, which was empty not long ago, was filled up almost immediately. Victoria held the wine in her hand and tilted her head to look at Christian. He was sitting on the couch, but his handsome face was covered by the shadows, so she couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly. However, she could tell that he never once looked at her. Sheughed at herself and nodded with the few men while holding the red wine. Then, she raised her head and drank the wine and the bitterness she was feeling. Just then, Christian changed the position of his crossed legs and put his left hand on his knee while his gazended on Victoria¡¯s empty wine ss. He frowned a little but looked away quickly. ¡°This is what I like! You¡¯re such a cooldy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s cool, but drinking such good red wine so quickly is such a waste.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a buzzkill. Take your ss up and drink another one.¡± Victoria stood in the middle of these men, whose age was closer to her father¡¯s, and forced out a smile before lifting her ss. At this moment, her stomach was already feeling sick, but she drank the wine without a second of hesitation. If she could please Christian and let him spare her, this pain would be nothing. When Christian saw her smiling and drinking the wine from the men one after another, he lifted his hand and loosened his necktie. However, this suffocating feeling was still not getting any better. He lowered his head and took out a cigarette, mping it between his long index finger and middle finger. ¡°Let me light it up for you.¡± Victoria endured the burning in her stomach and walked up to Christian. After kneeling down, she took a lighter made out of gold foil from the table and lit it up before cing it under his cigarette gently. With the jittering golden me reflecting in her eyes, she raised her head to look at him. Although she looked very vivid, there was no trace of that rebellious Miss Coleman anymore. At this moment, Christian looked at her and paused for a moment before sending the cigarette into his mouth. He took a puff and blew out a dense wreath. After Victoria closed the lighter, she put it back onto the table and stood behind him quietly. When he was done smoking and took up his ss, wanting to drink, she immediately bent down to take the wine bottle and poured it for him carefully. As for the others, it was none of her business whether they wanted to smoke or drink. She wouldn¡¯t go up to them either. With that, the othersughed and said that she only liked Christian. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. When it was about time, they all left one after another. Soon, Victoria and Christian were the only ones left in the room. ¡°You¡¯re making time to seduce people instead of quietly being a janitor. You¡¯re really sick in the head, Victoria.¡± He nced at her, and his voice was bloodcurdling.novelxo fast update ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood my intentions.¡± Her stomach was in so much pain that it felt like it had been sliced by a knife and burned by fire. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and lowered her gaze before saying, ¡°Miss Charlotte asked me to return to my original position.¡± Hearing that, he knitted his brows together without saying a word. He just walked past her, ready to leave. When he arrived at the door, he suddenly stopped. ¡°Don¡¯t drink when you have a stomach problem.¡± At this moment, the action of massaging her stomach came to a halt as the tips of her fingers started to tremble slightly. Is he¡­ caring about me? She turned to look at his figure from the back. Yet, before she could thank him, she heard him saying coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anything about Delta Club abusing its employees to death.¡± He strode out of the room after saying that. As Victoria looked at the empty door, she felt her warm heart turn into ice immediately. Her limbs were feeling the cold as well. She massaged her dizzy head andughed at herself. Did I drink too much? I actually thought that he was caring about me. In the hallway, that light purple floral-printed bodycon dress with a high slit kept reying in Christian¡¯s mind, making him feel annoyed all of a sudden. He couldn¡¯t tell whether he was angry or if he was feeling other emotions, but he just thought that the dress looked extra dazzling today. Also, this was not the first time he had feelings for Victoria. At this thought, he loosened his necktie and walked faster than usual. When he passed by the chief¡¯s office, he identally heard a man¡¯s voice from inside. ¡°I¡¯ve just got a new item, and I would like to know if Mr. Diaz is interested. Yes, it¡¯s a jade ne from the Renaissance period. I would like to let you have a look.¡± Just then, Victoria¡¯s empty neck today shed across Christian¡¯s mind. He then slowed his footsteps. He tilted his head to look at the door which was ajar and stopped walking. After a moment, he pushed the door open and entered the room. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 ¡°Why don¡¯t we set up a time to meet up¡­ Mr. Diaz, something¡¯se up. I¡¯ll talk to you next time.¡± Cameron identally nced at Christian, who was standing at the door and was so shocked that his heart nearly stopped. As such, he quickly hung up the phone. He swallowed his saliva and said carefully, ¡°Mr. Thatcher.¡± Christian nodded. ¡°Did I scare you by suddenlying in?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± With his heart pounding very quickly, Cameron said while smiling sheepishly, ¡°I just didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d be looking for me. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m surprised. Yes, surprised!¡± ¡°You look like you¡¯re in a good mood today,¡± Christian said casually. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Hearing that, Cameron swallowed his saliva again. ¡°I¡¯m just happy to have the pleasure of meeting you.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Christian raised his brows slightly, but there was a hidden meaning behind it. ¡°O-Other than that, there¡¯s another thing that has made me happy.¡± Cameron wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and felt his knees buckle. ¡°I found a treasure at the antique market recently.¡± Christian walked a few steps to the couch and sat himself down. ¡°You¡¯re quite lucky, then. Do I have the pleasure of looking at your treasure to get some luck from it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it, Mr. Thatcher. This jade ne is able to grab your attention.¡± Although Cameron was not willing to, he still took out the jade ne and gave it to Christian with both of his hands. When Christian saw the jade ne, his eyes darkened a little. He then yed with the ne in his hand and asked, ¡°This jade ne is from the Renaissance period. It should be worth more than ten million, but you found it in the antique market? Since you have such good taste, do you want me to rmend you to the city¡¯s art appraisal center? Hmm?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Big droplets of sweat were flowing down Cameron¡¯s face from his forehead. While touching the cool and smooth jade ne, Christian said in a deep voice, ¡°No rush. Think properly before you answer.¡± Cameron¡¯s knees buckled, and he nearly fell down on his knees when he heard that. His eyes darted around, and in the end, he said while grinding his teeth, ¡°Victoria gave me this jade ne. She wanted me to help her change her job position.¡± Fearing that Christian would misinterpret his words, he said quickly, ¡°But I¡¯ve always worked with diligence and discipline throughout my ten years in Delta Club, so how could I break the rules just for a jade ne? I asked Miss Charlotte about it, and I changed Victoria¡¯s job only after Miss Charlotte agreed to it. I didn¡¯t decide it myself!¡± At this moment, he was feeling very grateful that he had asked Charlotte about it first. ¡°When did Victoria give you the jade ne?¡± ¡°This afternoon,¡± Cameron answered right away. With his right arm propping his leg, Christian yed with the ne in his hand and asked casually, ¡°Do you know why she wants to change her job?¡± ¡°Being a janitor is very tiring.¡± Cameron assumed. ¡°They¡¯re always despised, and the sry is not good either. If she can be a hostess and meet a generous dandy, she can get quite an amount of money, and there¡¯s no need to be this tired. She might even meet an innocent rich man and turn from rags to riches. It¡¯s definitely better than being a janitor!¡± ¡°Did she tell you that herself?¡± Christian looked up. His dark gazended on Cameron as though he could see right through him. At this moment, Cameron¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His face reddened as he stuttered, ¡°N-No, it¡¯s j-just my guess.¡± Why does Mr. Thatcher care so much about Victoria¡¯s matters? Does he know her? I¡¯ve arranged so much work for her throughout this period, though. Will Mr. Thatcher be unhappy about it? At this thought, he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. P-Probably not. If Mr. Thatcher really knew Victoria, he wouldn¡¯t have let her be a hostess and a janitor at Delta Club. I¡¯m just thinking too much. Meanwhile, Christian stared at Cameron straight in the eye. Just when thetter felt pins and needles on his head while his limbs were weak and his mind was nk, only then did Christian look away and turn around, leaving the room. ¡±Mr. Thatcher!¡± Seeing that, Cameron quickly dragged his buckled knees to chase after Christian and shouted anxiously. When Christian heard that, he stopped and turned to look at him. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Mr. Thatcher, the¡­¡± Cameron stared at the jade ne in his hand and pointed at it. Even though he wanted it back, he didn¡¯t dare say frankly, making his face turn red from frustration. Christian yed with the jade ne in his hand and nced at him without much expression. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°N-Nothing.¡± Cameron felt so upset as though his favorite toy had been snatched away, but he didn¡¯t have the courage to take it back from Christian. As such, he could only say with duplicity, ¡°It¡¯s already late. Be careful when you go back.¡± Hearing that, Christian nodded slightly and kept the jade ne under Cameron¡¯s painful gaze before turning around to leave. ¡°This Victoria only brings me trouble!¡± Cameron grinded his teeth and scolded with a stream of coldness shing in his eyes. I¡¯m definitely going to kick her a*s. After Christian left the room, he walked a few steps to the front and headed into the CEO¡¯s office. ¡°Mr. Thatcher.¡± Someone was reporting Delta Club¡¯s recent procurement matters to Charlotte. When he saw Christiane in, he bowed down and greeted him immediately. Christian gave him a hum and waved at him, asking him to leave the room. ¡°I just wanted to tell you something, and you¡¯re here already. What a coincidence.¡± Charlotte stood up with an alluring smile and boiled some hot water, ready to make some tea. ¡°There are too many janitors in the club, but the number of hostesses isn¡¯t enough, so I decided to transfer Victoria over.¡± ¡°Is the clubcking hostesses? Do you want me to hire a batch for you?¡± he asked subtly while ying with the jade ne in his hand. When he recalled Victoria wearing the bodycon dress that showed her thigh and how she drank with other men, his grip on the ne strengthened, but he couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong with him. At this moment, Charlotte nced at the jade ne in his hand, which looked quite familiar, and clicked her tongue. ¡°I¡¯m just joking with you. Did you really believe me?¡±novelxo fast update ¡°Why did you transfer her back?¡± After walking to the office chair, he sat down and tapped the table with his fingers subconsciously. When she saw that, she raised her brows as a stream of interest shed in her beautiful eyes. He¡¯s tapping the table? I don¡¯t remember thest time I saw him show his emotions like this. She then nced at the jade ne in his hand and smiled meaningfully. ¡°Aren¡¯t you holding a grudge against Victoria? I just thought that I should attack her weak spot. It¡¯s quite useless to let arrogant people like her engage in hardbor, so I thought I¡¯d let her entertain the customers to train her not to be so hot-tempered.¡± Just then, his action of tapping the table came to a halt, and there was not much change in his expression, but Charlotte could still feel that he was unhappy. The water was boiling, so she made tea while saying with a smile, ¡°Are you reluctant to see that? Oh, right. Miss Coleman is so delicate and has been following behind you, pursuing you for so many years. It¡¯s quite normal if you feel sorry for her¡­¡± ¡°Charlotte,¡± Christian raised his eyes and called her name coldly. ¡°This is a great tea that I got recently. Try it.¡± After she was done making the tea, she pushed a tea cup to his front. Following that, he picked the tea cup up and took a small sip, but the tea was too hot. He frowned a little and put the tea cup back on the table. ¡°Well, this is funny! Who¡¯s in your mind that can make you burn yourself from drinking tea?¡± She laughed her head off with some tears in her charming eyes. ¡°I think no one will believe me if I tell anyone about this.¡± With a darkened face, Christian nced sideways at her. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Charlotte put on a serious front and tucked the smile on her lips away, but a hint of a smile was still visible in the corner of her eyes. ¡°Order a new batch of uniforms for the hostesses.¡± Christian grabbed the teacup again but put it back down when the ceramic was only barely an inch away from his lips as Charlotte stared at him while keeping a straight face. ¡°Delta isn¡¯t a brothel.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t go using me about this now, Mr. Thatcher!¡± Charlotte sighed under her breath, seeing that he hadn¡¯t burned his tongue this time round. ¡°A bodycon dress can show off a woman¡¯s inner beauty the best. How is this prostitution? Look at the other clubs and tell me which of them aren¡¯t revealing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know; I¡¯ve never been to other clubs.¡± Christian held the string tightly as he looked at the pendant under the light like he could see someone through it. Charlotte was rendered speechless. At that, she quirked her brow, allowing a hint of charm toce her face. ¡°A bodycon dress is still alright. It just doesn¡¯t fit Victoria well. The exposed scars look too ugly, lest she wants to scare off our customers. Why not let me make a set of uniforms solely for her?¡± To that, Christian put the pendant away and hummed softly, considering a yes to Charlotte¡¯s proposal. At that, Charlotte teased, ¡°Tsk, those oblivious might think you¡¯re upset with jealousy because Victoria¡¯s a hostess.¡± ¡°Fire Cameron.¡± Christian didn¡¯t entertain her tease but took a sip of the tea. ¡°He¡¯s been working for the club for a decade; he deserves credit for his efforts at the very least. I can¡¯t just fire him like this. The other staff will think otherwise.¡± Charlotte blinked, her every move coquettish. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you could suggest me an offense.¡± ¡°Theft of a valuable item within the club, and unauthorized altering of the club¡¯s ounting.¡± Frost laced Christian¡¯s eyes as he leaned back against the chair. ¡°Those are no minor offenses. If word gets out, no one will probably dare hire him again.¡± Charlotte took a peek at the said valuable item¡ªthe pendant¡ªknowingly but still asked with a smile, ¡°How did he piss you off?¡± Christian rested his intertwined fingers on his knee and looked up at her with a frosty gaze. ¡°Forget I ever said that.¡± Charlotte bent over and leaned against the table with her right arm propping her chin up, her cleavage showing somewhat. ¡°Say, Mr. Thatcher, I discovered an interesting thing lately.¡± She paused at that, waiting for him to sate his curiosity. However, Christian only took a gander at her and left the room like he didn¡¯t notice the magnificent view in front of him. At that, Charlotte sighed regrettably as she watched him disappear through the door. ¡°Why did I wait for him to ask when I could¡¯ve just said it. Bad move¡­¡± ¡­ The following day, Victoria got a notice at 8.30AM saying there was an issue with the uniform and that she needed to return the bodycon dress. Meanwhile, she could take the day off and resume work after the new uniform had been given to her. ¡°So the bosses have retrieved their conscience and given you a day off, huh?¡± Gabrielle sighed. ¡°You motherf*ckers!¡± Daisy booted the bed a few times, creating booming noises. ¡°It¡¯s early in the morning, for f*cking sake! Can¡¯t nobody get their sleep?! I¡¯m going to f*ck you all¡ª¡± ¡°Go on, don¡¯t stop cursing,¡± said Victoria inly as she stood by Daisy¡¯s bed. Daisy¡¯s face flushed crimson as words jammed in her mouth, not daring to utter a word when she met Victoria¡¯s gaze. At that, the grumpy woman snorted aggressively and pulled her covers over her head, deliberately making a bunch of loud noises. ¡°Sicko!¡± Gabrielle snorted and ignored Daisy, who was still fumbling noisily in her bed. ¡°You¡¯ve finally gotten a day off. Let¡¯s go shopping,¡± she said to Victoria. At that, Victoria looked down at her summer outfit silently. She could¡¯ve at least worn her two cleaner uniforms out back then, but now the bodycon dress and the two cleaner uniforms had all been returned to the club. All she had left with her was this summer outfit she wore before going into the penitentiary. ¡°I¡¯ve gained a few poundstely and can¡¯t fit into some clothes anymore. Why don¡¯t you take them?¡± Gabrielle got out of bed in only her undergarments and pulled out a khaki coat and a pair of straight-cut jeans. Then, she nced at the shoes Victoria was wearing and pulled out a shoe box from under her bed, taking a pair of ck cashmere heels out before giving the whole set to Victoria. Later, the pair left after getting dressed and putting on light makeup. The second the door closed, Daisy kicked her covers away and caterwauled at the door with a ferocious face. ¡°You murderer, you¡¯ll f*cking rue one day!¡± Still dissatisfied aftershing out, she got out of bed and grabbed Victoria¡¯s toothbrush, giving it a soak in the toilet water before chucking it back into thetter¡¯s rinsing cup. Meanwhile, Victoria and Gabrielle went to the nearest mall, and by the time they bought a few outfits and shoes, it was nearing noon. Both happened to have gotten hungry, so they decided to go to a well-reviewed Japanese restaurant. ¡°Can¡¯t we eat elsewhere?¡± Victoria found Christian and Be sitting at the back of the restaurant the second she entered. Christian¡¯s back was facing her, so she couldn¡¯t see his expression, but Be¡¯s was visibly clear to her. The young woman had a hand over her lips, smiling sweetly and joyously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gabrielle was checking if there would be any tables avable soon. ¡°I¡¯ve been here a few times. The food here is really fresh, and the price is pretty affordable. Sure, it¡¯s packed here, but you¡¯ll certainly think it¡¯s worth it after you try the food here.¡± Seeing that Gabrielle really wanted to eat here, Victoria didn¡¯t want to rain on her parade either. As such, she hummed a response and turned to wait for a table at the entrance with Gabrielle. Surely Christian and Be hadn¡¯t noticed her when the ce was packed with customers, and by the time she and Gabrielle went in, they would¡¯ve probably been done. They¡¯d have no chance of meeting each other. s, life never always turned out the way one nned. ¡°We still have a couple of seats at our table. Come with me.¡± Lucas stood in front of Victoria, looking down at her with a split-second of disorientation beneath his eyes. Victoria looked like the same young woman she was two years ago when she now swapped her uniform for regr clothing, like all that had happened at the club some time ago was nothing but a dream.novelxo fast update Meanwhile, Gabrielle reeled with shock as she knew the man standing before them was the Lucas Spritz of Spritz Group. He knows Victoria?! Lucas is here too?! Victoria frowned at the discovery. ¡°No thanks. Someone like me is unworthy of sharing a table with you.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯de to you if Be wasn¡¯t kind enough to ask you to join us?¡± Lucas said impassively. ¡°You guys still will have to wait for at least an hour. Come with me.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Victoria locked her brows into a deep furrow, but just when she wanted to turn him down, Gabrielle said with a smile, ¡°Well, thank you so much, Mr. Spritz.¡± With that, she stood up and pulled Victoria joyously. ¡°Come on.¡± Seeing that Victoria wouldn¡¯t move, she advised, ¡°It¡¯s not every day you get a break. You don¡¯t want to waste an hour waiting for a table, do you?¡± Victoria pursed her lips as a shadow had been cast above her nose when the sun beat down over her jagged bangs. In the end, she stood up and hummed softly. ¡°I was fortunate enough to have met you a few times in the past, Mr. Spritz. It¡¯s truly an honor to be able to sit down with you.¡± Gabrielle let go of Victoria¡¯s hand and went merrily to Lucas¡¯ side, making small talk gingerly. Lucas, on the other hand, hummed perfunctorily in response as he went inside the restaurant. After taking a few steps, he stopped and looked behind, only walking further inside after he was certain that Victoria was following. As they arrived at the table, Christian took a cursory nce at Victoria, who stood behind Lucas, and put some food into Be¡¯s te with themunal chopsticks. In her two years in the penitentiary, Victoria had lost count of the times she had told herself not to think about Christian anymore after being released. However, witnessing how sweet he was to Be right then still made her suffocate. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Victoria had been chasing after him for years, and she would already be in seventh heaven if he didn¡¯t shoo her away. She had always thought he was innately lofty and didn¡¯t know how to treat others kindly, so she just had to be the nice one. But lo and behold¡­ It wasn¡¯t that he was lofty; he simply didn¡¯t give a damn about her. Meanwhile, Be looked at the food in her te with unconceble jubtion. ¡°Thank you, Christian.¡± ¡°Do you like this one?¡± Christian put themunal chopsticks down and picked his back up. ¡°We¡¯ll order more of it.¡± Be¡¯s eyes lit up in response, and her face turned rosy. Victoria, on the other hand, stood by the table with her eyes drooped. Her heart felt sore, twinging painfully as though hundreds and thousands of ants were gnawing at it. ¡°Hello, Mr. Thatcher and Miss Spritz,¡± Gabrielle greeted somewhat stiffly, her eyes lighting up upon seeing Christian and Be. Victoria forced a smile, but there was not a sliver of joy beneath her eyes. ¡°Sorry for disturbing.¡± ¡°I was so worried you wouldn¡¯te because of shame.¡± Be sighed helplessly, then smiled amiably. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯vee over. Come, have a seat.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Spritz.¡± After Gabrielle thanked her with a smile, she dragged Victoria to an empty seat. She then asked Victoria in a whisper when the other three had their focus elsewhere. ¡°Why would Miss Spritz say you wouldn¡¯te because of shame?¡± Victoria¡¯s body stiffened in response, stupefied for a long time. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. She just ran over me and left me with a bad leg,¡± Be answered softly, then apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop. It¡¯s just that you guys are so close.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Gabrielle waved her hand with a forced smile, both awkward and shocked. So the person Victoria tried to murder was Be Spritz! ¡°No need to feel awkward. You¡¯re not the one who hit me.¡± Be smiled, then said with some regret, ¡°Besides, I never med Victoria either. I just feel somewhat unfortunate that I can never dance again.¡± ¡°Were you a dancer?¡± said Gabrielle in shock. Lucas took a gander at Be in response, and his eyes turned dim. ¡°A ballet world champion.¡± If Be hadn¡¯t befriended Victoria because of him, non of this would¡¯ve happened. ¡°And a world champion at that?!¡± Gabrielle covered her mouth. ¡°Well, that¡¯s very unfortunate! If I were you, Miss Spritz, I would never forgive the person who ruined my dreams!¡± It was only at the next second that Gabrielle realized what she had just said. At that, she smiled awkwardly and turned to Victoria. ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to do it either, did you?¡± ¡°On purpose or not, Be can never dance ever again.¡± Lucas was now seriously grim. No one said anything more at that, and the atmosphere at the table became super awkward. Christian was the only one unfazed, eating away like a noble gentleman. ¡°Alright,e on, guys. I already said I don¡¯t me Victoria.¡± Be smiled forcefully. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t dance anymore, it¡¯s no big deal. Let¡¯s not dwell on such a depressing topic.¡± As Gabrielle looked at Be¡¯s gorgeous features, she genuinely thought this young woman was so benign that it pained others to see her in misery. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who wouldn¡¯t stop talking about it?¡± Christian put his chopsticks down and leaned back against his seat, smiling ingenuously as he gave Be a sidelong nce, causing her to lower her head and bite her lip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have brought this up.¡± Is Christian speaking up for Victoria? Be looked at her barely immobile leg, feeling absolutely sad and aggrieved. Victoria looked up at Christian reflexively, and her heart raced for a moment. However, she lowered her head in two shakes, suppressing the abnormal, inchoate feeling. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± Unable to bear seeing Be aggrieved, Lucas stared icily at Victoria and retorted, ¡°What you said is a fact!¡± ¡°This will only make Victoria look bad, though.¡± Be spoke barely audibly, and her eyes were already red-rimmed at this point. ¡°I just wanted her to join us for a meal, but it looks like I¡¯ve messed it up again.¡± ¡°She should¡¯ve realized the consequences when she did that to you. This is what she should bear. You¡¯re the victim here, and there¡¯s no need to beat yourself up.¡± Lucas was less than happy about the fact that his dear sister kept putting others before her. She¡¯d easily be the victim. Christian snorted in response, smirking. ¡°Beat herself up?¡± Is Be too good of an actor, or is Lucas just in dumb? ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have brought the topic up.¡± Be bit her lip. ¡°Victoria¡­ and you, miss, see if there¡¯s anything you guys would like to eat.¡± She swept her gaze across Gabrielle and Victoria,tching it at thetter a little longer as repulse, anger, and jealousy shed across her eyes. Gabrielle felt absolutely awkward after knowing Victoria was the culprit behind Be¡¯s ¡®ident¡¯, but it wasn¡¯t good timing for her to leave anymore. As such, she could only order a couple of dishes she liked with an awkward smile. Victoria, on the other hand, ordered a few dishes out of habit only to discover after they were served that they were all Christian¡¯s favorites. With that, she looked toward Christian, but the man¡¯s whole attention was on Be. He hadn¡¯t noticed it at all. At that, Victoria licked her lips as bitterness crept up to her. ¡°Victoria, you have a weak stomach. Can you even eat these raw and cold food?¡± Gabrielle leaned close to her and whispered after seeing the dishes she ordered. ¡°They¡¯re not for me,¡± Victoria whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve ordered them for Mr. Thatcher.¡± With that, she grabbed a piece of sashimi and put it on Christian¡¯s te. ¡°I remember you love eating this.¡± In response, Christian fixed his gaze at her like he could see through her. She has been novelxo fast updatedeliberately buttering up to me since yesterday.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Victoria¡¯s eyes glimmered, and she put some salmon and his other favorites onto his te with drooping eyelids. Lucas, on the other hand, frowned and felt somewhat irritated as he watched her do all that. ¡°You used your chopsticks, didn¡¯t you?¡± Be gasped. ¡°Christian has slight mysophobia. He surely wouldn¡¯t eat any of these when they¡¯re stained with your saliva.¡± Victoria froze for a split second and mumbled an apology, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go and get a new te.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it yourself. Just calling the server will do,¡± Be teased. ¡°Has this be a habit for you when you¡¯ve been working at Delta as a cleaner and a hostess for some time?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and get a te.¡± Victoria clenched the hem of her shirt, stood up, and went to look for a server. After returning with a te, she couldn¡¯t help taking a peek at Christian¡¯s te to find all the food she had put on it were still as how she had put them. Her gaze dimmed a little in response, and she put the new te in front of him. Halfway through lunch, she excused herself to the washroom, having had enough of Be¡¯s hypocrisy. Lucas followed from behind, and just as she was about to enter the washroom, he grabbed her arm. ¡°You deliberately tailed Christian all the way here, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Victoria frowned and swung her arm to break free. ¡°No?¡± Lucas¡¯ amber gaze was filled with nothing but mockery. ¡°So you just so happened to be shopping in this mall and just so coincidentally came to have lunch in this restaurant at this time, bumping into us by chance?¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Victoria looked into Lucas¡¯ eyes and nodded. ¡°Whether you believe it or not, that¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°Two years in prison, and you¡¯re still lying through your teeth like before!¡± Lucas sneered, unsure if he was actually angry or jealous. Even when she was this down and out, her eyes were still on Christian and never him! ¡°If you say so,¡± said Victoria with her eyes drooped momentster. Nothing she said would make a change if that person didn¡¯t believe her. With that, she turned around and headed into the washroom. ¡°Victoria!¡± Lucas grabbed hold of her and pinned her against the wall, denouncing, ¡°Is it not enough that Be can¡¯t dance anymore because of you, and now you want to seduce her boyfriend?! Have you thrown away your conscience?!¡± The two were so close that they could see each other¡¯s fine hairs clearly. Lucas lowered his head to look at her, and upon seeing the scars on her face, his heart twinged for a second, and it suddenly felt like a needle had pierced it. Though she has always had a devil-may-care attitude, she minded her face like every other young woman. But now, there was such an obvious scar on her face. ¡°You¡¯re right. I am seducing Mr. Thatcher.¡± Victoria propped her hands against his chest and mocked at his ear, ¡°You¡¯ve got one thing wrong, though. The one who threw their conscience away was never me.¡± The wisp of warmth lingered around his ear, giving it an inexplicable romantic ambiguity. As Lucas fell into a trance for a second, Victoria sessfully shoved him away. With that, she fixed her bangs to cover up the scar. As she turned around, she inadvertently found Christian standing not far away. He wasn¡¯t wearing his suit jacket, and the buttons on his white dress shirt were fastened all the way to his cor button, making him look super aloof but also somewhat distant. She felt inexplicably nervous as she didn¡¯t know how long he had been standing there, as well as how much he had seen and heard. As such, she reflexively wanted to exin. ¡°Chris¡ª¡± The next moment, the man walked past her and went into the men¡¯s, never sparing her a nce. He hadn¡¯t ignored her because he was mad but regarded her as non-existent through and through. Just like that, Victoria¡¯s hand froze in mid-air for some time before dropping loosely by her legs. I must¡¯ve hit myself in the head or be hysterical, or how can I so ridiculously think he¡¯s upset because of jealousy? The one he loves is Be, while I¡¯m just a vermin that he abhorred and retaliated on because I harmed his beloved. I should already consider myself lucky if I can escape his revenge after pleasing him. So how can I still wishfully think of the impossible?! ¡°Do you really like Christian that much?¡± Lucas looked at her with mixed emotions, feeling all sorts within like an overturned wet paint pallet. ¡°Do you really still like him and want to be with him even when he broke your leg and threw you into prison?¡± ¡°Who I like seems to have nothing to do with you, Mr. Spritz. Or could it be that you still have feelings for me after all this time, and you¡¯re now jealous?¡± Victoria asked monotonously. Her words triggered Lucas, causing him to turn grim in an instant. ¡°Forget that I have a girlfriend. Even if I don¡¯t, I will never like a woman that has attempted to murder my sister!¡± ¡°Good.¡± At that, Victoria turned into thedies¡¯. Lucas, on the other hand, stood rooted to the ground as his countenance changed multifold. In the end, he washed his face before returning to his seat. By the time Victoria returned, Lucas and Christian had long returned to their seats, and she took a gander in Christian¡¯s direction before returning to hers. ¡°Victoria, you¡¯ve been away for quite some time. Are you down with an upset stomach?¡± Be asked with worry. Victoria didn¡¯t eat anything but a bowl of miso soup for fear of really upsetting her stomach. ¡°No, thank you for your concern,¡± she answered while sipping. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Seeing that you, my brother, and Christian had all gone to the washroom, I was seriously beginning to worry about the food served here,¡± insinuated Be weakly. After finishing their meal, Lucas went to pay the bill. Meanwhile, Christian put on his suit jacket and asked Be. ¡°What time is your rehab?¡± ¡°3.00PM. Perfect timing if we go there now.¡± She smiled amiably. Christian hummed a response, then moved behind the wheelchair pushing it out of the restaurant, never sparing Victoria a nce the whole time. The suit outlined his lean waist and long legs. His back alone could even make a woman¡¯s heart race. ¡°Mr. Thatcher sure is sweet to Miss Spritz!¡± Gabrielle sighed, having nothing but envy in her eyes. ¡°If only I had such a sweet and excellent boyfriend!¡± Victoria drooped her eyelids and said nothing. She felt as though someone had shoved fully soaked cotton into her chest, so stuffy that she couldn¡¯t breathe. Anybody could tell Christian treated Be endearingly, but she was like a fool back then, only having eyes for him and using any possible means to marry him. Even when she realized the harsh reality this time, her heart was long no longer under her control. ¡°Hold on, Christien.¡± Christien hed elreedy pushed the wheelcheir some distence ewey, but Belle turned eround end went beck to Victorie, seying, ¡°I wes plenning to buy you e couple of clothes. It¡¯s pretty unsightly to see you weer your uniform every dey.¡± At thet, she sighed. ¡°But Christien is teking me to the hospitel for reheb. You know how busy he is. It¡¯s not eesy for him to squeeze some time out of his hectic schedule. I cen¡¯t keep him from his work, so I cen¡¯t buy you clothes this time. Sorry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel bed, Miss Spritz. Mr. Thetcher might be busy, but I¡¯ve got time. Why don¡¯t I follow you to reheb? You cen buy me clothes efter you¡¯re done with it end once Mr. Thetcher leeves. Whet do you sey?¡± Victorie suggested. Who knew just when she¡¯d be eble to see Christien efter they perted this time. She hed to be on his good side es much es possible so thet he¡¯d releese her sooner. Then egein, she hed elso seid so to disgust Belle. ¡°Victorie, isn¡¯t this e little ineppropriete?¡± Gebrielle felt ebsolutely ewkwerd, but with Christien end Belle in front of them, she beheved somewhet stiffly, only eyeing suggestively et Victorie when she dered not bletently tell her to just leeve. ¡°It is indeed ineppropriete,¡± seid Victorie pleinly es she stered et Belle¡¯s stiffened smile. ¡°But it¡¯s much worse if she feels bed thet we turned her well-intentions down. She elreedy hes e bed leg. If her mentel heelth deterioretes beceuse of guilt, then it¡¯d be my feult.¡± No wonder Belle loved disgusting her. To think it ectuelly felt nice to disgust the person one heted to the point they were rendered speechless. Gebrielle chuckled ewkwerdly in response. As desperete es she wented to leeve, she couldn¡¯t go ewey for good. Ales, she could only stend rooted to the spot while cerry her shopping begs ewkwerdly. Belle, on the other hend, got choked up with enger end wes uneble to do enything with it. Even the smile on her fece beceme somewhet forced. ¡°If enything, you¡¯ve be even more shemeless efter spending two yeers in prison!¡± Luces sneered. He heppened to heve ceught Victorie¡¯s words when he ceme beck from peying the bill. ¡°Don¡¯t sey thet, Luke. You¡¯ll emberress Victorie,¡± Belle chided him. Then, she turned to Victorie end seid gently, ¡°Let me esk Christien. If he doesn¡¯t mind, you cen follow us. Whet do you sey?¡± ¡°Victorie end I will leeve if Mr. Thetcher disegrees. We definitely won¡¯t give you guys e herd tinovelxo fast updateme,¡± Gebrielle interjected, honestly worried thet Victorie would fuel the flemes. ¡°Hold on, Christian.¡± Christian had already pushed the wheelchair some distance away, but Be turned around and went back to Victoria, saying, ¡°I was nning to buy you a couple of clothes. It¡¯s pretty unsightly to see you wear your uniform every day.¡± At that, she sighed. ¡°But Christian is taking me to the hospital for rehab. You know how busy he is. It¡¯s not easy for him to squeeze some time out of his hectic schedule. I can¡¯t keep him from his work, so I can¡¯t buy you clothes this time. Sorry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel bad, Miss Spritz. Mr. Thatcher might be busy, but I¡¯ve got time. Why don¡¯t I follow you to rehab? You can buy me clothes after you¡¯re done with it and once Mr. Thatcher leaves. What do you say?¡± Victoria suggested. Who knew just when she¡¯d be able to see Christian after they parted this time. She had to be on his good side as much as possible so that he¡¯d release her sooner. Then again, she had also said so to disgust Be. ¡°Victoria, isn¡¯t this a little inappropriate?¡± Gabrielle felt absolutely awkward, but with Christian and Be in front of them, she behaved somewhat stiffly, only eyeing suggestively at Victoria when she dared not tantly tell her to just leave. ¡°It is indeed inappropriate,¡± said Victoria inly as she stared at Be¡¯s stiffened smile. ¡°But it¡¯s much worse if she feels bad that we turned her well-intentions down. She already has a bad leg. If her mental health deteriorates because of guilt, then it¡¯d be my fault.¡± No wonder Be loved disgusting her. To think it actually felt nice to disgust the person one hated to the point they were rendered speechless. Gabrielle chuckled awkwardly in response. As desperate as she wanted to leave, she couldn¡¯t go away for good. s, she could only stand rooted to the spot while carry her shopping bags awkwardly. Be, on the other hand, got choked up with anger and was unable to do anything with it. Even the smile on her face became somewhat forced. ¡°If anything, you¡¯ve be even more shameless after spending two years in prison!¡± Lucas sneered. He happened to have caught Victoria¡¯s words when he came back from paying the bill. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Luke. You¡¯ll embarrass Victoria,¡± Be chided him. Then, she turned to Victoria and said gently, ¡°Let me ask Christian. If he doesn¡¯t mind, you can follow us. What do you say?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Victoria and I will leave if Mr. Thatcher disagrees. We definitely won¡¯t give you guys a hard time,¡± Gabrielle interjected, honestly worried that Victoria would fuel the mes Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 ¡°It¡¯s a blessing for Victoria to have a friend like you,¡± Be said with a smile as she turned her wheelchair to face Christian. ¡°Christian, I know you¡¯re brooding over how she hurt my legs, but I don¡¯t me her for it. Can we just let her follow us to the hospital?¡± Christian stood against the light, so his expression couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. ¡°Christian, please say yes. She won¡¯t try to hurt me with you by my side.¡± Her words were a little more coquettish this time, acting like a damsel in need. This made Victoria sneer in her heart. Be had always taken it as her duty to separate Victoria and Christian. Even if he agreed to let Victoria go, he would disagree after listening to what Be said. Victoria was ready to be rejected when he said, ¡°Push Be out.¡± The pride dissipated in Be¡¯s eyes. She was stunned for a moment before she really had to force a smile. ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t be so careless like how you almost made me fall thest time, causing my brother to misunderstand.¡± Her voice was amplified. It wasn¡¯t meant for Victoria to hear but for Christian and Lucas. However, Christian only faced his slender back at her, which was not what she wanted. ¡°If you¡¯re smart, you should know not to try anything with Be,¡± Lucas walked over to Victoria and leaned in to warn her. Gabrielle, who initially wanted to speak up for Victoria, nced at Lucas. He had an expressionless face while Be looked incredibly pitiful. As for Victoria, her lips twitched when she heard his warning. ¡°I really wish I could.¡± Since they used her of attempted murder, why not she actually try to kill Be? They used her of having ill intentions, so she wanted to toss Be around a few times. That way, when Victoria was scolded again, she wouldn¡¯t feel so aggrieved. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Lucas lowered his voice and squeezed each word out his throat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Spritz.¡± Victoria took a few steps back and created some distance between herself and him. ¡°With Mr. Thatcher and you around, do you think I¡¯d dare to try and hurt Miss Spritz?¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you know that.¡± Lucas was upset to see that she had distanced herself, but he quickly frowned and suppressed the strange feeling in his chest. He couldn¡¯t love a woman who had deliberately tried to murder his sister. A hint of mockery shed across Victoria¡¯s eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re really worried, you should follow your sister around 24/7 so that I won¡¯t get the chance to hurt her.¡± Lucas red at her coldly before walking over to Be, leaning in and whispering into her ears before he strode away. ¡°Victoria, I¡ª¡± Gabrielle stole a nce at Be and said with a flushed face. However, Victoria directly interrupted her and said, ¡°If you have something to do, you can leave. I¡¯ll apany Miss Spritz to rehab.¡± Gabrielle didn¡¯t want to offend Be and the others for Victoria. It was understandable. After all, even Victoria¡¯s parents cut ties with her because of what had happened. ¡°Sorry!¡± Gabrie smiled embarrassedly and stretched out her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for you to hold all these while you push the wheelchair. Let me help you bring them back.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Victoria passed her all the shopping bags. On the side, Be sighed softly and said emotionally, ¡°You have such a good friend. Victoria, thisdy treats you well. Don¡¯t let what happened to us happen to her.¡± Gabrielle took the shopping bags from Victoria and looked at Be, perplexed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that Victoria and I used to be good friends, but then¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about these disheartening things.¡± Be looked at her legs and let out a bitter smile. Gabrielle could only smile bashfully as she nced at Victoria next to her, then at Be, embarrassed and confused. ¡°Don¡¯t keep Mr. Thatcher waiting. Gabrielle, we¡¯ll get going first.¡± Victoria¡¯s face was stoic, but her grip on the wheelchair was so hard that her fingers turned white. She pushed Be to the parking lot and found Christian sitting in his Bentley. When he noticed them coming out, he immediately opened the door and got out, paying no attention to Victoria as his eyes fell onto Be. Victoria lowered her gaze, her heart numb. He only had eyes for Be, and this was something Victoria had known for a long time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for troubling you, Christian.¡± Be looked up at him with eyes filled with admiration and adoration. Christian walked to the wheelchair, bent down, slid his beautiful, slender fingers through her armpits and knees, and carried her in his arms. Standing behind the wheelchair was Victoria, watching his angr face as it bathed in the light. He was astonishingly handsome, just like when she first saw him. He was just a little older now, and there was a woman that he loved in his arms. Victoria watched Be shyly wrapping her arms around him, only to feel her heart getting pierced by a sharp knife as blood flowed out of it. ¡°Victoria, there¡¯s not enough room back here. You can sit in the passenger seat,¡± Be lowered the window and said. ¡°By the way, please put the wheelchair in the trunk.¡± Victorie¡¯s eyes swept pest her end lended on the indifferent-looking Christien. Then, she nodded, turned ewey, end put the wheelcheir in the trunk. ¡°I¡¯ll leeve the tissues on the seet. You cen help yourself to it,¡± the driver seid. She hummed before opening the door with trembling fingers, took out some tissues, end leid them on the seet end the floor before sitting down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry thet you heve to be treeted like e servent,¡± Belle bit her lips end seid pitifully. As Victorie smoothened out the wrinkled tissues efter sitting down, she enswered lightly, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Then, she took e deep breeth end edded unwillingly, ¡°I hurt your leg. This cen be considered e wey for me to meke it up to you.¡± Meybe her obedience towerd Belle would meke Christien less disgusted with Victorie. Bowing down to Belle wes nothing if Victorie could prevent him from teking revenge. Christien tilted his heed to glence et her, his eyes derk end uncleer. Then, he quickly looked ewey. ¡°Although whet you¡¯re doing espensetion isn¡¯t going to meke me welk egein, I¡¯m still very touched.¡± Belle smiled. Her eyes drifted to the tissues under Victorie end esked, ¡°Why do you need to spreed the tissues like thet?¡± Victorie licked her lips; the teste of her lipstick could be tested in her mouth. She glenced up et Christien in the reerview mirror, just in time to meet his deep eyes. This mede her shudder in her heert, end she quickly looked ewey. ¡°I¡¯m efreid of dirtying Mr. Thetcher¡¯s cer.¡± ¡°Oh, is thet so?¡± Belle blinked es her pretty fece wes steined with e bit of confusion. ¡°Once, I got drenched in the rein, but Christien didn¡¯t sey enything when I set inside.¡± Then, she turned to Christien next to her end esked, ¡°Right, Christien?¡± Heering this, Victorie felt her throet tighten es her right hend scrunched up the tissue underneeth her. She felt suffoceted for e moment. However, she tried to keep e streight fece so es to not emberress herself. ¡°Yeeh.¡± Just es Belle¡¯s mouth sterted twitching, he edded, ¡°There weren¡¯t eny tissues.¡± At this moment, the smile on her fece froze. ¡°I didn¡¯t put eny tissues in the cer before, but now I do. Next time, pleese ley them on your seet beforehend.¡± Then, he took e peck of tissues end put it between them. ¡°Why don¡¯t we stop the cer so you cen ley them on now?¡± This mede Belle bite her lips while she seid coquettishly, ¡°Christien, how cen you meke such e joke?¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes swept past her andnded on the indifferent-looking Christian. Then, she nodded, turned away, and put the wheelchair in the trunk. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the tissues on the seat. You can help yourself to it,¡± the driver said. She hummed before opening the door with trembling fingers, took out some tissues, andid them on the seat and the floor before sitting down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you have to be treated like a servant,¡± Be bit her lips and said pitifully. As Victoria smoothened out the wrinkled tissues after sitting down, she answered lightly, ¡°Itnovelxo fast update¡¯s fine.¡± Then, she took a deep breath and added unwillingly, ¡°I hurt your leg. This can be considered a way for me to make it up to you.¡± Maybe her obedience toward Be would make Christian less disgusted with Victoria. Bowing down to Be was nothing if Victoria could prevent him from taking revenge. Christian tilted his head to nce at her, his eyes dark and unclear. Then, he quickly looked away. ¡°Although what you¡¯re doing aspensation isn¡¯t going to make me walk again, I¡¯m still very touched.¡± Be smiled. Her eyes drifted to the tissues under Victoria and asked, ¡°Why do you need to spread the tissues like that?¡± Victoria licked her lips; the taste of her lipstick could be tasted in her mouth. She nced up at Christian in the rearview mirror, just in time to meet his deep eyes. This made her shudder in her heart, and she quickly looked away. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of dirtying Mr. Thatcher¡¯s car.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Be blinked as her pretty face was stained with a bit of confusion. ¡°Once, I got drenched in the rain, but Christian didn¡¯t say anything when I sat inside.¡± Then, she turned to Christian next to her and asked, ¡°Right, Christian?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Hearing this, Victoria felt her throat tighten as her right hand scrunched up the tissue underneath her. She felt suffocated for a moment. However, she tried to keep a straight face so as to not embarrass herself. ¡°Yeah.¡± Just as Be¡¯s mouth started twitching, he added, ¡°There weren¡¯t any tissues.¡± At this moment, the smile on her face froze. ¡°I didn¡¯t put any tissues in the car before, but now I do. Next time, pleasey them on your seat beforehand.¡± Then, he took a pack of tissues and put it between them. ¡°Why don¡¯t we stop the car so you cany them on now?¡± This made Be bite her lips while she said coquettishly, ¡°Christian, how can you make such a joke?¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¡°Am I joking?¡± Christian snorted, then tapped on the tissue a few times. ¡°It is indeed wasteful toy out the tissue every time. Prepare a cushion yourself the next time you sit in my car.¡± Be froze for a split second before smiling. ¡°It is warmer with a cushion now that it¡¯s getting cold. How attentive of you, Christian.¡± Christian snorted enigmatically in response. Just then, his phone rang coincidentally, and he answered it. After that, no one said anything about the cushions again. After the car pulled up at the hospital entrance, Victoria got out of the car, gathered the tissues she had spread out into her coat pocket, then brought the wheelchair out with some difficulty. ¡°I was supposed to get you a couple of outfits, but you ended up doing all this. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Be looked up and smiled at Victoria while sitting in the wheelchair. ¡°How about this? The housekeepers in my family earn twenty thousand a month; that¡¯s about seven hundred a day. We¡¯ll consider today an entire day. I¡¯ll give you seven hundredter.¡± ¡°Well, thank you, Miss Spritz. It just so happens that I¡¯m short on money this month.¡± Victoria forced herself to tug a smile. Be had a thousand ways to disgust her. With that, she pushed the wheelchair into the hospital. Throughout the entire journey, Be chatted with Christian while she walked behind them like¡ªas Be had insinuated¡ªa maid. Many people were in the hospital, and the trio lined up to get into the elevator. Meanwhile, several rtively young female students would turn around and sneak a peek at the trio every now and then, mumbling¡­ ¡°Whoa, this guy here is really hot. Look at his face, his physique, and his temperament. He¡¯s literally the male lead in romantic dramas!¡± ¡°His girlfriend is also really gorgeous. They¡¯re such a match. It¡¯s a pity that she¡¯s disabled.¡± ¡°Sure, they¡¯re a perfect match, but did you notice the caretaker they hired? How can she be so pretty too? Her outfit¡¯s pretty tacky, though.¡± Be could no longer keep her smile when they called her disabled, and a hint of malice shed across her eyes quickly as she looked at her barely immobile leg. Christian swept his gaze across the chatty girls and frowned barely visibly. Ding! The elevator opened, and Victoria¡¯s pupils shrunk upon seeing who had exited the car. What are Vince and Tess doing here? Have they gotten sick, or has Vince¡¯s injury from the car ident worsened?! Vincent¡¯s head was still bandaged, and he was talking to the graceful woman next to him with his head lowered right then. However, the woman listened to him inattentively and inadvertently found Victoria in the busy hospital, making her eyes light up slightly. She then tugged on Vincent¡¯s shirt, telling him something excitedly. Vincent looked up, and joy enveloped his handsome but somewhat roguish face. ¡°Tori¡ª¡± Victoria shook her head at them at once, then gestured toward Christian and Be with her eyes. Seeing so, Vincent begrudgingly shushed the woman, who excitedly wanted to greet Victoria, and dragged her away. Of course, the Colemans¡¯ interaction didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Christian, who snorted. Do they think I¡¯m blind?! However, Victoria didn¡¯t notice his gaze as her eyes followed his brother and sister-inw the whole time. But lo and behold, the wheelchair suddenly rolled a little forward, and a female¡¯s howl sounded right next to them. ¡°Ouch! M-My leg!¡± A bad feeling suddenly rose within Victoria, and she looked in the direction of the howl to find the wheelchair¡¯s wheel pressing against the feet of the girl who had called Be disabled. Knowing Be for years, she didn¡¯t have to think to assume what had happened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Be apologized in a state of panic, looking all worried. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Miss, can¡­ can you please¡­ move your wheelchair away? Ah, my leg!¡± The young girl was in so much pain that her eyes were red-rimmed, and she was groaning in pain. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Be obliged instantly and looked toward Victoria anxiously. ¡°Victoria, hurry up and move back a little.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Victoria grabbed the wheelchair and moved backward, but a force was fighting her, making her unable to move the wheelchair for a long time. The girl and her friends were already on the verge of blowing their cool. Meanwhile, Christian¡¯s gazended on Be¡¯s fingers, which paled from the force she was exerting, rendering him stumped for a split second before a hint of ridicule shed across his eyes. ¡°Miss Spritz, can you please loosen your hands? Your grip is too strong. I can¡¯t move you away,¡± said Victoria softly. ¡°Huh?¡± Be let go immediately and looked apologetically at the girl. ¡°I¡¯m really, really sorry. I was just so nervous.¡± Atst, the wheel was finally moved away. The young girl dropped to the floor and removed her shoe at once to find that it had reddened quite a bit. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Please let me apologize on behalf of my friend. She saw an acquaintance just now and got distracted, thus running over you by ident.¡± Be looked all guilt-ridden. ¡°Your injury looks pretty serious. How about this? Have a doctor check on your leg. The fee¡¯s on me.¡± With that, she grabbed her wallet and pulled a stack of money out, handing them to the girl. Victoria, on the other hand, pursed her lips, looking beyond grim. She hadn¡¯t moved the wheelchair at all; Be was the one who did it. However, surely no one would believe her even if she exine It would be useless even if she requested the surveince footage, as her hands were on the wheelchair the whole time. As such, her argument would be moot. ¡°I don¡¯t want money.¡± The young girl was in so much pain that sweat gathered on her forehead. Seeing Victoria remain dazed, she hit the roof. ¡°Miss, are you not going to apologize when you were the one who did this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Victoria mumbled with clenched fists. Seeing so, the young girl only got more upset. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s within reason for you to apologize when you ran over my leg since you weren¡¯t looking where you were going? Why are you looking all aggrieved like you¡¯re the victim here?!¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t you think your apology is insincere at all?!¡± ¡°Look at this miss in the wheelchair. It¡¯s not her fault, but she keeps apologizing. What¡¯s with your attitude?!¡± The young girl¡¯s friends stood up for her, and some onlookers began criticizing Victoria. At that, Victoria took a deep breath and swallowed her grievances to bow deferentially. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for hurting you. I¡¯ll pay for your medical fees.¡± Be sought revenge on the girl that called her impaired, but Victoria was the one who ended up shouldering the me. She was killing two birds with one stone; Be sure knew how to y her cards. ¡°Don¡¯t use me of cheating you out of your money. I¡¯m not asking for much; three hundred will do.¡± The girl was in so much pain that her face paled, and two of her friends helped her up. At that, Be hurriedly handed the girl the money. ¡°Three hundred¡¯s probably not enough. Here¡¯s seven hundred. Take it. Don¡¯t turn me down, or I¡¯ll feel really horrible.¡± After shoving the money into the girl¡¯s hands, she turned to Victoria. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With that, Victoria followed behind Christian, pushing the wheelchair into the elevator while feeling absolutely disgusted. She had done all she could but still fell victim to Be¡¯s schemes again. Even if she was unwilling to do so, she had to admit that she was no match for that fiend of a woman. ¡°There¡¯s no need to pay me back the money. Just see it as the pay I was supposed to give you,¡± said Be softly after the elevator door closed. Victoria hummed in response. She had said she was running short of money, so Be wouldn¡¯t give her even a single penny. ¡°Quite a show you put on there. Excellent acting,¡± Christian said inly after exiting the elevator. ¡°Ever thought about bing an actress? I happen to know a few bosses in the entertainment industry. I can introduce you to them.¡±novelxo fast update Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Victoria¡¯s pupils shrank upon hearing so, and she looked at Christian with incredulity. Why did he let everyone misunderstand me when he knew the truth?! Christian looked ahead and never even thought of sparing her a nce. It was like he was oblivious to the fact that she was looking at him. At that, Victoria tucked her gaze away, and her countenance returned to usual. What was I thinking? Be is his beloved, while I¡¯m just nothing to him. ¡°Actress?¡± Be blinked innocently. ¡°Are you referring to Victoria, Christian? If she wants to be an actress, then she¡¯ll have to get rid of the scar on her face first, and no one can know she has been to jail, or she¡¯d be damned.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°With such great acting, it¡¯s a shame that you¡¯re not in showbiz, or you¡¯d be an Oscar-winning actress.¡± Christian stopped in his tracks, looked at the woman in the wheelchair, then sneered before continuing his journey ahead. ¡°Since Christian thinks you have such potential, why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± Be blinked. ¡°Though there¡¯s the fact that you¡¯ve been put behind bars, you can still give it a go. At the very least, it¡¯s a more respectable job than a hostess or a cleaner.¡± ¡°Is there a point in ying dumb?¡± Victoria asked. Be looked toward Christian¡¯s back, and mixed emotions began surging beneath her eyes. ¡°There has to be one even if there isn¡¯t, or something I hold dearly would be taken away.¡± Later, when the three headed out after Be¡¯s rehab session, her attending physician called out to Victoria out of the blue. ¡°Yes, doctor?¡± Victoria stopped in her tracks. The doctor looked at her right leg and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me asking, but your right leg¡­ Is it dysfunctional?¡± Shouts of prison inmates calling herme rang in her ear, causing her face to nch as she tucked her right leg in. She had already tried her best to walk like any other person. Still, her disability wasn¡¯t something she could hide just because she wanted to. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t mean anything else. I was just asking,¡± the doctor exined because of the awkward atmosphere. ¡°If so, I suggest that you get it checked. Maybe you have a chance at recovery.¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes lit up for a split second upon hearing so. No one would willingly live with a disability for their entire lives, after all. On the other hand, Be lowered her eyelids, concealing the malice that shed across her eyes. She had visited tons of specialists only to get one result¡ªher leg injury was irremediable. But lo and behold, Victoria¡¯s bad leg could be corrected! ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. She was born with it. Nothing can fix it,¡± Christian said impassively and headed out the door before Victoria could say anything. The hopeful light in Victoria¡¯s eyes vanished in that instant, reignited with burning anger, but it could only be converted to unwilling resignation. She had nothing to fight Christian. The only thing she could do was to please him and stay far away from him. If he didn¡¯t want her leg to be cured, then so be it, lest¡­ he broke it again. When they entered the car, Victoria had just pulled a piece of tissue out when Christian, who was sitting at the back, said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so wasteful anymore.¡± She turned her head to look at his handsome face as her thick, curly eyshes trembled. With that, she hummed a response, put the box of tissue in front, and sat down. ¡°Christian.¡± Seeing so, Be furrowed her brows but very quickly released them. ¡°I¡¯ve given it some serious thought, and I think that Victoria should treat her leg if something can be done about it. It¡¯s already enough that my life is ruined. Don¡¯t ruin hers too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the price she should pay for breaking your leg.¡± The sun shone through the car window, casting a ring of light on Christian. It was a sight to behold, but Victoria had no mood to admire it, only feeling cold. He was really dead set on ruining her. Meanwhile, Be sighed and looked at Victoria with pity. However, that gaze only made Victoria¡¯s stomach churn. Be¡¯s phony act was one that she could never master. ¡°By the way, I saw your brother and sister-inw inside earlier. Why didn¡¯t theye and say hi to you? Do they think you¡¯re an embarrassment because you were sent to prison?¡± asked Be curiously. Victoria pursed her lips tightly and drooped her eyelids. Her hands, which were on herp, clenched her clothes involuntarily. ¡°They¡¯re still your family, though. Isn¡¯t it harsh for them to be like this?¡± Be sighed, speaking insouciantly, ¡°You haven¡¯t gotten to meet the pigeon twins when you were locked up in prison for the last two years, have you? I¡¯ve met them a few times. They¡¯re pretty adorable; they¡¯ve inherited your brother and sister-inw¡¯s good genes.¡± Victoria clenched her clothes so tightly that her hand paled from it. She had been forcibly dragged to Delta Club after she had been released. What chance did she have to meet her brother¡¯s twins? Be¡¯s words were only a deliberate stab at her heart! ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you possibly¡­ sad?¡± Be leaned forward, bringing their distance closer. ¡°Why don¡¯t I talk to Mr. Coleman and Vincent¡ª¡± At the limit of her tolerance, Victoria shot her eyes wide open and interrupted Be, saying, ¡°Are you not tired of pretending to be someone you¡¯re not every single day?! Do you not feel disgusted?! Now that you can¡¯t dance anymore, do you have so much free time to repulse everyone and get their attention s, Victoria regretted it the second she finished her words. Christian looked at her silently in his seat on the right side of the back seat. His gaze right then was like a ck hole, seemingly wanting to suck her into limbo. Victoria¡¯s anger gradually diminished, and it was reced with fear and apprehension toward him. Her hands that had been clenching her shirt loosened a little, but her fingers shook barely visibly. Perhaps the situation would alleviate if she apologized, but she didn¡¯t want to, nor was she willing to do it. ¡°How can you think of me like that?¡± Be spoke aggrievedly like she had been spooked. ¡°I just want to help you as a former friend because I don¡¯t want to see you and your family fall out like this.¡± Victoria¡¯sshes quivered, and she tried her best to ignore the icy gaze on her. ¡°I appreciate your kindness, Miss Spritz. There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself with it.¡± ¡°No trouble at all. No need to stand on ceremony with me,¡± said Be with feigned magnanimity, overlooking the fact that Victoria hadshed out at her. ¡°I¡¯m sure Mr. Coleman will let you see the kids if I ask him.¡± ¡°No need to proliferate your kindness.¡± Christian suddenly spoke up, emphasizing the word ¡®kindness¡¯. There seemed to be a hint of mockery in his voice, but his countenance made it impossible for anyone to tell. Light shed across Be¡¯s eyes, and she muttered, ¡°Sorry, I got carried away.¡± At that, she said no more. The atmosphere in the car turned eerily silent, and the air seemed to havepressed, making breathing challenging. Victoria covertly sized Christian up through the rearview mirror. Thetter was looking out the window with a deadpan face, making it hard for her to tell if what she said had pissed him off. With that, she tensed up her back muscles, and her whole body stiffened up like a fully drawn bowstring. It wasn¡¯t until ten-plus minutester that she wiped the thinyer of sweat that had formed from who- knew-when seeing that he didn¡¯t have any intention of giving her a hard time. However, her back remained tense. Victoria got out of the Bentley after it pulled up in front of Delta Club. It was only after the vehicle disappeared from her sight that she realized she was covered in ayer of cold sweat. ¡°Tori!¡± Someone suddenly patted her shoulder. Victoria turned around reflexively, and a hint of not-so-visible joyced her eyes when she saw who it was. ¡°Vince?!¡± novelxo fast updat Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 At that, Victoria turned to the gentle woman next to Vincent and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Tess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been two years. How have you¡­ be so skinny?¡± Teresa London¡¯s eyes turned red with oing tears the second she spoke when she saw Victoria¡¯s abnormally gaunt face. Vincent¡¯s heart ached at the sight of Teresa¡¯s tears, and he hurriedly wiped them away for her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you were happy to see Tori? Howe you¡¯re crying now?¡± ¡°Are you really Tori¡¯s brother?!¡± Teresa red at him while tears rolled down her cheeks like beads of a broken string. ¡°Who knows what kind of torment Tori has suffered in thest two years when she looks this skinny?!¡± ¡°Vince, Tess, let¡¯s talk somewhere else.¡± Victoria swept her gaze across their surroundings. There were many passersby, and it wasn¡¯t a good ce for them to talk. If someone snitched to Christian that the Colemans were still keeping in touch with her, what she had been doingtely would be for nothing. As Victoria¡¯s loving sibling and inw, they knew the young woman liked grilled fish, so they drove to a seafood grill. Teresa was a fan of grilled fish too, but right then, she had no appetite when she looked at Victoria¡¯s scar-ridden and gaunt face from across the table. She picked up her cutlery, only to put them down. ¡°Tori, you¡­ your life¡¯s been miserable in thest two years, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re imagining it, Tess. Criminals are still human. How bad could things get?¡± Victoria¡¯s gaze dimmed for a second, then she smiled and gave Teresa a piece of fish meat. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve heard quite a few interesting stories inside.¡± ¡°Do tell.¡± Teresa felt even worse, seeing that her sister-inw didn¡¯t want to bring up her misery. However, she didn¡¯t force Victoria to unveil her scars either. Never one to conceal his emotions, Vincent picked the bones out of the fish grimly before putting the bone-ridden meat into his dear sister and wife¡¯s tes. ¡°A guy that scammed about twenty million out of people loved ying games. When the police caught him at a cybercafe, he asked that they let him finish the round before following thempliantly because his teammates would yell at him for being absent mid-game.¡± ¡°And then there was a murderer. For eight years, he had been cautious with his actions. But he got caught in the end because a face recognition device caught him when he entered a concert.¡± Victoria rted interesting stories about a few prison inmates with a smile, and Teresa wouldugh along every now and then. However, everyone knew no one couldugh. They were only doing so for the other¡¯s sake. ¡°Enough about that!¡± Vincent put his cutlery down and asked Victoria grimly, ¡°I heard you were forced to kneel; you even got harassed and targeted at the club. Is that all true?¡± At that, Teresa nudged him and shot him a look. But he kept his gaze at Victoria, not taking no for an answer. Stumped, Victoria drooped her eyelids and said, ¡°They¡¯re all just rumors. Don¡¯t people also say that I¡¯m a heinous murderer?¡± Vincent bore into her for a moment and grabbed his beer. After chugging it down, he mmed it back onto the table. ¡°You¡¯re lying, Tori.¡± His voice had deepened quite a lot. Victoria said nothing but only put a piece of fish into her mouth. However, she couldn¡¯t taste anything. It was a silent admission. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you¡­ Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± Teresa¡¯s gaze was filled with mixed emotions. She knew her sister-inw¡¯s temper well. The young girl was absolutely cocky and would f*ck anything and everything. But now, she was being mangled to this degree. ¡°What will that do?¡± Victoria put another piece of fish into her mouth and snorted self-deprecatingly. ¡°Have you and Vince worry about me?¡± m! Vincent mmed his beer on the table. The noise was so loud that a few other tables looked in their direction. ¡°Pipe down!¡± Teresa pinched his arm. ¡°If no one¡¯s willing to fight Thatcher in Bloomsway, then I¡¯ll get the new secretary of the municipal committee!¡± Vincent stood up with his arms propped against the table, bellowing with bloodshot eyes. ¡°I refuse to believe that Thatcher can get away with everything in Bloomsway!¡± ¡°Calm down. Don¡¯t get impetuous.¡± Teresa tugged at his sleeve, urging him to sit down. Unlike her hot- headed husband, she¡¯d think twice before doing anything. Vincent broke free from her, the veins on his neck bulging. ¡°Calm down? If I calm down any further, people are going to f*cking screw Tori to death!¡± Hissh-out took Teresa aback. She pursed her lips and said nothing more, but her eyes had turned red. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Are you mad?! Whysh out at Tess when she¡¯s done nothing to you?!¡± Victoria put her cutlery down and sighed helplessly, shooting her brother a nce. Vincent regretted doing so the second he snapped. Once he cleared his throat, he hurriedly coaxed his wife, who only looked a little better after all the sweet talk. ¡°Not even the new secretary of the municipalmittee can help you.¡± At that, Victoria briefed them about Janice¡¯s assistance, and the table fell silent. Momentster, Vincent ruffled his hair in annoyance. ¡°If we¡¯re really out of options, then I¡¯ll just run over that b*stard and go to jail. What can be worse than that?!¡±¡± ¡°You¡¯re not alone anymore. Can you at least think about Tess and your twins before you say or do anything?¡± Victoria¡¯s icy heart warmed up a little when she saw her brother¡¯s still bandaged head. It was really nice to know that someone still cared about her. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Vincent. Don¡¯t do that, Vincent. What do you guys expect me to do then?! Watch that b*stard mangle you to death?! Fat chance!¡± caterwauled Vincent angrily. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I¡¯m going to take it lying down, did I?¡± At that, Victoria muttered under Vincent and Teresa¡¯s watchful gazes, ¡°I¡¯ve already thought of a way to leave the club. Don¡¯t you guys worry.¡± But when the couple asked what she had in mind, she said nothing. After dinner, Victoria went back to the dorm. Gabrielle was in as well, feeling somewhat awkward upon seeing Victoria¡¯s return. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about earlier today,¡± she apologized awkwardly about half an hourter. Who knew if she apologized for using Victoria to get to Christian and the Spritz siblings or for abandoning Victoria. Victoria hummed a response softly upon hearing so and said nothing more. ¡°Victoria.¡± Needing to sate her curiosity, Gabrielle asked gingerly after a moment of hesitation. ¡°Miss Spritz¡¯s leg¡­ Did you really do it?¡± Victoria stiffened for a moment, then hummed softly like before. ¡°Miss Spritz is pretty and gentle. She¡¯s also pretty amiable. Why would you want to break her leg?¡± Gabrielle went over to Victoria¡¯s front. ¡°I can¡¯t stand her.¡± Victoria didn¡¯t even look up but only sorted out the clothes she had bought earlier that day. ¡°Also, I didn¡¯t just want to break it but kill her. She got lucky and survived, though.¡± Gabrielle fell silent for a long time after hearing so. Victoria, on the other hand, kept her attention on sorting out her shopping. Sometimeter, she grabbed two clothes and put them on Gabrielle¡¯s bed. She didn¡¯t like owing favors. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that kind of person, though.¡± Gabrielle suddenly spoke up. Victoria¡¯s hands on the clothes froze for a moment, and she looked up at Gabrielle with misty eyes. Just then, a knock came at the door. Gabrielle jogged to it. After taking the clothes from a colleague, she unfolded them to take a look, only to be gobsmacked. ¡°Are you sure this is for Victoria and not an older cleaningdy¡¯s uniform?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure. I¡¯m just as stumped as you are. From what I know, only Victoria¡¯s uniform has been changed to this one. I swear that someone will certainly file aint if she wears this!¡± said the colleague as she rolled her eyes before leaving. novelxo fast updat Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Victoria took the clothes in Gabrielle¡¯s hands and nced at them, a hint of confusion in her eyes. Still, she didn¡¯t say anything. She ced the uniform by her pillow, went outside to make a call, then washed up and went to bed. Early the next morning, Victoria was still sleeping when a loud banging on the door woke her up¡ª ¡°Still sleeping at this hour? What are you, pigs? Open up!¡± ¡°Open up, you hear?! Damn it, those stupid girls!¡± Victoria frowned and said to Gabrielle, who was also in a sour mood from getting woken up by the noise, ¡°Stay in bed. I¡¯ll get the door.¡± ¡°How annoying can she be?!¡± Gabrielle mumbled, then turned around and covered her face with her nket. Victoria went over to answer the door. Daisy was standing at the entrance, donning a slip dress. She wore a wine red coat loosely on top of it, and there was a bruise-like hickey on her neck. ¡°What the f*ck are you looking at? Keep looking and I¡¯ll gouge out¡ª¡± Daisy began shouting, but she swallowed the rest of her sentence under Victoria¡¯s gaze. Victoria said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t say I haven¡¯t reminded you. If you curse one more time in front of me, I¡¯ll make sure you never open your mouth again.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Daisy craned her neck, her nostrils looking a littlerger because of the slight movement. Victoria smiled, but the smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°You can try.¡± With that, she returned to her own bed. Daisy¡¯s face turned from pale to a dark hue before turning to red. In the end, she mmed the door shut as if to vent. ¡°Crazy woman,¡± she muttered under her breath. Victoria took the uniform and got ready to change into it while pretending not to hear Daisy, but after thinking for a bit, she put the uniform back down. It seemed like she wouldn¡¯t need the uniform today. She looked at the time, and people should be calling her or knocking on her door to see her by now. As soon as the thought shed across her mind, the door was pushed open. ¡°Who¡¯s getting worked up so early in the day? I could hear the door mming from a mile away.¡± Charlotte walked in, smiling. She was wearing the simplest office wear, but it still enhanced her figure and gave her an alluring aura. ¡°It¡¯s not like I asked for it.¡± Daisy pouted. She was talking to Charlotte, but her eyes were trained on Victoria. ¡°A certain someone overdid it and let me wait at the door for half an hour in the morning. Who wouldn¡¯t be pissed?¡± Victoria allowed Daisy to tell her tall tale, not intending to retaliate. ¡°Daisy, don¡¯t treat everyone like fools.¡± Charlotte took Daisy¡¯s hand, raising a corner of her eye as she said pointedly, ¡°If not, you¡¯ll be at a disadvantage.¡± Daisy pouted, but she kept silent as she cast a sideways nce at Victoria. Then, she grudgingly went back to her bed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to work today. Mr. Thatcher will be here in about half an hour, so hurry up and gather your things. Mr. Thatcher will tell you what to do then.¡± With her index finger, Charlotte poked a few times at Victoria¡¯s shoulder. She gave a meaningful smile, then opened the door and left. Gabrielle popped her head out from beneath the nket, a searching gaze in her eyes. ¡°Victoria, does Mr. Thatcher know you?¡± Victoria nodded. Her eyes glistened as she said calmly, ¡°I broke his beloved¡¯s leg, so how can he not know me?¡± ¡°Then¡­ Be careful today. Don¡¯t offend anyone anymore.¡± The light in Gabrielle¡¯s eyes went out as she smiled awkwardly. She pulled the nket up over her head again. Victoria didn¡¯t have any other clothes, so she put on the outfit she wore yesterday. Then, she put on some simple makeup and went out. The car arrived after an hour. She opened the car door and was about to sit in the passenger seat when Christian gave her a look. ¡°Come behind.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Victoria pursed her lips, then tensed herself as she rounded to the back, sitting beside him. She wasn¡¯t used to sitting so close to him. The faint cigarette smell on him seemed to envelope her like an invisible, suffocating her. Then, she pressed her right hand on the seat as she carefully inched to the right, intending to put more distance between them. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her waist. She tensed up, and before she could respond, she fell into the arms of the man beside her. ¡°If you¡¯re so scared of me, then why did you try so hard to attend my mother¡¯s birthday banquet? Hm?¡± Christian gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. Her face, which was pale from panic, reflected in his dark eyes. Victoria¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She lowered her gaze, not daring to look him in the eye. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her in two years, so I wanted to visit her.¡± Her mother would be attending Evelyn¡¯s birthday banquet as well. Victoria wanted to see her mother, so she shamelessly called Evelynst night. She could hear his strong heartbeat, and she felt ufortable all over. She pressed her left hand on the seat in an attempt to sit better. However, Christian suddenly reached out and pressed a hand on her shoulder. Her hand faltered, and shey right on his thighs. ¡°Victoria.¡± He leaned in ever so slightly as his fingers fell on her right leg, which was slightly impaired, and began to rub it. ¡°Was the punishment two years ago too light for you?¡± Was that why she still dared to lie to him? The ces he had touched felt like a sharp knife was drawn through them. Victoria felt goosebumps all over her, her delicate eyshes quivering endlessly. In an instant, a piercing pain shot through her right leg again. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance.¡± Christian¡¯s hand paused on her knee, knocking it mindlessly. It wasn¡¯t too hard, but Victoria¡¯s heart trembled with every knock. Her fingers subconsciously gripped the seat, and she was immensely disgraced. ¡°I wanted to see my mom.¡± She just wanted to see her mother, but she had to do it through someone else¡¯s birthday novelxo fast updatebanquet. She never thought that she would face such a ridiculous situation. ¡°Hah!¡± Christian chuckled, faint mockery in his voice as he said, ¡°Should I say that the Colemans are a cruel family? Or an intimate one?¡± Embarrassment filled Victoria¡¯s eyes. She wanted to sit up, but she couldn¡¯t find a spot to support herself, so she could only grab onto his leg fearfully. However, she never thought that she would identally press on his private part! ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± All the color drained from her face as her body trembled uncontrobly. The driver coincidentally witnessed this scene through the rearview mirror. He subconsciously squeezed his thighs closed, a chill running down his spine. Christian¡¯s usually indifferent face was a little dark as ayer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He said coldly, ¡°Still not letting go?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Victoria hastily let go, then supported her weight on his leg as she sat up. She backed right up to the car window. She had seen many cruel people in prison, but perhaps because Christian had broken her leg with a club, the person she feared the most was still him. ¡°Stop the car.¡± Christian¡¯s face was an unnatural red as a dark shadow loomed over his eyes. After the car pulled up, he looked sideways at Victoria, his voice bone-chilling as he said, ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Can I still attend the birthday banquet?¡± Victoria knew her best bet would be to run right now, but she didn¡¯t want to miss this chance to see her mother. Sweat trickled down Christian¡¯s face. ¡°If you don¡¯t get out right now, you won¡¯t be going!¡± After she got out, he squeezed his thighs together, covering the throbbing spot with his hand as he said with great difficulty, ¡°To the hospital!¡± Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 A disturbed and preupied Victoria gged down a cab and made her way to the Thatcher Residence. Since there were many people attending Evelyn¡¯s birthday, they all gossiped in murmurs when they saw Victoria. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the culprit, Victoria, who got into jail because of her attempted murder? Is she out of prison?¡± ¡°Damn! How did someone like her get in here? It gives me the chills to think that I¡¯m now in the same house with a murderer.¡± ¡°She is still the Thatcher Family¡¯s daughter regardless, so how can she dress so indecently? She is such a disgrace to her family.¡± In the meantime, Victoria walked toward a corner and sat down despite their unforgiving and mean gossip about her. The moment she sat down, a man in a ck suit who happened to be sitting there stood up and walked away with a frown and unhappy look on his face. However, Victoria wasn¡¯t really bothered by the man¡¯s reaction as she kept her eyes locked on the entrance in a stressful and preupied manner. After all, she was worried about Christian¡¯s severe injury since he still hadn¡¯t shown up. Christian has always been ruthless and merciless. Now that I identally wounded him, I bet he is going to get back at me to make me suffer terribly. ¡°Miss Coleman, Mrs. Thatcher would like to see you.¡± Just then, a maid walked up to her. Victoria nodded, following the maid to Evelyn¡¯s room as everyone else watched in surprise and puzzlement. ¡°Here you are, Tori.¡± Evelyn was gorgeous and elegant, wearing a long purple dress while smiling with crow¡¯s feet showing on her face. Then, her eyes fell upon the scar that was barely covered by Victoria¡¯s fringe on her forehead. However, she quickly looked away as a sign of respect for the woman. While Evelyn still treated Victoria the same way she did two years ago, thetter appeared somewhat prudish and reserved. Soon, Victoria kept her head down and politely greeted Evelyn, ¡°Greetings, Mrs. Thatcher.¡± ¡°Where is your birthday wish for me this time? I haven¡¯t heard that from you at all.¡± Evelyn pulled the youngdy¡¯s leg. Nevertheless, Victoria only pursed her lips without saying a single word; she had been humbled by what happened in the past two years that she no longer dared to joke with Evelyn. ¡°Ah, it looks like my girl has grown up.¡± Evelyn caressed Victoria¡¯s hair and sighed before changing the subject. ¡°I have a dress for you. It was tailor-made based on your measurements two years ago, but I wonder if it still fits you. Why don¡¯t you try it on?¡± The maid then brought the beige dress forward and gave it to Victoria, but thetter rejected it. ¡°No thanks, Mrs. Thatcher. I¡¯m here just to visit my mom, and I¡¯ll be gone in a while. I appreciate your kindness.¡± Victoria refused to ept Evelyn¡¯s gift, thinking she should consider herself lucky to be invited to the birthday feast. Deep down, she was worried that her stigmatized past would embarrass Evelyn since everyone knew she was sentenced to jail two years ago. However, Evelyn seized her hand and interrupted her, saying, ¡°Hey, today is my birthday, so how could youe here to visit your mom and go?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m a mur¡ª¡± Victoria licked her dried lips, feeling too embarrassed to continue her sentence. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± Evelyn cut Victoria short and said, ¡°You¡¯re my favorite girl.¡± Without giving Victoria a chance to turn her down, she turned her attention to the maid and said, ¡°When Tori is done trying on the dress, tell Willy and the others toe here and give her a makeover. She needs heavier makeup, or it¡¯s going to look like she doesn¡¯t have any under the lights.¡± Since she was unwilling to ruin the birthday feast, Victoria wanted to say something since she didn¡¯t know how to face her parents either. Nevertheless, Evelyn beat her to it and said, ¡°There are a lot of guests here tonight, Tori. I¡¯m going to have to excuse myself now. If you need anything, just call Amy.¡± She walked away after finishing her sentence. Meanwhile, Victoria had her eyes fixed on the closed door with aplicated expression on her face. When she was finally done with her makeover, it was already two hourster. At the same time, the ce was crowded with more guests dressed in decent suits and fancy dresses as they raised their sses andughed happily. ¡°Say, did Mrs. Thatcher tell Victoria to get a makeover because she couldn¡¯t care less about her past? Do you think she wants Victoria as her daughter-inw?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°No way! The Thatcher Family will never want a daughter-inw who¡¯s been in jail before. Why would they? Maybe she just thought Victoria¡¯s current outfit would embarrass her too much.¡± While Victoria weaved through the crowd, she overheard some of them talking about her. She then paused in her tracks and shifted her gaze to the table at the corner, where she saw a man and a woman. As the duo saw her approaching them, both of them stood up and winked at each other before walking away. After that, Victoria sat down and shifted her gaze across the crowd to search for signs of Christian, but to no avail. Thus, she began to grow even more anxious, wondering why he still hadn¡¯te back. Is he not here yet because he is too injured to move? ¡°Victoria?¡± At that moment, Be approached Victoria in a wheelchair, sizing thetter up with a smile. ¡°I thought you would be here in your uniform. No wonder I wasn¡¯t able to spot you because you got yourself a fancy dress.¡± At the same time, Lucas was standing behind his sister, fixing his gaze upon Victoria for a while before he was able to take his eyes off her. While Victoria knitted her eyebrows silently and took a bite of the cake, Be bit her lips and offered her word of advice. ¡°Your dress must be tailor-made, right? You know what, Victoria? You should learn not to bite more than you can chew; spending more than you can afford just to satisfy your desire is one of the things that you shouldn¡¯t be doing, considering your current situation.¡± ¡°Something I shouldn¡¯t be doing? Like what? Bing a pet for the rich?¡± Victoria lost her appetite after taking a bite of the cake, replying sarcastically to Be¡¯s statement. ¡°I¡¯m just giving you a word of advice because I want what¡¯s good for you. That¡¯s all it is.¡± Be felt helpless. ¡°You need to stop being so mean to me.¡± Nevertheless, Victoria produced a piece of tissue paper and wiped her lips, whereupon she made her way to another table. After all, she couldn¡¯t tolerate Be¡¯s presence, making it seem as though it would pollute the air around her. ¡°Why do you have to be so mean? Be is trying to give you her word of advice.¡± Lucas walked up to Victoria and stood in her way. ¡°Or was Be right? That you¡¯re mad?¡± Deep down, Lucas was unhappy at the thought that Victoria slept with different men every night for money. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have to answer your question whether I¡¯m mad, do I, Mr. Spritz? Furthermore¡­¡± Victoria chuckled coldly and added, ¡°What does that concern you even if I really do that for money?¡± Why won¡¯t this sibling duo leave me alone? Ew! They¡¯re disgusting. Lucas gulped speechlessly upon hearing that, thinking Victoria was right because he was in no position to lecture her about that. However, Be raised her voice and did the job for her brother like she was the right person to lecture Victoria. ¡°You were my friend back then, so of course it concerns me. If you¡¯re in need of money, you can always let me know. There¡¯s no need for you to sacrifice your body for money.¡± Although they were talking in a corner, the ce was still crowded with people, some of which were drawn to their conversation. Therefore, they got closer out of curiosity to find out what they were talking about. ¡°Come on. She is still the daughter of the Coleman Family, after all. Do you really think she is going to sacrifice her body for money? Nah, I don¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°She was disowned by the Coleman Family two years ago, so it¡¯s still possible.¡± ¡°She can still work and make herself some money, can¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Come on, are you kidding me? She didn¡¯t even graduate from college. Perhaps she did, but it was a two-bit institute. After all, what can a useless daughter like her do besides asking for money from her rich family?¡± Hearing those murmurs, Victoria clenched her fists, feeling blood gushing through every single vein in her body. As she noticed the wine sses and vases on the table, she was tempted to smash Be¡¯s head with them. After all, the worst that could happen to her was getting thrown into prison once more.novelxo fast updat Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 However, Victoria quickly restrained herself from sumbing to her impulses, knowing well that Christian would never let the Coleman Family go easily if she did that. ¡°Victoria, are you too embarrassed to ask me for help?¡± Be pondered for a while and gave her a suggestion. ¡°Mr. Coleman and his family are on the way here, so perhaps I could talk them into helping you or even letting you go home.¡± Soon, one of the bystanders chuckled and said, ¡°Look who¡¯s here. Speak of the devil.¡± ¡°No thanks, Miss Spritz.¡± Victoria tried her best to suppress her anger, keeping a stiff upper lip with rage filling her eyes. ¡°Are you worried that Mr. Coleman won¡¯t let you go back?¡± Be seized Victoria¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things, alright? You won¡¯t know if you don¡¯t try. I think there is still a chance that Mr. Coleman will go soft on you since you¡¯re still the Coleman Family¡¯s daughter.¡± Without giving Victoria a chance to turn her down, Be raised her hand and waved at Glen. ¡°Mr. Coleman, would you pleasee over here with Mrs. Coleman?¡± ¡°I said no! Can¡¯t you understand me?¡± Victoria shook her hand off Be¡¯s grip, making sure her point was clearly understood. After all, she was aware of Glen¡¯s unwillingness to see her, knowing that they would fall out if they met each other. As for her mother, Denise, she had no idea how she felt toward her. Meanwhile, Be was stunned, staring at her hand that was shaken off by Victoria with a bitter look on her face. At the same time, her eyes were filled with tears, but as they were about to roll down their cheeks, she tried her best to fight them back. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Victoria?¡± Lucas took a few steps closer to Victoria, his eyes full of rage and hatred. ¡°How could you be so mean to Be? She is just trying to help her.¡± When the bystanders around them saw what happened, they began to gossip in murmurs. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? Miss Spritz is just trying to help her out. Besides, has thisdy forgotten that Miss Spritz decided to drop the charges even though she crippled her and put her in a wheelchair for the rest of her life? Tsk!¡± ¡°This is what people have be nowadays. Good deeds aren¡¯t necessarily rewarded with good karma. People who do all the bad things get to live afortable life, ironically!¡± ¡°Know your ce, Victoria!¡± Victoria took a deep breath and overcame her overwhelming rage amidst the criticism from those around her. ¡°I apologize for the displeasure that I have just brought to the two of you, Mr. and Miss Spritz.¡± She then bowed to them and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d hate to impose on you all with my troublesome personal matters. Nheless, I¡¯d appreciate it if both of you could respect my wish. Thank you.¡± As soon as she finished her sentence, she turned around and walked away, only to run into Glen and Denise. Glen was wearing a decent-looking ck, whereas Denise stood beside him in a light gray dress that made her look especially gorgeous. When the couple saw Victoria, their faces changed. At that moment, Denise was seen with tears rolling in her eyes. She wanted to approach her daughter, but as soon as she took a step forward, Glen restrained her from doing so. She then kept her head down and wiped her tears without bothering to look at Victoria again. In that instant, Victoria felt a gulp in her throat, tempted to greet her parents by calling them Mom and Dad, only to swallow the words that were forming at the tip of her tongue. Heartbroken, she still couldn¡¯t believe that her parents would choose to sacrifice her for the sake of the Coleman Family even though it had already been two years. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Coleman, please don¡¯t me it on Victoria. She didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Be looked up, forcing a brittle smile on her face. ¡°Did she bully you again?¡± Glen raised his voice. Be looked away guiltily,cking the courage to meet Glen¡¯s gaze. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding, Mr. Coleman. Victoria didn¡¯t bully me.¡± ¡°Victoria!¡± Glen jumped to the conclusion and assumed that Victoria had bullied Be. Thus, he snapped at her angrily. ¡°The reason you¡¯re out of prison now is because Be decided to let you off, yet you took advantage of her. Is this how you repay someone¡¯s kindness?!¡± Upon hearing those words, Lucas red at Victoria with a darkened face, thinking he had been wrong about her all the while. After all, he had always treated her as a youngdy who was yful and mischievous until she recklessly knocked over Be two years ago. It was at that moment that he realized she was a heartless and wicked woman. ¡°What did I do? What makes you think I¡¯m taking revenge on her?¡± Victoria looked at her father right in the eye. Her face was devoid of emotion, and she simply clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white. In the face of Victoria¡¯s challenge, Glen began to lose his temper, his face bing flustered in anger as everyone else watched. ¡°You bullied Be! Everyone saw it!¡± ¡°Is that so? Were you among them?¡± Victoria eventually gave in to her impulse. I must have overestimated my tolerance and patience. She then chuckled coldly and sarcastically. ¡°Didn¡¯t you teach me to look beyond the surface because the truth that lies beneath it is what matters? You even told me that we should also look at the evidence and the reasons behind an incident, but did you look into those things? Or did you assume that I was the one who bullied Miss Spritz right away?¡± ¡°Be wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much if it hadn¡¯t been for you.¡± Although Glen had never abandoned his decency and argued with anyone openly, he appeared to be so mad that his ears and his face turned red. Finding that ridiculous, Be replied, ¡°You assumed that I bullied Miss Spritz just because she looks sympathetic without any evidence. How does that make sense to you? Couldn¡¯t it have been someone else? Perhaps she was just pretending to deceive everyone else around her.¡± The next moment, Glen raised his palm and swung it across the air, giving Victoria¡¯s face a huge p just like the time he pped her at Delta Club. Then, Glen pointed at Victoria while his other hand covered his chest, his flustered face indicating that his anger was taking a toll on his health. ¡°Come on, take your medicine!¡± Denise quickly took some medicine from her purse and gave them to Glen. ¡°Tori, please stop pissing your father off. Please do this for me, girl.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not her father!¡± Glen desperately pointed out that Victoria had been disowned by the Coleman Family despite his unwell condition. On the other hand, Be nearly burst into tears as her red eyes seemed especially obvious on her fair face. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Coleman, I don¡¯t me Victoria at all. I know she must be having a tough time working at Delta Club. Please let her go home.¡± As soon as the crowd heard the words ¡®Delta Club¡¯, they all exchanged gazes in surprise. ¡°The Coleman Family has no ce for a heartless woman like her!¡± Although Glen felt a lot better after taking his medicine, he was still unable to calm himself down because he had never been in such an embarrassing situation before. In the meantime, Victoria looked down and tried to fight back her tears, swallowing her bitterness and disappointment without anyone else knowing how she felt. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Due to the loudmotion, Be¡¯s parents were drawn to the conflict as they anxiously rushed to their daughter. When Nancy caught up to Be, she checked on her daughter to make sure she was fine before walking up to Victoria. ¡°It¡¯s you again, Victoria!¡± Her contempt and disgust for that youngdy were expressed in her words. ¡°I shall get going now.¡± Victoria glimpsed at her parents, who were busyforting Be, and walked away in a heartbroken manner, letting go of the dress that was crumpled by her grip. ¡°Hold on!¡± Nancy suddenly got a hold of Victoria and questioned her, ¡°Whose idea was it for you to come here? Did you get an invitation? You¡¯d better get out of here. I don¡¯t want a murderer like you stirring up trouble or threatening anyone¡¯s safety in this house.¡± Victoria pursed her lips and shifted her gaze across the crowd, including her parents who were standing among them. While many of them were either just bystanders or haters who didn¡¯t like her, no one bothered to stand up for her at all. In the meantime, Lucas was sympathetic to see her in such a helpless state, but when he puckered his lips and was about to say something, his father kicked his foot as a sign to tell him to keep quiet. Because of that, he gulped and reluctantly took his eyes off Victoria.novelxo fast update ¡°It was my idea to invite her. Do you have a problem with that?¡± Christian¡¯s voice was heard at that moment Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Victoria¡¯s body froze as she followed the everyone else¡¯s gaze, watching as Christian walked out of the crowd. The sunlight shone on him and cast shadow on his corbone, which made him even more attractive. She subconsciously gazed at his crotch and couldn¡¯t tell how his injury was, but as she took a closer look, she noticed that the way he walked was unnatural. ¡°Have you seen enough? Hmm?¡± He walked up to her and leaned in before whispering in her ear. Hearing that, she slowly turned her gaze away and whispered back, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± The crowd couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying and started discussing among themselves when they saw how intimate Christian and Victoria were from how they whispered in each other¡¯s ears. Rumor had it that both of them were on bad terms, but their interaction proved otherwise! Seeing that, Be bit her lip and clenched her fists while sitting in her wheelchair. ¡°What do you mean, Christian?¡± Nancy, who was surprised by his reply, snapped, ¡°Victoria almost killed Be in the car crash, so how could you invite her to the birthday party?¡± On the other hand, Glen started at Christian while being deep in thought. ¡°Mrs. Spritz, I believe that it¡¯s none of your business who my mother invites to her birthday party. Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re being nosy?¡± Christian smirked. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. That¡¯s not my intention.¡± Nancy didn¡¯t dare to lecture Christian although she was older than him. ¡°I just think that¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if that¡¯s not your intention,¡± he interrupted her coldly and turned around before walking away. After taking a few steps, he paused and looked over at Victoria as he frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t youing along?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave, then,¡± said Victoria while looking down. Just as she was about to leave, she tugged her gown while scanning the room before saying sarcastically, ¡°Just so you know, Mrs. Thatcher prepared this dress for me, and I didn¡¯t get it by sleeping with someone. Miss Spritz, please get your facts right before you say anything. Had it been someone else in my position, you would have been sued for defamation.¡± The atmosphere was awkward, and Be¡¯s parents were embarrassed when they heard what Victoria said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing the misunderstanding.¡± Be ced both her hands on her knees and apologized earnestly. ¡°I hope that you won¡¯t take it to heart. I was just worried that you¡¯d go down the wrong path.¡± ¡°People would say that I¡¯m being ungrateful if I said that I was offended by your words.¡± After ncing over at the displeased Glen, Victoria left and chased after Christian as she was worried that he was getting impatient. Be¡¯s eyes flickered as she stared at Christian and Victoria¡¯s leaving figures. ¡°You should avoid Victoria next time. She might do something bad to you while we aren¡¯t around,¡± Kevin said sternly. ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve said this so many times that I can memorize every word of it.¡± She sighed. ¡°You can memorize every word, but you don¡¯t do as you¡¯re told.¡± Nancy poked her forehead before telling Glen and Denise, ¡°Glen, Denise, shouldn¡¯t you be keeping an eye on your daughter? I¡¯m sorry for being rude, but if that murderer tries to hurt my daughter again, I will sue her and let her spend the rest of her life in prison! I will also stop all coborations with yourpany!¡± Nancy eximed. ¡°It is our fault for not raising her well, and we apologize for the trouble that she has caused you. However, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware that our family has severed ties with her, so we are not in the position to tell her off. We seek your understanding on this,¡± Glen apologized. Before Nancy could say anything, Kevin responded, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not their fault. Glen, the owner of the new raw materialpany I mentioned earlier is here. Let¡¯s go and greet him.¡± Hearing that, Glen nodded. ¡°Luke,e join us,¡± Kevin suggested. After the three men left, Denise came up with a reason and left as well. ¡°Be, what¡¯s wrong with Christian? How could he invite Victoria over when she almost killed you?¡± Nancy asked with a grim expression when she saw that there was no one around. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but Mrs. Thatcher has always liked her more than me. I think she¡¯s the one who invited Victoria over,¡± Be said with a smile. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who invited her over, but it obviously seemed like Christian had her back. Don¡¯t tell me that he has feelings for her!¡± Nancy furrowed her brows. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it, Mom,¡± Be replied softly, but she was unsure about it too. Nancy then squatted down and looked her in the eye. ¡°I might be right. If he doesn¡¯t have feelings for her, why hasn¡¯t he proposed to you in thest two years?¡± Be¡¯s gaze darkened as she bit her lip when she heard what Nancy said. ¡°Be, you might think that I¡¯m only nagging, but let me tell you this¡ªmen are all greedy. You have to keep a close eye on him so that he doesn¡¯t get snatched away by the vixen, yet you¡¯re still trying to be friends with her!¡± Nancy nagged. ¡°Christian isn¡¯t someone like that. He¡¯s different from Dad.¡± Be regretted the moment she said that. ¡°Mom¡ª¡± she called out. ¡°Since your friends are here, you should go hang out with them. I¡¯ll go look for a few of our rtives.¡± The embarrassed Nancy got up and left.novelxo fast update Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. After her mother left, Be rubbed the space in between her brows and sighed. Meanwhile, on the spiral stairs, Victoria was hesitant to speak as she followed behind Christian. She wanted to thank him for his help but was worried that he would mock her about it. She also wanted to ask him about his injury, but she didn¡¯t dare do so. ¡°Why are you still following me?¡± he asked nonchntly, pausing his footsteps. Luckily, Victoria was able to stop in time and didn¡¯t collide with him. Being close to him made her feel ufortable, so she took a step back before uttering, ¡°Earlier on¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m helping you out? He chuckled before lifting her chin with his finger to make her look at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to ruin my mother¡¯s birthday party.¡± Both of them stood so close to each other that all she could see was him. She lowered her gaze as she tried to suppress her emotions. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what your intention was, but I should thank you for getting me out of that sticky situation.¡± ¡°If I knew that my actions would¡¯ve gotten you out of the situation, I should have kept quiet.¡± Compared to the passionate Victoria two years ago, she seemed cold and exhausted now, and it made him feel ufortable. He frowned as he let go of her chin. Just then, Evelyn was heard asking, ¡°Is this a bad time for me to be here? Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 ¡°You have misunderstood us, Mrs. Thatcher.¡± If this happened two years back, Victoria¡¯s heart would flutter for such a misunderstanding. Right now, though, she didn¡¯t dare to have such wishful thinking and didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Christian so that he wouldn¡¯t think that she had ulterior motives. Her emotions were unnoticed by him, and he smirked while saying, ¡°You can do anything today since you are the birthday girl.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cheeky.¡± Evelyn smiled and tucked her hair behind her ears before looking over at Victoria. ¡°Does the gown fit well?¡± Hearing that, Victoria tilted her head and nced at Christian. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question, but why are you looking at him?¡± Evelyn was amused. Hearing that, he casually leaned on the railing and responded, ¡°Probably because I¡¯m better looking?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so vain.¡± Evelyn chuckled as she looked at Victoria and asked, ¡°Why does the gown look different from before, though?¡± ¡°My breasts have be smaller; the gown kept slipping down, so they altered it for me.¡± Victoria moved her body, her cheeks flushing red. Upon hearing that, Christian furrowed his brows as he took a quick nce at her before looking away. ¡°I see.¡± Evelyn seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to have it altered. If your breasts have be smaller, you can just wear a thicker padding underneath.¡± Victoria pursed her lips and was lost for words after hearing Evelyn¡¯s suggestion. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t be sad. Christian isn¡¯t someone shallow.¡± Evelyn held onto her hand and patted on it before asking Christian with a smile, ¡°Am I right?¡± He merely smirked and kept quiet as he nced at Victoria. ¡°Mrs. Thatcher, you have misunderstood. Mr. Thatcher has feelings for Miss Spritz, so I will not be delusional like I used to be.¡± Her face was pale, and she spoke faster than usual. Hearing that, his gaze darkened and he replied coldly, ¡°At least you¡¯re aware of this.¡± He then walked away without looking back and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go up and change my shirt.¡± Seeing that, Victoria got nervous as he seemed mad at her and assumed that he had misunderstood her for having wishful thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t think that he knows who he likes.¡± Evelyn nced at his back and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about such an upsetting matter anymore. Since most of the guests have arrived, let¡¯s go downstairs and walk around.¡± Victoria was aware that her presence would put Evelyn in a tight spot, and she didn¡¯t want to inconvenience her. ¡°Mrs. Thatcher, I¡­¡± ¡°I know your character. We can¡¯t control what others say, so let¡¯s just ignore them.¡± Evelyn smiled and held onto Victoria¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said. Hearing that, Victoria followed behind her with mixed feelings. As soon as they got down, they bumped into Denise, who was surprised to see theming down hand in hand. ¡°Mrs. Thatcher, can I please speak to Victoria privately?¡± ¡°You may, but before that, I¡¯d like to know whether you¡¯re going to speak to her as her mother or Mrs. Coleman.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Hearing that, Denise furrowed her brows as she felt that she was being put in a tough spot. ¡°Mrs. Thatcher, why don¡¯t you go and greet the guests first? I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± Knowing that her mother was a softie, Victoria decided to get Denise out of the situation. ¡°Alright.¡± Evelyn nodded and left. As Denise looked around, she whispered to Victoria, ¡°Tori, let¡¯s talk somewhere else. There are too many people here.¡± Does she think that I¡¯m an embarrassment? Why would she want to speak to me? Victoria thought to herself, but she eventually agreed to her mother¡¯s request. After they found a quiet corner, Denise asked her worriedly, ¡°Tori, they said that you¡¯d do anything for money¡­¡± She paused before continuing, ¡°Did you really sell your body?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Victoria looked down as her gaze darkened. ¡°In that case, why are you working at Delta Club?¡± Denise hesitated before asking. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you?¡± Tears welled up in her eyes as she lifted her gaze. Why? It¡¯s all because Christian threatened me with the Coleman Family! ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe in you.¡± Denise avoided her gaze and added, ¡°You should quit your job there and look for a proper job.¡± She then took a credit card out from her purse and handed it over to Victoria. ¡°The pin number is your birthdate. There¡¯s five hundred thousand in it, which will be sufficient for a period of time. You can let me know if you need more money. I¡¯ll transfer more to you.¡±novelxo fast update ¡°No thanks.¡± Victoria merely looked at the card and didn¡¯t ept it. ¡°I won¡¯t look for another job.¡± She knew very well that Christian wouldn¡¯t agree to it. ¡°Tori, you¡­¡± Denise looked at her in disbelief while holding onto the card. ¡°Is there anything else? If there isn¡¯t, I should look for Mrs. Thatcher.¡± Victoria pursed her lips as she suppressed her despair. ¡°Be honest with me. Are you working there because¡­ You want to live the life that you used to live?¡± Denise couldn¡¯t bring herself to mention that Victoria was there to look for a sugar daddy or a wealthy boyfriend. Victoria was so disappointed at her mother¡¯s question that her eyes widened and tears started rolling down her cheeks. She wiped the tears away and answered without looking back, ¡°I¡¯ll go look for Mrs. Thatcher.¡± ¡°Tori! Tori!¡± Denise called out for her anxiously. However, Victoria didn¡¯t stop and walked away in a daze. She didn¡¯t care if other people thought of her like that, but she was really disappointed that her own mother thought of her that way too. ¡°Were you at a loss for words when Mrs. Coleman guessed it correctly?¡± asked Lucas as he grabbed her wrist from behind. He was initially there to look for his sister, but instead, he saw what happened. ¡°Mr. Spritz, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rude of you to eavesdrop on other people¡¯s conversation?¡± She struggled to free herself from his grip. ¡°Answer me!¡± Lucas raised his voice as he stared at her. ¡°I¡¯m not obliged to answer your question.¡± She turned around and left as she was in a horrible mood. Although she used to be close to the Spritz siblings, she couldn¡¯t stand the sight of them now. ¡°You¡¯d rather sell your body to live avish life, am I right?¡± Lucas walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulder before questioning her. Everyone looked over at their direction after hearing what Lucas said. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± She was extremely annoyed at how nosy he was and just wanted to get away from him, but she couldn¡¯t do so. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Scarlett is your girlfriend. Aren¡¯t you worried that she¡¯d misunderstand after seeing us together?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question!¡± He tightened his grip on her shoulder. He knew that he shouldn¡¯t care about her anymore, but he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so. Victoria then tilted her head and bit his arm before running away when he released his grip in pain. Just as he was about to chase after her, Scarlett, who heard themotion, went up to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m your girlfriend.¡± ¡°Both of us know very well whether or not we are a real couple. Step aside!¡± He stretched his hands out to push her out of his way Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 However, Scarlett was adamant and refused to let him pass, for she knew that he wouldn¡¯t want to argue with her in front of a crowd. ¡°I admit that we do not have feelings toward each other since it¡¯s a marriage of convenience. However, bear in mind that if you get involved with Victoria in front of all these people, you are disregarding our families¡¯ reputation!¡± Her blood boiled when she saw how annoyed he was at her. Lucas was tense as he could only watch as Victoria disappeared from his sight. Following that, sorrow shed across his amber eyes. After taking a nce at Scarlett, he made his way past her. ¡°Hold on!¡± She dashed over and stopped in front of him. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± He lowered his gaze and red at her while asking her sternly. ¡°There¡¯s a month left until my birthday, and it¡¯s my parents¡¯ wish to announce our engagement during the party,¡± she said while looking grim. ¡°So?¡± He was getting very impatient. ¡°So you shouldn¡¯t do anything uneptable since you will soon be my fiance. Otherwise, my family would be aughing stock.¡± His impatience made Scarlett even angrier. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me of what I should or shouldn¡¯t do. You just have to mind your own business!¡± ¡°Hopefully you¡¯ll do as you say and not embarrass me like earlier on.¡± Noticing that more people were looking their way, her expression was ghastly as she took his arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. My parents want to introduce you to a few people.¡± Lucas looked at her hand around his arm and pulled himself away. ¡°Are you trying to let everyone know that we are having an argument because of Victoria?¡± Scarlett¡¯s expression was horrible as she tried to hold in her anger. As Lucas raised his head to look at her, he pulled her arm away and walked into the crowd. Meanwhile, Christian stood by the second floor railing and witnessed everything that happened. An inexplicable feeling gushed over him as he gave a look of disdain. He then irritably unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt. ¡°Christian, you saw it too.¡± Be, who was sitting on her wheelchair, approached him. Noticing her, he took two steps back to keep a distance from her. ¡°What did I see?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me when you¡¯ve seen it?¡± She sighed and continued helplessly, ¡°Just as you saw, my brother still can¡¯t let go of his feelings for her even when she broke my leg. What¡¯s more, he already has a ¡®girlfriend¡¯.¡± ¡°Lucas must be a sentimental man. How nice of him.¡± Christian said as he looked at the crowd on the first floor. ¡°I shall take it as apliment, but I personally think that this is not necessarily a good thing.¡± Scarlett rubbed her brows and seemed unsettled. ¡°My brother is getting engaged to Scarlett soon, and if an argument breaks out between them because of Victoria, both the Spritz and Palmer Family would be embarrassed.¡± Hearing that, Christian ced both of his hands on the railing, and his muscles were outlined through his shirt as they were flexed. ¡°I think I should be giving you some walnuts.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She was puzzled at the sudden change of topic.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Your brain must have been working very hard since your words mean more than what you¡¯ve said. Walnuts are brain food, you know.¡± ¡°Christian, stop pulling my leg. I just want to confide in someone.¡± She looked at him bitterly, ¡°Since Victoria eagerly wants to get her life back, I¡¯m worried that she¡¯d bring up marriage to Lucas¡ªmy foolish brother would happily agree to it.¡± ¡°Do your family members have a habit of judging people and calling them fools?¡± Christian furrowed his brows upon hearing the word ¡®marriage¡¯, but his frown soon disappeared. ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth, and I¡¯m the best example of someone dumb. If I wasn¡¯t foolish back then, I wouldn¡¯t have be friends with someone that maniptive.¡± ¡°Miss Spritz, who is praised for being a kind person, is talking ill of others behind their backs, eh?¡± He mocked. Upon hearing that, she lifted her head and looked at him with admiration, ¡°Yeah, since I¡¯m only human and there are times where I feel down too. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to want to rant to someone I¡¯m close to at times like these?¡± Christian ignored her question and smirked at her before walking toward the stairs. ¡°Christian, were you helping Victoria earlier on?¡± She followed behind him in her wheelchair and asked gently. Christian paused his footsteps and turned around to look at her. ¡°Why does it matter?¡± His gaze darkened as he leaned in and looked her in the eyes, ¡°Are you trying to control my actions?¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking it too seriously. I¡¯m just curious.¡± Be¡¯s heart sunk as his reaction seemed to be implying that her concern was true. ¡°That would be best.¡± He stood up and uttered impassively, ¡°I will get someone to carry you novelxo fast updatedown. You shouldn¡¯t be moving around since it¡¯s inconvenient for you to do so. It¡¯ll be bad if you break your leg again.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± She smiled, but her expression was grim. On the other hand, Victoria made her way into the crowd in a daze and noticed Evelyn chatting away with somedies. Noticing her, a few of them stopped talking and stared at each other. Jessica and Ellie, who used to be Victoria¡¯s friends, appeared awkward but were envious of her at the same time. ¡°This is Victoria. I¡¯m sure that all of you know each other, so I shall save the introductions.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t notice the change in their expressions and pulled Victoria over to her with a smile. Noticing that, all of them started chatting again as if the awkwardness between them earlier on had dissipated. ¡°Miss Coleman, it¡¯s been two years since west met. You¡¯re still as beautiful as ever.¡± ¡°Miss Coleman, you seem to have lost weight. Is there a good tip on how to lose weight you could share with us?¡± Both Jessica and Ellie acted all friendly with her. Victoria smirked as it was obvious that they were lying to her face as the scars on her body and face were apparent to them. However, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to reject Evelyn¡¯s kindness and greeted them as usual. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Denise and Nancy approached Evelyn together and were surprised to see Victoria standing by her side. The smile on Nancy¡¯s face instantly faded, and her expression was glum. Victoria, who noticed their expression, was disappointed as her parents chose to keep in touch with the Spritz Family even after cutting ties with her. She wasn¡¯t sure whether they had believed in Be¡¯s lies or they¡¯d rather ignore the truth for the benefit of the Coleman Family. ¡°Hi, Denise and Nancy.¡± Evelyn beamed as she greeted them. Hearing that, Denise nodded and looked away after taking a nce at Victoria. However, Nancy frowned as she asked, ¡°Why is Victoria here?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her for two years, so I¡¯d like her to spend more time with me. Is there a problem?¡± Evelyn responded calmly Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Nancy stared at Victoria with contempt and gibed, ¡°It is benevolent of you to invite her to your party, but why are you letting her stay by your side? Aren¡¯t you afraid that this murderer will spike your champange with poison when you¡¯re not paying attention?¡± Her words were nasty, but none of the people there felt that Nancy had gone too far. If Victoria crippled their daughters¡¯ leg, they would have treated her the same way too. Denise, however, merely looked down with embarrassment. She cleared her throat as she tried to defend her daughter, but no words came out from her mouth. Hearing that, Evelynughed and responded nonchntly, ¡°It just so happens that I¡¯m having a flu these few days, but I¡¯m not taking any medication as they taste horrible. Since Victoria is a thoughtful child, she might add some flu medicine into my drinks.¡± With that, she tilted her head and looked at Victoria. ¡°You have to take note that flu medication cannot be taken with champagne. If something happens to me, you might be used of attempted murder.¡± ¡°If you dislike taking medicine, I can make some lemonade for you as I remember that you have a sweet tooth,¡± Victoria answered tactfully. ¡°That¡¯s so sweet of you to remember my preferences.¡± The crow¡¯s feet around the corner of Evelyn¡¯s eyes showed as she smiled. Nancy was exasperated as both of them echoed each other. Denise, who was standing at the side, felt so embarrassed that she lifted her gaze and looked over at Victoria before saying, ¡°Tori, apologize to Mrs. Spritz this instant. You shouldn¡¯t be disrespectful toward her.¡± ¡°Mrs. Coleman, I don¡¯t understand what you mean. Was I being disrespectful toward her?¡± Victoria asked impassively. Denise turned wide-eyed, for she wasn¡¯t expecting Victoria to address her as ¡®Mrs. Coleman¡¯. ¡°No, you weren¡¯t. She¡¯s catching up on age, and she probably misheard you because of her hearing loss.¡± Evelyn tried tofort Victoria as she held her hand and patted it. Even so, Victoria looked down and didn¡¯t say a word as she felt suffocated; even breathing became extremely difficult. Seeing that her birth mother favored a stranger over her while an unrted elder taking her side broke her heart. Meanwhile, Nancy¡¯s expression was grim when she saw Evelyn taking Victoria¡¯s side. The atmosphere instantly became awkward as everyone fell silent, which was a stark contrast to the noisy crowd around them. ¡°If Nancy is so upset about this, I¡¯m afraid that she would be displeased with me if I have you by my side.¡± Evelyn finally spoke. Hearing that, Nancy responded calmly, ¡°I apologize for putting you in a tight spot, but I really don¡¯t want to see her as she almost killed my daughter. I seek your understanding on that.¡± The bewildered Denise finally managed to calm herself down before looking at Victoria as tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t understand why Victoria acted in such a way and was slightly mad at her. Victoria looked down and avoided making eye contact with her mother. ¡°Since we have been friends for so many years, you don¡¯t have to apologize to me.¡± Evelyn smirked and turned around as she waved at Christian. ¡°Christian,e over here!¡± Noticing his mother, he lifted his brow and spoke to the people around him before walking over. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s inappropriate to have Victoria with me as Mrs. Spritz dislikes her. You should bring her along with you.¡± Evelyn told him regretfully. Upon hearing that, Victoria¡¯s heart sank. As she was about to reject it, Christian responded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°I shall take my leave,¡± said Victoria before she followed behind Christian nervously. Nancy was frustrated as she looked at their backs, but she could only keep quiet about it. ¡°I have no idea why my mother is so fond of you.¡± He turned around and looked at her before shifting his gaze to the front. Along the way, he was greeted by others guests in which he reciprocated with a nod or a greeting. Those people were surprised to see Victoria with him, but they didn¡¯t dare to ask him about it. It wasn¡¯t umon for her to be around him two years ago, but ever since the car crash, he stopped seeing Victoria and rumors spread that they were on bad terms. Victoria didn¡¯t know what to answer him. After some contemtion, she whispered to him, ¡°I shall not trouble you anymore. I¡¯ll go look for my friends.¡± In actual fact, she didn¡¯t have many friends as she was no longer on good terms with her old friends. She came up with that excuse as she was worried that he would be unhappy about it. ¡°Look for your friends? Or are you thinking of looking for Lucas?¡± Christian stopped walking and turned over to look at her. His gaze was cold and with a hint of contempt. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Noticing that, she stopped walking and was lost for words. She could tell that he was unhappy, but she didn¡¯t know what she had done wrong; she also knew that he would be mad if she tried exining it to him. Without waiting for her to reply, he turned around and continued walking. Victoria remained on the spot as she didn¡¯t know whether she should follow him or not. It was so hard to read him that she could never figure out what he was thinking. ¡°Just follow behind me and drink on my behalf,¡± he uttered while he walked without turning back.novelxo fast update Hearing that, she nodded and stared at her stomach bitterly as she followed behind him. She expected that she would have to visit the hospital again tonight after all the drinking. She wasn¡¯t sure whether she would get stomach cancer if she continued on like this. Even if she really died because of it, she was unsure whether Christian would make things hard for her brother or the others¡­ Throughout the party, a lot of guests approached Christian as they chatted and clinked wine sses with him. However, not many of them made him drink, so Victoria would stand at the side with a ss of champagne in her hand. If the situation didn¡¯t ask for it, she wouldn¡¯t drink as she was trying to take good care of her health. However, if someone asked Christian to drink, she would finish the champagne in the ss. She didn¡¯t notice that someone was looking at her, but Christian did. He caught sight of Lucas standing among the guests and looking over at them from time to time. Christian then took a sip of champagne, but it didn¡¯t taste very good. After a long day, Victoria hadn¡¯t had much to drink, but at dusk, she started to feel a fiery sensation in her stomach. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, may I go to the washroom?¡± Her face was pale as a sheet, and her forehead was covered in sweat. Hearing that, he nced over at her and furrowed his brows before nodding. After thanking him, she clutched her stomach and stumbled toward the washroom. ¡°Please excuse me.¡± As he looked at her back, his expression became grim. He then followed behind her after excusing himself. Just as he was about to reach the washroom, Lucas was seen in a haste as he entered the washroom before him with a ss of water. Noticing that, Christian¡¯s footsteps faltered. He then walked toward the washroom and waited outside as he puffed on a cigarette. Meanwhile, Victoria started throwing up upon entering the washroom. Since she hadn¡¯t eaten much, after throwing up most of the food she had eaten, she started throwing up bile. Since she had a bad stomach, she stopped drinking, which in turn reduced her alcohol tolerance. Thus, even though she hadn¡¯t drank much, she felt nauseous and her stomach ached ufortably. Suddenly, she heard footsteps from behind her, but she wasn¡¯t bothered by it as she assumed that no one would care about a murderer like her. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 ¡°Why are you still drinking on behalf of Christian when you can¡¯t drink?¡± Lucas stood behind her and gently patted her back. His heart ached for her and at the same time, he was mad at her. ¡°Are you that keen on getting back into the circle?¡± Victoria was overwhelmed by the puking sensation and couldn¡¯t stop throwing up even when her stomach was already empty. The sensation was so ufortable that she didn¡¯t have the mood to pay attention to his ridicule. ¡°Gargle with this.¡± Lucas frowned as he noticed how ufortable she looked and passed the water to her. The puking sensation eased after gargling, but her stomach hurt even more. She wiped the sweat on her forehead and thanked him. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Spritz.¡± ¡°Why are you being so sarcastic?¡± His expression was glum as he took out his handkerchief and passed it to her. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t afford to pay you back if I stain it.¡± She merely looked at it without epting the handkerchief. After that, she turned around and walked away. Seeing this, he followed behind her and hugged her from the back. His amber eyes were filled with pain and anger as he eximed, ¡°Why are you being cold to me when you know that I like you? You¡¯re heartless, Victoria!¡± ¡°Mr. Spritz, please show some respect!¡± she snapped as the sweat from her forehead started rolling down her cheeks. She tried to free herself from his embrace but to no avail. Lucas then grabbed onto her shoulder and forcibly turned her around to face him. ¡°The reason you¡¯re working at Delta Club and trying your best to please Christian is just so that you can return to this circle, am I right?!¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± Victoria refused to get associated with him as the guests at the party knew both of them. On top of that, she didn¡¯t want to be used of trying to seduce him if Be and Nancy saw them together. Lucas didn¡¯t let go. Instead, he tightened his grip. ¡°I¡¯ll marry you. Would that do? Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°Marry me?¡± She scoffed while she endured the cramping pain in her stomach. ¡°What will happen to Scarlett if you marry me? Are you going to give up on the coboration with the Palmer Family? Even if you decide to give up on that, would Be and your mother allow you to marry a woman who apparently attempted to kill your sister and made her a cripple?¡± After hearing that, Lucas immediately loosened his grip. Her words reminded him of the pain that he had gone through each day for the past two years as he was caught between his love for her and the guilt he had toward his sister. It was agonizing. Victoria sneered as she stumbled out while clutching her stomach. ¡°You should just leave Delta Club first! I will think of a way to resolve the other issues!¡± Lucas replied while clenching his fists as he looked at her back. However, she continued walking and said, ¡°You should get all these resolved before you ask me to leave Delta Club.¡± She knew him so well that she was certain that he wouldn¡¯t be able to resolve both of the issues. His parents and Be would be strongly against it, and he would never go against his family just for her. When Victoria got to the entrance of the washroom, she smelled a faint smell of cigarette, not knowing who had just smoked there. She then clutched her stomach absent-mindedly while trying to locate Christian among the crowd. After noticing him, she walked over slowly. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. At that moment, he was joking with a bunch of people, but he somehow felt the chills when she stood next to him. Ever since she returned from the washroom, he never took a look at her, so she didn¡¯t have a chance to ask for permission to leave and could only continue drinking on his behalf. Even though no one asked him to drink, he would get Victoria to drink with most of the people that they met. Finally, when the party came to an end, Victoria was in so much pain that it was getting unbearable. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, I shall take my leave now.¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± he called out to her and stared at her coldly. ¡°It would be a pity if you just leave like that since you¡¯ve gone through a lot just to be here. My mom is upstairs, so you should go apany her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well today, so could you please apologize to Mrs. Thatcher¡­ on my behalf?¡± The pain was excruciating, and she couldn¡¯t bear with it anymore. He gave her a sarcastic smile and walked up the stairs before saying, ¡°Follow me.¡± She repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fists as she pursed her lips and followed behind him quietly into Evelyn¡¯s room. ¡°Tori, you look unwell! Are you not feeling well?¡± Evelyn, who was speaking to the helper, asked concernedly when she saw how pale Victoria was. Victoria tried to force out a smile and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just having a stomachache.¡± ¡°In that case, why are you still here? You should be going to the hospital!¡± Evelyn furrowed her brows and spoke to Christian. ¡°Christian, please send Tori to the hospital since you¡¯re avable.¡± Hearing that, he nced at Victoria and replied, ¡°Be is still here, so I¡¯ll have to send her home.¡± ¡°You can send Tori to the hospital first before sending Be home.¡± A subtle, almost unnoticeable ire shed across her eyes. In order to not displease him and to get his forgiveness soon so that she could be free from his torture, she uttered, ¡°Mrs. Thatcher, let¡¯s not trouble Mr. Thatcher. I can go to the hospital in a taxi.¡± ¡°Why are you addressing him as Mr. Thatcher when you used to call him Christian like Be always does?¡± Evelyn sighed. ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want Christian to send you there, I¡¯ll get someone else to do it.¡± As Evelyn asked the driver to send Victoria, she turned around and asked her, ¡°Where are you currently staying?¡± Christian, who was already at the doorway, immediately turned around upon hearing that. ¡°I¡¯ll send her to the hospital after sending Be home.¡± ¡°Be is a considerate girl, so I¡¯m sure that she wouldn¡¯t want to dy sending Tori to the hospital. Since her family is here today, she can go home with them. What do you think, Christian?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°I shall listen to your arrangements since you are the birthday girl. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He nced at Victoria coldly. He then walked out without waiting for her.novelxo fast update Seeing that, Victoria pursed her lips and was about to say something when Evelyn suddenly said, ¡°You should get going now so that you don¡¯t keep him waiting. You should speak your mind and don¡¯t keep things to yourself, or it will create a misunderstanding.¡± Hearing that, she paused for a second and forced a smile while trying to endure the pain. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Thatcher. Happy birthday! May you forever remain eighteen, stay in the pink of health, and retain your youthful vigor.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for your birthday wish since you first arrived, and I finally got to hear it.¡± Evelyn chuckled. With that, Victoria walked out of the mansion and noticed a Bentley that was parked next to a fountain. She then tugged on her dress and took a deep breath before walking toward it. Since the driver wasn¡¯t there, Christian was the one sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. The street lights were dim, so she couldn¡¯t see his face clearly. However, she could make out the cigarette in his mouth. The frightened Victoria then opened the rear door. ¡°Do you see me as your driver?¡± He wound down the car window and said. The next moment, a half- smoked cigarette butt fell next to her feet. As she looked at the burning cigarette, she was overwhelmed by fear. She gulped and wanted to reply to him, but no words came out. She was fearful of Christian, especially when he smoked. His nicotine dependence was mild, but she noticed that he would smoke whenever he was in a bad mood Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 ¡°Sit in the passenger seat,¡± Christian cooly instructed from the window. It took Victoria some difficulty to respond with a hum, after which she closed the rear door and moved to the front seat. Although the window had been opened, there were still traces of tobo in the car. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant, but the torment was worse than a stomach ache. It was the same kind of cigarette that he smoked when he broke her leg. The smell was so familiar to her that it tormented her on a nightly basis. The Bentley quickly disappeared into the night after it was started. Out of all the Rolls-Royce cars outside the vi, Be followed Lucas¡¯ gaze andmented with bitterness, ¡°You still can¡¯t forget Victoria?¡± ¡°What?¡± Nancy was originally discussing business with Kevin. When she heard Be¡¯sment, she responded, ¡°Luke, you still fancy that murderer?¡± Kevin remained silent, but gave Lucas a look of disapproval. The words ¡®Yeah, I can¡¯t forget her¡¯ rolled up and down Lucas¡¯ throat, but when he finally spoke, it was the total opposite. ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for the best!¡± Nancy breathed a sigh of relief, but continued with a terrible expression. ¡°Victoria and your sister always had a good friendship, but because Christian fancies your sister, she decided to knock Be down. Such a ruthless woman would not be allowed into our family, even if she¡¯s severely injured.¡± ¡°Your mom¡¯s right,¡± Kevin added finally. Lucas¡¯ Adam¡¯s apple rolled up and down while his eyes had darkness in them. His voice was lower than usual when he finally replied, ¡°Mom, Dad. Don¡¯t worry, I still know how to differentiate right from wrong.¡± ¡°Yeah, Victoria is a murderer. You can be forgiven for not knowing her true colors when you pursued her. If you know that she is vicious but still pine for her, then you really shouldn¡¯t be doing this,¡± Nancy advised with a frown. Lucas lowered his eyes to cover his gaze. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°But Lucas¡­¡± Be pondered for a while before she continued, ¡°When Scarlett came to the banquet to look for me, she said that she saw you embracing Victoria and asked that I keep an eye on you.¡± ¡°Embracing Victoria? Luke, was Scarlett telling the truth?!¡± Nancy was agitated and almost forgot that she was in the car. She wanted to stand up, but ended up knocking into the roof of the vehicle, which caused her to pale. Lucas¡¯ pursed lips tightened into a line as his expression changed into annoyance, guilt, and anger at Scarlett. ¡°You need not worry, Mom. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. You know how Scarlett does things without thinking.¡± Be coldly gazed at him before gentlyforting Nancy. Nancy rubbed her aching head and red at her son. ¡°Tell me, is it true?!¡± ¡°It is true,¡± Lucas acknowledged after his eyes flickered a few times and his throat tightened under his mother¡¯s red face and Be¡¯s father¡¯s disappointment. ¡°But¡­ she was looking for me.¡± Kevin looked at him thoughtfully with traces of displeasure. When Nancy heard this, her anger finally dissipated. ¡°Why did she look for you?¡± ¡°Not sure. Scarlett came before she could say anything.¡± Lucas tilted his head and looked out the window as he replied with exhaustion. Be¡¯s eyes naturally fell on his side profile as the corners of his mouth forced an imperceptible arc. ¡°Victoria did such a horrible thing to Be, yet she dares to pester you. This won¡¯t do; I need to have a word with Denise and Glen and ask how they educated their daughter,¡± Nancy replied angrily. Lucas continued to stare out the window, but he had tilted his head even more while he looked stiff. ¡°Why should you look for them? They had already cut ties with Victoria two years ago, so looking for them won¡¯t change anything,¡± Kevin reminded because he could tell that his son was lying. There was silence for the rest of their journey. Veronica sat in the passenger seat with her butt to one side as she was tense and couldn¡¯t rx. When the car stopped in front of the hospital, Christian ordered without even looking at her, ¡°Get down.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± A pale Victoria thanked him and opened the door to get down. As soon as she did that, the Bentley flew past, as if he wasn¡¯t willing to wait for even a second. She gave a bitter smile when she noticed that and made her way to the hospital with her painful stomach. The doctor who treated her was the same one as before. ¡°There will be problems sooner orter if you don¡¯t take good care of your health.¡± What doctors hated the most was patients who refused to listen to them. ¡°Thanks for the reminder.¡± She was now resting on the bed with a soulless gaze. Although she had been currying favor with Christian, it didn¡¯t look like there was any benefit. The doctor knew that she was ignoring him, but found it useless to repeat his words. ¡°Stay in the hospital for the next two days.¡± ¡°I have to leave after taking the infusion, so please prescribe the medicine for me,¡± Victoria rejected as she still needed to work the next day. The doctor gazed at her without saying much. ¡°I¡¯ve already made the consequences clear to youst time. I can¡¯t do anything if you refuse to listen. I¡¯ll have the prescription ready for you in a while.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Thanks,¡± Victoria replied. It was close to 12.00AM by the time she had received the infusion. She called for a cab with the intention of returning to Delta Club. When the driver saw that she was a beautiful girl working in such a ce, he asked her for her price. ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of girl,¡± Victoria answered as she paid for her fare. The driver mmed the door shut before a disdainful voice floated from the window. ¡°I don¡¯t novelxo fast updatebelieve that people who work in this ce aren¡¯t involved in that kind of trade. Is it because you¡¯re afraid that I¡¯ll give less?¡± Victoria paused, but the driver had already gone by the time she turned back. She took her phone and searched for the app to report the driver. Over in the dormitory, with Daisy absent, Gabrielle was whimpering as she spoke to someone on the phone. ¡°Darling, it¡¯s my fault. Please forgive me, alright?¡± ¡°The man whom you saw today and I have no rtionship. He¡¯s just a client. If I want to sell, I obviously need to cater to him!¡± ¡°Well, I swear that I¡¯ll love you alone. Thanks for understanding, muack!¡± Gabrielle waved her hand when she saw Victoria entering before continuing with her telephone call. Victoria nodded as she ced the medicine away and quietly sat on the bed in thought. ¡°Did I disturb your sleep with the phone call?¡± Gabrielle asked after she hung up and continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that my boyfriend is angry and has threatened to break up with me, so I was apologizing to him.¡± ¡°You have a boyfriend?¡± Victoria rified. ¡°Y-Yes.¡± Gabrielle¡¯s eyes shed as she stuttered, ¡°B-But my rtionships with the t-the clients a-are ambiguous. I¡¯d never do anything to cheat on my boyfriend!¡± Victoria was not interested to know whether Gabrielle had cheated or not, but merely said, ¡°If you continue to chase a man, but discoverter that he already has someone whom he likes and identally hurt his beloved, how do you think he would feel?¡± Maybe it was because she had too much to drink, so she had the liquid courage to be impulsive and ask without a thought to the consequences Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 ¡°Why do you want his forgiveness? He already has someone he fancies and keeps watching me chase him like I¡¯m a joke. Isn¡¯t he the one who should be apologizing?¡± Gabrielle asked with a frown. Victoria was silent. ¡°And he still treats me as a backup? He¡¯s already lucky that I haven¡¯t called him a scumbag!¡± Gabrielle rolled her eyes. ¡°No.¡± Victoria licked her dry lips, but her lipstick felt bitter. ¡°If the situation requires you to ask for his forgiveness, what can you do?¡± Gabrielle stared at her with an ever-changing expression, but she said nothing. ¡°It¡¯s no longer early. I¡¯m going to catch a shower.¡± When Victoria didn¡¯t get an answer from Gabrielle, her eyes dimmed as she rose to her feet to grab a cup. ¡°Can I ask you something first?¡± Gabrielle slid out from the bed to stop Victoria and refused to wait for any reply before she continued, ¡°If my guess is not wrong, you had always been pursuing Mr. Thatcher. Now that he fancies Miss Spritz and you have hurt her, you are worried that you have offended him, which is why¡­¡± Victoria frowned and reached out to poke Gabrielle. ¡°Stop the guessing. Let me go.¡± ¡°If my guess is wrong, how do you exin the fact that an ordinary person like you is acquainted with Mr. Thatcher, Miss Spritz, and the others? Not to mention, you have been targeted everywhere in the club, but you haven¡¯t resisted them and don¡¯t intend to change jobs¡­ It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s just that you can¡¯t, am I right?¡± Gabrielle was still in front of Victoria and didn¡¯t move at all while there was astonishment in her expression. Victoria pursed her lips and returned the stare. ¡°Then, just treat it as if I said nothing.¡± It could be considered as an indirect admission to Gabrielle¡¯s words. ¡°Then, a-are you really Glen Coleman¡¯s daughter? The youngdy of the Coleman Family?¡± Gabrielle swallowed and asked with great difficulty. Victoria¡¯s eyes darkened as if bitterness had overwhelmed her heart. ¡°Not anymore.¡± The Coleman Family no longer recognized her. She pushed aside the shocked Gabrielle and went to grab the cup, facial cleanser, and makeup remover from the bathroom. As Victoria looked at her reflection while brushing her teeth, she finally recognized that her makeup had been ruined a long time ago. She looked like a clown with a dark patch on her eyes. It took her half an hour to finish washing up. Then, Victoria gently opened the bathroom door and found that Gabrielle was still awake. The woman was also waiting for her at the door. ¡°Victoria, I have a suggestion, but I¡¯m not sure whether it will work or not.¡± There was a glimmer in Gabrielle¡¯s eyes, but it was less natural. It was instead full of caution. ¡°If you don¡¯t know whether it will work, don¡¯t say it.¡± Victoria ced the cup, facial cleanser, and makeup remover on the table as she paused. Then, she added, ¡°The Coleman Family has already severed ties with me.¡± She couldn¡¯t provide Gabrielle with any benefits, so there was no need for all the pleasing. Gabrielle couldn¡¯t be bothered. ¡°You are their biological child, so it¡¯s not really them cutting ties. Maybe it was the fact that you were imprisoned after knocking someone down¡­¡± She wanted to talk about Glen, but changed topic when she looked at Victoria. ¡°Let Mr. Coleman be embarrassed. When he¡¯s settled the issues in his heart, he¡¯ll definitely look for you.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Victoria took the towel to wipe her face and sat on the bed in silence. Gabrielle¡¯s intention was clear. She wanted to help out, so that she would owe Victoria a favor. Even if she mentioned that it was unlikely for her to mend her rtionship with the Coleman Family, Gabrielle would probably not buy it. ¡°There¡¯s no absolute thing. If you don¡¯t give it a shot, who would know what the result would be? Who knows you would seed after giving it a shot?¡± Gabrielle walked over and ced her hands on her knees while bending over to look at Victoria. Victoria¡¯s eyshes trembled before she lifted her eyes to ask, ¡°What good advice do you have?¡± The two were engrossed in a discussion until the sky was already white by the time they went to bed. Fortunately, they only had to start work from 3.00PM onward. ¡°Victoria, Miss Charlotte wants you to head to her office. There¡¯s an issue!¡± As soon as the door opened, someone barged in to look for Victoria. Victoria wiped off the excess lipstick from the corner of her mouth with a cotton pad and smiled. ¡°Alright, thanks.¡± The panicked visitor said that it was alright before they rushed out. ¡°There are a lot of people who are afraid of you,¡± Gabrielle noted while wearing a new bra. After wearing it, she felt that it did not have the effect that she wanted and changed the lingerie. Victoria¡¯s hand trembled, which caused her eyeliner to be crooked. She wiped it off and did it again. ¡°Then, why aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± ¡°If a woman has been at the mercy of her husband for ages and identally kills him when she¡¯s about to be strangled, then she is also a murderer. I¡¯m not scared of her, but rather her husband.¡± Gabrielle was dressed and got off the bed. Victoria grinned. ¡°That¡¯s a new way of putting it.¡± ¡°Say, why is Miss Charlotte looking for you?¡± Gabrielle approached her and changed the topic. ¡°It seems that she has been asking for you many times now. It¡¯s all rted to Mr. Thatcher. Do you think that it¡¯ll be the same this time around?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know whether it will work, don¡¯t soy it.¡± Victorio ploced the cup, fociol cleonser, ond mokeup remover on the toble os she poused. Then, she odded, ¡°The Colemon Fomily hos olreody severed ties with me.¡± She couldn¡¯t provide Gobrielle with ony benefits, so there wos no need for oll the pleosing. Gobrielle couldn¡¯t be bothered. ¡°You ore their biologicol child, so it¡¯s not reolly them cutting ties. Moybe it wos the foct thot you were imprisoned ofter knocking someone down¡­¡± She wonted to tolk obout Glen, but chonged topic when she looked ot Victorio. ¡°Let Mr. Colemon be emborrossed. When he¡¯s settled the issues in his heort, he¡¯ll definitely look for you.¡± Victorio took the towel to wipe her foce ond sot on the bed in silence. Gobrielle¡¯s intention wos cleor. She wonted to help out, so thot she would owe Victorio o fovor. Even if she mentioned thot it wos unlikely for her to mend her relotionship with the Colemon Fomily, Gobrielle would probobly not buy it. ¡°There¡¯s no obsolute thing. If you don¡¯t give it o shot, who would know whot the result would be? Who knows you would seed ofter giving it o shot?¡± Gobrielle wolked over ond ploced her honds on her knees while bending over to look ot Victorio. Victorio¡¯s eyeloshes trembled before she lifted her eyes to osk, ¡°Whot good odvice do you hove?¡± The two were engrossed in o discussion until the sky wos olreody white by the time they went to bed. Fortunotely, they only hod to stort work from 3.00PM onword. ¡°Victorio, Miss Chorlotte wonts you to heod to her office. There¡¯s on issue!¡± As soon os the door opened, someone borged in to look for Victorio. Victorio wiped off the excess lipstick from the corner of her mouth with o cotton pod ond smiled. ¡°Alright, thonks.¡± The ponicked visitor soid thot it wos olright before they rushed out. ¡°There ore o lot of people who ore ofroid of you,¡± Gobrielle noted while weoring o new bro. After weoring it, she felt thot it did not hove the effect thot she wonted ond chonged the lingerie. Victorio¡¯s hond trembled, which coused her eyeliner to be crooked. She wiped it off ond did it ogoin. ¡°Then, why oren¡¯t you ofroid?¡± ¡°If o womon hos been ot the mercy of her husbond for oges ond identolly kills him when she¡¯s obout to be strongled, then she is olso o murderer. I¡¯m not scored of her, but rother her husbond.¡± Gobrielle wos dressed ond got off the bed. Victorio grinned. ¡°Thot¡¯s o new woy of putting it.¡± ¡°Soy, why is Miss Chorlotte looking for you?¡± Gobrielle opprooched her ond chonged the topic. ¡°It seems thot she hos been osking for you mony times now. It¡¯s oll reloted to Mr. Thotcher. Do you think thot it¡¯ll be the some this time oround?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Victoria kept the eyeliner in its original packaging while her eyeliner gave a shadow on her face. ¡°Do you still remember what we discussedst night?¡± Gabrielle sat on the bedside and carefully asked. There was a momentarily silence on Victoria¡¯s part before she gently hummed.novelxo fast update ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Gabrielle saw that Victoria had really listened to her words and heaved a sigh of relief. Then, her eyes shone. ¡°I will try my best to prepare the things that you need before tomorrow, so that it won¡¯t dy your ns.¡± Victoria frowned as she narrowed her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush. If it really can¡¯t be done, I¡­ seduce him.¡± She didn¡¯t want to continue with this topic and stood up. ¡°Miss Charlotte is still waiting for me, so I¡¯ll make a move.¡± ¡°Remember to be softer in front of Mr. Thatcher. Men all love gentle women. If you can¡¯t, then behave coquettishly. Since he didn¡¯t reject you at first instance thest time, it proves that he¡¯s still interested in you.¡± Gabrielle pulled her over with a reminder. Victoria hummed before she headed to Charlotte¡¯s office. When she pushed open the door, she noticed that Charlotte had her hands on the table to support her radiant face whereas Christian was seated behind her desk. They were engaged in a conversation, but it was a happy one, judging from their facial expressions. Victoria had been pursuing Christian for many years, but had never seen him grinning at her. She suppressed the emotions in her heart, bowed her head, and softly greeted, ¡°Mr. Thatcher. Miss Charlotte.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Charlotte rose to her feet and leanedzily on the table while asking with a smile, ¡°Can you make tea?¡± ¡°A little bit.¡± Christian loved tea, which was why Victoria had learned the art of making tea. However, no matter how much she learned for his sake, it would never rece the importance of Be in his heart. Charlotte rubbed her eyes andmented, ¡°That¡¯s just nice. The water is about to boil. Why don¡¯t you make tea for Christian? I have something to attend to, so I¡¯ll head out first.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Victoria responded when she saw that Christian did not object, after which she went over to make tea. Charlotte nced at the two of them with an inexplicable smile before heading off in a graceful manner. The office was filled with the lingering and refreshing fragrance of tea soon after. ¡°Your tea, Mr. Thatcher.¡± Veronica ced the cup on the table before she lowered her head and retracted her steps. Christian looked at her indifferently and picked up the teacup to blow on it before taking a sip. It¡¯s the same tea, but only she can make it with such taste Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 It was so quiet in the office that one could hear a pin drop. ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Thatcher? If not, I¡¯m heading off to work.¡± It was a spacious office, but with Christian seated inside, it made Victoria feel as if all of the air had been sucked out. Christian lightly chuckled with a hint of sarcasm in his dark, unclear eyes. ¡°Should I increase the sry of someone who works hard and loves her career?¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking, Mr. Thatcher. This is the basic duty of my job.¡± Victoria was tense, which made him dissatisfied again. In short, as long as she was Victoria Coleman, whatever she did would always irritate him. ¡°Is it your duty to intentionally leave your clothes at my home?¡± Christian snorted as he ced the teacup and lifted a bag from his feet to throw it on the table. When she saw the bag, she finally remembered that she had forgotten to take home her clothes. ¡°You have nothing to say, huh?¡± He rose to his height and walked in front of her to look down at her. She lowered her head to a level below his shoulders and such a servile manner was making her ufortable. However, no matter how ufortable she was, he never cared to think about it. The pressure that Christian¡¯s height brought to Victoria was extremely heavy, which resulted in her taking a few more steps back while she exined, ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional.¡± She had been in such pain that she wanted to head to the hospital andpletely forgot about her clothes at that moment. ¡°Such a clumsy exnation.¡± Christian raised Victoria¡¯s chin to force her to look at him. ¡°Victoria, didn¡¯t I tell you before that you should always have a good excuse when you want to lie?¡± ¡°How sure are you that it is a lie and not a fact, Mr. Thatcher? Just because you don¡¯t have a good impression of me, whatever I do has a motive?¡± Victoria clenched the corner of his clothes tightly and regretted it as soon as she finished her sentence. Such an attitude would only deepen his dissatisfaction toward her. Christian released her chin and caressed the scar on her forehead while his eyes darkened. ¡°Victoria¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have spoken to you in such a manner.¡± A sharp de seemed to have touched the ce where he had caressed moments earlier and ayer of cold sweat started to form on Victoria¡¯s nose. ¡°About the ident that happened in the car yesterday¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± He looked at the panic she tried to suppress and almost gave an invisible frown before he sat on the chair again. ¡°The tea is cold.¡± ¡°Wait for a while. I¡¯ll make it again.¡± Victoria boiled the hot water, but brewed the tea restlessly. She identally scalded her hand when she passed it to him, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything. When Christian saw her red hand, his eyes darkened as he took the teacup. Yet, he lost his mood to drink it and ced the cup on the table. ¡°I have gastric. I drank too much yesterday and my stomach hurt so much that I was in urgent need to head to the hospital. That was the reason why I forgot the clothes.¡± Victoria had no idea whether he would buy her exnation, but she felt that she should still exin it. The reason was simple¡ªshe couldn¡¯t bear his anger. Christian hummed, but there was no sign of anger. He leaned against the back of the chair and rolled his shoulders while looking exhausted. Seeing this, she was hesitant, but spoke cautiously after remembering Gabrielle¡¯s words. ¡°I have learned some massage techniques, so I can help to relieve the tension.¡± He crossed his legs and ced his hands on his knees while looking at her. Victoria couldn¡¯t decipher his meaning and her lips twitched a few times, but she didn¡¯t say anything in the end. ¡°You have learned a lot of things,¡± he said vaguely as he closed his eyes. ¡°Come here.¡± She responded with a hum and lowered her head to walk toward him. With a deep breath, she ced her hand on his shoulder while shaking. After a while, when she noticed that he had closed his eyes and said nothing, she gradually stopped trembling and secretly nced at him. As the sun shone on him from the window, it softened the features of his handsome face, which made it look less imposing as usual. Perhaps the air conditioner in the office was too hot, so he had unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt. The slightly exposed chest muscles were radiating a strong hormonal smell. Suddenly, Victoria¡¯s pupils shrank. A jade pendant rested between his pectoral muscles and his corbone¡ªit was something that she gave to Cameron before. How could it be on him? ¡°Are you sure this is a massage and not a method for you to vent your anger?¡± Christian opened his eyes with a dim gaze. She forced herself to look away as she released her strength. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t worked on my skills for a long time, so I¡¯m a little rusty and can¡¯t control the intensity of my strength.¡± When she heard that Cameron had resigned, she had wanted to ask about the jade pendant, but couldn¡¯t do anything about it. ¡°Have you given a lot of people massages?¡± Christian straightened up and rubbed his slightly swollen eyebrows. He had returnedst night to deal with some documents for a few hours and couldn¡¯t sleep well as a result. When Christion sow her red hond, his eyes dorkened os he took the teocup. Yet, he lost his mood to drink it ond ploced the cup on the toble. ¡°I hove gostric. I dronk too much yesterdoy ond my stomoch hurt so much thot I wos in urgent need to heod to the hospitol. Thot wos the reoson why I forgot the clothes.¡± Victorio hod no ideo whether he would buy her explonotion, but she felt thot she should still exploin it. The reoson wos simple¡ªshe couldn¡¯t beor his onger. Christion hummed, but there wos no sign of onger. He leoned ogoinst the bock of the choir ond rolled his shoulders while looking exhousted. Seeing this, she wos hesitont, but spoke coutiously ofter remembering Gobrielle¡¯s words. ¡°I hove leorned some mossoge techniques, so I con help to relieve the tension.¡± He crossed his legs ond ploced his honds on his knees while looking ot her. Victorio couldn¡¯t decipher his meoning ond her lips twitched o few times, but she didn¡¯t soy onything in the end. ¡°You hove leorned o lot of things,¡± he soid voguely os he closed his eyes. ¡°Come here.¡± She responded with o hum ond lowered her heod to wolk toword him. With o deep breoth, she ploced her hond on his shoulder while shoking. After o while, when she noticed thot he hod closed his eyes ond soid nothing, she groduolly stopped trembling ond secretly glonced ot him. As the sun shone on him from the window, it softened the feotures of his hondsome foce, which mode it look less imposing os usuol. Perhops the oir conditioner in the office wos too hot, so he hod unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt. The slightly exposed chest muscles were rodioting o strong hormonol smell. Suddenly, Victorio¡¯s pupils shronk. A jode pendont rested between his pectorol muscles ond his collorbone¡ªit wos something thot she gove to Comeron before. How could it be on him? ¡°Are you sure this is o mossoge ond not o method for you to vent your onger?¡± Christion opened his eyes with o dim goze. She forced herself to look owoy os she releosed her strength. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just thot I hoven¡¯t worked on my skills for o long time, so I¡¯m o little rusty ond con¡¯t control the intensity of my strength.¡± When she heord thot Comeron hod resigned, she hod wonted to osk obout the jode pendont, but couldn¡¯t do onything obout it. ¡°Hove you given o lot of people mossoges?¡± Christion stroightened up ond rubbed his slightly swollen eyebrows. He hod returned lost night to deol with some documents for o few hours ond couldn¡¯t sleep well os o result. Victoria¡¯s body froze for a moment before she hummed after a while. Dad always had shoulder pain whenever he had to deal with paperwork the whole day long. I had learned those massage techniques when I didn¡¯t have anything to do. And when I can remember it, I would always give him a massage. When Christian heard this, a dark light shed in his eyes as he swatted her hand away. ¡°There¡¯s no need to massage anymore.¡± ¡°Is it because I hurt you just now?¡± she asked cautiously after noticing his unpleasant expression. Pat.novelxo fast update At this moment, the door opened. It was Be pushing her wheelchair in. When she saw that Victoria was also around, she was surprised before she said, ¡°I thought only Chris would be here, which was why I never knocked. Please don¡¯t mind me.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have the right to mind you.¡± Christian poured out the cold tea for a fresh serving and looked at Be. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± She nced at the bag on the table and softly replied, ¡°I heard that Mrs. Thatcher asked you to bring clothes to Victoria here, so I came.¡± Then, she turned to look at Victoria with a professionally polite smile. ¡°Please pour me a cup of tea. I¡¯m parched.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Victoria suppressed the suffocating feeling in her heart as she walked to the table and poured another cup for Be. ¡°You are an employee of the Delta Club, not a maid. You don¡¯t have to do this.¡± Christian took the cup from Victoria with the corner of his mouth slightly curled. Then, he squinted at Be. ¡°If you are able to track my whereabouts, those who are unaware would probably think that you nted a tracking device on me.¡± It sounded like nothing serious when they said it, but it felt like the office was in turmoil. ¡°You really can crack a joke, Chris. I wouldn¡¯t dare to nt a tracking device on you. I¡¯m aware of all your whereabouts because our hearts are connected, just like the saying.¡± Sheughed, which entuated her beautiful features. He snorted lightly and took a sip from his teacup instead. ¡°I have an impairment, so can you help to pour me a cup?¡± She looked at Victoria and gently said, ¡°Let me get it clear. I¡¯m not treating you as a servant.¡± Victoria frowned and went to grab the teapot once again, but Christian reached out to take it from her. He squinted at Be. ¡°If you don¡¯t understand, I¡¯ll repeat it. My employees are not responsible for pouring drinks. If you want, you¡¯ll have to do it yourself.¡± Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 ¡°For Chris to treat his employees like that means he¡¯s a good boss.¡± Be¡¯s eyes shed as she pushed the wheelchair to the table. ¡°No wonder so many people like to work with you, Chris.¡± There was a considerable distance between the wheelchair and the teapot. Her hand shook after she picked it up with great difficulty, which resulted in the hot tea being spilled on Victoria¡¯s legs. ¡°Hissss!¡± As the work clothes were thin, the hot liquid had almost burned Victoria¡¯s body. She gasped in pain and beads of cold sweat broke out on her forehead almost instantaneously. Her entire thigh was drenched, which meant that the contents of the teapot would have been poured on her. Be really knows how to make it an ident, huh. Christian frowned slightly. His body had already left his seat, but when he saw that all of the tea had landed on Victoria¡¯s body, he returned to his seat. He ced his hands on the table with clear irritability. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t hold the teapot firmly.¡± Be hurriedly ced the teapot on the table as guilt danced in her reddish eyes. ¡°Does it hurt? I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen. If I had known, I¡¯d rather be thirsty than¡ª¡± ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t have to work for a few days,¡± he interrupted with a cool voice and addressed Victoria. ¡°T-Thank you, Mr. Thatcher,¡± Victoria softly apologized before she suppressed the pain with all her might and nced at the table. ¡°M-May I h-have a cup?¡± He moved across the table with a little more speed and responded coolly, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Are you thirsty? Let me help you.¡± Be flushed with embarrassment as she diligently grabbed the teapot. Victoria grabbed a cup and resisted the urge to swing it at Be. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not? Then, why are you asking for the cup?¡± Be ced the teacup on the table again and added with worry, ¡°The water was extremely hot, so I think you should be hurrying to the hospital.¡± When Victoria heard Be¡¯s pretentious concern, she smashed the cup on the floor and took a broken piece to cut her clothes. After that, she grabbed both ends of the material and tore it open. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Tear! Once the clothes were torn, it revealed Victoria¡¯s red thigh with dozens of blisters growing on it. The blisters had criss-crossed with the scars on her thigh, which gave it a scary view. If she didn¡¯t tear her clothes now, the blisters would stick to the material, after which she would suffer in agony. Christian¡¯s gaze paused on those blisters and scars, which caused his fingers to stop tapping on the table. For some reason, his hands started to tremble slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for the teapot,¡± Victoria noted as she wiped the beads of cold sweat dripping down from her forehead and headed out of the office with difficulty. Her right leg had been injured before, but now that she was scalded by the hot tea, it would make her walking even more impaired. Her emaciated figure was reflected in his eyes. His brows, which were slightly frowned, had loosened, but his eyes darkened even more. ¡°You¡¯re already injured, so going to the hospital will be inconvenient. Let me ask Chris to get someone to send you.¡± Be hurriedly pushed her wheelchair to stop Victoria by grabbing her arm. The more sincere she felt, the more disgust Victoria felt. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be like this¡­¡± Her gaze then fell on Christian as she swallowed the word ¡®fake¡¯ in her throat. ¡°I don¡¯t want to bother you, Miss Spritz. I¡¯ll call for a cab myself.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no trouble. It was my fault to start with. I should be asking someone to send you to the hospital. Please don¡¯t be polite with me. I injured you, so if you reject me, I¡¯ll feel even more guilt.¡± Be took out her phone on the pretext of calling someone. Christian saw everything and lowered his eyes as it shed darkly. Pat! At this moment, Charlotte had pushed the door open and noticed Victoria¡¯s hideous thighs. She then covered her red lips in surprise. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Not¡ª¡± Victoria wanted to say that it was nothing, but when she saw that Be was already on the phone, she liked her dry lips and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been scalded, so I¡¯m heading to the hospital. Would you be able to get someone to drive me to the hospital, Miss Charlotte?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll get someone now.¡± Charlotte nced at Be as she slightly raised her eye before she supported Veronica to leave the office. Be stared at the door in a daze for a while before she pushed the wheelchair to close the door. She bit her lips and softly spoke, ¡°Judging from Miss Charlotte¡¯s gaze earlier, did she misinterpret something?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it true?¡± Christian rose to his feet and ced one hand in the pocket of his pants with a half-smile. Sarcasm was also reflected in his gaze. ¡°It is true that I scalded Victoria.¡± She lowered her eyes with a guilty expression, but she still felt aggrieved. ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient for me to sit in a wheelchair and pour myself tea, though. S-She should be able to understand.¡± He snorted and ced his fingers on the table before he repeatedly tapped it. ¡°If I remember correctly, it¡¯s been months since youst came to Delta Club.¡± A confused Be then asked, ¡°Huh? Why are you mentioning this all of a sudden, Chris?¡± ¡°Why have you been so diligent in thest two months?¡± Christian stopped his movement and sat down before he enunciated the next words clearly. ¡°Not to mention, you¡¯d always arrive not too long after me. It can¡¯t be a coincidence, right?¡± She blinked and feigned innocence. ¡°If you didn¡¯t say it, I wouldn¡¯t have realized it. But it is a coincidence.¡± ¡°It may be a coincidence if it¡¯s once or twice. Since it¡¯s a regr urrence, it¡¯s incidental.¡± He stood up and ced his hands on the table again as he stared at Be. ¡°Be, don¡¯t try me.¡± The air in the office seemed to have dipped by a few degrees. ¡°Chris, what are you implying? I don¡¯t seem to understand your words.¡± Be¡¯s eyes shed as she gently asked. Christian lowered his head to smoothen his slightly wrinkled suit. His hair shone in the sun, which made it look shiny. ¡°You are a smart person, so don¡¯t make me say it loud and clear. Once you have passed the threshold, it¡¯s not a good thing for you.¡± ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m following you or asking someone to track you?¡± Be sighed in resignation. ¡°I just wanted to talk to you about Lucas¡¯ engagement next month. I heard that you are here, so I figured that I shoulde over. It¡¯s not asplicated as you think it is.¡± He sat down again as he coldly regarded her in the silence. When their gaze met, there was a surge of emotions. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. If you don¡¯t believe me, Chris, I can¡¯t do anything either.¡± She spread out her hands as her brows and eyes reflected her frustration. His lips twitched, but there was no smile as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t like women who lie to me. Furthermore¡±¡ª He raised his eyes to give her a cold nce¡ª¡±the Thatcher Family nevercks a suitable marriage partner.¡± ¡°My legs were injured because of you two years ago, though, Chris. If the Thatcher Family changes your marriage partner, the news won¡¯t be well-received. If some people decide to make use of the media to blow the matter out of proportion, the share of the Thatcher Group would be affected too.¡± Her lips had a shallow arc to it. He snorted and ced his fingers on the table before he repeatedly tapped it. ¡°If I remember correctly, it¡¯s been months since youst came to Delta Club.¡± novelxo fast upda Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Christian¡¯s legs were crossed while he leaned against the back of the chair. His voice was cold as he commented, ¡°Then, you should also be aware that the plummeting of shares caused by the misleading news would not be a fatal blow to the Thatcher Group.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure. The Thatcher Group has a strong foundation, so a small impact on its shares won¡¯t cause anything except a loss of a few billions. Chris, you are a businessman, so you should not know that you shouldn¡¯t bear the responsibilities for an unimportant person,¡± Be slowly reminded. ¡°It¡¯s definitely nor worth it if it was for an unimportant person.¡± He grabbed his knees while his right hand sped his knees. There was a cold light in his eyes as he added, ¡°To lose a billion to eliminate someone who pushes my buttons? Well, that¡¯s worth it.¡± Such a sentence had rendered the office in a state of silence. One could even hear a pin drop. The smile on her face froze before it returned to normal a secondter. She bypassed the broken fragments of the teapot as she wheeled herself backward. ¡°Chris, you are being too solemn with your words. Just like what I said earlier, I did not follow you or ask someone to track you. It¡¯s also not necessary. I came to the Delta Club because I merely wanted to discuss my brother¡¯s engagement next month with you.¡± Her figure was also reflected in Christian¡¯s eyes, which gave rise to his indifference. Christian took a cup of tea and brought it to his mouth when the memory of Victoria¡¯s thigh full of blisters and scars suddenly shed in his mind. After that, he ced the cup down with a slight frown. ¡°If you are still ufortable with that idea, I can guarantee that I won¡¯te to the club without your permission in the future.¡± Be smiled bitterly. ¡°Oh.¡± He softly hummed without making her too annoyed. Then, he changed the topic. ¡°You said that you came to discuss your brother¡¯s engagement next month with me, am I right?¡± She nodded and softly replied, ¡°At Mrs. Thatcher¡¯s birthday banquet yesterday, my family is aware of how entangled Victoria was with my birthday. My parents are worried that at the engagement party for my brother and Scarlett, Victoria will cause a scene. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to look for you.¡± ¡°Look for me?¡± The two words of ¡®entanglement¡¯ caused Christian¡¯s eyes to darken while he felt difort in his chest. Then, he gently fanned his shirt. ¡°Yeah.¡± Be carefully observed his movements and slightly clenched her right hand before she quickly released it. ¡°Victoria is an employee of the club and you¡¯re her boss. So, would you be able to arrange for her to work more for the days leading up to my brother¡¯s engagement ceremony? Also, please ask a few employees to keep an eye on her so that she won¡¯t cause any more trouble.¡± When Victoria arrived at the hospital, the doctor used a sterile needle to puncture the blisters and clean the infection before he used a gauze to wrap the wound. Due to therge surface of the wound as a result of the scalding, the doctor required her to stay in the hospital to receive an infusion. After exining some urgent matters, he then made his way out. ¡°You were scalded by tea?¡± Charlotte leaned against the wall as her gorgeous voice increased at the end of her question. The tone that she used made her even more charming. Most of Victoria¡¯s right thigh had been wrapped in a gauze, which made lying down ufortable since she couldn¡¯t move. She hummed and supported herself into a sitting position with bond hands after some difficulty. ¡°Tsk, the subordinate is cruel.¡± Charlotte sighed and gossiped, ¡°Did Mr. Thatcher said anything when you were scalded by Miss Spritz?¡± Victoria lowered her gaze and softly replied, ¡°Let me head to work once my injury is healed.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t lecture Miss Spritz?¡± Charlotte stopped leaning against the wall and bent over to ask curiously. ¡°Nope.¡± It took a while after Victoria met Charlotte¡¯s gaze to answer. ¡°His thoughts are difficult to understand.¡± Charlotte straightened her posture and suddenly said something inexplicably. Victoria had no idea what that sentence meant and didn¡¯t want to know either. She pursed her lips and embarrassedly asked, ¡°Miss Charlotte, can you help me to pay for the medical expenses? I¡¯ll pay you back when we return.¡± As she came out in a hurry, she had forgotten both her cellphone and wallet. ¡°It¡¯s a workce injury, so the club will pay for it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Charlotte stared at the scar on Victoria¡¯s face and frowned. ¡°It¡¯s such a pity that a beautiful face like yours has been scarred.¡± Subconsciously, Victoria raised her head and her uneven bangs covered the scar as a result. ¡°Miss Charlotte, thanks a lot.¡± She didn¡¯t have medical insurance. So, if the club would not reimburse her, the medical expenses this time would cost one-third of her savings. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of saying thank you all the time?¡± Charlotte raised her eyebrow and looked out the window before she continued, ¡°Your brother and sister-inw are outside. Do you want me to call them in?¡± Victoria shook her head without any hesitation. ¡°No, thanks, Miss Charlotte.¡± Vince and Tessa should be here to remove his bandages. If they know that I¡¯m injured, they¡¯d have to worry about me again. ¡°Alright.¡± Charlotte walked to the side of the bed and sat down. Then, she looked at Victoria before she cut to the chase. ¡°Mr. Thatcher broke your leg and asked you to work at Delta Club. Don¡¯t you hate him?¡± A pale Victoria thought, Do I hate him? I definitely do, but I actually fear him more. It doesn¡¯t matter whether I hate him or not because I¡¯m not that close to Miss Charlotte to be honest. ¡°Did I frighten you?¡± Charlotte chuckled with her bright features. ¡°Let me rephrase my question then. Do you want to leave Delta Club?¡± After pursuing her lips, Victoria slightly frowned and wondered why Charlotte would suddenly ask her a lot of personal questions. If she said yes, Charlotte could be unhappy. If she said no, it was obviously a lie.novelxo fast update This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Damned if I do, damned if I don¡¯t. ¡°Forget it. I won¡¯t tease you, so don¡¯t panic.¡± Charlotte stood up and pulled down her skirt that was a little wrinkled. ¡°I still have something to deal with, so I¡¯ll make a move first. As for your purse and cell phone, I¡¯ll ask Gabrielle to pass it to youter.¡± She suddenly stopped when she arrived at the door and turned around. ¡°You better not think about leaving because someone might not be able to ept it.¡± After that, she grinned and walked away in a good mood. However, such a sentence was enough for Victoria to grip the quilt tightly as she was stunned. Miss Charlotte knows that I want to leave and said those words as a warning, right? Or is it something that was said in fun? Her mind was already in a state of mess when Vincent and Teresa followed Gabrielle into the ward. Their presence had only served to make her mind even messier. She frowned when she saw Gabrielle, who avoided her gaze with a dry smile. ¡°How did you get hurt again? Your entire thigh must be injured since it has been wrapped. Is it a serious injury? Does it still hurt?¡± The bandage of Vincent¡¯s head was removed, but the scar that was the size of a thumb had still remained. His frowning only made the scar turn into a ball. He was already worried when he asked those questions, but when he saw that Victoria didn¡¯t answer, he was so anxious that he wanted to remove the gauze and see the wound for himself. ¡°You said that you wanted to visit Victoria. How would you be able to clean the mess if the wound gets infected?¡± Teresa swatted Vincent¡¯s hand away. After that, she sat on the bed and held Victoria while looking at the bandaged thigh. ¡°Tori, it¡¯s such arge wound¡­ Is the entire area scalded?¡± As she spoke, her eyes were red-rimmed. In the past, she had always envied Victoria because Victoria had been pampered by her family. However, the incident two years ago changed everything. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Seeing Teresa¡¯s reddened eyes, Victoria gave an inward sigh. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Her greatest fear was to see a woman crying. ¡°How could it not hurt?¡± Gabrielle disagreed whileing to her bedside. She said to Teresa, ¡°When I came here, I heard from some colleagues that Victoria couldn¡¯t even walk because of the pain she was in. She was helped out by the manager and rushed to the hospital by security guards.¡± The more Vincent listened to her words, the wider his eyes became. His handsome face was flushed with rage, and his eyes had a pained look in them. Teresa didn¡¯t say anything, but tears kept trickling down her cheeks. The back of Victoria¡¯s hand was soon wet with tears. ¡°It only hurt at the time. Now it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± She gave Gabrielle a warning look. However, Gabrielle pretended not to see it and let out everything she knew. ¡°They even told me that the skin of her leg above the knee was all red, with a dozen big blisters clustered together. It looked so scary¡ª¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Stop it.¡± Victoria cut her short with a frown. Gabrielle smiled sheepishly in a cautious and somewhat ingratiating manner. Wiping her tears away, Teresa asked in a quavering voice, ¡°Are you telling the truth about that?¡± Victoria spoke before Gabrielle could. ¡°That¡¯s just hearsay and exaggeration. It¡¯s not that bad, actually.¡± Just then, the doctor opened the door with a click and came in. ¡°What thisdy said just now is no exaggeration. If you hadn¡¯t torn off your pants sooner, the fabric might stick to the blisters, and you¡¯d suffer even more.¡± He wiped the back of Victoria¡¯s hand with an alcohol swab before inserting a needle to put her on a drip. Vincent¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he stood aside without making a sound. A momentter, he suddenly took off his suit jacket and flung it onto the floor with all his might. ¡°F*ck!¡± he swore. With that, he stormed out of the room and banged the door shut. ¡°Vincent!¡± Fearing that her brother might do something reckless on impulse, Victoria pulled out the needle right away in an attempt to run out after him to stop him. Teresa and the doctor held her down at the same time. ¡°You have to be put on a drip! Do you not want your leg anymore?¡± the doctor said sternly. Victoria was inwardly anxious. She wanted to stand up, but she couldn¡¯t do so with the two holding her down. ¡°Let go of me first, you two. It won¡¯t make a difference to wait until Ie back before putting me on a drip!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look for your brother. You keep still and stay here on your IV drip!¡± Teresa looked panic-stricken. Without waiting for Victoria¡¯s reply, she said to Gabrielle, who was standing aside in a trance, ¡°Miss, please look after Tori for a moment and don¡¯t let her out. I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, uh, okay!¡± Gabrielle replied while helping the doctor hold Victoria down. Victoria struggled for a long time with all her might, but it didn¡¯t do much other than cause the doctor to insert the needle in the wrong spot a few times. She pleaded with a frown, ¡°Gabrielle, doctor, please let go of me. I promise that I¡¯lle back for my IV dripter!¡± ¡°Just stay here with your IV drip. Your sister-inw has gone to catch up to your brother,¡± Gabrielle said while avoiding Victoria¡¯s gaze. Victoria licked her parched lips before saying bitterly, ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Vincent must¡¯ve gone to Delta Club to kick up a fuss. If Christian learns about it, he won¡¯t let him off. Gabriel didn¡¯t make a sound, nor did she rx her hold on Victoria. On the other hand, the doctor was simmering with anger at this moment. He still had a lot of patients to take care of, but he had spent a long time here for pretty much nothing. ¡°I do understand, but you¡¯re gonna lose your leg if you keep on thrashing around.¡± The furrows in Victoria¡¯s brow deepened; it¡¯d been almost ten minutes since Vincent stormed off. ¡°Gabrielle, don¡¯t you worry that I¡¯lle after you after returning to the Coleman Familyter if you don¡¯t do as I say right now?¡± ¡°P-Perhaps you can never return to your family.¡± Gabrielle¡¯s voice gradually sank to a whisper as she spoke. ¡°Even if you manage to do so, your sister-inw and others won¡¯t let youe after me¡­ I guess.¡± Victoria pursed her lips and gave up struggling. All of a sudden, she felt unusually lonely. Her family and friends had abandoned her. Even Gabrielle, to whom she was closest at the moment, bowed to power and reality. Meanwhile, Teresa ran all the way to the hospital¡¯s entrance after Vincent, but she failed to catch up to him in the end. When she arrived at the entrance, he had started up his car and sped off. She hurriedly hailed a taxi and said to the driver, ¡°Please catch up with the Ferrari over there.¡± Fearing that she was some criminal, the taxi driver looked at her with a peculiar expression without moving for a long time. Teresa said, ¡°That¡¯s my husband¡¯s car! I just saw him get into it with a woman in his arms, but I don¡¯t know where they¡¯re going.¡± She looked very anxious, and her reddened eyes made her seem extremely pitiable. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ma¡¯am!¡± The taxi driver had a warm heart. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with him right away and make sure that I won¡¯t lose him!¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. After the Ferrari and the taxi pulled up in front of Delta Club one after another, Teresa hastily handed the taxi driver a 100-dor note. Then, she hurriedly caught up with Vincent ahead of her. ¡°There¡¯s no woman in the car. Was she seeing things?¡± the taxi driver muttered before driving away. Teresa ran after Vincent in her heels for a long time, but she didn¡¯t manage to catch up to him. ¡°V- Vincent, w-wait for me!¡± Getting tired from running, she put her hands on her knees and gasped for breath with no concern for her image. Vincent ignored her, though. As soon as he entered the clubhouse, he violently knocked over the two vases in the hall, causing them to topple over with a loud crash. ¡°Mr. Coleman, what can we¡ª¡± A staff member came over and attempted to ask him what was going on. Vincent didn¡¯t give him the opportunity at all. Instead, he directly toppled the devil¡¯s ivy on the rack to the ground with a kick. His eyes were bloodshot as he growled, ¡°Where is your manager? Tell her to come out!¡± The pot of devil¡¯s ivy rolled on the floor before the flowerpot broke into pieces, scattering thnovelxo fast updatee soil all over the ce and instantly turning the splendidly decorated hall into aplete mess. Many who visited the clubhouse were regrs, many of which knew Vincent personally. They wanted toe over and calm thetter down so that Christian, the clubhouse¡¯s owner, would owe them a debt of gratitude. However, Vincent refused to acknowledge anyone. Running amok like a bull in a china shop, he smashed up the ce as he spoke. Trying to be clever, someone leaned close to Vincent¡¯s ear and advised, ¡°Look how miserable your sister is after offending Mr. Thatcher! Mr. Coleman, if you don¡¯t want to be as miserable as she is, you¡¯d better find a way to apologize to him as soon as possible. Just say that you¡¯re drunk; it¡¯s normal to act crazy when you¡¯re drunk¡­ Aaah!¡± Vincent punched the person in the nose as veins stood out on his neck. ¡°Just look at yourself in the mirror. What the hell makes you qualified to mention my sister?¡± Letting out cries of pain, the person covered his nose as blood ran between his fingers. However, he left with his tail between his legs, not daring to say another word. On the other hand, Vincent¡¯s heart was almost torn apart by the anger and remorse that welled up in his chest. ¡°Tell your manager toe out!¡± Teresa wanted to stop him at first, but after seeing him like this at this very moment, she opened her mouth without saying a word. Instead, she merely stood beside him in silence with a conflicted look in her eyes. ¡°Mr. Coleman, you¡¯d better keep your voice down. Both Mr. Thatcher and Miss Spritz are here,¡± said the staff member gingerly. ¡°That¡¯s b*llsh*t! Do you think that I¡¯m scared of them?!¡± Seeing a waiter wheeling a food tray past him, Vincent dashed over, grabbed a stack of tes, and smashed them onto the floor with a loud tter. ¡°Christian and Be are here? Tell them toe down here in front of me then!¡± A group of people surrounded him, but no one said anything. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 His eyes bloodshot, Vincent pointed his finger at each of the staff members present. ¡°All of you aren¡¯t gonna call him down here, huh? Fine!¡± He strode toward the staircase. If they¡¯re not gonna call him downstairs, I¡¯ll look for him myself! A hint of hesitation flickered across Teresa¡¯s eyes. She wanted to stop him, but in the end, she merely followed behind him without saying a word. The staff members looked at each other, but none of them dared to block Vincent¡¯s way. The Colemans couldn¡¯tpare with the Thatchers, but it wasn¡¯t like they could afford to displease the former either. Just then, the elevator door opened, and Christian wheeled Be out in her wheelchair. ¡°Were you looking for me?¡± Upon hearing his voice, Vincent turned around and swung his fist at him without the slightest hesitation. ¡°Vincent!¡± Teresa hesitated for a moment before dashing forward to block Vincent¡¯s way. Then, she shook her head at him. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Vincent yanked Teresa out of his way. Striding up to Christian, he seized the man¡¯s cor with both hands and uttered each word between clenched teeth, saying, ¡°Christian Thatcher, are you a f*cking monster?!¡± Teresa tugged at his arm while pleading with a choke in her voice, ¡°Vincent, don¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°Say it! Are you?¡± Vincent stared fixedly at Christian before tears sprang to his eyes. Wiping his tears with one hand, he growled, ¡°Is my sister nothing to you because you only care about the woman you love?¡± There were more and more people in the hall, and some even secretly took photos and videos of the scene. Ignoring the irate Vincent, Christian darted an impassive nce at the crowd. ¡°Is this fun to watch?¡± Everyone quickly put down their phones, not daring to take photos or videos anymore. Charlotte stepped out of the elevator while wiggling her hips as her glistening eyes flickered. ¡°Everyone, please delete the photos and videos voluntarily before going where you¡¯re supposed to go.¡± The dense crowd scattered soon after that, though many looked back as they left. Vincent¡¯s face was contorted with emotion. ¡°Be broke her leg, so you broke my sister¡¯s leg and had her jailed for two years! It¡¯s still uncertain who was in the wrong back then. Even if it was my sister¡¯s fault, she¡¯d already paid her dues. Why won¡¯t you let her off?!¡± Christian darted an impassive look at him. Then, he said in a chilly voice, ¡°Get off me.¡± ¡°My sister¡¯s biggest mistake in life was to be so f*cking blind as to fall for you!¡± Vincent¡¯s eyes were blood red as he clutched Christian¡¯s cor with all his might. ¡°Let me ask you this, Christian¡ªwas it you who scalded Tori¡¯s leg like that?¡± Be, who had been silent all this while, quickly came forward with a look of anxiety and guilt. ¡°Vincent, Christian really isn¡¯t to me for this. It was me who scalded Victoria¡¯s leg by ident while pouring tea. I¡¯ll pay for her medical expenses and go to the hospital to apologize to her some other¡ª¡± Thump! Vincent let go of Christian and knocked Be¡¯s wheelchair over with tremendous strength. He mocked, ¡°You want to pay for her medical expenses? Ha!¡± He took out his wallet, from which he produced a stack of cash and hurled it at her face. ¡°I¡¯m not f*cking short of cash! Is this money enough to pay for your medical expenses? If it¡¯s not, I can give you more money!¡± He fished a number of bank cards out of his wallet and hurled them at her face. Be looked a sorry sight on her hands and knees with her lower body pinned under the wheelchair. She wanted to push the wheelchair away, but she didn¡¯t have enough strength to do so. Her face was burning as the banknotes and the bank cards fell onto her and scattered around her, but her physical pain was nothingpared to the feelings of shame and embarrassment within her. Just when Vincent wanted to hit her, Teresa stopped him and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Vincent. She¡¯s a woman, after all. And besides, she probably didn¡¯t mean it, and she¡¯s apologized.¡± ¡°How could you believe this cripple¡¯s story?¡± Vincent spat on the ground. He continued, ¡°She¡¯s even used Tori of trying to run her over with a car! Like hell I¡¯ll believe it!¡± Be¡¯s eyes darkened at the word ¡®cripple¡¯ as she removed the banknotes and cards from her head and body. ¡°Vincent, have you had enough?¡± Christian crouched down and took the wheelchair off Be. Then, he lifted her up and put her back in the wheelchair. ¡°Not yet!¡± Rage and resentment screamed and charged through Vincent¡¯s veins when he saw how Christian tended Be with painstaking care. ¡°Don¡¯t you two like to give an eye for an eye? I¡¯m telling you, this scheming b*tch can forget about getting away with it after scalding my sister today!¡± Teresa¡¯s pupils shrank at his words. ¡°Vincent, what are you¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Vincent snatched a teapot from a passing waiter and sshed its contents onto Be. Ssh! Half of the hot water sshed onto the floor, whereas the other half sshed onto Christian¡¯s trouser legs and the back of Be¡¯s hand. It was difficult to see how severe Christian¡¯s injuries were, but the back of Be¡¯s delicate hand instantly reddened with several visible blisters forming on it. She bit her lip hard, arousing pity as tears streamed quietly down her cheeks. ¡°This¡­¡± Teresa¡¯s face was red one moment and pale the next. After saying a word, she couldn¡¯t finish her sentence for a long time. A flicker of surprise shed across Charlotte¡¯s glistening eyes. After that, all that was left was a look of amused interest. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fend it off when she sshed the pot of f*cking tea onto my sister, huh?!¡± Veins stood out on Vincent¡¯s forehead as his finger moved from the tip of Christian¡¯s nose to Be¡¯s. ¡°You should consider yourself lucky. You sshed a whole pot of tea onto my sister, but I only sshed so much hot water onto you!¡± he said. Then, he dragged Teresa in an attempt to leave. Christian lowered his eyes to nce at his sodden trouser legs. Then, he said impassively to Charlotte, ¡°Get a few men to stop him, and call the police.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Thatcher,¡± Charlotte replied softly before gracefully walking to the front desk to pass on the instructions to the front deskdy. ¡°Christian, don¡¯t call the police.¡± Be tugged at Christian¡¯s sleeve while shaking her head with watery eyes. ¡°Vincent only did this in a fit of anger. At the end of the day, it was all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t sshed tea onto Victoria by ident, such a thing wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Vincent had reached the clubhouse¡¯s entrance, but he stormed back angrily after listening to her words. ¡°F*ck! You know what? Goody-two-shoes and scheming b*tches like you disgust me the most!¡± He lifted his leg to kick at her wheelchair, but Teresa grabbed him and stopped him with all her might. ¡°Vincent, would you give me a break?¡± she pleaded in a tearful voice. Vincent clenched his fists and stopped what he was doing. ring steadily at Be, he spat on the floor, saying, ¡°How f*cking disgusting!¡± ¡°Vincent, you¡­¡± Be¡¯s eyshes fluttered as she was too choked up to speak. Teresa struggled to force an apologetic smile while apologizing to Be. ¡°Sorry, Miss Spritz. Vincent only did such a silly thing in a fit of anger. I¡¯d like to apologize to you on his behalf. Could you please not call the police?¡± ¡°Let them call the police as they please. Do you think I¡¯ll be scared of that?¡± Vincent let out a snort before forcibly dragging Teresa outside. However, the two security guards summoned by Charlotte had arrived, and they stopped the couple. At the sight of this, Teresa anxiously wanted to beg Christian and Be for mercy, but Vincent wouldn¡¯t let her do so.novelxo fast update Christian looked nonchnt the whole time without batting an eye. However, when he caught a glimpse of the blisters on Be¡¯s hand, Victoria¡¯s badly scalded thigh crossed his mind, and he frowned unnoticeably. Then, he stepped behind Be¡¯s wheelchair and wheeled her outside Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 ¡°Mr. Thatcher, are you sending Miss Spritz to the hospital?¡± Charlotte walked up to the wheelchair before cing her right hand on it. ¡°Let me do it instead. I remember that you have an important meeting in half an hour.¡± Christian raised his eyes to shoot a nce at her. Then, he replied in an impassive voice, ¡°It¡¯s not necessary.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Vincent let out a sneer; his face was livid with anger. ¡°You¡¯re quite an affectionate lover, eh? The way I see it, Christian, you must¡¯ve been carrying on with this scheming b*tch since long ago!¡± Teresa pped her hand over his mouth in panic. ¡°Just shut up for once!¡± She gave Christian and Be an embarrassed smile. ¡°V-Vincent drank a little and is having a drunken fit right now. I¡¯ll have him apologize to you guys in person when he sobers up!¡± ¡°Like hell I¡¯m gonna do that! I¡¯ll never apologize to this adulterous couple!¡± After spending two years in guilt and resentment, Vincent was now hell-bent on seeking justice for his sister. ¡°Christian, if you loved Be, you shouldn¡¯t have agreed to get engaged to my sister!¡± He took a deep breath as a film of tears came over his bloodshot eyes. Pointing at Christian, he snarled, ¡°She¡¯s eagerly followed you around for over ten years. After hearing that you agreed to get engaged to her, she got so excited that she told everyone she met about it. And how did that end up?¡± ¡°Vincent!¡± Teresa tried to stop him. However, Vincent tucked her under his arm and prevented her from moving. ¡°You broke my sister¡¯s leg and had her jailed for two years for Be¡¯s sake. Not only that, but you even forced my family to disown her! If you¡¯d said earlier that you were sleeping with Be, I¡¯d never have let Tori follow you around!¡± ¡°Vincent, you can me me for this if you want.¡± Be looked pale and feeble as she wiped a tear off the corner of her eye. ¡°When I saw how much Tori liked Christian, I didn¡¯t want him to turn her down for fear that she¡¯d get too upset. I never thought things would turn out that way.¡± Vincent rolled up his sleeves as veins stood out on his forearm. ¡°Yeah, just keep on pretending, you f*cking b*tch!¡± He sprang forward in an attempt to overturn the wheelchair. ¡°Vincent.¡± Christian held down the wheelchair while fixing him with a somewhat warning re. ¡°What now? You wanna f*cking bully people again?¡± Vincent straightened up his neck and stepped forward. Pointing at his leg, he yelled, ¡°Come on, break my leg too!¡± Just then, two police officers came in before exchanging looks with each other. After that, the skinnier of the pair braced himself and asked, ¡°May I ask who called the police?¡± Those who hung out at Delta Club were either rich or powerful, so no one was willing to deal with whatever that happened here. As they were rookies, they were sent here by their superior. ¡°Mr. Thatchar, ara you sanding Miss Spritz to tha hospital?¡± Charlotta walkad up to tha whaalchair bafora cing har right hand on it. ¡°Lat ma do it instaad. I ramambar that you hava an important maating in half an hour.¡± Christian raisad his ayas to shoot a nca at har. Than, ha rapliad in an impassiva voica, ¡°It¡¯s not nacassary.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Vincantt out a snaar; his faca was livid with angar. ¡°You¡¯ra quita an affactionata lovar, ah? Tha way I saa it, Christian, you must¡¯va baan carrying on with this schaming b*tch sinca long ago!¡± Tarasa ppad har hand ovar his mouth in panic. ¡°Just shut up for onca!¡± Sha gava Christian and Ba an ambarrassad sm. ¡°V-Vincant drank a lit and is having a drunkan fit right now. I¡¯ll hava him apologiza to you guys in parson whan ha sobars up!¡± ¡°Lika hall I¡¯m gonna do that! I¡¯ll navar apologiza to this adultarous cou!¡± Aftar spanding two yaars in guilt and rasantmant, Vincant was now hall-bant on saaking justica for his sistar. ¡°Christian, if you lovad Ba, you shouldn¡¯t hava agraad to gat angagad to my sistar!¡± Ha took a daap braath as a film of taars cama ovar his bloodshot ayas. Pointing at Christian, ha snad, ¡°Sha¡¯s aagarly followad you around for ovar tan yaars. Aftar haaring that you agraad to gat angagad to har, sha got so axcitad that sha told avaryona sha mat about it. And how did that and up?¡± ¡°Vincant!¡± Tarasa triad to stop him. Howavar, Vincant tuckad har undar his arm and pravantad har from moving. ¡°You broka my sistar¡¯sg and had har jad for two yaars for Ba¡¯s saka. Not only that, but you avan forcad my family to disown har! If you¡¯d said aarliar that you wara aping with Ba, I¡¯d navar havat Tori follow you around!¡± ¡°Vincant, you can ma ma for this if you want.¡± Ba lookad p and faa as sha wipad a taar off tha cornar of har aya. ¡°Whan I saw how much Tori likad Christian, I didn¡¯t want him to turn har down for faar that sha¡¯d gat too upsat. I navar thought things would turn out that way.¡± Vincant rod up his avas as vains stood out on his foraarm. ¡°Yaah, just kaap on pratanding, you f*cking b*tch!¡± Ha sprang forward in an attampt to ovarturn tha whaalchair. ¡°Vincant.¡± Christian hald down tha whaalchair wh fixing him with a somawhat warning ra. ¡°What now? You wanna f*cking bully pao again?¡± Vincant straightanad up his nack and stappad forward. Pointing at hisg, ha yad, ¡°Coma on, braak myg too!¡± Just than, two polica officars cama in bafora axchanging looks with aach othar. Aftar that, tha skinniar of tha pair bracad himsalf and askad, ¡°May I ask who cad tha polica?¡± Thosa who hung out at Dalta Club wara aithar rich or powarful, so no ona was willing to daal with whatavar that happanad hara. As thay wara rookias, thay wara sant hara by thair suparior. ¡°It was me.¡± Charlotte took a few steps forward. She said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Coleman caused trouble at our clubhouse and injured Mr. Thatcher and Miss Spritz. Say, how do you think this should be dealt with?¡± Teresa struggled to step forward and put in a good word for Vincent, but he stopped her from doing so. ¡°Well¡­ uh¡­¡± The skinny police officer spoke up. ¡°How about you guys go to the police station with us to have your testimonies recorded? We¡¯ll detain whoever¡ª¡± The other policeman cut him short, though. ¡°We¡¯re both neers and aren¡¯t so familiar with our jobs, so we don¡¯t really know how to deal with this. How about this, Mr. Coleman? Please go to the police station with us. We have to ask our seniors how to deal with the aftermath.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to go to the police station. It¡¯s just a trifling matter, and we¡¯ll settle this in private. Sorry for making you twoe all the way here,¡± Be said softly. Teresa heaved a sigh of relief with a cating smile. ¡°Thank you for this, Miss Spritz. We¡¯ll definitely pay you a visit to express our thanks some other day.¡± Seeing that Christian had no intention of objecting to it, the police officer hurriedly replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you guys want to settle this in private. We¡ª¡± ¡°Save the act, you hypocrite!¡± Vincent let out a snort. Then, he let go of Teresa and stepped between the two police officers. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Enraged, Teresa rushed forward and grabbed him. ¡°Vincent, do you have to piss me off to feel happy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just wait for me at home.¡± Vincent cupped her face in his hands and kissed her with a hint of sadness on his good-looking face. ¡°I really can¡¯t bring myself to see Tori suffer like this every single day.¡± Teresa¡¯s tears fell instantly before she hurriedly wiped them away. After pausing for a moment, she replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°He¡¯smitted libel, created a disturbance, and hurt people intentionally. Just deal with it the way you¡¯re supposed to.¡± Christian darted a look at them before wheeling Be to the entrance. ¡°I¡¯ll send my attorney there.¡± Meanwhile, Victoria was lying on her sickbed while looking pale and weak. Clutching her cell phone, she called Vincent and Teresa for the 20th time, but nobody answered the phone. Her eyelids twitched as she grew more and more unsettled. Vincent had never been like this before. He had set a special ringtone for her, so he¡¯d always answer her phone calls after two beeps. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Perhaps Mr. Coleman just went for a drink and got drunk because he was upset. And besides, Mrs. Coleman is there with him, so nothing¡¯s gonna happen,¡± Gabrielle said while putting a bowl of porridge and some side dishes on the table. Victoria put down her phone and pursed her lips while staring steadily at her.novelxo fast update ¡°I¡¯m really not to me for this.¡± Gabrielle averted her eyes. Then, she exined in a whisper, ¡°Your brother saw me with you before. When he met me in the hospital, he asked me if you were also here. I had no choice but to tell him.¡± Victoria lowered her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± she said. Then, she picked up the porridge and ate it in small mouthfuls. It would¡¯ve been better if she threw tantrums. Now that she didn¡¯t make a sound, Gabrielle felt even more unsettled. ¡°Victoria, I really didn¡¯t mean it. If something like this happens again, I¡¯ll definitely stay tight-lipped.¡± Victoria replied, ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. Just go back after you¡¯re done eating.¡± The porridge was tasteless in her mouth, so she put a few spoonfuls of side dishes into her mouth. Still, she didn¡¯t taste anything. Gabrielle hesitated for a long time before picking up her porridge. After eating a mouthful of it, she replied under her breath, ¡°But Mrs. Coleman told me to watch over you.¡± Victoria put down the bowl of porridge and looked at her indifferently. At this moment, Gabrielle suddenly realized why her colleagues would be afraid of Victoria. Such a feeling was hard to describe. Victoria didn¡¯t say any harsh words or do anything cruel, but she couldn¡¯t help having butterflies in her stomach when all the former did was stare at her like this. Just then, Victoria¡¯s cell phone happened to ring. She withdrew her gaze and answered the phone, asking, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer the phone just now?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°I got drunk and was sleeping like a log. I¡¯ve called you back as soon as I woke up, no?¡± Vincent replied. Victoria paused for a moment before tightening her grip on her phone. ¡°You don¡¯t speak like this when you¡¯re drunk. Tell me the truth, Vincent. What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! What could¡¯ve happened to me?¡± Vincent replied nonchntly. ¡°And besides, Teresa caught up to me afterward. Even if I wanted to do anything, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do so, no?¡± However, as soon as he finished his sentence, a male voice sounded on the other end of the phone. ¡°Mr. Coleman, please sign your name on the testimony you recorded¡­¡± Just now, the speaker finished the sentence in his mind. ¡°Shut the f*ck up!¡± Vincent replied furiously, but his voice was a lot quieter than just now. Perhaps he¡¯d moved his cell phone away or was covering his phone while talking. ¡°Testimony? Are you at the police station?¡± Victoria put her porridge bowl on the table while putting her hand down on her sickbed and clutching the sheets. ¡°Which police station are you in? Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Vincent gave a sheepishugh. ¡°Testimony? No, you¡¯ve misheard it. Uh, I had too much to drink and am having a terrible hangover, so I¡¯m gonna sleep a little longer. Don¡¯t call me again!¡± he said hurriedly before hanging up the phone, not giving Victoria the opportunity to ask more questions. Victoria called him again, but nobody answered the phone. After pursing her lips, she got out of bed, put on her shoes, and attempted to walk outside without changing out of her hospital gown. Vincent often acts on impulse with no regard for the consequences. Who knows what he¡¯s just done?! ¡°Are you going out?¡± Gabrielle stood up and blocked her way. ¡°Your sister-inw said that you had to rest.¡± Victoria frowned. ¡°Step aside.¡± Gabrielle argued, ¡°Your leg¡¯s been broken before, and now it¡¯s scalded. What if your wound bes inmed, and your leg gets necrotized and bes crippled for life?¡± She had no knowledge of medicine, nor did she know what she was bbering about; all she wanted to do right now was to stop Victoria. The furrows in Victoria¡¯s brow deepened. ¡°I know my own leg¡¯s condition. Step aside!¡± she said before pausing for a moment. Then, she added, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to displease my sister-inw, you can tell her that I forced my way out. She isn¡¯t an unreasonable person.¡± Seeing the look on her face, Gabrielle hesitated for a moment before stepping aside. ¡°You said it yourself.¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Victoria mumbled nonchntly. Then, she walked past Gabrielle and ran outside. Gabrielle pondered for a moment before swiftly catching up with her. ¡°Wait for me, Victoria! I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Victoria didn¡¯t stop, though. Running all the way to the elevator lobby, she pressed the button for all the four elevators. Then, lowering her head with a frown, she stood between two elevators that were arriving at about the same speed, waiting. Ding! The elevator door opened. She looked up and was just about to enter, only to be stunned when she saw the people in the elevator. Dressed in a silvery gray suit, Christian was standing behind the wheelchair in the elevator. Looking handsome and dignified, he was intently examining the wound on the back of Be¡¯s hand. At the sight of this, Gabrielle, standing next to Victoria, was stunned as well. ¡°Why would youe out here?¡± Be¡¯s gaze fell upon Victoria¡¯s leg. She said anxiously, ¡°You¡¯ve scalded your leg, so you¡¯d better lie in bed and rest up.¡± Christian raised his eyes. His gaze paused upon Victoria¡¯s leg for a moment, but he looked away soon after that. Victoria licked her parched lips. Looking at the wound on the back of Be¡¯s hand, she asked, ¡°Did my brother cause that wound on the back of your hand?¡± Vincent must¡¯ve gotten into big trouble to be held in the police station for such a long time. She couldn¡¯t think of any reason for this, other than that he had messed with Christian and Be. Vincant gava a shaapishugh. ¡°Tastimony? No, you¡¯va mishaard it. Uh, I had too much to drink and am having a tarri hangovar, so I¡¯m gonna ap a lit longar. Don¡¯t call ma again!¡± ha said hurriadly bafora hanging up tha phona, not giving Victoria tha opportunity to ask mora quastions. Victoria cad him again, but nobody answarad tha phona. Aftar pursing har lips, sha got out of bad, put on har shoas, and attamptad to walk outsida without changing out of har hospital gown. Vincant oftan acts on impulsa with no ragard for tha consaquancas. Who knows what ha¡¯s just dona?! ¡°Ara you going out?¡± Gabria stood up and blockad har way. ¡°Your sistar-inw said that you had to rast.¡± Victoria frownad. ¡°Stap asida.¡± Gabria arguad, ¡°Yourg¡¯s baan brokan bafora, and now it¡¯s scaldad. What if your wound bas inmad, and yourg gats nacrotizad and bas cripd for lifa?¡± Sha had no knodga of madicina, nor did sha know what sha was bbaring about; all sha wantad to do right now was to stop Victoria. Tha furrows in Victoria¡¯s brow daapanad. ¡°I know my owng¡¯s condition. Stap asida!¡± sha said bafora pausing for a momant. Than, sha addad, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to disasa my sistar-inw, you can tall har that I forcad my way out. Sha isn¡¯t an unraasona parson.¡± Saaing tha look on har faca, Gabria hasitatad for a momant bafora stapping asida. ¡°You said it yoursalf.¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Victoria mumd nonchntly. Than, sha walkad past Gabria and ran outsida. Gabria pondarad for a momant bafora swiftly catching up with har. ¡°Wait for ma, Victoria! I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Victoria didn¡¯t stop, though. Running all tha way to tha vator lobby, sha prassad tha button for all tha four vators. Than, lowaring har haad with a frown, sha stood batwaan two vators that wara arriving at about tha sama spaad, waiting. Ding! Tha vator door opanad. Sha lookad up and was just about to antar, only to ba stunnad whan sha saw tha pao in tha vator. Drassad in a silvary gray suit, Christian was standing bahind tha whaalchair in tha vator. Looking handsoma and dignifiad, ha was intantly axamining tha wound on tha back of Ba¡¯s hand. At tha sight of this, Gabria, standing naxt to Victoria, was stunnad as wall. ¡°Why would youa out hara?¡± Ba¡¯s gaza fall upon Victoria¡¯sg. Sha said anxiously, ¡°You¡¯va scaldad yourg, so you¡¯d battar lia in bad and rast up.¡± Christian raisad his ayas. His gaza pausad upon Victoria¡¯sg for a momant, but ha lookad away soon aftar that. Victoria lickad har parchad lips. Looking at tha wound on tha back of Ba¡¯s hand, sha askad, ¡°Did my brothar causa that wound on tha back of your hand?¡± Vincant must¡¯va gottan into big trou to ba hald in tha polica station for such a long tima. Sha couldn¡¯t think of any raason for this, othar than that ha had massad with Christian and Ba. Be nodded slightly as a pained look came over her pretty face. ¡°Vincent said that this was an eye for an eye. He also said that I must¡¯ve scalded you on purpose, and he refused to believe me no matter how hard I tried to exin myself.¡± Not knowing where to look, Gabrielle averted her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you¡­¡± Victoria gulped back the urge to ask if Be had done this on purpose. She asked, ¡°What do you want in order to let him off?¡± Christian looked at the wound on Victoria¡¯s leg, which was bulging with gauze. A dark glint flickered across his eyes, and he began to feel somewhat restless. Be heaved a sigh of resignation. ¡°I¡¯d said a couple of times that this should be settled in private, but Vincent¡­ said that I was a scheming b*tch and refused to ept my kind offer. I really couldn¡¯t do anything about it.¡± After listening to this, Gabrielle, who had been silent all this while, replied with a frown, ¡°This is Mr. Coleman¡¯s fault, then. Miss Spritz, you¡¯ve said that you won¡¯t argue with him about this, but he¡­¡± She measured her words for a moment. ¡°He even called you names.¡± Victoria pressed her lips together while clenching her fists tightly. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Staring at the blisters on the back of Be¡¯s hand, Gabrielle continued, ¡°Miss Spritz, you¡¯d better hurry and let the doctor treat your hand. It¡¯s so badly scalded; it¡¯ll be bad if the blisters leave scars on it.¡± Be bit her lip with a pained look in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if there¡¯ll be scars on my hand. It¡¯s just that I feel bad because Vincent has misunderstood me.¡± Christian¡¯s lips curved into a sneer, but he didn¡¯t say a word. Victoria bowed her head in a servile manner. ¡°I¡¯ll exin to my brother how you scalded me ¡®by ident.¡¯ Could you forgive him?¡± Be let out a sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like I¡¯m a stranger. I¡¯ve never med Vincent for this. I just feel upset about it. Only now do I realize after knowing him for so many years that he has such a bad impression of me.¡± Suppressing the feeling of nausea that surged through her, Victoria replied impassively, ¡°Miss Spritz, please forgive my brother for his harsh words. Actually, he often told me to learn from you.¡± Vincent had always told her to be as gentle as Be so that she¡¯d be liked by others, but that was two years ago. ¡°Still, I¡¯m d that he¡¯s stuck up for you. You siblings are still as close as before.¡± Be smiled as though she was sincerely happy for Victoria. She continued, ¡°I just knew that Mr. Coleman wouldn¡¯t have the heart to cut you off from your family. Despite his firmness in speech, he has a soft heart. At last, I don¡¯t have to be so racked with guilt.¡± Victoria¡¯s pupils shrank in rm. Instinctively, she turned to look at Christian while trembling slightly. The Colemans had only managed to save themselves two years ago by disowning her. She didn¡¯t know if Christian would think much about what Be said.novelxo fast update Christian smiled with a hint of mockery in his eyes. ¡°I almost forgot that I was supposed to buy walnuts for you. Luckily, you reminded me of it today.¡± Be smiled before replying meekly, ¡°That¡¯s thoughtful of you, Christian, but I¡¯ve asked my family to do it instead.¡± Christian let out a chuckle with an inscrutable expression. ¡°That¡¯s understandable. Judging from how much you use your brains, you must¡¯ve eaten plenty of walnuts in the past. Walnuts are good for the brain, after all.¡± Be froze for a moment. Then, she smiled without saying another word. Gabrielle stood aside while trying hard to be invisible. She couldn¡¯t help feeling that the atmosphere right now was strange. Mr. Thatcher and Miss Spritz don¡¯t seem as close as they¡¯re rumored to be. ¡°Mr. Coleman has cut all ties with me.¡± Victoria looked up slightly. Looking into Christian¡¯s eyes, she said humbly with an imploring note in her voice, ¡°You¡¯ve seen it with your own eyes at Mrs. Thatcher¡¯s birthday party the other day.¡± After giving a gulp, she added with much difficulty, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Coleman find me a disgrace and have never met me since I was released from jail. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have gone so far as to make my way into Mrs. Thatcher¡¯s birthday party in order to meet Mrs. Coleman just once.¡± ¡°You were just trying to be clever,¡± Christian said softly while casting a sidelong nce at her. ¡°Did I ask you about these things?¡± Stunned, Victoria stood frozen on the spot. Does he mean that he¡¯s not gonna give me a hard time for this? Before she could ask him anything, he had left while wheeling Be. After the couple had left, Gabrielle came up to Victoria, saying, ¡°Miss Spritz said she didn¡¯t me Mr. Coleman for it, you see. Mr. Thatcher didn¡¯t say anything either, so Mr. Coleman would definitely be alright. Why don¡¯t you go back to your ward and rest instead of messing around?¡± As she spoke, she attempted to hold Victoria¡¯s arm. Victoria took a step back as if inadvertently and avoided being touched by her. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go back.¡± Gabrielle smiled sheepishly after failing to catch hold of Victoria¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯ll visit you tomorrow, then.¡± Victoria stepped into the elevator without looking back and pressed the button to close the elevator door. The moment the elevator door was about to close, her impassive voice sounded from the inside. ¡°Thanks, but it¡¯s not necessary.¡± Gabrielle watched the elevator door close with a dejected look in her eyes. The next instant, however, something urred to her. After clenching her fist to encourage herself, she entered another elevato Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Half an hour had passed when the treatment of Be¡¯s wound was done. ¡°Christian, you¡¯ve postponed a meeting to apany me to have my wound treated. Seriously, I have no idea how to thank you for this.¡± She blinked her eyes. Then, she suggested softly, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ve just learned how to cook a couple of new dishes. How about I reward you with a feast?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a good idea to me. I prefer food made by professional chefs.¡± Christian looked at the twoyers of gauze on the back of her hand. Subconsciously, Victoria¡¯s bulging pants and unnatural walking posture crossed his mind, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. Be pouted her lips slightly. She grumbled coquettishly, ¡°My culinary skills can¡¯tpare with those of a professional chef, of course. But it¡¯s an expression of my goodwill nheless.¡± However, Christian didn¡¯t change his mind because of her coquettish demeanor. ¡°You go back yourself. I have to hurry back to my office.¡± He strode out of the ward in a seemingly greater hurry than usual. Watching his figure disappear from the door, Be heaved a soft sigh with an especially bitter smile. On the other hand, Christian went straight to the doctor¡¯s office with a hint of urgency that he didn¡¯t realize. ¡°Mr. Thatcher.¡± The doctor had been waiting for him. Seeing him enter the room, he immediately stood up before his gaze rested on the man¡¯s damp trouser legs. ¡°Do you¡­ really don¡¯t want to have your injury treated?¡± While bandaging Be¡¯s wound just now, he had offered to treat the man¡¯s injury, but thetter turned down the offer. ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary.¡± Christian came straight to the point. ¡°Victoria¡¯s burns, are they serious?¡± The doctor replied, ¡°They¡¯re second-degree burns. They could be serious, but they could also be not so serious. They won¡¯t be a problem as long as the patient rests up for a period of time. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Christian lowered his head while smoothing out the wrinkles on his suit that were caused by his walking. ¡°The scalded part can¡¯t be moved too much to avoid friction between the wound and the gauze. Otherwise, the wound will take longer to heal.¡± The doctor was somewhat angry as he spoke. ¡°But Miss Coleman refused to cooperate. She¡ª¡± Just then, Christian¡¯s cell phone started vibrating again. After raising his wrist to check the time, he said impassively, ¡°I got it. She¡¯ll cooperate.¡± Then, ignoring the dumbfounded doctor, he walked outside while answering the phone, saying, ¡°Uh-huh, I¡¯m on my way to thepany. Tell those from FH Enterprise to wait a moment longer.¡± The person on the other end of the line said something in reply, upon which the man let out a sneer. ¡°Tell him to leave if he doesn¡¯t want to keep waiting. We¡¯re not short of partners.¡± After stepping out of the hospital¡¯s entrance, he finally hung up the phone and happened to see Be waiting next to the Bentley. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Half an hour had passad whan tha traatmant of Ba¡¯s wound was dona. ¡°Christian, you¡¯va postponad a maating to apany ma to hava my wound traatad. Sariously, I hava no idaa how to thank you for this.¡± Sha blinkad har ayas. Than, sha suggastad softly, ¡°How about this? I¡¯va justarnad how to cook a cou of naw dishas. How about I raward you with a faast?¡± ¡°That doasn¡¯t sound lika a good idaa to ma. I prafar food mada by profassional chafs.¡± Christian lookad at tha twoyars of gauza on tha back of har hand. Subconsciously, Victoria¡¯s bulging pants and unnatural walking postura crossad his mind, and his brows furrowad almost imparcaptibly. Ba poutad har lips slightly. Sha grumd coquattishly, ¡°My culinary skills can¡¯tpara with thosa of a profassional chaf, of coursa. But it¡¯s an axprassion of my goodwill nonathss.¡± Howavar, Christian didn¡¯t changa his mind bacausa of har coquattish damaanor. ¡°You go back yoursalf. I hava to hurry back to my offica.¡± Ha stroda out of tha ward in a saamingly graatar hurry than usual. Watching his figura disappaar from tha door, Ba haavad a soft sigh with an aspacially bittar sm. On tha othar hand, Christian want straight to tha doctor¡¯s offica with a hint of urgancy that ha didn¡¯t raaliza. ¡°Mr. Thatchar.¡± Tha doctor had baan waiting for him. Saaing him antar tha room, ha immadiataly stood up bafora his gaza rastad on tha man¡¯s damp trousargs. ¡°Do you¡­ raally don¡¯t want to hava your injury traatad?¡± Wh bandaging Ba¡¯s wound just now, ha had offarad to traat tha man¡¯s injury, but thattar turnad down tha offar. ¡°No, it¡¯s not nacassary.¡± Christian cama straight to tha point. ¡°Victoria¡¯s burns, ara thay sarious?¡± Tha doctor rapliad, ¡°Thay¡¯ra sacond-dagraa burns. Thay could ba sarious, but thay could also ba not so sarious. Thay won¡¯t ba a prom as long as tha patiant rasts up for a pariod of tima. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s tha prom?¡± Christian lowarad his haad wh smoothing out tha wrins on his suit that wara causad by his walking. ¡°Tha scaldad part can¡¯t ba movad too much to avoid friction batwaan tha wound and tha gauza. Otharwisa, tha wound will taka longar to haal.¡± Tha doctor was somawhat angry as ha spoka. ¡°But Miss Cman rafusad to cooparata. Sha¡ª¡± Just than, Christian¡¯s call phona startad vibrating again. Aftar raising his wrist to chack tha tima, ha said impassivaly, ¡°I got it. Sha¡¯ll cooparata.¡± Than, ignoring tha dumbfoundad doctor, ha walkad outsida wh answaring tha phona, saying, ¡°Uh-huh, I¡¯m on my way to thapany. Tall thosa from FH Entarprisa to wait a momant longar.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Tha parson on tha othar and of tha lina said somathing in raply, upon which tha mant out a snaar. ¡°Tall him toava if ha doasn¡¯t want to kaap waiting. Wa¡¯ra not short of partnars.¡± Aftar stapping out of tha hospital¡¯s antranca, ha finally hung up tha phona and happanad to saa Ba waiting naxt to tha Bany. ¡°Why ara you still hara?¡± ¡°I came down here and noticed that your car was still parked here, so I waited for a minute,¡± Be replied with a smile. Then, she asked casually, ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe out until now?¡± Christian opened the car door and carried her into the car before putting her wheelchair in the trunk. ¡°Checking my whereabouts, eh?¡± Be buckled her seatbelt before fixing her somewhat disheveled long hair. ¡°I was just asking. You don¡¯t have to tell me about it if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Christian sat in the driver¡¯s seat before starting up the car. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for someone to send you back after I reach mypany.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to have my brother pick me up at first.¡± Be knitted her brows in vexation. ¡°But I happened to see Victoria leave in his car when I came out.¡± Christian clutched the steering wheel in one hand while subconsciously drumming on it with his other hand. ¡°Christian, I¡¯ll have to trouble you on the day of my brother¡¯s engagement.¡± Be bit her lip. ¡°It¡¯s not like I want to think of Victoria in such a vicious way either, but she¡­ I¡¯m really worried about it. If she really makes a scene at the engagement ceremony, both my family and the Palmers will be a laughingstock.¡± The traffic light turned green, and the Bentley elerated all of a sudden. Staring steadily ahead, Christian smirked. ¡°What¡¯s the point of you asking me over and over again to help with this? This is something that can be solved by your family by hiring a few more bodyguards.¡± He darted a look at her as a dark glint shed across his eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re saying this for the purpose of letting me know that Victoria is having an affair with your brother, I already know that.¡± Be maintained her smile even after he pointed out her motive. ¡°The old scores between Victoria and me were settled the moment you broke her leg and sent her to jail. Christian, I don¡¯t hate her anymore. Just let her leave the club and don¡¯t humiliate her anymore.¡± Christian mmed on the brakes at a red light, producing a loud screech as the tires squealed. ¡°Did you say that purely out of kindness?¡± Be leaned forward because of inertia. Luckily, she was alright since she was wearing her seatbelt. ¡°Even if I were to say so, I¡¯m afraid that you wouldn¡¯t believe me. To be honest, I said that not only for Victoria¡¯s sake but also for my own selfish reasons.¡± The green light came on, but the car in front of them¡ªwhich had a sticker implying that its driver was a probationary driver¡ªdidn¡¯t move for a long time. Christian honked his horn, saying, ¡°Uh-huh?¡± ¡°Victoria only has opportunities toe into contact with my brother because she¡¯s working at Delta Club. Once she leaves the club, it won¡¯t be that easy for her to get in touch with him again.¡± Be turned to look at the side of the man¡¯s handsome face. She asked in a soft voice, ¡°Christian, could you do that?¡± The probationary car went dead several times before finally starting up sessfully. The cars behind it honked one after another. Christian drove slowly behind the probationary car. ¡°As expected of you and your brother. You both like to meddle in my clubhouse¡¯s affairs.¡± ¡°In that case, will you agree to it?¡± Be asked with a smile. The probationary car in front of them turned a corner, after which Christian sped up his car. He let out a chuckle, saying, ¡°There¡¯s one thing that you¡¯ve got the wrong idea about. No matter how I treat Victoria, it has nothing to do with you. So, whether you forgive her or not won¡¯t novelxo fast updateaffect my decision.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d agree to it without hesitation since you and Victoria are on such bad terms,¡± Be said meaningfully while staring fixedly at him. She continued, ¡°Seems like the truth is a bit different from what I imagined.¡± Christian kept on driving quietly without denying it. A hint of dejection flickered across Be¡¯s eyes, but she resumed her usual expression soon afterward. After a while, she said, ¡°There¡¯s one thing that I¡¯m especially curious about. I hope you won¡¯t mind if I take the liberty of asking you about it.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better not ask about it. Since you¡¯ve said so, I think I¡¯ll mind if you do so,¡± Christian replied. Ignoring his reply, Be asked, ¡°Is it because of Victoria that you¡¯ve neither dated me nor gotten engaged to me over the past two years?¡± ¡°What if it is? And what if it¡¯s not?¡± Christian asked impassively in reply. When Be heard this, her heart sank at once, and the smile faded from her lips. She asked softly, ¡°We¡¯re only getting married for the sake of our families, but I¡¯m sincerely in love with you and want to live the rest of my life with you.¡± After pausing for a moment, she continued, ¡°I hope that even if you have no ce for me in your heart after we get married, you won¡¯t have a ce for another person either.¡± Christian¡¯s countenance didn¡¯t change from start to finish. ¡°If you can¡¯t ept it, you can get married to someone else. My family won¡¯t say another word about that.¡± Be¡¯s pupils shrank at once. Losing herposure, she looked at him with her eyes full of disbelief. When the Bentley stopped in front of the Thatcher Group. Christian looked the same as usual, as though he didn¡¯t notice Be¡¯s expression. ¡°You¡¯ll have toe down again if you go up, so I¡¯m not gonna invite you to go up with me. I¡¯ll get someone to send you back in a minute,¡± he said. With that, he stepped out of the car and entered thepany right away. It wasn¡¯t until he disappeared from her sight that Be finally withdrew her gaze while feeling bitter. At this moment, she suddenly found herself admiring Victoria for being able to persist for over ten years despite such an attitude from him¡­ Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Meanwhile, Victoria got into a taxi, upon which the taxi driver asked in English, ¡°Where are you going, youngdy?¡± Victoria was lost for words for a moment; she still had no idea which police station Vincent was in. ¡°Do you know Delta Club?¡± ¡°Yeah, I do!¡± The taxi driver¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that ce? Rich people like to hang out there, butmon people like us can¡¯t afford to go there. Are you going there?¡± Victoria licked her parched lips. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m going to the police station nearest to that clubhouse.¡± Christian had been at Delta Club earlier, so she surmised that Vincent had been arrested after creating a disturbance there. Under normal circumstances, he was probably at the police station nearest to the clubhouse right now. After hearing her reply, the taxi driver began babbling at great length, but she was too preupied with worry to listen to whatever he said. She called Vincent and Teresa several times, but both of them didn¡¯t answer the phone. She frowned and texted them at once, ¡®Tell me which police station you¡¯re in, or I¡¯ll search the police stations one by one.¡¯ Vincent called her back instantly. ¡°Tori, I¡¯m not in the police station. You¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, just keep on lying.¡± Victoria cut him short at once. Vincent replied, ¡°When I met you a while ago, I thought that you¡¯d be obedient. Why are you still so bossy? I¡¯m telling you, all men prefer women like B¡ª¡± He quickly corrected himself, ¡°I mean, all men prefer gentle women like your sister-inw. A shrewish woman like you is destined to be lonely for life.¡± ¡°Just cut the crap and tell me where you are,¡± Victoria replied with a frown. Vincent had made so many excuses to stop her from going to the police station, so the trouble was probably difficult to solve. Seeing that she was already angry, Vincent dared not banter anymore. ¡°I¡¯m in the police station nearest to the clubhouse. Your leg¡¯s wounded, so don¡¯t get up and move around. If you really want toe over, ask the nurse to get a wheelchair for¡ª¡± Victoria hung up the phone right away before staring steadily ahead with dull, ssy eyes. Christian and Be won¡¯t let Vincent be released so easily. 20 minutester, the taxi pulled up in front of the police station. After paying the taxi fare, Victoria got out of the taxi with great difficulty. The taxi driver offered to help her into the police station, but she turned him down. An Audi that had a P-te on it was parked askew in front of the police station, but she merely darted a look at it without giving it a damn. ¡°My sister will be here soon!¡± Vincent¡¯s voice sounded from behind the door. ¡°Just tell me how much money I have to pay to solve this. I¡¯ll never bargain over the price!¡± ¡°Mr. Coleman, you have to negotiate with Mr. Thatcher and Miss Spritz about this. If they refuse to let you off, we can only do things ording to the procedure.¡± Maanwh, Victoria got into a taxi, upon which tha taxi drivar askad in English, ¡°Whara ara you going, youngdy?¡± Victoria was lost for words for a momant; sha still had no idaa which polica station Vincant was in. ¡°Do you know Dalta Club?¡± ¡°Yaah, I do!¡± Tha taxi drivar¡¯s ayas lit up. ¡°Who doasn¡¯t know that ca? Rich pao lika to hang out thara, butmon pao lika us can¡¯t afford to go thara. Ara you going thara?¡± Victoria lickad har parchad lips. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m going to tha polica station naarast to that clubhousa.¡± Christian had baan at Dalta Club aarliar, so sha surmisad that Vincant had baan arrastad aftar craating a disturbanca thara. Undar normal circumstancas, ha was probably at tha polica station naarast to tha clubhousa right now. Aftar haaring har raply, tha taxi drivar bagan babbling at graatngth, but sha was too praupiad with worry to listan to whatavar ha said. Sha cad Vincant and Tarasa savaral timas, but both of tham didn¡¯t answar tha phona. Sha frownad and taxtad tham at onca, ¡®Tall ma which polica station you¡¯ra in, or I¡¯ll saarch tha polica stations ona by ona.¡¯ Vincant cad har back instantly. ¡°Tori, I¡¯m not in tha polica station. You¡­¡± ¡°Yaah, just kaap on lying.¡± Victoria cut him short at onca. Vincant rapliad, ¡°Whan I mat you a wh ago, I thought that you¡¯d ba obadiant. Why ara you still so bossy? I¡¯m talling you, all man prafar woman lika B¡ª¡± Ha quickly corractad himsalf, ¡°I maan, all man prafar gan woman lika your sistar-inw. A shrawish woman lika you is dastinad to ba lonaly for lifa.¡± ¡°Just cut tha crap and tall ma whara you ara,¡± Victoria rapliad with a frown. Vincant had mada so many axcusas to stop har from going to tha polica station, so tha trou was probably difficult to solva. Saaing that sha was alraady angry, Vincant darad not bantar anymora. ¡°I¡¯m in tha polica station naarast to tha clubhousa. Yourg¡¯s woundad, so don¡¯t gat up and mova around. If you raally want toa ovar, ask tha nursa to gat a whaalchair for¡ª¡± Victoria hung up tha phona right away bafora staring staadily ahaad with dull, ssy ayas. Christian and Ba won¡¯tt Vincant ba rasad so aasily. 20 minutastar, tha taxi pud up in front of tha polica station. Aftar paying tha taxi fara, Victoria got out of tha taxi with graat difficulty. Tha taxi drivar offarad to halp har into tha polica station, but sha turnad him down. An Audi that had a P-ta on it was parkad askaw in front of tha polica station, but sha maraly dartad a look at it without giving it a damn. ¡°My sistar will ba hara soon!¡± Vincant¡¯s voica soundad from bahind tha door. ¡°Just tall ma how much monay I hava to pay to solva this. I¡¯ll navar bargain ovar tha prica!¡± ¡°Mr. Cman, you hava to nagotiata with Mr. Thatchar and Miss Spritz about this. If thay rafusa tot you off, wa can only do things ording to tha procadura.¡± Vincent yelled even louder, ¡°Come on, don¡¯t give me that! You guys are just¡ª¡± Victoria came in and stood beside him. ¡°Vincent.¡± Vincent fell silent. After shooting a re at the red-faced young police officer, he said somewhat ingratiatingly, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯ll be able to leave after paying a bit of money like before. I didn¡¯t touch that adulterous couple, anyway!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. The police officers lowered their heads while pretending not to hear the words ¡®adulterous couple.¡¯ Teresa¡¯s face reddened with anxiety as she tugged at Vincent¡¯s shirt. ¡°Can¡¯t you just shut up for once?¡± Vincent darted a look at his wife and sister, both of whom were already angry. He curled his lips and clicked his tongue without saying another word. Looking at the young police officer, Victoria asked softly, ¡°Sir, you just said that he would be released as long as Mr. Thatcher and Miss Spritz agreed to let him go, no?¡± The young police officer stuttered for a long time before asking with a stammer, ¡°S-Sir, is that so?¡± The middle-aged police officer who was originally standing behind them had no choice but to step forward. After darting a look at the young police officer in resignation, he hemmed and replied, ¡°Uh-huh. Everyone will be satisfied if you guys can settle this in private.¡± Victoria merely looked at the police officer for a moment before looking away. ¡°I happened to meet Miss Spritz beforeing here, and she told me herself that she wouldn¡¯t me my brother for this. So, can he leave now?¡± She never had a good opinion of the police after her wrongful conviction two years ago. ¡°Well, uh¡­¡± The middle-aged police officer measured his words for a moment. Then, he said, ¡°You have nothing to prove your words, so it¡¯s difficult for us to do anything. How about you give Miss Spritz or Mr. Thatcher a phone call? If they say they won¡¯t pursue the matter, we¡¯ll definitely release him.¡± Victoria nodded. ¡°Okay. In that case, I¡¯ll give them a¡ª¡± ¡°Do not call them!¡± Vincent cut her short and snatched her phone. He said resentfully, ¡°If the worst comes to the worst, I¡¯ll just spend a month in jail. What¡¯s the big deal about that? Aren¡¯t you alright after spending two years in jail?¡± Upon hearing this, Teresa nudged him and gave him a look. Victoria pursed her lips as a hint of gloom shed across her eyes. It was exactly because the two years she had spent in jail was so tormenting that she didn¡¯t want her brother to go to jail. ¡°Tori.¡± Vincent was no longer his imperious self. He said with an embarrassed smile, ¡°I was just giving an example, so don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes flickered as she stretched out her hand toward him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Give me the phone.¡± Vincent knitted his brows while subconsciously hiding the phone behind his back. In the end, however, after meeting her gaze, he reluctantly gave the phone back to her. Victoria didn¡¯t save Be¡¯s number on her phone, but she knew it by heart as they had been so close before. She dialed thetter¡¯s number. After two beeps, Be answered the phone and said uncertainly, ¡°Victoria?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me.¡± Victoria clenched her fist and then unclenched it. Putting the phone on speaker, she said, ¡°I¡¯m at the police station right now. The police say they¡¯ll release my brother if you give the nod.¡± Seeing her obsequious manner, Vincent instantly boiled with anger. His brows furrowed, but just as he was about to speak, Teresa pped her hand over his mouth, saying, ¡°Vincent, if you really care about Tori, just shut up for once and stop making trouble.¡± Vincent prised her hand away as veins stood out on his forehead. In the end, however, he turned his good-looking face away without saying anything. Be fell silent for a while on the other end of the line. Then, she said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Victoria. I said I wouldn¡¯t me Vincent for it, but Christian refused to let him off. You¡¯ve probably met his attorney at the police station, no?¡± As soon as she finished her sentence, Janice, thewyer who had previously helped Victoria, came in. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you the cleaner at Delta Club? Why are you at the police station again? Are you arrested for an offense again or something?¡± A cheery and handsome attorney was standing behind her in a suit and leather shoes while carrying a suitcase and a file envelope. He pushed the gold-rimmed sses up his nose while eyeing Victoria up and down. ¡°Hold on a minute.¡± Victoria pointed at her phone. Janice blinked her eyes. Then, she put her fingers in front of her lips and made a ¡®zipped- lips¡¯novelxo fast update gesture. Only then did Victoria continue, ¡°My brother has repented; he kept saying just now that he wanted to apologize to you in person. You¡¯re the main victim this time. As long as you let him off by being the bigger person, the police will release him. Just take this as a favor the Coleman Family owes you. So, could you let my brother off?¡± Vincent rolled his eyes while pulling his tie restlessly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Mr. Coleman will get angry if he learns that he¡¯s owed me a favor for no reason.¡± Be let out a sigh. ¡°Victoria, you¡¯re putting me in a tight spot.¡± Victoria¡¯s fingertips paled as she clutched her clothes with all her strength. ¡°Could you please let him off? Just¡­ take this as my plea to you.¡± Vincent looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. He rushed forward in an attempt to snatch the phone, but Teresa stopped him again Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 ¡°It¡¯s not me who refuses to let him off, really,¡± Be replied in a soft voice. ¡°This time¡­¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°Vincent has gone too far. Christian has avenged me. If I speak up for Vincent again and again, I¡¯m afraid Christian will be disappointed. I hope you understand my situation.¡± Upon hearing this, Vincent instantly broke free of Teresa¡¯s grasp, sprang forward, and snatched the phone. Then, he hung up the phone, saying, ¡°F*ck that scheming b*tch! You don¡¯t have to beg her for mercy! Dad and Mom will find a way to have me released!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°Vincent!¡± Victoria¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Give me the phone.¡± Veins stood out somewhat ferociously on Vincent¡¯s neck. ¡°No! There¡¯s no need to beg her for mercy!¡± Teresa snatched the phone and gave it back to Victoria while he wasn¡¯t noticing. ¡°Tori, here.¡± At the sight of the scene, Janice was baffled. She had no idea what was going on. Why would a janitor at Delta Club be rted to Mr. Coleman? Beep! The instant Victoria took the phone, it vibrated; Be had sent her a text message. It read, ¡®Sorry that I can¡¯t help you, but you can negotiate with Christian. As long as he agrees to let your brother off, I¡¯m fine with it.¡¯ The text ended with a smiley. Victoria licked her parched lips as a dark glint flickered across her eyes. Going to Christian, huh? It¡¯ll only be even more difficult to get him to agree to let Vincent off. Be refused to give the nod, and nobody answered the phone when Victoria called Christian, so the police refused to release Vincent. After learning of the whole story, Janice kindheartedly advised, ¡°He¡¯s destroyed public and private property and hurt people on purpose. A month of detention will be too lenient a punishment for that.¡± She pointed at the old man who was speaking to the police officers. ¡°You see that man over there? He¡¯s Matthew Buckley, my mentor as well as a star attorney and the backbone of Voyage Legal Firm. Mr. Thatcher has hired him this time, and let me tell you this: my mentor is very cunning¡­¡± ¡°What are you saying about me behind my back again, little girl?¡± Matthew came over and gave Victoria a smile. Then, he grabbed Janice by the back of her cor and dragged her away. Teresa looked worried. ¡°What should we do now?¡± ¡°What are you worried about?¡± Vincent, the person to be detained, was nonchnt about it. ¡°Dad and Mom won¡¯t watch me go to jail. I called them half an hour ago, so they¡¯re probably arriving soon.¡± Teresa instantly turned ghastly pale. After darting a look at Victoria, she scolded him, saying, ¡°Why did you call Dad and Mom? Are you stupid or something?¡± ¡°In any case, I won¡¯t beg that adulterous couple for mercy!¡± Vincent folded his arms across his chest. He said indignantly, ¡°I¡¯d rather die than do so!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ma who rafusas tot him off, raally,¡± Ba rapliad in a soft voica. ¡°This tima¡­¡± Sha pausad for a momant. ¡°Vincant has gona too far. Christian has avangad ma. If I spaak up for Vincant again and again, I¡¯m afraid Christian will ba disappointad. I hopa you undarstand my situation.¡± Upon haaring this, Vincant instantly broka fraa of Tarasa¡¯s grasp, sprang forward, and snatchad tha phona. Than, ha hung up tha phona, saying, ¡°F*ck that schaming b*tch! You don¡¯t hava to bag har for marcy! Dad and Mom will find a way to hava ma rasad!¡± ¡°Vincant!¡± Victoria¡¯s brows furrowad. ¡°Giva ma tha phona.¡± Vains stood out somawhat farociously on Vincant¡¯s nack. ¡°No! Thara¡¯s no naad to bag har for marcy!¡± Tarasa snatchad tha phona and gava it back to Victoria wh ha wasn¡¯t noticing. ¡°Tori, hara.¡± At tha sight of tha scana, Janica was bafd. Sha had no idaa what was going on. Why would a janitor at Dalta Club ba rtad to Mr. Cman? Baap! Tha instant Victoria took tha phona, it vibratad; Ba had sant har a taxt massaga. It raad, ¡®Sorry that I can¡¯t halp you, but you can nagotiata with Christian. As long as ha agraas tot your brothar off, I¡¯m fina with it.¡¯ Tha taxt andad with a smy. Victoria lickad har parchad lips as a dark glint flickarad across har ayas. Going to Christian, huh? It¡¯ll only ba avan mora difficult to gat him to agraa tot Vincant off. Ba rafusad to giva tha nod, and nobody answarad tha phona whan Victoria cad Christian, so tha polica rafusad to rasa Vincant. Aftararning of tha wh story, Janica kindhaartadly advisad, ¡°Ha¡¯s dastroyad public and privata proparty and hurt pao on purposa. A month of datantion will ba tooniant a punishmant for that.¡± Sha pointad at tha old man who was spaaking to tha polica officars. ¡°You saa that man ovar thara? Ha¡¯s Matthaw Bucy, my mantor as wall as a star attornay and tha backbona of Voyaga Lagal Firm. Mr. Thatchar has hirad him this tima, andt ma tall you this: my mantor is vary cunning¡­¡± ¡°What ara you saying about ma bahind my back again, lit girl?¡± Matthaw cama ovar and gava Victoria a sm. Than, ha grabbad Janica by tha back of har cor and draggad har away. Tarasa lookad worriad. ¡°What should wa do now?¡± ¡°What ara you worriad about?¡± Vincant, tha parson to ba datainad, was nonchnt about it. ¡°Dad and Mom won¡¯t watch ma go to jail. I cad tham half an hour ago, so thay¡¯ra probably arriving soon.¡± Tarasa instantly turnad ghastly p. Aftar darting a look at Victoria, sha scoldad him, saying, ¡°Why did you call Dad and Mom? Ara you stupid or somathing?¡± ¡°In any casa, I won¡¯t bag that adultarous cou for marcy!¡± Vincant foldad his arms across his chast. Ha said indignantly, ¡°I¡¯d rathar dia than do so!¡± As soon as he finished his sentence, Glen and his wife rushed in. Denise came up to Vincent with reddened eyes while asking about his well-being, whereas Glen headed straight to Victoria and pped her across the face right away. ¡°I¡¯ve told you to stay away from the Colemans. You won¡¯t be content unless you piss me off, huh?!¡± His face was flushed with anger as he gasped for breath. Victoria¡¯s face stung from the p. pping her hand over her cheek, she lowered her head, saying, ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± The taste of blood filled her mouth, making her feel somewhat nauseous. Glen and Denise used to treat her and Vincent equally and would cover their *sses no matter what they¡¯d done. However, she¡¯d lost the privilege after what had happened two years ago. ¡°Stop saying these things to me. I don¡¯t want to listen to them!¡± Glen pointed his finger at her nose while yelling every single word. ¡°If you really remember how nice your mom and I are to you, then stay away from the Colemans in the future!¡± Victoria wiped the blood off the corner of her mouth with her thumb. There was a lump in her throat; she couldn¡¯t say a word. Janice was stunned as she looked on from the sidelines. Subconsciously, she touched her baby face and jerked her neck. ¡°Mr. Buckley, is she Mr. Coleman¡¯s daughter or not?¡± ¡°Yes, she is,¡± Matthew replied before dragging the back of her cor. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I have tofort her! I¡¯d have burst into tears of anger if my dad were to hit me like this.¡± Janice remained where she was for a long time as the grasp on the back of her cor didn¡¯t rx. She looked back at Matthew, saying, ¡°Mr. Buckley?¡± Matthew dragged her to his side with some effort. ¡°Don¡¯t involve yourself in their family¡¯s messy affairs.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who smashed up the ce and hit people. Why would you hit Tori instead?¡± Vincent¡¯s face was livid as he stepped in front of Victoria. ¡°Do you have a heart as a father? Even if you do, that heart of yours has to be ck!¡± Glen pointed at him furiously without being able to catch his breath for a long time. ¡°They¡¯re just kids. Don¡¯t be angry with them.¡± Denise patted Glen¡¯s back repeatedly to help him catch his breath. She asked worriedly, ¡°Do you need to take your medicine?¡± Glen glowered at Victoria behind Vincent. ¡°I don¡¯t! Even if I¡¯ve taken the medicine, I¡¯ll still die of anger when I¡¯m supposed to!¡± ¡°Even if you die of anger, it¡¯s only because you deserve it!¡± Having lived in remorse every single day over the past two years, Vincent was almost driven crazy; he¡¯d dream about the look of despair in Victoria¡¯s eyes when she went to jail every once in a while. ¡°He can believe that scheming b*tch, but can¡¯t you believe Tori?¡± Glen patted his own chest again and again as though he¡¯d fail to catch his breath the next second. ¡°Y- You¡­¡± Victoria felt suffocated while staring at her father in a daze. Dad had never been angry with me before I reached 18 years old, but he¡¯s been angry with me all the time since then. The car ident two years ago ruined everything for me! ¡°Just shut up for once, Vince.¡± Denise¡¯s eyes reddened as she took out the medicine with trembling hands. ¡°Here, hurry and take the medicine.¡±novelxo fast update Glen turned his head away and pushed her hand away in a fit. As a result, the pill bottle fell to the ground, scattering the pills all over the ce. ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± Denise wiped the tears off the corner of her eye before crouching down to pick up the pills. ¡°The pills have fallen to the ground. Who knows if they can still be taken after being picked up from the ground¡­¡± Vincent wanted to pick up the pills with her, but he was too proud to do so. Victoria emerged from behind him and picked up the pills with Denise. ¡°Get lost!¡± Glen clutched his chest and kicked Victoria. The police officers looked at each other, not knowing if they should help Victoria up. In the end, they all turned their heads away and pretended not to see it. ¡°Don¡¯t they say that Mr. Coleman is a refined¡­ person?¡± Janice¡¯s face screwed up. She tried to step forward once again, but Matthew grabbed her. Janice turned to look at him while pouting her lips. ¡°Mr. Buckley, don¡¯t you find her pitiable?¡± Matthew let go of her and pushed his gold-rimmed sses up his nose. ¡°Either you help her up or you write two 10,000-word papers. The choice is yours.¡± After hearing this, Janice hesitated for a long time, standing where she was without moving. Victoriay on the ground on her side with her scalded right leg pinned under her body. It hurt so much that her forehead broke out in a cold sweat. Unbidden, ice-cold tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked up at Glen. ¡°Tori, how are you?¡± Teresa crouched down with a frown and wiped Victoria¡¯s tears before helping her up. ¡°Is the wound on your leg alright?¡± Victoria shook her head while wiping her uncontroble tears away with a trembling hand. If I cry, nobody¡¯s heart will ache for me. I¡¯ll only make aughingstock of myself for nothing. ¡°What did I say¡­ Cough¡­ to you guys?¡± Glen yelled at the top of his voice. ¡°She¡¯s no longer a member of the Coleman Family. Distance yourselves from her!¡± Chapter 67 ?Chapter 67 Vincent ran up to Victoria and wanted to examine the wound on her leg, but he didn''t know where to start. His eyes slowly became tinged with blood. ring at Glen, he said, stressing each word, "I think you must be f*cking crazy!" "How dare you... Cough! Cough!" Glen breathed rapidly as though he''d have difficulty breathing the next second. "Glen, are you alright?" Denise stood up with the pills with her hand. Her eyes reddened, she patted his back to help him catch his breath with an imploring look on her face. ''Tori, please leave first." Before Victoria could answer, Vincent yelled, "This is the police station. It''s not our ce, so what gives you the right to tell Tori to leave? I think all of you are-"N?velDrama.Org holds this content. "Vincent, don''t speak to... Mrs. Coleman like this." Victoria blinked back the tears that sprang to her eyes. She said with a slight choke in her voice, "I''m going back to the hospital first." Vincent darted a look at her leg. He said with a frown, "I''ll send you there."" "I''ll go back by taxi," Victoria refused while shaking her head. Then, she limped outside as Denise watched with hesitation. Vincent picked his feet up and wanted to go after her, but Teresa grabbed him. "Stay here if you don''t want Dad and Mom to scold Tori." Vincent gave Glen and Denise a mocking look. "I''ve f*cking listened to them and distanced myself from Tori. Did they stop calling her names after that?" Then, he broke free of Teresa''s grasp and ran out after Victoria. Teresa wanted to run after him, but she stepped back after ncing at Glen, whose face flushed angrily, and Denise, whose eyes reddened. "Tori!" Vincent caught up with Victoria and grabbed her. "Let me send you back to the hospital." Victoria wiped the tears off the corner of her eye. Putting her hand over her swollen cheek in embarrassment, she tried hard to manage a smile. "It''s not necessary. You go back first. It''s very convenient to hail a taxi here.'' Vincent''s heart ached terribly as he looked at her tears and her red and swollen cheek. "I''ve spent more than two hours at the police station. If I keep on staying there, I''ll definitely go crazy!" Immediately, he scooped her up in his arms and put her in his car regardless of the consequences. Sitting in the car, Victoria merely looked out the window with her hand over her swollen cheek without saying another word. My heart has gone numb from pain long ago. Why does it still ache so much when Dad and Mom do these things that it makes me feel suffocated? Suddenly, Vincent spoke. "Tori, let me get you out of here to a ce where Christian can''t find you.'' Victoria shook her head before turning to look at him. "If you leave with me, what about our dad and mom?" ''Now that they''re already treating you like this, why do you still care about them?'' Vincent''s words were filled with anger. ''They can do whatever they want. Christian can''t kill them in thisw-governed society, anyway!" His words were met with silence. ''Let me book the flight tickets. We''re going to the airport right away!" Vincent said while pulling over to the side of the road. Then, he took out his cell phone and started to check thetest flight schedule. "Dad and Mom have never done you a disservice." Victoria snatched his phone before lowering her eyes to conceal the look in them. "And besides, if you''re gone, what about Teresa and your two children?" Vincent was trying to snatch his phone back at first. However, after hearing thest sentence, he withdrew his outstretched hand with a conflicted look in his eyes. Victoria moved her hair while trying her best to conceal her swollen cheek. "As you said, the current society is governed byw, so Christian can''t kill anyone. I won''t die, so you don''t have to be so radical." Vincent nced at her leg. Then, he lowered his voice and bellowed, "He can''t kill you, but he broke your leg and sent you to jail... Everything he did makes your life a living hell!" He choked up toward the end of his speech. Victoria''s eyes were sore as she turned to look out the car window. "How could you have such a bad memory? I just told you and Teresa a while ago that I had a way to leave him." Feeling extremely agitated, Vincent pounded his fist on the steering wheel as the rearview mirror reflected the ferocious look on his good-looking face. ''Do you really have a way, or are you fooling me because you think I''m gullible?" Victoria licked her dry lips; the taste of blood in her mouth had yet to fade away. "I really have a way." "Then tell me what is the way?" Vincent turned her head to force her to look at him. "Don''t tell me that it has to be kept a secret. I don''t believe that!" Victoria fell silent for a long time. Then, she finally replied, "I''ll seduce him."" "What?!" Vincent almost growled. The taste of blood in Victoria''s mouth turned her stomach. After gulping a mouthful of saliva that was mixed with blood, she exined, "Christian loves Be, but he didn''t reject my advances. I guess he''s got feelings for me." She was unsure of that, but she had no other alternative. ''At the end of the day, he''s just a man, so he''s probably as adulterous as other men are. If I seed in seducing him, I won''t have to be afraid of being retaliated against by him anymore." Vincent''s face went through a myriad of expressions. After a while, he said, "I object to this!" ''Do you have another solution, then?" Victoria asked. Vincent was lost for words. "I don''t want to live my whole life as the object of Christian''s revenge," Victoria said. Then, she mumbled, "That''s too painful..." Christian always had a way of humiliating and tormenting her, whereas Be always had a way of plotting against her in a disgusting manner. It was too painful to live in their shadows. Vincent persuaded, "Tori... just hold on a moment longer. Once I be more powerful than Christian some timeter, you''ll no longer have to be threatened by him!" Having hung out at ces of entertainment for years, he had seen many women who sold themselves for all sorts of reasons. However, never did he think that such a thing would happen to his own sister one day. Victoria let out a wryugh. "Vincent, do you believe these words yourself?" ''Didn''t you say that to advise me before?'' Vincent had anxiety written all over his face. "Tori, I''ll definitely work hard for that. Trust me!" Victoria shook her head. "I believe that you''ll work hard for it, but such a day is too far away. Vincent... I feel like I can''t hold on anymore." Vincent stared steadily ahead while clenching his fists. Soon, the steering wheel was wet with tears. ''I''m already 20 years old, so it''s not a big deal for me to sleep with men, right?" Victoria managed a smile, causing the p mark on her cheek to wrinkle up. "Jessica, Ellie, and others have slept with a few men already, while I''m still a virgin." Vincent''s body tensed up all over. His good-looking face was pale, but his eyes were red, which made him appear ferocious. Victoria held his arm and smiled like a spoiled child. ''Just think of it as fulfilling my wish. I''ve always wanted to sleep with Christian, after all." Falling into a trance, Vincent felt as though he was seeing his lovely and headstrong sister again. Stunned, he felt as if a pair of invisiblerge hands were clutching his heart; he even started to have difficulty breathing. After sending Victoria to the hospital, he wanted to stay a while longer at first. However, those at the police station ordered him to go back within 40 minutes, or he''d be treated as a runaway criminal. "I''m going back first. Just give me a call if anything happens.'' His face was livid. ''I''lle to the hospital to visit you once I''m released from the police station." Without giving her the opportunity to say no, he ran out of the ward and closed the door with the car key in his hand. Pressing his back against the wall, he shot a nce at the door before taking a deep breath. Then, he wiped the tear off the corner of his eye and strode off. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 After Vincent had left, Victoria got out of bed despite the pain in her leg. Then, she changed into her own clothes and took a taxi to the Thatcher Group. Even if Glen and Denise arrived at the police station, the police wouldn¡¯t release her brother without Christian¡¯s permission. Therefore, she still had to go to him. It¡¯s now 6:00PM, which means that it¡¯ll be about 6:40PM when I arrive there. Christian¡¯s a workaholic, so he¡¯ll probably still be in his office at this hour. She arrived at the Thatcher Group. As soon as she entered, she was stopped by the receptionist. ¡°Sorry, miss, but you can¡¯t take the elevator. It¡¯s for President Thatcher¡¯s exclusive use only.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Victoria looked back that the receptionist recognized that she was the famous daughter of the Coleman Family two years ago. She was stunned right away while looking somewhat embarrassed. Victoria asked, ¡°I have something to discuss with Mr. Thatcher. Could you make an exception?¡± Everyone in the Thatcher Group knew her, so she had always used the elevator that was used exclusively by thepany president when she came in the past. As she had gotten used to it, she didn¡¯t get out of the habit for a time. The receptionist asked with an embarrassed smile, ¡°Did you make an appointment with him, then?¡± Victoria fell silent for a moment. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Seeing her swollen face reflected in the receptionist¡¯s pupils, she pursed her lips and tried to cover her swollen cheek with her hair as much as possible. ¡°I can¡¯t let you see him, then.¡± The receptionist hemmed. ¡°How about you make an appointment with him first beforeing again?¡± She only said so out of courtesy. All the employees of the Thatcher Group knew that Christian¡¯s rtionship with Victoria had turned sour because of Be. Victoria clutched the corner of her shirt. She had thought that she¡¯d meet with obstacles at Christian¡¯s ce, but she never thought that it¡¯d be so difficult for her to even meet him. She rxed her grip on her shirt, asking, ¡°Could you please tell Mr. Thatcher that I¡¯m here?¡± The receptionist wore a businesslike smile on her face, but she had a look of refusal in her eyes. President Thatcher and Miss Coleman are on such bad terms. Won¡¯t I get a dressing-down if I call him to ask about it? ¡°Please,¡± Victoria implored. The receptionist fell silent for a moment. ¡°Alright. Please wait here for a moment while I tell the secretary¡¯s office about it.¡± She walked toward the front desk while ncing back from time to time, fearing that Victoria would key in the passcode and take the elevator on her own. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Victoria had no intention of doing so at all. Even if she were to key in the passcode and take the elevator, she¡¯d only be brought down here by the bodyguards. It¡¯s better to wait here obediently instead of displeasing Christian. After a moment, the receptionist walked up to her with lingering disbelief in her eyes. ¡°President Thatcher asked you to go up.¡± Victoria didn¡¯t have great hopes for this at first. After hearing the receptionist¡¯s words, she was dumbfounded for a moment. Then, she nodded and keyed in the passcode. Aftar Vincant hadft, Victoria got out of bad daspita tha pain in harg. Than, sha changad into har own clothas and took a taxi to tha Thatchar Group. Evan if n and Danisa arrivad at tha polica station, tha polica wouldn¡¯t rasa har brothar without Christian¡¯s parmission. Tharafora, sha still had to go to him. It¡¯s now 6:00PM, which maans that it¡¯ll ba about 6:40PM whan I arriva thara. Christian¡¯s a workaholic, so ha¡¯ll probably still ba in his offica at this hour. Sha arrivad at tha Thatchar Group. As soon as sha antarad, sha was stoppad by tha racaptionist. ¡°Sorry, miss, but you can¡¯t taka tha vator. It¡¯s for Prasidant Thatchar¡¯s axclusiva usa only.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Victoria lookad back that tha racaptionist racognizad that sha was tha famous daughtar of tha Cman Family two yaars ago. Sha was stunnad right away wh looking somawhat ambarrassad. Victoria askad, ¡°I hava somathing to discuss with Mr. Thatchar. Could you maka an axcaption?¡± Evaryona in tha Thatchar Group knaw har, so sha had always usad tha vator that was usad axclusivaly by thapany prasidant whan sha cama in tha past. As sha had gottan usad to it, sha didn¡¯t gat out of tha habit for a tima. Tha racaptionist askad with an ambarrassad sm, ¡°Did you maka an appointmant with him, than?¡± Victoria fall snt for a momant. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Saaing har swon faca ractad in tha racaptionist¡¯s pupils, sha pursad har lips and triad to covar har swon chaak with har hair as much as possi. ¡°I can¡¯tt you saa him, than.¡± Tha racaptionist hammad. ¡°How about you maka an appointmant with him first baforaing again?¡± Sha only said so out of courtasy. All tha amployaas of tha Thatchar Group knaw that Christian¡¯s rtionship with Victoria had turnad sour bacausa of Ba. Victoria clutchad tha cornar of har shirt. Sha had thought that sha¡¯d maat with obstas at Christian¡¯s ca, but sha navar thought that it¡¯d ba so difficult for har to avan maat him. Sha rxad har grip on har shirt, asking, ¡°Could you asa tall Mr. Thatchar that I¡¯m hara?¡± Tha racaptionist wora a businasslika sm on har faca, but sha had a look of rafusal in har ayas. Prasidant Thatchar and Miss Cman ara on such bad tarms. Won¡¯t I gat a drassing-down if I call him to ask about it? ¡°asa,¡± Victoria implorad. Tha racaptionist fall snt for a momant. ¡°Alright. asa wait hara for a momant wh I tall tha sacratary¡¯s offica about it.¡± Sha walkad toward tha front dask wh ncing back from tima to tima, faaring that Victoria would kay in tha passcoda and taka tha vator on har own. Victoria had no intantion of doing so at all. Evan if sha wara to kay in tha passcoda and taka tha vator, sha¡¯d only ba brought down hara by tha bodyguards. It¡¯s battar to wait hara obadiantly instaad of disasing Christian. Aftar a momant, tha racaptionist walkad up to har with lingaring disbaliaf in har ayas. ¡°Prasidant Thatchar askad you to go up.¡± Victoria didn¡¯t hava graat hopas for this at first. Aftar haaring tha racaptionist¡¯s words, sha was dumbfoundad for a momant. Than, sha noddad and kayad in tha passcoda. However, the light on the keypad shone red, indicating that she had keyed in the wrong passcode. Victoria¡¯s pupils dted slightly; her heart was somewhat numb with pain, as though it¡¯d been stung by a bee. Did Christian change the passcode to guard against me? ¡°Let me do it.¡± The receptionist smiled in embarrassment as the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. Then, she came forward and keyed in the passcode before stepping aside. ¡°Please take the elevator, Miss Coleman.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Victoria pursed her lips and entered the elevator. After the elevator stopped on the 36th floor, she went to the president¡¯s office. Sitting in the office chair in his office, Christian was wearing a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up slightly to reveal his beautifully-outlined forearms. He had his head lowered and was reading the report in his hands. A middle-aged man dressed in a suit and leather shoes was standing in front of the desk and reporting on something. Seeing Victoriae in, he stopped talking. On the other hand, Christian didn¡¯t pay attention to Victoria or even take a look at her after telling her to come in. ¡°Go on,¡± he said to the middle-aged man. Victoria¡¯s leg hurt so much that she was about to copse, but she dared not sit down since Christian didn¡¯t ask her to do so. Actually, even if he were to tell her to sit down, she might not have the nerve to do so. Clutching the corners of her shirt, she slowly moved to the corner and leaned against the wall lest she embarrassed herself by falling over. The middle-aged man said, ¡°You were almost an hour and 40 minuteste for this afternoon¡¯s meeting, and the FH Enterprise¡¯s representative was very unhappy about this. Before you arrived, he said that thepany wouldn¡¯t coborate with us again next time.¡± The loss of FH Enterprise wouldn¡¯t cause a great loss to the Thatcher Group, but it was in the nature of businessmen to seek profits. When the profits that should¡¯ve been gained were lost because of something unimportant, it was considered a loss of profits. As Victoria¡¯s right leg ached terribly, she absentmindedly shifted her weight to her left leg. Her leg was so badly injured, but Christian never asked a word about it. On the other hand, Be only had a minor wound on the back of her hand, and yet he postponed such an important meeting to apany her to the hospital. The contrast was only too obvious. I must¡¯ve been blind to think that he was attracted to me after I courted him for such a long time. ¡°Let¡¯s coborate with anotherpany, then.¡± Christian signed his name on a document before closing it. Then, he looked up and asked the middle-aged man, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± The middle-aged man replied, ¡°No, that¡¯s all. I¡¯ll hand you the information about our new partner by noon tomorrow. I¡¯m going downstairs first.¡± After darting a look at Victoria, he gave her a slight nod and left. The instant the door was closed, only Victoria and Christian were left in the office. The room was so silent that she felt oppressed, and her breathing quietened subconsciouslynovelxo fast update. Christian leaned back in his chair as his eyes rested upon Victoria¡¯s swollen face for a moment. He asked nonchntly, ¡°You¡¯ve got something to talk to me about?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Victoria pressed her back against the wall. She said gingerly, ¡°What happened is my fault. You can ask me to do anything or punish me as you please. Could you let my brother off?¡± Christian looked at her before letting out a chuckle without saying a word. Victoria had never been able to read his mind. After licking her parched lips, she said with much difficulty, ¡°It¡¯s me who egged my brother on to this, so me me if you want. Y-You can have me jailed again if you want to.¡± Christian leaned his right elbow on the armrest of his chair, stretching his shirt slightly to reveal the vague outline of his muscr chest. ¡°Why stand so far away from me? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m gonna eat you or something.¡± Victoria clutched the corner of her clothes before letting go of it. Enduring the pain in her right leg, she staggered up to the desk, shortening the distance between them to less than one meter. Every cell in her body was tense as the faint scent of men¡¯s perfume enveloped her. Before she realized it, the palms of her hands were already covered in sweat. ¡°Take a seat.¡± Christian poured a cup of tea and picked it up before taking a sip of it. Victoria nced up at him before quickly lowering her head. She couldn¡¯t move no matter what, as though her feet had taken root in the ground. She couldn¡¯t gauge his mood, and such uncertainty filled her with dread. Christian put down his teacup and darted a look at her wounded right leg before tapping his fingers on the desk several times. ¡°Do I have to pull the chair for you?¡± Victoria quietly wiped her sweaty hands on her clothes. After a moment¡¯s silence, she replied in a whisper, ¡°No, I dare not trouble you.¡± She slowly moved to the sofa and sat down with only half of her backside touching the sofa. ¡°You¡¯re quite something to be able to injure yourself every single day.¡± Christian stood up and walked around his desk before walking up to her. Then, he bent down and caressed her wound with his fingers. ¡°How did you get this?¡± Victoria¡¯s back tensed up as his caress gave her goosebumps. ¡°I fell by ident.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Christian raised her chin and looked into her eyes. Clenching her fists, Victoria lowered her eyes, not wanting to meet his gaze. ¡°Mr. Coleman pped me across the face.¡± Christian let go of her before straightening up with an inscrutable expression. ¡°You Colemans are always capable of surprising me.¡± Victoria felt extremely embarrassed. She wanted to storm off, but she had to force herself to stay here. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, you can punish me the way I should be punished. Could you spare my brother Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Standing in front of the desk with his back to her, Christian picked up his cup of tea and held it to his lips as a dark glint flickered in his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no fun in punishing you.¡± Does he mean that he¡¯s not gonna let Vincent off?! Victoria stood up with a frown before forcing herself to sit down again. Trying to maintain herposure as much as possible, she asked, ¡°I¡¯m not as smart as Miss Spritz is. Mr. Thatcher, could you make yourself clear?¡± Christian replied, ¡°Delta Club¡¯s hall has been smashed up. There¡¯s no way you could afford to pay for it in your lifetime with your current sry.¡± The vases Vincent had smashed were basically antiques. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. My brother willpensate for financial losses,¡± Victoria replied. Christian put down his teacup and turned around to look at her before putting his hands on the desk behind him for support. ¡°Is he gonna pay me the original price for the things he smashed? That means I¡¯ll only get 100 for every 100 that I¡¯ve lent out. It counts as a loss of money for me.¡± ¡°You can tell my brother how much you think he should pay aspensation. He won¡¯t bargain over the price.¡± Victoria was somewhat relieved. Since he mentions money, there¡¯s probably room for maneuver with this. ¡°I don¡¯t need him to pay me money.¡± An inscrutable look shed across Christian¡¯s eyes as his gaze fell upon her swollen cheek. ¡°I¡¯m very interested in thend that the Coleman Group bid for in Glogan¡¯s newly developed area.¡± Victoria fell silent. She had no say in the Coleman Group¡¯s affairs both in the past and the present. ¡°You¡¯re reluctant to give up thend? Never mind then,¡± Christian said nonchntly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not reluctant!¡± Victoria said before realizing that she had gotten too emotional. After collecting herself, she said, ¡°It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t make any decisions about this. I have to let my brother discuss it with his family.¡± Christian smiled as her figure was reflected in his pupils. ¡°You¡¯d better hurry up, then. My patience is limited.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Victoria nodded before walking to the door with a frown. Her family was already very displeased with her after she went to jail two years ago for running Be over with a car. Now that Vincent had gotten into trouble and had to lose a piece ofnd because of her, her parents would probably hate her even more. She had just ced her hand on the doorknob when Christian called out to her. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Victoria turned around with her head down, asking, ¡°Mr. Thatcher, is there anything else you want to talk to me about?¡± Christian picked up his cup of tea and held it to his lips, but he then turned to look at her instead of drinking from it. ¡°Lucas will be getting engaged on National Day. They reminded me to not let you stir up trouble at the engagement ceremony.¡± Stunned, Victoria looked up and mumbled, ¡°Uh-huh,¡± with a clouded expression. There were many in their circle who had a promiscuous lifestyle, but she¡¯d always thought that Lucas was an exception. Little did she think that he¡¯d mess with her now that he was about to get engaged to Scarlett. This filled her with disgust. Seeing her response, Christian let out a snort and ced down his teacup on his desk with an almost imperceptible frown. Is she upset because I forbid her to attend Lucas¡¯ engagement ceremony? Victoria walked out of the president¡¯s office in a daze as her mind was preupied. Ding! The elevator arrived on the ground floor. ¡°Hey! I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Janice stood outside the elevator with a look of surprise on her face. ¡°We¡¯ve met twice in a day. This has to be the work of fate, no?¡± Victoria stepped out of the elevator while managing a smile. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s quite a coincidence.¡± Matthew gave her a slight nod. Then, grabbing Janice by the back of her cor, he entered the elevator and pressed the button to close the elevator door. ¡°What are you doing, Mr. Buckley?¡± Janice red at him with her hands on her hips. ¡°I still have a couple of things to ask her about!¡± Matthew pushed his gold-rimmed sses up his nose with a standard smile on his handsome face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make a difference no matter whether you ask her about it or not. It¡¯s just pure gossip.¡± Janice rolled her eyes in a beautiful way. She muttered, ¡°What a dicta¡ª¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Matthew asked while cing his right hand on her shoulder. ¡°Aha!¡± A big smile spread across Janice¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m saying that you look especially handsome in this suit today. In fact, you look much more handsome than usual. You¡¯re stunningly handsome.¡± Matthew squeezed her hair bun. ¡°Why waste your breath saying something that we already know is true?¡± Janice was rendered speechless. The pair stepped out of the elevator on the 36th floor. Janice followed behind Matthew, but when she saw the words ¡®President¡¯s Office,¡¯ she began to flinch. ¡°Mr. Buckley, my tummy hurts. It seems like I¡¯m having my period. I gotta go first!¡± ¡°Getting cold feet?¡± Matthew grabbed the back of her cor and dragged her back. ¡°Christian doesn¡¯t eat people.¡± Janice clutched her stomach with a pained expression. ¡°It¡¯s not about cold feet. It¡¯s that I¡¯m having my period and have to change my sanitary pads!¡± Matthew released his grip on her cor and looked down at her with a smile. ¡°If my memory serves me well, this is your third time having your period in a month.¡± Janice wished she were dead. ¡°Do you really not want to go with me?¡± Matthew raised his eyebrows slightly. Seeing how she nodded vigorously, he got so angry that heughed instead. ¡°Great. We¡¯ve got a new case today. Go back and sort out the files about the parties concerned first.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Buckley! I love you¡ª¡± By the time she uttered thest syble, Janice had run into the elevator. Matthew let out a sigh while massaging the aching space between his eyebrows. Then, he walked up to the president¡¯s office and knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± A chilly voice sounded from the inside. As soon as Matthew pushed the door open, the faint smell of tobo instantly overwhelmed his sense of smell. Looking at the tall figure standing in front of the French window, he asked, ¡°You¡¯ve got something on your mind?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. I¡¯m poor.¡± Christian turned to look at him before stubbing out his half-smoked cigarette and tossing it into the ashtray. Matthew took off his gold-rimmed sses and tossed them onto the coffee table. ¡°If you¡¯re poor, then what am I? Impoverished?¡± ¡°Care for a cup of tea?¡± Christian poured a cup of tea and put it on the coffee table. Matthew darted a look at him in disgust with no intention of drinking the cup of tea at all. ¡°Are you doing this on purpose? How many times have I told you that I only drink coffee instead of tea?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just putting on an act for formalities¡¯ sake. Don¡¯t be too serious about it.¡± Christian picked up the cup of tea he had just poured and took a sip from it before putting it back onto the conovelxo fast updateffee table. ¡°Ha ha.¡± Matthew let out a sneer before putting the file envelope and his suitcase onto the table. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna take on Vincent¡¯s case.¡± ¡°Are you angry because of what I said? That¡¯s too petty of you.¡± Christian darted a look at him before sitting down beside him. Matthew stopped talking nonsense with him. He exined with a straight face, ¡°Mrs. Coleman is friends with my parents, who made a special effort to call me and forbid me to take on this case.¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Christian mumbled in response with no change in his expression. Matthew stood up and went to fetch some coffee powder to brew coffee for himself. ¡°I thought you¡¯d scold me. This is about your darling, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not letting myself sink to the likes of animals.¡± Christian leaned back against the sofa while looking leisurely at the man who was making coffee in all seriousness. ¡°Also, she¡¯s not my darling. She¡¯s just someone I might get married to.¡± Matthew stopped brewing his coffee and turned around to look at him. ¡°She¡¯s someone you might get married to? Then why would you break Victoria¡¯s leg for her sake two years ago?¡± For a time, he even forgot to make a fuss with Christian over how thetter called him an animal. Christian frowned for a moment. The next instant, his brow cleared, and he resumed his usual expression. ¡°That¡¯s the punishment Victoria deserves. It has nothing to do with Be.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Matthew walked up to the coffee table and sat down with a cup of coffee in his hand. ¡°Miss Spritz lost her leg for your sake, but you only treat her as one of thedies you might get married to¡­ You¡¯re quite heartless.¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Christian nced at him sideways. ¡°Who taught you English? Can¡¯t you even distinguish between being rational and heartless?¡± ¡°The one who always failed our English test isn¡¯t qualified to say that about me.¡± Matthew raised his leg to kick him, but was interrupted by Christian¡¯s faint words. ¡°These clothes cost 120,000. Seeing you¡¯re my friend, I¡¯ll give you a discount. 2,000 per kick. Payment is to be made after the kick. It doesn¡¯t matter if you forgot my card number. I¡¯ll have my assistant send it to your phone.¡± Hearing that, Matthew hurriedly retracted his foot. ¡°The face of a capitalist is really hideous.¡± Christian ignored him. ¡°But seriously, Miss Spritz is too tricky. You¡¯d better watch out.¡± Matthew sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve fallen into her trap a few times, but I can¡¯t use her of anything¡­ Anyway, it¡¯splicated.¡± Christian smirked. ¡°Don¡¯tpare your low IQ with mine.¡± ¡°Christian,¡± Matthew said as he continued to brew his cup of coffee. ¡°Will it kill you if you don¡¯t insult me for a moment?¡± Christian replied indifferently, ¡°It won¡¯t kill me. It¡¯ll just make me a little ufortable.¡± The aroma of coffee wafted around the room as Matthew fell silent. After blowing on his cup and taking a sip, he said, ¡°This coffee is good. It¡¯s a waste to leave it with you, so I¡¯ll take it back with meter.¡± Christian hummed carelessly. ¡°I have a few more cans at home. You can take them all away if you like.¡± ¡°I can juste back for more after I¡¯m done.¡± Matthew ced his cup of coffee down under his disgusted gaze and asked curiously, ¡°What exactly did Victoria do to you two years ago that made breaking her legs and sending her to jail not enough, but you had to keep her at Delta Club?¡± His eyes shing, Christian nced at him. ¡°You want to know?¡± Matthew nodded. ¡°I¡¯m a little curious.¡± ¡°Then, continue to be curious.¡± Christian¡¯s crossed legs exchanged positions as he lowered his head and tugged at his tie, his brow furrowing imperceptibly. ¡°What a ruthless man¡­¡± Matthew retrieved his gold-rimmed sses on the coffee table and wiped them before putting them back on. ¡°Christian, stop once you¡¯ve done almost everything you have to do, and leave a way out for her. That way, it¡¯s good for both you and her.¡± As if suddenly recalling something, Christian scoffed. ¡°Did your parents ask you to intercede on Victoria¡¯s behalf?¡± ¡°Sort of.¡± Matthew rubbed his brow and said helplessly, ¡°There¡¯s also that silly apprentice of mine, who keeps chattering about how pitiful Victoria is all day. After she found out that you and I are friends, she begged me to help her.¡± Christian lowered his gaze. As the sunlight spilled in from behind him, half of his face was hidden in the shadows, making it difficult to see his expression. Seeing this, Matthew said, ¡°What I said was just a casual remark, toplete the task my parents and apprentice gave me. You can do what you want, and I won¡¯t interfere. Just¡ª¡± He dragged out his sentence, his meaningful gaze falling on Christian. Christian probed, ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Recently, Charlotte told me a few interesting things about you and Victoria.¡± Matthew pushed his sses pointedly. ¡°Christian, as a bystander, I can see things more clearly. Personally, I suggest you not to go too far, or it¡¯ll be toote for you to regret itter.¡± Christianughed, unfazed. ¡°You should quit being awyer. Go work as a rtionship expert instead. With that mouth of yours, you can even work as a salesman.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to me, you¡¯ll suffer in the future.¡± Matthew clicked his tongue. Then, with the can of coffee powder in his hand, he walked toward the door and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± After the door closed, Christian raised his eyebrows slightly, his bony fingers tapping lightly on the coffee table a few times. Regret? He had never known that word for his entire life. Beep¡­ His phone vibrated with a call from his mother who asked him to go back for dinner. He was about to refuse out of habit, but when the words were at the tip of his tongue, he swallowed them and only gave a muffled hum in reply. Christian drove back to the Thatcher Residence, and after tossing the car keys to the maid, he went to the dining hall. He had arge family, and apart from his grandmother who had passed away some years ago due to an illness, his grandfather, his elder uncle, his younger uncle, as well as his family together brought the total number of people in the household to more than 20. Other than that, two of his aunts had married and did not live with the Thatcher Family. However, except for special asions, most of them only ate on their own. His grandfather, Philip Thatcher, favored his younger uncle¡¯s family and ate with them most of the time. Meanwhile, he was not too friendly with Christian¡¯s family and his elder uncle¡¯s family, but he was not cold to them either. ¡°Have a seat.¡± Evelyn smiled, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes rippling shallowly, but not affecting her feminine charm. ¡°Amy made all of the dishes you like.¡± Christian sat down and wiped his hands with a wet towel. ¡°Is Dad still not back?¡± ¡°Yeah. There was a problem with the business coboration over in Ennd, and his business trip was extended by a month.¡± Evelyn lowered her eyes, her expression slightly forlorn. Christian snorted lightly and put the towel down. ¡°Is it a problem with the coboration or his lover that he has to stay for an extra month?¡± Evelyn sighed and said helplessly, ¡°Why are you so straightforward? You¡¯re making me embarrassed.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s nearly time for that woman to give birth.¡± Christian picked up his fork and took a bite of the food, though not tasting anything. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s about time.¡± Evelyn elegantly took a bite. ¡°I just don¡¯t know how long he would like that woman.¡± After she spoke, the two of them ate in silence, and nothing was said for a long time. ¡°These days, Nancy looked for me again, mostly to tell me that Lucas is already engaged, and she wonders when Be will be able to start a family as well.¡± Evelyn had a small appetite during dinner. She set her cutlery down after eating only a few bites. Christian¡¯s throat bobbed as he swallowed his food and took a tissue to wipe the corners of his clean mouth. ¡°They really don¡¯t stop even for a moment.¡± ¡°So, what are your ns?¡± Evelyn asked with a smile. Christian leaned back in his chair. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like Be?¡± ¡°Spritz Group has already spread the news that Be had gotten injured for you two years ago, and had the media hint that both of our families will be joined through marriage. If you don¡¯t marry her, the fact that you broke the marriage contract because you dislike the fact that Be has hurt her leg will be released, and Thatcher Group¡¯s stocks will inevitably be affected in the future. At best, we¡¯ll lose a few hundred million, but I won¡¯t be surprised to see a billion or so disappear.¡± ¡°On the minor side, we¡¯d just lose some money, and the Thatcher Family isn¡¯t so concerned about this amount of money. However, on the major side, Old Mr. Thatcher is already over 80 years old. He was already partial to your younger uncle and his family. If you let thepany suffer losses because of something insignificant like this, I¡¯m afraid his will that was written long ago will be altered somewhat,¡± Evelyn concluded. Christian¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Do you think that marriage is just an insignificant thing?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have someone you like, then it¡¯s an insignificant thing.¡± Evelyn asked Amy to serve her a bowl of soup and drank it in small sips.novelxo fast update Christian rested his hands on the dining table, his fingers tapping unconsciously. After seeing his reaction, Evelyn chuckled. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Is there someone you like?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to probe me. If I had liked Victoria, I would have gotten engaged to her two years ago,¡± Christian said in dismissal Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 ¡°That¡¯s a pity. I quite like Tori.¡± Evelyn sighed lightly. ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you check when you¡¯ll settle things with Be?¡± Christian frowned and didn¡¯t reply. ¡°If you don¡¯t have someone you like and you¡¯re dragging it out like this, losing a few hundred million and making your grandfather unhappy won¡¯t be worth it,¡± Evelyn warned. Christian took a bite of the food. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Evelyn heaved a long sigh. ¡°Usually when you say so, I¡¯ll be able to rx. But, for some reason, when I hear you say it this time, I feel even more worried.¡± Christian lifted his eyes to nce at her before he lowered his head again to resume his meal, changing the subject. ¡°Victoria burned her leg and is now in Alden Hospital.¡± ¡°How did she get burned?¡± Evelyn put down her spoon, her face slightly surprised and worried. ¡°Is the injury serious?¡± Christian replied, ¡°She scalded herself with hot tea and needs to be hospitalized for some time.¡± ¡°Hot tea?¡± Evelyn raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°I heard that the kid from the Coleman Family ruined one of your clubhouses and sshed Be with hot tea. Was the burn on Tori¡¯s leg caused by Be ¡®identally¡¯ scalding her with hot tea?¡± Christian hummed in reply. Evelyn tittered and said meaningfully, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good or bad thing that their family has such a sly daughter.¡± She looked at Christian, who was eating with his head down, and lightly knocked on the table twice. ¡°You don¡¯t usuallye home for dinner. What¡¯s with the sudden change? Did youe back just to tell me about Tori¡¯s leg injury today?¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much,¡± Christian said. Evelyn cupped her chin and looked at her son¡¯s handsome face with a serious expression. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this count as you caring for Tori? Sweetie, will you really not consider Tori?¡± ¡°Mrs. West.¡± He ced his cutlery down and wiped the corners of his mouth. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Evelyn raised her hands in defeat and sighed. ¡°All right, I was thinking too much.¡± Just then, Christian¡¯s phone rang. After picking it up and looking at the caller ID, he ced it back on the table. Though his phone rang incessantly for more than thirty seconds, it failed to arouse his attention, and a whileter, Evelyn¡¯s phone rang. She picked up the phone and looked at the caller ID before ncing up at Christian with a sigh. ¡°I really can¡¯t even eat a meal in peace.¡± Then, she answered her phone with augh. ¡°If you¡¯re calling at this hour, you¡¯re not going to invite me to dinner, are you? Did I guess right? I¡¯m sorry, Nancy, but I just finished eating.¡± ¡°Why did Christian cancel thewsuit against the Coleman Family¡¯s son? I have no idea, really. He didn¡¯t tell me anything.¡± ¡°Hand him the phone? I¡¯m at home, but the brat is still at the office and didn¡¯te back. Yeah, okay, let¡¯s leave it at that. I¡¯ll give him an earful when I see him. He¡¯s being too unkind.¡± After Evelyn hung up the phone, she nced at Christian sideways. ¡°You¡¯re already an adult. Next time, make sure you settle things cleanly instead of letting them call me.¡± ¡°No matter how old I get, I¡¯ll still be a child in front of you,¡± Christian said. Evelyn scolded him with augh before she got up and picked up her bag. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Come with me to the hospital to visit Tori.¡± After Victoria returned to the hospital, she called Vincent and exined the situation. The second half of the phone call was answered by Glen, and the whole time he was yelling about how hard it was to get thatnd, even scolding her. Meanwhile, she listened numbly without uttering a word of rebuttal until he hung up the phone. Just then, the doctor came in and hooked up an IV drip to her. Then, he changed her bandages and warned with a dark expression, ¡°Your leg has already been injured before, and you burned it again this time. If you don¡¯t cooperate with the treatment properly, the wound will be inmed or infected, and you will have to bear the consequences!¡± Victoria nodded carelessly, barely listening to him as if she had something on her mind. Her attitude angered the doctor, and after telling her to call for him or a nurse once the IV drip was finished, he left with an unpleasant look on his face. ¡°How did you make the doctor that angry?¡± Evelyn pushed the door open and walked in while asking Christian to put aside the boxes of supplements he was carrying and the thermos containing the soup they brought from home. Victoria was lying on the bed, but when she saw the two of them enter, she propped herself up with the support of the bed, her back tense as she greeted, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Thatcher, Mr. Thatcher.¡± ¡°You brat, why are you being so formal with us?¡± Evelyn sighed helplessly and directed Christian. ¡°Hurry up and help Tori lie down.¡± Christian hummed in assent and walked over to Victoria. He encircled her waist with his left arm while his right arm went around her neck, nearly hugging her as he helped her lie down. His breath enveloped Victoria, and as her left ear was pressed against his chest, she could even hear his strong, powerful heartbeat. She subconsciously held her breath, every cell in her body turning tense instead of just her back. ¡°The two of you make such a good match. If an uninformed persones over, they will definitely think you¡¯re a couple.¡± Evelynughed. As if he hadn¡¯t heard her, Christian took out an apple and peeled it. His long, fair fingers flitted between the red peel and the yellowish flesh, as if it were a work of art. ¡°You¡¯re ttering me, Mrs. Thatcher.¡± Victoria swept a nce at Christian, a thinyer of sweat forming at the tip of her nose. ¡°Mr. Thatcher and Miss Spritz are a better match.¡± At her words, Christian paused while peeling the apple, and the long red peel broke off and fell to the ground. He picked it up and threw it into the trash can. ¡°Be¡¯s looks are a good match for Christian, but the rest may not be the case.¡± Evelyn said meaningfully, ¡°All right, let¡¯s stop talking about her. Why was the doctor angry when he went out? Did you provoke him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Victoria replied evasively. After Christian finished peeling the apple and handed it to Evelyn, he said carelessly, ¡°The doctor told her to rest and recuperate, but she ended up going to the office to look for me earlier this afternoon.¡± Evelyn slightly raised her eyebrows and handed the apple to Victoria. ¡°No matter whether others cherish it or not, you must first cherish your own body. Since the doctor told you to rnovelxo fast updateest, what reason did you have to look for Christian this afternoon?¡± Pursing her lips, Victoria didn¡¯t make a sound and only handed the apple back to Evelyn. Christian had peeled it, so she didn¡¯t dare to eat it. Seeing her reluctance to speak, Evelyn did not probe any further. With a smile, she handed the apple to Victoria. ¡°Just eat it if we give it to you. I¡¯ll ask Christian to peel another one.¡± Holding the apple in her hands, Victoria subconsciously nced at Christian again. ¡°Eat it.¡± Saying that, Christian took another apple and proceeded to peel it. Victoria took a small bite, but couldn¡¯t taste anything. She really couldn¡¯t understand him. Sometimes he hated her enough to kill her, but sometimes he treated her like an ordinary person, and she didn¡¯t know if he would let her go. ¡°How much tea was spilled on you to make you this hurt?¡± Evelyn lifted the nket, looking at the injury on Victoria¡¯s leg with a distressed expression. Victoria was worried that if she said something against Be, Christian would be displeased, so she didn¡¯t reply. ¡°An entire pot.¡± Christian frowned slightly, but eased his frown soon after before handing the freshly peeled apple to Evelyn. ¡°My lipstick wille off if I eat the entire thing like this, so I won¡¯t eat it. You eat it.¡± Evelyn pushed the apple back to Christian and said with a lightugh, ¡°Be must be really talented to identally spill an entire pot of tea onto Tori.¡± Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 As the apple was notrge, Victoria finished it in a few bites and was about to get up and throw the apple core away when Evelyn interceded. ¡°Why are you so clueless? Tori can¡¯t get out of bed with her injury. Throw the apple core away for her,¡± Evelyn scolded. Christian, who had been eating his apple by the side, stood up at her words and lifted his eyes, ncing indifferently at the person on the hospital bed before walking slowly toward her. Instantly, Victoria nched. She hurriedly got out of bed and threw the apple core into the trash can. ¡°You need not trouble yourself, Mr. Thatcher.¡± Christian¡¯s eyes shed darkly when he saw how afraid she was of him, but he didn¡¯t say anything and sat down in his chair again with the apple in his hand. Meanwhile, Evelyn was slightly surprised at the sight andmented, ¡°I remember that Tori was never afraid of anything in the past.¡± ¡°That was because I was young, and I was too ignorant and wild.¡± Because she had stood up so suddenly, her right leg tingled and she couldn¡¯t stop shaking. After wiping the cold sweat off her forehead, she stumbled back down onto the hospital bed. She had always thought that with her brother and family members spoiling her, no one would dare to do anything to her, but Christian¡¯s ruthlessness and her life in prison had given her a shocking realization. After Christian finished his apple, his phone rang, and he went out to answer it after letting Evelyn know. As Evelyn brought a bowl of soup to Victoria, her eyes fell on her right leg, which was wrapped in a large bandage. She sighed. ¡°Tori, do you hate me for not helping you two years ago?¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t obligated to help me, and Mr. Thatcher is your own son, so when he had a conflict with me, you were right to take his side. Besides, you have already been very good to me.¡± Victoria¡¯s face was calm, but her hand was clutching the bed sheet tightly underneath her. How could she not hate her? Still, her parents had already severed their rtionship with her, so what could she expect an outsider to do for her? Not to mention this outsider was Christian¡¯s mother. Evelyn shifted her gaze from the bandages to the bed sheets that Victoria was clutching tightly, her feelings turningplicated. She had many things she wanted to say, and wanted to tell her favorite junior about her difficulties, but in the end, she only asked, ¡°Can your injury from two years ago still be cured?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t.¡± Apart from making it embarrassing for Evelyn to get between her and Christian, telling her it was possible did not serve any purpose. At a nce, Evelyn noticed Victoria¡¯s momentary hesitation. She yed with the ornaments on her phone case, her expression faltering. A long whileter, she said, ¡°You¡¯ve grown up, Tori.¡± ¡°Everybody has to grow up one day.¡± Victoria curled her lips, wanting to smile, but she felt a sense of bitterness welling up from the bottom of her heart. Two years ago, on her birthday, Christian personally dragged her from heaven to hell, and she had to struggle choosing between life and death for two years, so how could she not grow up? ¡°You should drink the soup while it¡¯s hot. It won¡¯t taste good once it gets cold.¡± Evelyn pushed the bowl of soup toward Victoria. ¡°If your leg injury can be cured, you should focus on recuperating. Don¡¯t worry about the rest. I¡¯ll talk to Christian.¡± Bang! All of a sudden, the door was pushed open and Nancy rushed in aggressively. ¡°I won¡¯t agree to this! Victoria caused Be to be in this state, and even if her leg can be treated, I will never allow any doctor to treat her!¡± They had the backbone to say these words. Lucas walked in after Nancy, an unhappy expression on his handsome face. However, when he saw Victoria¡¯s pale face and her heavily bandaged leg, a subtle hint of pain appeared on his face. ¡°Since when did you have the habit of eavesdropping, Nancy?¡± Evelyn took a handkerchief and wiped the corners of Victoria¡¯s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not a good habit to have.¡± Evelyn¡¯s words made Nancy feel chagrined, and her face became red with anger one moment, green with envy the next, before turning pale with mortification in the end, as if she were a chameleon. ¡°Of course not, Mrs. Thatcher. I came with my mother to visit Victoria, and we just happened to overhear what you said. We didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop,¡± Lucas exined as he stepped forward. Evelyn withdrew her handkerchief and smiled. ¡°It¡¯d be great if that¡¯s the case. If someone in a family has a bad personality, it can still be considered an ident, but if everyone has poor behavior, then there must be a problem with the family¡¯s upbringing.¡± ¡°Evelyn, are you saying that Be has a bad personality?¡± Upon hearing her precious daughter being criticized, Nancy was unable to hold her anger back. Lucas frowned as well, his expression turning displeased. ¡°Did I mention Be earlier?¡± Evelyn looked surprised. ¡°Nancy, don¡¯t put words into my mouth. It was just a random sentiment. I didn¡¯t mean anything else.¡± Nancy gritted her teeth and swallowed her anger. ¡°I was thinking too much, then.¡± ¡°Yeah. In the future, you shouldn¡¯t watch too many soap operas. It makes you overthink easily,¡± Evelyn suggested. Nancy¡¯s face turned red from anger, and she couldn¡¯t find aeback for a long while. ¡°It¡¯s not my mother¡¯s fault for thinking too much, Mrs. Thatcher. After all, the message implied by this ¡®random sentiment¡¯ of yours was too apparent.¡± Lucas curved his lips, but there was no trace of a smile in his amber eyes. Evelyn tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°Thank you for reminding me, Lucas, that just because I don¡¯t think too much about things, it doesn¡¯t mean that others are the same. I should watch my words in the future.¡± After saying that, she turned her head to look at Victoria and said, ¡°Tori, you should also think more before you speak. If you can¡¯t think of anything, just don¡¯t speak much. Don¡¯t let your unintentional comments be a leverage for others to make a big deal out of it, got it?¡± Victoria nodded under Nancy¡¯s furious gaze and said seriously, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°Evelyn, whose side are you on exactly?¡± Nancy heaved angrily. Though Lucas gave her a look, she pretended not to have seen it and plowed on. ¡°Be is your future daughter-inw. You should be on her side, not helping this murderer, Victoria!¡± Victoria frowned. Nancy came from a schrly family and was married into the Spritz Family, which was one of the wealthiest families in the country. However, even after so long, she was still unable to speak and act in a dignified manner, making her pr opposites with her daughter. ¡°My mother is blunt and always speaks her mind. I hope you won¡¯t take offense to her, Mrs. Thatcher,¡± Lucas said in a slightly apologetic tone. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ve known Nancy for so many years, so I understand her. It¡¯s just a few casual remarks. I won¡¯t get angry over them.¡± Evelyn smiled shallowly, the corners of her eyes crinkling. Lucas said, ¡°Thank you for understanding, Mrs. Thatcher.¡± ¡°Lucas, you¡¯re too polite,¡± Evelyn said before looking at Nancy. In a serious tone, she continued, ¡°Nancy, children are everything to their parents. If you care for Be, there must be someone who cares for Tori as well. As elders, aren¡¯t we making ourselves a joke if we constantly pick a fight with our juniors?¡± She spoke so righteously that Nancy waspletely squashed at her words, but she didn¡¯t know how to refute them.novelxo fast update Victoria ced her soup down and said softly, ¡°Mrs. Thatcher watched me grow up, so she¡¯ll inevitably sympathize with me when she sees me with an injury, and that¡¯s why she advised me to have my leg looked at. She¡¯s not being biased at all. If Miss Spritz¡¯s leg can be cured, Mrs. Thatcher would definitely be happy to see it as well.¡± This time, after she was released from prison, she knew how partial Evelyn was to her, and she naturally did not want Evelyn to be troubled. ¡°Tori, you¡¯ve really grown up.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes shed, and she sighed while caressing Victoria¡¯s head. Nancy huffed, but did not pursue the topic anymore and red at Victoria usingly instead. ¡°Let me ask you. When Vincent went to trouble Be, was it you who instigated it? Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Victoria pursed her lips and didn¡¯t make a sound. If she agreed, Nancy would make things twice as hard for her, but if she denied it, Nancy would put the me on her brother. As she could not win either way, she chose to remain silent. ¡°Be was kind enough not to press charges against you even though you almost ran her over, and only made you serve two years in jail, yet you repeatedly tried to harm her!¡± Nancy strode up to the hospital bed. Using her carefully-manicured fingers, she poked Victoria¡¯s forehead forcibly. ¡°Did you sell your conscience to the devil?!¡± Victoria¡¯s forehead immediately turned red, but she did not struggle. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Seeing this, Lucas frowned. He subconsciously took a step forward, but quickly retreated, and looked away from the two. ¡°Is this how you¡¯ve been brought up, Mrs. Spritz?¡± At that moment, Christian, who had finished his phone call, pushed the door and walked in. When Nancy saw hime in, a sh of surprise shed across her eyes, and her gaze moved from him to Evelyn with a vague tinge of anger. ¡°Evelyn, you and Christian came over together after dinner?¡± ¡°Christian, why did youe sote?¡± Evelyn also had a surprised look on her face. Meanwhile, Christian¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°I just finished my work at thepany, so I came over.¡± He nced at the unusually obvious redness on Victoria¡¯s forehead. ¡°Are you dumb? Can¡¯t you dodge?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dumb.¡± But I can¡¯t dodge. No matter how badly Be hurt her, she was only being ¡®careless,¡¯ but as her brother had tantly sshed Be with tea, she was ¡®in the wrong.¡¯ Christian hummed meaningfully before averting his gaze. ¡°Let them say what they want. Just focus on drinking your soup. It¡¯ll get cold if you don¡¯t drink it soon.¡± Evelyn served another bowl of soup and handed it over to Victoria, who thanked her and took a small sip. The soup was fragrant and full of umami, but she couldn¡¯t savor it. If she could, she would prefer for her parents, not Evelyn, toe to the ward to take care of her and protect her from outsiders. ¡°Are you on Victoria¡¯s side just like your mother?¡± Nancy¡¯s voice was bordering on a shrill due to her high pitch. ¡°Be lost a leg to Victoria because of you. Have you forgotten?¡± Christian sat down on the bed beside her and casually avoided her questioning. ¡°Even middle school students wouldn¡¯t do something as childish as picking sides.¡± ¡°Mr. Thatcher, haven¡¯t you learned to respect your elders?¡± Lucas¡¯ amber eyes were tinged with a dark hue. Christian smirked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Mrs. Spritz know how to love and care for her juniors?¡± The ward was spacious, but the confrontation between the group of people made the room feel cramped to Victoria. Even the air became thick, making every breath unusually difficult for her. ¡°Enough of this nonsense. There¡¯s still a patient here. What are you guys doing?¡± Evelyn sighed helplessly and swept her eyes at Lucas and Nancy¡¯s empty hands. ¡°Nancy, Lucas, you weren¡¯t actually intending to visit Tori, were you?¡± Without waiting for the two to answer, she continued, ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it to me. After all, nobody visits a patient empty-handed.¡± ¡°We came here just to get justice for Be.¡± Lucas said before Nancy, ¡°As Vincent hurt Be for no reason, my mother and I want to know if it was on purpose, or if he was being used by a nasty person.¡± When he mentioned the word ¡®nasty,¡¯ he looked at Victoria. ¡°Is it really for no reason? Why does it seem to me that Tori¡¯s injury is worse than Be¡¯s?¡± Evelyn clicked her tongue. ¡°I feel pained just by looking at the injury on Tori¡¯s leg.¡± Hearing this, Nancy was enraged and chided, ¡°Evelyn, are you questioning our words?¡± ¡°Not at all. I was just curious and asked a casual question. Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Evelynughed helplessly. ¡°I heard that Be identally spilled hot tea on Victoria, and it was even an entire pot of it. She really is careless.¡± As soon as she spoke, Lucas¡¯ phone rang. After he answered the call, he hummed a few times with a frown, then turned his head and said to Nancy, ¡°Be said not to me Vincent and Victoria, and that she identally injured Victoria more seriously, so we should apologize to Victoria and go home.¡± Evelynughed lightly, knowing who these words were meant for. ¡°She¡¯s already been hurt, but she¡¯s still helping her!¡± Nancy stubbornly turned and pointed at Christian, saying, ¡°Christian, I¡¯m just going to ask you one thing. Why did you drop the charges against them when Vincent and Victoria put Be in this state?¡± He dropped the charges? Victoria let out a sigh of relief. She had already been in jail once, and if her brother had to suffer the same fate as well, even if it was only for a few days, there was no telling what others would say about the Coleman Family. Christian smiled. ¡°After Vincent trashed my clubhouse, the Coleman Family gave me that piece ofnd in Glogan aspensation; Vincent burned the back of Be¡¯s hand, but Be burned Victoria¡¯s whole leg. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, both sides have gotten even, so why can¡¯t I drop the charges?¡± As he had spoken for both sides, Nancy was rendered speechless. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Mr. Spritz is an honest and upright person. I wonder what he thinks about this matter?¡± Saying that, Christian turned his attention to Lucas. Lucas frowned slightly, ncing at the bandages on Victoria¡¯s leg. Then, he said to Nancy, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Why are you on Victoria¡¯s side as well?¡± Nancy was furious, her borate makeup failing to hide her livid expression. Lucas replied, ¡°It was because Be scalded Victoria¡¯s leg first that Vincent sshed tea on her, so we can¡¯t me Vincent and Victoria for this.¡± Nancy pointed at the tip of his nose, so furious that she could not say anything for a long while. Then, she red at Victoria and angrily left the ward, mming the door loudly behind her. ¡°We¡¯ll be taking our leave first.¡± Lucas nced at Victoria¡¯s pale face, wanting to say something, but in the end, he remained silent and opened the door to leave. Evelyn stared at the closed door of the ward and sighed. ¡°Nancy is so lucky to have such excellent children.¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably used up all the blessings she umted in her previous life.¡± Christian hummed lightly, the end of his eyes tinged with a faint sneer. Evelynughed and chided him, saying, ¡°If you are a junior, you should behave like a junior. Don¡¯t judge your elders.¡± Christian only smirked and didn¡¯t reply. ¡°All of us must¡¯ve made so much noise that you couldn¡¯t rest. How about this? I¡¯ll go back with Christian first ande back to see you another day,¡± Evelyn got up and suggested. Victoria agreed. She was about to get up and see her off, but Evelyn held her down. ¡°You¡¯re still taking an IV, and your leg is still injured, so don¡¯t trouble yourself. I¡¯m not a stranger to you, anyway.¡± After she gave a few more words of concern to Victoria, she left with Christian. Outside, night had fallen. Through the car window, the trees cast their swaying shadows on Christian¡¯s sharp and handsome face. ¡°I¡¯ll have to thank you on Tori¡¯s behalf for what happened tonight.¡± Next to him, Evelyn smiled, seemingly in a good mood. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± He started up the Bentley. The shadows of the trees got projected on Christian¡¯s face like a roll of film, obscuring the look in his eyes. ¡°My dismissal of the case has nothing to do with Victoria.¡±novelxo fast update Evelyn slightly raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°The loss at Delta Club is not even worth mentioningpared to the Coleman Family¡¯s piece ofnd in the new district of Glogan. I can¡¯t possibly give up such arge profit for Be,¡± Christian said Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 ¡°I see.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice was lower than before. ¡°You¡¯re a sensible man. Though you¡¯re not a qualified lover, you¡¯re an excellent businessman.¡± Christian only grunted and said nothing further as he continued driving. His fingers on the ck steering wheel were alluring in the dark of the night as silence filled the car. After a while, Evelyn turned to look at him and said, ¡°You¡¯ve broken Tori¡¯s leg, had her imprisoned, and even prevented the Coleman Family from contacting her. No matter how deep your anger toward her was, you should be satisfied now.¡± With his murky eyes remaining still on the horizon, Christian tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly, causing his fingertips to turn slightly white. Evelyn received no answer from him even after waiting for some time, thus straightened up her posture and looked straight ahead. Under the veil of the night sky, her long sigh was tinged with a sense of resignation. Inside the ward, Lucas returned not long after Christian had left. Lying on the bed, Victoria took a nonchnt nce at him before she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep; she refused to take notice of him. ¡°Does¡­ your leg hurt?¡± Lucas asked as he stood beside the bed. Looking at how pale she was, he felt sorry for her as his heart involuntarily throbbed. Opening her eyes, Victoria replied with an indifferent expression, ¡°Thank you for the concern, Mr. Spritz. However, this isn¡¯t as painful as it was two years ago, so I can take it. If there¡¯s nothing else, then you should leave. I don¡¯t want to be exining myself should dear Mrs. Spritze here and think I was seducing you.¡± She treated him as though he was a stranger, albeit with much more hostility and aversion. Frowning, Lucas said, ¡°There¡¯s no one else here. You can drop the formalities.¡± Victoria only sneered as she continued to ignore him. ¡°I apologize for the matter of Be identally bringing you harm and for my mother¡¯s attitude toward you.¡± Pained as he noticed the red marks on her forehead and the scar located near her brows, he subconsciously reached out, wanting to touch her face. Victoria cocked her head away from him and avoided his touch. She was disgusted by the man, for he was about to be engaged with Scarlett yet was here trying to be intimate with her. As hints of gloom shed in his eyes, Lucas withdrew his hand before he balled them into fists. With his expression turning cold, he said, ¡°However, Be had already apologized to you about that ident, so you shouldn¡¯t have urged Vincent to ssh her with hot water!¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t?¡± Victoria repeated with an exasperated smile. With both her hands holding onto the railings of the bed, she sat herself up with some effort and continued, ¡°Whether it was in the past or the present, Mr. Spritz seems fond of teaching me on how I should behave ever so righteously.¡± Then, she tilted her head at him and said in deliberation, ¡°But, what makes you think you¡¯re qualified to teach me how to live my life?¡± ¡°Victoria,¡± Lucas said with gritted teeth. Kneeling on the bed as she gradually straightened her posture, Victoria closed the distance between her and Lucas before she said, ¡°Is it because you¡¯re older in age? Or is it because you¡¯re much more educated than me?¡± The faint scent of soap from her body tickled Lucas¡¯ nose, causing his heart to pound uncontrobly. ¡°I thought you would have learned your lesson during these past two years, but I see you¡¯re still the same woman that can¡¯t differentiate right from wrong, one that cannot be reasoned with.¡± Having said that with a stern face, he turned and left. ¡°Wait,¡± Victoria shouted. ¡°What else do you want?¡± Lucas stopped in his tracks with his back still on her. Due to her moving about, the needle inserted in the back of her hand got detached, which caused her blood to stain the two strips of medical tape on the back of her hand. After she put the needle aside and returned to her sitting position with difficulty, she said, ¡°Since Mr. Spritz despises me and hates me that much, do not meet me alone ever again. I don¡¯t want to be called a vixen or a mistress by someone else just because someone can¡¯t stop being delusional and annoying.¡± Lucas turned to face her and yelled, ¡°You talk too much!¡± ¡°As you can see, I shouldn¡¯t be moving about due to my condition, so I won¡¯t be seeing you out the door,¡± Victoria said indifferently. As the response she got was just the loud sound of the door mming shut, Veronica snorted before shey back down. Staring at the ceiling, she was lost in her own thoughts. Not long after, a doctor came to change her medication. After noticing Victoria¡¯s hand growing slightly swollen and the needle being ced aside, the doctor became furious and said with a frown, ¡°I have never seen such an inconsiderate patient like you!¡± Although the doctor had said many things, Victoria only heard the first sentence and stopped listening to the rest of the doctor¡¯s rants. She knew that the doctor was only nagging at her for her sake, but she hadn¡¯t the mind to care about those so-called precautions. Perhaps this was due to how she wished for her death at times. She needed not suffer this much if she were to just die, after all. When the doctor had changed her medication, he called for a nurse to look after Victoria during the duration of the medication. Since the nurse had only twenty minutes left in her shift, her expression grew conflicted as looking over her meant that it would be extended by another hour for the post- medication procedure. ¡°Once the infusion is done, I¡¯ll take care of it myself. You can leave when your shift¡¯s up,¡± said Victoria. After the nurse double-checked with Victoria about her decision, the nurse happily left when her shift was over. It was eleven-thirty when the infusion was done. Victoria looked at the inserted tube in a daze as she thought it¡¯d be all over if she just inserted air into her system via the tube. Just enduring this small amount of pain would free her from her suffering. Just as the air bubble slowly traveled its way down the tube and was about to reach the back of her hand, she took off the needle, as she thought that her dying here would only cause trouble for the innocent nurse. In the end, she decided to bear with it a little longer, though she wasn¡¯t sure how much longer she couldst. The next day at noon, when Gabrielle came to visit Victoria, she came bearing a neatly wrapped box and a thermos with pork rib soup in it. ¡°You didn¡¯t have toe visit me when you¡¯re so busy with work,¡± said Victoria. ¡°I¡¯m not so busy now since the new supervisor is so nice. He immediately agreed to my request for leave when I said I wasing to visit you.¡± Gabrielle put her things down and swept a nce around the ward. However, she was slightly disappointed upon noticing that neither Christian, Be, Lucas, Vincent, or Teresa were around. Pursing her lips, Victoria said, ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to go back now.¡± ¡°Since I¡¯ve just gotten here, you should at the very least let me rest for a bit here, right?¡± Gabrielle served her a bowl of pork rib soup and said, ¡°Here, have some soup. It¡¯ll help replenish your energy.¡± Victoria shot a nce at the clear white gourd at the bottom of the clear ribs soup before she said indifferently, ¡°My parents will be watching both my brother and sister-inw very closely for theing days since I¡¯ve created such a mess. They won¡¯t have any opportunity toe and visit me.¡± She paused briefly before she continued, ¡°As for the Thatcher Family, it would be less likely for them to visit me since they originally hated me. Even if they do visit me, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll just be here taunting me. Since you¡¯re my colleague, I doubt you would get any benefits from meeting them, and you might even be implicated because of me instead. So, you can go home now,¡± Victoria repeated once more. ¡°Since your family doesn¡¯t acknowledge you, and you only have me as your friend in the club, you¡¯ll really be alone if I do leave,¡± Gabrielle said while nudging the soup toward Victoria. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Victoria did not take the bowl of soup from her. ¡°You¡¯re just too uptight sometimes.¡± Gabrielle lifted the bowl of soup and took a big sip before she continued, ¡°Whether it¡¯s family, a lover, or friends, your rtionships are never just purely that.¡± Then, she gave the meat to Victoria. Frowning, Victoria took the meat and nibbled on it without making any remarks.novelxo fast update ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve told you about me, have I?¡± Gabrielle then continued without waiting for Victoria¡¯s answer, ¡°I won¡¯t be touching about my family matters though since it¡¯s just too dreadful.¡± With a self- deprecating smile, she took a bite of the pork ribs. ¡°My boyfriend knows that I¡¯ve slept around. Although he¡¯s angry, he¡¯s pretending not to have noticed it. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Victoria swallowed the piece of meat in her mouth and suddenly felt a little tired of it. ¡°Do you know why?¡± Gabrielle asked before she quickly wiped the corner of her eyes which caused the oil on her hand to stain her face. ¡°Because I can get him money for his business. Speaking of which, he was just beside me when it first happened. However, he pretended to be drunk since he knew that man could provide arge sum of money for him. Does that mean my boyfriend doesn¡¯t love me? No, I know he does, but his love for his career triumphs over his love for me. Victoria, human beings are complicated that way, so you can¡¯t be unreasonable in demanding a pure rtionship from such complicated beings.¡± Victoria handed Gabrielle a piece of tissue before she continued nibbling on the ribs silently. To her, if it wasn¡¯t pure love, then she didn¡¯t want it. In the end, the two of them continued drinking their bowls of soup in silence. When they were done, Gabrielle cleaned up the ward before she handed the wrapped box to Victoria. ¡°This is for you.¡± ¡°No thanks.¡± Victoria hadn¡¯t the intention to ept it as she felt it was undeserved. ¡°Hold your horses there.¡± Gabrielle forcefully pushed the box into Victoria¡¯s arms before she came closer to her and said, ¡°Remember the n to seduce Mr. Thatcher? This is a tool to help you do that.¡± Upon the word ¡®seduce,¡¯ Victoria¡¯s pupils shrank as her eyes shed a hint of gloom. In the past, she had gone through a daily beauty care routine to refine her appearance, yet that wasn¡¯t enough to garner Christian¡¯s attention. Now that her body and face were full of scars, as well as the numerous calluses she had on her hands and feet, she couldn¡¯t see how the man would want to pay any attention to her. ¡°Thank you, but let¡¯s just forget about it.¡± Victoria would no longer be so na?ve as to hope for a miracle here. She would not delude herself into thinking that Christian would suddenly fall in love with her. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of failure?¡± Gabrielle carefully tried to see through Victoria¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Then¡­ are you willing to stay in Delta Club for the rest of your life?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Victoria clutched the bed sheets beneath her tightly. Willing? How could I choose otherwise? Reality is the one forcing my hands here, she thought. ¡°If you¡¯re reluctant, then you should just give it a try.¡± Seeing that Victoria wasn¡¯t protesting much, Gabrielle continued, ¡°Worst-case scenario is that he¡¯ll be angry and punish you when you fail. In any case¡­ Forgive me for being so blunt, but it won¡¯t be any worse than your current condition.¡± Victoria had her lips tightly pursed, the light in her eyes gone. Although she didn¡¯t want to admit it, Gabrielle was right. She had her legs broken, was imprisoned for two years, and was now forced to stay in Delta Club just to suffer humiliation. Nothing else would be worse than her current life even if she angered him now. Although Victoria¡¯s expression had unnoticeable changes, Gabrielle was good at reading people¡¯s expressions from her many years working in the club, so she noticed that Victoria had a slight change of heart. Next, she pushed the box into Victoria¡¯s arms once more and said, ¡°No matter how excellent a man is, they are still a man at the end of the day. ording to what you¡¯ve said, the fact that Mr. Thatcher did not reject your advances even though he likes Miss Spritz is proof that he¡¯s not that devoted.¡± Victoria didn¡¯t reject the box this time as she received it with her fingers slightly trembling. She didn¡¯t want to live so humiliatingly under the shadows of Christian and Be any longer. She wanted to leave, no matter what it took. ¡°See, that¡¯s a good girl. At least if you take a chance here, there¡¯s a possibility of seeding. Even if you fail, you¡¯ll just be continuing your current lifestyle.¡± Gabrielle gestured at the box in Victoria¡¯s arms with her chin. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked many others and had even tried them on myself. The appeal of these three lingerie is very positive.¡± With both her lips and face turning pale, Victoria¡¯s thick eyshes trembled slightly while her nose started sweating slightly. She thought that with how Christian was, there was no doubt that he had many other ways to make her suffer more pain. Nevertheless, she had survived the ordeal of him breaking her leg, so she thought it wasn¡¯t a big deal to go through something like that a few more times. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it and have a look?¡± Gabrielle took the box and opened up the wrapping before she took out one of the erotic lingerie that was thin and looked as though it was just a few pieces of cloth stitched together. ¡°If you¡¯re not satisfied with this, you can¡ª¡± Click. Just then, the door opened. From the moment Gabrielle took out the lingerie, Victoria was already tense all over, so when the door opened without warning, she almost instinctively grabbed the box and the lingerie in Gabrielle¡¯s hand to hide them under the nket. ¡°Did I scare you?¡± Sitting in a wheelchair, Be bit her lip and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not knocking beforeing in.¡± Standing behind the wheelchair, Lucas shot a cold nce at Victoria. However, when he noticed that the colors had not returned to her face, he frowned and looked away from her. Upon seeing the two peopleing in, Gabrielle, who was sitting on the bed, immediately stood up with her head hung low, afraid of looking at the two people. Her hands trembled slightly beside her body. She had heard a few customers talking about how the Thatcher Family and the Spritz Family were to be joined in marriage, so if thetter family found out that she had helped Victoria in seducing Christian, she couldn¡¯t imagine what the consequences would be. With a rxed expression, Victoria wiped the sweat off her forehead and asked, ¡°Can I help you?¡± Just as Be was about to answer, Lucas shot another nce at Victoria with a tinge of conflict in his eyes and said, ¡°Be, I¡¯ll wait for you outside. Call me if anything happens.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do that.¡± Be smiled while nodding. Lucas then turned around and headed for the door. ¡°It¡¯s best if Mr. Spritz stays,¡± Victoria said. Then, with a hint of contempt in her expression, she continued, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll bully Miss Spritz when she¡¯s alone with me?¡± Lucas¡¯ hands stopped on the door handle. He turned around and stared daggers at Victoria with a furious expression. Gabrielle cleared her throat and tried her best in making eye contact with Victoria. Nheless, it was in vain, as thetter did not pay any attention to her currently. So, she lowered her head a little more as she tried to reduce her presence here. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can leave if you want to, Lucas. I believe that Victoria was just possessed back when she hit me two years ago. She¡¯s not a bad person,¡± Be said with a sincere expressionovelxo fast updaten. However, no matter what his sister said, Lucas was not at ease and insisted on staying. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure for you two to visit me?¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes flickered with disgust for the two siblings. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing to say, then I¡¯d like you two to leave. You two can consider that you¡¯ve already done something good today.¡± Lucas furrowed his brows. ¡°Be came all the way here just to apologize. Why must you be so hostile here?¡± ¡°Apologize?¡± Victoria smiled without the slightest hint of joy in her smile. ¡°If you two are here to apologize, then consider it done. You can leave now.¡± Hearing this, Be struggled to get out of the wheelchair, while Lucas immediately wrapped his hands around her to prevent her from falling. Next, she said, ¡°Victoria, it¡¯s my fault for identally spilling the hot water on you that day and causing you to be hurt so badly.¡± Then, she gave a ny-degree bow and said sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Looking at Be indifferently, Victoria thought it was inevitable that she had lost to her. ¡°Yesterday, Christian had alreadye by Delta Club and punished me for it. I have nothing to say to that since everything was just deserts for my actions.¡± She straightened herself up and continued gently, ¡°But I¡¯m truly sorry for identally hurting you, so I hope you can forgive me.¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 ¡°Since Miss Spritz hurting you wasn¡¯t intentional, you should forgive her now that she has apologized,¡± Gabrielle whispered to Victoria as she tugged at the corner of thetter¡¯s clothes. However, Victoria shot a nce at Gabrielle and yanked her clothes away from Gabrielle¡¯s hand. With her hand no longer tugging on Victoria¡¯s clothes, Gabrielle withdrew her hand and raised her hand as she wasn¡¯t sure just where she should have her hands at. ¡°Miss Spritz is the one who decides whether she wants to apologize. However, the decision to forgive her lies with me,¡± Victoria said as she looked at Be. She then answered in a way that was unclear whether she was talking about the current matter or something else entirely. ¡°I will never forgive you for the rest of my life for what you have done. Even if I die, I will beid to rest bearing my hatred for you.¡± Be¡¯s eyes flickered as her eyes were tinged with hints of frustration. Irked, Lucas shouted, ¡°Vic¡ª¡± ¡°Victoria needs her rest. Lucas, let¡¯s just leave the supplements here and leave.¡± Be interrupted her brother as she sat back in her wheelchair with some difficulty. Nevertheless, Lucas¡¯ frown remained deep. ¡°But Victoria is crossing the line here!¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. Whether I apologize is up to me, and it is up to her whether she¡¯ll forgive me,¡± Be said with a slightly bitter smile. ¡°Besides, regardless of my intention, I did hurt her. So, let¡¯s go, Lucas.¡± Having said that, she smiled apologetically at Victoria before she turned her wheelchair around and left for the door. Standing on where he stood, Lucas coldly red at Victoria and said, ¡°You¡¯ve¡­¡± ¡­ disappointed me greatly. ¡°I recall telling youst night to never meet me alone ever again. I don¡¯t want to be called a vixen or a mistress by someone else just because someone can¡¯t stop being delusional and annoying.¡± Victoria interrupted Lucas. In doing so, Lucas¡¯ lips tensed with his fist clenched tightly to the point that it was turning white. ¡°Miss Spritz is waiting for you outside, so I suggest you quickly go after her. It won¡¯t be good if she misunderstands,¡± Victoria said indifferently without consideration of the man¡¯s anger. Lucas grunted before he said, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me! I¡¯ll leave myself!¡± Striding toward the door, he stopped briefly as he gripped the door handle before he said quietly, ¡°You¡¯ll regret it one day with how much anger you¡¯re holding on to.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your concern whether I¡¯ll regret it, so I don¡¯t need your worries.¡± After all, what else was there for her to regret with her legs having once been broken? The only regrets she had was falling in love with Christian, and treating Be as her best friend. m! N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Thus, Lucas mmed the door shut as he left with a furious expression. With her knees turning weak, Gabrielle held onto the wall as she walked toward the bed. In a slightly trembling voice, she said, ¡°Thank goodness you were quick to react by hiding away the lingerie. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t know how to exin it.¡± On the bed, Victoria only gazed at Gabrielle without saying a word. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s actually not that big of a deal. Even if they saw the lingerie, they wouldn¡¯t be saying anything if we don¡¯t tell them that it¡¯s for the sake of seducing Mr. Thatcher. I was just too nervous to think about that just now.¡± Gabrielle patted her chest to calm her palpitating heart. Victoria folded the lingerie and ced it back into the box before she asked, ¡°How much is it? I¡¯ll transfer the money to you.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t sweat it. It¡¯s not much. We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± Gabrielle carefully pleased Victoria. Closing the box, Victoria ced it beside her pillow before she tilted her head at Gabrielle and asked once more, ¡°How much?¡± ¡°I was afraid that Mr. Thatcher would not be pleased if the lingerie wasn¡¯t any good, so I picked out the better ones. The three of them came out to be at 6280, but just transferring 6000 to me is fine.¡± Gabrielle answered the question as Victoria was insistent. Victoria¡¯s eyes shook slightly as she put away her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you in cash when I¡¯m discharged.¡± She only registered her payroll card in her digital wallet, which had not much money in it as her sry was meager at best. Hence, the only option for her was to withdraw money from the card Vincent had given her. ¡°No worries. There¡¯s no need to rush.¡± Gabrielle waved her hands. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s fine even if you don¡¯t pay me back, considering our rtionship.¡± Victoria licked her dry lips. ¡°The doctor said that I can be discharged in another two days, so I¡¯ll pay you in three days. If you feel that cash is inconvenient, give me your bank ount number so that I can transfer it to you then.¡± Gabrielle wanted to say that there was no need for the trouble but decided to text her the ount number after considering the fact that Victoria might return to the Coleman Family. After that, she said, ¡°I remember you said that Mr. Thatcher likes Miss Spritz.¡± Then, while observing Victoria¡¯s expression, she slowly continued, ¡°So, you should try to be more¡­ tactful when talking to her. Think about it, if you upset her, she might make a casual remark in passing when whispering sweet nothings at Mr. Thatcher. By then, it¡¯ll be harder for you to leave Delta Club.¡± Feeling that the soup she had was a bit too salty, Victoria wanted to get out of bed to grab a ss of water. ¡°Stay in bed. I¡¯ll pour you a ss of water if you¡¯re thirsty.¡± Gabrielle poured a ss of warm water and handed it to Victoria. Saying her thanks, Victoria then took the ss of water. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite over a ss of water.¡± Gabrielle then poured herself a ss of water as well. After taking a sip, she continued, ¡°Actually, besides the seduction n, I really think that the suggestion I gave before can work as well.¡± Upon Gabrielle¡¯s words, Victoria tightened her grip on the ss. Her grip was so tight that her hand trembled slightly, causing ripples to form on the water. ¡°I¡¯ve nevere into contact with Miss Spritz that much. However, based on what the public says about her and the limited amount of contact I had with her, I think she¡¯s a pretty gentle and kind person. Begging her for forgiveness has a higher chance of sess than seducing Mr. Thatcher.¡± Victoria finished half of the water in her ss. She then ced it on the table. ¡°You should go back now. I want to have some rest.¡± ¡°I can apany you today since I don¡¯t have any ns lined up. You know, in case anything happens, I¡¯ll be around to help out.¡± Gabrielle felt that she could understand what Victoria was going through right now, for if she was in her shoes, she would be unhappy as well when hearing someone praising her romantic rival. Victoria shot a nce at Gabrielle before shey back down on the bed. ¡°If I can leave Delta Club, I will compensate you for your troubles regardless if I¡¯m epted back into the Coleman Family, so leave.¡± Gabrielle¡¯s face abruptly flushed so red that even her thick makeup couldn¡¯t conceal her embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s been hard for you these days with all the work you¡¯ve done for me.¡± Enduring the itch she felt on the injury on her right leg, she continued, ¡°If anything happens, I can call the doctors or the nurses to help me, so you should go back and have some rest as well.¡± ¡°T-Then, do call me if you need anything else. I don¡¯t have anything lined up for today,¡± Gabrielle murmured. With her face gradually returning to a normal color, she then left the ward. Lying on the bed, Victoria silently stared at the ceiling as she thought that Gabrielle was right about one thing. Human beings are reallyplicated. Just as Be and Lucas left the hospital, they received a call from Denise, who asked them for their help in containing Nancy as thetter¡¯s quarrel with Glen and Vincent at the Coleman Residence was getting heated. Thus, the siblings immediately asked their drivnovelxo fast updateer to change their destination to the Coleman Residence. When they arrived, Denise had been waiting for them with maids in tow for some time. Upon noticing the siblings¡¯ arrival, Denise, who seemed to have seen her savior, rushed to wee them. ¡°Be, Lucas, I truly can¡¯t handle the situation, so I had no choice but to call you two over.¡± As she spoke, tears started running down her cheeks. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about who¡¯s right or wrong here. Glen has a heart condition, so if they keep arguing like this, he¡¯ll end up in a hospital. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Be hurriedly took out her handkerchief and handed it to Denise before she assured her. ¡°Mrs. Coleman, don¡¯t worry. My brother and I are here for you. Where¡¯s my mom?¡± ¡°Inside¡­ the living room.¡± Wiping her tears, Denise sobbed as she continued, ¡°You two came even though Tori and Vince did all those things. How¡­ How should I ever repay you two¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite with us. Let¡¯s hurry inside now,¡± Be said gently. When the three of them entered the living room, they found Nancy facing off with the father-son pair. Since the atmosphere was tense, the maids stood at the side apprehensively as they didn¡¯t dare step in to stop the quarrel. One of the maids was standing by with a first-aid kit in hand, just in case their master was to have a heart attack from the quarrel. ¡°You¡¯re just the same as Victoria; just another heartless little wretch!¡± Nancy pointed at Vincent and bellowed, ¡°When had Be ever not treated the two of you well back when you two would go over to their ce? When your grades were still bad and you were about to take the college entrance exams, Be had even asked her brother to help you study just so you can get into a good college! She¡¯s always been behind you every step of the way, looking out for you, so how could you do this to her?!¡± She was so agitated her spittle flew all over Vincent¡¯s face as she ranted at him. Wiping the spittle off his face, Vincent was already boiling with anger as he had endured Nancy¡¯s rant for a long while. ¡°It¡¯s because I respect you as an elder that I have been putting up with you. You¡¯d better not force my hand!¡± ¡°What will you do if I do? You¡¯re going to hit me?¡± Nancy took several steps forward and poked Vincent¡¯s face with her nails. ¡°You heartless wretch, I¡¯ve never held your family responsible when Victoria had almost run over Be. Yet, here you are repaying our generosity by picking on Be!¡± Upon hearing that, Vincent immediately grew furious as he pushed Nancy away and roared, ¡°That was two years ago! There¡¯s no way to tell who has wronged who then! I¡¯m warning you not toy a hand on me. I¡¯m not in the habit of hitting a woman!¡± ¡°Mom, are you okay?¡± Lucas quickly went over to hold Nancy. Since Nancy hadn¡¯t expected Vincent would actually push her away, she huffed and puffed without saying anything further. ¡°Vince, how could you push Nancy?¡± Denise walked up to Vincent and said anxiously to him, ¡°Apologize to her right now!¡± ¡°I will never, in my life, ask for forgiveness from anyone from their family!¡± Vincent spat on the ground, ripped his tie, and threw his tie to the ground. As he was raging with agitation, he pointed in the direction of his mother and the Spritz Family. ¡°Tori is the one who is your flesh and blood, so how could you and Dad not trust her but choose to trust these outsiders instead? I¡¯ve never seen parents such as yourselves ever before!¡± Usually, when he started using such a tone, his father would immediately lambast him to teach him a lesson. However, Glen was currently furious with Nancy, so he didn¡¯t say anything to his son. ¡°Vince, stop this nonsense!¡± Denise said anxiously. Vincent let out a heave and said, ¡°Mom, it seems that you and Dad are as blind as a bat now!¡± Although Vincent often acted like a hooligan in public, he had never talked back to his mother like this. Hence, upon what she heard, Denise looked at him in disbelief with tears rolling down her cheeks. Lucas supported Nancy by her arm, his amber eyes filled with anger. ¡°Vincent, you¡¯ve gone too far this time.¡± Vincent pointed at himself. Then, with bloodshot eyes, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve gone too far? You¡¯re the f*cking one that made my sister kneel in front of the club entrance to the extent¡­¡± He choked for a moment before he continued, ¡°To the extent that her knees became swollen. Is that not going too far as well?! Was Be not going too far when she took a pot of boiling water and spilled it on my sister as well?!¡± His voice started to break as he continued to raise his voice. ¡°She was bullied by you guys to the point of wanting to kill herself by crashing her car! Yet, here you are saying that I¡¯m f*cking too much? What a joke!¡± Perhaps it was due to her son talking back to her, or it was because of the heartbreaking experiences her daughter had, but tears continued to run down Denise¡¯s cheek. Since Lucas never knew that Victoria had wanted tomit suicide before this, he was slightly stunned with a sharp ache in his heart. His impression of her was still the same arrogant and extravagant woman from two years ago, so he never thought that she would actually consider ending her own life. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Vincent. It¡¯s my fault that I identally hurt Victoria,¡± Be said seriously and sincerely. ¡°I¡¯ve already apologized to Victoria, but if you still want to me me for it, then I have nothing to say. Either way, you shouldn¡¯t have attacked your elders here, so I hope you can apologize to my mother.¡± Simr to Murphy¡¯sw, Vincent made things worse as he strained his neck and said, ¡°Not a chance! Do whatever you want!¡± Be sighed and looked at Denise helplessly. ¡°Mrs. Coleman, I¡­ I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing I can do about this.¡± ¡°Vince¡­¡± Denise tearfully looked at Vincent with pleading eyes. ¡°You¡¯re in the wrong in this matter, so it¡¯s better if you just apologize to them here¡­¡± Vincent was moved momentarily before his anger surged back up. ¡°Fine, I can apologize here!¡± Then, he pointed at Lucas with his teeth gritted. ¡°If he kneels in front of Delta Club for the entire day, I¡¯ll apologize any way you want! Even if you want me to kneel and apologize to you all, I¡¯ll f*cking to do it!¡± ¡°Dream on!¡± Nancy yelled as she went up to Vincent. Then, she looked at Glen with an expression filled with anger and hatred. ¡°One is a murderer, and one is a thug. Glen Coleman, I don¡¯t get how others say that you¡¯re a charitable man! Just look at what your kids have be!¡± Be and Lucas wanted to interject but were prevented from doing so by their mother. ¡°Don¡¯t think of trying to mediate things here, you two. I must settle this matter with the Colemans right here and now! Those two children are just useless waste of space that has nothing going for them. I must¡ª¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Glen interrupted Nancy. Infuriated, he said while gasping, ¡°You say you want to settle things here¡­ but I have a few grievances of my own!¡± Nancy grunted and sneered, ¡°Victoria almost killed my daughter while Vincent had spilled hot water on her two days ago. Yet, you have the nerve to say you have grievances as well? Fine, say it. Tell me your so-called grievances!¡± ¡°Mom¡ª¡± Be tugged at her mother¡¯s sleeve and raised her voice. Nancy angled her gaze down at Be with a pained expression. ¡°Children should stay out of adult¡¯s business. I must bring justice to your matter today!¡± Next, she raised her head and novelxo fast updateturned her attention back to Glen. ¡°Come on, let me see just how shameless the Coleman Family can be!¡± ¡°I doubt we would be as shameless as you!¡± Vincent scoffed with a face filled with contempt. ¡°Not only did someone get pregnant before marriage, but that someone had rtions with several¡­¡± Denise became so frightened that she stopped crying as she hurried and covered her son¡¯s mouth. Exasperated, she urged in a whisper, ¡°Vince, just think of your mom begging you here. Please just stop talking!¡± Her face pale, Nancy pretended not to have heard Vincent¡¯s remark. However, Be shot a nce at her mother and seemed to be lost in thought. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Since Glen had felt suffocated from the unfairness for the past two years, there was a slight tremble in his voice as he said, ¡°Although Victoria had broken Be¡¯s leg back then, Christian broke her leg, sent her to prison for two years, and is still having her be humiliated in Delta Club! Whatever she owed Be has long been paid off! This time, Vincent burned Be¡¯s hand, but Be burned Victoria¡¯s leg in the first ce! Your Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 ¡°Not only that, but try asking your own conscience, Nancy. Ask yourself just how much profit I¡¯ve given to Spritz Group these past two years to make up for Victoria¡¯s mistake. No matter how you slice it, it is the Coleman Family that is holding the short end of the stick!¡± Hearing that, Denise recalled the way they had been living for the past two years. Tears continued to run down her cheeks when she did. Then, Glen pointed at the door. ¡°Not only do you show no appreciation whatsoever for how much we¡¯ve given your family, but you also stand here and say that you have grievances with our family. Fine, then bring those two children with you and get out of this house. From now on, our families will have nothing to do with each other!¡± Since Glen had been docile and submissive for the past two years, Nancy was stunned, as she hadn¡¯t expected him to be determined in cutting off their rtions so abruptly. ¡°Dad, you finally look like a proper man now!¡± Vincent¡¯s anger seemed to have finally subsided slightly. Gesturing toward the door with his face, he bellowed, ¡°Did neither of you hear what he said? He told you to get lost!¡± Nancy came back to her senses, her face as red as a tomato as she tried to leave with both Lucas and Be in tow. However, Be easily stopped her mother from doing so. ¡°Mom, calm down.¡± Lucas bore a fierce expression but didn¡¯t refute his sister as well. ¡°Mr. Glen, if you¡¯ve really wanted to sever ties with our family, you wouldn¡¯t have waited until now to do so, am I right? So I dare say that you only wanted to let us know just how hard it was for you these past two years and hoped that we would understand by saying all the things you said,¡± Be said gently. Staying silent, Glen only took the pill that his wife handed to him and swallowed it. However, Vincent was happy as he said mockingly, ¡°A scheming wench truly has a rich imagination! But, I¡¯m sorry to say that our family is serious about breaking off all rtions with your shameless family!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. As Vincent¡¯s words were unpleasant to the ears, Lucas frowned and was about to retort but was stopped by Be. She gave him an implied expression that seemed to advise him not to speak for now before she continued, ¡°Mr. Glen, it¡¯s true that my mother¡¯s actions today have crossed the line. For that, I¡¯ll apologize in her stead.¡± Nevertheless, as Nancy felt that it wasn¡¯t her fault, she wanted to speak up, but Lucas stopped her from doing so. ¡°Mom, leave the rest to Be. Just stay quiet.¡± ¡°Who the hell would ept your apology?¡± Due to what had happened with Victoria, Vincent disliked the Spritz Family. ¡°Get lost! Take your mother and brother out of this house! Our family does not wee animals like you here!¡± Lucas¡¯ frown grew deeper as a hint of gloom flickered in his eyes. Seemingly to have not heard what Vincent said, Be continued sincerely with her eyes on Glen, ¡°Our families¡¯ friendship hassted for more than decades now. Should it be broken off due to such trivial matters, the public will look at us as a joke. Not only that, you should know that ourpanies¡¯ business is intricate as well. If you dissolve our partnership, I¡¯m afraid that both ourpanies will sustain heavy losses.¡± ¡°As I was furious just now, I have been speaking without giving much thought.¡± Glen went along with the path Be hadid down for him. ¡°If you were not here today and our families¡¯ rtions were broken off due to what I¡¯ve said in a fit of anger, then I would have made an irreparable mistake.¡± Vincent¡¯s jaw dropped slightly with his eyes lit up in surprise and anger, as he couldn¡¯t understand how the situation turned out this way. ¡°I don¡¯t me you, Mr. Glen. My mother was indeed a tad capricious here. By the way, I¡¯ve heard that you have given the piece ofnd in Glogan to Christian. It just so happens that our family has a piece of land there as well and has ns to build arge amusement park on it. However, there are some issues in securing the capital, so I was wondering if you would be interested in securing a share of the project?¡± Be asked with a smile. As Coleman Group had worked together with Spritz Group all these years, Glen was very clear that the latter had no problems securing the capital for the project. Since the return on the investment in Glogan¡¯s amusement park was projected to be extremely high and there were no problems with securing the capital for the project, it was obvious to him that Be had asked as a gesture of goodwill for what happened just now. ¡°Since you¡¯ve said that much, the others will think that I¡¯m throwing my weight around at the younger generation if I decline your offer here.¡± Glen sighed. ¡°How about this, tell the person in charge of the project toe and meet me in Coleman Group at ten o¡¯clock in the morning tomorrow. We¡¯ll properly discuss it and how much I would need to make up for the deficit.¡± Be smiled. ¡°Then, I thank you in Spritz Group¡¯s stead, Mr. Glen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just doing my part. You don¡¯t have to be so polite with me.¡± Despite the ashtrays, vases, cups, and ornaments fragments that Nancy smashed earlier still all over the floor, there were now signs of joy for certain parties in the room. Regardless, the maids made eye contact with one another before they methodically cleaned up the messy floor. ¡°Mr. Vincent, do you still want this tie?¡± one of the maids asked cautiously with the tie Vincent had thrown to the ground in hand. ¡°Why would I?!¡± Vincent snatched the tie from the maid and wanted to rip it apart. Failing to do so, he threw it hard to the ground once more. In the fearful eyes of the maids, every wording out of his mouth was just insults after insults about his father as Vincent red at him. Stewed in both shame and anger, Glen said, ¡°Apologize to Nancy, Be, and Lucas!¡± ¡°Kiss my *ss! I would rather eat sh*t than apologize to them!¡± Vincent took off his suit jacket and flung it to the ground before he stomped on it several times. Then, he took big strides toward the door. With his body trembling in anger, Glen pointed at Vincent and yelled, ¡°If you leave that door today, you¡¯ll be prohibited froming back to this family, just like Victoria!¡± ¡°I won¡¯te back to this disgusting ce even if you begged me!¡± Vincent continued to walk out without sparing a second nce at him. Although the three members of the Spritz Family were standing by the door, both Lucas and Nancy couldn¡¯t react in time when he yanked the wheelchair and kicked it away. He felt as though he was about to explode from the anger in him. ¡°Y-Y-You!¡± Nancy was so incensed that she couldn¡¯t get her words out of her throat as she quickly chased after Be, who had her wheelchair rolling toward the center of the living room. ¡°Be, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ming for you!¡± Then, Vincent walked up to the gloomy Lucas and grabbed his cor with both his hands. ¡°Back then, you were like some dog, following my sister around all day long and asking for her love. But you immediately turned tail and ran the moment sh*t hit the fan. What a fine f*cking man you are!¡± ¡°You¡¯d better watch what you¡¯re saying!¡± With a cold expression, Lucas pushed Vincent away. ¡°Pah!¡± Vincent spat on the ground and gave a sardonic smile. ¡°I¡¯m warning you now. If I ever see your face in the future, you¡¯d better turn around and go the other way, or I¡¯m gonna beat you up!¡± Having said that, he left the house while Glen continued to yell in anger at him. Victoria hadn¡¯t expected Janice would drag Matthew toe to the hospital to visit her. Strictly speaking, their rtionship right now was no more than a stranger, as they had only met each other four times before this. ¡°Your lips are cracked. Here, have some dragon fruit!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look so good. Are you not feeling well or are you worried about your brother? If it¡¯s thetter, then you don¡¯t have to worry since my mentor has already dropped thewsuit. Hehe.¡± ¡°How¡¯s the dragon fruit? It tastes good, doesn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll buy more for you next time!¡± Janice was just like a machine gun as she kept firing question after question at Victoria. Despite nobody answering her questions, she managed to keep the conversation going. If either Victoria or Matthew did reply out of courtesy, even if they had only given a one-wonovelxo fast updaterd reply, she would use their reply as a basis to carry on talking for another ten minutes Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Sitting on the bed, Victoria ate the dragon fruit silently. After all, she was never a natural socializer, regardless if it was in the past or the present. ¡°The hallmark of a goodwyer is to be able to argue properly, and not just to speak incessantly. How many mistakes do you think your opposingwyer would have uncovered with how tactless you¡¯ve been speaking?¡± Matthew knocked Janice on her head. With the knock from Matthew, Janice instantly turned quiet with her eyes whirled round, as though Matthew had pressed the pause button on her. However, the silence onlysted for ten minutes before she continued, ¡°Your name is Victoria, right? Victoria, will you still be going back to work at Delta Club after you¡¯re discharged?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes flickered with hints of gloom when she stopped eating the dragon fruit halfway through, as she wasn¡¯t sure if her n in seducing Christian would be sessful. Even in the case where she seeded, she contemted whether he would allow her to leave the club. There was still the possibility that she would still be kept in the club to be humiliated after he was done ying around with her. Nevertheless, there was no other way for her except for this n, even if the chances of sess here were slim. ¡°Hmm, you gotta go back, huh¡­¡± Janice pondered hard, her baby face all scrunched up. Then, as though a light bulb went off in her head, she jumped and hung onto Matthew with her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Seeing this, Victoria identally choked. Letting out a few coughs, she cleared her throat and wiped off the dragon fruit stains at the corner of her mouth with a piece of tissue. ¡°Get down,¡± Matthew said with both his hands holding her, as he was afraid she would fall. ¡°Come on, Mr. Buckley¡­¡± With her arms around his neck, Janice swayed back and forth as she said in a pampered manner, ¡°Aren¡¯t you and that Thatcher guy good friends? You should ask him to let her go! Pretty please?¡± Victoria was slightly surprised. She had heard that Christian had a friend who had be awyer. However, because that friend of his had been studying abroad, she never got to meet him. I see, so it¡¯s him. Then, her eyes flickered as she thought that it might work in her favor if Matthew was willing to speak to Christian on her behalf. As Matthew cast a skeptical nce at Victoria, he pushed up his gold-rimmed sses that were going to fall due to Janice¡¯s moving about. ¡°Get down first.¡± ¡°Promise me first!¡± Janice refused to let go. ¡°Mr. Buckley, isn¡¯t awyer¡¯s duty to punish evil and uphold righteousness? Look at how badly Christian bullied Victoria. You have to help her!¡± Matthew calmly corrected Janice. ¡°You¡¯re talking about prosecutors and the police. Lawyers only look at where the money is.¡± Seeing that Matthew had no intention of helping her, Victoria wanted to express her appreciation for Janice¡¯s intentions, but she held her tongue in the end. Clenching the bed sheet tightly, she closed her eyes as her breathing turned ragged. She could see that Matthew was fond of his apprentice. So, if there was a chance that he agreed to Janice¡¯s request, then her chances of leaving Delta Club would increase. ¡°Mr. Buckley!!¡± Janice raised her voice. ¡°If you don¡¯t promise me, then I won¡¯t go down!¡± Matthew stood still. ¡°Then, you can just keep hanging this way. Don¡¯tin to me when your arms be sore.¡± Instantly, Janice became listless and muttered, ¡°No wonder you¡¯re good friends with that cruel and ruthless capitalist of a man. You¡¯re birds of a feather¡­¡± Victoria swallowed the dragon fruit in her mouth, a glimmer of gloom shing past her eyes once more. ¡°Thank you for helping me again, Miss Mooney. But, you shouldn¡¯t make things difficult for Mr. Buckley. He must have his reasons for not agreeing.¡± Janice then let go of Matthew¡¯s neck and dropped to the floor before she squirmed. ¡°Actually, my mentor isn¡¯t a bad man. He dropped thewsuit with just a word from his parents saying to not interfere with your brother¡¯s case.¡± ¡°You guys dropped the case because of Mr. Buckley¡¯s parents?!¡± Victoria jerked her head up and momentarily forgot herself. Noticing Victoria was getting agitated, Janice became puzzled. ¡°Yup. My mentor¡¯s parents seem to have friendly rtions with your parents, so when they told my mentor not to interfere with your brother¡¯s case, he immediately dropped it,¡± she said as though she was rapping. Then, she added, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Victoria put down the dragon fruit. Although she had managed to get a hold of her expression, her hands were still tightly clenching the bed sheet underneath the nket. Christian¡¯s n of killing two birds with one stone was brilliant. Not only did he avoid sowing discord with Matthew due to Vincent¡¯s case, but he had even gained a piece of newnd in Glogan from the Coleman Family at no cost. Janice let out a long sigh as she felt embarrassed and guilty that she couldn¡¯t help Victoria. Then, with a twinkle in her eyes, she excused herself to use the restroom and immediately left. Taking a nce at the restroom in the ward, Victoria pursed her lips. ¡°How did you get to know Janice?¡± Matthew walked up to the door and closed it. Victoria raised her head to nce at the man before she hung her head again as she put down the dragon fruit she just picked up. ¡°I was working in Delta Club. Miss Mooney was a customer. That¡¯s where we happened to meet,¡± she said indifferently. ¡°Was it a coincidence or a deliberate meeting?¡± Matthew pushed his sses up. As the sunlight spilled into the room, his ss lens reflected the light, which concealed the novelxo fast updateexpression in his eyes. As the faint scent of disinfectant filled the room, the supposedly rxing image of the white sheets, white walls, and beige flooring was slightly harsh right now. Propping her hands on the bed, Victoria moved toward the direction of her pillow. ¡°The new secretary of the municipalmittee had just taken up the post when I first met Miss Mooney. It was during the time when the news hadn¡¯t even been reported yet.¡± Then, with a self-deprecating smile, she continued, ¡°Do you think a criminal without any background like me, who just got out of prison, would be able to obtain information about the new secretary?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say you¡¯re someone without background.¡± Matthew slowly peeled a banana. ¡°Although the Coleman Family had severed ties with you, you seemed to be still in contact with your brother.¡± With a slight frown, she asked, ¡°Assuming I know that Miss Mooney is the daughter of the new secretary, how would I get her intoing to Delta Club?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°She¡¯s been protected by her parents all her life and had only graduated two months before. She wouldn¡¯t know howplicated the real world is. All she has is her passion for helping others.¡± Matthew took a bite of the banana and continued slowly, ¡°But, that doesn¡¯t mean that there are no prudent people around her.¡± Victoria sighed as she threw the unfinished dragon fruit into the trash can. ¡°Then, I would like for that prudent person to properly persuade her from caring about a murderer such as myself. I¡¯m undeserving.¡± ¡°Happy to be of service.¡± Matthew raised his brow slightly and finished the banana in several bites before he threw it into the trash can. ¡°However, she is a stubborn girl, so my persuasion might not work. For that reason, should you ever run into her again in the future, I hope you will try to avoid her as much as you can.¡± Suppressing the anger she felt, Victoria said indifferently, ¡°I would also like you to tell her my thanks and also to tell her that¡­¡± ¡­ thoughtless kindness may be burdensome to others. However, she stopped herself from finishing the sentence. ¡°Just tell her my thanks. I¡¯m tired and would like to rest now. Please leave, Mr. Buckley.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding. In return, I will put in a few good words about you to Christian. However, I won¡¯t guarantee what he will do after that.¡± Having said that, he walked toward the door. Momentarily stunned, Victoria looked at the back of the man and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± But there was no response to her thanks. After Matthew left the ward, the final rays of sunshine were also isted from the room upon the closing of the door Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Outside the door, Matthew and Janice¡¯s voices could be heard, and although it wasn¡¯t clear, Victoria could listen to the tone that they were kidding around, but Janice seemed slightly annoyed. She stretched out her palms, nced at the thin calluses on her palm, andughed lightly, but the laughter didn¡¯t reach her eyes. At 5.30PM, Vincent came with a bunch of food that she liked. ¡°I went to a few ces and was queuing up the whole afternoon to buy everything. Eat more of it.¡± After he ced the food on the table, he handed her a set of cutlery and a food container before cing a bottle of white wine on the table. ¡°Why are you in the mood for a drink?¡± she asked casually. Her brother usually didn¡¯t like alcohol as he found the taste horrible. He suppressed the frustrations in his heart as he poured himself half a ss and finished it in a gulp. ¡°I just feel like having some.¡± As he wasn¡¯t wearing his jacket and tie, his shirt opened up a little when he made a huge show of drinking, revealing a fingernail mark from the lower right side of his neck to his corbone. ¡°Why do you have a scratch on your neck?¡± Victoria asked with a frown while setting aside the fork. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. He was rmed by her keen eyes, so he pulled his cor tightly and frantically wore a sheepish expression. ¡°Why are you asking me when you¡¯ve already seen it? We¡¯re all adults. Can¡¯t you guess how I got that scratch?¡± ¡°Vince.¡± Victoria stared straight at him with her dark, calm eyes. He scratched his neck awkwardly as he mumbled, ¡°Why do you seem like a changed person after two years in jail?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject,¡± she warned. It didn¡¯t take long for a frustrated Vincent to cave since he had long wanted toin to someone. Thus, he mmed the fork on the table angrily before telling her everything that happened today with some embellishment. In the end, he furrowed his brows tightly and took a sip of wine. ¡°And I really f*cking thought that Dad was going to seek justice for you. Oh, I¡¯m so mad at this!¡± ¡°Be is right,¡± Victoria said softly, sadness shing across her eyes. Vincent blurted, wholly puzzled, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get why Dad changed his opinion so quickly, do you?¡± Victoriaughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°That¡¯s because Be is right. Dad said so much about being oppressed the whole time, but more than that, he wanted them to know that he didn¡¯t have it easy either.¡± And that¡¯s why Be used the amusement park project to pacify Dad¡­ she thought, snorting coldly. It never urred to her that her father would one day make use of her suffering to line his pockets. The look on Vincent¡¯s face kept changing until he finally looked forlorn and picked up the bottle as he drank straight from it; his tears mixed with the wine and flowed down his chin. ¡°Don¡¯t drink so much. You¡¯ll feel sick.¡± Victoria snatched the bottle from him and ced it on the table. Her heart felt like someone had sshed it with acid¡ªriddled with holes, and it was so unbearable that she found it hard to breathe. ¡°Why, Tori?¡± Vincent balled his fists repeatedly as he choked on his words, ¡°Mom and Dad used to dote on you so much before. So, why did they suddenly¡­ be like this?¡± Victoria drew out a few pieces of tissue and wiped away the tears and wine on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve been out for too long. Go home now. Mom, Dad, and Teresa will be worried.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going back! When I left the house today, I already told the old man that I¡¯m not going back to the Coleman Family anymore!¡± Since he rarely drank, it was only natural for him to be unable to hold his liquor. Hence, his eyes were already starting to look ssy. ¡°I don¡¯t want to return to that heartless home again!¡± She sighed softly and persuaded, ¡°If you don¡¯t return, what should Teresa and the kids do? Vince, you¡¯re already an adult. Think before you act.¡± ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Spritz, they¡­ Hic! They could believe Be, that lying b*tch, but h-how could Mom and Dad not believe¡­¡± Before he could finish, he slumped over on the table and started snoring. Victoria slipped out of the bed, endured the pain in her leg, and carried him to the side bed with a little difficulty before covering the nket on him. As she had done a lot of physical work in jail and in Delta Club, she had rtively strong arms now. She took a few more tissues as she wiped his tear-streaked face tenderly amidst his drunken mumblings. Then, she staggered out of the ward and stood in a daze at a window in the corridor, looking out into the distance. The darkness of the night was like a giant lurking beast, and the shadows of the jagged trees were its limbs, lurching at her with its teeth and ws. ¡°Why are you standing outside when you¡¯re injured? Don¡¯t you want your leg anymore?¡± A slightly icy but incredibly familiar voice echoed behind her, and her body turned taut with tension. She immediately felt like she was in an ice cer and her limbs were frozen stiff. She turned to Christian, lowered her head and greeted respectfully, ¡°Hello, Mr. Thatcher.¡± Why is he here? she wondered. He grunted in acknowledgment, and his gaze casually brushed past her injured right legnovelxo fast update. His brows furrowed ever so slightly, but he didn¡¯t say anything else. His gaze felt so real and concrete, just like the golf club from the past, striking her leg hit after hit. A thinyer of sweat formed on her nose, and her longshes trembled in fear. The question¡ª¡¯What¡¯s the matter?¡¯¡ªremained at the tip of her tongue for a long time, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to force it out of her throat. She resented Lucas, Be as well as Christian, but besides hate, she had more terror for Christian, and it was a fright drilled deeply into her bones. ¡°If you don¡¯t want your leg anymore, just tell me. You don¡¯t have to go through such a hassle.¡± Christian retracted his gaze and snorted softly. ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Victoria licked her dry lips as droplets of sweat rolled down the side of her cheek. ¡°The room is too stuffy. I¡¯m just here to open the window, but I¡¯m returning to rest now.¡± Afterward, she twirled around, ambled to her ward, and opened the window. When she was about to open the door to enter, she paused. The man behind traced all of her steps and was now standing outside the ward too. ¡°Mr. Thatcher¡­ May I help you?¡± Due to her lowered head, her short, uneven hair covered the scar at the end of her brow and only revealed her petite and pallid face. Christian nced down at her hair and was momentarily stunned by her abrupt question. ¡°I¡¯m a little thirsty and want to have some water inside.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. The dinner was too salty, and I finished that little bit of water.¡± Victoria gripped the hem of her shirt, and her back was already drenched from fear. A long time ago, the Coleman Family had already announced before Christian that they had cut off all ties with her, but her brother was now lying in her ward. Although she didn¡¯t care about what would happen to the Colemans, she didn¡¯t want to implicate Vincent. He raised his brows in apparent disbelief, lifted her chin, and forced her to look at him. When she was made to look into his deep, unreadable eyes, she couldn¡¯t help but tremble in fright. ¡°Victoria.¡± Christian held her chin and suddenly closed in on her. His stunning face erged before her eyes, and they were in such close proximity that she could even see the tiny hairs on his face clearly. All of a sudden, her heart pounded so hard that it was about to beat out of her chest. She didn¡¯t dare to look at him, so she lowered her gaze and took a step back with her right foot as she wanted to put a distance between them. Unfortunately, he suddenly ced a hand on her and pulled her right back before him. Their bodies touched, and their eyes met, but he was unable to hide the indifference in his eyes just as she couldn¡¯t hide the panic in hers Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Christian¡¯s lips stopped less than a centimeter away from Victoria¡¯s. Their faces were so close to each other that as he spoke, she could feel him breathing onto her face. ¡°You reek of alcohol. Is there a man hiding in the ward?¡± ¡°No.¡± Victoria blinked faster than usual, and her palms were covered in cold sweat. ¡°A female friend experienced a break-up, so she came here and had some beers.¡± He stared at her for a while before smiling and releasing her. It was up in the air whether he believed her words. Still, he remained silent for some time and said, ¡°I won¡¯t go inside if someone is there. Go and get a chair out.¡± She grumbled and was very careful not to open the door too wide when entering. But as she came out with a chair, she had no choice but to open the door wider to fit the chair through. She kept ncing in his direction several times in a seemingly natural way and pondered whether he could see who was sleeping inside from his position. On the other hand, Christian saw her little trick, narrowed his eyes, and smiled mysteriously. She ced the chair behind him and took a few steps back, widening the distance between them. ¡°If there is nothing else I could do for you, I¡¯ll return to my ward.¡± In her opinion, the fact that she had to breathe the same air as him was the most unbearable thing, akin to drinking arsenic. ¡°Sit down,¡± he ordered. She furrowed her brows slightly in displeasure, but her face smoothed almost immediately afterward. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, please sit. I can stand instead.¡± She did not know what he was ying at, so it was impossible for her not to feel difited. He tapped the back of the chair with his fingers a few times, and his voice got even lower than before and sounded like a mild warning. ¡°Sit down.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She walked to the chair with reluctance but still did as told. Nevertheless, her back was tense, her bottom merely upied a small portion of the chair, and her toes faced outward¡ª practically announcing to the world that she was ready to bounce and flee at a second¡¯s notice. The circr incandescentmps along the corridor were very bright but not as warm as the dim yellow dawn lights. The whitemps lit her face up, making her look even paler. ¡°A man who has only seen you a few times came to plead on your behalf. I must say, Victoria, that you are good.¡± Christian stood behind her while resting his palms on the chair¡¯s armrests. He looked as if he was wrapping her in his arms from afar. Victoria could not see his face, but she could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck, and for some reason, she could feel a chill down her spine. She was so stiff that it was only after a while that she realized who Christian was referring to. ¡°Not at all. Matthew was willing to intercede, all thanks to Janice. It has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°That girl really cares about you, huh?¡± He let go of the armrest, stood up, and sounded less threatening. ¡°But I told you long ago that no one can help you.¡± She sped her hands together tightly and closed her eyes bitterly when she heard that. ¡°Yes, you did. I don¡¯t have any delusions of that.¡± ¡°Go back then. It¡¯s cold outside.¡± He then walked toward the elevator without waiting for her response. She watched his figure cast a shallow shadow on the ground, and her hatred started fermenting wildly in her blood. She could feel her blood vessels were about to burst, but there was nowhere she could vent her anger and resentment. In the past, people used to be envious that she was born as a Coleman because the Colemans were influential and affluent. But she had always thought otherwise. No matter how powerful and wealthy the Colemans were, she was practically useless if Christian did not love her. She had a rude awakening as Christian¡¯s immense power forced her to ept that death was even extravagant hope. Every day, she had to curry favor with him and struggle to live in humiliation. Ding! The elevator arrived, and Christian walked into the elevator. Victoria slightly raised her head and blinked before moving the chair back to the ward. As soon as Victoria entered the ward, the smell of alcohol and disinfection prated her senses, bringing her back to reality. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°F*ck you, scheming b*tch¡­¡± Vincent cursed in a low voice before turning and kicking the quilt to the ground. Vincent scrunched up his face, and he was also crying andughing hysterically. Victoria sighed as she walked over to her brother to pick up the quilt and tucked him in beforeying back on the hospital bed. Perhaps it was the first time he drank, or maybe it was because he drank too much¡ªhe was vomiting and cursing until midnight. Anyhow, Victoria¡¯s infusion contained hypnotic ingredients, and as she was too exhausted to care for her brother, she fell asleep shortly afterying on the hospital bed. The weather was good that day. If one looked up, one could see the blue sky and white clouds, and if one took a deep breath, one would also inhale the refreshing autumn air. Be, wearing a white dress, was waiting for someone under the sycamore tree at the school. Her long ck hair softly draped over her body and looked so gentle and beautiful that passersby would stare at her every now and then. On the other hand, Victoria was wearing a crop top and a pair of shorts and had limited-edition earphones hanging around her neck. She was chewing gum in her mouth and walked toward Be utterly carefreely. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Before Be could answer, Victoria managed to blow a big bubble that burst, and she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you want to give me a birthday present but don¡¯t want others to know what the present is?¡± ¡°Happy 18th birthday, little princess! The older you be, the more beautiful you get!¡± Beughed at Victoria¡¯s teasing and handed her a beautifully packaged gift box.novelxo fast update ¡°Huh?¡± Victoria took the gift box and was about to open it as she continued, ¡°I¡¯m already beautiful enough. If I get any prettier, everyone will start getting jealous. Better that you wish Christian and me a happy marriage and bless us with a cute kid.¡± Be¡¯s eyes dimmed a little upon hearing that. She quickly held Victoria¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t open the gift now. Open it at home.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Victoria put the gift box under her arm and winked at Be. ¡°Don¡¯t dress up too pretty tonight and steal my limelight, okay? Remember, Christian, is going to propose to me tonight!¡± After she finished speaking, she put on her earphones and did not wait for another moment as she left humming a song. Be trotted a few steps and grabbed her hand from behind. ¡°Victoria, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Be looked quite serious, so she took off her earphones, leaned against the tree, and blew another big bubble. Be remained silent for a bit as she bit her own lips before finally taking a deep breath and mustered up all her courage to say, ¡°I¡¯ve liked Chris for many years. I like him very much.¡± Pop. The bubble that Victoria was blowing burst, and the gum smeared half of her face making her look a bit funny. Did Be, my best friend, just say that she really really likes Christian? ¡°I wanted to keep my love for Christian in my heart forever and never tell anyone, initially. But from the moment I knew you were going to get engaged to him at your birthday banquet, I have been having trouble sleeping every night. Every second I spend on this earth is nothing but torment.¡± Be¡¯s dark circles were not very obvious, but they were enough to prove her words. As the gift box was under Victoria¡¯s arm, she used the other hand to clean up the gum on her face expressionlessly, but her fingers, which were trembling a little, gave her up. ¡°Since you have decided not to tell anyone, why did you tell me?¡± ¡°My love for Chris is perhaps more than yours.¡± Be looked Victoria in the eyes, pointed at her own heart, and stated, ¡°I can no longer hide the love I have for him anymore after so many years.¡± The gum was stubbornly stuck on Victoria¡¯s face, and she had difficulty cleaning it. The white gum turned ck due to oxidation, causing Victoria to look paler and more ridiculous. Eventually, she simply gave up cleaning the gum and stared at her best friend. ¡°So, what are you trying to say?¡± Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 ¡°Victoria, you know well that if I set my eyes on something, I will do my best to fight for it.¡± When Be said that, her eyes were filled with conflict. ¡°I treat you as a friend, so I am confessing this now before your engagement with Chris. If I only confess after you two got engaged or married, it will be hard on our friendship.¡± Victoria leaned on the tree trunk entirely and switched the position of her crossed legs before continuing, ¡°So, you like Christian. Then, what?¡± ¡°I hope you can give up your engagement with him andpete with me fairly. If he chooses you in the end, I will leave and neverin.¡± As Be spoke, a beam of hope emerged from her eyes. A field of autumn chrysanthemums was not far from the sycamore tree, and the flowers¡¯ fragrance drifted along the cool autumn breeze. It was supposed to be refreshing, but somehow it made Victoria feel irritable. ¡°I have been roleying as Christian¡¯s bride since we were young, and I have chased after him for ten years. Now that he has finally agreed to marry me, you chose to tell me that you like him too and want me topete fairly with you. What the f*ck are you thinking, huh? Who do you think you are?¡± The more Victoria thought about it, the angrier she became. Finally, she straightened up, stuffed the gift box into Be¡¯s arms with an indifferent face, threw the earphone Be gave her to the ground, and stomped on it repeatedly. She didn¡¯t pause to wait for Be¡¯s response, as she quickly wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and left under the gaze of others. ¡°Victoria, is our friendship worth so little to you? How could you do this?¡± Victoria could hear Be sobbing behind her. This was the first time Victoria heard Be yelling in front of the others, for she had always maintained her elegantposure. But still, Victoria did not stop and chose to stride forward. It was precisely because Be was a good friend that Victoria could not ept the truth. Be knew better than anyone else how much Victoria cared about Christian as they had been friends for years! ¡°Do you really want to force my hand?¡± Again, Victoria could hear Be shouting from behind her when Be saw she didn¡¯t even slow her steps. It was as if Be did not notice what a gaffe she made. Bystanders watched the drama as it unfolded; Victoria and Be were well-known because of their beauty and ability as talented dancers. Victoria merely bit her lower lip, and the gum on her face kept oxidizing, but she did not stop for a second. Instead, her footsteps were faster than usual as she felt utterly embarrassed. The scene changed to the Colemans¡¯ vi. The night shrouded the ground, but the beautiful buildings were brightly lit. Intertwined reflections of guests¡¯ figures could be seen from the outside. Victoria was in the fast-moving red sports car her brother had given her. Cold sweat beaded her forehead and back as she held the steering wheel tightly. Her eyes were covered with ayer of mist, and she could not remember how many times she tried to step on the brakes¡ª¡ª Useless! It was still useless! She was panicking as the sports car was moving at an incredible speed. Her limbs felt weak, her lips could not stop trembling, and rivulets of tears ran down her cheeks. She still had a lot of unfulfilled wishes, and she didn¡¯t want to die like this! Beep. Beep. At this moment, her phone vibrated. She quickly connected the phone with a Bluetooth headset. Tears welled up in her eyes without warning, and she spoke incoherently, ¡°Vince, help me¡­ Help me. I am o- outside. The car¡­ The car is not¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, she saw someone walking out of the vi. It was Be in a tight white dress, outlining her nice body line. She hadbed her long hair in a French braid and looked intellectual and elegant. More importantly, she was walking straight toward the sports car. Victoria¡¯s pupils contracted. Therefore, she didn¡¯t even think as her body acted on its own by lowering the car window. She utterly disregarded her personal safety and stuck half of her body out of the car. ¡°Don¡¯te here! The brakes are broken!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so windy there, Tori. I can¡¯t hear you. Repeat it. Where are you now? What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s wrong with the car? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Victoria heard Vincent¡¯s worrisome voice at the other end of the phone. Be did not stop and kept walking in the direction of the sports car, which was moving at a great speed toward her. It was as if she couldn¡¯t hear Victoria¡¯s yells. ¡°Don¡¯te here! Can¡¯t you hear?!¡± The sports car¡¯s speed increased, and the wind was blowing strongly in Victoria¡¯s face that it hurt, making it even more difficult for her to scream. ¡°My car is broken! Don¡¯te here!¡± Be continued walking, and Boom! Just before the sports car collided with Be, Victoria clearly saw a hint of a smile across Be¡¯s face. The smile was like a lotus flower unfoldingyer byyer and extremely beautiful, but Victoria could only feel goosebumps when she saw such a stunning sight. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. It seemed that Be wanted the car to hit her on purpose¡­ ¡°She did it on purpose! Not me! I didn¡¯t want to kill her!¡± Victoria screamed as she sat up, only to find her back covered in sweat. At first, she thought that Be argued with her in public because she was too emotional. But after spending two tedious and difficult years in prison, she finally realized that that so-called public confrontation was premeditation for Be to use Victoria of wanting to murder her. It was twilight, and the sky was turning bright in the east. Victoria wiped the sweat off her head, only to feel that her limbs were sore like she had run a half-marathon. Vincent was squatting on the ground, looking up at her. Beneath his chicken coop-like hair was his handsome face filled with pain and anger. ¡°What did you dream about? Was it Christian?¡± He spoke very slowly, perhaps because he had just woken up; his voice was hoarse. Every word he uttered felt painful, like a knife stabbing his heart. ¡°Why did you wake up so early? Did you drinkst night and wake up with a headache today?¡± Victoria avoided his gaze and his question. He ced his hands on his knees as he rose to his feet. Unfortunately, the lower part of his body was numb from squatting for too long, so he staggered for a while before he finally stood firm and squeezed a sentence out of his throat. ¡°Do you often have this kind of nightmare?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t usually drink alcohol, so after drinking so muchst night, you might experience a headache.¡± She slept too little, so she had a migraine as she spoke. ¡°There is milk, grapefruit, and bananas. Eat something, and you will feel better.¡± Vincent clenched his fists tightly and was breathing a little heavy. ¡°Tori.¡±novelxo fast update ¡°Vince, you tossed for most of the night yesterday, so I only got a little sleep. I¡¯m a little tired, and I want to rest for a while more.¡± Victoria rubbed her aching forehead, unable to hide her weariness. His eyes were distressed when he saw that, so he could not bear to keep probing his sister. ¡°Have a good rest, and I¡¯ll buy you something to eat.¡± He helped her toy down, tucked her in with a quilt, and tip-toed out the door. She was so exhausted that not long after lying down, she fell into a deep sleep. Inevitably, there was another nightmare, and the moment she woke up screaming, the sky was already bright, and the sun was due south. Evelyn was sitting gracefully on the chair, while Vincent was on the bed, his hair still a mess. Beside him were the two takeaways, and he was staring at Christian, who was standing beside Evelyn. ¡°Mrs. Thatcher. Mr. Thatcher.¡± Victoria¡¯s pupils constricted when she saw them. She rested her hands on her bed and quickly pushed herself off it to greet them. She was unsure how long they had been waiting for her in the room, nor could she be sure if she uttered any nonsense when she had a nightmare. More importantly¡­ She nced at her brother and furrowed her brows slightly in displeasure. Her lie to Christian yesterday had been exposed, and she wondered if he would embarrass her brother Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Christian grunted softly as his eyes swept across Victoria¡¯s pale face and chapped lips and frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s almost 1.00PM. Are you hungry?¡± Vincent looked sternly at Christian before walking over to his sister with the two takeaways. ¡°They¡¯re your favorite, but it¡¯s been a while, so they aren¡¯t warm anymore. Take a bite or two to fill your stomach while I order something else.¡± Evelyn smiled at the siblings and said, ¡°I heard that Vincent loves his wife and his sister. So the rumor is true.¡± ¡°Thank you, V¡ªMr. Coleman.¡± Victoria was just about to call her brother Vincent when she saw Christian from the corner of her eyes. ¡°But I no longer like eating these anymore.¡± Even though Vincent was dumbfounded by what Victoria called him, he simply threw the two takeaway bags to the side and said, ¡°Tell me what you like then, and I¡¯ll order them for you. If the restaurant doesn¡¯t have takeout, I¡¯ll go there and buy the food.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mr. Coleman.¡± Victoria looked up and gave Vincent a discreet wink to signal him to shut up. However, the small movements between the two and Victoria¡¯s immense fear of Christian did not escape Evelyn¡¯s eyes. She tucked her hair behind her ears and sighed inaudibly. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Vincent saw his sister¡¯s wink and understood what she meant. He would have endured it and stopped talking had it been two years ago. But the pent-up anger and guilt that he had been suppressing for two years surged in his heart. The fact that his sister was forced to act in such a way added fuel to the fire and almost made him lose his sanity. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of him!¡± Vincent clenched his fists tightly¡ªthe blue veins on his neck could be seen clearly, and his face was bleak. ¡°I¡¯m no longer one of the Thatchers, and you, Christian, can no longer use the interests of the Colemans to coerce me anymore!¡± As he spoke, he put himself in front of Victoria, essentially protecting her. ¡°Tori, don¡¯t be afraid. I will never leave you again!¡± Victoria took a deep breath, tugged the corner of her brother¡¯s clothes with her trembling hands, and shook her head vigorously at him. As much as she tried to utter a word, her throat was tight as if a sponge had stifled her. ¡°What a touching sibling love.¡± Christian smiled mockingly. Victoria walked over to Christian and knelt, even though she was struggling to even get out of bed. Her voice was hoarse. ¡°This is the first time I saw my brother after I was released from jail. You just happened to bump into him.¡± Christian looked at her condescendingly, and his expression was inscrutable. ¡°Do you like to kneel so much?¡± ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Vincent roared at the sight of his sister kneeling. His eyes were full of disbelief as he reached out to pull her. ¡°Get up!¡± ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Vincent roared at the sight of his sister kneeling. His eyes were full of disbelief as he reached out to pull her. ¡°Get up!¡± Evelyn¡¯s expression also changed at once, and she got up to pull Victoria from the ground. ¡°Tori, what are you doing? If you have something to say, stand up and say it!¡± ¡°Mrs. Thatcher, Vince. If you both care about me, let me kneel.¡± Victoria shook her and stubbornly glued her knees to the ground. Evelyn released her and looked at Christian. ¡°Christian, tell Tori to stand up.¡± ¡°Since she likes to kneel so much, let her be,¡± Christian said dispassionately, but he unbuttoned two upper buttons as though the air here was somewhat suffocating. Vincent¡¯s face was ashen, and he kept tugging Victoria¡¯s arm. ¡°Get up! I¡¯m telling you to f*cking get up! Are you deaf?!¡± Victoria knelt firmly on the ground, despite Vincent grabbing one of her arms with full force. She looked at Christian pleadingly and raised her hand to swear. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, I promise that this will be thest time I ever meet my brother. It will never happen again.¡± She bit her lips, trembling slightly, before continuing, ¡°If I ever contact my brother again¡­¡± She had to swallow saliva in order to say what she was going to say. ¡°I will be hit by a car and struck by lightning. I will die in the worst possible way imaginable.¡± Christian merely looked at her. His lips moved to say something, but he didn¡¯t make a sound. The ward was quiet enough that everyone could hear a pin falling. ¡°F*ck! You¡¯re no longer my sister!¡± Vincent felt highly disappointed and agonized at the sight, so he threw the two takeaways to the ground, stomped on them, and rushed out of the ward with red eyes. Bang! The door was mmed hard as he stormed out. Victoria¡¯s throat tightened, and the corners of her eyes became teary. She tried her best to maintain her kneeling posture with everyst bit of her energy. Vince must be angry. Why shouldn¡¯t he be? He has always hated cowardly people, and I happen to be one now. It¡¯s fine. At least I don¡¯t have to waste my energy stopping my brother from contacting me. But from now on, no one will care about me anymore in this world. ¡°Get up.¡± Christian nced at her, turned his head, and sat on the escort bed while lightly knocking the table with his fingers. Evelyn held Victoria gently. ¡°You still have an injury on your leg. Get up quickly.¡± Still, Victoria remained unmoving as she knelt on the ground, looking at Christian stubbornly. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, could you please spare my brother this time? I promise this is¡ª¡± Before she could finish saying ¡®thest time¡¯, the door was suddenly pushed open. Vincent could be seen rushing in and knelt before Christian without warning. Not only that, but he also kowtowed on all fours repeatedly. He was using so much strength that blood was oozing out from his forehead after a few kowtows. ¡°Stop¡ª¡± Victoria¡¯s heart ached badly every time he hit his head against the floor, and she reached out with shaky hands to stop him from being so submissive.novelxo fast update s, Vincent pushed her away and looked up at Christian with suppressed anger as he begged for mercy for the first time in his life. ¡°Christian, you are free to break my leg, send me to prison, and even make me kneel at the Delta Club. You can do whatever you want with me. All I ask is that you let my sister go.¡± The blood came running down his forehead into his eyes, which made his eyes feel extremely ufortable that his tears also flowed. ¡°My sister is only 20 years old, and she still has a long way to go. She can¡¯t just spend the rest of her life at the Delta Club!¡± Victoria almost sobbed as she heard that; her throat was tight, and her vocal cords suddenly seemed out of order. Vince¡­ ¡°Please! I beg you!¡± Vincent mmed his head on the ground and did not get up for a long time. The ward was unusually quiet, except for the sound of Christian knocking on the table in a rhythmic fashion which tended to make others panic. Only after some time did Evelyn speak and stand up to pull the siblings from the ground. ¡°Vincent, Tori, both of you get up. Christian doesn¡¯t dare to do anything to you both so long as I¡¯m still alive.¡± Of course, Victoria did not dare to move an inch¡ªwhile Christian was a dutiful son, he was not one to listen to his mother blindly. At the same time, Vincent also remained in his groveling posture. His head remained on the ground while blood sttered around his head. The faint smell of blood mixing with the scent of disinfectant made the ward¡¯s atmosphere even more depressing. ¡°Christian.¡± Finally, Evelyn¡¯s voice contained some mild warning as she nced at her son. ¡°You and I will help the two of them up.¡± Christian looked at Vincent and Victoria before standing up and walking over to Victoria. His hands were warm andfortable, but the instant he touched Victoria¡¯s wrist, she felt tortured by his hands¡¯ temperature. She was unsure if she should get up because he had not said anything about forgiving her brother. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want to stand?¡± Christian let go of her and said lightly, ¡°Do you want me to carry you?¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 N?velDrama.Org holds this content. All colors drained from Victoria¡¯s face. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± She quickly supported herself to get up from the ground. Unfortunately, as she had been kneeling for a long time, she staggered a little, but Christian managed to catch her in time, helping her to stabilize herself. A faint scent of men¡¯s cologne washed over her, making her take a few steps forward in order to hastily leave that warm embrace. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Thatcher.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Christian lowered his gaze and retracted his hand, rubbing his thumb, index, and middle fingers together for a moment before he dropped his hand to his side. At this moment, Vincent was still kneeling on the ground. Victoria was concerned for his well-being, so she went over to help him up after hesitating for a long time. ¡°Vince¡­ Come on. Let¡¯s get you up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just keep kneeling here, and I won¡¯t get up until Christian agrees to let you go!¡± Vincent shoved her hand away and insisted on kneeling on the ground. Victoria squatted down with difficulty and said softly, ¡°He doesn¡¯t care about you at all. Even if you were to kneel here your whole life, he wouldn¡¯t agree to let me go. On the contrary, you will displease him even more, which might aggravate his treatment toward me.¡± Vincent¡¯s eyes widened when he heard her remarks, making him look ridiculous as there were still blood stains on his face. Then, he held her hand and stood up. Victoria just shot him a bitter smile. Even death did not scare her now, but Christian used her brother to threaten her. Vincent was not a person to be afraid of anything, but he was scared that Christian might torture her. That caused the siblings to be each other¡¯s weaknesses. The four of them stopped talking. The atmosphere in the hospital ward was strange and oppressive. A momentter, Evelyn rubbed her temples, and the wrinkles by her eyes appeared more evident. ¡°Get a doctor to bandage Vince¡¯s head up. Tori, make sure to rest. Chris and I will be going back now.¡± Victoria lowered her head submissively as she saw the two out to the elevator. Her tense figure finally rxed when the elevator doors finally closed. But, by now, her limbs were already sore. ¡°Are your legs hurting?¡± When Vincent noticed her swaying due to exhaustion, he immediately came to help her. However, Victoria just shrugged him away and headed back to the hospital ward without any expression on her face. Vincent wiped the blood on his head, rubbed on his shirt, and followed behind her dejectedly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± When Vincent was about to enter the ward, Victoria closed the door from the inside. He pushed the door in a hurry to prevent her from locking it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± When Vincent was about to enter the ward, Victoria closed the door from the inside. He pushed the door in a hurry to prevent her from locking it. Victoria stood at the door, licking her cracked lips as she said, ¡°Go home. Don¡¯t look for me next time.¡± ¡°Go back? To where?¡± Vincent asked, wiping the blood from his head while it bled. ¡°Dad kicked me out of the house. So I¡¯ll be living with you.¡± She frowned when she looked at the wound on his forehead. ¡°You are incapable of doing anything. I can¡¯t sustain your life with that little money I make. Go get your wound treated and go home.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to sustain my life. I brought my wallet when I left, and there are over ten million dors in my bank ount. It¡¯s enough for us to use for some time. I¡¯m sure Dad and Mom won¡¯t bear to freeze my bank ount.¡± Nevertheless, she still blocked the door, unmoving. ¡°Vince¡­¡± ¡°Are you mad because of what I said earlier about not acknowledging you as my sister anymore?¡± He smiled and ruffled her hair; his adoration for her was written all over his gaze as he said cautiously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t take my words to heart. I only said it because I was angry.¡± The way Vincent was acting suffocated Victoria. She felt like a fish out of water, and it was bing hard for her to breathe. She avoided his doting gaze and said ruthlessly, despite how it broke her heart, ¡°Go home. Please don¡¯t look for me next time, and I hope you live a happy life with your wife.¡± His gaze locked on her while his smile diminished by the second. ¡°Remember to get your wound treated before you leave. It¡¯ll be bad if you have a scar like I do.¡± She looked up at him and forced a smile. Under the bright sunlight, the scar at the end of her eyebrow was more apparent to one¡¯s eye. He swallowed hard. A few drops of blood dripped to the corner of his lips. It was sweet yet salty at the same time. ¡°Who is going to protect you when I leave? Who will do that?¡± Initially, his voice was soft, but he practically roared his words toward the end of his sentence. ¡°You can¡¯t protect me even if you¡¯re here.¡± Her expression wasposed, yet her words were harsh. ¡°You¡¯re not on Christian¡¯s level, so what can you do for me? Even if it were Lucas and Be who wanted to do anything to me, there¡¯s nothing you can do either.¡± Some of the blood droplets on Vincent¡¯s face were starting to dry up, and the fresh ones would cover them up. His mouth opened as he panted heavily. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to protect me by staying here. On the contrary, you¡¯d only cause trouble for me, just like how you were at Delta club the other time and the incident today. You think you¡¯re helping me when you¡¯re only adding two more problems to my te! You¡¯re only making my life more difficult,¡± Victoria said calmly. Vincent held his chest and leaned on the wall by the door lifelessly. ¡°Tori, am I so¡­ useless in your heart?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She looked right into his eyes, forcing herself to be mean. ¡°Vince, I¡¯m begging you. novelxo fast updatePlease don¡¯t look for me anymore. It¡¯s already draining enough for me to face Christian and the others¡¯ harsh treatments every day. If you cause more trouble for me, I don¡¯t think I can handle it.¡± Her words seemed to be the sharpest knife in the world, each and every one of them stabbing right at Vincent¡¯s heart, leaving no spots untouched. He clenched his hands into tight fists, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll leave after taking my clothes.¡± He could not stop his voice from trembling. ¡°Okay.¡± Victoria moved to the side. Vincent walked over to the couch and picked up his zer. Unfortunately, when he was putting it on, he identally swept his hand over the gift box on the bed. The gift box fell to the ground, revealing the clothes inside. It was already toote when Victoria wanted to pick it up because he had already seen everything. He said nothing else and just walked over to the door, where he stopped for a while to look at her and said seriously, ¡°Tori, wait for me. I¡¯ll do all I can to protect you.¡± ¡°Go home now.¡± Victoria approached him and pushed him out of the room. As soon as the door slid shut, she leaned on it and slumped to the ground. She hugged her knees to her chest, her hands covering her face. She did not let out a single sound from the start till the end. On the other hand, a Bentley was moving along the roads. Although it was a luxury car, it still could not avoid being stuck in traffic and moving slowly, just like the other cars. ¡°Tori¡¯s birthday is on the 28th of September. That¡¯s a few days away from today,¡± Evelyn said as she looked at the car in front of them. There was heavy traffic, and the car had to stop. With a hand on the steering wheel, Christian nodded lightly. ¡°She can¡¯t return to the Coleman¡¯s Residence, so I was thinking of asking her to stay at our ce for some time after she gets discharged from the hospital. She can leave after we celebrate her birthday. What do you think?¡± Evelyn asked. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 The cars ahead started to move, and Christian followed suit. ¡°You¡¯re one of the heads of the Thatcher Family. So you don¡¯t need to ask for anyone¡¯s opinions, including mine, for the things you want to do.¡± ¡°Then what if¡­ I ask you to let Tori go? She¡¯s suffered enough in the past two years. Can you let her go now?¡± When Evelyn found out that her son was forcing Victoria to work at Delta Club today, she experienced a wave of mixed feelings. He didn¡¯t respond, and she didn¡¯t broach the matter further, so for a long while, silence filled the car. Finally, they drove past the traffic as they reached the highway, so he increased the car¡¯s speed. Evelyn fidgeted the sp of her wallet repeatedly; the clicking sounds were extremely crisp amidst the stony silence. She turned to look at him. ¡°I can see that you have no romantic feelings for Be. If that¡¯s the case, then the incident where Tori knocked into Be¡¯s legs, breaking them the other night, has nothing to do with you. So why did you still¡­¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Christian interrupted and said seriously. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with whatever goes on between you, Dad, and Tracy, so I hope you can also respect my boundaries.¡± A hint of awkwardness shed across Evelyn¡¯s face, but she managed to regain herposure soon. Finally, she closed her purse, held it in her hand, and made no furtherments. Their parents arrived within half an hour of Vincent¡¯s departure from the hospital. Denise scanned the ward and found no signs of him, making her blurt out anxiously, ¡°Where¡¯s your brother? I heard that he came here to look for you!¡± It turns out that they¡¯re not here for me but for Vince. The hope in Victoria¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°My brother¡­¡± Just as she was about to speak, Glen cut her off sharply, ¡°No matter how the outsiders nder Vince, he has never talked back to me before. But since you were released from prison, he disrespected me and even threatened to leave home! Did you egg him on?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Victoria pointed to herself as sheughed mockingly. ¡°I egged him on?¡± ¡°Who else could it be if not you? You were mischievous as a child, and Vince always went along with your ns. Both of you fooling around as kids was fine, but how could you urge him to leave home? He dotes on you so much and has adored you since you were young. Don¡¯t you feel guilty toward him for things you¡¯ve done?¡± Glen roared; his expression was grim, and his face slightly flushed from anger. Victoria just stared at him dazedly in the face of his fury. Suddenly, her father felt like an unfamiliar man to her. It was like she had never truly understood or knew him. ¡°Glen, Tori is your daughter too. Don¡¯t be too harsh with your words.¡± Denise could not bear seeing Victoria suffer from Glen¡¯s wrath, but she was also anxious about Vincent. ¡°Tori, tell me. Where did you hide Vince?¡± With her head hung low, Victoria said with trembling lips, ¡°I didn¡¯t hide him.¡± With her head hung low, Victoria said with trembling lips, ¡°I didn¡¯t hide him.¡± ¡°And you said I was too harsh with my words?¡± Glen pointed at Victoria as he said to Denise, ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll tell you the truth when you speak nicely to her?¡± Denise let out a long sigh and held Victoria¡¯s hand, her tears falling. ¡°Tori, you need to be considerate toward us too. You¡¯re not a Coleman anymore, so if your brother doesn¡¯te home, do you know how the outsiders will talk?¡± Victoria¡¯s entire body was taut when she heard her parentspletely disregarding her again and again. She barely managed to suppress her tears by gritting her teeth. ¡°Even if you hate us, you should think for the sake of your brother and your sister-inw too. Your brother is incapable of doing anything, so how will he survive after he leaves the Coleman Group? His children just turned one, and they¡¯re still so young. Could you really bear to watch them suffer because of your selfishness¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Victoria let out a low yell. I must be considerate of this and that, but who will be kind toward me? Denise, surprised by her sudden volume, was stunned for a moment. When she returned to her senses, agony filled her face while tears ran down her cheeks. ¡°You¡¯ve spoiled them too much! They¡¯re like this now because of you,¡± Glen enunciated solemnly. Denise wiped her tears as she choked, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If I had listened to you back then and were stricter toward them, they would not¡­ turn out this way.¡± ¡°Vince went home, and we won¡¯t be meeting up anymore after today.¡± Victoria held the corner of her hospital gown tightly. When she raised her head again, her eyes were bloodshot as she said, ¡°Are the two of you happy now?¡± ¡°So he went home already¡­¡± Denise said, embarrassed. Glen wanted to speak, but before he could do so, Victoria said, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Coleman, the both of you may leave now.¡± When Denise saw the hostility in Victoria¡¯s eyes, it pained her, so she scrambled for an excuse, ¡°Tori, your father and I were just anxious earlier. We didn¡¯t mean anything with our words.¡± Victoria lowered her gaze. The sunlight came in through the windows, shining on her and wrapping her up in a halo. Instead of looking holy, it just made everyone present notice how thin she had be. ¡°The both of you should probably leave now. If anyone were to spot you here and inform President Thatcher about this, you would ce the me on me again.¡± Her voice was soft, but the mockery in her voice was evident. ¡°If Vince wasn¡¯t here, do you think I woulde here?¡± Glen felt that his pride had been bruised because Victoria kept dismissing them, so he stormed out of the room. Denise, standing in front of Victoria¡¯s bed, had a lot to say, but she did not know where to start. She nervously looked at Victoria before she took a card out of her wallet and pushed it into Victoria¡¯s hand. ¡°Take this.¡± ¡°Mrs. Coleman, we¡¯re not rted at all, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t ept this.¡± Victoria dispassionately returned the card to Denise. Her action hurt Denise, who tried to force the card back into Victoria¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Victoria looked up at Denise, and Denise could see her own reflection in her daughter¡¯s hazel eyes. ¡°This is thest time I¡¯m calling you Mom. I¡¯m not who I used to be, and pocket money can¡¯t cheer me up whenever I¡¯m upset.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Under Denise¡¯s crestfallen gaze, she said softly, ¡°This is it. I¡¯ll take it as I¡¯ve never had you as my mother, and you¡¯ll do the same toward me.¡± ¡°Tori, you¡­¡± Denise wiped her tears with a handkerchief, choking and unable to mutter any words. At this moment, Glen¡¯s impatient voice sounded from outside the ward. He was urging Denise to leave. Denise took a few more forlorn looks at Victoria before answering Glen and strode out of the ward. ¡°I need to obey my Father when I¡¯m at home. I will have to obey my husband when I¡¯m married, and I will need to obey my children when my husband¡¯s dead.¡± When Victoria smiled, even though she was smiling, it couldn¡¯t stop the rivulet of tears falling down her cheeks.novelxo fast update She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and retrieved the gift box under her nket. No one can help me. I can only depend on myself now! After she was hospitalized for two more days, Evelyn brought her back to the Thatcher Residence. Victoria had been looking for an opportunity to attract Christian, but she had only seen him once during dinner on the first night she moved in. In the next two days that followed, she didn¡¯t even manage to catch a glimpse of him anymore, so there was no way she could execute her n. During lunch on the third day, Evelyn was chatting about random topics with Victoria. Without warning, she dropped the bomb, ¡°It¡¯s your birthday tomorrow. I want to throw a party for you.¡± Victoria widened her eyes while her cutlery dropped to the ground with a tter. All the memories came rushing back to her; the conversation she had with Be under the oak tree, Be knocking into her car in front of the Thatcher¡¯s mansion, the socialites reprimanding her during the birthday party as well as Christian breaking her legs in his mansion. All of that was torturing her mind one by one. September 28th was a nightmare for her; it was a day she would avoid doing anything in thest two years Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Victoria was unsure if Evelyn noticed her oddity because she continued, ¡°I initially wanted to host your party here, but Chris¡¯ grandfather cares that you went to prison before. So, he allowed us to have the party, but not here.¡± Victoria was unsure if Evelyn noticed her oddity because she continued, ¡°I initially wanted to host your party here, but Chris¡¯ grandfather cares that you went to prison before. So, he allowed us to have the party, but not here.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s fine then. Mrs. Thatcher, I appreciate it, but you really don¡¯t need to do this,¡± Victoria said hurriedly while she picked up her cutlery from the ground and ced it back on the table. A maid came over and exchanged her used cutlery for a set of new ones. ¡°I want to help, but there¡¯s nothing much I can do for you,¡± Evelyn sighed, and Victoria was not sure if she was referring to her birthday party or some other matter. ¡°Mrs. Thatcher, don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. You¡¯ve done enough for me. A birthday party is just a form of celebration, and I don¡¯t mind not having one.¡± Victoria¡¯s expression had returned to normal now, but she still looked pale. ¡°The thing now is that other people care about whether we have this celebration for you. This is the first birthday you¡¯re going to have after your release from prison, and you can¡¯t imagine how many people are keeping their eyes on this matter. If we don¡¯t throw you a grand celebration, you¡¯ll truly look like we have abandoned you,¡± Evelyn exined. Victoria took a bite of her meal, the food tasting like ash. ¡°No matter what other people say, it¡¯s true that I was abandoned, just like a sacrificial piece in a chess match.¡± ¡°I already hired people to prepare for your birthday party, and we¡¯ve sent the invitation out. You just need to apany me tomorrow,¡± Evelyn concluded the matter without asking for Victoria¡¯s opinion again. Since she had sent out the invitation, there was no way for Victoria to refuse this anymore. She wilted slightly as she hung her head while continuing to shovel food in her mouth. After lunch, Be came and chatted with Evelyn in the living room. After a moment, she smiled and said to Victoria, ¡°I¡¯m thirsty from all the talking. Could you bring me the fruit tter on the table?¡± Victoria didn¡¯t move. Christian was not around, so she did not need to be afraid of offending him by being disrespectful toward Be. Therefore, it was unnecessary for her to put on a show. When Be saw that Victoria wasn¡¯t obeying her, she remembered something and said sincerely, ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m only asking you to help because I have trouble moving around myself. I¡¯m not treating you as a maid or anything. Perhaps it¡¯s because you¡¯ve been working at Delta Club for too long, so you¡¯ll think I¡¯m ordering you around when I asked for your help to take something. If I offended you earlier, please forgive me.¡± She put an emphasis on ¡®Delta Club¡¯ and nced at Evelyn subtly when she said that. She put an emphasis on ¡®Delta Club¡¯ and nced at Evelyn subtly when she said that. Evelyn¡¯s smile diminished a little while she ate the fruits daintily. ¡°Miss Spritz, you can be a scriptwriter if you can¡¯t dance anymore. I think you¡¯ll make it big with your soap operas,¡± Victoria said lightly. ¡°Thanks for your suggestion, but I¡¯ve learned a little bit of finance when you were in jail for thest two years. Now, I¡¯m working in the Finance Department of Spritz Group, so I guess I can¡¯t be a scriptwriter as you suggested.¡± Be smiled. Each and every word of hers was like a knife that was dipped into poison, piercing right at Victoria¡¯s heart. Victoria just pursed her lips and wisely kept her mouth shut. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to work at Delta Club anymore, you should do what I did. Learn about finance or any other field, and then you can find a new job.¡± Be paused, frowning before she continued, ¡°But there¡¯s a slight problem here. You were in jail before, so reputable universities probably would not take you in. You don¡¯t have to worry that much. Once you decide which university you want to enroll in, I can ask Chris to help you to get in with his connections.¡± ¡°Are you thirsty after talking so much?¡± Victoria stood up and brought the fruit tter to Be. Be picked up a piece of apple and smiled. ¡°I guess I still needed your help in the end. Thanks a lot.¡± ¡°No worries. I love helping people, but there¡¯s something you must know. Not everyone is as kind as I am. You have a problem walking around, and you love talking so much, so I¡¯d suggest you bring a bottle of water with you at all times,¡± Victoria said while holding the te in front of Be. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to walk in about six months¡¯ time. As for you, I¡¯d rmend you to get your legs checked if you can afford it. It¡¯ll be terrible if your condition worsens and you develop a disability.¡± Victoria tightened her grip on the te of fruits before releasing it. The fruits fell on Be¡¯s shirt before they rolled to the ground. With a m, the te broke. The white pieces of broken te among the colorful fruits created a masterpiece in a way. ¡°Oops, it slipped from my hand.¡± Victoria bent a little to apologize, but her tone was without sincerity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Evelyn let out a chuckle, the wrinkles by her eyes rippling. She looked elegant and exuded the charms of a mature woman. She waved to the maid, ¡°Amy, cut up another te of fruits. Wait, make it a few more dishes. It¡¯s hot out there, and the girls can eat those fruits to cool themselves down. Amy replied affirmatively before leaving the living room. She put on emphosis on ¡®Delto Club¡¯ ond glonced ot Evelyn subtly when she soid thot. Evelyn¡¯s smile diminished o little while she ote the fruits dointily. ¡°Miss Spritz, you con be o scriptwriter if you con¡¯t donce onymore. I think you¡¯ll moke it big with your soop operos,¡± Victorio soid lightly. ¡°Thonks for your suggestion, but I¡¯ve leorned o little bit of finonce when you were in joil for the lost two yeors. Now, I¡¯m working in the Finonce Deportment of Spritz Group, so I guess I con¡¯t be o scriptwriter os you suggested.¡± Bello smiled. Eoch ond every word of hers wos like o knife thot wos dipped into poison, piercing right ot Victorio¡¯s heort. Victorio just pursed her lips ond wisely kept her mouth shut. ¡°If you don¡¯t wont to work ot Delto Club onymore, you should do whot I did. Leorn obout finonce or ony other field, ond then you con find o new job.¡± Bello poused, frowning before she continued, ¡°But there¡¯s o slight problem here. You were in joil before, so reputoble universities probobly would not toke you in. You don¡¯t hove to worry thot much. Once you decide which university you wont to enroll in, I con osk Chris to help you to get in with his connections.¡± ¡°Are you thirsty ofter tolking so much?¡± Victorio stood up ond brought the fruit plotter to Bello. Bello picked up o piece of opple ond smiled. ¡°I guess I still needed your help in the end. Thonks o lot.¡± ¡°No worries. I love helping people, but there¡¯s something you must know. Not everyone is os kind os I om. You hove o problem wolking oround, ond you love tolking so much, so I¡¯d suggest you bring o bottle of woter with you ot oll times,¡± Victorio soid while holding the plote in front of Bello. ¡°I¡¯ll be oble to wolk in obout six months¡¯ time. As for you, I¡¯d rmend you to get your legs checked if you con offord it. It¡¯ll be terrible if your condition worsens ond you develop o disobility.¡± Victorio tightened her grip on the plote of fruits before releosing it. The fruits fell on Bello¡¯s shirt before they rolled to the ground. With o slom, the plote broke. The white pieces of broken plote omong the colorful fruits creoted o mosterpiece in o woy. ¡°Oops, it slipped from my hond.¡± Victorio bent o little to opologize, but her tone wos without sincerity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Evelyn let out o chuckle, the wrinkles by her eyes rippling. She looked elegont ond exuded the chorms of o moture womon. She woved to the moid, ¡°Amy, cut up onother plote of fruits. Woit, moke it o few more dishes. It¡¯s hot out there, ond the girls con eot those fruits to cool themselves down. Amy replied offirmotively before leoving the living room. She put an emphasis on ¡®Delta Club¡¯ and nced at Evelyn subtly when she said that. While Be lowered her eyes at the mess on her clothes, a glint of maliciousness shed across her eyes. Then, she looked up and asked in confusion, ¡°How did the te slip suddenly?¡±novelxo fast update She bit down on her lower lip, her expression slightly dejected as she continued, ¡°Are you still mad because Chris chose me over you?¡± ¡°Miss Spritz, you¡¯re overthinking it. Remember when the ss of water slipped out of your hands because it was too hot? It¡¯s the same for me this time; my fingers are numb from the coldness. You should be grateful that it wasn¡¯t a ss of hot water in my hands earlier. Otherwise, your face might¡¯ve been ruined by now.¡± Victoria¡¯s entire body was stiff, and hatred was written all over her gaze. Be¡¯s eyes became moist as she asked in disbelief, ¡°Victoria, d-did you do that on purpose?¡± ¡°Let me say something for Victoria¡¯s sake.¡± Evelyn wiped the corners of her mouth with a tissue and then said, ¡°She just returned from the hospital, and she hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. Sometimes, her limbs would feel weak. That was probably what had happened again earlier.¡± Finally, she turned to look at Victoria. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Tori?¡± Victoria tightened her grip on her hands, loosened it, then tightened it again. Then, she replied softly, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m feeling under the weather, so I¡¯ll head back to my room to rest first.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Be is a kind and understandingdy. She won¡¯t me you,¡± Evelyn said. Be nodded, looking worried. ¡°Have a good rest since you¡¯re not feeling well. I won¡¯t be like Vince and get angry over such a small matter.¡± Those words made Victoria furrow her brows, but she ignored Be and ascended the stairs. ¡°She¡¯s so pitiful.¡± Be sighed. ¡°But she must¡¯ve done something wicked to make people dislike her so much. Mrs. Thatcher, aren¡¯t you afraid that, by keeping her by your side¡­¡± At this moment, she stopped and waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to assume the worst of Victoria, but she had a criminal record of being a murderer before. I¡¯m just worried about you, so I¡­¡± ¡°I watched Tori grow up, and I know what kind of person she is.¡± Evelyn said, smiling, ¡°Be, I¡¯ll tell you this now. No matter what happens between Chris and you in the future, Tori will always be a youngdy who I favor.¡± Amy returned with two tes of fruits and carefully ced them on the table. ¡°Mrs. Thatcher.¡± After a moment of silence, Be said glumly, ¡°You seem to be dissatisfied with me no matter what I do. Is it because of the matter between my Mom and Mr. Thatcher?¡± Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Evelyn frowned slightly before her facial expression smoothed out. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t keep you here any longer as your clothes are dirty. You should return home and get changed. Amy, see our guest out.¡± Evelyn frowned slightly before her facial expression smoothed out. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t keep you here any longer as your clothes are dirty. You should return home and get changed. Amy, see our guest out.¡± ¡°Miss Spritz, shall we?¡± Amy stood behind Be¡¯s wheelchair and held its handles. Be looked at Evelyn with mixed feelings before mumbling a soft okay. With that, Amy promptly pushed her wheelchair out of the house. Grey clouds suddenly took over the blue skies. Just then, a bolt of loud thunder boomed across the city, and it started pouring like cats and dogs. Victoria wasying sideways on her bed, curling herself into a ball as she hugged her knees. There was only one thought in her head when she looked at the gift box beside her pillow. I must seed! If Christian wouldn¡¯t budge after he slept with me, I¡¯ll use evidence such as pictures or videos of us having s*x to threaten him to give in to my request! I do not doubt that Christian would torture me badly if I failed. After all, he had always been ruthless. He might even kill me. Death would be a form of relief for me too¡­ Creak. The moment the door opened, she shot up from her bed and looked in the direction of the sound with vignce. When she noticed that it was Evelyn, she rxed a little. ¡°Mrs. Thatcher.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Evelyn approached Victoria with her right hand behind her back, only presenting her with a gift when she reached the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll be busy organizing your birthday party tomorrow so I thought I should give you your present first. Happy birthday, Tori. Stay se¡­ seventeen forever. I wish that you¡¯re always happy, safe, and healthy.¡± ¡°Mrs. Thatcher, thank you,¡± Victoria said. The gift did not have any shy wrappings. Instead, it was a square, transparent ss box. Inside it was an exquisite and beautiful diamond crown. This crown was a gift Evelyn promised to give Victoria for her 18th birthday. She said Victoria could wear this crown at her wedding ceremony with Christian. However, things after that happened too quickly. Victoria did not even have a chance to get this gift from Evelyn because she already had her legs broken and was sent to prison. ¡°But I can¡¯t ept this.¡± Victoria cradled the gift as though it was something precious before she returned the box to Evelyn. She then closed her eyes and murmured, ¡°This belongs to the daughter-in- law of the Thatcher Family. It¡¯s impossible between President Thatcher and me.¡± In the past, Victoria hated it when others told her that she couldn¡¯t marry Christian. Yet, she was the one saying this herself now. How ironic. Evelyn didn¡¯t take it. ¡°Who told you that? If you¡¯re my daughter-inw, then this gift will be for the daughter-inw of the Thatcher Family. If you¡¯re not, then this is for you. So take it, or I¡¯ll be upset.¡± tter. At this time, the door suddenly opened, and Christian entered. He was donned in a tailored suit emphasizing his broad shoulders, slender torso, and long legs. He looked like royalty. The transparent gift box in Victoria¡¯s hands was shaking as soon as she noticed his entrance; the light that reflected off the box¡¯s surface shone on her face, making her appear even pallid than she was. She licked her cracked lips and got off the bed to pass the gift box to Christian with both hands subserviently. ¡°Mrs. Thatcher said this is a gift for you.¡± ¡°Just take it. I¡¯m not someone who¡¯d snatch such a small thing from you.¡± Christian¡¯s gaze dimmed slightly when he nced at the diamond crown in the ss box. He looked to the side a little, his eyes falling on her short hair. ¡°Just take it. I¡¯m not someone who¡¯d snatch such a small thing from you.¡± Christian¡¯s gaze dimmed slightly when he nced at the diamond crown in the ss box. He looked to the side a little, his eyes falling on her short hair. Victoria pursed her lips and walked to Evelyn¡¯s side, the gift box in her hand. ¡°Mrs. Thatcher, I think you should keep this first since President Thatcher doesn¡¯t want it. Then, you can personally give this to Miss Spritz when she gets engaged to President Thatcher.¡± If Victoria were to ept this gift in front of Christian, he would probably think she still had any delusional thoughts toward him. ¡°That sounds great.¡± Evelyn received the box and said to Christian, ¡°Chris, did you get the dress ready?¡± Christian nodded and lifted the three bags in his hands. ¡°As you requested, I ordered three limited edition dresses.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Evelyn smiled, took the three bags from Christian, and then ced them into Victoria¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if your style changed, so I got Chris to order a few of them. Pick one to wear tomorrow, or you can wear all three too.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Thatcher.¡± Victoria received the bags and just put them on her bed without even opening them before returning to Evelyn¡¯s side, standing tensely. Evelyn smiled as she looked at the crown in the transparent disy. Finally, she held the gift box in one hand and dragged Christian out of the room with the other. ¡°What¡¯s a man like you doing here? Toris¡¯ too shy to change. Let¡¯s leave first.¡± She opened the door and, after exiting the room with Christian, firmly closed it behind them. ¡°I¡¯m hosting a birthday party for Tori at Oriental Hotel tomorrow. You shoulde.¡± Evelyn passed the ss box to a maid next to her and asked thetter to keep the box in her room. Christian stopped walking for a moment before he started to descend the spiral stairs again. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t meddle in your rtionship with Tori and Be, but you must attend Tori¡¯s birthday party tomorrow. Can you do that?¡± Evelyn rubbed her temples as she stood on the stairs, watching Christian¡¯s back. Christian took hisst step down before he turned to look at her. ¡°What time is it ending?¡± ¡°11.00PM,¡± Evelyn said. Christian nodded as he headed for the door, ¡°I¡¯ll drop by before it ends.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Evelyn called out and walked over to him. She stood before her son, who was half a head taller than her. So, she looked at him before saying, ¡°Can we sit down and talk?¡± ¡°About what?¡± Christian turned back and sat on the couch, his leg elegantly crossed over the other. The fruits that had been ced on the table for quite some time had oxidized by now. Therefore, the maids reced them with fresh ones along with a cup of tea for the two before returning to stand at the side. ¡°You knew clearly that Be tricked us back then, but why do you still treat Tori this way? I couldn¡¯t understand even after thinking about it for two years,¡± Evelyn said and took a sip of tea. Christian squeezed his lips into a thin line, his slender fingers knocking on the tabletop. ¡°Mom, when did you be like Tracy? You seem interested in meddling in the youngsters¡¯ life now.¡± ¡°Just toke it. I¡¯m not someone who¡¯d snotch such o smoll thing from you.¡± Christion¡¯s goze dimmed slightly when he glonced ot the diomond crown in the gloss box. He looked to the side o little, his eyes folling on her short hoir. Victorio pursed her lips ond wolked to Evelyn¡¯s side, the gift box in her hond. ¡°Mrs. Thotcher, I think you should keep this first since President Thotcher doesn¡¯t wont it. Then, you con personolly give this to Miss Spritz when she gets engoged to President Thotcher.¡± If Victorio were to ept this gift in front of Christion, he would probobly think she still hod ony delusionol thoughts toword him. ¡°Thot sounds greot.¡± Evelyn received the box ond soid to Christion, ¡°Chris, did you get the dress reody?¡± Christion nodded ond lifted the three bogs in his honds. ¡°As you requested, I ordered three limited edition dresses.¡± ¡°Greot!¡± Evelyn smiled, took the three bogs from Christion, ond then ploced them into Victorio¡¯s honds. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if your style chonged, so I got Chris to order o few of them. Pick one to weor tomorrow, or you con weor oll three too.¡± ¡°Thonks, Mrs. Thotcher.¡± Victorio received the bogs ond just put them on her bed without even opening them before returning to Evelyn¡¯s side, stonding tensely. Evelyn smiled os she looked ot the crown in the tronsporent disploy. Finolly, she held the gift box in one hond ond drogged Christion out of the room with the other. ¡°Whot¡¯s o mon like you doing here? Toris¡¯ too shy to chonge. Let¡¯s leove first.¡± She opened the door ond, ofter exiting the room with Christion, firmly closed it behind them. ¡°I¡¯m hosting o birthdoy porty for Tori ot Orientol Hotel tomorrow. You shoulde.¡± Evelyn possed the gloss box to o moid next to her ond osked the lotter to keep the box in her room. Christion stopped wolking for o moment before he storted to descend the spirol stoirs ogoin. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t meddle in your relotionship with Tori ond Bello, but you must ottend Tori¡¯s birthdoy porty tomorrow. Con you do thot?¡± Evelyn rubbed her temples os she stood on the stoirs, wotching Christion¡¯s bock. Christion took his lost step down before he turned to look ot her. ¡°Whot time is it ending?¡± ¡°11.00PM,¡± Evelyn soid. Christion nodded os he heoded for the door, ¡°I¡¯ll drop by before it ends.¡± ¡°Woit,¡± Evelyn colled out ond wolked over to him. She stood before her son, who wos holf o heod toller thon her. So, she looked ot him before soying, ¡°Con we sit down ond tolk?¡± ¡°About whot?¡± Christion turned bock ond sot on the couch, his leg elegontly crossed over the other. The fruits thot hod been ploced on the toble for quite some time hod oxidized by now. Therefore, the moids reploced them with fresh ones olong with o cup of teo for the two before returning to stond ot the side. ¡°You knew cleorly thot Bello tricked us bock then, but why do you still treot Tori this woy? I couldn¡¯t understond even ofter thinking obout it for two yeors,¡± Evelyn soid ond took o sip of teo. Christion squeezed his lips into o thin line, his slender fingers knocking on the tobletop. ¡°Mom, when did you be like Trocy? You seem interested in meddling in the youngsters¡¯ life now.¡± ¡°Just take it. I¡¯m not someone who¡¯d snatch such a small thing from you.¡± Christian¡¯s gaze dimmed slightly when he nced at the diamond crown in the ss box. He looked to the side a little, his eyes falling on her short hair. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to tell me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Evelyn frowned when she heard Christian mention ¡®Tracy¡¯. She drank her tea before continuing, ¡°Your marriage with Be isplicated. But I understand that you agree to marry her because that¡¯s what your dad and grandfather wanted.¡± Christian¡¯s gaze darkened, and he knocked on the tabletop faster due to annoyance. Nevertheless, his voice remained calm. ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me first.¡± Evelyn smiled, a hint of self-mockery evident in her voice. ¡°I can understand it, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can ept it.¡± Her smile diminished as she mmed the teacup to the ground abruptly. While she did that, she still had a faint smile on her well-aged face. ¡°Chris, do you know what it feels like to be inws with someone who broke apart a married couple? It feels as nasty as swallowing a fly.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t agree to it, I won¡¯t get engaged to her.¡± Christian uncrossed his legs and cenovelxo fast updated his feet on the ground. He leaned his body forward slightly, making him appear more assertive, and put his elbows on his knees. Evelyn continued analyzing the situation, ¡°You pulling out from the marriage will only anger your dad, your grandfather, and those people in thepany. Your grandfather already dislikes you, so you might not get 8% of the Thatcher Group¡¯s shares if you do this. Your uncles and their kids might even make things worse for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you this honestly today. I don¡¯t want to affect your future because of my personal emotions, but I will not stand by and watch the mother-daughter duo leeching off you and your dad to live a good life. Therefore, you must arrive at 6.00PM for the birthday party tomorrow.¡± The maid came over and cleaned up the mess on the floor. With that done, she silently served Evelyn a new cup of tea. ¡°You want me there to help Victoria with her reputation?¡± Christian picked up the cup and put it to his lips, but he drank nothing. In the end, he just ced the cup back on the table. ¡°Do you really care about her, or are you just taking advantage of her by doing this?¡± Evelyn shot him aplicated gaze before she stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll check up on Tori and see which dress she chose.¡± She stopped at the foot of the spiral stairs to look back at him. ¡°Remember to be at Oriental Hotel at 6.00PM tomorrow. Do not be tardy.¡± Christian, while looking at his mother¡¯s back, picked up a piece of apple and threw it into his mouth. Then, he wiped his mouth with a tissue before he rose to his feet to leave. The total time from the evening of September 27 to the morning of September 28 was less than 24 hours. Yet, Victoria spent every minute of it in torment. She had nightmares, one after another, on repeat the entire night. It was never-ending for her. She woke up from terror three times and was covered in cold sweat each time. When she resumed her sleep, that was when those nightmares came after her again. When she woke up in the morning, her pajamas were already drenched in cold sweat. Her skin was cold, while dark circles colored the skin under her eyes. All in all, herplexion looked utterly terrible. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to tell me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Evelyn frowned when she heard Christian mention ¡®Tracy¡¯. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Evelyn looked at Victoria in worry and asked if she needed to visit the doctor, but Victoria politely declined her offer. After the two headed to lunch, they spent about four hours dressing up. It was already 7.00PM when they arrived at Oriental Hotel. Evelyn looked at Victoria in worry and asked if she needed to visit the doctor, but Victoria politely declined her offer. After the two headed to lunch, they spent about four hours dressing up. It was already 7.00PM when they arrived at Oriental Hotel. As Evelyn sent the invitation card out through the Thatcher Family¡¯s name, all the guests showed their respect, and most of them had already arrived by now. There was a subtle difference in the way the guests treated Victoria back then with Evelyn¡¯s birthday party. They gave her fakepliments previously, but today, they spoke cautiously to curry favors with her. ¡°Miss Coleman, your dress left us all in awe. Although, I must say that this design style looks a bit familiar. Is it by Brad Melville? I have a dress designed by him as well.¡± ¡°You girls are all in your twenties, but Miss Coleman, your skin looks so much better than my daughter¡¯s. So, Zoey,e here and learn how to do proper skincare from Miss Coleman.¡± Whether in the past or right now, Victoria hated how fickle and fake this group of people was. Back then, she could just swan around as she wished because she still had the support of her family, but she had no choice but to entertain them now. ¡°Chris is over there. Tori and I are going to him first,¡± Evelyn said, smiling. The crowd teased them a little before making way for them. Evelyn took a ss of fruit juice for Victoria and said in exasperation, ¡°You must be thirsty from all the talking.¡± ¡°A little. Thanks, Mrs. Thatcher.¡± Victoria was still parched after gulping the entire ss down. She wanted to take another one but was stopped. Evelyn took the ss from her and ced it on the table. ¡°You¡¯re the main character of this party. It¡¯ll be a waste if you keep excusing yourself to the toiletter.¡± Victoria merely nodded in agreement and said nothing else. ¡°I hosted this party to tell everyone that you¡¯re not abandoned, not for you to please them. So you don¡¯t need to entertain each and every one of them.¡± Evelyn made an excuse to leave earlier, saying that they were going to look for Christian, but she saw no signs of him after scanning the whole ce. Victoria smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s better to stay low and humble here. Anyone here couldin about me and make my life miserable if I made them unhappy.¡± Evelyn sighed as she gently patted the back of Victoria¡¯s hand and pulled her toward Christian, who had just appeared in the crowd. When the two reached him, he was talking to a charming, middle-aged man. ¡°I¡¯ll consider the coboration with yourpany. Please excuse me now.¡± The man said, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for good news from you then.¡± With that, he moved to the side along with the other guests, opening a path for Christian. He walked through the crowd, greeting Evelyn with a ¡®Mom¡¯ when he stood before her. After a pause, he, under the subtle gazes of the public, said to Victoria, ¡°Happy birthday. I¡¯ll pass you your giftter.¡± He walked through the crowd, greeting Evelyn with a ¡®Mom¡¯ when he stood before her. After a pause, he, under the subtle gazes of the public, said to Victoria, ¡°Happy birthday. I¡¯ll pass you your giftter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice of you.¡± Evelyn smiled. Victoria¡¯s head hung low, her voice calm, but her hands clenched tightly onto the dress. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Thatcher.¡± The way she acted didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Evelyn, who took Victoria¡¯s hands in hers, then bent down to tten the wrinkled area on her dress. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just following my mom¡¯s orders,¡± Christian said indifferently while tidying up his bow tie. Victoria just pursed her lips and remained silent. ¡°We didn¡¯t see you earlier when we just arrived. Where did you go?¡± Evelyn flickered her gaze between the two and changed the topic. A server came over, and Christian took a ss of champagne from his tray. After he took a sip, he said, ¡°There were too many people. So I went to the washroom to hide for a while.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare for some people here to meet you. They¡¯d definitely make good use of this chance today.¡± Evelyn chuckled before inquiring again, ¡°Are all those who surrounded you earlier interested in coborating with Thatcher Group?¡± Victoria stood beside Evelyn, her hands ced in front of her lower abdomen as she quietly tried to be one with the background. ¡°There are some who want to introduce their daughters and sisters to me to be my wife. Some do not even mind being my mistress as long as their family receives the benefits.¡± Christian¡¯s gaze stayed on the scar on Victoria¡¯s back for a moment. He frowned slightly, lifted his ss, and took another sip of champagne. Evelyn raised her brows upon hearing that, and a hint of mockery shed in her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re quite a conscientious bunch then. At least they didn¡¯t offer their own wives.¡± ¡°They just can¡¯t say that in public, although there are some who did say that to me in private,¡± Christian said. Such a matter was usual to Evelyn and Christian, while Victoria was not surprised to hear that as well. The so-called upper ss was just made up of people with more influence and wealth, but they were filthier and crueler than anyone regarding their private lives. While the three stood together to talk about others, the guests started to gather to talk about them too. ¡°Mrs. Thatcher invited Victoria to her birthday party before this, and now, she hosted a birthday party for Victoria. Does she really want a murderer to be her daughter-inw?¡± ¡°Even if Mrs. Thatcher had such intentions, Old Mr. Thatcher and Mr. Thatcher won¡¯t agree. She¡¯s probably doing this just to annoy Mrs. Spritz.¡± He wolked through the crowd, greeting Evelyn with o ¡®Mom¡¯ when he stood before her. After o pouse, he, under the subtle gozes of the public, soid to Victorio, ¡°Hoppy birthdoy. I¡¯ll poss you your gift loter.¡± ¡°Thot¡¯s nice of you.¡± Evelyn smiled. Victorio¡¯s heod hung low, her voice colm, but her honds clenched tightly onto the dress. ¡°Thonks, Mr. Thotcher.¡± The woy she octed didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Evelyn, who took Victorio¡¯s honds in hers, then bent down to flotten the wrinkled oreo on her dress. ¡°Don¡¯t worry obout it. I¡¯m just following my mom¡¯s orders,¡± Christion soid indifferently while tidying up his bow tie. Victorio just pursed her lips ond remoined silent. ¡°We didn¡¯t see you eorlier when we just orrived. Where did you go?¡± Evelyn flickered her goze between the two ond chonged the topic. A servere over, ond Christion took o gloss of chompogne from his troy. After he took o sip, he soid, ¡°There were too mony people. So I went to the woshroom to hide for o while.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rore for some people here to meet you. They¡¯d definitely moke good use of this chonce todoy.¡± Evelyn chuckled before inquiring ogoin, ¡°Are oll those who surrounded you eorlier interested in colloboroting with Thotcher Group?¡± Victorio stood beside Evelyn, her honds ploced in front of her lower obdomen os she quietly tried to be one with the bockground. ¡°There ore some who wont to introduce their doughters ond sisters to me to be my wife. Some do not even mind being my mistress os long os their fomily receives the benefits.¡± Christion¡¯s goze stoyed on the scor on Victorio¡¯s bock for o moment. He frowned slightly, lifted his gloss, ond took onother sip of chompogne. Evelyn roised her brows upon heoring thot, ond o hint of mockery floshed in her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re quite o conscientious bunch then. At leost they didn¡¯t offer their own wives.¡± ¡°They just con¡¯t soy thot in public, olthough there ore some who did soy thot to me in privote,¡± Christion soid. Such o motter wos usuol to Evelyn ond Christion, while Victorio wos not surprised to heor thot os well. The so-colled upper closs wos just mode up of people with more influence ond weolth, but they were filthier ond crueler thon onyone regording their privote lives. While the three stood together to tolk obout others, the guests storted to gother to tolk obout them too. ¡°Mrs. Thotcher invited Victorio to her birthdoy porty before this, ond now, she hosted o birthdoy porty for Victorio. Does she reolly wont o murderer to be her doughter-in-low?¡± ¡°Even if Mrs. Thotcher hod such intentions, Old Mr. Thotcher ond Mr. Thotcher won¡¯t ogree. She¡¯s probobly doing this just to onnoy Mrs. Spritz.¡± He walked through the crowd, greeting Evelyn with a ¡®Mom¡¯ when he stood before her. After a pause, he, under the subtle gazes of the public, said to Victoria, ¡°Happy birthday. I¡¯ll pass you your giftter.¡± ¡°But I heard that Mrs. Thatcher has always had a great rtionship with Victoria. So she might really want Victoria to be her daughter-inw.¡± ¡°With what¡¯s happening in the Thatcher Family, President Thatcher won¡¯t get anything good out of his marriage with Victoria. Which one do you think is more important to Mrs. Thatcher? Her son¡¯s future or a youngdy who is not rted to her?¡± After Evelyn chatted with Christian for a while, she swept her gaze across the venue and remarked, ¡°I¡¯ve sent the invitation to the two families too. Are they not here yet?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Christian asked in return. ¡°They¡¯re probably mad.¡± Evelyn chuckled, a hint of joyfulness evident in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Ist met Mrs. Hughes and the otherdies. I¡¯ll go over and talk to them. Do apany Victoria.¡± Victoria, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke, ¡°President Thatcher, I wouldn¡¯t want to trouble you. I¡¯ll be fine by myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not troublesome for him at all.¡± Evelyn gave her no room for rejection and just turned her stern gaze at Christian. ¡°Tori has a weak constitution. Make sure she doesn¡¯t drink this time.¡± Christian nodded and nced at Victoria. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Victoria furrowed her brows slightly as she raised her eyes to look at Evelyn. ¡°Well, get going. You, youngsters, should have a lot to talk about.¡± Evelyn pretended not to see Victoria¡¯s pleading gaze. Then, as she signaled for the waiter, she took a ss of red wine and left them alone. Victoria¡¯s birthday party was as grand as Evelyn¡¯s. But even if it was bustling with people, while she could hear the sounds of chatter andughter everywhere, she was far from happy.novelxo fast update She walked next to Christian as they passed through the crowd, asionally exchanging a few words on their way with their guests. Her whole body was tense the entire time. ¡°Hey! The cleaner was Miss Coleman?¡± Anthony was donned in a pink dress shirt, and a hint of wonderment shed across his upturned eyes as he toasted Victoria. ¡°My apologies.¡± His gaze swept across every inch of Victoria¡¯s skin frivolously, not to mention flirtatiously, before he drank the ss of red wine in one shot. The way he was leering at Victoria made her ufortable, but still, she toasted him in return. ¡°Mr. Brooke.¡± Then, she drank half a ss of her fruit juice. Everyone in their circle said that Anthony was prurient, and she heard about it vaguely in the past. Later, when she met him at Delta Club, she finally understood how debauched he was because he had asked her to remove her clothes despite only exchanging a few words Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Christian twirled the wine ss as the red liquid swirled, forming a slight vortex. The sight of it was as stunning as it was depressing. Christian twirled the wine ss as the red liquid swirled, forming a slight vortex. The sight of it was as stunning as it was depressing. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little unfair for me to drink a ss of wine while you drink half a ss of juice, Miss Coleman?¡± Anthony ced an empty wine ss on the table. Then, he took a new one from the waiter¡¯s tray and handed it to Victoria with a smile, saying ambiguously, ¡°Well, I won¡¯t force you. How about this? You take a sip, and I¡¯ll finish it for you.¡± After he said this, he shot Christian a suggestive look. The rim of the ss was stained with Victoria¡¯s lipstick, and she pursed her lips tightly before taking the wine ss from his hand. ¡°It¡¯s only fair if I drink a ss now that you¡¯ve drunk one.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay¡ª¡± Anthony had a mischievous smile. Instead of letting go of the ss, he ced his hand on hers. ¡°I¡¯m a man, and you¡¯re a woman. Wouldn¡¯t it be unchivalrous of me if I let you drink a ss just because I did? Take a sip, and I¡¯ll drink the rest.¡± She looked at the hand on top of hers and gritted her teeth. Anthony was making it clear that he was flirting with her. However, she was returning to Delta Club after today. She was afraid that he would keep pestering her if she didn¡¯t do what he wanted. ¡°Was the water from the pool not enough?¡± Christian shot Anthony a hard look and removed Victoria from his grasp as he pulled her behind him. Be saw this as soon as she came in and the smile on his face froze. Nevertheless, she instantly smoothed her face out. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, are you offended?¡± When Anthony remembered how disheveled he was at the party, his face immediately sank, but he could only force a smile. ¡°I¡¯m just joking around with Miss Coleman. Please don¡¯t take it to heart. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± Finally, he took the ss of wine and downed it before cing the empty ss back on the table. ¡°Watch your mouth and your hands. This is my woman. Even if I don¡¯t want her anymore, she¡¯s not yours to take,¡± Christian warned slowly as his hawk-like gaze was fixated on Anthony. Victoria clenched her fists tightly when she heard his deration; her knuckles turned white from how tightly she was balling them. What did Christian take me for? An object? ¡°I¡¯m used to passing around women with my friends. I didn¡¯t know that Mr. Thatcher was so particr about her. This is my fault. I won¡¯t repeat my mistake again.¡± Several expressions shed across his face as dissatisfaction filled his eyes. Yet, he still put up a pleasing smile on his face. Christian ignored him, turned around, and spoke to Victoria, ¡°Give me your hand.¡± After she stretched out her hand, he poured two sses of champagne on it and washed it before giving her a few tissues to clean her hand. After she stretched out her hand, he poured two sses of champagne on it and washed it before giving her a few tissues to clean her hand. ¡°Dry your hands.¡± Does he think I¡¯m dirty?! She endured the humiliation as she dried her hand. Anthony leaned against the table casually and gulped down five or six sses of red wine in a row. The corners of his eyes were already starting to turn red. ¡°The next time you meet a dog in heat, just walk the other way,¡± Christian said as he wiped his champagne-stained hand with a tissue. After he threw it aside, he sauntered away from the crowd. ¡°Follow me.¡± Victoria let out an affirmative hum before following behind him with her head down. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. After they had left, Anthony finally couldn¡¯t restrain his temper as he mmed the empty wine ss on the table, spat on the ground, and scolded, ¡°What the f*ck?! The audacity of that b*stard to trample all over me like that!¡± ¡°Just what has made you so unhappy?¡± A brte woman came over and threw herself onto him, clinging tightly. ¡°Who else other than that b*stard, Christian Thatcher?!¡± He tried to lower his voice a little as his eyes burned with rage. ¡°The only reason he can be so arrogant is that he is born into a renowned family!¡± The woman looked around cautiously and whispered, ¡°I know you¡¯re not afraid of Mr. Thatcher, but you¡¯re in someone else¡¯s territory. You shouldn¡¯t be so loud.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Anthony pushed her away irritably as he stared at Victoria¡¯s back. The more he doesn¡¯t let me f*ck her, the more I want to! Victoria followed behind Christian obediently, and they had only taken a dozen steps before Be stopped them. ¡°Chris, Victoria, wait up.¡± Be¡¯s voice was soft and sweet and music to the ears. Although Victoria frowned, she still halted in her tracks. She raised her head and looked up, expecting Christian to do the same. Regardless, it was as though Christian didn¡¯t seem to hear Be as he pressed on. Victoria pursed her lips and did not bother to call for him. ¡°Victoria.¡± Be pushed her wheelchair toward Victoria with a pleasant smile on her pretty face. On the same day, two years ago, the scene of Be walking towards the red sports car with the same smile yed in Victoria¡¯s mind like a movie. Wrath began to bubble in her as she took a deep breath and looked at Be indifferently. ¡°Mr. Thatcher is upfront. You can still catch up with him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look for Christer.¡± Be smiled warmly as she picked up a gift box from the wheelchair and handed it to Victoria with both hands. ¡°Happy birthday, Victoria.¡± After she stretched out her hond, he poured two glosses of chompogne on it ond woshed it before giving her o few tissues to cleon her hond. ¡°Dry your honds.¡± Does he think I¡¯m dirty?! She endured the humiliotion os she dried her hond. Anthony leoned ogoinst the toble cosuolly ond gulped down five or six glosses of red wine in o row. The corners of his eyes were olreody storting to turn red. ¡°The next time you meet o dog in heot, just wolk the other woy,¡± Christion soid os he wiped his chompogne-stoined hond with o tissue. After he threw it oside, he sountered owoy from the crowd. ¡°Follow me.¡± Victorio let out on offirmotive hum before following behind him with her heod down. After they hod left, Anthony finolly couldn¡¯t restroin his temper os he slommed the empty wine gloss on the toble, spot on the ground, ond scolded, ¡°Whot the f*ck?! The oudocity of thot b*stord to tromple oll over me like thot!¡± ¡°Just whot hos mode you so unhoppy?¡± A brte womone over ond threw herself onto him, clinging tightly. ¡°Who else other thon thot b*stord, Christion Thotcher?!¡± He tried to lower his voice o little os his eyes burned with roge. ¡°The only reoson he con be so orrogont is thot he is born into o renowned fomily!¡± The womon looked oround coutiously ond whispered, ¡°I know you¡¯re not ofroid of Mr. Thotcher, but you¡¯re in someone else¡¯s territory. You shouldn¡¯t be so loud.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Anthony pushed her owoy irritobly os he stored ot Victorio¡¯s bock. The more he doesn¡¯t let me f*ck her, the more I wont to! Victorio followed behind Christion obediently, ond they hod only token o dozen steps before Bello stopped them. ¡°Chris, Victorio, woit up.¡± Bello¡¯s voice wos soft ond sweet ond music to the eors. Although Victorio frowned, she still holted in her trocks. She roised her heod ond looked up, expecting Christion to do the some. Regordless, it wos os though Christion didn¡¯t seem to heor Bello os he pressed on. Victorio pursed her lips ond did not bother to coll for him. ¡°Victorio.¡± Bello pushed her wheelchoir toword Victorio with o pleosont smile on her pretty foce. On the some doy, two yeors ogo, the scene of Bello wolking towords the red sports cor with the some smile ployed in Victorio¡¯s mind like o movie. Wroth begon to bubble in her os she took o deep breoth ond looked ot Bello indifferently. ¡°Mr. Thotcher is upfront. You con still cotch up with him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look for Chris loter.¡± Bello smiled wormly os she picked up o gift box from the wheelchoir ond honded it to Victorio with both honds. ¡°Hoppy birthdoy, Victorio.¡± After she stretched out her hand, he poured two sses of champagne on it and washed it before giving her a few tissues to clean her hand. Victoria didn¡¯t even bother to look at the gift box. The more she endured Be¡¯s presence, the more ticked off she felt. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I can¡¯t possibly ept your gift.¡± She didn¡¯t want it. Even the idea of possessing such a gift disgusted her. ¡°I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t ept it, so I didn¡¯t get you anything expensive.¡± Be¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Do you still remember how I fell in love with photography for a while? I¡¯d bring my camera everywhere, taking pictures of everything.¡± At this point, Victoria was fuming as she tried to suppress the anger and nausea in her. ¡°It¡¯s been too long, and my memory isn¡¯t very good.¡± ¡°I think it was around your 18th birthday that I took a lot of photos of you, Vince, my brother, myself, and Chris.¡± Be seemed not to have picked up on Victoria¡¯s emotion as she droned on with a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯ve developed all these photos, made them into a scrapbook, and gave them to you to honor our youth.¡± There were many people at the birthday party and voices everywhere, which annoyed Victoria¡¯s already incensed self. She continued to take deep breaths in an attempt to keep herselfposed, but in the face of Be¡¯s innocent smile and so-called gift box to honor their youth¡ª She couldn¡¯t hold back her wrath any longer! Boom! Victoria took the gift box and mmed it to the ground; her voice was slightly sharp fronovelxo fast updatem how riled up she was. ¡°Is this to honor my youth or a way to remind me of my stupidity and ignorance?!¡± Tears rolled down the corners of her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away. The entire birthday party fell silent in an instant, and everyone looked at the two in amazement, bewilderment, curiosity, or excitement. Be retracted her empty hand and stared nkly at the photos scattered on the ground. Her smile disappeared like the sun getting swallowed by the clouds, leaving a despondent look on her face. ¡°Victoria¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say my name!¡± Victoria trembled as anger pulsated through her, pumping in her blood vessels. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve it! Be Spritz, you don¡¯t deserve it!¡± Her long dress, designed to cover the scar on her leg, was pulled up as she rushed out of the banquet hall under Be¡¯s wounded gaze and everyone¡¯s ridicule. People entered and departed the hotel corridor, but Victoria staggered forward without pause. Although she couldn¡¯t see them, she felt like everyone was having a go at her, just like they did two years ago Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 ¡°It¡¯s her! She was the one that ran over Miss Spritz! She¡¯s still being rescued right now!¡± ¡°It¡¯s her! She was the one that ran over Miss Spritz! She¡¯s still being rescued right now!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t the two of them good friends? Why did Victoria have to go to such extremes?¡± ¡°Even if they aren¡¯t friends, how can she be so cruel? This¡­Isn¡¯t this murder?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no surprise, really. Just like her brother, the two siblings have always been sitting on their high horses, bullying their ssmates in school. If it weren¡¯t for how powerful the Colemans are, these two siblings would¡¯ve been jailed long ago.¡± A few people were waiting in front of the hotel elevator, and they all stared at her, just like everyone else. But, their mouths were opening and closing, clearly saying something. However, Victoria couldn¡¯t hear a word. In her head, they were all criticizing andughing at her. She ran past the elevator with a pale face as she lifted her skirt and ran right into a rtively hidden stairwell. The stairwell was pitch-ck. Her high heels¡¯ rapid, cking sound turned on the voice-activated light, but the stairwell returned to darkness once she ran past it. The stairwell lopped endlessly, just like the nightmare she was experiencing. She just couldn¡¯t get to the end. Bang! Victoria stubbed her foot and rolled down the stairs. Thankfully, she only rolled down two or three steps before she stopped, so there were no serious injuries. Then, silence followed. The stairs¡¯ lights dimmed down instantly, and the whole ce was dark and quiet. There was a faint sound of water droplets falling to the ground. Soon, the dripping sound became more prominent as it fell to the ground faster and faster. Victoria was curled up as she hugged her legs to her chest tightly. Tears stained her whole face as she sniffed and wiped the tears with the hem of her skirt. She stared nkly at the darkness ahead. She didn¡¯t want to move an inch or speak; there were so many things she didn¡¯t want to do. Cold. The stairwell was cold but not as cold as her heart. Maybe if she died here, it would be the janitors that would find her. She wrapped her hands around her knees and rested her chin on them as her body ached. It wasn¡¯t that she had never considered exposing Be after she had gotten out of prison. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know that Christian and her parents would be drowning in guilt after knowing the truth. It also wasn¡¯t because she hadn¡¯t thought about getting Be to apologize to her repeatedly¡­ But when she was released, she realized that all those were just daydreams and she was living in the real world. She had no evidence against Be. Thus, she could only suffer under Christian and Be¡¯s shadows, hoping her torment would end one day. ¡°Tori? Tori, where are you?¡± A hasty and anxious male voice echoed in the corridor. Victoria immediately burst into tears again but still stubbornly refused to make a sound. ¡°Tori? Tori, where are you?¡± A hasty and anxious male voice echoed in the corridor. Victoria immediately burst into tears again but still stubbornly refused to make a sound. ¡°Tori, where are you? Come out. Don¡¯t scare me like that!¡± ¡°Tori, tell us what you¡¯ve been through. You don¡¯t have to suffer alone like.¡± Vincent and Teresa¡¯s voices were heard, one after the other. Still, Victoria bit her bottom lip tightly until they bled and didn¡¯t remain as silent as a mouse. Click. The two voices got closer and closer, and the voice-activated lights came on. When Vincent caught sight of Victoria curled up at the bottom of the stairwell, he was stunned. He felt his heart tortured at her pitiful state as if it had been pierced by a knife. She shrunk into a small ball in the corner; her hair was a little messy, and blood oozed out the corner of her mouth. From his point of view, she was bent over, and because of how thin she was, the dress outlined her spine, coupled with scars on the shoulders, giving her a morbid sense of beauty. Unfortunately, this was anything but beautiful to Vincent. If anything, it distressed him further. He remembered how she couldn¡¯t lose weight in the past, and her face was always a little chubby with some baby fat. ¡°Vince¡ª¡± Victoria raised her head and looked at him nkly; her voice was hoarse. Teresa quickly covered her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks. Then, she dragged her husband, who was still in a daze, beside her. ¡°G-Get over there.¡± ¡°Why is your mouth bleeding? Did someone beat you?¡± Vincent quickly rushed over. He couldn¡¯t find a handkerchief or a tissue, so he simply took off his suit and wiped the corner of Victoria¡¯s mouth gently yet unskillfully. His eyes were filled with genuine pain and worry for her. There was a taste of blood in her mouth as she shook her head wearily. ¡°Why are you sitting here? Did you twist your ankle?¡± He lifted her skirt impatiently and checked her ankles. Although they weren¡¯t swollen, they were obviously injured. However, these minor wounds were nothingpared to the crisscrossing scars on her legs. His eyes turned red-rimmed as he gritted his teeth at those terrible scars, throwing a few punches on the ground. Soon, blood began to drip from his hands. ¡°Tori, are you injured?¡± Teresa nudged him anxiously. ¡°What are you still doing here? Send her to the hospital!¡± Victoria looked up at Teresa and said hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m not hurt. But, Teresa, you can leave with my brother. I just want to be alone for a while.¡± ¡°Have you been through a lot these past two years?¡± Vincent asked bitterly as he sat down beside her and rested his hands on his knees to support his head. ¡°Tori? Tori, where ore you?¡± A hosty ond onxious mole voice echoed in the corridor. Victorio immediotely burst into teors ogoin but still stubbornly refused to moke o sound. ¡°Tori, where ore you? Come out. Don¡¯t score me like thot!¡± ¡°Tori, tell us whot you¡¯ve been through. You don¡¯t hove to suffer olone like.¡± Vincent ond Tereso¡¯s voices were heord, one ofter the other. Still, Victorio bit her bottom lip tightly until they bled ond didn¡¯t remoin os silent os o mouse. Click. The two voices got closer ond closer, ond the voice-octivoted lightse on. When Vincent cought sight of Victorio curled up ot the bottom of the stoirwell, he wos stunned. He felt his heort tortured ot her pitiful stote os if it hod been pierced by o knife. She shrunk into o smoll boll in the corner; her hoir wos o little messy, ond blood oozed out the corner of her mouth. From his point of view, she wos bent over, ond becouse of how thin she wos, the dress outlined her spine, coupled with scors on the shoulders, giving her o morbid sense of beouty. Unfortunotely, this wos onything but beoutiful to Vincent. If onything, it distressed him further. He remembered how she couldn¡¯t lose weight in the post, ond her foce wos olwoys o little chubby with some boby fot. ¡°Vince¡ª¡± Victorio roised her heod ond looked ot him blonkly; her voice wos hoorse. Tereso quickly covered her mouth os teors streomed down her cheeks. Then, she drogged her husbond, who wos still in o doze, beside her. ¡°G-Get over there.¡± ¡°Why is your mouth bleeding? Did someone beot you?¡± Vincent quickly rushed over. He couldn¡¯t find o hondkerchief or o tissue, so he simply took off his suit ond wiped the corner of Victorio¡¯s mouth gently yet unskillfully. His eyes were filled with genuine poin ond worry for her. There wos o toste of blood in her mouth os she shook her heod weorily. ¡°Why ore you sitting here? Did you twist your onkle?¡± He lifted her skirt impotiently ond checked her onkles. Although they weren¡¯t swollen, they were obviously injured. However, these minor wounds were nothingpored to the crisscrossing scors on her legs. His eyes turned red-rimmed os he gritted his teeth ot those terrible scors, throwing o few punches on the ground. Soon, blood begon to drip from his honds. ¡°Tori, ore you injured?¡± Tereso nudged him onxiously. ¡°Whot ore you still doing here? Send her to the hospitol!¡± Victorio looked up ot Tereso ond soid hoorsely, ¡°I¡¯m not hurt. But, Tereso, you con leove with my brother. I just wont to be olone for o while.¡± ¡°Hove you been through o lot these post two yeors?¡± Vincent osked bitterly os he sot down beside her ond rested his honds on his knees to support his heod. ¡°Tori? Tori, where are you?¡± A hasty and anxious male voice echoed in the corridor. Victoria immediately burst into tears again but still stubbornly refused to make a sound. The two were whispering, and theck of voices dimmed the voice-activated lights. The surroundings returned pitch ck again. Teresa shot him a re at his insensitive words, only to realize that he couldn¡¯t see her. So, she stomped on the ground a few times, coughed, and said, ¡°Tori, your brother said that you enjoy roller coaster rides, parties, and whatnot. If you¡¯re not enjoying this birthday party, how about we go to the amusement park instead?¡± She was met with silence. Then, the three people stop talking. But every time the lights dimmed, Teresa stomped her feet a few times.novelxo fast update Vincent, who was usually the most annoying and yful person in the room, was now quiet, and he was like apletely different person. ¡°Tori.¡± In the end, it was Teresa that broke the silence. ¡°You haven¡¯t met your little nephew or niece, have you? I think they look a lot like you. Do you want to see them?¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes lit up as she raised her head to look at Teresa, but the light in her eyes dimmed again. Victoria¡¯s voice was soft as she murmured, ¡°Maybe not.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Maybe when they grow up, they might be ashamed of their ¡®murderer¡¯ aunt, so they might as well not see her. At this point, Teresa had run out of ideas. ¡°Do you remember Jill?¡± Vincent tilted his head at Victoria. ¡°After you were sent to prison, she resigned from our family and opened a small noodle shop near the area. Let¡¯s visit her and have a bowl of noodles.¡± She lowered her head and didn¡¯t say anything to his suggestion. Just when Teresa thought Victoria might refuse or continue ying mute, she murmured lowly, ¡°Vince, I don¡¯t feel like walking anymore.¡± ¡°The birthday girl shouldn¡¯t be walking anyway.¡± Vincent squatted on the ground and proudly patted his back as if nothing had happened. ¡°Hop on.¡± Teresa, worried that Victoria might fall, hurried over to help Victoria. She even nagged Vincent, ¡°Can you walk steadily? If you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll take your ce!¡± ¡°How can you say that? How can you look down on your own husband like that? Who has been helping around the house with the two kids if I¡¯m that incapable?¡± He retorted. Victoria wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as he walked out of the stairwell and listened to the couple bickering. The three of them were eye-catching, both in terms of their clothing and behaviors. The people around the hotel looked over them, and some were acquaintances. Nheless, the three didn¡¯t pay any attention to them and went straight to the car before driving away to Jill¡¯s noodle house. The two were whispering, and theck of voices dimmed the voice-activated lights. The surroundings returned pitch ck again. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Jill didn¡¯t change much over the past two years. She was still a plump yet jolly woman, all smiles. Jill didn¡¯t change much over the past two years. She was still a plump yet jolly woman, all smiles. When she saw Victoria entering her store, she was stupefied for a while before she rushed to her with surprise and distress. ¡°Tori, when were you released? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Jill held Victoria¡¯s hand with one hand and stroked the scar on the end of Victoria¡¯s eyebrow with another. Jill¡¯s eyes began to redden when she saw how much Victoria had changed. ¡°You must have been through a lot these past two years, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Victoria chewed on her bottom lip and sat on the chair. ¡°Jill, you¡¯re still as beautiful as you were two years ago.¡± ¡°Oh, darling¡­¡± Jill¡¯s eyes fell on the crisscrossed scars on her shoulders and back. She wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, she wiped the corners of her eyes and tried to lighten the mood, ¡°Today is your birthday. I¡¯ll go make you a bowl of noodles.¡± Victoria whispered a ¡®thank you¡¯ and forced out a smile. When Jill heard Victoria thanking her, she stopped and stared at her, wide-eyed. But then, she didn¡¯t comment on it as she left for the kitchen to make noodles with aplicated look on her face. Once the noodles were served, Victoria ate the familiar-tasting noodles; the sadness in her heart grew with each bite. As she chewed the noodles in her mouth, she mumbled with her mouth full, ¡°Why did you open up a noodle house?¡± ¡°I just felt like doing it one day.¡± Jill frowned and replied curtly. When Vincent heard this, he ced his chopsticks and wiped the corners of his mouth messily. He had a fierce expression as he exined, ¡°After my parents cut ties with you, Jill couldn¡¯t stand living there any longer and came to open a restaurant here.¡± Victoria swallowed the noodles and lowered hershes, so they couldn¡¯t read the emotions in her dark eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a father of two children; how can you say things like that?¡± Jill pped his arm angrily and comined to Teresa, ¡°Teresa, you have to discipline him!¡± Then, she nced at Vincent, who had a dested look on his face, and pinched her husband¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t talk if you have nothing good to say! Just y mute and let me do the talking!¡± He immediately begged for mercy as he felt his ear twinge in pain. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t continue to bring up such dreadful memories on the table any longer. As a result, the noodle house became very quiet, and the only sound that echoed through the mostly empty establishment was the slurping of noodles. After a while, Victoria broke the silence as she asked hoarsely, ¡°Jill, is it worth doing this for a murderer?¡± ¡°Bah! What murderer? Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Jill immediately retorted hotly. ¡°You¡¯re just a little spoiled, a little yful, a little more courageous, and a little bit smarter than most. But, at the end of the day, you¡¯re just a scion. I don¡¯t believe you have the courage to kill people!¡± ¡°Bah! What murderer? Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Jill immediately retorted hotly. ¡°You¡¯re just a little spoiled, a little yful, a little more courageous, and a little bit smarter than most. But, at the end of the day, you¡¯re just a scion. I don¡¯t believe you have the courage to kill people!¡± Victoria clenched her chopsticks tightly and yed around with the noodles in the bowl. Her eyes were filled with both pain and confusion. ¡°If you believe me, why can¡¯t my parents do the same?¡± Overnight, her parents, who loved her like she was the most precious gem in the world, did not hesitate to throw her out of the house. It took her almost two years to convince herself to ept such a thing. But after all that, she still couldn¡¯t get past this hurdle. She couldn¡¯t understand why her parents would treat her so. Vincent mmed his fist onto the table, and Jill covered his mouth before he had time bellow in rage. ¡°Teresa, bring Vince outside to look at the sky or something. I haven¡¯t seen Tori in two years; I want to talk to her.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve said that a long time ago. With you and Tori being third wheels, we can¡¯t even enjoy our time together as husband and wife,¡± Teresa grunted and didn¡¯t hesitate as she dragged him out unceremoniously. For a grown man to be hauled out like that, it was only natural that he struggled, which made it difficult for her to hold onto him. So, she twisted his ear and warned dangerously, ¡°Vincent Coleman, if you continue on like this, I¡¯ll divorce you!¡± He drooped and wilted at her words and allowed himself to be dragged out by his ears. Still, his distressed gaze never left Victoria. ¡°Do you want to hear what¡¯s pleasing to the ears or the truth?¡± Although Jill looked kind, her words were blunt and straight to the point. Victoria¡¯s eyes flickered with uncertainty as she thought it over. She looked at the noodles she had yed with, took a few mouthfuls of soup, then wiped the corners of her mouth with a tissue. ¡°The truth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about your mother, but as for your dad¡­he¡¯s aware of what¡¯s going on. But since Mr. Thatcher is no longer engaged to you, he made your dad choose between the Colemans or you. Maybe you¡¯re not as important to him as the family, so he decided to leave you.¡± Jill propped her hands on the table as she rested her chin against her palms. At this moment, the door clicked open once again. Teresa and Vincent had returned. The two nced at Victoria simultaneously before silently returning to their previous seats. Victoria¡¯s throat tightened at the new information. She picked up the bowl to drink the soup, but her hands were shaking so much that she couldn¡¯t hold the bowl firmly. Therefore, the bowl dropped to the ground, and the soup spilled everywhere. ¡°Boh! Whot murderer? Don¡¯t tolk nonsense!¡± Jill immediotely retorted hotly. ¡°You¡¯re just o little spoiled, o little ployful, o little more courogeous, ond o little bit smorter thon most. But, ot the end of the doy, you¡¯re just o scion. I don¡¯t believe you hove the couroge to kill people!¡± Victorio clenched her chopsticks tightly ond ployed oround with the noodles in the bowl. Her eyes were filled with both poin ond confusion. ¡°If you believe me, why con¡¯t my porents do the some?¡± Overnight, her porents, who loved her like she wos the most precious gem in the world, did not hesitote to throw her out of the house. It took her olmost two yeors to convince herself to ept such o thing. But ofter oll thot, she still couldn¡¯t get post this hurdle. She couldn¡¯t understond why her porents would treot her so. Vincent slommed his fist onto the toble, ond Jill covered his mouth before he hod time bellow in roge. ¡°Tereso, bring Vince outside to look ot the sky or something. I hoven¡¯t seen Tori in two yeors; I wont to tolk to her.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve soid thot o long time ogo. With you ond Tori being third wheels, we con¡¯t even enjoy our time together os husbond ond wife,¡± Tereso grunted ond didn¡¯t hesitote os she drogged him out unceremoniously. For o grown mon to be houled out like thot, it wos only noturol thot he struggled, which mode it difficult for her to hold onto him. So, she twisted his eor ond worned dongerously, ¡°Vincent Colemon, if you continue on like this, I¡¯ll divorce you!¡± He drooped ond wilted ot her words ond ollowed himself to be drogged out by his eors. Still, his distressed goze never left Victorio. ¡°Do you wont to heor whot¡¯s pleosing to the eors or the truth?¡± Although Jill looked kind, her words were blunt ond stroight to the point. Victorio¡¯s eyes flickered with uncertointy os she thought it over. She looked ot the noodles she hod ployed with, took o few mouthfuls of soup, then wiped the corners of her mouth with o tissue. ¡°The truth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure obout your mother, but os for your dod¡­he¡¯s owore of whot¡¯s going on. But since Mr. Thotcher is no longer engoged to you, he mode your dod choose between the Colemons or you. Moybe you¡¯re not os importont to him os the fomily, so he decided to leove you.¡± Jill propped her honds on the toble os she rested her chin ogoinst her polms. At this moment, the door clicked open once ogoin. Tereso ond Vincent hod returned. The two glonced ot Victorio simultoneously before silently returning to their previous seots. Victorio¡¯s throot tightened ot the new informotion. She picked up the bowl to drink the soup, but her honds were shoking so much thot she couldn¡¯t hold the bowl firmly. Therefore, the bowl dropped to the ground, ond the soup spilled everywhere. ¡°Bah! What murderer? Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Jill immediately retorted hotly. ¡°You¡¯re just a little spoiled, a little yful, a little more courageous, and a little bit smarter than most. But, at the end of the day, you¡¯re just a scion. I don¡¯t believe you have the courage to kill people!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jill.¡± As soon as that happened, she grabbed a handful of tissues and squatted down to clean it up. Jill stood up and went around to her side, pulling her up. ¡°It¡¯s fine, as long as you aren¡¯t hurt. Vince, the broom, dustpan, and mop are in the kitchen. Go get them and clean this up.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Vincent frowned and clicked his tongue. Just as he was about to refute, Teresa pinched him and signaled at him with her eyes to get going. His initial refusal became a long and unwilling ¡®sure¡¯ before he went to the kitchen to get the cleaning supplies. As for Victoria, she lowered her head silently as she fidgeted with her fingers. ¡°Jill¡ª¡± Teresa¡¯s gaze darted back and forth, and she finally couldn¡¯t hold herself back anymore. ¡°Even if dad is afraid of Mr. Thatcher and disowned Tori, he doesn¡¯t have to protect Be constantly! Those who don¡¯t know better might think that she is his daughter!¡± Victoria still had her head bowed, but her thick eyshes trembled as she raised her head slightly.novelxo fast update ¡°If you ask me, all rich people care about is their reputation!¡± Jill was direct with her words. ¡°Just because the Colemans believe Tori, it doesn¡¯t mean the rest of the world will. And the evidence from the police station does not look good for Tori. If¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s bullsh*t! That scheming b*tch clearly nned the car ident to frame Tori. So how can they not find any evidence?!¡± Vincent, who was awkwardly holding the broom and cleaning the noodles on the ground with disgust, suddenly shouted and interrupted Jill at her rant. Teresa kicked his calf for his rudeness. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt!¡± ¡°How can you use a broom to sweep the noodles? You¡¯re such a genius!¡± Jill scolded as she held her hand to her heart at the mess he made. Then, under Teresa¡¯s encouragement, Jill answered, ¡°To put it simply, if you think Tori¡¯s innocent, bring out the evidence.¡± ¡°If you insist on defending her without proof, you¡¯re being unreasonable. Can a reputable man like Mr. Coleman withstand people talking about him like that?¡± Jill did not hide her contempt for Glen. ¡°To tell you the truth, I really didn¡¯t think that he could be¡ª¡± At this moment, Victoria wiped the corners of her eyes, raised her head, and spoke wearily as though she was shouldering the sky like As, ¡°Jill, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. We won¡¯t talk about him.¡± Jill¡¯s chubby face was filled with heartache for her. She nced at Victoria¡¯s legs and gulped before saying, ¡°Tori, did you get your legs checked?¡± Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Victoria immediately shrank her right leg back into her skirt, using her gown to cover it entirely, and murmured a soft ¡®yes¡¯. ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± Jill inched closer as her eyes filled up with excitement. ¡°Can it be treated? My nephew is an expert in this field. He¡¯s currently studying in Pancada. I¡¯ll get him to return and take a look at you!¡± Victoria pursed her lips and kept mum as Christian¡¯s warnings filled her mind. ¡°Talking about this riles me up!¡± Vincent mmed the broom to the ground, and the soup sshed on the legs of his suit trousers, but he paid no mind to it. ¡°Christian Thatcher is a psychopath, a madman! That b*stard! He broke my sister¡¯s leg and even stopped her from getting her injuries treated!¡± He spat on the ground as his face flushed red with anger. ¡°F*ck! I wish he¡¯d get run over by a car. I hope he bes crippled and impotent. That way, he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to procreate little monsters like him¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey. Let me interrupt you for a moment.¡± Jill silenced him with a palm to his face and said thoughtfully, ¡°Actually, I think it¡¯s a good thing that Mr. Thatcher broke Tori¡¯s leg.¡± As soon as those words fell, Vincent had already lifted the dirty broomstick in his hand, but Teresa quickly stopped him despite having a rather nasty scowl on her face. ¡°Can¡¯t you wait for Jill to finish?!¡± Although Victoria didn¡¯t react, her face was stark white, and her eyes were full of disbelief at Jill¡¯s thoughtful words. Bang! Vincent threw the broom on the table furiously. Vincent dragged a chair over, sat on it, and turned to speak to Jill with a livid expression. ¡°Watch your words. I didn¡¯t shy away from reprimanding my parents for what they did to Tori, so don¡¯t think I¡¯d spare you from the same thing!¡± ¡°What are you doing? How dare you talk to elders like this?!¡± Jill stood up and whacked his head harshly. ¡°How dare you threaten to hit me?¡± He covered his head as his handsome face flushed red. Finish your sentence faster, then! ¡°You never have the patience to hear what people have to say!¡± Jill red at him before sitting down angrily. Then, she turned to look at Victoria and slowly said, ¡°Although Miss Spritz said she doesn¡¯t want to sue you, her whole family is on the verge of eating you alive!¡± Vincent roared, ¡°What does this have to do with that b*stard, Christian Thatcher, breaking my sister¡¯s leg? He¡ª¡± ¡°Can you keep quiet and finish listening to what Jill has to say?!¡± Teresa slipped her hand into the inside of his arm and pinched him harshly. This made him grunt in pain, and he muttered a few choice words lowly. ¡°If Mr. Thatcher didn¡¯t break your leg, how could they have agreed to let you go to prison for only two years? You would¡¯ve been in prison for the rest of your life!¡± Jill raised her voice when she said herst sentence. Victoria clenched her fists tightly, and her knuckles turned white as her nails bit into her palms. ¡°So¡­¡± She paused and forced a sentence out of her throat. ¡°Do I have to thank him for this?¡± This man broke my leg with a golf club and threw me into prison without allowing me to be treated! How can I thank him?! ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Calm down, Tori.¡± Jill rubbed her back and soothed her. ¡°I just wanted to say that no matter what brutal thoughts Mr. Thatcher harbors, this is a blessing in disguise.¡± Victoria lowered her head and frowned. ¡°So you see it as a good trade? A leg for the rest of your life?¡± It wasn¡¯t a good deal for her. She would rather die alone in prison than be brought to the Delta Club by Christian, alive yet humiliated. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this; it¡¯s depressing. You spilled your bowl of noodles and barely ate any of it, to begin with. Sit here and give me a moment. I¡¯ll make you another bowl.¡± Then, Jill left the table and hurried into the kitchen. Although Victoria had no appetite, she couldn¡¯t bear to brush off Jill¡¯s kindness and agreed. Meanwhile, The hotel manager of the Oriental Hotel hurriedly brought a few people into the ballroom that was used to hold the birthday party for Victoria before heading toward Christian. ¡°I have something I need to do. Please excuse me.¡± Christian, who was talking shop with a few people, excused himself after seeing the hotel managering over. Then, he walked to a corner with the hotel manager in tow. The hotel manager wiped the sweat off his forehead and said cautiously, ¡°I¡¯ve checked the surveince footage just now. After Miss Coleman left, she ran down the stairs and identally sprained her foot on the third floor.¡± Christian twirled the red wine in his hand, frowning slightly. The hotel manager cautiously questioned Christian¡¯s non-response, ¡°Mr. Thatcher?¡± ¡°Continue.¡± Christian took a sip of red wine. The wine was slowly heating up his stomach, making him a little irritable. How can a 20-year-old woman still trip? Is she stupid? T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Only then did the manager continue, ¡°She didn¡¯t move after she fell. Later, Mr. Coleman and his wife found her. I¡¯m not sure what was said, but they all cried. Then, Mr. Coleman carried Miss Coleman on his back, and the three of them left the hotel.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The red wine twirled slowly under his actions. Under the bright lights, the rich red color wine exuded a depressing and gloomy aura, especially considering the topic they were discussing. The hotel manager was stunned for a moment before he regained his senses. ¡°The surveince at the hotel entrance showed that the three drove east. I¡¯m not sure where they went. Should I send someone to follow them?¡± Christian didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he asked, ¡°Vincent carried Victoria on his back? Did she sprain her ankle very badly?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell from the surveince footage if Miss Coleman¡¯s foot was swollen or not. I¡¯m not sure how serious the fall was as well.¡± Then, the hotel manager suggested, since he had no idea just what this man before him was thinking, ¡°Would you like me to call Mr. Coleman and ask?¡± Christian unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt before he felt his breathing ease. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just go back to doing whatever you¡¯re doing.¡± With that, the hotel manager left. Just as Christian was about to leave with a few bodyguards, he was pushed aside by Nancy. ¡°Christian, what are you doing?¡± She rushed toward him aggressively, looking up at the man who was a head taller than her. Although she was dressed to the nines with exquisite makeup, it couldn¡¯t hide the awful look on her face. The guests, who watched one good drama after the other, were in high spirits and entertained. It seemed there would always be an excellent show to watch as long as Nancy was around. After all, she was ¡®the life of every party¡¯. Although she was over 50 years old, she was even more capricious than thedies in their teens and twenties. Christian took a sip of red wine as his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. His expression remained indifferent. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to be sly around me!¡± Once she was irritated, she would be entirely ruled by her emotions. ¡°You¡¯ll be getting engaged to Be, yet you¡¯re hosting a birthday party for that b*novelxo fast updatetch, Victoria Coleman? Is there something going on between the two of you?¡± He ced the unfinished red wine on the table behind him and casually said, ¡°If I said yes, you¡¯d probably get angrier. If I said no, you wouldn¡¯t believe me. Tell me, how should I answer you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk back to me!¡± The more she regarded this future son-inw of hers, the more dissatisfied she became. ¡°Today, in front of everyone, tell me, are you still thinking about that vixen, Victoria Coleman? If that¡¯s the case, I will never allow Be to marry you!¡± Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 The people who were secretly stealing nces were now tantly staring at Christian. He smiled, nced lightly at Nancy, and said, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m the one responsible for dying Be¡¯s marriage?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± She held her waist with one hand, raised her head slightly, and retorted without hesitation, ¡°If it weren¡¯t because of how much she liked you and how she insisted on marrying you, I would¡¯ve arranged another marriage for her, and she¡¯d be married by now.¡± The onlookers wanted tough when they heard this. Instead, they sighed discreetly at how a renowned family like the Spritz Family could raise such a daughter who spoke and did things without thinking about the consequences. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I apologize.¡± Christian bowed slightly and continued, ¡°You don¡¯t have to neglect Be like this. You should go ahead and set up an arranged marriage for her. I wouldn¡¯t stop you.¡± Nancy did not expect to hear this from him at all and was stunned for a while. Then, she pointed at him with a trembling finger for a long time, her face flushed with anger, and she couldn¡¯t even speak as her chest heaved with fury. ¡°Mom, what are you doing here?¡± Be pushed her wheelchair next to Nancy. Be¡¯s eyes were still red. She always had a gentle temperament, giving her a sense of sophisticated beauty. Lucas stood behind her wheelchair, frowning with angry eyes. Nevertheless, he merely shot an irate re at Christian, clenched his fists, and didn¡¯t speak up or add fuel to the fire. ¡°I¡¯m seeking justice for you!¡± Nancy rambled on about how Christian had wronged Be before lividly ending her sentence, ¡°He doesn¡¯t like you. Call off the engagement. Come. I¡¯ll definitely find you a better man. I¡¯ll make him regret this!¡± With that, she pushed Lucas aside and wheeled Be away. Unfortunately, she held onto the wheels with both her hands, offsetting her mother¡¯s strength. Thus, the wheelchair didn¡¯t budge. She sighed helplessly as she looked up at her mother. ¡°Mom, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Enough? Are you upset with me?¡± Nancy released the wheelchair and pointed at herself in disbelief. She was filled with grievance and anger. ¡°Who am I doing this for?¡± Be immediately had an embarrassed look on her face and exined softly, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be angry. I just think that Mrs. Thatcher organized this birthday party for Victoria, and it has nothing to do with Christian.¡± Christian was standing at the side, looking down at the wine ss in his hand as though he was a simple audience instead of one of the main ¡®stars¡¯ of this debacle. ¡°You¡¯re not even married into the family, yet you¡¯re siding with him already?!¡± When Nancy heard what her daughter had said, she was furious. Her voice turned shrill, and she was so infuriated that it ended in a highly piercing note. Finally, she turned her head to look at Lucas, gripping his arm tightly as she pointed at Be before muttering hotly, ¡°Luke, look at your sister! Aren¡¯t I doing this all for her?!¡± ¡°Mom, please stop.¡± He nced at the crowd, awkward and annoyed. Then, he whispered sharply, ¡°Did you forget the aftermath of what you did when you couldn¡¯t control your mouth back with Mr. Thatcher? Christian and Victoria aren¡¯t¡ª¡± Regrettably, what he said only made Nancy blow up further as she shoved him away and interrupted him with a shriek, ¡°I see, the two of you have grown. You can think for yourself now and wouldn¡¯t listen to me. Is that it?! Fine, I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯ll leave right now!¡± After she yelled that, she didn¡¯t spare the two siblings another nce and stomped away as a group of onlookers watched in barely concealed glee. Lucas frowned but only took two steps to chase after her before he halted in his tracks and returned to Be. Be watched Nancy¡¯s figure disappear at the door and sighed softly; there were hints of disappointment and despair on Be¡¯s face. Then, she called the waiter, took a ss of red wine, and turned her wheelchair to face Christian. She bit her bottom lip lightly before saying, ¡°My mother has been spoiled by her family since she was a child. She is too simple-minded and does things based on her mood. She meant no harm with what she said just now. I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°Mrs. Spritz is right.¡± Christian sat on the chair and looked at Be. ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore. You should get married. Our family will never stop you. I¡¯ll send a generous gift when you get married.¡± She scrunched her nose at his kind words, and a vicious gleam shed across her eyes. Lucas walked to the two and looked down at Christian in contempt, mixed with jealousy and righteous fury. ¡°You caused Be her right leg and made her wait for you for two years. So now that Victoria is out of prison, you¡¯ll call off the wedding with Be?!¡± ¡°Luke, you¡¯re misreading the situation. Christian only said that because of what Mom said.¡± Be raised her ss to Christian. ¡°I apologize on behalf of my mother.¡± After she toasted him, she drank it gracefully and ced the empty ss on the table. ¡°Your mom is lucky to have a daughter like you.¡± Christian raised his ss but only took a sip before saying perfunctorily, ¡°I still have something I need to do. Please excuse me.¡± This made Lucas unhappy, and he wanted to chase after him to say something but was tugged to a stop by Be. She shook her head at him. ¡°Luke, if you really love me, don¡¯t cause a scene with Christian. Everything I do is done at my own will.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you see in Christian that you¡¯d do anything to marry him.¡± Lucas downed two sses of wine and sat on the chair, looking at her in frustration. ¡°You know fully well that you have no ce in his heart. So how can a brilliant girl like you not understand this?¡± Yet, Be just smiled and answered bitterly, ¡°What about you? Why are you still betting all you have on Victoria when you know she doesn¡¯t like you?¡± ¡°I hope you won¡¯t regret this in the future.¡± His eyes dimmed at her remark, and he finally replied after a long silence, but despite that, he couldn¡¯t hide theplicated expression on his face. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± She lowered her gaze as hershes fluttered a few times when she considered her situation. ¡°Besides, what¡¯s the use of regretting?¡± She raised her gaze and nced at him with a slight smile. ¡°Just like you, even if you¡¯re filled with remorse and regret, you still can¡¯t forget Victoria, can you?¡± Lucas froze, and his eyes were filled with shock and guilt. He wanted to defend himself, but Be was one step ahead of him. ¡°Mrs. Thatcher really did a good job of helping Victoria. The secretary of the new municipal party that you want to meetnovelxo fast update is here. Let¡¯s go.¡± Christian had always felt that the Spritzs were a challenging family to deal with. They were like flies; once they swarmed around him, it was hard for him to get rid of them. Still, they were particrly annoying tonight. Kevin came over just as he managed to pry the three of them away, thest person he wanted to see. ¡°I just heard from the hotel manager that you told them to look for Victoria?¡± Kevin¡¯s voice was warm, yet his question was anything but that. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Christian lightly hummed and teased. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered how Be knows where I am or what I¡¯m doing. It turns out that it¡¯s a gic trait.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that great. I just heard it by chance.¡± Kevin waved his hand and took a sip of champagne. ¡°I have no other intention. I just came over to say that I have a few acquaintances in the police department. Do you need me to ask them to help you find out where they went?¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Spritz, but if I want to know where Victoria is, I can just give her a call. There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Christian answered. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 ¡°When you put it that way, it sounds like I¡¯m interfering too much.¡± Despite the smile on Kevin¡¯s face, it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. Christian merely drank without a word, tacitly implying his agreement to that statement. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you care about someone so much.¡± Kevin sighed again and said, ¡°Your mother and Nancy are at odds with each other, and it¡¯s fine that she¡¯s on Victoria¡¯s side, but you are following your mother¡¯s footsteps¡­ That¡¯s not proper.¡± The Thatchers and the Spritz wanted to be joined through marriage, and Victoria was thetter¡¯s enemy, but the Thatchers kept standing up for Victoria. At least from the viewpoint of an outsider, it really seemed like the Thatchers were being improper. ¡°Others may not be clear about the car ident two years ago, but you don¡¯t have to feign ignorance when you know the truth. The one who was set up and suffered a loss was me, not them. All of you don¡¯t have toe seeking pity from me every other day by ying the victim card.¡± Christian furrowed his brows slightly as he raised his ss and finished his drink. The anger on his face couldn¡¯t be hidden, which was rare indeed. His attitude made Keven frown in confusion with a dash of annoyance. ¡°What do you mean feigning ignorance when I know the truth? Are you saying that our family staged the car ident two years ago?¡± he asked, raising his voice at the end. ¡°You know the answer very well, whether it¡¯s a yes or no.¡± For the past two years, Kevin kept making an issue out of that ident to get Christian engaged to Be, and honestly, his patience was wearing thin. Kevin stared right at him and growled, ¡°Christian, don¡¯t forget that the police back then said that the evidence was concrete.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Christian sneered. ¡°If you insist on acting dumb and debate about this matter, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have to pass.¡± After he said that, he left his empty ss on the table, turned his head around, and left Kevin on the spot. Kevin¡¯s facial expression went through a few changes, but in the end, he quickened steps and blocked Christian¡¯s path, chuckling. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not speak about that ident if you don¡¯t like to bring it up.¡± Christian nced at him indifferently, and even though his expression had returned to normal, he still didn¡¯t say a thing. ¡°I¡¯m old and not as fit as a young man like you. Let¡¯s sit down for a talk.¡± He pretended not to notice Christian¡¯s dissatisfaction as he sat in an empty seat behind Christian. After a moment, Christian followed suit as he sat down, an open seat in between them. ¡°You can speak your mind. I don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°Christian, are you not agreeing to get engaged to Be because you¡¯re missing someone in your heart?¡± Kevin asked. The temperature in the room was a little high, and Christian took off his jacket and ced it over the back of the chair. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my life with a maniptive woman.¡± ¡°Assuming that Be was the one who staged the car ident two years ago, did she harm your interests or that belonging to your family?¡± Kevin asked. ¡°She didn¡¯t, did she? So, why are you splitting hairs about this?¡± Christian snorted. ¡°That¡¯s an exceptional way for you to apologize on your daughter¡¯s behalf, Mr. Spritz.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not apologizing for Be, but I just don¡¯t want you to go down the wrong path.¡± Kevin knocked on the table lightly as he spoke as though he had been through it all, ¡°Since you were young, your life has been smooth sailing, and maybe you couldn¡¯t get past it that you were set up by Be this time. So¡ª¡± Christian cut him off coldly, ¡°So are you admitting that she did set me up?¡± A stunned Kevin didn¡¯t reply and continued to say instead, ¡°Christian, don¡¯t ruin your future because of your arrogance. Indeed, Be isn¡¯t as pure as she portrays herself to be, but she has never done anything to betray you or your family. Is that not enough?¡± ¡°I never thought I had to rely on anyone, much less a woman, to secure my future.¡± Christian fixed his eyes on Kevin and said bluntly, ¡°I¡¯m different from you, Mr. Spritz.¡± As if Kevin couldn¡¯t understand what he meant, he said, ¡°Amongst Mr. Philip¡¯s grandchildren, your ability is outstanding, but he does not favor you, and the shares you¡¯re holding in thepany are nothingpared to the children of your uncle, right?¡± ¡°Your point?¡± Christian crossed his legs, rested his arm on the back of the chair, and leaned back a little, his shirt revealing his nice-looking corbone and slightly bulging chest muscles. ¡°Mr. Philip adores Be, and if you marry her, she can help you put in a good word before him. Furthermore, if you¡¯re quick enough, you can marry Be and have her give birth to the first great- grandson for Mr. Philip, and he would definitely give a huge portion of shares to the child.¡± After his lengthy exnation, Christian concluded it directly with one sentence. ¡°Are you here to urge me to get engaged to Be?¡± Kevin paused and nodded firmly. ¡°Yes.¡± Christian snickered softly, then rose to his full height and picked up his suit jacket. ¡°I¡¯ll repeat myself. If you guys are in a rush, you can always get someone else to marry her.¡± Finally, he wore his jacket and sauntered away, not giving Kevin a chance to speak about the matter. All traces of a smile disappeared from Kevin¡¯s face, and he finished the wine before mming the ss on the table, gritting his teeth. ¡°You little b*stard, you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± At 8.00PM, the birthday party had only begun for two hours, and the departure of the birthday girl didn¡¯t affect the jovial mood of the guests in the slightest. After Christian parted ways with Kevin, he bumped into Matthew, dressed in a white suit, with Janice hanging on him like a ko bear. ¡°This girl kept pestering me to look for Miss Coleman, but we couldn¡¯t find her after going around a couple of times, and when we asked others, they all said they had no idea. So you¡¯re the only one I can turn to now,¡± Matthew said helplessly. Christian massaged his forehead irritably and replied curtly, ¡°She left.¡± Janice released her grip on her master and forgot about her own fears as her eyes widened while she almost buried him with questions, ¡°She left? Isn¡¯t she the birthday girl? Why did she leave? Where¡¯s she now?¡± Christian lifted his eyes and cast her a look, and her straight back immediately curled up asnovelxo fast update she quickly shrank behind Matthew. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Christian frowned as he took a seat on the side, picked up a snack, and popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly. In a second, Janice wilted and stole a look at Christian. Suddenly, she held her belly and cried out in pain a few times. ¡°Mr. Buckley, it¡¯s that time of the month for me. I¡¯m taking my leave first!¡± Matthew was rendered speechless by his disciple¡¯s actions and couldn¡¯t bring himself to look her in the eyes. ¡°Oh, the gift, Mr. Buckley! Pass the present to Victoria!¡± After Janice trotted off halfway, he hastily returned and stuffed the present into his hand. Then, she cried out in pain while holding her belly and ran off amidst the guests holding back their giggles. ¡°That¡¯s just how she is. Sorry about that.¡± Matthew pushed his gold-rimmed sses in a nervous tick and turned to Christian. ¡°Are you in a bad mood?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Christian picked up a napkin and wiped the corner of his lips. ¡°You¡¯ll also be in this mood if annoying people are always pestering you.¡± ¡°That depends on who that person is. It makes me quite happy that my student is bugging me.¡± He shed Christian a bright smile as he yed with the present in his hands. ¡°Back then, when Victoria was hanging around you, it made you rather happy as well, right?¡± Christian¡¯s lips twitched at that, and a cold look shed in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve never said I was happy because she¡¯s pestering me.¡± Matthew clicked his tongue at him and decided not toment about it. So, he brought back the topic from earlier, saying, ¡°It is quite frustrating to step on some sh*t that you can¡¯t shake off.¡± Hence, he leaned closer as he raised his brows and inquired, ¡°Christian, did they urge you to get married again?¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m not into you.¡± Christian snorted and shoved Matthew¡¯s face that was closing in on his. A dumbfounded Matthew simply took off his gold-rimmed sses, which were crooked, and asked curiously, ¡°First, it was Mrs. Spritz, then the Spritz siblings, andstly, Mr. Spritz himself. The entire Spritz Family came to look for you just to force you into a marriage?¡± Christian frowned because he didn¡¯t have to conceal his annoyance at the Spritz Family in front of him. ¡°What else, then?¡± ¡°I thought they might have something else to say besides that,¡± Matthew said. ¡°For instance, telling you to stay away from Victoria, or how you and your mom are siding with her and such.¡± Christian had lived for a good 24 years, and he had never been filled with so many frustrations, even though he wasn¡¯t Philip¡¯s favored grandson. After he was set up, he couldn¡¯t even get back at them for the time being and had no choice but to do things against his own will under their coercion. He picked up a ss of wine, and the cool fluid flowed down his throat, slightly diminishing the frustration in his heart. ¡°They also said everything you just guessed.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Not only are they pushing you into a marriage, but they¡¯re also interfering with many things. Unfortunately, it looks like they do think you¡¯re their little puppet!¡± Matthew eximed as he snacked. Christian merely snorted ambiguously in reply. ¡°Christian.¡± Matthew popped the rest of his snack in his mouth and chewed before he hesitated in asking, ¡°If you marry Be, your mom¡­¡± He paused for a couple of seconds before finishing, ¡°Won¡¯t she feel disgusted?¡± The affair between George, Nancy, and Evelyn was a littleplicated, and besides some from the younger generation, almost everyone in the circle knew about it. George was truly a Don Juan, and the women by his side changed faster than he could change clothes, but Nancy was an exception. Both of them grew up as childhood sweethearts, and George intended to marry Nancy in the past. Still, she found his rtionships with other women tooplicated for her tastes and instead turned to marry Kevin, who was courting her fiercely. It would be fine if that were the end of the story. After all, everyone had courted a few people while they were young. However, out of spite, George went along with Philip¡¯s idea and married Evelyn, who was from the equal family background. Meanwhile, Nancy had been spoiled since she was young, and after she was married, even though Kevin tried his best to be the perfect guy for her, she would turn around and whine to George whenever something didn¡¯t go ording to her wishes. Even on George and Evelyn¡¯s wedding night, he left just because of one call from Nancy and didn¡¯t return the entire night. Since they married, quite a few such incidents¡ªor something more overboard¡ª had happened. Because of this, Evelyn had been in several arguments with George over this issue after she married him, and a few times, their fights would swerve directly to the point of divorce, but neither family would agree to such a thing. On the other hand, because of Nancy, the Spritzs had benefited quite a lot from the Thatcher Group. So, Kevin would only turn a blind eye to George and Nancy¡¯s affair, just as long as the children were his. Christian¡¯s long, slender fingers tapped on the table and tightened into a fist. Then, he tilted his head at Matthew and asked sharply, ¡°Your father allowed that b*stard child to be the executive CEO of your family business while you, the young master of the Buckley Family, are forced to stay abroad. Don¡¯t you feel disgusted?¡± Silence washed over them, and after a long while, Matthew wore his sses and chuckled lightly. Finally, he slightly hung his head while he tactfully replied, ¡°I crossed the line with my questions. I take back all my words.¡± ¡°I went overboard with the stuff I said as well. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Christian massaged the spot between his brows with a solemn look in his eyes. ¡°After she was married into the Thatcher Family, many things were beyond my mother¡¯s control. Just like us who were born into the Thatcher and Buckley Family, some things are beyond our control.¡± Hisst statement was as good as answering Matthew¡¯s question from earlier. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about these upsetting things. Here, cheers!¡± Matthew lifted his ss for a toast as he smiled warmly at Christian, and Christian clinked sses with him and only ced it down after he had finished the alcohol, his grim gaze falling on the Coleman couple who were passing through the crowd. Matthew gasped when he saw the Colemans. ¡°Before the Spritz siblings came to look for you, they went to Mr. and Mrs. Coleman to snitch on Victoria, telling them how she¡¯s bullying them, and Janice and I happened to bump into it. Guess what they said?¡± ¡°All the fault lies with Victoria, Be is the one suffering, and Lucas is the righteous one,¡± Christian answered with ridicule in his eyes. ¡°A very urate conclusion!¡± Matthew pped his hands at Christian¡¯s deduction, then sighed. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Coleman are fascinating, and that Lucas, too¡­¡± He chuckled nomittally. ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s really that dumb or everything is just a pretense.¡± This time, Christian didn¡¯t answer. Lucas wasn¡¯t dumb, but he just had too much trust and faith in his sister. Matthew jabbed his arm. ¡°Look, Victoria isn¡¯t loved by her parents, and she only has a useless brother who loves her. You shouldn¡¯t push it further since she¡¯s already so pitiful.¡± ¡°This is none of your business.¡± The light in Christian¡¯s eyes dimmed a little, and his tapping quickened, which signaled his rising ire. Matthew whisked his gaze on Christian¡¯s hand and coughed lightly. ¡°That young girl has been following after you for so many years and doesn¡¯t have any deep grudge against you. Why are you¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re worrying about more and more things.¡± Christian face turned stony as he stood up and buttoned his jacket without listening to Matthew¡¯s plea. Matthew hastily sprang to his feet. ¡°Alright, alright. Just do as you like. I won¡¯t bring it up again, okay? If it isn¡¯t because Janice kept asking me to put in a word, I won¡¯t even want to interfere in the mess between you and Victoria!¡± Finally, he pushed the present into Christian¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Here, ensure Victoria gets this, or else I¡¯ll hear no end of it from Janice. I¡¯ll get going now!¡± Then, he whirled off, leaving Christian to stare at the present in his hands. At first, he tossed it on the table, intending the leave without it. Yet, after a few steps, he pivoted and returned fonovelxo fast updater the gift. In the meantime, Victoria stayed at Jill¡¯s ce for more than an hour and left in a car amidst Jill¡¯s warm invitation to visit, introducing her to her nephew and such. ¡°Tori, Mom, and Dad aren¡¯t home yet. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to visit the children?¡± Teresa figured that Victoria needed some cheering, so she reckoned that she might feel better after seeing the kids. Victoria hung her head, and the shadows of the streetmps and buildings made it hard for Teresa to decipher her expression. After she kept silent for a moment, she shook her head to decline the invitation under Teresa¡¯s anticipatory gaze. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to see them.¡± Teresa¡¯s intentions were utterly lost on Vincent, and he wore an annoyed look, but it couldn¡¯t hide the affection in his eyes. ¡°Those two children can really drive one crazy. I would have given them a beating if they weren¡¯t my own!¡± His words received a stern re from Teresa, and he felt wronged. ¡°Tori is dressed up so nicely today. What to do if the children peed on her? It¡¯s not like she can only meet them tonight.¡± ¡°Tori, how are you feeling?¡± Teresa decided to ignore her dense husband as she directed her attention to Victoria. She gently broached the topic, ¡°Would you like to visit the children when Mom and Dad aren¡¯t home one day?¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Victoria squeezed a smile as she tried to ensure that it didn¡¯t feel as fake as it did to her and turned Teresa down. ¡°I¡¯m usually quite busy with work. Let¡¯s talk about it when I¡¯m free.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Since Victoria had already said that, she could only drop the idea, and soon, the car stopped in front of Delta Club. Victoria held the handle and was about to open the car door when Vincent stopped her. ¡°Tori, wait a moment.¡± Then, he turned to Teresa and pointed to the small supermarket next to the club. ¡°I¡¯m a little thirsty. Buy me a bottle of water, please.¡± There was water in the car, and clearly, he wanted to lure her away so he could speak privately with Victoria. Unfortunately, Teresa wasn¡¯t as dumb as her husband, so her expression was unreadable as she stared at him unblinkingly without moving from her seat. ¡°I¡¯m familiar with the boss of that shop. Let me go.¡± Victoria could understand what Teresa was thinking ¡ªshe had treated Vincent wholeheartedly. Still, in the end, he wanted to lure her away to speak secretly with Victoria, making Teresa seem like an outsider. She wouldn¡¯t feelfortable about it if Victoria were in her shoes. Teresa gripped her hand firmly yet gently, silently reassuring Victoria that she wasn¡¯t upset with her. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t spare Vincent as she red at him and said, ¡°You must be tired after the whole day. I¡¯ll go.¡± Afterward, she opened the door and got out of the car. Still, she didn¡¯t enter the shop to buy water as Vincent suggested. Instead, she stood at a spot not far away from the vehicle. Victoria stared at Teresa¡¯s silhouette as she sighed in exasperation. ¡°Vince, what is it that you can¡¯t say in Teresa¡¯s presence? Even if you want to use an excuse, you should use something that isn¡¯t so obvious. Aren¡¯t you just making her feel bad by doing this?¡± He didn¡¯t reply as he grimly took out a stick of cigarette, stuck it between his lips, and lit it up. Then, he nced at Victoria through the rear-view mirror and put out the cigarette before throwing it out the window. It was already October, and although the weather during the day was quite lovely, it was a little chilly at night, especially for Teresa, who was only dressed in an evening gown. Victoria could see that Teresa¡¯s nose had already turned red from the cold, so she immediately spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s too cold outside. Let Teresae in.¡± She rolled down the window and wanted to call her, but before she could do that, the window rolled up again. ¡°Although I can¡¯t help you with anything major, I can still do something small for you.¡± The expression on his face showed his apparent reluctance and disdain for what he was about to say, still gritted his teeth and told her, ¡°In a few days¡¯ time, I¡¯ll ask that b*stard Christian Thatcher out. Then, once the time is about right, I¡¯ll give you a call!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she answered after a few seconds and rolled down the window to call Teresa back into the car. Teresa hugged her arms as she tried to warm herself while she walked back to the car. It was still evident to everyone present that she wasn¡¯t happy with Vincent by how she ignored her husband, who opened the passenger seat door for her and chose to sit in the backseat. She didn¡¯t m the door or yell, but the look on her face was also far from happy. ¡°Teresa, earlier Vince was telling me¡­ the details to seduce Christian Thatcher.¡± Victoria wanted to smile to reassure Teresa, but her lips just wouldn¡¯t curl up. ¡°He¡¯s worried it will be embarrassing for me, so he asked you to get out of the car. Don¡¯t be mad at him. me me if you must.¡± She had never picked up anything good from her parents but her father¡¯s proud personality. Sometimes, when she went overboard with her bragging, she wouldplete what she said no matter how challenging it was. On the one hand, it did make her improve herself, but it also made her prone to prideful mistakes. Regardless, after being holed up in jail for two years and ending up in Delta Club, she had already lost all her dignity. So, how could she even have the pretense of being proud or arrogant? Teresa stared at her as her expressions swiftly changed from expressionless due to astonishment, sorry, guilty, and heartache within a few seconds. She desperately wanted to say something tofort her but realized there was nothing she could say. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go home and rest. Be careful on your way home.¡± So, Victoria decided to ease the tension by removing herself from the equation. She got out of the car and watched them from the side while gesturing for them to leave. Worried that she would be embarrassed and awkward, Vincent knew his sister well, so no matter how her time at prison had affected her, he was still worried that she would feel embarrassed and awkward. Thus, he said no more, started the car, made a turn into the traffic, and left. Until the vehiclepletely disappeared from her sight. Only then did she purse her lips as she left for the dorm. Beep. Her cell phone vibrated. Perhaps thinking that it would be inconvenient for her to pick up calls, Evelyn had texted her instead. ¡®Tori, all your birthday presents have been sent to the Thatchers. When are youing to take it? I¡¯ll ask someone to pick you up.¡¯ The wind was a little chilly, and she curled into herself as she replied, ¡®The gifts are too expensive, and I can only use them as decorations, at most. I don¡¯t have much use for it. If you have the time, will you please help me to take care of the gifts and donate the money to the disabled who are in poverty?¡¯ Evelyn replied immediately, ¡®Okay.¡¯ Victoria kept away her phone and rubbed her cold arms before entering the dorm. ¡°You¡¯re home?¡± Gabrielle was removing her makeup when Victoria walked in, and she shed her a smile, a look of guilt and cautious hope in her eyes. Victoria nodded in greeting as she sat on the bed, took off her heels, and gave her slightly sore heels a rub. Under the light, the tiny diamonds on the dress ne and heels were shining brightly. An envious Gabrielle wanted to take a closer look, but seeing that Victoria didn¡¯t seem too happy, she didn¡¯t bother to try her chances. Hence, she merely stole a few nces at Victoria¡¯s ne, dress and shoes from time to time. ¡°Why am I suddenly in a bad mood?¡± Daisy leaned into the bed as she talked on the phone. All the while, she focused her malicious gaze on Victoria. ¡°The disgusting b*tch that I hate the most is back. How can I be in a good mood?¡± It was evident that the ¡®b*tch¡¯ she meant was Victoria. After Gabrielle removed her makeup, she wore a facial mask and swept her gaze past Victoria naturally, but she saw that she was still massaging her heels without much change to her expression. The instant Daisy saw that Victoria was utterly unaffected by her words, she felt even more frustrated. It was as though her insults rolled off her back like water off a duck¡¯s back, and the things she said turned even nastier. ¡°I heard that this b*tch was recently hospitalized. Why didn¡¯t the f*ck she just die there? It¡¯s f*cking unlucky to be living with a murderer! She came home in an evening gown with fake stic diamonds on her dress ne and shoes. How f*cking ridiculous it is! F*ck, that b*tch has the nerve to re at me. If she keeps that up, I¡¯ll f*cking dig out her eyeballs. I¡ª¡± A barefooted Victoria paced to Daisy, snatched her phone away, and hung up directly. ¡°F*ck you, how dare you!¡± Daisy sprung to her feet as she ced one hand on her hip and poked Victoria¡¯s body harshly with the other. ¡°How dare you hang up my call? Give me back my phone!¡± Victoria frowned as she grabbed Daisy¡¯s hand and said icily. ¡°Apologize, and I¡¯ll give it back to you.¡± ¡°You want me to apologize to you?¡± Daisy tried her best to pull her arm away while she pointed at Victoria¡¯s head and shouted, ¡°B*tch, did you hurt your head?¡± Almost at the same time, Victoria dropped her phone to the floor right before her, and cracks appeared on the screen immediately, as though the screen was covered in a dense spider web.novelxo fast update Daisy gawked at her phone¡¯s shattered screen in utter shock before rage overwhelmed her as she lunged at Victoria as if she had lost her mind. ¡°B*tch! I¡¯m going to f*cking¡ª¡± p! Before she could finish, Victoria pped her across the face, yanked her by her hair, and growled, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that you should watch your words. Did you think that I was kidding?¡± ¡°Let go of me, trash!¡± Daisy felt as though her scalp was being ripped off, and it hurt so much that she was breaking out in cold sweat, but no matter how much she struggled, it only made things worse. At the end of the day, she could not break free from Victoria¡¯s grip. With a stone-cold face, Victoria said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance. Apologize.¡± Gabrielle had seen Victoria take care of Daisy before, which was gratifying the past couple of times. Nevertheless, today, Victoria clearly seemed out of the norm, and she was worried that Victoria would get into trouble if she were too ruthless. Therefore, she hurriedly rushed over and said, ¡°Daisy, it¡¯s your fault, to begin with, today. Just apologize to Victoria; everything will be over and done with! Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 ¡°It¡¯s not your ce to tell me whether it¡¯s my fault or not, you slut!¡± Daisy cringed from the pain, but it didn¡¯t deter her from hurling verbal abuses. ¡°Victoria Coleman, you b*tch! Kill me if you dare!¡± Victoria wrenched Daisy¡¯s hair tighter and turned to Gabrielle. ¡°Where are your scissors? Can you lend them to me for a minute?¡± ¡°Calm down, Victoria!¡± Gabrielle was scared silly when she heard ¡®scissors¡¯ and didn¡¯t dare to hand them over, worried that someone would lose their life in their dorm tonight. While she was trying her best to defuse the situation, Daisy wasn¡¯t helping matters with all the nasty insults she was spewing from the side. ¡°If you don¡¯t kill me, you¡¯re just a gutless b*tch, Coleman! You¡¯re just a b*tch fit for the dogs!¡± ¡°Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?¡± Victoria decided to forgo asking Gabrielle¡¯s assistance as she tied Daisy¡¯s hands behind her back with her towel and let her curse all she wanted on the floor. Finally, under Gabrielle¡¯s terrified, confused and anxious stare, she walked to Daisy¡¯s bed, picked up a shoe, and stuffed it into her mouth. Instantly, the dorm returned to silence, but everyone could still faintly hear Daisy¡¯s whimpers. Victoria walked over to her own desk, opened the drawer, and fished out a pair of scissors before crouching in front of Daisy, who stopped whimpering. The madness in her eyes had been swiftly reced by fear when she saw Victoria returning with a pair of scissors. ¡°Victoria!¡± Gabrielle could feel her entire body turning into jelly as she stumbled toward Victoria, snatched the scissors from her with trembling hands, and stammered courageously, ¡°I-It¡¯s not worth it to turn into a murderer b-because of a person like Daisy!¡± Victoria cast her a warning look. ¡°Let go.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°No¡­ I-I¡¯m not letting go.¡± Despite her overwhelming fear, she shook her head vigorously. ¡°T-Think it over carefully. I know your family doesn¡¯t acknowledge you, but y-your brother and sister-inw still love¡ª¡± Victoria furrowed her brows slightly when she realized just where Gabrielle wasing from and cut her off, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not killing anyone.¡± ¡°Re¡ª¡± Initially, Gabrielle wanted to ask her if it was true, but when she saw that it didn¡¯t seem like she was about to go on a killing spree, she released the scissors and slumped to the floor, wiping off the sweat on her forehead in sheer relief. Nevertheless, Gabrielle still watched her fearfully before her expression turned into one of bewilderment and finally morphed into barely suppressed amusement. Victoria had hacked off Daisy¡¯s long hair¡ªwhich she had been taking care of meticulously¡ªinto bald patches that were no longer than a quarter inch. The date September 18th reminded Victoria of too many unpleasant things, and, in addition to the things Jill had shed some light on, she was in a terrible mood. Yet, she couldn¡¯t deny that giving Daisy an impromptu haircut was therapeutic. ¡°Do you have a cigarette and lighter?¡± she asked, turning to Gabrielle. ¡°Yes,¡± she answered but didn¡¯t ask why she needed it. Despite pressing her hand against her lips to hold back herughter, she managed to fumble through her things, shoulders shaking all the while, and passed those items to Victoria¡¯s waiting hands. Victoria lit the cigarette and burned six dots on the top of Daisy¡¯s head, careful not to hurt her scalp in the process. ¡°You¡­ This is amazing!¡± Eventually, Gabrielle couldn¡¯t suppress her mirth as she roared into full-bellied laughter. Victoria took a few pictures of Daisy from her neck up and untied her, but Daisy was already on the verge of breaking down. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me, or I¡¯ll send these pictures of yours to the work group chat.¡± She really had enough of quarreling with Daisy almost every single day. Honestly, even if Daisy wasn¡¯t tired, she was done. There was only so much stupidity she could handle for a day. Meanwhile, Daisy pulled out the shoe in her mouth and spat a few times on the floor. This time, she didn¡¯t bother tosh out at Victoria as she wasted no time in dashing to the mirror to inspect herself. ¡°Ah!¡± she screamed, holding her head. Then, with bloodshot eyes, she stared at the pile of hair on the floor and almost passed out from sheer outrage. Gabrielle was almost close to tears at this point. ¡°Daisy, you¡­ Hic! That¡¯s a wonderful look on you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, Victoria!¡± Daisy adored her long hair, which now turned into this state. It was as painful to her as cutting off a piece of her. Victoria dodged easily and stepped aside from Daisy¡¯s attack, and before Daisy could pounce at her again, she lifted her phone. ¡°You can just put on a wig. That way, no one will see how you look now besides Gabrielle and me.¡± She paused and raised her voice. ¡°But if you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, I¡¯ll send all those pictures to the work group chat.¡± Daisy miraculously stopped herself from her frenzied state and merely red at Victoria with resentment and loathing, wishing she could kill her from the bottom of her heart. Knock, knock. Just then, someone knocked on their door, and before they could answer, the door swung open from the outside. Outside the dorm, a group of people rubbernecked to look inside, trying to catch a glimpse of some hot new gossip. Unfortunately, Charlotte slipped in gracefully, immediately closed the door, and blocked their vision. Charlotte had a gift box in her hand, and she was actually here to look for Victoria. Still, she identally caught sight of Daisy sporting a new hairstyle and identally snorted, unable to control herself. ¡°You¡¯ll have to set things straight for me, Miss Charlotte!¡± Then, as though she had suddenly found her backup, Daisy rushed to Charlotte, whining, ¡°Just minutes ago, Victoria tied me up, insulted me by stuffing a shoe into my mouth, and even wanted to kill me with scissors! We can¡¯t keep a murderer like her in our club!¡± Charlotte covered her smirk with a hand, and her attractive eyes were full of emotions, interspersed with a slight trace of disdain. ¡°If she wants to kill you, why don¡¯t you have a single injury when you can¡¯t move or scream?¡± Victoria kept her silence beside them and didn¡¯t bother defending herself. If Charlotte actually believed in Daisy¡¯s tall tales, she wouldn¡¯t be the manager of this club, so there was no need for Victoria to do such a thing. ¡°She wanted to insult me first before killing me!¡± Every time Daisy opened her mouth; lies would stumble out of it. She even pointed at the pile of hair on the floor as she shrieked hysterically, ¡°That¡¯s the evidence of the b*tch insulting me! If you were just a secondte, wnovelxo fast updatehat you¡¯ll be seeing is my body!¡± Charlotte sighed as she pried off Daisy¡¯s hand from her arm with a hint of impatience in her beautiful and aloof eyes. It was just regrettable that Daisy happened to be someone with a few screws loose. To make matters worse, her intelligence was subpar, making it difficult for everyone present to endure her hysterical yelling. ¡°And that slut, Gabrielle, as well. She actually helped that murderer, Victoria. She¡¯s even laughing right now! So that makes her the aplice! Miss Charlotte, I want to call the police, sue, and send them to jail!¡± ¡°Do it.¡± The edges of Charlotte¡¯s eyes lifted, and while Daisy was giving her a bewildered stare, she said provocatively, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you making the call? Should I lend you my phone?¡± Daisy¡¯s face was as interesting as a color palette that was overturned before her face sank as it settled on ck. Finally, she red at Victoria with daggers in her eyes, grabbed a hat, and left, mming the door behind her. Charlotte rubbed her aching ears. ¡°Young girls nowadays have such tempers.¡± After Gabrielle nced at Victoria, Gabrielle went to Charlotte and said, ¡°Miss Charlotte, with Daisy¡¯s temper, aren¡¯t you worried that she¡¯s going to cause us trouble if she stays in our club?¡± ¡°Are you saying that I should fire her?¡± Charlotte asked casually. Then, she pushed the present into Victoria¡¯s hands and said in quite a mouthful, ¡°This gift is from Miss Mooney, who asked Mr. Buckley to pass it to you, but he asked Mr. Thatcher to pass it to you instead.¡± Victoria held the gift in her hands in stunned silence. I thought¡­ Janice won¡¯t see me again. ¡°I was just curious. Of course, that wasn¡¯t what I meant at all, Miss Charlotte.¡± Gabrielle smiled and grabbed a bag from her desk. ¡°This is the specialty my family sent me from my hometown. Please have some and try it.¡± Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Charlotte didn¡¯t decline the gracious offer as she took the specialty from Gabrielle¡¯s hands and reminded Victoria to show up at work on time tomorrow before leaving elegantly. ¡°Victoria, what do you think Miss Charlotte is thinking?¡± Gabrielle closed the door in befuddlement. ¡°She¡¯s choosing not to fire a person like Daisy. Is she keeping her for Christmas?¡± Victoria shook her head and shrugged, then picked up the cleaning supplies and started to sweep up the hair on the floor. ¡°I think maybe Miss Charlotte didn¡¯t fire Daisy because she has some big shot backing her up!¡± Gabrielle returned to take a seat on her bed, deep in her thoughts. ¡°Victoria, before you return to your parents¡¯ good graces, try to be nicer to Daisy.¡± Victoria threw the hair into the trash, bagged it, changed a new garbage bag, and said dispassionately, ¡°When I was nice to her in the past, did she appreciate it?¡± Gabrielle thought about it seriously. ¡°I think she was even more aggressive.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Afterward, Victoria took out the trash, and when she returned, Gabrielle was standing in the middle of the room with her cell phone in her hands, and her eyes were already swollen from crying. Victoria pursed her lips at Gabrielle¡¯s pitiful sight, paced to her, and passed her a few pieces of tissues. Gabrielle took the tissues from her, blew her nose, and blubbered with red-rimmed eyes. ¡°He¡­ broke up with me.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Clean your face.¡± Victoria was taken aback for a moment, then immediately passed her the tissue box and quietly pulled the bin over. Gabrielle drew out several tissues and messily wiped away her tears, and threw them on the floor after she had used them. Victoria nced at the trash bin, which was inches away, then at the tissues outside of the bin and straightened her lips in mild irritation. Still, Gabrielle just broke up, so she kept silent on the matter. ¡°Do you know how he worded it?¡± Gabrielle sniffled and started crying again, sad and indignant but resigned. ¡°He said he can¡¯t ept that I¡¯m with other men. W-When he thought I¡¯ve slept with other men, he felt that¡­ I¡¯m filthy¡­ But am I not doing this because of him? If wee down to it, he was the one who found me the first man. When that was over, I wanted to break up with him, but he said he was a jerk and did me wrong. He even promised he would never¡­ despise me because of something like this¡­ or break up with me! But now¡­ h-he said he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and had fallen for someone else. A-A fresh graduate who¡¯s working under him. He said he¡¯s sorry, but he really doesn¡¯t love me anymore¡­¡± She gripped Victoria¡¯s arm desperately with tears in her eyes as she croaked, ¡°Tell me, have I not sacrificed enough for me? Why is he¡­ Why is he doing this to me?¡± All Victoria did was pass her more tissues without voicing her opinions. In a rtionship, it was never clear who was in the right or wrong; it was only a question of whether love existed or not. For more than a month that followed, Victoria worked as usual at Delta Club. Still, maybe due to the fact that Evelyn organized the birthday party for her personally, the customers who visited the club for entertainment stopped taking liberties or saying anything nasty to her. At the most, someplimented her, saying that she was pretty, and took a few extra nces at her. A few times, Anthony came to the club with some ill intentions, but before the trouble reached Victoria, he was already stopped by Charlotte. Meanwhile, Lucas and Scarlette decided to have their engagement party on national day. They used theck of servers as an excuse and made a request, that was really a thinly veiled order, for Victoria toe over as one of the staff, but Vincent hired a hundred men and women that were five feet tall with average looks as servers, saying that it was an early gift for the couple. Regardless, his ¡®well-meant¡¯ gift merely humiliated the Spritz and Palmer Families before all their guests. Besides this, nothing much happened, and without seeing Christian, Be, and other annoying people for more than a month, Victoria finally gained some weight. At least she wasn¡¯t as gaunt as she used to be. ¡°We have a day off today. Would you like to go shopping?¡± In contrast, Gabrielle looked worse for wear after breaking up with her boyfriend, and not even thick makeup could hide her pale face and dark circles. When Victoria was about to agree, her cell phone started ringing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll get back to you after this call.¡± It was a call from Vincent, and she only picked it up after she entered the bathroom. ¡°Is it your day off today?¡± Vincent asked directly. His voice sounded a little heavy-hearted and frustrated compared to his usual tone. ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, frowning. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere today. I asked Christian out this afternoon at Delta Club. Keep your phone on and wait for my call.¡± After he said all those things, he hung up on her for the first time ever. For a while, Victoria was stunned, and her knuckles turned white from clutching her phone so tightly. A layer of sweat started to form on her forehead as she pursed her lips into a thin line. For more than a month without seeing Christian and nobody messing with her, she had almost forgotten about her honestly ill-conceived yet desperate n. All blood drained from her face at the thought of the consequences once she failed to seduce Christian. She could feel her body shaking in fright as she lifted her phone and called Vincent after hesitating for a good while. When he picked up the call, she gulped and said softly. ¡°Vince, Christian, Be, and the rest didn¡¯t come to the Delta Club recently. The new leader, Miss Charlotte, and the rest didn¡¯t put me in a spot, either. Can I just¡­¡± Her fear of Christian¡¯s ruthlessness was real. ¡°No!¡± Vincent broke her off immediately, and the more he spoke, the louder he became. ¡°Christian and the others didn¡¯t cause you any trouble recently, but what if they¡¯re up to it again after a while? And those customers as well. Your birthday is just over, and they¡¯re keeping their paws away from you for Mrs. Thatcher¡¯s sake! But what about after a while? That *sshole Christian is Mrs. Thatcher¡¯s biological son, and she won¡¯t stand on your side forever!¡± Victoria lowered her gaze, and hershes trembled. She had already considered all the things Vincent just yelled through the phone. But¡­ She shut her eyes as she tried to think things through. Unfortunately, all it did was make her focus on the chill down her spine whenever she recalled the scene where Christian broke her leg with a golf club.novelxo fast update Yes, she was terrified. She was really terrified of Christian! ¡°That¡¯s it. It¡¯s decided!¡± Vincent said impatiently. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared the pin-hole camera for you and a few pieces of sexy lingerie. So don¡¯t think too much and just shove all the me on me if anything happens!¡± A tight knot formed in her throat, and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Vince¡ª¡± ¡°Say no more. I still have a lot of stuff to prepare. I¡¯m hanging up now!¡± As soon as he said those words, he hung up on her again. Victoria stared at their picture together on the screen of her phone. Under the sun and next to the flower bed, Vincent ced his arm around her shoulder, and both were grinning from ear to ear. It was a picture from two years ago, but it felt very distant when she looked at it now. She licked her dry and cracked lips while clutching her phone tightly. It was true that she was terribly frightened of Christian, but she really didn¡¯t want to continue working at Delta Club anymore. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Victoria?¡± Gabrielle called out, knocking on the bathroom door, Victoria kept her phone away then, opened the bathroom door, and did her best to suppress all the negative emotions brought about by the call earlier. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t go shopping with you today because something has cropped up. Wendy Yates has a day off today as well. So you can ask her to apany you.¡± However, Gabrielle merely stared at her without moving an inch or making a sound. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 ¡°Something came up, so I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Victoria could barely suppress the uneasiness in her heart and wanted to walk around Gabrielle and leave while she could still somewhat maintain herposure. Yet, it was because of her rejection that made Gabrielle misunderstand her, so she tugged Victoria¡¯s arm and said forlornly, ¡°My boyfriend dumped me by saying that I¡¯m filthy. Do you also think that I¡¯m filthy?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just going out for a while,¡± she repeated as patiently as she could. However, Gabrielle didn¡¯t release her grasp as her eyes brimmed with tears. ¡°Then, do you think that I¡¯m very snobbish because I wanted to get to know Mr. Thatcher, Miss Spritz, and your brother through you? So, you don¡¯t want me as your friend?¡± Victoria merely stared at her, frowning slightly but didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°I lost my boyfriend, and I don¡¯t have friends anymore. I¡¯m such a failure as a person.¡± Gabrielle snorted bitterly and released her in disillusionment. Her eyes were filled with disappointment and pain, but she didn¡¯t pester Victoria anymore, and she stepped out of the way with her head hung low. ¡°Just as you said, humans are allplicated. I¡¯ve never asked my friends to be a hundred percent good to me, just as long as they don¡¯t harm me.¡± Victoria swept her gaze across Gabrielle and then walked out. Gabrielle jerked her head up, a glimmer of hope appearing in her dimmed eyes, ¡°Victoria, am I still your friend?¡± Still, Victoria didn¡¯t answer and left after grabbing her purse and cell phone. It was a little after 12.00PM and many pedestrians and cars were on the streets. She stood at the entrance as she looked around and realized that she had no idea where to go, and she came out simply because she didn¡¯t want to argue over the topic of friendship with Gabrielle anymore. Were they considered friends? Actually, she wasn¡¯t clear about it either. Beep. Her cell phone vibrated once. ¡®I¡¯ve ordered your favorite food to be delivered to you, and I¡¯ll call you in a while. So, don¡¯t go anywhere!¡¯ It was a text from Vincent. After she had waited at the entrance for more than ten minutes, she received the delivery from him, but she didn¡¯t want to return to her dorm. Hence, she paid for a room in a hotel nearby and ate there. As if she could feel the tremendous pressure on her shoulders, any delicious food would still be tasteless. Therefore, after a few bites, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to eat anything else, so she curled up in bed and entered a trance-like state. Suddenly, she sprang up, recalling that she didn¡¯t pick up any sexy lingerie. Although Vincent said that he had prepared it for her, he was always rather absentminded, and she couldn¡¯t really ce her trust in him on this asion as well. Thus, she rose to her feet, straightened her clothes, and went to buy the pasta that Gabrie liked in the mall nearby before returning to the dorm. ¡°Eat this.¡± She ced the food in front of Gabrielle and went to grab a gift box from her closet. ¡°I don¡¯t have the appetite.¡± At the sight of her favorite food, Gabrielle¡¯s eyes shed and turned to her, asking, ¡°Today, are you going to¡­ do that with Mr. Thatcher?¡± She felt the gift box was an eyesore, so she ripped off the packaging and tossed the three sets of lingerie into an inconspicuous bag. ¡°Try to eat a little. Your ex-boyfriend already has another woman, and he won¡¯t feel sad for you, nor will he feel guilty over this. You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s suffering.¡± She didn¡¯t answer Gabrielle¡¯s question as though she didn¡¯t hear it. Initially, Gabrielle wanted to stop bugging her since it was clear that Victoria didn¡¯t want to talk about it, but after some contemtion, she still said, ¡°Victoria, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t go. That n is not reliable.¡± She bit her lip and added, slightly ashamed, ¡°I just wanted you to owe me a favor back then and didn¡¯t really think about it.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little sleepy. I¡¯ll take a nap.¡± After Victoria ced the bag next to her pillow, she kicked off her shoes,y down on her side, and closed her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t sleep no matter how long the time had passed. Maybe Gabrielle knew that she was feigning sleep, but she kept quiet about it, and she could hear only the soft sound of chewing in the room. Every passing second and minute was agonizing, and it felt like years to Victoria. Then, after what felt like a century, her phone finally rang. She inhaled deeply as she picked up the call with trembling fingers. A masculine voice echoed from the other end. ¡°Hello, this is the Forever Home Properties. If you would like to purchase a property recently¡ª¡± A frown appeared on Victoria¡¯s face, and she ended the call swiftly before returning to the bed. ¡°Victoria.¡± Gabrielle paced to her bed, gave her a little nudge, and said softly, ¡°I think, if you seduce Mr. Thatcher and leave, he probably won¡¯t let you go. So, you better think it over and don¡¯t act so impulsively.¡± Victoria decided to forget attempting to sleep before the ¡®big event¡¯ as she sat up, tucked her messy hair behind her ears, and said somberly, ¡°I¡¯ve already made up my mind over this. So, don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t implicate you if anything happens.¡± Gabrielle doesn¡¯t have to take the responsibility if anything happens, and not Vince, either, she thought. I¡¯ll bear it all. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m not afraid that I¡¯ll be implicated in this!¡± Gabrielle exined with a flushed face. ¡°I just think that since the society is governed byw now, you can resolve anything through the justice system and not necessarily through such a way¡ª¡± Beep. Beep. The vibration of a phone broke her off, and Victoria nced at the caller ID before picking up the phone this time. ¡°Room 505. Come over, Tori.¡± His voice was a little hoarse, and it even carried a trace of fatigue she had never heard before from Vince. After she replied affirmatively, she hung up, wore her shoes, and was about to leave with the bag of lingerie.novelxo fast update However, Gabrielle held her back and said with aplicated look, ¡°Victoria, are you really not going to reconsider this? Recently, the customers don¡¯t dare to take advantage of you, and the superiors didn¡¯t pick on you either. So, is there really a need for you to rush into this?¡± ¡°Nobody is taking advantage of me or picking on me now, but what about after this?¡± Victoria jerked her hand away from Gabrielle¡¯s as she exined, ¡°Even if nobody makes things difficult for me, am I going to tell my kids in the future that I¡¯m working in a ce like this?¡± Gabrielle¡¯s eyes dodged away guiltily, mumbling, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. So many in our line of work still got married and have their own children in the end. So, it¡¯s not as bad as you make it sound.¡±¡± ¡°I¡¯m different from the rest of you.¡± Victoria tugged her lips into a smile, but only ridicule reflected her eyes. ¡°All of you can leave after making enough money. You can leave this city, get married, and have your own family, but I don¡¯t have the right to leave this ce. If I don¡¯t hold on to this chance, I may have to grow old and die here. Maybe, many will tell their children at that time, ¡®Look, that woman named Victoria Coleman has been working in the club all her life¡¯,¡± she said in a self-deprecating manner. ¡°Then¡­ Be careful. If you think it¡¯s not going to work out, give up on the n ASAP and find an excuse to slip away,¡± Gabrielle said. Before Victoria could say anything to refute her, she continued, ¡°If you¡¯re unsessful and made Mr. Thatcher mad, find a way to contact me, and I¡¯ll look for Miss Spritz. She¡¯s a kind person. Even if she knows you¡¯re seducing Mr. Thatcher, she can probably understand your difficult predicament and help speak up for you.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± Ayer of ice frost crawled over her eyes, and she spun around to leave. Gabrielle grabbed her again from behind and advised earnestly, ¡°Victoria, are you really going to suffer for that little bit of dignity? It¡¯s nothing to ask for help from your rival in love. Moreover, I think Miss Spritz is a really nice person, and she probably won¡¯t make fun of you over such a small thing.¡± ¡°Between suffering a little and apologizing to your ex-boyfriend that it¡¯s your fault, which one will you pick?¡± Victoria asked calmly, prying off her hand. Although Gabrielle didn¡¯t know why she was asking this out of the blue, it still riled her up. ¡°I sacrificed so much for him, but he cheated on me and dated someone else. It¡¯s obviously his fault, so why should I apologize? I would rather eat rot than apologize to that jerk of a man!¡± ¡°Unlike you, instead of eating rot, I would rather die than ask for help from Be Spritz.¡± Then, Vincent called again to urge her to hurry, and without arguing further with Gabrielle, who had aplicated look on her face, she dashed out of the room, bag in tow. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 As Victoria arrived at Room 505 about ten minutester, she saw Vincent wearing a vest as he leaned against the wall smoking a cigarette. Even though his handsome face was shrouded in smoke, he looked visibly annoyed, hateful, and helpless. ¡°Vince,¡± Victoria called for him while she was about three meters away and continued walking toward him while holding a bag. He turned as he heard Victoria¡¯s call, snuffed out the cigarette, and threw it on the trash can cover. He furrowed his brows slightly in displeasure and asked, ¡°What took you so long? Don¡¯t tell me someone found out about you?¡± ¡°No.¡± She hesitantly nced at the private room door and tightened her hands around the bag. ¡°Is¡­ Christian inside?¡± Vincent grunted, and he pointed at the bag with his jaw. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± ¡°Lingerie.¡± Her voice was low, and her face turned red¡ªnot from shyness, but from embarrassment. Vincent merely lowered his head and remained silent for a long time when he heard his sister¡¯s reply. He then took out another cigarette and put it in his mouth but changed his mind that instant. He took it out irritably and threw it into the trash can. As he grabbed his hair in annoyance, he took out two items from his suit pocket and stuffed them into Victoria¡¯s palm. ¡°Your sister-inw prepared these for you. She asked me to remind you to take precautions.¡± While he was indeed angry at the b*stard Christian, the anger was mainly directed at his own ipetence. ¡°I don¡¯t know what size that b*stard uses. Take the morning-after pill if he can¡¯t fit in!¡± She nced at the two items and threw them into the bag. ¡°Got it,¡± she answered softly. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink this. It¡¯s not ancient times. J-Just think of it like a dog bit you!¡± said Vincent with a gloomy expression. ¡°Even if he sleeps with you, my guess is he won¡¯t take any responsibility. Anyhow, what¡¯s important now is that we get enough ckmail from him!¡± Vincent then snorted as he imagined the scenario. ¡°When we expose the photos and videos, he will lose his reputation that even the Thatcher Family will disown him! As soon as he slips up, I will send you abroad immediately. That b*stard will longer be able to touch you!¡± It was a little after 2:30PM, and there were not many guests in the Delta Club. But even so, staff or guests were passing by in the corridor from time to time. A staff member who passed by several times saw the two siblings had been standing at the entrance for quite some time, so she approached them and asked if they needed help. ¡°No, thank you.¡± After the staff left, Victoria frowned and said to Vincent, ¡°Vince, we can discuss the futureter. First, tell me what¡¯s going on inside the room.¡± The fact that the two of them were standing in front of the room was already attracting some attention and thest thing she wanted was precisely that. ¡°Christian drank a spiked drink and is now unconscious,¡± he replied. At once, her pupils constricted, fearing that her brother¡¯s actions would cause serious trouble. ¡°Spiked? What did you add to his drink?¡± ¡°Chill. Just some sleeping pills and an aphrodisiac.¡± He snorted again, thinking that his sister still held feelings for Christian. ¡°He¡¯s hurt you so much, yet you still worry about him.¡± Victoria heaved a sigh of relief when she knew what was inside Christian¡¯s drink and smiled bitterly. ¡°No matter how much I liked him before, it is impossible for me not to give up on him after he made me suffer this way. I¡¯m afraid you did something irreparable, and my sister-inw and your two children will be paying for your mistake.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better!¡± As Vincent muttered, he dragged her into the private room. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Come in quickly! I¡¯ve already installed the camera, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it!¡± She entered the private room and saw the curtains drawn¡ªthe room was dimly lit. The faint smell of Christian¡¯s cologne mixed with the smell of alcohol and cigarettes, though bearable, still made Victoria choke a little. The wine sses were all over the table. Some were empty while the others were half full. There were also several tes of untouched fruits as well as pastries. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Christian could be seen lying on the couch in his somehow messy suit. His hair, which had always been meticulously groomed, was also a little tousled, and his face was blushing abnormally, which should be due to the drug¡¯s effects. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there!¡± Vincent picked up a beautifully packaged box from the sofa and stuffed it into Victoria¡¯s arms. ¡°This is the dress I prepared for you. Change into it quickly!¡± After he spoke, he stared her in the eyes and reminded her, ¡°Remember to wear that small ornament around the neck. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She looked at Christian, whose face was turning redder as time passed, and instructed her brother, ¡°Vince, get out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you outside. I have your back. Don¡¯t worry!¡± He hugged her for thest time before balling his fists tightly as he left the room. Victoria finally opened the gift box. Inside was a red tulle dress, but to say it was a dress was a bit of an overstatement. The ¡®dress¡¯ was made up of fabric that was no more than the size of two palms. She knew that wearing the ¡®dress¡¯ would create a seductive effect, even though it could barely hide her body parts. She had never worn such a thing before and felt so ufortable wearing it that she did not even know how to position herself. Finally, she frowned and walked to Christian in tiny steps to avoid unintentional exposure of her private body parts. Christian did not take off his leather shoes, and his calf and feet were hanging in the air. His suit jacket was thrown aside, and he looked sexier and less inhumane than usual. Victoria¡¯s heart hammered in her chest as cold sweat beaded her forehead and ran down her cheeks. Even though he was in a state of unconsciousness, it still made her nervous and stressed to be near him. She took a deep breath and squatted down a little to look at him more closely. Christian opened his eyes without warning, and at that instant, Victoria felt as if her heart was in her mouth. She took a step back reflexively, but he had already wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her toward him. She fell, and in a swift move, he was already on top of her. They were so near to each other that she could even hear how his heart was beating much faster than usual¡ªjust like hers. He clenched her hand tightly, and his eyes, which were bloodshot because of the drugs, locked onto her as his breath got heavier as time passed. Her limbs were weak, and her sweat-drenched back was pressed against the leather sofa, which made her ufortable due to the sticky feeling. She looked at the man, who was onnovelxo fast update top of her, and even though she had tried her best to remain calm, her voice still trembled uncontrobly. ¡°Did you drink the red wine?¡± If he had been awake the whole time, did this mean that he had heard about the camera too? ¡°Of course.¡± Christian¡¯s hawk-like eyes were locked on her, and his voice was a little more hoarse than usual. He said scornfully, ¡°Had I not drunk it, how would I have known what you siblings were up to?¡± As he said that, he was suppressing the intense desire to sleep with Victoria¡ªVincent must have fed him some potent drugs. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Victoria¡¯s eyshes fluttered and her nose beaded with sweat in anticipation. However, she had reached a point of no return. If she regretted it now, the same opportunity might note around in the future. Curling her lips into a forced smile, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned forward for a kiss without any words. ¡°You¡¯re well-prepared.¡± Christian tilted his head to avoid her attempt. His eyes were twinkling as he was lost in his thoughts and his voice became breathy. ¡°Victoria, how many men have you seduced before?¡± She let out a restrained chuckle as her hands around his neck brought him forward so that she could kiss him on the corner of his lips. ¡°Will you believe me if I tell you there¡¯s only you, and I even failed at that attempt?¡± He scoffed at her words. His pair of eyes which were drowning in desire now burned with new rage and pain. ¡°Victoria, do you believe your own words?¡± She had never set her hopes high and expected him to believe her in the first ce. She merely wanted to take the photos and made them a bargaining chip for him to let her go. Truth be told, Victoria¡¯s body was an unsightly view as the scars covered most parts of her body, except for her arms. However, the scars on her body and her red tulle were giving out the vibe of a grotesque aesthetic under the dim light. When Christian¡¯s hands slid to the side and rested on her waist, she immediately grasped his hand. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°You regret it now?¡± His voice was deeper and hoarser than usual. ¡°Toote.¡± Thinking that she would already have captured the photos and videos needed at the moment, she pursed her lips as she tried to push him away with all of her strength. Her attempt ended up a failure as the aphrodisiac began to work on him. Thus, Christian was not nning on letting her go any sooner and she had to endure the consequences. Removing his tie from the cor, he could not help but notice the blinking red light on her neck essory. He immediately snatched the gadget off her neck. As he casted a nce to Victoria, whose blood drained from her face in a split second, his expression turned cold. He threw her neck essory on the ground and stomped on it. Atst, he bent to pick up the pinhole camera from the remnants and red at her. ¡°It seems like two years of prison life has changed you into a braver person, am I right?¡± He tossed the camera back onto the floor and crushed it with his foot under her terrified stare. ¡°What are you trying to do with the video? You¡¯re going to ckmail me, aren¡¯t you?¡± The blood ran cold in her body as if she was trapped in an ice room. Even the air she breathed in was piercing her lungs like the cold air from the air conditioner. If only she knew her behavior a moment ago would expose the camera in her neck essory to him, she would never stop him. After all, retaining her virginity was not the top priority. However, no exnation could help her at the moment. Since the pinhole camera was broken, she could not help but wonder if it seeded to capture everything that happened a moment ago. ¡°Speak!¡± Christian could feel his heart sink at her attempt and his disappointment was unprecedented. He walked over to the woman and lifted her chin up in a firm grip to force her to meet his eyes. The cold sensation gathered around his fingertips was surging all the way up to his upper arms and urged him to embrace her in his arms and kiss her. In contrast, his limited reasons were rooting him to the spot and suppressing the longing desire from the bottom of his heart. Victoria¡¯s body shook uncontrobly as she fixed her gaze on the ground and whispered, ¡°You¡¯ve guessed my n. What¡¯s the point of asking?¡± Christian¡¯s lips were pressed together and formed a thin line as he lowered his gaze at her. He clenched his fists and furrowed his brows at her honest answer. novelxo fast up Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Christian swept the sses off the air with a crash; the sses shattered on the ground while the wine sttered all over them. With that, the aroma of wine permeated the air in the private room. Victoria¡¯s stomach dropped at the noise when the sses broke and flinched involuntarily. She watched him in disbelief as he picked up a ss shard from the ground and stabbed his own thigh without hesitation. The blood from his wound drenched his suit within moments. Even so, the only noticeable change in Christian was his paler face. He remained in the same expression and did not even let out a moan despite the agonizing pain. Victoria wrapped her arms around her body tightly as she was shaking with fear; even the sweat was rolling down her face uncontrobly. Christian was indeed ruthless toward both the other party and himself as he was willing to wound his thigh just because he did not want to lose control under the effect of the drug. She could not help but wonder about the fate of Vincent and her after Christian came back to his senses. The tapping of his leather shoes against the ground was getting closer to her. As she stared at the man, who had a cold look on his handsome face, closing their distance, the blood drained from her face. Her instinct was yelling at her to run away, but she could feel her limbs unbelievably weak as if she was glued to the ground and could not even move an inch from the spot. She was fearing for her life from the bottom of her heart. Victoria was afraid that the ss in Christian¡¯s hand would be stabbed into her right thigh at the next moment and handicapped her forever. Thud! Her heart skipped a beat when the shard fell to the ground with a light thud, but it thumped faster afterward as if it would jump out of her chest at any time. Quivering her lips to beg for her life, she repeated the scene of him mercilessly breaking her leg two years ago in her mind. At that moment, she lost the strength to speak as though thousands of ants were crawling through her throat. Christian picked her up in his arms, but did not spare a nce at her as he tossed her out of the private room and mmed the door. It was around 4.00PM and Delta Club was about to wee its peak hour. There were not any customers in the corridor at the moment, but a janitor was cleaning around while two hostesses were walking over withughter. The three were stunned when they noticed Victoria and stopped what they were doing as they gaped at her condition. One of them even took out her phone but reconsidered when she remembered Victoria¡¯s title of a murderer. Afraid of the consequences of challenging Victoria by taking any photos or recording a video, the woman shoved her phone back where it was. She had her hands embracing her chest while her slender legs crossed. Hanging her head low, she allowed her hair to block her pale face from others¡¯ view. A cold sensation was spreading over her limbs and her heart as if the blood in her veins had stopped circting. She licked her dry lips before trying to push open the door of the private room with her feeble hands. However, Christian had locked the door from the other side, so her attempt failed as a result. As Vincent was not waiting around, she had no choice but to walk back to the dorm with a bare body. Taking a deep breath and gritting her teeth, she took a step forward with mixed feelings. It was not her priority at the moment even though the three watchers might have different reactions, such as being surprised, having fun looking at her, or being sympathetic but confused. Ding! At that moment, the elevator chimed. Victoria came to a sudden stop as she paled, her body shaking uncontrobly. She could not help but wonder if she had to humiliate herself by walking around the club without any clothes on and being mocked by others. ¡°Stop there and don¡¯t move.¡± Charlotte stepped out of the elevator with a dress in her arm after the door opened. The corner of her almond eyes twitched at what she saw as she strode over Victoria and put her in the dress without hesitation. It was not a pleasant experience without her lingeries on, but at least it was better than not wearing anything. Victoria¡¯s mind was in a whirl, so she paid no attention to the reason why Charlotte would show up with a dress as she thanked the other woman in a low voice. Feeling her cheeks flushed, she could not help the embarrassment building inside her. ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank her! Christian and the people around him are all rotten to their core.¡± As soon as Vincent stepped out of the washroom, he heard his sister thanking Charlotte, so he walked over to them in anger. Noticing Victoria was standing with her bare feet, he scowled before he carried her in his arms.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. He wanted to know the details, but he knew it was not the best time to ask when Charlotte was standing next to them. Victoria wrapped her arms around his neck as she exined tiredly, ¡°I need to thank Miss Charlotte because she lent me these clothes.¡± ¡°She lends them to you? So Christian chased you out of the room with¡ª¡± Vincent¡¯s eyes widened at the statement and ended his words abruptly; he was disgusted and upset. The feeling resembled someone spitting in his throat, but he could neither cough it out nor dare swallow it. Charlotte skipped the pleasantries with the two and excused herself before she knocked on the door of Room 505. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, I¡¯m here.¡± Resting in Vincent¡¯s arms, Victoria watched the door of Room 505 open and shut again before them. She rested her gaze on the shut door for a moment before she drew her attention back andughed at herself. ¡°Vincent, you can put me down. I can walk by myself,¡± she whispered. However, he did not do as told but frowned as he asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why did Christian chase you out of the room when you¡¯re not wearing anything? Did the drug not work?¡± ¡°He found the pinhole camera off my neck,¡± she answered as she swallowed the feelings and clenched her fists. All of her efforts were in vain. From now on, not only could she not leave Delta Club, she might also face a lot of difficulties in her future. Vincent¡¯s face was livid with disappointment, but he had not lost thest glimmer of hope. ¡°What about the camera? Is it still in good condition?¡± She shook her head and could taste the bile in her throat. ¡°He threw it on the ground and novelxo fast updatecrashed it.¡± Raising her head, she stared at him with hope. ¡°Vince, will the video taken be uploaded in sync as it records?¡± ¡°Shucks. The time¡¯s tight, so I didn¡¯t have the chance to change the settings. Plus, I thought putting a camera in the neck essory is a good idea and he would never discover it. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± He felt both guilty and regretful for failing the n and wanted to strangle his past self for being overconfident. Her gaze fell in disappointment, but she consoled anyhow, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Maybe I just have to wait for ten or twenty years; Christian and Be would have stopped being angry with me by then, and they¡¯ll spare me.¡± Even if Christian and Be had spared Victoria after many years, a person¡¯s youth was short and Victoria had no time to waste. Besides, Christian might not forgive Victoria in the future at all, but she could not care less. Vincent had helped her with the best he could, so she did not want him to feel guilty or pressured further. However, Vincent was not letting it go as an angry look shed on his handsome face. ¡°No way! I won¡¯t let it end just like this! He has broken your leg, put you in prison, and taken your virginity. He¡¯s such a brute to take advantage of you and dare keep you in Delta Club for ages!¡± Having said that, he helped Victoria to the ground. Noticing she was not wearing anything under the dress, he took off his shirt and wrapped it over her body, leaving himself shirtless. ¡°Vince, he hasn¡¯t punished you for drugging him. Don¡¯t go to him for any more troubles.¡± Victoria could not move her hands to block his way as he tucked her arms in the shirt, so she stepped in his tracks. Furious, Vincent could not be reasoned with at the moment. He kicked the door of the private room opposite Room 505 open and shoved her inside. ¡°I¡¯ve made a reservation for this room for the whole day. You can rest here. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°Vin¡ª¡± She tried to stop him as she scowled in worry, but he locked the door from outside before she could finish her words. His expression scrunched in anger as he pushed open the door of Room 505 and rushed inside without his shirt on Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Christian stood in the southwest corner of Room 505. It was hard to read his expression when he had his gaze lowered, but the veins protruding on his temples exined everything. ¡°I will get two people toe over.¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyebrows jumped when she touched the clothes on the floor. She then looked away and turned before she walked out of there. Christian only looked up at her then and his rugged voice was cold as he stated, ¡°No need for that.¡± ¡°How are you supposed to handle this?¡± She stopped in her tracks and turned around. As soon as she asked that, he picked up a broken piece of the wine ss and stabbed his thigh with it without any emotion on his face. He swiftly threw it on the floor before he walked slowly to the couch to take a seat. Blood soon seeped through his suit pants and flowed from his shoe while it pooled at his feet. It was a sight that could give anyone a fright. Her mouth slightly parted at that. Even though she had seen him acting cruel toward others, it still surprised her to see him treat himself that way. ¡°Tsk!¡± No longer saying anything unnecessary, she took out her phone. Subsequently, she informed someone to prepare a car and had two peoplee and help him into the car. Right after the phone call ended, someone kicked the door to the private room open from outside. With a gloomy face and no shirt on, Vincent rushed in without sparing a look at Charlotte and went straight to Christian, who was sitting on the couch. ¡°You seem to be in a bad mood.¡± Charlotte smilingly blocked him. Vincent, however, was in no mood to exchange pleasantries with her. After brushing aside a handful of hair, he roared, ¡°Piss off!¡± ¡°My, how touchy. What if I don¡¯t piss off?¡± Her voice ended on a teasing note and she narrowed her eyes like a stretching cat. Enraged by her attitude, he gritted his teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t stick your nose into my private matters with this person. If you don¡¯t move, don¡¯t me me forying my hands on you. Trust me when I say I don¡¯t shy away from hitting women!¡± Click. The door opened right then. It was the security that Charlotte had called toe up earlier. The three security guards looked at Christian, who was still bleeding from his thigh, then at Vincent, who was shirtless and confronting Charlotte. Stunned, they could not imagine what happened here. ¡°What a coincidence. I never shy away from bullying the small as the big one either. If you touch a single hair of mine, I will make sure that youe in walking and leave the room getting carried out.¡± Charlotte blinked and touched Vincent¡¯s face. ¡°What do you think of that?¡± Hearing that, he pulled her hand away and wiped the spot she touched with all his might, his face livid as if he had been touched by something dirty. She did not seem offended at all as she watched him with a smile on her face. ¡°Why are you hiding behind a woman, Christian?¡± With bloodshot eyes, Vincent sapt on the ground and pointed at Christian. ¡°Step out and let me beat you up if you dare!¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Before Christian could speak, Charlotte smiled. ¡°You are funny, Mr. Coleman. Why should Mr. Thatcher be beaten up by you?¡± ¡°He knows why!¡± After Vincent roared at Charlotte, he turned to look at Christian and his eyes were filled with hatred and anger. ¡°Christian Thatcher, you f*cking threw her out bare naked! Were you trying to kill her?¡± Hearing this, Charlotte slightly raised her eyebrows as if she wanted to say something, but a look from Christian swiftly made her shut her mouth again. Christian still had blood dripping to the floor from his thigh when he stood up and walked to Vincent. His face was pale, but his aura was the same as usual. ¡°You siblings should have guessed this oue when you drugged me.¡± The three security guards immediately had an interested glint in their eyes as their desire to hear the gossip was fueled. Though their heads were lowered, their ears were perked up. ¡°Do you think that we would have been so immoral as to ckmail you with photos if you hadn¡¯t pushed us to a dead end?!¡± Vincent¡¯s body was trembling with anger and every muscle in his body was tense. He then pointed at Christian, his voice faintly choked with sobs. ¡°Tori used to be such a cheerful person, but she became apletely different person after she was sent to prison for two years because of you. I have never seen her smile ever since then! ¡°You broke her legs, making it impossible for her to dance anymore, and she can¡¯t go back to Coleman Residence. Not only that, you made it impossible for her to live with dignity in Delta Club. What more do you want, huh?! Will you only be satisfied if you push her to death?!¡± Christian¡¯s eyes flickered as he felt his heart ache ever-so slightly, but his anger overshadowed all his other emotions. ¡°Push her to death? That will be making it too easy for her.¡± ¡°You f*cker¡­¡± As Vincent¡¯s eyes turned red, he immediately shoved Charlotte and the security guards before throwing a heavy punch in Christian¡¯s direction. When his punchnded, he quickly swung another one at Christian again. Christian managed to grab Vincent¡¯s fist that headed in his direction as he gave Vincent a cold look. It might have been because of the drug in his system or his injury that his emotionspletely went out of control; as such, the anger and suffocation he held in erupted¡­ ¡°Victoria brought all this upon herself. You and her can stop wasting your effort in vain now. She will never leave Delta Club for the rest of her life!¡± Charlotte could not hide her surprise when she saw his reaction. This was the first time in her four to five years of being his subordinate that she had seen himshed out this way. ¡°Bah!¡± Vincent broke free from his grip and spat on the ground in rage. ¡°No matter how powerful the Thatcher Family is, you can¡¯t abuse your power and control everything and everyone! ¡°I am warning you, Christian Thatcher. I will get the police involved if you don¡¯t let Tori off, and if the local police are useless, I will report this to someone with a higher authority!¡± Charlotte felt her temples throb then. What a jerk¡­ Christian only sneered, ¡°It is true that I can¡¯t do that, though you did drug me and put a pinhole camera in Victoria¡¯s cor. So go ahead and call the police. I am curious to see who they wilnovelxo fast updatel apprehend.¡± ¡°F*ck!¡± Vincent spat and prepared to strike again. However, Christian was prepared this time and he managed to block him. Now that Vincent¡¯s limbs were constricted, he could not fight against Christian even though he was injured. As such, Vincent became so agitated that he decided to throw himself over and bite Christian¡¯s ear. Swiftly, Christian tilted his head and pushed him away with an emotionless face. ¡°Mr. Coleman, aren¡¯t you afraid of causing trouble for your family if you continue to cause a fuss like this?¡± Charlotte stepped in front of Vincent, her eyes half-squinted as she hummed coquettishly. This was the first time she had seen men fight like this. Honestly, this was no different than women who pulled each other¡¯s hair! Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 With nonchnce, Vincent snorted. ¡°Those who only care about their own interests and not about their own child deserve it even if they go bankrupt!¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Charlotte rested one hand on her waist and said slowly, ¡°You better think this through. If the Colemans went bankrupt, you wouldn¡¯t be able to spend as much money as you do now. You might even have to sell the cars in your garage that you love so much¡ª¡± ¡°Cut the crap. What does my spending have anything to do with you? F*ck off!¡± Vincent did not feel the need to be gentle toward women who were neither his wife nor sister. He abruptly shoved Charlotte away and brought a foot up to kick Christian. Seeing this, she tilted her head and looked at the security guards with a frown on her face. ¡°Did you come here for the drama? Is no one going to stop Mr. Coleman?¡± When her words fell, Christian had already taken hold of Vincent¡¯s outstretched leg before he gave it a hard tug. ¡°F*ck!¡± Vincent would have fallen to the floor if it was not because he held onto the couch at the side. However, the act of splitting his legs identally pulled at his family jewels, making him break out in cold sweat from the pain. In that meantime, two of the security guards had stepped forward and were already holding Vincent down on both sides. The other one, as per Charlotte¡¯s order, went and supported Christian, whose face was as pale as paper. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, how would you like to have Mr. Coleman handled?¡± Charlotte asked, ¡°Would you like for me to call the cops over and take him away? What would you prefer?¡± Christian¡¯s arm was hung on the back of the security guard¡¯s neck and his cold sweat on his forehead from the pain was dripping down his cheeks. He just gave Vincent a brief nce before he looked away and gave an irrelevant anwer. ¡°Have the security delete today¡¯s surveince.¡± ¡°But it is a rule to keep the surveince footage for more than three months,¡± Charlotte informed. Perhaps the pain in his leg was no longer working, but the bottom of Christian¡¯s eyes soon became blurred as his pale face flushed again at some point. ¡°Only delete the surveince for this floor. I will take responsibility for anything that happens.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She ignored Vincent, who was yelling at the side, and instructed the security guard, ¡°The car is already waiting downstairs. You can bring Mr. Thatcher over. You know what to and not to say.¡± Hearing that, the bodyguard quickly bobbed his head up and down before he helped Christian out of the room. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. On the other hand, the door was locked from the outside, making it impossible for Victoria to open it from the inside. She banged on the door and shouted for a long time until her voice was hoarse, but no one opened the door for her still. It was only about half an hourter that Charlotte opened the door for her. Victoria hurriedly blurted out a ¡®thank you¡¯ and ran to Room 505 on the opposite side, only to find that the private room was exceptionally tidy. Her torn clothes, the shattered pinhole camera, and the broken ss were all gone. The floor was so clean that she even thought the bloodstain she saw earlier was from a dream she had. She rummaged through the entire room and she paled when she failed to find Christian nor her brother. She then ran to Charlotte and asked in a shaky voice, ¡°Miss Charlotte, d-do you know where my brother is n-now?¡± ¡°Mr. Thatcher has a heavy injury on his thigh. Are you not going to ask where he is now?¡± Charlotte¡¯s lips curled into a charming arc, but it was a smile that did not reach her eyes. However, Victoria did not care at all about Christian¡¯s injury or where he was now. She only grabbed Charlotte¡¯s arm and asked again, ¡°Did you see my brother?¡± ¡°I did.¡± She gently pried away Victoria¡¯s hand, her smile was filled with imperceptible anger. ¡°Not only did I see him, I was almost beaten by him. Mr. Coleman sure is getting way out of bounds!¡± Hearing that, Victoria licked her dry lips as her mind became a mess. Despite the fact that she was eager to know about Vincent¡¯s situation, she had to patiently apologize to Charlotte. ¡°My brother lost his temper because of me. I apologize to you on his behalf.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I understand how he feels.¡± At the sight of her apologetic face, Charlotte let out a small sigh, possibly out of sympathy or some other emotion. ¡°Rest assured that your brother is fine. Mr. Thatcher didn¡¯t seem like he was nning to hold your brother ountable for this incident.¡± Her words instantly relieved Victoria¡¯s anxiety by a little. ¡°Thank you for telling me this, Miss Charlotte.¡± She heaved a sigh of relief. Still, she could notpletely be at ease. Christian did not seem like the type of person who would just let her brother off the hook like that. Charlotte hummed softly in acknowledgement. When she passed Victoria by, she stopped in her tracks, turned her head and informed Victoria, ¡°You don¡¯t have to work today. Head home and take a rest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± It was a good thing to be able to rest, but Victoria was riddled with anxiety as her right eyelid pulsated violently. Under everyone¡¯s odd nces, Victoria entered the elevator without any footwear on. Even though there was no wind, it felt cooling and empty under her skirt as there was nothing under it. The feeling quickly brought about feelings of shame and embarrassment. There were three men and two women standing in the elevator. One of the women pointed to Victoria, and stood on tiptoes as she leaned over to the man and whispered something in his ear. Even though Victoria could not hear what they were saying, she could not help feeling like they were discussing her. Unconsciously, she closed her legs and stood in the corner of the elevator, her hands on her sides grabbing tightly to her shirt. Her cheeks were pale one second and red the next, and it kept repeating throughout her elevator ride. Ding! The moment the elevator arrived at the ground floor, she moved from the corner to the door. She then strutted out as soon as the elevator door opened, but right when she did that, someone grabbed her hand and stopped her in her tracks. She turned her head to look, only to see that the person holding onto her arm was the woman who whispered in tiptoes earlier to the man. ¡°Uhm¡­ Hi. What¡¯s the matter?¡± The woman shed her a smile before she abruptly bent down and took off the high-heeled shoes she was wearing. She then ced the shoes in front of Victoria. ¡°We are about the same height; our shoe sizes should be about the same as well. You can probably wear mine.¡± Hearing that, Victoria released her grip from the hem of her clothes as her throat tightened slightly. She looked down at the pink high-heeled shoes on the floor without making a sound. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± The woman let out a smile that made her eyes narrow. ¡°My husband can just buy me another pair of shoester.¡± Victoria then looked at the pair of branded shoes that did not look like they had been worn more than a couple of times. ¡°No, thank you, I am¡ª¡± a staff member who works here, and I live nearby. ¡°It¡¯s fine, miss. It just so happens that my wife likes new things and she has been wanting to get a new pair of shoes recently!¡± The man squatted down and carried the woman on his back without giving Victoria a chance to refuse. The two thenughed and left Victoria by herself. Lips pursed, Victoria lifted her chin and sucked in a deep breath. She then walked back to her dormitory in the pair of slightly-oversized heels. She had just pushed the door open when Gabrielle came to her with worry written all over her face. ¡°Are¡­ you alright?¡± ¡°I am fine.¡± Victoria was exhausted. After taking off her heels, she sat on the bed with her heanovelxo fast updated lowered. As much as she wanted to give her brother a call, she was also afraid to receive any bad news. Gabrielle followed suit and was about to say something when she saw the kiss marks on every inch of her neck, only to decide against it. ¡°What?¡± Victoria¡¯s voice was dripping with exhaustion as she asked without lifting her head. Gabrielle parted her lips, but no word came out of her. She then stood up and walked around for a bit before she sat back down beside Victoria. Slightly guilty, she gingerly asked, ¡°Are you really alright, Victoria? Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Even though Victoria¡¯s head was a mess, she still noticed how different Gabrielle was behaving from her usual self. ¡°Go ahead and say anything you want to.¡± Victoria sighed while massaging her eyebrows. Just when Gabrielle opened her mouth trying to speak, she closed it again in the next second as she was not sure how to broach the topic. After hesitating for a while, she went to retrieve her phone from her own bed. She then opened her WhatsApp and passed her phone to Victoria. ¡°It¡­ might be better to see it for yourself.¡± The screen of her phone showed the chat record of a small WhatsApp group that only had a few members in it. They were people whom Victoria knew as well¡ªthey were her colleagues from Delta Club. ¡®I heard that Victoria wanted to seduce Mr. Thatcher, but ended up getting kicked out as naked as the day she was born! Don¡¯t me me for saying this, but I doubt Mr. Thatcher would be interested in a woman that has scars from head to toe!¡¯ ¡®I actually find Victoria quite beautiful to look at. She is elegant too, but her only shoring is that she is a little too proud.¡¯ ¡®No, she wasn¡¯t trying to seduce Mr. Thatcher at all! There is an insider who told me that she has a grudge against him. So, she was trying to kill him this time! And I also heard that Mr. Thatcher was covered in blood by the time he was brought out by someone!¡¯ ¡®She is trying to murder someone right after she was released from jail?! My goodness! It is horrifying having to work with someone like her!¡¯ ¡®You are all wrong! Flynn was there when it happened, and he told me that Mr. Coleman was there too! It turns out that Victoria is Mr. Coleman¡¯s own sister. The siblings drugged Mr. Thatcher to ckmail him so that he gave the Colemans his cash cow.¡¯ ¡°Take a look at this as well.¡± Gabrielle took the phone to search for a screenshot of the security group chat that one of the security guards had sent to her. She then passed the phone back to Victoria. The messages in the chat were unsightly¡­ ¡®Victoria Coleman usually looks like a goody two shoes, but she sure is curvaceous when she is naked. I want a piece of that *ss! It is a pity that the higher-ups wanted the surveince footage deleted.¡¯ ¡®Since she is such a sl*t, how about we ask her out to have some fun together?¡¯ There were hundreds of messages from several people discussing Victoria¡¯s appearance to how they wanted to take her to bed. The words they used were vulgar and repulsive, and there were even one or two of them who thought they were smart bying up with n A, B, and C on how to get into bed with her. They had also made up a few dirty jokes about her. Lastly, the security guard who showed the chat record to Gabrielle sent her a voice message. ¡°Gabrielle, you are very close with Victoria, aren¡¯t you? Can you help this dear friend of yours to ask her out? I¡¯ll make sure topensate you for your hard work once it¡¯s done. Or, you cane over, and we can have a three-way together. I guarantee I will make you both feel like you are in heaven!¡± After listening to the voice message, Victoria only pursed her lips as she held the phone without any facial expression. ¡°Please give my phone back when you are done reading.¡± Worried that Victoria would smash her phone, Gabrie took her phone from Victoria and uttered with caution and guilt, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Victoria. I shouldn¡¯t have suggested something so stupid in the first ce.¡± Victoria continued to stay silent with her head lowered. She clenched the edge of her shirt tightly until her knuckles turned white. She then took out her phone and opened her WhatsApp, and the first thing she looked for was the group chat dedicated to Delta Club¡¯s employees that was full of conversations discussing about her. While some said that she wanted to seduce Christian so that she could climb up the socialdder, the others said that she hurt him out of shame and anger after failing in her quest. There were also some who said that she had a grudge against him, but she did not seed in killing him this time¡­ All of them were bad mouthing her in the group, and many of them were making dirty jokes about her. Daisy, too, did not hold back on throwing dirt on Victoria¡¯s name. Gabrielle looked at Victoria and could not help but feel guilty. As much as she wanted tofort Victoria, she did not know where to begin. She wanted to find a solution. If there was only one person speaking ill of Victoria, she could still resolve the problem by beating the other party into silence. However, it was not just a person or two; it was a whole group of people, and she could not possibly stop these many people from talking badly about Victoria. Gabrielle was at the end of her wits. Meanwhile, Victoria licked her dry lips, and sent a voice message in the group chat. ¡°Who wants to f*ck me?¡± The group chat that was rowdy up till a second ago had instantly turned silent at that. Even Daisy had stopped with her nonsense. ¡°Ha!¡± Victoria sneered.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Pressing the voice recording button, she uttered chilly and ruthless words for those who had turned a blind eye to the seriousness of the issue and simply enjoyed the drama. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say in private. However, do be careful when you are around me next time. If you let me hear or see anything that I don¡¯t want to, then don¡¯t me me for being cold-blooded. You can ask Daisy how cruel I can be. She knows better than the rest of you.¡± Gabrielle instantly frowned when she heard that. ¡°Victoria, your words¡­ might end up offending more people. Are you not worried that they will say even nastier things?¡± ¡°Do you really think they will stop talking about me even if I haven¡¯t said this?¡± Victoria asked while she swiftly tossed her phone onto the bed. Gabrielle was dumbfounded when she heard that. Victoria then turned around to face away from Gabrielle as she mentioned, ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of offending others, you can stay away from me.¡± ¡°I am just worried about you.¡± Gabrielle smiled bashfully as she sat back on her bed and looked at her phone. She noticed how the conversation in the chat had ended after Victoria¡¯s voice message. It was only 10 minutester that the group chat became lively again as chains of texts flooded in, and all of them wereforting words for Victoria. There were also people who righteously criticized the ones who had made fun of her. And among them were a few who previously participated in the gossip about Victoria just moments ago. Gabrielle bit her lips lightly as she took a look at Victoria¡¯s back before sending a message of her own to the group as well. ¡®Stop with the random guesses. Victoria only did that because she was forced to.¡¯ On the other hand, Christian was lying in a hospital bed with bandages wrapped around his thigh and dressed in a hospital gown. There was a smell of disinfectant permeating the air in the white ward. The doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed. ¡°The person who did this was too brutal. He or she almost stabbed the aorta. It would have been dangerous if it had happened. Standing beside, Charlotte raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at Christian on the hospital bed, only to see that his expression remained the same. It was as though it was not him the doctor was talking about. ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡± She smiled prettily at the doctor and asked, ¡°Mr. Thatcher also drunk red wine laced with that kind of drug and sleeping pills. So, is there a need to prescribe any other kind of medicine for him?¡± Hearing that, the doctor was shocked as he looked at the impassive Christian. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have known if you didn¡¯t tell me! I will have someone bring the medicine over. He will be fine after taking that.¡±novelxo fast update ¡°Alright, sorry for the trouble.¡± After she sent the doctor away, she closed the door of the ward and walked to the bedside. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, there is something I have to tell you as I can¡¯t make up my mind.¡± Christian, who was toying with the jade pendant at the moment, raised his gaze at her after hearing that. ¡°Tell me then.¡± ¡°There are all kinds of talk about you and Victoria. And there are some security guards who have taken a screenshot of Victoria¡¯s nude body. How do you think we should handle this?¡± Charlotte had a rare solemn expression on her face right now as she truly sympathized with Victoria. He immediately froze when he heard that. He tightened his grip around the jade pendant before looking at her straight in the eyes with a gloomy face. ¡°Was the surveince footage not deleted?¡± ¡°It has been deleted,¡± she replied after recovering from the shock of him showing such a big reaction. ¡°One of the guards said that he took a screenshot of it, and that photo has been sent almost everywhere. I have seen it too. It is a little blurry, so you can¡¯t really identify who was in the photo. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 The atmosphere in the ward became heavier as the silence continued. Christian ced the jade pendant back on his neck again before instructing with a sullen face, ¡°Bring that guard here within 20 minutes.¡± Charlotte hummed a reply upon hearing that. She then made a call to an underling and passed on the instruction before she hung up the phone and stood aside. Delta Club was not that far away from the hospital. So, just within 15 minutes, the security guard had already arrived at the hospital. He rushed to the ward while sweating profusely and greeted people along his way nervously. ¡°Do you know why you were asked toe here?¡± Christian sat on the bed with his eyes fixated on the security guard. The guard was covered in ayer of cold sweat upon seeing the hard stare. Gulping, he stammered, ¡°I- I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Someone has been spreading Victoria¡¯s nude photos around. Was it you?¡± Christian stood up, and with his fiery eyes, he looked down at the bodyguard who was half a head shorter than him. No matter how oblivious the guard might be, he could definitely tell that Christian, who was rumored to be on bad terms with Victoria, was on Victoria¡¯s side. Christian¡¯s question gave the guard goosebumps as his limbs went soft. Then, he quickly blurted out, ¡°No, no! The few of us were called by our supervisor when Victoria was thrown out of your room naked, Mr Thatcher. So, we weren¡¯t in the surveince room at that time. And by the time we went back, Miss Charlotte had already deleted the footage. I didn¡¯t even have the time to take a screenshot!¡± Without waiting for Christian¡¯s reply, Charlotte stepped forward with her eyebrows raised. ¡°Then, Victoria¡¯s nude photo¡ª¡± ¡°That is not Victoria!¡± Afraid that Christian would tear him down, the guard had interrupted her mid- sentence. Christian tugged on his cor and frowned when he heard that. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°T-That is a nude picture I downloaded from the inte and edited into the surveince footage.¡± The security guard shivered and lowered his head in fear. ¡°Everyone has been talking about the thing between Victoria and¡­ Also, a lot of people have been asking me for the video at that time. That was why I¡­ I made one.¡± As he was afraid that everyone would find out that it was fake, he even deliberately did some editing to the face in the picture so that no one would notice that it was not Victoria. Christian¡¯s eyes were cold as a half-smile appeared on his face, and veins faintly popped out on his neck. ¡°How talented. What a waste of your talent to be a security guard,¡± he deadpanned. ¡°Not at all, Mr. Thatcher. I-It is my pleasure to be able to work in Delta Club. Besides, many people are envious of me because of my employment too,¡± the guard gingerly buttered up to Christian. Christian only pressed his thin lips together tightly and nced at the guard coldly. His eyes were like a bottomless abyss. The gaze alone sent a chill all over the guard¡¯s body. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, I know that I have done wrong!¡± he cried desperately. ¡°I will immediately tell everyone that it was an edited photo. I won¡¯t let Victoria get med unjustly!¡± ¡°Give Charlotte the list of the guards who wanted the photo.¡± Instead of replying, Christian threw a cold re as he demanded the guard, which prompted thetter to nod repeatedly. Charlotte then took a look at Christian before she said to the guard, ¡°Alright, you are done here. Off you go.¡± Hearing that, the guard wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead and scurried off to the exit, as though he had just escaped from death. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Hold on!¡± She stopped him and shed a beautiful smile that made her exquisite features glow. ¡°I hope you are aware of what you should and shouldn¡¯t say.¡± The guard immediately nodded and tried to appease her again. ¡°I will teach those uncouth ones who spout nonsense and gossip everywhere a lesson. And I will make sure they won¡¯t ever randomly talk about things they shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Great, now you can go.¡± Charlotte brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. It was only a subtle movement, yet it was somehow attractive to look at. The guard gulped before leaving promptly. Instead of sitting back on the bed, Christian walked toward the window and looked out. ¡°Fire everyone on the list after you receive it. We don¡¯t need unmotivated and gossipy people to work at the club.¡± ¡°It sounds like it involves quite a big number of people, though. It will greatly affect the business if we can¡¯t rece the employees that we are going to terminate so suddenly.¡± As she was tired from standing, shenguidly sat on the chair. With Delta Club¡¯s good reputation, it would not be hard to recruit a handful of new employees. The only problem was that new employees needed to be trained for around half a month to a month. If the club went ahead and used them as regr employees, not only would they not help, they would only slow down the operation and cause more trouble for everyone. Despite that, Christian did not even hesitate for a moment as he instructed in a cold voice, ¡°Transfer the manpower from other ces. If it cannot be done, we will close the business for reorganization.¡± Charlotte was a little surprised by his attitude, but then again, it was somewhat expected. After all, no matter how ruthless someone was usually, they could not bepletely void of feelings. The corners of her mouth slowly lifted into a smile as joy filled her heart. ¡°I will recruit some new ones and transfer some from other ces to the club to minimize the loss. I will report to you any time if something happens.¡± The man only tapped his fingers against the ss in silence. Seeing this, she let out a small cough before she intentionally said, ¡°Oh, by the way, since the guard earlier confessed to his wrongs by himself, should we¡ª¡± He cut her off before she could even finish her words. ¡°Fire him after he has done what he has to. Also, gather information about his editing and spreading of nude photos, and have it submitted to the police.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°Spreading obscene images is enough of a crime for him to be sentenced. It will be hard for him to find a new job with a criminal record. What a cutthroat method this is.¡±novelxo fast update Christian nced at her with indifferent eyes and sat on the hospital bed. As a result of being beaten by Vincent, the swelling was particrly obvious against his pale yet handsome face. It was quite a funny sight. She did not dare to openlyugh at her employer as she lowered her head and faked a cough to hold back herughter before cautiously saying, ¡°Judging from your reaction, it doesn¡¯t seem like you don¡¯t have any feelings for Victoria at all. You did not need to stab your thigh.¡± You could have just slept with her! ¡°Do you have nothing else to do?¡± His eyes darkened, and a frown quickly appeared on his face but disappeared the next second. If it was anyone else, they probably would have dropped the topic after getting this kind of response, but that was not the case for Charlotte. Rather, his reaction just made her more curious than ever. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, Victoria has been pursuing you for so many years. Do you really not have any feelings for her?¡± ¡°Charlotte,¡± Christian warned in a low voice as he drummed his fingers on the bed in annoyance. She only blinked innocently, pretending that she did not understand his tone. ¡°If I was in your case, I would have stayed far away from the person that I hated and never see that person again. I definitely wouldn¡¯t tie them to my side and asionally took a look at them.¡± In the past, Christian rarely came to Delta Club, but now he was almost always there! ¡°Mr. Thatcher, as a subordinate who understands women, I think I am obligated to advise you; if you push her to a dead end now, you may not be able to save the rtionship even if you were on your knees in the future¡ª¡± Catching the evil gaze that Christian was sending her way, she changed the subject abruptly. ¡°Would you like to recuperate in the hospital or at home?¡± At this point, she was only talking to keep the conversation going. He looked away to ignore her, but he appeared to be deep in thought as he did so. ¡°There is still a mountain of tasks waiting for me, Mr. Thatcher. So, I will be heading back now.¡± She smoothed the wrinkles on her clothes and elegantly sauntered out. A frown formed on his face before disappearing again. His eyes flickered as he said to the woman who was already at the door, ¡°Add me into the employee group chat.¡± Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 ¡°Yes, sir. I will add you into the Delta Club¡¯s management team group chat in a while,¡± Charlotte said while giving him a yful look. Christian pursed his lips. ¡°The guests¡¯ feedback to Delta Club during this period hasn¡¯t been good. I want to see what the employees have to say so that I can determine whether the problem lies with the management or the lower-level employees.¡± ¡°I am the manager, and yet I am not aware about the poor responses from the guests?!¡± She covered her mouth while her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°I have been negligent in my duty. You are a busy man, so don¡¯t you trouble yourself with this matter. Let me handle it instead. I will have a good talk with the management.¡± He did not speak and only looked her straight in the eyes. She let up with her jokes once she saw his hard stare. ¡°Though, you won¡¯t be as busy during your stay in the hospital these few days. I will add you to the chat group briefly. In order to avoid scaring anyone and making them afraid to speak, I won¡¯t announce your identity.¡± After hearing him hummed in response, she nodded and reached out to open the door. However, just as she grabbed onto the doorknob, she stopped in her tracks before turning around and leaning on the wall on the side. ¡°I find Victoria to be a fine woman.¡± She looked at him with a yful smile on her face. ¡°Too bad that I am not a man.¡± With that, she promptly opened the door and went out before he could utter a reply. Christian was alone as soon as the door was closed. He continued to sit there before he finallyy down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. His mind was aplete mess as he recalled a past event that happened two years ago. It was on September 27¡ªthe day before Victoria¡¯s birthday. In the crowded mall, Christian was surrounded by the employees from the management as he listened to their reports. He would asionally enter some of the stores to find out how business was going. The next store he entered was a jewelry store. After ncing at the products on disy, his gaze landed on a pair of rings, which prompted him to walk over. The saleswoman in the store had met all kinds of customers, but this was the first time she had stumbled across a group of such distinguished customers. The mall manager even stood at the back of this group of customers as though his status was the lowest among them. Trying her absolute best to control her excitement, she had the most perfect smile and followed Christian¡¯s line of gaze. ¡°You have great taste, sir! This is thetest ring model we have in our store. It is handcrafted by well-known jewelry designer Carlos Barman. In the entirety of Bloomsway, there is only¡ª¡± Christian, however, did not have time to listen to all this nonsense. He only tapped on the ss case and gave a simple and straightforward instruction. ¡°Wrap it up.¡± The group of people standing behind him looked at each other after seeing that. He had only been in thepany for a little more than 2 years, and his foundation was not yet stable enough for him to be doing something like this¡­ Charles and Conrad, who were the first and second young masters of the Thatcher Family respectively, would probably bring this up in the next meeting again! ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Thinking of themission she would get for selling this pair of rings, the saleswoman smiled even wider, and her cheerful mood was evident in her voice as she asked, ¡°Would you like to look at rings of other styles? We also have some other new ring models.¡± Since he had already made up his mind, Christian passed his ck card to her. ¡°No, thank you.¡± When the saleswoman saw the card, her eyes immediately lit up and she became even more respectful. ¡°You are wee, sir,¡± she replied. She then swiped the card and wrapped up the rings with her shaky hands before she gave both items to him. ¡°Thank you for shopping with us, sir. We hope you drop by again.¡± He nodded and took the card and present box before he turned around and headed out. As soon as he walked out of the store, his phone began to vibrate. The corners of his lips curled up in a small arc that was almost unnoticeable as he took out his phone. However, once he saw Be¡¯s name sh across the screen, the corners of his lips fell almost immediately and he hung up the phone without hesitation. Seeing this, the man in suit and leather shoes standing beside him suggested in a hurry, ¡°The National Day holiday ising soon. In addition to discount promotion, we have also arranged some other¡ª¡± The vibration of a phone could be heard again when he was just about to introduce other events that the mall had prepared. It was Christian¡¯s phone again. Christian uttered an apology and took the phone out. Seeing the caller ID made him frown again, but he decided to answer it this time. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Christian, Victoria is drunk. Can youe and pick her up?¡± Be¡¯s soft voice wasced with a hint of worry. Hearing that, his eyes dimmed as he pursed his lips. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°We are at my ce,¡± Be said. ¡°Actually, Jessica and Ellie are here too. I can¡¯t take care of 3 drunkards at once. I am going to get my head chewed off if my mom saw how much we drank.¡± After telling her that he would be on his way, Christian hung up the call. ¡°I have somewhere to be. Please continue the rest of the report with Vice President Yamada,¡± he exined to the people behind him. As he was about to leave with the present box in hand, Fletcher Yamada, the vice president, stopped him. ¡°Can I have a moment with you, Mr. Thatcher?¡± Christian raised his wrist and nced at his watch before silently taking a few steps to the side. ¡°Due to Young Master Charles¡¯ interference, the Sol Park project you were in charge ofst time didn¡¯t end on a high note. And the chairman wasn¡¯t satisfied with the oue. ¡°It is right before the National Day now. The fact that you set your job aside for private matters will soon reach the ears of Mr. Charles and the others. It could threaten your position as the general manager if they went and said something about it to the chairman,¡± Fletcher said as he stood beside Christian. His words were vague, but Christian could guess what he was trying to say. Christian then brought up his wrist to check the time again. ¡°You done?¡± Fletcher nodded in response. ¡°I honestly can¡¯t say anything if Grandfather wants me to leave the position just because of something so trivial. I will leave you to handle the rest. Please send me a copy of the mall¡¯s National Day promotion n via email before 6.00PM.¡± Christian left swiftly after saying thatnovelxo fast update.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Looking at his retreating back, Fletcher could only let out a heavy sigh. After 20 minutes, Christian drove to Spritz Residence, where he asked the servant in the living room upon arrival, ¡°Where is Victoria?¡± The two servants exchanged a look before one of them took a step forward. ¡°Pleasee with me.¡± Christian hummed in reply and followed the servant up the spiral staircase while still holding the gift box with the rings. After they reached the third floor, they turned right and entered the first room. ¡°Victoria?¡± he called out as he pushed the door open. As he was opening the door, he was contemting whether to give the ring now while Victoria was drunk or during her birthday on the next day. However, his train of thought came to a halt when he did not get a reply. The room was empty, and the windows were left ajar. The light blue curtains would flutter whenever the wind was blowing, and it would bring about a flowery fragrance. His face fell in that instant. Turning to the servant behind him, he asked in a much colder voice, ¡°Where is Victoria?¡± A sheeryer of sweat appeared on the tip of the servant¡¯s nose as she felt unnerved by his gaze. She lowered her head and replied carefully, ¡°Miss Spritz told us to bring you here when you are here to see Miss Coleman.¡± His patience was wearing thin as he repeated, ¡°I said, where is Victoria?¡± The servant wiped off the sweat before lowering her voice and replied, ¡°I saw Miss Spritz, Miss Coleman, Miss Wilkinson and Miss Doyle together about half an hour ago. I don¡¯t know where they went afterward.¡± Her words brought a frown to his face as he turned around and walked away. However, the servant went ahead of him and locked the door. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, Miss Spritz wants you to look across the room once you are in here.¡± ¡°F*ck off!¡± Christian roared as he hadpletely lost his patience. The servant gulped nervously. She then quickly thought of something. ¡°Please take a look. Miss Spritz said that they would be spending time together in the room across.¡± Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 It was obvious that the servant was lying due to the inconsistency of her words. A frown appeared on Christian¡¯s face as he was getting suspicious at the servant. Nevertheless, he could not help but still worry that Victoria really was drunk in the room across, so he eventually went to the window to pull the curtain open. Right across from him, he saw a French window without the curtain drawn, and he could see whatever was happening in that room as it was well-lit. Standing in front of the opposite window was Victoria in revealing clothes. Her bosom was ample, and the hem of her skirt was barely covering her well- rounded hips. She was on her tiptoes as she hugged Lucas¡¯ neck and said something to him. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. She had her back to Christian, whereas Lucas had his head lowered as he looked at her withplete focus. Neither of them noticed that Christian was standing by the window of the room across. Christian¡¯s expression did not change, but his eyes were hollow as he looked on. He held the gift box so hard that his knuckles turned white. He did not know why he was still standing there at this point. Perhaps, it was because there was a small part of him still hoping that it was a misunderstanding. However, when he saw her boldly flirting with Lucas, his breathing becamebored. Then, he swiftly closed the curtain before he turned around and stormed out. ¡°My apologies, Mr. Thatcher. You can¡¯t leave now. Miss Spritz said that you can only leave after she is here.¡± With false bravado, the servant stood in front of Christian to stop him from leaving. He looked down at the servant, and there was a storm brewing in his dark eyes. ¡°I told you to scram!¡± he barked. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, this is ourdy¡¯s order. She asked me to stop you. I hope you unders¡ª¡± Despite the servant¡¯s attempt to stop him, he pushed her away with a wave before she finished her sentence. He then headed toward the door, and strode out of the room with long strides. Panicked, the servant jumped and followed after him closely. ¡°Mr. Thatcher! Mr. Thatcher, please wait! Miss Spritz will be here very soon! ¡°Please, slow down!¡± He continued to walk no matter how many times she screamed for him to stop. Fortunately for her, Be had arrived just as they reached the second floor. The servant breathed a sigh of relief and trembled as she said, ¡°Miss Spritz, Mr. Thatcher insists on leaving. I couldn¡¯t stop him.¡± ¡°Alright, you are done here. You can head down now,¡± Be said to the servant and pulled Christian aside by his sleeve. ¡°You saw it, didn¡¯t you, Christian?¡± He was strangely irritated as he loosened his necktie and asked in return, ¡°You led me here by lying to me about Victoria being here, and you got someone who looks like her to intentionally put on a show for me. Is that right?¡± ¡°I admit that I lied to you about her being drunk, but you wouldn¡¯t havee and caught them in the act if I told you directly that there is something going on between Victoria and my brother.¡± Be bit her lip as she felt somewhat aggrieved and helpless. Christian only scoffed without saying a word. His non-verbal reply was, in a way, his agreement to her words. He had never liked the Spritzs. ¡°But don¡¯t you think that you went a little bit overboard by saying that I deliberately put on a show for you by getting someone looking like Victoria?¡± Her eyes had turned a little red as she said that. ¡°I am Victoria¡¯s good friend, and the person she cheated with is my brother. Why would I try to smear their names for no reason?¡± Her eyes were filled with tears by the time she lifted her head to gaze at him. ¡°Furthermore, you and Victoria have known each other for so many years. You should know if that person was Victoria.¡± At that instant, Christian felt a numbing pain in his chest as though there were thousands of ants gnawing at his heart. He tore off his tie and let out a slight frown. ¡°There are so many people in the world. It is hard to say if there is anyone who looks exactly like Victoria.¡± ¡°You rather believe in something that has only a one-in-a-million chance of being true than my words. That really breaks my heart.¡± She wiped the corner of her eyes and smiled bitterly. ¡°How about this? My brother and the rest of thedies are still in the room. Shall we go in together and see if the one you saw just now really was Victoria?¡± He put his tie on the crook of his arm and grabbed the gift box tightly in his hand. With dimmed eyes, he started marching downstairs. Be trotted after him, and when she was beside him, she told him in a soft voice, ¡°The small stairway in the southwest of the living room connected to the opposite room. I will tell her that you have just arrived to look for her when we get there.¡± The man only continued to walk in steps so brisk that she had to quicken her pace to catch up to him. ¡°This is the room. Wait for a minute, Christian. I will knock.¡± Be reached toward the door and knocked lightly. Click. The door was then opened from the inside. Lucas was standing at the door in a white shirt and ck suit pants. There was a gloominess to his usually gentle face, and he looked at Christian with unadulterated hostility in his eyes. Christian, however, looked past him and stared at Victoria who had a miniskirt and crop top on. His gaze gradually became colder at the sight. Victoria and Lucas were the only ones in the room. There was no one else! ¡°Oh! Christian, what are you doing here?¡± Victoria leaned toward him with a smile before she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. ¡°Did you miss me after not seeing me for half a day?¡± she teased. Lucas looked at the starstruck Victoria, and he immediately spotted a sour expression as he itched to step forward and pull her away from Christian. However, as soon as he took a step, Be quickly grabbed him and shook her head at him. ¡°I have something to do at thepany. I am off!¡± Glumly, Lucas went out without even taking his coat. Victoria was almost fully leaning on Christian¡¯s body now. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you in a bad mood today?¡± She giggled. ¡°I will give you another kiss then, so cheer up, okay?¡± She then pouted her lips and leaned in for a kiss, but he tilted his head to avoid her kiss. Just the thought of what he had witnessed earlier on brought a grimace to his handsome face. Peeling her hand away, he pushed her off and demanded, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I am here to y with Be, of course!¡± she answered without a second¡¯s dy as though she did not feel any guilt. Lies! The man thought, annoyed. He tugged on his cor, tearing out two of the buttons on his shirt in the process, and the buttons fell to the floor. He then tossed the tie on his arm, and turned to walk away without a word. Confused, Victoria rushed after him with a frown. ¡°Christian! Wait up!¡± ¡°Victoria.¡± Be grabbed her from behind and earnestly offered, ¡°Christian must be jealous after seeing you at my brother¡¯s ce. You will only make it worse if you go after him now. Let me exin it to him instead.¡± Christian had just left the vi, but Be had managed to catch up to him before he could get into his car. She clutched her chest and gasped for air. ¡°Do you believe me now, Christian? Even though the both of you are about to get engaged tomorrow, Victoria still tried to hook up with my brother. I only called you over to witness their secret rendezvous because I don¡¯t want to see you kept inovelxo fast updaten the dark by them anymore.¡± ¡°Oh really? You¡¯re telling me that Victoria invited you, Jessica and Ellie over while she was on her ¡®secret rendezvous¡¯ with your brother? Do you think Victoria is stupid, Be?¡± His mind was a mess now, and he did not even know what to think anymore. As the sunlight cast on the cor of his shirt, a shadow was projected on his corbone. His suit was not as immacte as usual, and it even looked a little messy because of the two missing buttons. Yet, it made him look even sexier Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Be looked at Christian almost greedily with a hint of adoration in her eyes. She then said in a soft voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know what is going through Victoria¡¯s head, but I can tell you that this is not the first time I have seen them together. And, like I said before, I have no need to nder my own good friend and brother.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Christian sneered. He could feel the irritation spread to his limbs and bones, and now every cell in his body was piqued. It felt so upsetting like he was being tormented physically. ¡°Why should I believe your one-sided words?¡± She sighed again and scoffed bitterly. ¡°Christian, even if I made up what I said, how are you going to exin what you saw earlier? Am I some kind of a witch who can control Victoria to manipte my brother?¡± Even though it was almost October, a month when the temperature was not high, the sweat that came pouring down from his forehead never ceased. He undid the cufflinks and rolled up his sleeves, showing his attractive forearm with some veins bulging out of it. Be had never seen him showing his emotions outright before, so she could not help but feel her heart shatter upon seeing him lose hisposure because of Victoria. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to tell you this, but you are getting engaged to Victoria tomorrow. I only decided to tell you the truth after I pondered over it.¡± She let out a heavy sigh, and with a resigned look on her face, she said, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t want to see you being deceived, and neither do I want to hear anyone say my best friend is rampant, or my brother is the third party in your rtionship. Telling you the truth is hard for me too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this!¡± Christian¡¯s handsome face was taut as he barked. Slightly dazed, he then stumbled into his car and promptly drove away. Be watched the car slowly disappear from sight with a bitter expression on her face. He had insisted that he did not like Victoria and only married to a member of the Coleman Family for his self-interest. However, his reactions today had already shown that he was gravitating toward Victoria without realizing it¡­ A few hours passed by. Others might think that the time slipped by quickly, but at the moment, the few hours felt long and it was a downright tormenting experience for Christian. After he left the vi, he rushed to thepany. However, when the financial manager was giving him an overview of the monthly report, he could not seem to listen to a single word. The secretary also brought him the documents that needed to be signed. However, he had signed in the wrong ce in two or three of the documents, and one in which he identally signed Victoria¡¯s name. Realizing that he could not get much work done in his current state, he decided to leave thepany again. Before he got into his car, he threw the rings he bought this afternoon into the trash bin, then drove out of thepany. However, just when he arrived at the first traffic intersection, a frown was slowly forming on his face as he was thinking about something. And before long, he turned his wheel and drove back to the company. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. By the time he returned, a cleaner of Thatcher Group was doing his work and had already properly packed up the garbage in the trash can by the door. And he was about to throw it into the garbage truck. Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Christian tapped his slender and beautiful fingers against the steering wheel. His eyes were fixated on the cleaner. He got up a momentter, only to sit back down again. He had repeated the process several times, and when the cleaner was about to leave, only then he quickly got out of the car with a sullen face and stopped the cleaner. ¡°Mr. Thatcher?¡± The cleaner stared at Christian with his dim eyes for a long minute before surprise and joy appeared on his wrinkly face. ¡°Mm,¡± Christian replied. ¡°Please wait a minute.¡± Still frowning, he held his breath and took the topmost bag of garbage from the vehicle to retrieve the gift box with the rings while he endured the pungent and disgusting smell. ¡°Thank you.¡± He tied the stic bag up before throwing it back into the garbage truck, and hurried back to his car under the cleaner¡¯s startled and confused stare. One of the stic bags probably had some leftover beverage in it, and it leaked onto the suit jacket he was wearing. The acrid smell of decay mixed with the sweet-sour smell of the beverage was so disgusting that it was enough to trigger his gag reflex. He took off his suit jacket and threw it onto the backseat before he opened all his car windows. Though the sour smell in the car had been ridden by the smell of nature in the breeze that had blown in, Christian¡¯s mood had not gone any better and instead, his rage had finally boiled over. Bam! With full force, he struck the steering wheel with his fist. His handsome face was now spotting a gloomy expression that was chilling to the bone. In one way or another, Be definitely had nned for this to happen when she asked him to head to Spritz Residence. However, just like she said, she was not a witch that could control Victoria to do something so intimate with Lucas¡­ Victoria¡­ Victoria! Christian eyed the gift box in his hand coldly as he ced his hand over the window, only to retract it the next second. He could not find any way to relieve the sadness and anger he was feeling aside from hammering his chest a few times in hopes of recing the emotional pain with physical ones. He then gritted his teeth and threw the gift box to the back, which ended upnding on his suit jacket. Buzz¡ª Buzz¡ª His phone began to vibrate. He nced at the caller ID, only to frown and hang up when he saw that it was Vincent. However, his phone kept vibrating no matter how many times he cut the call. It repeated for nearly seven times until he finally picked up the call. ¡°Christian Thatcher! Are you crazy?! Why didn¡¯t you pick up my call?!¡± Vincent demanded impatiently, ¡± It is Tori¡¯s birthday tomorrow. Have you prepared a present yet? Also, since the two of you are getting engaged tomorrow, I have gotten a team to arrange the flow for you. Come over tonight and do some rehearsing with Tori!¡± When he did not hear a reply after a long time, he kept calling out to Christian. ¡°Christian! Can you hear me, goddammit?! Just give me a short reply if you can!¡± ¡°I am not free tonight,¡± Christian answered while clutching his phone tightly. As soon as he said that, he hung up the phone and blocked both siblings on his phone. He then leaned into the seat with his hands over his face. He thought miserably, Victoria! I shouldn¡¯t have gotten soft-hearted and agreed to get engaged to her!novelxo fast update In his 22 years of life, he had never once been toyed with like this. It was not like he loved Victoria very much. Still, the woman had already decided to get engaged to him, and yet she had still flirted with other men¡­ With a glum look in his eyes, he straightened up and started the car. Christian did not have a good night¡¯s sleep the whole night. He was still so absent-minded on the 28th of September that he could not concentrate on his meetings and documents. At 6.00PM, he wore his suit jacket and drove to Coleman Residence. During this time, the Coleman Family¡¯s business was prosperous because of Victoria¡¯s engagement to him. Though, since she gave him such a big surprisest night, he wanted to announce the cancetion of their engagement during her birthday banquet. And that would be his birthday present for her. However¡­ Bang! While driving her sports car, Victoria had mowed Be down just outside of Coleman Residence. The bright red blood had stained Be¡¯s white gown and formed a pool on the ground. That was when everything started to change. Victoria¡¯s birthday banquet was canceled at that moment. Be was then sent to a hospital for an emergency rescue, and the operation was finally done after more than 2 hours. The doctor said that her legs could still be saved, and she would be able to walk again within a few years. The only thing was that she would never be able to dance again. Christian was there too during the emergency treatment and he had heard Be utter a few words while she was unconscious. ¡°We are best friends, Victoria. Don¡¯t hit me with your car¡­¡± Then, she woke up with a scream. Nancy¡¯s heart ached so much that she burst into tears while she held Be in her arms. ¡°Be, while in your sleep just now, you were pleading with Victoria not to run you over. What do you mean by that?¡± Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 110 ¡°She¡¯s trying to take me down because she thinks Christian likes me. I¡¯ve always been a good friend to her. I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s doing this,¡± cried Be. Pearly tears flowed down her cheeks, stirring pity in everyone¡¯s hearts. Christian sat back in his chair. As he looked up at Be, he tightly grasped his knees as he quickly lowered his head again and averted his gaze from her. Nancy was so angry that she almost passed out. ¡°T-This Victoria. I treated her like she was my own daughter, yet she dared to do such a heartless thing! I¡¯ll sue her. I¡¯ll make sure she rots in jail!¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Be tugged her mother¡¯s arm, shaking her head repeatedly. ¡°No, she¡¯s my good friend. I¡ª¡± Kevin stared at his daughter silently, deep in his own thoughts. Nancy shook her head and interrupted her daughter, ¡°You almost died! Do you realize that? Your leg is broken, and you might never be able to dance again! Why are you still standing up for that murderer?¡± Hatred surged in her heart like bile. Hearing this, Be was stunned. Staring down at her right leg, she tried to move it. After discovering that she couldn¡¯t even twitch her leg, her mouth was agape as the tears began to stream down her cheeks. Lucas¡¯ eyes brimmed with pain. Frowning, he said, ¡°Could there be some misunderstanding? Tori loves to fool around, but¡ª¡± p! Nancy pped him hard across the face. Jabbing a trembling finger at him, she shouted, ¡°You¡¯ve always been shameless! Everyone knows you have a thing for that murderer, but she almost ran your sister over! Why are you still speaking for her?¡± Her breathing started to get heavier and her voice was hoarse from all the shouting. ¡°What are you trying to say? That your sister almost killed herself to frame that murderer?!¡± As for Be, she didn¡¯t say a word. She flopped on the bed and stared at him with betrayal clear in her eyes. Since he was unable to face his sister, Lucas turned away from her gaze. He held the cheek that Nancy had pped while each heartbeat was a dull ache. ¡°Be, I¡¯m sorry. If I hadn¡¯t introduced her to you, you wouldn¡¯t be¡­like this.¡± ¡°Luke, don¡¯t me yourself. I lost my leg, but I¡¯m still alive. That¡¯s what counts.¡± Be forced a smile, but she couldn¡¯t stop her tears from flowing. Lucas could¡¯ve bore his guilt better if she had med him for everything. She was a dancer who could no longer dance. Yet, here she was, trying tofort him. His heart sagged, heavy with guilt. Clenching his fists, he looked at his sister on the hospital bed and then said solemnly, ¡°Be, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll avenge you.¡± ¡°Finally, spoken like the brother you¡¯re supposed to be. Come on, let¡¯s go to the Coleman Residence and find that murderer!¡± Nancy dragged Lucas out. Looking back at Kevin, she shouted, ¡°You¡¯reing with us too!¡± Kevin turned to Christian, who had been sitting silently at the side. ¡°Christian, I¡¯ll leave Be in your care. After all, she was injured because of you.¡± Patting Christian on the shoulder, Kevin nced meaningfully at Be before finally leaving the ward at Nancy¡¯s persistent urging. After he shut the door, only two people were left in the ward¡ªChristian and Be. As Be wiped the tears off her face, she struggled to smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You must be tired from a long day at thepany. You should go home and rest. I won¡¯t kill myself or anything like that just because I can¡¯t dance.¡± Christian stared wordlessly at her. Be chuckled bitterly. ¡°All right, I admit losing a leg and not being able to dance anymore is a huge blow, but I¡¯m definitely not thinking about killing myself.¡± She bit her lip. A look of misery suddenly flooded her face. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I never expected Victoria to run me over because she thought you liked me. I¡¯m sad that someone I considered a friend could do this to me.¡± Then, she nced at Christian. She wasn¡¯t expecting him to also be looking at her. Flustered, she hurriedly lowered her head. She could feel her cheeks burning. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The incident between Lucas and Victoria had already bothered Christian enough. Now, he needed to deal with the matter of Victoria ¡®running someone over.¡¯ He stared at Be coldly. ¡°Is she stupid? Out of all the time to run you over, she chose to do it on her birthday? In front of so many people?¡± ¡°You doubted me yesterday, and I can¡¯t believe you still won¡¯t believe me now.¡± Be pointed at herself. Despair and anger were evident on her face. ¡°My greatest wish in life is to be a professional dancer and perform in front of people all over the world. Are you seriously suggesting I threw away my life¡¯s dream and crippled myself to frame Victoria? Do you think I¡¯m that crazy?¡± He didn¡¯t back down. Sneering, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not you. How should I know what¡¯s going on in thnovelxo fast updateat head of yours?¡± ¡°You¡­ still don¡¯t believe me?¡± Tears rolled her cheeks as she cried, ¡°Victoria and my brother have wronged you. Why are you still taking her side?¡± Christian frowned. He stood up angrily. His voice was somehow even chillier. ¡°What happened between her and me is none of your business.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯re really in love with her. She cheated on you, yet you still can¡¯t let her go. You still have feelings for her, am I right?¡± Be¡¯s fingers clutched her hospital gown. Her eyes burned with resentment, anger, and jealousy. Without the slightest hint of hesitation, he shouted, ¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡± ¡°So, why don¡¯t you believe me?¡± Be¡¯s soft voice was wracked with pain. ¡°So many people saw her run me over. Or do you think I let Victoria hit me?¡± However, he continued to stare coldly at her. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to let Victoria hit you. You could¡¯ve done something to her brakes and just ran in front of her car.¡± He knew Victoria could be stupid and possessive. However, she would never have the guts to kill anyone. He once saw her being so scared to ughter a chicken that she held a knife unsteadily over the chicken¡¯s neck. The ward fell into uneasy silence. Both of them stared at each other wordlessly. All the oxygen in the ward seemed to have disappeared. Their breathing wasbored like they were on a high mountain. Staring at Christian¡¯s cold face, Be sank back into her bed. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Curling her lips, she continued, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to take this to court, but since you don¡¯t believe me, I have no choice but to sue her for attempted murder.¡± Seeing that Christian was still unimpressed, Be fished out her phone and yed a recording. ¡°Go to hell, Be Spritz! I want you dead!¡± Victoria¡¯s spiteful voice rang out of her phone speakers before there was a loud crash. Christian narrowed his eyes as his whole body seemed to stiffen up. ¡°How did youe about with this recording?¡± He still couldn¡¯t believe Victoria would try to murder someone. ¡°How long did you take to n this whole thing? Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Be put her phone away, a slight shift of emotion urring in her eyes. ¡°I have no idea what you mean by that. I just happened to be recording when she hit me with her car.¡± Staring at him, she unconsciously talked in a softer tone. ¡°The police are already looking into the ident. So far, they think it¡¯s just an ident. However, if I turn this recording over to them, they¡¯ll start investigating the case as attempted murder. You know what that means, right?¡± Ovee by pain, she couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. She covered her mouth and coughed heavily. Her face paled as all energy was drained from her. Yet, Christian didn¡¯t feel a bit sorry for her, and there was even undisguised anger on his face. He red at her like a hawk ring at its prey. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just stating facts. Why do you think I¡¯m threatening you?¡± Be looked at him innocently, yet there was bitterness in her eyes. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be happy? After all, Victoria has hurt you too. Now, she might be spending the rest of her life in prison.¡± Christian clenched his fist as he wrestled with his temper. Anger simmered in his fathomless eyes. ¡°Victoria has been with you for so many years, yet she¡¯s been cheating on you all this while. Her situation with my brother isplicated, to put it mildly. I feel sorry for you and my brother. Now that she¡¯s done something like this, sending her to prison is just what she deserves,¡± said Be. The stench of disinfectant and medicine made Christian cough, prompting him to frown in dissatisfaction. ¡°I already told you. What¡¯s between Victoria and me is none of your business. You should delete that recording.¡± Be did a double take. If Christian had agreed to put Victoria behind bars, it would prove that he no longer cared about her. Alternatively, it would prove that Victoria¡¯s infidelity had broken his heart. Either possibility suited Be just fine. However, it seemed that he still loved Victoria deeply. So, he¡¯s still taking her side. I guess it¡¯s time for n B. Hiding her heartache, she shook her head vehemently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t delete this recording. If I did, there would be no proof that Victoria tried to kill me.¡± Christian couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing, sitting down and standing up anxiously. Gritting his teeth, he spat, ¡°Do you think the police won¡¯t discover your little plot?¡± Be smiled bitterly. ¡°First of all, I didn¡¯t plot anything. Secondly, if you don¡¯t believe me, then getting a few officers to check out the recording wouldn¡¯t hurt. Would it?¡± Christian stared at her for a moment before walking away. However, he had just taken a step before Be shouted, ¡°Can you stick around? I still have a few words left to say.¡± Christian did not turn around. After a moment of silence, he wrenched one word through his gritted teeth, ¡°Speak.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. He knew that Be had always been a careful and meticulous thinker. The fact that she suggested getting the police involved meant that she was confident they wouldn¡¯t discover anything. The truth was, he could choose to ignore this whole matter. Victoria had wronged him terribly; hence, thedy deserved to be punished. However, the thought that she would spend the rest of her life in prison made him doubt his actions. Still, there was no way he would step aside and let Be attack Victoria with this trumped-up charge. ¡°Even if Victoria and my brother wronged you, and even if she tried to kill me because of a misunderstanding, we¡¯ve been friends for so many years. I really don¡¯t want to see her rot inside a prison cell,¡± said Be. ¡°However, I just can¡¯t bring myself to pretend that this whole thing never happened. If you break one of her legs so she can no longer dance, and she gets sent to the Eastside prison for two years, then I¡¯ll agree to drop the attempted murder charge. This matter would be settled between the both of us.¡± As she said that, shey on the hospital bed again. All that was said with a calm look on her face, as if she was discussing what to eat for lunch. Christian turned to look at her. The veins on his neck throbbed. ¡°If I break one of her legs, then it¡¯d be an eye for an eye.¡± However, the eastside prison was packed with psychopaths. How can a spoiled brat like Victoria survive in that kind of ce? Be shook her head. With a sincere look on her face, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget the two years of prison. Her family has spoiled her too much. That¡¯s the reason she dares pull an attempted murder off like that. Putting her in prison would be for her own good. Spending some time behind bars would make her think things through more calmly in the future. She won¡¯t cause any more trouble after this. Oh, yes. Before you send her to prison, make sure the Colemannovelxo fast updates cut off all ties with her. If the inmates go gently on her because of her family background, then all my work would¡¯ve gone to waste.¡± The inmates in that prison were all desperate. They weren¡¯t going to let something like the Coleman name stop them. She obviously wanted to use Christian to hurt Victoria¡¯s rtionship with her family. It was just another twist of the knife. Christian¡¯s re was sharp as a dagger. ¡°Do you really think the police are that stupid?¡± ¡°I just think the facts will speak for themselves.¡± Be smiled contentedly. ¡°If you don¡¯t do what I say, then we can let the police carry on their investigation. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to go along with me. I¡¯ll just sue Victoria for attempted murder. It¡¯s none of your business after all.¡± Christian clenched his fist. Without another word, he stomped out of the ward. ¡°How can you not care about me when I almost died¡­¡± Be murmured as she watched his retreating figure. Then, she covered her lips and let out a heavy cough as tears streamed down her cheeks. Although she was grief-stricken that she might not be able to dance again, it was worth changing her hobby for a chance to be with Christian. Outside the building, the night was cool, especially when the wind blew. Christian¡¯s face was cold, but his limbs burned with anger. Not only had he been set up twice in two days, but he had also been betrayed by his fiancee. It was the most frustrating moment in his life. The sound of a phone vibrating disturbed the quiet night. Looking at the name on the phone, Christian answered the call. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Your grandfather has ard about Victoria¡¯s attempted murder.¡± There was unmistakable tiredness and helplessness in Evelyn¡¯s voice. ¡°You know how conservative he is. He¡¯s no longer letting Victoria step foot into the Thatcher Family¡¯s home.¡± His hand gripped his phone tighter as yesterday¡¯s sordid scene reyed in his mind. ¡°Even if Grandfather hadn¡¯t said anything, I was going to break off my engagement with Victoria tonight.¡± Evelyn was clearly shocked. ¡°What happened? I thought everything was going well between you and Victoria¡­¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 One possibility after another, a myriad of thoughts filled Christian¡¯s mind. Then, he interrupted irritably, questioning, ¡°Are there any other reasons why you¡¯re calling?¡± His question caught Evelyn off guard, and only after a while did she reply, ¡°Because Be was injured because of you, seeing that she¡¯s about your age and she¡¯s a decent girl, your grandfather said that in order to prevent the Thatcher Family reputation from being ruined, you should get engaged to her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle this myself. Tell Grandfather not to worry.¡± After saying that, he hung up with a gloomy face. Victoria also saw the message that Gabrielle sent. She sneered and threw her phone aside, ignoring the new number that Charlotte had added to the WhatsApp group. There were thousands of employees in Delta Club, and people came and went. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that a new person was added in. Victoria drew the curtains and took off her white shirt and dress before changing into her own clothes. Then, as Gabrielle stared at her, she naturally noticed the dense hickeys on her body. ¡°Victoria, y-your body¡­ Did you seed?¡± ¡°Are you asking if I seeded in seducing him or if I seeded in leaving the club?¡± Victoria walked to the window and opened the curtains. At the moment the sun shone in, she felt her body warm up, but her heart was still cold. When Gabrielle noticed that Victoria wasn¡¯t in a good mood, Gabrielle knew that she shouldn¡¯t pry any further. However, she couldn¡¯t contain her curiosity. ¡°Aren¡¯t they the same thing?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I seeded in seducing him or not. As long as I manage to get photos or videos of us getting intimate to ckmail him, I can leave this ce.¡± Victoria had no idea why she was sharing this with someone with ulterior motives. Maybe it was because she was lonely. Hearing this, Gabrielle leaned closer to Victoria as her voice softened. ¡°Did you manage to get any pictures or videos?¡± Victoria turned around, nced at her, and said nothing. She stood facing the light source, so her expression couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. However, Gabrielle could feel the depressing aura exuding from Victoria. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s another way. Don¡¯t beat yourself up over this.¡± Victoria slowly approached her with her head down. When she reached Gabrielle¡¯s side, she spoke in a hoarse voice, suggesting, ¡°You¡¯re tight. Maybe in another ten to twenty years¡¯ time, Mr. Thatcher and Miss Spritz would forget about those stupid things.¡± Gabrielle couldn¡¯t tell if Victoria really thought this way or if she was just saying it on purpose. With an embarrassed smile on Gabrielle¡¯s face, she replied with a hint of guilt and ttery, ¡°Let¡¯s crack our heads together. Maybe we cane up with something better.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Victoria responded perfunctorily as she sat on the bed in a daze. Before this, she was hopeful that she could get some intimate pictures or videos to ckmail Christian. But now that the n had failed, the light at the end of the tunnel seemed to have disappeared. Do I have to stay in Delta Club like this, day after day, living in the shadow of Christian and Be? Hell no. However, the reality was hard because she had no way to leave. Ironically, she couldn¡¯t even take her own life. If she died, Christian would hold the Colemans ountable. Although she could ignore her parents, her brother and her sister-inw had helped her openly and in secret. She didn¡¯t want to hurt them. Beep¡­ Beep¡­ Victoria and Gabrielle¡¯s phones vibrated, one after the other. Victoria remained in a daze, motionless, while Gabrielle picked up her phone and nced at it. ¡°Victoria!¡± After she saw the news in the group, her eyes lit up. She trotted over to Victoria¡¯s bed and sat beside her. ¡°Xavier said that the screenshots of your nudes were all edited by him. Those people in the security room happened to be out that time, and no one saw your surveince footage. He even apologized to you in the group.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Hearing this, Victoria let out a casual hum without even ncing at the phone. Then, another series of vibrating sounds were heard. Gabrielle could sense her mood, but she couldn¡¯t hide her surprise as she cautiously said, ¡°Victoria, the people who said vicious things about you are all mentioning you in the chat! They¡¯re all apologizing to you!¡± However, Victoria lowered her head and said nothing. She didn¡¯t care if anyone apologized to her. All she could think about was what she could do in the future. Seeing her like this, Gabrielle stopped talking, stood up, and sat on a chair before continuing to swipe her phone and read the news in the group. Many people there mentioned Victoria. Those that couldn¡¯t reach her personally would message Gabrielle, asking her to apologize to Victoria on their behalf. ¡®Gabrielle, I remember you share the same dorm with Victoria? Is she with you now?¡¯ A gif of someone on the verge of tears was sent in between the text. ¡®Please apologize to her for me. I had no other intentions with whatever I said. I¡¯m just sharp-tongued. Those are just stupid things that I¡¯ve said.¡¯ ¡®Gabrielle, my girl and I have always been nice to you, haven¡¯t we? Put in a good word for us in front of Victoria. We were just caught out in other people¡¯s words and joined in the crowd, saying some perfunctory things. How would we know if what they were saying was true or false!¡¯novelxo fast update ¡®I texted Victoria, but she didn¡¯t reply. I wanted to give her a call, but I don¡¯t have her number. So, I came to you instead. Gabrielle, can you ask Victoria to forgive me for the jokes I¡¯ve made? After this, I would trust you with everything.¡¯ Previously, these people had said that Victoria had gone too far. Yet, now, they were in a hurry to apologize. The words that were said seemed to be sincere and not just for show. Some of them had no rtions with Gabrielle and were afraid that she wouldn¡¯t help them. So, they sent her hundreds of thousands to ask for her help. Gabrielle nced at Victoria with an empty gaze, feeling more and more guilty. Then, Gabrielle put away her phone, walked to Victoria, crouched down, and looked up at her. ¡°Victoria?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Victoria looked back at her nkly. She was like an oilmp that was running out of oil, weak and exhausted, with only a little bit of life left. Seeing this, Gabrielle spoke in a lighter tone as she clicked on her phone with a guilty conscience. ¡°Those who made fun of you before this are suddenly apologizing to you. Since they can¡¯t reach you and think that I¡¯m closer to you, they came to me instead.¡± She licked her lips before continuing, ¡°Some even gave me money. I-I epted them. You decide if you want to forgive them or not. If you do, I¡¯ll send the money to you. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll return their money to them.¡± Victoria shifted her body and sat upright before letting out a sarcasticugh. ¡°I don¡¯t think I want their money.¡± This meant that she rejected them. ¡°I know that you used to be the daughter of the Coleman Family, so naturally, this money is nothing to you.¡± Gabrielle tried to coax her. ¡°But, with your minimal sry now, taking their money will allow you to livefortably.¡± This made Victoria smile, but this time, it wasn¡¯t out of sarcasm, nor was it out of joy. ¡°So what if I have money? I¡¯m still someone that works seven days a week. I eat and live in the Delta Club. I am forced to wear a uniform during work hours. Where can I spend my money?¡± ¡°You can buy yourself your favorite bag, change your phone¡ª¡± This was the first time that Gabrielle met someone who did not want money. There were too many things she wanted to spend on, and she felt that the money she earned wasn¡¯t enough Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Victoria interrupted her directly; her eyes were tired and lifeless. ¡°Enough.¡± ¡°Victoria.¡± Gabrielle was still trying to convince Victoria. ¡°Think about it. Since you can¡¯t leave Delta club anyway, these people are your colleagues. Your life would be more difficult if you offend them¡ª¡± Halfway speaking, Gabrielle suddenly covered her mouth and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You are right. There¡¯s nothing to be sorry for.¡± Victoria raised her gaze to look at Gabrielle and whispered, ¡°But what should I do? I just don¡¯t feel like forgiving them.¡± After tremendous hesitation, Gabrie finally answered, ¡°Think about it first. If you don¡¯t want to, I¡¯ll refund them.¡± Just as Victoria was about to agree, the dormitory door was kicked open with a bang. Glen and Denise, the two people who shouldn¡¯t be here, stood at the door. Both of their faces were red; Glen was flushed red with anger while Denise was sobbing till her eyes were red. Seeing the two of them, Gabrielle felt her eyes light up as she quickly stood up and greeted the two cautiously, ¡°Mr. Coleman, Mrs. Coleman. What are you¡ª¡± Before she could finish speaking, Glen walked past her and pped Victoria right across the face. Gabrielle¡¯s red lips parted slightly, petrified by this scene. However, the p didn¡¯tnd on Victoria¡¯s face. She stood barefoot on the ground and grabbed his hand that was in the air before saying faintly, ¡°Mr. Coleman, is this how you greet people? Is the elegance that you portray to the public just for show?¡± It was hard to imagine that this exact man was the one who¡¯d spoil her rotten. No matter how absurd the things she did to chase Christian were, Glen wouldugh it off and never put the me on her. Now that she thought about it, it might not be an act of doting. Maybe he had long decided to groom her and marry her off into the Thatcher Family. Otherwise, if he really loved her as a daughter, how could he cut ties with her as soon as something happened? ¡°Let go!¡± Glen roared as he tried to shake her grip off to give her a proper p. However, Victoria was strong. Not only was he unable to continue his p, but it was also even difficult for him to retract his hand. This made her sneer. ¡°Let go and allow you to p me? Sorry, but I¡¯m no fool.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Glen gasped in anger as he pointed at her with his free hand. ¡°How did we raise such a shameless, unscrupulous daughter like you?!¡± Although Victoria had convinced herself not to keep her hopes up for her father, hearing that straight from his mouth still brought pain to her heart. Then, licking her dry lips, she said, ¡°If I remember correctly, Mr. Coleman, you kicked me out of the Coleman Family two years ago. Strictly speaking, I¡¯m no longer a part of the Coleman Family.¡± Hearing this, he merely stared at the other party in fury because he was at a loss for words. On one side, Gabrielle was watching the scene with a nk mind. She chewed on her lip as her eyes darkened as if she was trying to hold herself back. Usually, Victoria would be too scared of saying things that might anger Glen in fear that he might get a heart attack. However, this time, seeing how she managed to provoke him to the point that he wasPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org. speechless with anger, the subtle sense of revenge made her feel both pain and satisfaction. Then, she looked directly at him and continued, ¡°Also, since, Mr. Coleman, you don¡¯t want a shameless, unscrupulous daughter like me, I, too, don¡¯t want a two-faced, selfish, ruthless, and vain father that would only think for himself!¡± She did not even stop to catch a breath as she rambled on a long list of Glen¡¯s traits. p! Denise rushed over with reddened eyes and pped Victoria on the face. ¡°Let go of your dad and apologize right now. Is this what a daughter should say to her father?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d be pped today.¡± Victoria did not expect her gentle and timid mother toe up and p her. This made herugh. Then, she chucked Glen¡¯s hand away. She started to tear up, but she quickly held them back as if they had never appeared. She was so strong that Glen, unprepared for the sudden swing, staggered a few steps back and bumped into the table behind him. The legs of the table rubbed against the ground, making a loud squeaking sound. The things on the table tinkled to the ground, and some even fell onto him. This hurt his back, but his first reaction was to look at Gabrielle next to him, ashamed and angry. ¡°Glen!¡± Denise¡¯s face changed as she hurried over to help her husband. ¡°Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Do you want to go to the hospital?¡± As she spoke, tears began to drip down her face. In the past, Victoria would have been distressed if she were to see this, but right now, all she felt in her heart was a wave of disappointment. Glen held the edge of the table with one hand and the other on his chest as he gasped for breath. His heavy breathing sounded like bellows. ¡°Y-You rebellious child! After staying in prison for two years, instead of repenting, you tried to seduce Christian and were thrown out naked! Our family name has been tainted by you, you disgrace! Cough! Cough, cough, cough! Cough, cough!¡± He pounded on his chest and coughed as if he was about to cough his lungs out. However, Victoria just smiled sarcastically. ¡°The main point is that I was thrown out naked, isn¡¯t it? If I seed in seducing him, you¡¯d be on your knees begging for me to go home, am I right?¡±novelxo fast update So this is why they showed up here today! Ha! Glen¡¯s face turned purple from this sentence as he shook his finger at Victoria, his eyes bursting into mes. ¡°You¡ªcough, cough!¡± ¡°Glen, quickly! Take your pill!¡± Denise trembled and took out a vial, putting it to his lips. Then, she habitually ordered, ¡°Tori, quickly pour a ss of warm water for your father.¡± Victoria stood in ce. She sat down and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Coleman, but there¡¯s no water here for Mr. Coleman.¡± ¡°Tori, how can you still be petty at this point?¡± Denise turned her head to look at Victoria with tears streaming down her red, swollen eyes. Before Victoria could even reply, Glen took the pill that was way too big from Denise and popped it into his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t want to drink her water as well. It¡¯s disgusting!¡± ¡°Mr. Coleman, Mrs. Coleman, you didn¡¯t even bother to ask why Victoria did what she did. The first thing you do when youe here is to beat her, point fingers at her, and scold her. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone too far?!¡± Gabrielle couldn¡¯t bear to stand and watch anymore as she stood in front of the two with a darkened face. Victoria tilted her head and nced at Gabrielle with a hint of surprise in her eyes. Victoria did not expect Gabrielle would stand up for her like this. ¡°This is our family business; you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Although Glen was red from anger and exasperated by Gabrielle¡¯s words, he still had some self-control. He spoke gently without losing his temper. However, Denise was dissatisfied with what Gabrielle said. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and suddenly retorted, ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that our Tori, who would never talk back to us, is now speaking so aggressively. Are you the one that encourages her to do this to us?¡± Denise really couldn¡¯t ept that her daughter, who used to want to be coddled, was now looking at her like an enemy. Gabrielle¡¯s face darkened even more. Although she wanted to swear at them, because they were a renowned family and were Victoria¡¯s parents, she held herself back. ¡°What I do has nothing to do with her.¡± Victoria frowned. ¡°Please, leave. I don¡¯t wee you two here.¡± Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Victoria didn¡¯t hold back the slightest bit as she spoke. Hearing this, Denise had tears in her eyes again. She looked at her daughter and choked, ¡°Tori, you really want to cut ties with Mom and Dad¡ª¡± ¡°Do you think we woulde to a ce like this if you hadn¡¯t ruined our family¡¯s reputation?¡± Glen interrupted his wife and looked at his daughter in disgust as he stubbornly stated, ¡°I will say this now: Leave the club, leave Bloomsway, and nevere back!¡± Denise¡¯s tears hung on her eyshes, and she reached out and tugged at Glen¡¯s sleeve. ¡°It is fine as long as she leaves the club. Why do you want her to leave Bloomsway as well? She is only 20 years old, and she only has a high school diploma. How is she supposed to survive if you kick her out of Bloomsway?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that a kind mother makes a wastrel?!¡± Glen red at her. ¡°It is because you unconditionally allow her to do everything she wants that she turned out this way!¡± Denise stopped talking after that as her tears fell. ¡°Victoria, did you hear what I said?!¡± He looked at Victoria again as if he was looking at something dirty. Tempted to step forward and refute the man, Gabrie clenched her fists, but she stood still after giving it a thought as she was afraid she would offend the Coleman Family. Victoria identally let augh slip then. With sarcasm written all over her face, she hummed, ¡°I am no longer one of the Colemans. You have no right to care about where I am or what I am up to, Mr. Glen. Besides, Bloomsway doesn¡¯t belong to the Colemans. So what right do you have to let me leave?¡± Seeing that Glen was about to have his top blown off again, Denise hurriedly stepped forward out of worry about his health. ¡°Tori, do you know what people say about you, a girl who works in Delta Club? Listen to Mom¡¯s advice. You have to leave here.¡± She was uttering words of advice, but her eyes were filled with disapproval and doubt, and even me and embarrassment. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. All in all, her attitude toward Victoria¡¯s work at the Delta Club was the same as Glen¡¯s¡ªshe thought that her daughter brought shame to him. The only difference between Denise and Glen was that she spoke a little more euphemistically. Victoria scoffed bitterly as she looked at the couple, filled with anger, grief, and pain. It was as if their emotions would break out of their veins and bodies in the next second. ¡°Do you think I will continue working in Delta Club if Christian wasn¡¯t threatening me with the Colemans?¡± she asked, contemptuous and resigned. Despite knowing that she should bepletely disappointed in her parents, she couldn¡¯t help wishing that they would feel guilty and even feel sorry for her when they learned the truth someday as she looked at them. Even though it was just a tiny bit of hope, they were her parents after all. What if, just what if, they still had a little affection for her? ¡°Impenitent!¡± Glen pointed an using finger at her. His face had turned purple from anger, and his body was still shaking. ¡°How can someone like you, who only knows how to ask for money from your family and push your responsibility to your family after you cause trouble, suffer on Coleman Family¡¯s behalf?¡± ¡°It seems to me you came to Delta Club to make a quick buck because you can¡¯t go back home after you get out of prison because you have no money to spend, and you can¡¯t find a good job! It is obvious you didn¡¯t think your lie through by saying that you are doing this for the family!¡± These words were like a bucket of cold water that was poured on Victoria from head to toe. Even though she was clearly standing in the dormitory, it felt as if she was standing in the chilly wind in soaked clothes. Her whole body was so cold it felt like there wasn¡¯t even a trace of heat on her. Gabrielle, who saw her, walked over out of worry and grabbed her hand, shaking it a few times. ¡°Victoria, are¡­ you alright?¡± Victoria only shook her head at her and pulled her arm away before she walked up to Denise, whose expression had changed. ¡°What about you, Mrs. Coleman?¡± she asked in a low voice. ¡°Do you, like Mr. Coleman, also think that what I just said is all nonsense?¡± Hearing that, Denise nced at her, then tilted her head and peeked at Glen. After stammering for a long time, she avoided Victoria¡¯s gaze and whispered, ¡°Your father hase across so many people. He can¡¯t be wrong when ites to people.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Victoriaughed, and as she did, tears started to roll down her face. How silly of me, shemented. I can¡¯t believe I still had hope in them¡­ Denise felt as though a knife had gone through her chest when she looked at her daughter. ¡°Listen to me, Tori. Delta Club is not a good ce. You can still make money in this kind of ce while you are still young and beautiful, but when you are older¡ª¡± ¡°Your intelligence is impressive, Mr. and Mrs. Coleman. I really thought that I could deceive you with the excuse I made up!¡± Victoria wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and curled the corners of his lips. Other than the red rim around her eyes, there were no other signs that she had cried. She indeed wasn¡¯t working in Delta Club because of the Coleman Family; it was for her brother and her sister-inw. The reason she was here had nothing to do with her parents. Glen yelled with a snort, ¡°You are still the same even after staying in prison for two years. You will y yourself to death sooner orter!¡± ¡°y myself to death? Did you not force your own daughter to die for the sake of profit?¡± The thought of what Jill said to her on her birthday made the smile on Victoria¡¯s face grow even wider. Glen¡¯s eyes shone then, and unlike himself, he didn¡¯t utter a reply. On the other hand, Denise was distraught by her words. ¡°Tori, you attempted murder. Your father couldn¡¯t save you even if he wanted to protect you. Moreover, it was because Christian requested him to make a choice between you and the Coleman Family that he was forced to give you up!¡±novelxo fast update ¡°Is that so, Mr. Coleman?¡± Victoria looked at Glen without a hint of emotion in her eyes. No longer able to tolerate this, Denise scolded her daughter, her eyes red and swollen. ¡°Tori, why do you me it on your father when you know it was your fault? Do you not have the most basic ability to tell right from wrong?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t listen to this anymore!¡± Gabrie¡¯s expression changed, and she finally stood up after hesitating for a moment. Angrily, she scolded, ¡°Victoria didn¡¯t even have much time to rest when she worked as a cleaner some time ago. She did a lot more than others, but her sry was lower than theirs. Is this what you mean by her ¡®making a quick buck¡¯?¡± ¡°I might sound terrible for saying this, but Vincent, no, let¡¯s take his wife, for example. She isn¡¯t rted by blood to Victoria, but she is better to Victoria than Victoria¡¯s own parents are! At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t sling mud at Victoria like the two of you are doing immediately after seeing Victoria! I seriously wonder if you are even her birth parents!¡± The Coleman Family¡¯s business empire was widespread. Even though they couldn¡¯tpare with the Thatchers, the Colemans were a famous and powerful family in Bloomsway. Coupled with Glen¡¯s involvement in charity projects all year round, the Coleman couple had a high status in the circle and among ordinary people. It was safe to say they had never met a person like Gabrie who would repeatedly chastise them. Denise had always been a gentle person who never raised her voice in public. That was why she was speechless, even though she was outraged. Glen also had a sour expression on his face, but his upbringing didn¡¯t allow him to get into a quarrel with someone much younger than him. He only let out an angry huff and finally decided to stop bothering himself with Victoria and Gabrie. ¡°You are the one who doesn¡¯t want to listen to my well-intended advice. So don¡¯t me me for being cruel in the future!¡± He turned around and walked away afterward. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Looking at Glen¡¯s back, Victoria casually mentioned, ¡°You have to be more ruthless. If you really manage to make me leave Delta Club, I will definitely rent an advertising space citywide to thank you.¡± ¡°Tori, you¡­¡± Denise looked at her worriedly, but before she finished speaking, she left when her husband constantly urged her to. Victoria pressed her lips together and walked over to close the door. After that, she went to sit on the bed again, this time with her head lowered as she seemed to be deep in thought. On the other hand, Gabrielle took a deep breath and sat on a chair, where she quietly watched Victoria. After a long minute, Victoria lifted her head to look at Gabrielle. ¡°Thank you for standing up for me earlier,¡± she sighed. ¡°My parents used to criticize me without bothering to find out the truth back at home. I used to hope for someone to speak up for me then.¡± Gabrie¡¯s eyes were slightly red as she wiped their corners. ¡°Alright now.¡± She waved dismissively at Victoria. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about them. They are such a bummer.¡± Buzz! Buzz! Gabrielle¡¯s phone began to vibrate after she said that. As soon as she picked up the call, she spitefully hissed, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you are never going to call me again? Why¡ª¡± Her words could no longer be heard after she went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Victoria¡¯s heart was nothing but a jumble of mess. All she could feel was exhaustion she had never felt before as shey in bed. With both hands on her lower abdomen, she slowly closed her eyes. Can I just fall asleep and never wake up? I can¡¯t stand this amount of stupidity anymore. But, of course, that was impossible. So when the next day came, she still had to put on the revamped uniform simr to a cleaner¡¯s uniform and go to work. While she was on the way to work, she came across a colleague that she had only met a handful of times. ¡°Good¡­ afternoon, Victoria.¡± The woman smilingly greeted her, but her voice was shaky all the way. Amused, Victoria nodded in reply. She didn¡¯t understand why the woman wanted to greet her despite being so afraid of her. She continued to meet a number of colleagues that she both knew and didn¡¯t know throughout the way, but one thing stayed consistent¡ªthey all greeted her in a surprisingly friendly way. Victoria only nodded at them dismissively, and it was only after she took a few steps away from them that she heard them chattering. ¡°Fiona and the rest of them apologized to Victoriast night, and they were all fired after she refused to forgive them! Including the one who edited the photo, 60 employees were fired!¡± ¡°It is fine if they were just fired. I heard that right after the security guard who edited the photo was fired, the police came and took him away. It looked like he would be sentenced. His life is technically over!¡± ¡°Tsk, I wonder just what kind of bigshot she bootlicked¡­¡± ¡°But we are all colleagues! Don¡¯t you think Victoria went overboard?! If she thinks it is embarrassing for people to talk about how she went and seduced Mr. Thatcher, only to be thrown out naked, she shouldn¡¯t even have done it in the first ce! It is disgusting how she tries to act innocent and sl*tty at the same time!¡± Victoria didn¡¯t know if they purposely said those words in a way that she could hear them despite not being too loud. Standing with the light behind her back, she let out a smile filled with mockery before she turned around and said to their backs, ¡°Stop right there.¡± She didn¡¯t know why Christian fired those other employees, but she wouldn¡¯t be so innocent as to believe that he did it for her. Hearing her voice, the trio stopped in their tracks and turned around to look at her. One of them then asked her in a sarcastic voice, ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°I am the person you were talking about, yes?¡± After recognizing her voice, Victoria stalked toward her. As the figure of her getting closer and closer was reflected in that woman¡¯s pupils, the woman¡¯snguid stance started to straighten up as her back became straight. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about ¡ª¡± p! Victoria pped her face, stopping her from finishing her words. ¡°What right do you have to hit me?!¡± The woman covered her attacked cheek and red at Victoria. ¡°You do want to have the best of both worlds! What is the matter? Brave enough to do sh*t, but you can¡¯t admit it?¡± Right then, her twopanions hurried to hold her back as they gave her a speaking look. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± The woman¡¯s anger also rose after she was pped. ¡°I have to give this shameless b*tch a piece of my mind today. She didn¡¯t even think about where she stood before she went and seduced Mr. Thatcher. She deserved to get thrown out! Ouch!¡± Victoria had pped the woman¡¯s other cheek. ¡°It looks better symmetrical,¡± she stated. ¡°Also, it is not that I don¡¯t have the guts to admit it. It is just¡­¡± She pinched the woman¡¯s chin and said with a snort, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your verbal diarrhea in front of me. It stinks!¡± The woman tried to pry Victoria¡¯s hand away, but when she couldn¡¯t, she got so angry she wanted to curse. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Think before you speak.¡± Victoria looked at her indifferently while raising her other hand. The woman shrank her neck subconsciously and covered her face with both hands as she swallowed all the words that had reached her throat. Her twopanions, on the other hand, stood timidly aside for fear that Victoria would hurt them.. She looked at Victoria¡¯s ruthless eyes, then nced at the scar at the end of her eyebrow. After thinking about the fate of those colleagues who were fired, she frowned and muttered unwillingly, ¡°I am sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said that about you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be as gentle if I hear you saying things that I don¡¯t want to hear,¡± Victoria warned in a low voice while releasing the woman¡¯s chin. Now that the woman was free, she rubbed her throbbing cheeks and pitifully hummed in reply. She didn¡¯t even care about her friends as she directly left the ce. ¡°It is almost working hours. We will be going now. Goodbye!¡± Her two femalepanions bbered to Victoria before they ran away at the speed of light.novelxo fast update Victoria pursed her lips and started heading off to work as well, but a round of apuse could be heard just then. ¡°That! Was! Amazing!¡± Janice popped out from the corner of the stairwell and looked at her with bright eyes. ¡°Wow, Victoria! You were so cool just now! I would want to marry you if you were a man!¡± ¡°When Victoria didn¡¯t say anything in return, Janice somehow didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all as she smacked her lips. ¡°Why would theye to pick a bone with you if they can¡¯t afford to do that?¡± she mused while pointing to her head, blinking continuously. ¡°Do you think they have a problem up here?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Victoria smiled at thedy The sight of her soft smile put Janice in a daze before she murmured, ¡°Wow! You look so pretty when you smile!¡± Upon hearing that, Victoria quickly wiped the smile off her face and bowed. She then sincerely gave her gratitude, saying, ¡°Thank you for helping me, Miss Mooney.¡± Janice had already helped her many times for someone she had only met a few times. ¡°Geez, you are putting me on the spot here.¡± Janice scratched her head while a distressed look appeared on her baby face. ¡°It is not like I helped you achieve anything¡­¡± Victoria stood up straight then. Eyes lowered, she said, ¡°It is one thing to extend your help. It is another thing whether or not you managed to help. Since you have helped me, you definitely deserve thanks.¡± Unlike her parents and her ¡®friends¡¯ who had abandoned her without even trying to help her, Janice was like a Godsent angel. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what to say when you thank me like that.¡± Janice bashfully giggled. ¡°I heard that you were kicked out of the room butt-naked by the Ice Man, and so I skipped work because I was worried you would be upset. But seeing you level-headedly fix those foul-mouthed women has put me at ease.¡± Victoria¡¯s pupils dted when she heard thosest few words. She grabbed onto the hem of her clothes, but she couldn¡¯tugh despite how much she wanted to. She lowered her head to hide the darkness in her eyes before uttering softly, ¡°I am fine. Thank you for your concern, Miss Mooney.¡± Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 ¡°Are you upset?¡± Janice was a little na?ve, but her woman¡¯s sixth sense told her that Victoria was not in a good mood now. Gulping, Janice blurted out, ¡°Did I say something that made you upset? I¡­ I only said what came to mind. I don¡¯t have any other intentions. Please don¡¯t think too much.¡± ¡°I am not upset.¡± Even though Victoria tried hard to force a smile, her eyes still remained dark. ¡°You are too na?ve, Miss Mooney. You had better ask Mr. Buckley beforehand when you make friends and help others in the future. Don¡¯t get used by others. That will cause trouble for you, Miss Rita or even Mr. Buckley.¡± Janice frowned and pouted at that. ¡°But I think you are a good person!¡± ¡°Good person?¡± Victoria chuckled for some reason, but herughter was filled with mockery. No one had ever described her as a ¡®good person¡¯ because it sounded more like Be¡¯s exclusive label. However, Janice forcefully bobbed her head up and down. ¡°My woman¡¯s sixth sense tells me so!¡± Silence ensued after that. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. As it was almost time for work, there would asionally be other employees who walked past them. However, any sort of chattering ormotion would automatically fall silent when they walked past the two women. Those people would even intentionally soften their footsteps and breathing. After a long while, Victoria reminded Janice, who was bewildered and anxious, ¡°I am not as vulnerable as you may think. You don¡¯t have toe see me in the future. I have to go to work. I am off.¡± Back when she was hospitalized, Matthew had warned her that someone with ¡®ulterior motives¡¯ like her should stay away from Janice. ¡°Victoria? Victoria!¡± Janice jumped and called out twice, but the person in front of her didn¡¯t stop. With a frown on her youthful face, she couldn¡¯t understand just what she did that could have offended Victoria. Out of nowhere, she lightly pped her head as she seemed to have thought of something. She then took her phone out to dial a number. ¡°Mr. Buckley!¡± With a hand on her waist, Janice roared as soon as the call got through. ¡°Did you say something to Victoria behind my back? Stop changing the topic! I asked you if you did?!¡± ¡­ Daisy went to nearly 50 salons with that horrendous hair on her head, but all the hairstylists told her that she needed to have at least 10 centimeters of natural hair to put in hair extensions. However, her hair was mostly only one or two centimeters, and there were even parts that weren¡¯t even one centimeter long. The hairstylists couldn¡¯t fix it for her with their skills. No one wanted to take the job no matter how much money she was offering! The more Daisy thought about it, the more unwilling she was to ept how things had turned out. She had finally heard the news that Victoria was kicked out by Christian, and Daisy was nning to take the chance to thoroughly embarrass Victoria. s, not only did she fail, she was almost fired from the club. ¡°Mr. Sharp, are you willing to just watch me get bullied by Victoria?¡± Daisy was sitting on thep of the new director, Zayn Sharp, in his office. Zayn looked straight at her. ¡°Of course I don¡¯t have the heart to see my little darling suffer like this, but you know that Victoria¡­ is someone we can¡¯t afford to offend!¡± After saying that, he gulped and leaned in for a kiss. Daisy pouted and pushed him away, her eyes full of hatred. ¡°You think too much! Why would Mr. Thatcher kick that woman out if he was interested in her? Dear, don¡¯t forget what you promised me!¡± ¡°Of course I won¡¯t!¡± Hearing this, Daisy pushed him away and red at him as she raised her voice, ¡°Mister, don¡¯t you even think about touching me today if you don¡¯t promise me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, baby. There is no need for you to lose your temper!¡± Zayn loved feisty women like this. Patting his thigh, he calmly coaxed her, ¡°Come take a seat. We can take our time to talk about it.¡± She only stared at him unmovingly. ¡°Just tell me whether you will do it or not. If you don¡¯t, I will go to Old Mr. Ford instead! Since he pampers me so much, he will definitely say yes without hesitating for such trivial matters. He is not a coward like you!¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t bring up Old Mr. Ford every time. No matter how much he pampers you, there is no way he can deal with Victoria easier than I can when I am her supervisor.¡± Instead of getting angry that Daisy called him a coward, Zayn was entertained, as he thought that Daisy was more interesting than his obedient wife at home. Daisy realized that his words made sense after he said that. She then sat on hisp with a sour face on. ¡°What are we going to do now, then? That woman has embarrassed me in public so many times, and she even cut my¡­ Anyway! I can¡¯t take this lying down! I am not a Torres if I don¡¯t pay her back tenfold!¡± Zayn was about to say that Daisy could take hisst name instead when his phone rang. It was a message Charlotte had sent to both the Delta Club¡¯s management team group chat and employee group chat on WhatsApp. The message went, ¡®Wayne Donoghue, Skyler Moss, Fiona Fall¡­ 50 of our employees have made groundless usations and spread false rumors about Victoria Coleman and Mr. Thatcher in the club, which is a serious vition of the basic principles of the Delta Club, and has constituted a crime of libel. For the sake of everyone being the employees of the club, Mr. Thatcher said that he will not sue the 50 employees. However, keeping such employees in the club is equivalent to having a rotten egg in a basket, as it will seriously affect the club¡¯s morale. After a discussion I had with Mr. Thatcher, we have decided to terminate the 50 aforementioned employees and never reemploy them. We hope this incident serves as a deterrent for the rest of you.¡¯ Daisy also took a peek when Zayn read the message. When she saw how his eyebrows were pulled together, she inwardly cursed him out for being useless before she threw her arms around his neck and cooed, ¡°Baby, those employees are getting fired because they made Mr. Thatcher angry by speaking nonsense about him. This has nothing to do with Victoria.¡± She then rubbed against Zayn. ¡°Do you think Mr. Thatcher would have thrown Victoria out if he liked her? Besides, don¡¯t forget that Victoria only ever cleaned toilets before this. Mr. Thatcher couldn¡¯t possibly let his woman do this kind of work.¡±novelxo fast update ¡°T-Take it easy.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Let me think o-of a way to handle Victoria.¡± Seeing that he still hadn¡¯t conceded, Daisy retracted her hand and rolled her eyes as she turned livid. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that I am making things hard for you! There will be a rooftop party tomorrow. It is fine if you get her to handle the cleaning there, right?!¡± As a careful man, Zayn didn¡¯t want to take action before he made sure the rtionship between Victoria and Christian. Hence, he hesitated. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Stop being wishy washy! It is either a yes or a no!¡± Daisy had turned red from having to deal with a loser like him. ¡°If it is a no, I will get out of here right this instant!¡± Zayn lowered his head to look at himself, and after pondering over it, he gritted out, ¡°Okay. There is no way I can say no to my baby darling¡¯s request.¡± Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 It was near 6.00PM when Victoria met Lucas in one of the private rooms. More urately, he intentionally came to see her. He sat alone in a corner of the dim andrge private room as the lights were not turned on. In front of him were the wine sses that were a mess. The strong smell of alcohol filled the entire room. It was so strong that Victoria couldn¡¯t help but frown. After she nced at the man who was already drunk, she turned around and walked out. She didn¡¯t want to see him. She would rather change rooms with her colleagues and have someone elsee over. ¡°Did I say you can leave?¡± He stumbled as he got up on his feet and pointed at her with a wine bottle. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. She lowered her head then. ¡°I entered the wrong room. Someone else wille to serve youter, Mr. Spritz.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t go into the wrong room. I was the one who told you toe here!¡± Lucas tossed the wine bottle on the table and walked over to her with a dazed look on his face. He then reached for the top of her head, but he took back his hand again swiftly. He sat back again, and then patted the seat next to him as his voice grew hoarse and strained. ¡°Come. Sit here,¡± he slurred. Instead of moving, she only lifted her chin to look at him and asked, ¡°Do you need something, Mr. Spritz?¡± ¡°Did you not hear me asking you toe sit here?!¡± His voice suddenly became louder. The whites of his eyes had already turned red from the amount of alcohol he had consumed. However, she continued to stand there unmovingly, and only sneered after a long minute. ¡°I will not be ying along with you if you asked me here just to act like a drunk b*stard, Mr. Spritz.¡± She turned around to leave through the door after saying that. Seeing this, Lucas stood up abruptly and took long strides until he was in front of her before he mmed the door shut. He then pressed her against the door, his eyes glued to her. The heavy smell of alcohol on his body enveloped her body in that instant. Victoria tried pushing him but to no avail. ¡°Have some self-respect, Mr. Spritz.¡± ¡°Self-respect?¡± he growled through clenched teeth. It was as if the words she uttered had fueled his anger. He held her tight and huffed a mouthful of alcohol-smelling breath on her face. ¡°You were thrown out naked. Who the hell are you to be talking to me about self-respect?!¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes immediately narrowed when she heard his words. Biting her lip, she gave Lucas a hard shove to push him away from her. Her wrist had turned blue-ck from his strong hold. Frowning, she rolled her wrist around. Lucas pitifully fell to the ground from her push. He then staggered and stood up, his eyes filled with disappointment and anger as he red at her. ¡°Is what they said true? You went and seduced Christian, didn¡¯t you?¡± He slowly stumbled to her and pressed his hands on her shoulders, his voice became even louder than before. ¡°Answer me!¡± he demanded. Victoria hated his interrogatory tone, so she pushed him again. She only gave a brief ¡°yes¡± after she stood at a distance from him. She then looked at him with cold eyes and reminded indifferently, ¡°But it has got nothing to do with you regardless.¡± The Spritz siblings were like dog turd she couldn¡¯t escape from no matter what. She could smell their foul stench from afar and it was even worse close-up, as they stinked, were sticky, and were, all in all, disgusting. In order to not be called a sl*t who was here to temp Lucas in case Scarlett or other members of the Spritz Family suddenly appeared, Victoria decided to stop this pointless exchange with Lucas. As she turned around and opened the door to leave, a fair, elegant hand moved faster than she did as it shut the door close again. Lucas¡¯ action made her frown. Still, she held back her temper and warned, ¡°Just what are you trying to ¡ª¡± He had cut her off by pushing her against the wall before she could finish speaking. Holding her face in his hands, he panted and kissed her. His light-colored eyes were now filled with lust and anger. Victoria couldn¡¯t muster the strength to push him away, but as she somehow found his handsome face disgusting, she tilted her head, and his hot kissnded on her neck instead. The moist feeling that felt like a slug had crawled across her skin disgusted her so much that she would love nothing more than to rinse it off at least 10 times right at this moment. ¡°Don¡¯t cross the line, Lucas Spritz!¡± Victoria growled. Even though she had used all her strength to push him away, she could only keep him at an arm¡¯s length from her. She couldn¡¯t move him away at all. He looked down at her then with undisguised desire in his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you seduce Christian just to worm your way back into the circle again? You can seduce me instead. I can give you all the things he can give you!¡± As Lucas spoke, he kept rubbing her waist with his hands, and he lowered his head to kiss her again. Victoria¡¯s p on his facended quicker than his kiss did. As he went into a daze, she unhesitantly raised her feet to knee him where his family jewels were. The pain that felt like there were millions of ants gnawing at him made Lucas squeeze his legs together. He started sweating bullets from his forehead while he bent over to let the pain pass. Bang! Right then, the door to the private room was opened, and Scarlett stormed in the next second. Her eyes looked like they were about to spit fire when they fell on Victoria¡¯s unkempt top. ¡°Before you start barking, Miss Palmer,¡± Victoria brought up before Scarlett opened her mouth. ¡°Please find out whether it was I who tried to seduce him, or if it was him who wanted to forcibly take advantage of me.¡± Scarlett could already guess what had happened when she saw Lucas¡¯ appearance, but still she looked at Victoria and used her. ¡°Is there any need to find out anything? The fact that you seduced Christian and was thrown out is already hot news in the circle. You must have shifted your target to my fianc¨¦ because your n A didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Miss Palmer, your ability to talk out of your a*s is truly impressive,¡± Victoria mocked and turned around to leave. Scarlett¡¯s face had turned into a tomato when she heard that, but she didn¡¯t refute nor chasnovelxo fast updatee after Victoria. Instead, she only heavily closed the door after Victoria left. After that, Victoria massaged her ears that had been abused by the loud sound, and with a frown, wiped the spot where Lucas had kissed her. She didn¡¯t put down her hand until the firstyer of skin was almost broken. I have been trying my best to stay away from that circle, so why are they still haunting me one after another? she thought with pursed lips. ¡°Victoria?¡± Charlotte called out from afar. She only raised her eyebrows slightly when she got close to Victoria. ¡°I still have something to deal with. Please help me bring the soup to the hospital,¡± she instructed. No doubt the only person who could get Charlotte to deliver soup was Christian. Thinking of that, Victoria pressed her lips into a straight line and uttered with her head lowered, ¡°I am sorry, Miss Charlotte. I still have a few hours until the end of my shift. It might be better for you to get someone else to go.¡± ¡°I am toozy for that.¡± She stuffed the thermos sk into Victoria¡¯s hands and stretchedzily. ¡°You¡¯ll do.¡± The sk wasn¡¯t hot on the outside, but it felt like a hot potato in Victoria¡¯s hand. Her other free palm that was clenching the hem of her clothes was already drenched in cold sweat. ¡°You don¡¯t need to get someone else yourself. Shirley doesn¡¯t have a shift today. I will pass her the soup, and¡ª¡± ¡°That is too much work.¡± Charlotte smiled and wiggled her eyebrows. ¡°I am going to Mr. Sharp¡¯s in a bit. I will tell him that I have booked you before 6.00PM. He won¡¯t say anything to that.¡± She proceeded to tidy up Victoria¡¯s clothes and without giving her a chance to refuse, she left while happily humming an old song. Charlotte turned around and winked at Victoria after she was far away. ¡°I will be counting on you!¡± Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Right after Charlotte said that, the elevator dinged and she entered the elevator with a charming smile on the corner of her lips. On the other hand, Victoria pressed her lips even tighter when she looked at the thermos sk in her hands before she trudged to the elevator. The Spritz siblings might be unavoidable dog poo, but Christian was a ferocious hound that had almost killed her with his bites a few times now. Even though she hated him and wanted to kill him if possible, she was pressed under his sharp ws. She had no choice but to submit to him in order to avoid being torn to shreds. There were a lot of people in the hospital. An old man with a missing left arm, and had a prosthetic calf and a face full of wrinkles lit up when he saw Victoria. He then patted the equally disabled young man beside him and pointed in Victoria¡¯s. Another pair of eyes lit up then. Supporting each other, the men limped their way to Victoria and stopped her. When she looked up, she was greeted by two unfamiliar faces. One of the men was probably in his 60s or 70s from the looks of his a lined face, and the other was about 30 or 40 years old. This one had tanned skin and fine lines at the corners of his eyes. Even though they were of different ages, they were both disabled people. Their clothes looked tidy, but it had obviously been washed so many times the colors were slightly faded. They also had on rarely- seen ck shoes made of clothes. Judging from their appearance, they either looked like beggars, or fraudsters that would go, ¡°Littledy, I am a few dors short on travel money. Can you please lend me a few bucks?¡± She took a look at the two of them again to make sure she didn¡¯t know them. ¡°Is there something you need me for?¡± she asked. Thump! The men didn¡¯t say a word, and only exchanged a brief nce before they fell to their knees. Their actions were so conspicuous that they immediately attracted the attention of the curious crowd. Seeing this, Victoria only knitted her eyebrows together and looked at them with emotionless eyes. She didn¡¯t help them up nor say a word. ¡°Don¡¯t get us wrong!¡± The middle-aged man waved his hand at her twice when he noticed Victoria¡¯s reaction. He then exined in broken standard English, ¡°We are neither beggars nor swindlers. We are farmers who you have helped before! We wanted to thank you when we saw you!¡± The older man was wiping his tears away as he listened to hispanion speak in a dialect Victoria couldn¡¯t really understand. ¡°I have never helped any farmers.¡± She only replied indifferently, ¡°You got the wrong person.¡± She then walked away with the sk in her arms. The middle-aged man hurriedly helped the old man up, then together they limped to Victoria before he blurted out, ¡°We really are not liars. We only want to thank you since we coincidentally bumped into you!¡± His tanned face slowly became flushed under her suspicious gaze. ¡°We came here to beborers, or in your people¡¯s words, construction workers. When the building copsed, it injured a few of us, and there were also a few that died. Our employer ran off after the incident! If it wasn¡¯t for you who sold the birthday gifts and donated the money to us, we wouldn¡¯t even have money for medical treatment and prostheses! I must kowtow to you!¡± He immediately tried to get to his knees again after he said that. When Victoria heard that, she gave it a thought, and only then did she recall that she had asked Jill to sell all the presents from her birthday banquet and donate the proceeds to the disabled. She quickly ced the sk on the floor and bent down to help the middle-aged man up. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I will be heading off. I have something to attend to.¡± She didn¡¯t take the credit for her actions, and she also didn¡¯t stay behind to listen to the endless praises the crowd were showering her in. She only bent forward to pick up the sk before she lined up in front of the elevator. ¡°Come here, youngdy. You should change ces with me. You should stand here instead!¡± A robust middle-aged woman with a loud voice swiftly pulled Victoria to the front, and she herself stood at the back of the row. She then gave a thumbs-up to the people around her. ¡°What a beautiful and kind- hearted person this youngdy is!¡± The crowd immediately agreed with her and started praising Victoria as well. By the time she stepped into the elevator, she saw that the two crippled farmers were still waving at her with all their might, and they both had smiles filled with gratitude on their faces. Victoria, too, slowly shed a subtle, but genuine smile that reached her eyes as she looked at them. Christian¡¯s VIP ward was on the twelfth floor. After she reached the ward, she stood outside the door for some time before she finally brought a hand up to knock on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Christian¡¯s clear voice called out from inside. Hearing that, she looked at the door and licked her dry lips before she pushed the door open and went in. The man¡¯s dark eyes shed when he saw her walk in. He then quickly kept the thing he was fiddling with, but no matter how quickly he did that, Victoria still saw it. He was holding her jade pendant that was supposed to be in the previous supervisor¡¯s hand. She pressed her lips together to suppress her hatred for him and walked to the table to put the thermos sk on it. ¡°Miss Charlotte has something to deal with. That is why she told me toe.¡± A lot of people had been fired after yesterday¡¯s incident. Even though she didn¡¯t know how he was nning to handle her, she knew that he wouldn¡¯t just fire her, as that would be going too easy on her. He hummed in response. He then fell silent after looking at her for a while. It made Victoria ufortable from her head to toe as long as he was around. Lowering her head, she stood with her back tense for more than 20 minutes until her palms were drenched in sweat. ¡°If there is nothing else, I will¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± He threw her a quick nce and interrupted her before he put the jade pendant on his neck again. Victoria only frowned without moving any other muscle. Seeing this, Christian propped up the bed with one hand and sat up. ¡°Get me a bowl of soup.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Victoria held back the anger that was about to burst out of her body and responded novelxo fast updatein a low voice. She then went over to pour him some soup. She didn¡¯t understand how he could act so nonchnt in front of her today when he had just thrown her naked body out in the corridor yesterday. Distracted, she brought the bowl of soup to him, and bent her torso to give him the bowl. However, Christian didn¡¯t take the soup; his eyes were fixated on the red spot on her neck. As his eyes dimmed, he touched her neck with an elegant finger. ¡°How did you get this mark?¡± His voice was slightly cold. The cold touch on her neck sent a shiver throughout her body. Immediately, Victoria stood up straight and tugged on her cor to cover the trace, but she didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t want to exin it to Christian. In fact, she didn¡¯t need to. Because by the end of the day, his attitude toward her was going to be the same anyway. ¡°Victoria.¡± As Christian looked at her impassive expression, he felt as though there was a ball of cotton soaked in water in his chest. His breathing didn¡¯t feel any smoother even after he undid a button. ¡°I am asking you a question.¡± Her eyshes trembled, and she looked up at him. However, she quickly lowered her head again. ¡°Is there a rule in the club that stiptes all the subordinates have to answer the superiors¡¯ questions? If not, I refuse to answer.¡± His gaze on her instantly sharpened as he locked his eyes on her. ¡°Victoria,¡± he warned, his voice having gotten a little louder. He had started unconsciously tapping on the bed with his finger. She raised her head again, but she didn¡¯t lower it this time. ¡°You don¡¯t need to speak so loudly. I have good hearing. I can hear you. Is there anything you need me for?¡± The corners of her lips had curled into a small smile. She used to be so careful with currying his favor in the past only to no avail. The anger, repression, and hatred she held in instantly became overwhelming joy when she saw the gloomy expression on his face. Victoria had probably been driven to madness by Christian.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Christian¡¯s gaze rested on her without a word, the emotions in his eyes undistinguishable. Victoria didn¡¯t hang her head low like she usually did. Instead, she held onto his gaze this time. Her expression was neither humble nor haughty, but it had a hint of challenge and smugness. For a moment, he thought he was watching her from two years ago. Swallowing hard, hended his gaze on the red spot on her neck. ¡°Did Lucase to you?¡± His words came out as a question, but his tone was affirmative with a hint of jealousy he didn¡¯t even notice. A distressed look emerged on her face as she mocked, ¡°Thanks to you, the people in your social circle have known me as a promiscuous woman. Even Mr. Spritz is nning to keep me as his mistress.¡± ¡°His mistress?¡± Christian¡¯s finger was tapping on the bedside at an increasing speed. Ignoring the frustration building in the bottom of his heart, he stated coldly, ¡°I bet you¡¯ll willingly throw yourself at him even if he doesn¡¯t pay you.¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes bored into the man before she chuckled to herself and turned her gaze away. ¡°His identity isn¡¯t important. As long as he can free me from the Delta Club, I¡¯ll do whatever I can to throw myself at him.¡± Victoria bent and leaned over to his face, her voice lower and her smile restrained. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, do you like my answer?¡± The tapping of Christian¡¯s finger on the bed stopped for a beat as he clenched his hand into a fist. He got closer to her and held her chin in a firm grip. ¡°Lucas isn¡¯t able to do that. You¡¯re wasting your efforts on him.¡± Victoria then pushed his fingers away before straightening up and taking a few steps backward, distancing herself from him. ¡°You should remember that you¡¯re the culprit of breaking his sister¡¯s legs, and he¡¯s engaged to Scarlett recently. You shouldn¡¯t dream that he¡¯ll care about you. Even if he¡¯s thinking about freeing you from the Delta Club, as long as his mother, sister, or his fianc¨¦e voice their disapproval, he¡¯ll change his mind. The guilt he¡¯s holding toward Be, the so-called justice he insists on, and the reputation of his family will be his reasons to abandon you without a second thought. At that time, you¡¯ll lose more than you gained.¡± Christian maintained his usual expression but had unclenched his fist. His slender finger was now tapping on the table, indicating he was in an extremely bad mood. Victoria cast him an indifferent nce and she answered, ¡°As if I care.¡± He furrowed his brows at her words before undoing a button of his hospital gown. His expression sank and the emotions were surging in his eyes like a wave. Victoria felt good watching him in such a state. ¡°I have delivered the soup Miss Charlotte asked me to. I have to go now; I have work to do.¡± Victoria didn¡¯t spare him another nce as she left the room with her lips curled up, all under the watchful gaze of Christian. After she left the room, the vibration of her phone caught her attention. As she looked at the caller ID, her gaze turned soft and she pressed the button to answer. ¡°Teresa?¡± ¡°Long story short.¡± Teresa¡¯s voice sounded more rushed than usual on the other side of the phone. Victoria clenched her phone tighter and tensed her body at Teresa¡¯s words. ¡°Teresa, what happened?¡± A hint of worry escaped Teresa¡¯s tone. ¡°Yesterday, Dad came home losing his temper after he and Mom went to see you. He took Vincent¡¯s cards, cell phone, andptop away, and prohibited him from giving you money or reaching out to you. Vincent didn¡¯t want to obey Dad, so Dad grounded him at home, and he isn¡¯t allowed to go anywhere. Mom tried to reason with Dad, saying you¡¯re their daughter after all, but he wasn¡¯t listening.¡± Teresa sighed, changing the topic instead. ¡°Enough of all this nonsense. Vincent wants to know how you are feeling. I heard that Christian has discovered the drug and pinhole camera. Did he make things difficult for you?¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡± He hadn¡¯t done anything to Victoria yet since the incident. She had no idea about his thoughts, but she didn¡¯t have the impression that he would ever let her off. At that, Teresa sighed deeply and a few sniffles escaped her and reached Victoria. ¡°Vincent is such a moron! He always causes more harm than good, and troubles you the whole time. Tori, you don¡¯t need to avoid making us worried and not telling us anything. You can tell us if Christian picks on you. M- Maybe I can help you with that.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Teresa stuttered at herst sentence, betraying herck of confidence. Victoria, on the other hand, was d to have Teresa as her sister-inw. ¡°Teresa, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡ª¡± ¡°Tori, Dad¡¯s home. I need to go. I¡¯ll call youter!¡± Teresa muttered in a frightened tone from the other end of the line and ended the call abruptly. Watching the screen of her phone darken, Victoria smiled bitterly before she walked over to the elevator. The elevator chimed when it reached its destination. Matthew stepped out of the elevator with his briefcase, looking ever like a gentleman, while another hand was tugging Janice, who was crouching in the elevator and resisted moving even a bit. ¡°Mr. Buckley, what¡¯s the point of bringing me along when you¡¯re visiting Ice Man? You can do this by yourself. No! I don¡¯t want to go¡­ Ah¡ªI got my period and it hurts. I want to go home.¡± Scrunching her face as she crouched in the elevator, Janice looked like she was about to cry. Matthew turned around with a raised brow as he watched his shameless student. Then, he put the briefcase under his arm as he bent over and carried Janice, who didn¡¯t want to go, in his arms with ease. Being carried in his arms, Janice flopped around like prey caught in the trap as she yelled, ¡°Help! He¡¯s harassing me! Is there anybody there? The man¡¯s kidnapping a woman in broad daylight! He¡ª¡± The second ¡°help¡± didn¡¯t manage to make its way out as Janice greeted the woman before her. ¡°Hi, Victoria! What a coincidence to run into you here.¡± Victoria hummed in response and replied in a low voice, ¡°Good evening, Miss Mooney.¡± ¡°Perfect timing!¡± Pinching the spot under Matthew¡¯s armpit, Janice finally got to her feet as Matthew had no choice but to release her. Her eyes rolled as she was thinking, and she spoke afterward. ¡°Mr. Buckley is nning to treat you to dinner and apologize. Let¡¯s go to dinner together after we visit Ice Man.¡± Victoria cast a nce at Matthew, who was acting as if nothing happened through the pain fnovelxo fast updateor the sake of his image, before she turned her focus back to Janice. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Did you have dinner?¡± Janice interrupted with a question. Before Victoria could even answer, Janice continued, ¡°It¡¯s still early, so you¡¯ve surely not had your dinner. What kind of cuisine do you like? I¡¯ll book a ce first.¡± Then, Janice took out her phone and began to swipe on several icons. ¡°Miss Mooney, I¡¯m good.¡± Victoria tried to stop her. ¡°Mr. Buckley and I are merely acquaintances, and he has never wronged me. Instead, you guys helped me several times in the past, and I¡¯m the one who should be grateful.¡± Shoving the phone back into her pocket, Janice pouted. ¡°He was using you of getting closer to me on purpose and wanted you to stay away from me. He wronged both of us in such a statement.¡± She harrumphed before her round and sparkling eyes red at Matthew, and she began with a drawl, ¡°Mr. Buckley¡ª¡± ¡°Miss Coleman, I apologize for being offensive with my phrasing when west met.¡± He caressed Janice¡¯s hair with full tenderness and a hint of resignation before turning to Victoria. ¡°I hope you can honor us with your presence at the dinner.¡± Victoria, however, tried to excuse herself. ¡°Mr. Buckley, don¡¯t mention it. Miss Mooney isn¡¯t from an ordinary family, so it¡¯s normal if you think of me like that. You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± ¡°Victoria¡­¡± Holding Victoria¡¯s hand, Janice pleaded in a sweet tone, ¡°Do you not want to have dinner with me because you are mad at me?¡± Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Victoria wasn¡¯t immune to a cute girl who was behaving coquettishly. After a moment of Janice¡¯s badgering, she agreed to it. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The three began to walk toward the ward. Janice almost clung to Victoria as she chattered on the way. Matthew couldn¡¯t stop casting his nce at the two as his expression sank. Atst, he walked over to them with a livid face and he dragged Janice away from Victoria. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Janice red at him. He adjusted the gold-trim sses on his nose and answered with a serious expression, ¡°You¡¯re too heavy. Miss Coleman is struggling to carry your weight.¡± Janice¡¯s eyes widened in an rmed look before she turned to Victoria in anticipation. ¡°Is it true?¡± Casting a nce at the man who didn¡¯t bother to hide his hostility, Victoria sighed in resignation and nodded. The usual joyful Janice lost her spirit at Victoria¡¯s response in a split second. After that, she only followed them with sighs, and did not try to cling to Victoria anymore. The three walked into the room together, adding a lively vibe to the spacious and bright ward. Christian was sitting on the bed when his eyes skipped over Matthew andnded on Victoria. His eyes twinkled at her presence before he hid them and reced it with a natural expression. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Ie here representing the people to see if you¡¯re alive.¡± Matthew walked closer to the table and took a sniff of the thermos food jar. ¡°Where did you get the soup? It smells good.¡± Christian left the soup in the bowl untouched and it was still hot, so Matthew just grabbed it and took a few gulps from the bowl. ¡°Tastes good too.¡± Christian cast him a sidelong nce. ¡°You have a better nose than the dogs.¡± ¡°Thanks for thepliment. You can be jealous, but you¡¯ll never learn it.¡± Matthew took another few gulps before he continued, ¡°Charlotte told me that you almost hurt an artery. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ll be hard even on yourself.¡± Christian didn¡¯t deign to answer, but he raised his head and turned to Victoria. The recipient was fixing her gaze on the ground and avoided his eyes as if she didn¡¯t notice them. Their exchanges didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Matthew as he clicked his tongue. Putting the bowl down, he teased, ¡°Stabbing your thigh isn¡¯t as effective as stabbing your manhood. Why didn¡¯t¡ª¡± However, Christian¡¯s pointed look was intimidating, so Matthew cleared his throat in embarrassment and didn¡¯t dare continue. Janice, who had been hiding behind Victoria, poked her head out and shocked the others with her suggestion. ¡°He¡¯s right! Men will feel more pain, particrly in that part of their body. Thus, you don¡¯t even need to stab it. With just a pinch, you can¡ª¡± Her untold words were muffled as Matthew walked over with a livid face and covered her mouth. ¡°Shut up!¡± Victoria stood at the side in silence and didn¡¯t bother to join the conversation. ¡°I¡¯m satisfied with my gender.¡± Christian darted his cold gaze toward Matthew. ¡°However, I¡¯ll dly provide the surgery fund if you¡¯re interested in it.¡± Matthew fell into silence at the tease and he immediately declined his friend¡¯s ¡°kindness¡± without thinking twice. As they had enough discussion of the topic, Janice hid again behind Victoria and whined softly, ¡°I have a bad feeling every time Ice Man smiles, but it¡¯s the same even if he¡¯s not smiling.¡± Victoria hummed indifferently, her eyes fixed on the ground before her. Janice shivered in an exaggerated manner as she wrapped her hands around her shoulders and mumbled, ¡°Since he smiles a lot, I shouldn¡¯t call him ¡®Ice Man¡¯ at all, even though his smiles are fake. Yikes, he¡¯s looking in our direction! Did he hear what I said?¡± Janice leaped away from Victoria and crouched down on the floor, curling her body to hide behind Victoria. Surprised by her antics, Victoria raised her head and threw a nce at Christian involuntarily, and met his dark eyes unexpectedly. She was caught in a trance for a moment before she came back to her senses and cast her gaze onto the ground yet again. Since he had thrown her out, she had given up on strategies to get on his good side and instead acted recklessly on every asion. Even though she wasn¡¯t restraining the use of hernguage and behavior, she was still fearing him from the bottom of her heart. The fear had rooted itself deep in her bones and built up by nightmares for seven hundred nights. It would continue to haunt her for the rest of her life. Christian retreated his gaze back and turned to Matthew. ¡°I can¡¯t believe your taste.¡± Matthew harrumphed, not hesitating to protect his student and soon-to-be girlfriend. ¡°You¡¯re blind. Your loss.¡± Christian chuckled and answered with a casual tone, ¡°And that¡¯s how I found a friend like you.¡± Matthew was speechless, and he couldn¡¯t form a snarkyeback. ¡°Mr. Buckley, when are we leaving?¡± Janice fidgeted in her spot before she walked in aical way toward Matthew as she remained in her crouched position. Her voice was soft when she said coquettishly, ¡°You can stay here to apany Ice Man. Victoria and I will go to dinner.¡± Blinking her eyes at Matthew, Janice threw a nervous nce at Christian from time to time. A resignedugh escaped Matthew as he watched her cowardice. ¡°You want to leave?¡± Janice nodded vigorously in response. ¡°No way.¡± He grinned as he caressed her hair, enjoying the change in her expression. Her hopeful look was reced by disappointment as soon as she got the answer from him. Rising to her feet, she walked back to Victoria with a sigh. ¡°Did you break both Victoria and Janice¡¯s legs? Why is Janice afraid of you too?¡± Matthew was full of resignation at the way Janice acted. Victoria clenched her hands on her sides into fists slowly at his words. The scenes she was trying her best to forget repeated themselves in her mind, along with the feelings surging inside her chest that were making her suffocate, but she couldn¡¯t stop them. She turned around and strode for the exit without a word.novelxo fast update Janice tugged on Victoria¡¯s fingers from behind, fully aware of the woman¡¯s attempt to leave. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I want to make a call.¡± Victoria pressed a finger to the spot between her brows and kneaded. She felt a headacheing on, so she mumbled a perfunctory excuse. Janice shot a sneaky nce at Matthew before whispering, ¡°I¡¯ming with you. I promise I¡¯ll stay away from youter on and not eavesdrop on your conversation.¡± Victoria hummed in acknowledgment and began to walk. Janice followed behind and adhered to each of the former¡¯s footsteps, acting much like a shadow. Once both women left, Matthew shut the door of the ward before he asked, ¡°What happened? I hear rumors such as Victoria trying to seduce you, or she seeking revenge on you, or even you forcing her to sleep with you¡­ Why did you even wound yourself in the first ce?¡± ¡°Vincent put the sleeping pill and aphrodisiac into my drink.¡± Christian frowned at the thought but the look on his face returned to his usual expression as he replied with a brief answer. Matthew found it both confusing and funny, and maybe a little surprised. ¡°That¡¯s low of him. I can¡¯t believe you fell for it.¡± Christian was ying with the folds on his hospital gown when he heard Matthew. He raised his chin to look at the other man before he lowered his gaze back to the gown. ¡°I was careless. I didn¡¯t expect him to use such dirty tricks.¡± Vincent was known as a man who was against dirty tricks. If he found someone he didn¡¯t favor, he would voice his dissatisfaction against the person face-to-face instead of ying dirty. The elders from both the Buckley and Coleman families had a good rtionship, but that was not the case for Matthew and Vincent. The two had never seen eye to eye, and they hated each other¡¯s guts. ¡°He¡¯s a straightforward person and doesn¡¯t y dirty tricks. It¡¯s understandable if you aren¡¯t aware of his motive.¡± Matthew adjusted his gold-trim sses and smiled. ¡°I wonder what happened to the moron lately because not only he asked for a position in the Coleman Group, he even tried to engage in a business talk like others. However, he can¡¯t even understand the contract, and ended up being scammed.¡± Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Christian hummed, lost in his thoughts. ¡°He did it for his sister.¡± ¡°What?¡± Matthew didn¡¯t understand. ¡°How does Vincent doing business have anything to do with Victoria?¡± Christian raised his head and rested his level gaze on his friend. After a moment of silence, he growled, ¡°How did you be a renownedwyer? Are your clients blind or can¡¯t think?¡± ¡°Christian, you should be grateful to have a friend like me in your life. No ordinary person can stand your temperament.¡± Matthew pushed his sses up with a finger and narrowed his eyes on his friend. ¡°Vincent wants to free Victoria from your clutches, so he¡¯s learning to do business.¡± Christian turned his head to look out of the window at Victoria, who was facing away from him as she stood at the guard rail. At that moment, he saw a woman with a thin body and distressed silhouette. It was hard to imagine she was the same arrogant daughter of the Coleman Family two years ago. His heart began to ache inside his chest, as if the ants were biting it. ¡°Is it breaking your heart?¡± Matthew followed his gaze and watched outside. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take the opportunity? Since Vincent drugged you and sent Victoria to seduce you, you should just sleep with her. Then, you two can naturally engage in a rtionship. Isn¡¯t that good?¡± Christian drew his gaze back as his fingers twirled the nket. ¡°They have set up the pinhole camera to film a video so they can ckmail me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Matthew gaped at the statement. The siblings might be using a dirty trick, but he had to admit that their n was simple and effective, but risky too. Christian¡¯s eyes were downcast as the dusk sunlight bathed him, and half of his face was enveloped in the dark. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling bad for her. She deserved it.¡± Matthew wasn¡¯t prepared for such an anti-climatic answer. ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡± He gave up on his image and pulled his hair in desperation. ¡°What happened to you and Victoria two years ago?¡± It was torture for awyer with an obsession like Matthew not to know the truth of a case but only the result. Suddenly, Janice mmed the door open and whined at Matthew after a long time of waiting, ¡°Mr. Buckley, you took longer to talk than a woman. Are you going for dinner or not? If not, I¡¯ll leave with Victoria now. I¡¯m super-duper hungry!¡± As she finished her words, she mustered the courage to shoot daggers at Christian, but the man had a neutral expression as if he didn¡¯t notice her, which made her distressed. ¡°All right; I¡¯ming.¡± Matthew immediately put the idea to learn the truth aside and took the briefcase with him as he strode for the exit. Christian called him from behind. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring my car. I need you to send me home. Wait for me to change.¡± Janice looked at the ground and rolled her eyes disdainfully. ¡°You aren¡¯t staying longer?¡± Matthew asked, to which Christian answered, ¡°There¡¯s no need for it.¡± ¡°All right; I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Matthew threw a nce at the thermos food jar. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you drinking the soup? I bet you haven¡¯t had your dinner. We happen to be having dinner togetherter. Do you want to join us? I¡¯ll send you home after that.¡¯¡± Janice was against the idea of Matthew inviting Christian to join them for dinner. However, Matthew spoke faster than she could voice her opposition. She looked stunned. Having dinner with the Ice Man is no different than asking me to lose weight. ¡°Well¡­ Mr. Thatcher is wounded, so he has to restrict from eating food like cajun shrimp, buffalo wings, or five-rm chili.¡± Janice chuckled nervously. ¡°I think he should eat at home. Congee is the best choice for a patient!¡± However, her words fell on deaf ears as Christian grabbed his clothes and slid out of the bed toward the bathroom. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. You can order whatever you like. I¡¯ll have soup or congee.¡± As he finished his words, he walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Janice stomped her feet in dissatisfaction but had no choice other than ept her fate. ¡°Mr. Buckley! Why did you ask him to join us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just being polite. Christian never likes to eat out.¡± Matthew wasn¡¯t expecting the answer at all and ended up surprised by it. Soon, he thought of something else. He pinched his student¡¯s puffy cheeks, and the nice sensation put him in a good mood. ¡°Didn¡¯t you always want to find a way to help Miss Coleman? Today is a great opportunity.¡± Janice was feeling dejected at the moment. As she heard his words, she asked with ack of interest, ¡°How is having dinner rted to helping her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Matthew raised his eyebrows and tapped her forehead. Once Christian changed into his clean clothes, the four left the hospital and got into Matthew¡¯s Mercedes-Benz. He was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat as expected. Janice wanted to avoid Christian, who was like a monster to her, so she called shotgun like a hungry predator aimed for its prey. As such, Victoria and Christian were sitting at the back together. The seats were spacious, so they had kept a certain distance from each other, but Victoria was feeling ufortable nheless. She fidgeted in her seat from time to time, her body stayed close to the door as her mind tensed at his presence next to her. Janice was paying attention to the back seats all the time. Noticing themotion, she asked in concern, ¡°Victoria, are you having hemorrhoids?¡± As Janice finished her words, the car fell into a silence that gave Victoria the creeps, as other passengers¡¯ gazesnded on her at the same time. She pressed her lips together. Aware of Christian¡¯s burning gaze on her, she was feeling ufortable as she frowned. ¡°No.¡± However, Janice spoke as if she had been through it. ¡°Are you embarrassed about admitting it in front of us?¡± Victoria tried to exin. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t need to worry about your image. I won¡¯tugh at you. My roommate back in university had the same problem as you. She told me it was itchy and she couldn¡¯t help scratching them. She would scratch them when nobody was around. If there was another person, she would fidget on the chair to ease the itchiness.¡± Janice scrunched her face as snovelxo fast updatehe told the story. Once she finished sharing her roommate¡¯s experience, Christian rested his gaze on Victoria¡¯s hip. He had a conflicted look as he was about to say something but instead, he frowned without a word. Victoria fidgeted one more time in difort as three people were staring at her with intense looks at the same time. ¡°I don¡¯t have them.¡± ¡°Then why were you not sitting properly just now?¡± The impression of Victoria having hemorrhoids was rooted in Janice¡¯s mind and nothing could change her decision. She began in a knowing tone, ¡°Since we¡¯re already at the hospital, you don¡¯t need to be shy. The sooner you begin the treatment, the sooner you¡¯ll recover. Let¡¯s go! I¡¯m with you on this!¡± Victoria didn¡¯t feel like exining the reason, but she wasn¡¯t really going to see the doctor on a non- existent matter too. She grasped the hem of her shirt as she told the excuse. ¡°I have a mosquito bite on my hip. I¡¯m not having the hemorrhoids.¡± Whining about the mosquitoes showing up in such weather, Janice let the topic of hemorrhoids slip. Victoria sighed in relief and remembered not to move even a little bit on their way to the restaurant. She stuck close to the door all the time, regretting her choice to join Janice at dinner. When the four almost arrived at their destination, Matthew noticed a few cars in front of him tailgated, so he hit the brakes to avoid the same fate. Matthew and Janice were safe in their seats with the aid of seat belts when the car suddenly halted, but Victoria in the back seat wasn¡¯t. Her body fell forward to the chair in front of her in momentum. She reacted in time as she reached out her hands involuntarily and rested them on the front seat to avoid the crash. Atst, she indeed avoided her fate of hitting her head hard, as her forehead stopped at less than one centimeter from the front seat. To her surprise, there was a long hand of a man between her eyes and her hands. At the moment, its palm was resting on her forehead for protection. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Victoria was stunned for a moment before she turned to look at the hand¡¯s owner. Christian was protecting her forehead with his hand, but he allowed his own head to crash on the front seat. There was a conspicuous red spot on his forehead, and she couldn¡¯t help but think he hurt himself badly. ¡°I¡¯m grabbing the seat to avoid crashing into the front seat. I wasn¡¯t trying to protect you. Don¡¯t delude yourself.¡± He tilted his head to cast her a quick nce before he drew his hand away. Curling his fingers as the tips grazed at each other, he could feel the faint heat from her body on them. In the front seats, Janice rested one of her hands on her hip while another was pointing at Matthew, using him of his poor driving skills. Meanwhile, the man gestured at the cars in front of them with a resigned look, trying to exin. None of them had noticed what happened to the passengers in the back seats. Even if Christian didn¡¯t im his stance, Victoria had never thought of another reason. She drew her gaze away and hummed in understanding before the silence hung in the air. Before this, Christian was staring straight in front, but he couldn¡¯t focus and his body was straightened up. Hearing her reply with only a hum, he furrowed his brows and dropped his shoulders. Leaning backward at the chair, he couldn¡¯t make out the reason for the frustration building in his chest. The ident in front wasn¡¯t as serious as they thought. Since the car owners settled the matter between them, the flow of traffic began to smooth out like before. At first, Janice wouldin about the clients of the agency to Matthew. As she slowly shifted her focus to the mobile game on her phone and stopped talking, the car fell into silence. The silence made the repressing atmosphere in the car ever more insufferable. Sticking close to the door on her side, Victoria was feeling both mentally and physically ufortable as time passed at a slow pace. The car finally rolled to a stop, and she could already feel the soreness on her neck. She reached out to the back of her neck and gave it a massage as she studied their destination before her, which was a street where restaurants of different cuisines were located. ¡°There are a few restaurants I¡¯ll rmend to try out here. We can choose from the cajun shrimp, grilled fish, Sichuan cuisine, Japanese cuisine, or the noodle house. Which one do you like?¡± Matthew turned to Janice, his eyes full of tenderness. She was already drooling and her eyes were sparkling with excitement. ¡°Can I have all of them?¡± He tapped her forehead with his fingers before he steered his attention toward Victoria. ¡°Mis Coleman, the dinner is our token of apology to you, so you should decide our menu tonight.¡± ¡°Cajun Shrimp.¡± No lights were on inside the car when Victoria threw a nce at Christian¡¯s injured leg from the corner of her eye. Among the dim lights, her lips curled in amusement as she decided on a restaurant that didn¡¯t serve food suitable for a patient. Matthew clicked his tongue as he shot the passengers in the backseats with a mocking look. After he found a spot to park, he led the others toward the said restaurant. The lights were illuminating the night after the sun went down. As the nightlife was yet to begin, there weren¡¯t many people on the street. After the group found the target, the restaurant owner told them the bad news of all private rooms being upied at the moment but they could choose to cater there without waiting at the cost ofck of privacy. Janice was a hothead, so she agreed with the suggestion without hesitation as she pointed to a table for four people in the middle. ¡°Let¡¯s sit over there.¡± Victoria was used to eating in a private room or the corner seat, but she only pursed her lips without any contradiction when she saw the table Janice was pointing at. ¡°It feels stressful to eat in the middle. We¡¯ll sit at the table in the southeast.¡± Christian cast her a look before he headed toward the table for six people in the said direction. Matthew had no opinions on it, so he followed behind Christian to the table. Janice stomped her feet in anger and harrumphed to express her unwillingness before she joined Victoria to walk over there and take a seat. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Christian told me that Miss Coleman likes the Cajun Shrimp before, but I didn¡¯t quite believe him at that time.¡± When the group was ordering their food, Matthew threw a topic at Victoria for conversation. ¡°I can see he was speaking the truth.¡± Taken aback by the statement, she cast a quick nce at Christian subconsciously, but she turned her attention back to the menu in front of her without a reply. Christian pursed his lips. ¡°I¡¯ll remember the food preferences of the people around me as a habit. You like French cuisine, my mother likes sweet and sour food, and¡­¡± He stopped for a moment and added another sentence on purpose. ¡°Be has a light taste.¡± As he finished his words, he sneakily threw a nce at Victoria. Even though Christian was answering Matthew, Victoria knew the words wereing for her. There was no other meaning than implying that she wasn¡¯t a special person in his heart. She curled her lips mockingly before she raised her head to the waiter and ordered the food, ¡°Twelve creamy garlic scallops. More garlic, please.¡± Christian disliked garlic and couldn¡¯t bear it even if he was only smelling them. He remained with a neutral expression like he usually was when he heard the order while Matthew couldn¡¯t help but turn to Victoria with a troubled look. ¡°Victoria, are you sure you can finish twelve of them?¡± Victoria chuckled, but her tone remained casual. ¡°I¡¯ll take them home if I can¡¯t finish.¡± Not long after they ordered their food, a female voice that didn¡¯t bother to hide her disdain from the exit reached them. ¡°What kind of food can this shabby shop serve us? Are you sure the hygiene is guaranteed?¡± It was none other than Scarlett. It was none other than Scarlett. After that, they heard Be¡¯s gentle voice. ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t you like Cajun Shrimp the most? Since this restaurant has good ratings, why don¡¯t you try it out first? We can switch restaurants if you don¡¯t like them.¡± Victoria was sitting at a spot where she only needed to raise her head to see the situation at the entrance. At first, the waiters at the door were smiling professionally, but their smiles faded a little after they heard the harshments.novelxo fast update Scarlett came into Victoria¡¯s view first, followed by Be in her wheelchair, and Lucas, who was pushing the wheelchair. The waiter was trying to persuade them that the restaurant was serving delicious food and that its hygiene was guaranteed. However, Scarlett made a disgusted look after she grazed her finger on the table near her. ¡°You can go somewhere bigger if you¡¯re not happy with the size of the restaurant. What¡¯s the point of degrading them?¡± Janice mmed her hands on the table as she rose to her feet and yelled at the woman. ¡°You haven¡¯t spent even a penny, but you think of yourself as a V.I.P. Do you have no shame?¡± Her remarks caught the trio¡¯s attention. Scarlett¡¯s expression changed and she was about to strike back, but Be interrupted, ¡°Miss Mooney, you misunderstood the situation. Scarlett is only prioritizing hygiene. She didn¡¯t mean to cause difficulties to others.¡± Janice¡¯s expression sank but she decided against engaging in a quarrel. Lucas¡¯ gaze skipped over the others andnded on Victoria. Then, a longing yetplicated look emerged on his face. When his eyes shifted to Christian, who was sitting next to her, his expression was reced by a look of conspicuous anger and disdain. Victoria ignored Lucas¡¯ gaze as she poured a ss of free orange juice provided by the restaurant for herself. Taking a sip, she didn¡¯t taste the expected sourness or sweetness, but the bitterness of the situation that even found a way to drench deep into her soul. ¡°My friend is a straightforward person. I apologize to you if her words offended you. Please forgive us.¡± Be looked at the two waiters and spoke with sincerity. The waiters epted her apology as Be wasn¡¯t only pretty, she also spoke gently and was showing a good attitude. They then exined to the group, ¡°The private rooms are full. You need to wait about one hour if you want to eat in the private room, but you can order now if you decide to eat here.¡± Scarlett wasn¡¯t pleased with the options, but she decided to keep her silence. Victoria sneered when nobody¡¯s attention was on her. If she had never experienced the ident two years ago, she would have been deceived by Be like the waiters and had a good impression of her. ¡°We know the customers over there, so we¡¯ll join them.¡± Be smiled at the waiters and gently informed them. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 The waiters immediately agreed with Be¡¯s suggestion before both of them meticulously wiped the table and chairs clean for Scarlett, who was said to be prioritizing hygiene. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Moving around in her wheelchair, Be came over to Victoria¡¯s table and curled her lips. ¡°Christian, do you mind if we add another table here?¡± He didn¡¯t respond and only cast a nce at Matthew. ¡°Forgive me, Miss Spritz.¡± Matthew pushed his sses up as he shot her a smile and exined, ¡°Today¡¯s dinner is my treat, but I don¡¯t feel like eating with strangers.¡± Be didn¡¯t get mad at his answer and instead, she spoke with a soft tone. ¡°I apologize for my rudeness. If you don¡¯t feel like eating with strangers, I shouldn¡¯t impose the idea on you. However, since I have the asion to meet you, may I have the pleasure to make Mr. Buckley¡¯s acquaintance?¡± ¡°Matthew Buckley.¡± Matthew stretched a hand out to her, the implication in his words obvious. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, Miss Spritz.¡± She chuckled as she held his hand. ¡°The name¡¯s Be Spritz. Your name precedes you, Mr. Buckley. It¡¯s too bad we¡¯re only meeting each other until today.¡± Watching the holding of hands with an intense gaze, Janice allowed her expression to fall and she harrumphed before she lowered her gaze and forcefully flipped the pages of the menu. Meanwhile, Lucas was sitting at another table and his gaze fixed on Victoria. Pretending not to notice him, she waited in anticipation for the waiter to serve her the order of twelve creamy garlic scallops. Then, she stood and ¡°thoughtfully¡± distributed two scallops on each te before Christian, Matthew, and Janice. Victoria took a bite before turning to Christian and said, ¡°The scallop tastes good, especially the garlic paste on it, which makes it taste even better. Mr. Thatcher, are you not trying it?¡± Janice swallowed hard at thement. After that, she took one of the scallops in front of her and tasted it. She nodded vigorously in agreement as the taste burst on her taste bud, and her eyes shone with excitement. Christian threw a nce at the scallop before he grabbed one and took a bite. His expression remained neutral the whole time. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± He finished the first one on his te both elegantly and quickly. Soon, he took another one to eat with a natural look. As Victoria looked at him eating with ease, something shed through her eyes and she found her portion unappetizing. Lucas was watching her all the time. When he saw her eagerly courting Christian, he pressed his thin lips into a line while his amber eyes seemed darker as they burned with anger. ¡°You¡¯ll never have her to yourself.¡± Scarlett was displeased to see him in such a condition. ¡°You¡¯ve been pursuing her for so long in the past, but she never fell for you. Are you dreaming she¡¯ll reciprocate your feelings all of a sudden?¡± Her voice wasn¡¯t loud nor low, but enough for the people at the table next to them to hear. Victoria was pretending not to hear that as she finished the scallops. Christian¡¯s eyes darkened in thought as he darted a nce at Lucas without thetter noticing him, his motion slowing down. Scarlett hit a nerve, and Lucas drew his gaze back with a livid look. ¡°Scarlett, do you agree with these dishes?¡± Be turned to Scarlett and asked softly, ¡°Do you want to add anything?¡± Scarlett didn¡¯t get off with the opportunity even when Be tried to ease the atmosphere. A half smile was hanging on her face as she remarked, ¡°No need for that. I¡¯m tired of his nonsense. I don¡¯t have the appetite.¡± ¡°Wow! Victoria, the baked honey chicken wings are super delicious! You should try them.¡± Janice took a bite of the chicken wing, and her eyes were sparkling in amusement. She handed over one of them to Victoria, as if showing her greatest treasure. Victoria did as told. The chicken wing was indeed sweet but not overly sweet, and the meat was tender, indicating it was nicely baked. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s very good.¡± Christian noticed her glistened lips due to the oil from the chicken wing and swallowed hard before he served himself one. ¡°How does she summon the authority to show up in public after she failed to seduce a man and ended up being thrown out of the room? Does she have no shame?¡± Scarlett was furious and lost her appetite, but she was even more furious seeing Victoria enjoying the food. Besides, the fianc¨¦ she was engaged to recently was also thinking about Victoria, and it upset her. Victoria¡¯s expression sank at the remark. Clenching her fists, she put the food down and tried her best to contain her anger without retorting. ¡°Shut up. Now isn¡¯t the time for this.¡± Lucas frowned as he scolded Scarlett. She sneered before she mocked him, ¡°Are you mad because I talk bad about your crush? You should already give up on your dream. Don¡¯t you know she will choose a man who broke her leg and threw her out when she had no clothes on over you?¡± He used some force and squashed the menu. He hung his head low without a word, but he was clenching his fists tightly while the prominent arteries on his neck were pulsing, making him look enraged. Scarlett¡¯sments of ¡°broke her leg¡± and ¡°threw her out when she had no clothes¡± were repeating themselves in Victoria¡¯s mind uncontrobly. She pursed her lips as she felt her body shake. ¡°Victoria, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Janice stared at her in confusion. Victoria didn¡¯t deign to answer the question as she quickly rose to her feet as she held onto a te. Her expression was more gloomy than ever. She couldn¡¯t care less if she offended a member of the Palmer Family as her situation wouldn¡¯t be worse. After all, she wasn¡¯t even afraid of death. She couldn¡¯t care less if she offended a member of the Palmer Family as her situation wouldn¡¯t be worse. After all, she wasn¡¯t even afraid of death. Before Victoria could flip the te over Scarlett¡¯s head, Christian stood and pressed a hand on her shoulder to force her to fall back on her seat. ¡°Is this how the Palmer Family educated you? To speak ill about someone in public?¡± Scarlett wasn¡¯t expecting Christian to stand up for Victoria. She furrowed her brows as her expression changed. ¡°I spoke hastily, so I didn¡¯t mind mynguage. Please forgive me if I offended you, Mr. Thatcher.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to forgive you?¡± He chuckled, but there wasn¡¯t a hint of amusement in his eyes.novelxo fast update She was taken aback by his reaction before her expression sank deeper. Usually, a person would save another¡¯s face in public, as most of them were meeting regrly. Lucas frowned and stood next to Scarlett, barely containing the boiling anger in his eyes. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, you¡¯re a grown man. You don¡¯t have to make the situation more difficult for a woman.¡± ¡°Well, I apologize for not being macho like Mr. Spritz.¡± Christian watched the pair before him, his gaze was unreadable. ¡°Men and women are the same in my standard. I treat them equally.¡± Janice poked Victoria in secret to gain her attention and whispered, ¡°Is the Ice Man standing up for you? He looks more handsome and less insufferable right now. ¡± Victoria didn¡¯t want to answer her. She perked her head up and watched him for a moment before she put the te aside and continued to enjoy the chicken wing. Be sighed in resignation before she chimed in as she directed the conversation at Scarlett. ¡°Scarlett, Christian only broke Victoria¡¯s leg because she broke mine in an ident first.¡± She cast a sympathetic look at Victoria as her story went on. ¡°Even when he threw Victoria out when she wasn¡¯t wearing anything, it was because Vincent drugged him and she tried to seduce him. He had to do that as he wasn¡¯t given a choice. Your statement was putting him in the position of victimizer instead of the victim he is supposed to be. How could he not be angry with you?¡± Lucas fell back to his seat, and his expression kept changing. Various feelings such as furious, impulsiveness, distress, and guilt were building inside his heart. None of them were willing to back off as if the feelings were trying to burst his chest open in the end. As their two tables had the most people and all of them looked like they came from wealthy families, the assistant manager had assigned a few waiters to attend to their needs at any time. As the waiters heard Be¡¯s side of the story, their eyes all darted to Victoria and they did not hide their detest. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Victoria was used to such looks shot at her and she knew that she would never be able to ovee Be¡¯s scheming methods. Suddenly, Victoria spat out the chicken bone and replied, ¡°No.¡± Janice was stunned to hear that. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not standing up for me. He¡¯s just doing that to stand up for himself,¡± Victoria responded. Christian lowered his head and shot a look at Victoria. He could only see the top of her head and he frowned slightly as he retracted his gaze. ¡°Scarlett, you should apologize to Christian. He¡¯ll forgive you; he¡¯s not an unreasonable person,¡± Be advised Scarlett in a low voice. Subsequently, Be turned to look at him. ¡°Christian, Scarlett was angered by my brother¡¯s action and that¡¯s why she spoke so rudely. Could you forgive her for my sake? I¡¯ll make sure she apologizes to you. Perhaps you could let things slide this time? How does that sound?¡± ¡°Well, that is eptable to me,¡± Christian replied. Be heaved a sigh of relief and signaled to Scarlett. Scarlett was just about to apologize to Christian when he suddenly spoke up in advance, ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to me, but you should apologize to her. If she forgives you, then I won¡¯t pursue this matter any further.¡± He pointed at Victoria. As soon as Scarlett saw that, her expression changed instantly and she revealed an unpleasant look. Victoria froze slightly as she lifted her head to look at Christian. At times, she was not too sure what was going on in his mind; one good example would be right now. In the past, he had caused Victoria¡¯s broken limb because of Be, so Victoria had assumed that he was deeply infatuated with Janice. However, ever since Veronica got out of prison, the things that she saw and heard seemed to prove otherwise. Christian¡­ I honestly don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do. At that point, the smile on Be¡¯s face froze, but she rposed herself quite naturally soon enough. ¡°Christian, not only would Scarlett be offended, I find it over the top for you to say so as well.¡± ¡°Victoria knew that we¡¯re about to get engaged, and she also knew that Lucas and Scarlett were too, but she drugged you to seduce you and became entangled intimately with Lucas. She was the one who did something wrong and owed an apology to Scarlett. Scarlett was just recounting the facts as the victim, so why does she need to apologize to Victoria?¡± The waitstaff stood by the side and kept their heads lowered. They did not dare to openly specte, but they listened intently to the conversation and their contempt towards Victoria grew at that moment. ¡°Hah!¡± Christian sneered coldly and nced sideways at Be. ¡°I do recall mentioning to you that our family doesn¡¯t need to form a marriage alliance.¡± Instantly, Be, who had her hands on herp, gripped her top tightly and her delicate face turned as pale as a sheet. ¡°As for Mr. Spritz¡­¡± Christian walked over to stand in front of Lucas and ced a hand on his shoulder before staring coldly at him. ¡°He was the one who persistently went after Victoria, not the other way round, am I wrong?¡± As soon as the waitstaff heard that, they were in shock. Both their recounts were clearly at odds with each other, so which one was the truth? ¡°Why are you guys just standing by the side? Come over and help me. Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m busy here?¡± The manager noticed the tiff between the two tables and was worried that the waitstaff would find out more than what they were supposed to. To prevent any offenses happening, he quickly gestured for them toe over to his side. Be smiled and was about to reply to Christian, but Lucas interjected and stood up abruptly. He wore a thunderous look on his face as he responded, ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Subsequently, he did not bother to cast eyes on anyone as he strode out of the door. ¡°Lucas Spritz!¡± Scarlett yelled at his back, but he did not bother to respond; he did not even pause in his tracks and walked directly out of the restaurant. Her eyes were red-rimmed from the immense anger and she attempted to go after him. After taking a few steps forward, she retreated and apologized to Victoria quite unwillingly. She spoke through clenched teeth, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is all my fault today. Is that enough?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t keep an eye on your man, then you should reflect on yourself. Stop ming me for every sh*tty thing that happens whenever an inconvenience pops up. What a repulsive act.¡± Victoria nced at Scarlett and uttered slowly. Angered by the rebuttal, Scarlett saw Christian from the side of her eyes before she took a deep breath. ¡°Okay! Can I leave now?¡± she said with a reddened face. ¡°I never stopped you from leaving,¡± Victoria responded calmly.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Scarlett red at Victoria and said to Christian, ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way now. I¡¯ve got something else on.¡± With that, Scarlett scampered out and went after Lucas. As for Be, she shot a hurt look at Christian. ¡°Christian, I¡¯ll be on my way then. Don¡¯t forget to avoid seafood and spicy food. It¡¯s bad for your wound.¡± However, Victoria piped up before he could respond, ¡°Miss Spritz, could you hold on for a minute?¡± Be bit her lip. ¡°Do you want me to apologize on your behalf to Scarlett?¡± Janice signaled to Matthew by the side and whispered something to him as she nced at Be from time to time. Victoria replied, ¡°Miss Spritz, if you can¡¯t tell what¡¯s on my mind, then stop making random guesses. Your smart*ss behavior and the way you speak are repulsive to me.¡± She pursed her lips and continued, ¡°I stopped you from leaving to inform you that from now on, I don¡¯t want to hear you starting your sentence with ¡®Although Victoria¡¯s my friend¡¯. Each time I hear that, I get so disgusted that I lose my appetite for the rest of the day.¡± She pursed her lips and continued, ¡°I stopped you from leaving to inform you that from now on, I don¡¯t want to hear you starting your sentence with ¡®Although Victoria¡¯s my friend¡¯. Each time I hear that, I get so disgusted that I lose my appetite for the rest of the day.¡± ¡°Well, I guess someone of high standards would not think this way, but I can¡¯t help it if someone¡¯s petty.¡± Be smiled resignedly. ¡°Since you refuse to be my friend, then it would be unwise to force you. I¡¯ve got something else on, so I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± She turned to look at Christian intently and there was a hurt look in her eyes.novelxo fast update However, Christian had already taken a seat minutes ago and he was currently eating a honey-zed chicken wing elegantly, not bothered to nce in her direction. Janice tugged Victoria¡¯s sleeve while munching on something, so she ended up mumbling to her, ¡°She said you¡¯re petty¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Victoria responded nonchntly. Meanwhile, Be noticed that Christian did not even bother to look at her and she heaved a despondent sigh before shifting her wheelchair and making a move to leave. At that moment, Matthew lifted his brows and asked perfunctorily, ¡°Miss Spritz, it must be quite inconvenient to be in a wheelchair. Do you need my help?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need any help, thanks.¡± Be replied politely, ¡°There are plenty of kind souls in this world.¡± Matthew had merely offered out of courtesy, so he went along appeasingly upon hearing her words. ¡°Miss Spritz, you¡¯re stunning; in this world where looks are currency, you would definitely be widely sought after.¡± Be smiled demurely and nced at Christian before rolling her wheelchair toward the door. ¡°Are you here by yourself?¡± Be had not traveled too far when a young waiter came forward to greet her enthusiastically. ¡°It must be inconvenient for you. Allow me to escort you outside,¡± he offered with compassion. Victoria lifted her head and noticed Be thanking the waiter. Instantly, the man blushed bright red on his fair and handsome face as his eyes shone brightly. At that sight, Victoria could not help but chuckle ironically before continuing her meal. If it was not because of that traffic ident, perhaps Victoria would never have realized Be¡¯s true colors at all. At that point, Victoria wondered how many others were as oblivious as her old self and was spellbound by the sincere, kind, and beautiful front that Be put up. After the meal, they paid for the bill before exiting the restaurant. Matthew and Christian walked side-by-side behind the girls. Suddenly, Matthew stopped and asked, ¡°Christian, is that blood on the hem of your trousers? Is iting from your wound?¡± Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 As soon as Janice heard that, she stopped in her tracks abruptly and ran over to stand in front of the two guys. She lowered her head to take a look at Christian¡¯s hem. If she was not intimidated by him, she would have been so tempted to pull up his hem and take a look at the wound. However, Victoria continued to move forward without stopping at all and she headed in the direction of the car by herself without giving a toss about what was going on behind. Christian watched her disappearing figure and he frowned slightly before replying, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Matthew followed his gaze and looked in the same direction. He lifted his brows slightly and strode over to stand in front of Victoria as he stopped her in her tracks. ¡°Miss Coleman, I¡¯ve got to send Janice back and I have some work to deal with at the firm, so I can¡¯t spare the time to send Christian to the hospital. Could you apany him to get his wound checked out at the hospital?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he just say he¡¯s fine?¡± Victoria responded calmly. Matthew overtook her and spared a look at Christian before coughing mildly. ¡°Christian, your wound¡¯s started to bleed again. I think you should get it checked at the hospital to prevent anyplications. What do you say?¡± Pausing for a moment, Christian acted naturally as he nced at Victoria, who was standing not too far from them. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve got an early shift tomorrow morning, so I don¡¯t have time either. See you.¡± After Victoria said that, she did not give Matthew a chance to convince her to stay as she instantly hailed a cab and hopped onto it. As soon as she shut the car door, Janice swiftly entered the car from the other side and wound down the window to say to Matthew joyfully, ¡°Sir, since you¡¯re busy, then there¡¯s no need to send me home. I¡¯ll catch a cab with Victoria.¡± Subsequently, she said to Christian softly and solemnly, ¡°See you, Mr. Thatcher.¡± The man did not respond at all as he merely directed his dark, moody eyes on Victoria¡¯s side profile inside the car. He pursed his thin lips and there seemed to be a turbulent look in his eyes. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Inside the car, Victoria did not bother to spare him a nce or say anything to him despite sensing his gaze on her. ¡°Miss Mooney, where are you headed?¡± She turned to look at Janice by her side. Janice hastily replied, ¡°Town Hall; I¡¯ll get off at the¡­ the Town Hall Station!¡± ¡°Sir, we would like to head to the Town Hall Station first and then to Delta Club next, thanks.¡± Victoria leaned over and moved past Janice to wound up the window on Janice¡¯s side. The driver affirmed loudly and started the ignition soon after that. Subsequently, their car disappeared at the first intersection. Christian finally retracted his gaze after seeing the cab disappear from his view and he instinctively moved his right index finger he had ced by the side of his trousers. ¡°Do you still want to go to the hospital?¡± Matthew stretched and shifted his sses before asking. However, Christian headed in the direction where the car was parked and left Matthew staring at his back. ¡°It¡¯s just some blood. I¡¯m not going to die from that.¡± ¡°Okay, you¡¯re the one who refuses to go, so don¡¯t me me for being cruel then.¡± Matthew strode forward and caught up with the man as he ced his hand on Christian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Christian, let¡¯s continue the topic we didn¡¯t get to finish earlier on. As one of the topwyers in town, I have a simple wish, which is to seek the in truth.¡± They had been discussing the reason Christian and Victoria had fallen out, but before Matthew obtained an answer, Janice had barged into the room. ¡°Unlock the door.¡± Christian was already standing by the side of the Mercedes-Benz and he frowned as he turned to Matthew. Fishing out his car keys, Matthew opened the car door before entering the driver¡¯s seat. Meanwhile, Christian walked over to the other side and sat in the front passenger seat. ¡°Christian, what did Victoria do to you two years ago? You didn¡¯t tell me and I¡¯ve had so many random spections about it the entire day.¡± Matthew was not in a rush to drive off, so he tilted his head and asked. Meanwhile, Christian¡¯s handsome face darkened slightly. The lights inside the car were off and there was only some faint reflection of the bright lights outside. Since it was dim inside the car, it was hard to see Christian¡¯s expression. However, based on their long-standing friendship, Matthew tactfully stopped asking and shifted his sses before adding solemnly, ¡°If you find that you¡¯re still unable to move on, then you should forgive her for her previous mistakes. Otherwise, why would you torment yourself this way?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡± Christian frowned and replied without hesitating. Matthew smiled and leaned over abruptly to unclench the first two buttons on Christian¡¯s top; it revealed the pendant that he was wearing on his neck. ¡°How do you exin this, then? I remember that b*stard Vincent spent a huge amount and won the bid on an exact same one as this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidental resemnce.¡± Christian¡¯s eyes flickered at that moment. Even he himself could not quite exin why he had to lie about such a trivial thing. Matthew harrumphed, ¡°Stop lying! The first time I saw Victoria, she had that on her neck, but now it¡¯s gone. What are the odds that you obtained the exact same one after hers disappeared? I don¡¯t believe in such coincidences!¡± Hearing that, Christian frowned and remained silent as he pursed his lips. ¡°You can¡¯te up with a rebuke, huh? You¡¯re just being¡ª¡± It was very rare for Matthew to have the chance to mock Christian, so he was about to ramble on when someone suddenly knocked on his car window. With no choice but to let Christian off the hook for the time being, Matthew wound down his window and there were two traffic policemen standing outside. Matthew shifted his gold-rimmed sses and behaved as a topwyer would. ¡°How can I help?¡± Matthew shifted his gold-rimmed sses and behaved as a topwyer would. ¡°How can I help?¡± The two traffic policemen exchanged looks with each other and there was an awkward expression on their faces. Subsequently, the older-looking man cleared his throat and stated, ¡°You¡¯re in a public space right now. Everyone can see what you¡¯re doing, including the passersby.¡± As soon as he said that, he shot a furtive look at Christian, who had his chest bared slightly, before shaking his head. At that point, Matthew was stunned in ce and significantly speechless. ¡°If the two of you can¡¯t help yourselves, then you could proceed to a motel nearby. If you¡¯re novelxo fast updatejust trying to seek excitement, then you should go somewhere deserted. This is a public space, so please watch your behavior,¡± the older man continued to mention this before leaving with the other man. The younger man¡¯s voice rang out along with the breeze, ¡°No wonder my sister is alwaysmenting about how hot men are always gay¡­¡± Matthew was at a loss for words as he thought, What the heck?! Meanwhile, Christian silently moved away from Matthew. With an awkward expression, Matthew exined, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you at all.¡± Subsequently, he started the ignition and no longer continued the topic, which was awfully awkward for them. ¡°If you can¡¯t move on from Victoria, then consider your actions before you make a move. If you keep offending her like this, you¡¯ll definitely regret this in the future.¡± As a response, Christian took off the pendant and toyed with it in his hands. The reflective light hit his face and there was an inconspicuous sh of troubled look in his eyes that disappeared soon enough. Matthew sent him back to Thatcher Residence and left immediately after that. Before Matthew left, he instructed Christian not to put up a tough front and that he should go to the hospital if the pain in his feet became too much to handle. In the living room, Evelyn was sitting on the couch; the usuallyposed and elegant woman was currently dejected and her eyes were red-rimmed. ¡°Did you have a fight with Dad?¡± Christian shot a look at her before asking. She smiled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly a fight. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Before she could even finish her sentence, she was choked up with emotions as the tears streamed down her face after which she tried to cover her face awkwardly. ¡°Wipe your tears.¡± Christian took out a handkerchief and handed it to her before taking a seat on the couch across from her. Evelyn wiped her tears and took several minutes to regain herposure before replying, ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. Tracy felt aggrieved during her stay with us, so she phoned your dad toin. Then, he called me up to say that if sheined to him one more time, he would divorce me instantly.¡± Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Christian lowered his eyes, but there was a turbulent look in them. ¡°Your dad reckons that you¡¯re no longer a young man, so he wants you to marry Be as soon as possible. What do you think about that?¡± Other than a pair of slightly reddened eyes, Evelyn looked no different than usual. He looked up and nced at her before speaking coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll make the decisions regarding my personal matters myself and he¡¯s got no right to interfere. If he calls you to pester you, then tell him to give me a call. I¡¯ll sort things out with him.¡± He paused and mentioned with a sneer, ¡°As for a divorce, do you think that he would be able to make that decision?¡± Evelyn was tickled by his words as she smiled. ¡°He would be able to make that decision, but he would have to decide whether he could choose Tracy over the Thatcher Family fortune.¡± The Thatcher Family had businesses that were passed on from generations earlier while the West Family had an influence in politics and militia. The marriage alliance of the two families was one that benefitted both parties and neither of them gained an advantage over the other. If her husband actually divorced her because of Tracy, the Thatchers would definitely end up in disrepute. By then, Old Mr. Thatcher would be the first person to object strongly. If he was displeased by that, then it would basically be impossible for George to inherit the family fortune. ¡°If he was able to forsake the family fortune, then he wouldn¡¯t have dragged things on with you up till now.¡± A mocking look appeared in Christian¡¯s eyes. Hearing that, Evelyn could not contain the sh of dejectedness in her eyes as she smiled. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s not talk about that.¡± The smile on her face diminished slightly as she continued solemnly, ¡°I heard from the others that you kicked Tori out of the room in a stark naked state?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± Christian frowned slightly and got up to walk over toward the spiral staircase. She rose to her feet as well as well and spoke while looking at his back. ¡°Christian, I¡¯m not too sure what happened between you and Tori, but your action of leaving her bare naked in the open has stripped her of her dignity. Aren¡¯t you gonna regret this in the future?¡± ¡°I will never regret my actions over someone who betrayed my trust!¡± He turned around and made himself clear. Caught by surprise, Evelyn took a moment before responding, ¡°Tori loves you so much, so how could she possibly betray you?¡± ¡°Dad loves Tracy very much too, but he married you and also has multiple flings out there.¡± Christian¡¯s dark eyes shed with intense emotions. The expression he maintained was normal as usual, but the pulsating vein on his neck looked ferocious as he held onto his silence. Just as he was about to turn and leave, Evelyn stopped him and said, ¡°Christian, whatever it is, I think that you two should talk it out face-to-face to prevent any misunderstandings; that¡¯s also to avoid any unnecessary regrets on your side in the future.¡± ¡°It¡¯s getting quitete, Mom. You should get some rest.¡± He made his way up the spiral staircase and left her looking at his lonely back. The cab arrived at the bus stop of the Town Hall and Janice bounded out of the car with a leap in her step. ¡°I¡¯ll head off now. See you!¡± ¡°See you,¡± Victoria responded calmly and tilted her head in the other direction. A charming middle-aged man was waiting by the entrance and Janice ran over to him joyfully. She clung to his arm affectionately and said something to him before entering the Town Hall. Clearly, they had a great father-daughter rtionship. At that moment, there was a sh of envy in Victoria¡¯s eyes. She used to have such a great rtionship with her father too, but then¡­ She chuckled self-deprecatingly and said to the driver, ¡°Sir, let¡¯s go.¡± Ten minutester, the cab pulled over in front of Delta Club and she alighted from the car upon payment. At the southern side of the entrance to Delta Club, a man and a woman were arguing while shoving each other. Since this was amon scene to happen at the club, Victoria was not going to do anything about it, so she strode ahead to enter Delta Club. However, as soon as she approached the duo, she suddenly heard the man say, ¡°Gabbie, I¡¯ve repented and broken up with her! Let¡¯s get back together, alright?¡± Victoria paused in her tracks and looked at the duo as she was not sure whether Gabbie was indeed Gabrielle. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business whether you¡¯ve broken up with her or not! Marvin, I¡¯m over you, so that¡¯s it between us! Let go of me!¡± It was Gabrielle¡¯s voice. Though the lights were dim, Victoria could clearly see that Marvin had no intention to let loose Gabrielle¡¯s hand. Pursing her lips, Victoria headed toward them. ¡°Gabrielle.¡± As soon as her voice rang out, Marvin, who had been gripping tightly onto Gabrielle¡¯s hand, instantly let go of her and distanced himself away. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Victoria came closer and finally saw the man¡¯s features much more clearly. He was dressed from top to bottom in designer wear and he looked rather good-looking. However, his face was currently flushed red, perhaps out of awkwardness. Gabrielle shot a look at her boyfriend, who was currently maintaining a distance from her, and a despondent look shed across her exquisitely made-up face. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Victoria nced at the slightly abashed man and asked, ¡°Do you need help?¡± Before Gabrielle could respond, Marvin frantically replied, ¡°Gabbie, I thought that I would be happy after breaking up with you, but I¡¯ve been missing you badly every moment since we broke up. Please give me another chance, Gabbie. Let¡¯s find a ce to talk things through.¡± In response, Gabrielle kept her head lowered as she fidgeted her fingers while maintaining her silence. In response, Gabrielle kept her head lowered as she fidgeted her fingers while maintaining her silence. ¡°If you insist on our breakup even after we¡¯vemunicated, then I won¡¯t persist in going after you.¡± He took a step forward and tugged on her hand tenderly. ¡°Gabbie, could you give me another chance, please?¡± It was evident that Gabrielle was on the fence as she bit her lip nervously. Subsequently, she turned to look at Victoria under Marvin¡¯s pleading eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been out here for quite some time now, Victoria. Could you help me ask Mr. Sharp for some time off?¡± Victoria affirmed and instructed Gabrielle to take care of herself before entering the club. It was 8.00PM, so the club was crowded with lively people. The staff members, regardless of whethnovelxo fast updateer they recognized Victoria or not, greeted her as soon as she walked in. Looking at the wary yet fawning and envious looks they gave her, Victoria found it both ironic and sad at the same time. She nodded perfunctorily at them and headed straight to the manager¡¯s office. She knocked on the door and waited for the person inside to respond before entering the room. The floor of the office was squeaky clean, but there were some nkets strewn messily on the couch with a lingering sweet but sweaty scent in the air. It was quite obvious what just went on inside the room. The newly appointed manager was currently seated at his desk and he wore a pair of dark-rimmed sses. He looked like an ordinary, unassuming middle-aged man. As Victoria studied the new manager furtively, he was also studying her intently. He found that she had a great figure and stunning features, but she looked unappealing standing there aloofly. There was a disinterested look that shed across his eyes, but he smiled and inquired, ¡°What¡¯s up? Do you have something urgent to tell me?¡± ¡°Gabrielle has some personal matters to attend to, so I¡¯vee over to apply for time off on her behalf.¡± The smell in the room was too disgusting and Victoria tried hard to stop herself from frowning. ¡°Is that so?¡± Mr. Sharp asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t shee and seek time off herself? Don¡¯t tell me that she committed an offense and she didn¡¯t dare to turn up to see me?¡± Victoria responded calmly, ¡°No, she has some personal matters to attend to at short notice, so she asked me for help.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± There was a long drawl to his voice as he asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± She was sinct in her reply. ¡°Victoria.¡± Stunned, he shot multiple looks at her and thought to himself, Oh, so she¡¯s Victoria. She waited for quite some time but never received a response. ¡°Mr. Sharp?¡± Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 ¡°Huh? Oh, did you say you wanted to apply for time off for Gabrielle? Okay, I¡¯ve made a note on that.¡± Mr. Sharp replied, ¡°Since you¡¯re the one who applied for her, I¡¯ll hold you ountable if anything happens to her.¡± He¡¯s an overly cautious man! Victoria nced at him while thinking to herself. Subsequently, she replied, ¡°Sure.¡± She turned around and walked out of the office. Just as she shut the door behind her, she could distinctly hear Daisy¡¯s voice from inside before she headed back to her dormitory. It was very normal for the female staff in the club to be in a physical rtionship with the manager, so Victoria did not think too much about the situation. She went back to her dorm and freshened up briefly as she prepared to do some self-pampering by applying a facial mask. At that moment, Gabrielle called to say that she would not be back tonight, so it was not necessary to wait up for her; Daisy stayed out the entire night too. Since Victoria was on night shift, she slept throughout the morning until she was woken up by a nightmare. She ced her phone on the charging dock and switched on the phone to check the time. It¡¯s 10.30AM¡­ and I have eight missed calls from Teresa. ¡°What¡¯s up, Teresa?¡± Victoria returned her calls. The anxiety was evident in Teresa¡¯s voice as she eximed, ¡°I called you up eight times, but your phone was switched off, so I thought that something bad had happened to you! I nearly barged into Delta Club just to look for you!¡± ¡°No, my phone died because the battery ran out.¡± Victoria rubbed her throbbing head. ¡°I¡¯m d that everything is fine.¡± A worried note persisted in Teresa¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s nothing urgent, but I called to find out how things are going for you. Vincent and I are worried¡­ After that episode the other day, we¡¯re worried that Christian would retaliate.¡± That day was precisely the night that she attempted to seduce Christian and ended up being kicked out by him. She tightened her grip on her phone and remained silent for a moment before responding, ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. You guys shouldn¡¯t worry about me.¡± She continued self-deprecatingly, ¡°I¡¯ve been remanded in prison for two years and nothing bad has happened to me. Surely, it¡¯s way morefortable in Delta than I was in prison.¡± As soon as Teresa heard that, her anxiety levels heightened. ¡°Tori¡­¡± ¡°If Christian has a problem with me, then I¡¯ll definitely give you a call so that you cane over with Vincent to stand up for me. How does that sound?¡± Victoria chuckled. Finally, Teresa relented reluctantly and gave some further instructions before hanging up the phone in a rush. As usual, Victoria went to work for her night shift; just as it was about time for her to clock out at 11.00PM, Mr. Sharp suddenly requested for her at his office. She knocked on the door before entering. ¡°Mr. Sharp, do you need me for something?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± he replied, ¡°Gabrielle skipped work today as well. You must be aware of that, right?¡± Victoria nodded. ¡°She mentioned that she didn¡¯t have your contact number, so she applied for time off from Miss Charlotte.¡± ¡°Yes, Charlotte mentioned to me that Gabrielle needed more time off, so don¡¯t panic. I was just asking out of curiosity.¡± Mr. Sharp shifted his sses as he hesitated with his words. Victoria ced both hands on her abdomen out of instinct and replied calmly, ¡°You can be frank if you¡¯ve got something to say.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll be frank then.¡± Mr. Sharp heaved a sigh. ¡°The day before yesterday, you went to see Mr. Thatcher and he kicked you out. Do you recall that matter?¡± Her eyes widened and there was a sheen of sweat on her nose. ¡°Yup.¡± What does he mean by that? ¡°Mr. Lambert held a party at the rooftop terrace today and Mr. Thatcher indicated that he wants you to clean up the area after the party ends.¡± Mr. Sharp shot a pitying look at her and emphasized with a slightly torn look. ¡°By yourself.¡± The rooftop terrace was huge and normally, there would be three to four cleaning staff assigned to the area and it would take more than two hours toplete the cleaning. However, there was less than one hour left before work ended for her, so this assignment given for her to clean the rooftop terrace by herself was clearly a stunt to make things hard for her. Mr. Sharp heaved a sigh upon noticing Victoria¡¯s silence and he mentioned sympathetically, ¡°I reckon that it¡¯s too much to get a feeble young woman like you to clean the entire rooftop terrace, but then¡­ These are instructions from the upper management and I don¡¯t get a say. I¡¯d appreciate your understanding of the tough position I¡¯m in.¡± Victoria pursed her lips and agreed softly. The hands she originally had ced on her abdomen were now hanging loosely by her sides as she frowned. ¡°Thanks for being considerate.¡± Mr. Sharp lifted his wrist to check the time and coughed mildly before saying, ¡°Mr. Lambert¡¯s party has ended, so you can start on the cleaning now.¡± Yet, she remained in ce. As soon as he saw that, he asked slightly impatiently, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°I wanna know if Mr. Thatcher personally gave instructions for me to clean the rooftop terrace. What¡¯s the actual situation?¡± Victoria emphasized the keyword as she looked squarely at him. For someone in Christian¡¯s position, if he showed even the slightest hint of displeasure toward her, his subordinates would fight for the chance to target her maliciously. In other words, he did not even have to give specific instructions personally for such a simple task. This was simr to how the previous manager had targeted her because of Christian; in truth, he did not even need to instruct the manager on what to do at all. If Mr. Sharp mentioned that Christian was the one who had given the specific instructions about this, then it was clear as sky that he was a liar. ¡°Huh?¡± The smile on Mr. Sharp¡¯s face froze and he revealed a forced smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank with you, then. Mr. Thatcher didn¡¯t give out the instructions for you to clean the rooftop terrace personally.¡± ¡°This morning, Charlotte sent me a text message on WhatsApp and she mentioned something to me. The gist of her words was that Mr. Thatcher was displeased with you, so I was expected to¡­¡± He did not reveal everything, but he nced at Victoria. ¡°Do you get it?¡± ¡°This morning, Charlotte sent me a text message on WhatsApp and she mentioned something to me. The gist of her words was that Mr. Thatcher was displeased with you, so I was expected to¡­¡± He did not reveal everything, but he nced at Victoria. ¡°Do you get it?¡± She affirmed gently and gripped her clothes tightly with her hands, which were loosely hanging against her body. She walked out of the office with tightly pursed lips. As she exited, she bumped into Daisy at the door.novelxo fast update ¡°Hmph!¡± Daisy snorted loudly and bumped hard against Victoria¡¯s shoulders before attempting to sashay into the manager¡¯s office. In return, Victoria sneered and swiftly stuck out her leg. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Thud! Daisy had her head stuck in the air and she did not look at where she was going, so Victoria managed to trip her falling headfirst to the ground. ¡°You had a nose job done, huh?¡± Victoria stood towering over Daisy and grimaced. ¡°Too bad if you had, then.¡± After Victoria said that, she ignored Daisy, whose eyes were raging with fire, and directly headed toward the staff room at the end of the corridor to grab the cleaning equipment. Daisy angrily mmed her fist on the ground but ended up hurting herself. She teared up from the intense pain and blewfortingly on her injured hand. ring angrily in the direction of Victoria¡¯s back, she let out a sinister smile. Just you wait and see how long you¡¯re gonna keep up this arrogance! Victoria took the cleaning equipment and went up to the rooftop terrace. She scanned the surroundings and her expression darkened. The food scraps that should have been on the table were all over the ground; the ss bottles were smashed to pieces all over the table and ground while cake icing was smeared all over the ce. The swimming pool that should have been crystal clear was filled with rubbish and it was a horrendous sight. She reckoned that she should drain the water from the pool and then wash it entirely. At that moment, she lifted her head to take a look at the looming dark clouds as she heaved a deep sigh. Without further ado, she grabbed the cleaning equipment and started cleaning. There were broken sses everywhere on the ground, so she made sure to pay more attention to the job. Even so, as she inserted the trash into the rubbish bag, she identally cut herself on some tiny pieces of the broken sses. Fortunately, the cuts were superficial and she did not bleed much. Finally, she managed to clear the trash on the ground before she mopped the floor sparkling clean. It had been more than two hours since Victoria had started on the job, so she was inevitably exhausted. Her neck, back, and limbs ached so badly and she felt as if her feet were leaden, rendering her impossible to take another step. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Victoria looked into the distance where bright lights illuminated the bustling city. It was so dazzling that it could easily captivate one¡¯s eyes, yet she could only feel numbness and disgust. Victoria looked into the distance where bright lights illuminated the bustling city. It was so dazzling that it could easily captivate one¡¯s eyes, yet she could only feel numbness and disgust. She massaged her sore calves before heading toward the pool in order to fish out the trash from the water into a stic bag. After unscrewing the drain plug, she dragged her exhausted body to clean up the pool while fighting through drowsiness. The night was chilly and it was cold to only wear a uniform. She rested the mop against herself before rubbing her palms and exhaling puffs of air. Click. Click. Click. Suddenly, the ttering sound of heels became louder amidst the dreaded silence on the rooftop. Victoria turned her head to see ady closing the door to the rooftop. Due to the dim lightning, she could only discern thedy¡¯s figure vaguely, but not the face. She frowned while shouting at thedy, ¡°Don¡¯t lock the door. I¡¯ll lock it after I finish up everything.¡± Yet, thedy merely raised her head to give Victoria a nce before locking the door. It was not until then did Victoria sense something amiss as she tossed the mop away and strode toward thedy. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Noticing Victoria¡¯s approach, thedy hurried up her pace. After locking the door, she ran away whereas Victoria dashed to the door with a frown. It would not open no matter how hard she pushed it. ¡°Is anyone there? Can anybody hear me? Is someone there? Anybody out there?!¡± She screamed from the bottom of her lungs, but received zero responses. Of course, since office hours were over, who would be here other than her and thedy? To make things worse, she left her phone in the dormitory because it happened to run out of battery. A wave of breeze blew. Due to the chill, she sneezed and clenched tightly onto her clothes. Although the cleaning was yet to be done, she was not in the mood to do that anymore. Like a car running out of fuel, she was all in and had no strength left. Thus, she pulled over a chair and took a seat. The night wind whisked stronger as thunder could be heard from afar. It seemed like it was going to pour soon. ¡­ It was 1.30AM, but Christian was wide awake in bed. He stared at the ceiling fromst night as Matthew and his mother¡¯s words kept ringing in his head. ¡°If you can¡¯t get over Victoria, you should think before you act in future. You¡¯ll regret it if you keep up your act!¡± ¡°Christian, I¡¯m not sure what happened between you and Tori, but it hurts her pride to be thrown out naked like this. Are you sure you¡¯re not going to regret it?¡± Why are they so sure that I¡¯m going to regret it? Do I appear to like Victoria to them? Even so, he thought otherwise. To him, she was just a pursuer that kept following him. Her betrayal incurred the wrath in him not because of how much she liked him, but merely because he hated it when someone fooled him. It was the same as how he hated his father for fooling his mother around. As to why he coveted her so much whenever Victoria revealed her true self at times when he actually bore no feelings to other women¡­ Christian got up from bed as his body was sweating due to frustration. Removing his pajamas, he revealed his slim waist and strong, broad shoulders before entering the shower. He was fully awake after a shower, but he had mixed feelings because of his thoughts earlier. With tightly knitted brows, he went into the study and took out a document. Yet, he could not read anything on the first page even after a long time as his head was filled with images of Victoria. Vexed, he threw the document onto the desk and dialed the number, which he contacted numerous times in these two years. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. From the other side of the line, the voice sounded rough since their sleep was disturbed in the middle of the night. ¡°Who are you? Why are you calling me at this hour¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Christian coldly interrupted. The man was in a daze for a moment before he became awake. ¡°Oh, Mr. Thatcher.¡± Christian hummed as the glint in his eyes dimmed and his fingers tapped on the desk. ¡°Any new clues about the car ident?¡± ¡­ Boom! The rumbling thunder resounded from the south as lightning cut through the sky. Bead-sized raindrops showered from the clouds, showcasing how heavy and strong the autumn rain was. Given there was no shelter on the rooftop, Victoria could only crouch under a desk to keep herself dry. It was fine at the beginning since only her shoes were drenched by the rain. However, the wind soon blew the raindrops toward her and her face hurt from all the pitter-pattering raindrops. Once her clothes were sodden, it was chilly to the bone whenever the wind blew. Due to the cold, her whole body shivered and she sneezed continuously. Looking at the seemingly endless rainfall, she wrapped herself with a ck stic bag before sprinting outside to grab another table, which sheter toppled to block the windy side. It was much better, but the raindrops kept falling upon her. Victoria waspletely soaked from head to toe as the raindrops trickled down from her cheeks into her clothes. Amidst the autumn wind, she hugged her knees with chattering teeth as her face turned pale. Why are they so sure that I¡¯m going to regret it? Do I appear to like Victoria to them? Since Christian broke her leg before, it began to hurt now that she was soaked in rain and exposed to the cold wind. Still, she was so used to the pain that she could still bear it with clenching teeth. Half an hourter, the rain subsided, albeit pouring. Her paleplexion turned ghastly and her lips became purple. The cold sweat on her novelxo fast updateforehead mingled with the raindrops and flowed down. Akin to a soaked sponge, her chest was suffocating and rendered every breath difficult. Cough. Cough¡­ She covered her mouth and coughed out phlegms onto her palm. Stretching out her hand, she intended to wash her hand with the rain. However, she covered her mouth and coughed again before she was able to clean it. It hurts. It hurts so much. Her heart raced as her breathing became rapid; she was struggling to breathe in oxygen like a fish exposed to the hot sun. Cough! Cough! Cough! She attempted to calm the cough, but in vain. She coughed vigorously and the phlegm from her throat filled her palm. She spread her palm to look at the pinkish bubbles of phlegm; her pulmonary edema was rpsing. She had been suffering from it during her days in prison. Resting her hands on her chest, Victoria knew that it was possible for her to die at any moment. Still, she was not scared in the slightest. Instead, she squirmed out from beneath the table and teetered to the door and tried to open it. ¡°Anyone¡ª¡± She stopped after barely shouting a word from her throat. Next, she seated herself three feet away from the door, letting herself be drenched by the rain. God is giving me the chance to die naturally, so why should I waste it? Exhaustion must¡¯ve taken a toll on me. I must be out of my mind to shelter myself under the table. I should be drenched in the rain to either freeze myself to death or die from rpse. It¡¯s way much better than leading a sh*tty life from all the torture by Christian and Be. ¡°Christian Thatcher¡­ Cough¡­ You¡­ Cough¡­ Miscalcted¡­¡± Victoria cocked her head while gazing at the starry sky. In spite of the excruciating pain, she was beaming so brightly. Once her disease rpsed, she would die and need not suffer in this world anymore. Christian would not be able to make an excuse to put Vince in a tough position too. She scoffed. Finally, God has finally shown me mercy! I wonder if there¡¯s reincarnation in the afterlife. If there is, I don¡¯t wanna live as a human anymore. It¡¯s too painful. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 ¡°Victoria! Victoria, is that you? Victoria?¡± ¡°Victoria! Victoria, is that you? Victoria?¡± Just as Victoria¡¯s mind went hazy, she suddenly heard someone calling for her. Using every ounce of strength she had left, she opened her eyes to see a frantic Gabrielle beyond the ss door. Looking at Victoria¡¯splexion, Gabrielle became anxious. ¡°Victoria, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re scaring me. I¡¯ll open the door right away!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Cough¡­ Don¡¯t¡­¡± Victoria intended to tell Gabrielle not to bother her, but she could not stop coughing whenever she spoke due to the umted phlegm in her throat. As such, she failed to even throw those two words out. Agitated, Gabrielle¡¯s face turned pallid. As she keptforting Victoria, she contacted Charlotte. ¡°Charlotte, Victoria is trapped on the rooftop. She¡¯s barely holding on. C-Could you rush here with the k-keys, please?¡± She was so anxious that she was at her wit¡¯s end. Tears were streaming down her cheeks before she knew it. After receiving a positive answer from Charlotte, Gabrielle hung up the phone and began to pace back and forth. ¡°Victoria, don¡¯t be afraid. You¡¯ll be fine. I think there¡¯s a fire extinguisher somewhere. I¡¯ll find it. Don¡¯t be afraid. Rx¡­¡± She began raving probably because she was too nervous and scared. Meanwhile, Victoria¡¯s breathing became rapid as her heart was beating profusely. She could not even utter a word without coughing vigorously first. The purple lips on her pale ghastly countenance darkened slightly. She was aware that she would leave the world just like that if she did not rush to the hospital right now. Nevertheless, she was not scared one bit. Rather, anticipation sparked in her. It was the exact same feeling during the time she spread her arms to wee the car. She was neither afraid of the existence of hell nor worried about the non-existence of heaven. At that moment, she was only hoping Gabrielle would be slow in finding the fire extinguisher and sending her to the hospital. That way, her wish would be granted¡ªshe could leave the world. However, things did not turn out as she wished. ng! The ordinary ss door at the rooftop was not that sturdy. It did not take Gabrielle too much strength to smash the ss upon finding a fire extinguisher. Ignoring the big cut on her arm, she lifted it and smashed on the door repeatedly. Then, she tossed it away and walked through the door frame toward Victoria. ¡°Victoria, I¡¯ve dialed 911. You¡­¡± She wiped off the tears from the corner of her eyes, but the blood on her hand stained her face. ¡°Hold on. Y-You¡¯ll be fine!¡± Suppressing the surging sensation in her throat, Victoria grabbed Gabrielle¡¯s hands while pleading, ¡°If you¡­ cough¡­ still see me as your friend, then¡­ Cough! Cough!¡± She began to cough vigorously and the rain washed away the bloody phlegm she just spat out. Horror filled Gabrielle¡¯s eyes. ¡°Victoria¡­ Victoria, y-you¡ª¡± ¡°Just let me¡­ cough¡­ die.¡± Victoria struggled to part her lips to beg, ¡°P-Please.¡± She had no lingering feelings for the world anymore; her sole wish was to leave this agonizing ce. Gabrielle¡¯s lips slightly parted as her body trembled under Victoria¡¯s pleading eyes. She wiped off the streak of blood from the corner of Victoria¡¯s lips with a quivering hand. At that moment, her eyes read dilemma and pain. ¡°Please¡ªCough! Cough! Cough!¡± Victoria sped tightly onto Gabrielle¡¯s hand; it was Gabrielle¡¯s first time seeing such strong determination from Victoria. Tears and raindrops mingled before flowing down Gabrielle¡¯s face, ruining her make-up. Even her long hair matted against her skin. Turning her head sideways, she could barely speak. ¡°I-I¡¯ll call the ambnce not to ce.¡± Joy twinkled in Victoria¡¯s eyes. Since she could not speak due to the cough, she smiled at Gabrielle while waiting for her imminent death in silence. Listening to Victoria¡¯s quick breathing and looking at her pale face and lips, Gabrielle could not rein back her curiosity. ¡°Victoria¡­ Victoria, is there really n-nothing for you to live on?¡± Victoria used every strength left to shake her head at Gabrielle. Vince and his wife could have been her drive to live on with her life. However, in the face of Christian¡¯s torture and humiliation, Be¡¯s betrayal and usation, as well as her parents¡¯ cold-shoulder and put- downs, that little strength was not enough to keep her strong. She wanted to die and that was her only wish right now. ¡­ It was 2:15AM when Christian received a call from Charlotte. Although the rain subsided, it was still pouring non-stop, eliciting a sense of unease in one. When Charlotte told him that Victoria could not hold on much longer, his mind went nk. Love, betrayal, marriage, and the car ident dissipated from his head. With wobbly legs, he sprang to his feet and dashed downstairs in his pajamas and sandals. ¡°Christian, I really like you. Can I be your bride in the future?¡± Suppressing the surging sensation in her throat, Victoria grabbed Gabrielle¡¯s hands while pleading, ¡°If you¡­ cough¡­ still see me as your friend, then¡­ Cough! Cough!¡± ¡°We grew up together and I heard that couples that grow up together will give birth to smart kids!¡± ¡°Christian, I¡¯ve told your mother that I¡¯m going to be her daughter-inw.¡± ¡°Is that a ¡®yes¡¯? I recorded it! You promised to get engaged with me! You can¡¯t take that back now! Bye!¡± ¡°Are you satisfied, Mr. Thatcher?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve broken one of my legs and sent me to prison for two years. The score is settled between us, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, I seduced you and recorded it to threaten you. Then, I¡¯ll be able to leave Delta Club.¡± Memories flooded into his head like a deluge. The image of the ever garrulous, bold Victoria and the reticent, meek Victoria coalesced before a voice rang in his head. She can¡¯t hold on much longer! Fear.novelxo fast update It was the fear he had never felt before. ¡°Mr. Thatcher? Are you alright?¡± A sleepy maid ran out. She rubbed her eyes while shing at Christian with her phone. His buzzing ears did not catch her words clearly and he was not in the mood to hear what she was asking either. He dragged his wobbly legs to sprint out of the manor. The maid shouted behind him frantically, ¡°Mr. Thatcher, where are you going at this hour? It¡¯s raining, Mr. Thatcher. Please take an umbre with you!¡± Still, his footsteps did note to a halt as he hopped into the car and drove it into the rainfall. With no other choice, the maid wiped the raindrops off her face before heaving a sigh. Due to themotion, Evelyn walked to the door in her nightgown and inquired, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. It seems like something urgent hase up. Mr. Thatcher ran into the rain and left in his pajamas and sandals.¡± The maid covered her crown while running to Evelyn. Since it was past 2.00AM in the middle of the night in addition to the rain, the road was basically empty. Christian stepped on the pedal and his quivering hands almost lost grip of the steering wheel. A lightning shed across the sky; one could see his tense face, the cold sweat on his forehead and the tip of his nose. The raindrops pattered against the windscreen, but the wiper could not wipe off the rushing wave of water. Although it was blurry to look out of the car, the car speed did not decrease. At this moment, there was only one single thought on his mind. Victoria must be safe! Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Christian ran the red light so many times along the way. Twenty-five minutester, he finally arrived at Delta Club. Christian ran the red light so many times along the way. Twenty-five minutester, he finally arrived at Delta Club. Huffing and puffing, he alighted from the car and received Charlotte¡¯s call before he reached the gates. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, we¡¯re at Alden Hospital. Victoria is in the emergency room right now.¡± He hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Pale-faced, he entered the car and drove to Alden Hospital at full speed. Right when he arrived at the hospital, two police officers came up to him politely. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, you¡¯ve run the red light thirty-six times. We will revoke your driving license and you gotta¡ª¡± ¡°Sorry, I have something urgent to attend to.¡± Christian¡¯s mind was nk and his ears were buzzing. He could not hear them clearly and he was not in the mood to listen to them either. As such, he shoved them away before hurrying to the elevator. Although it was 3.00AM, there were still a lot of people in the hospital. He was all drenched in his pajamas and sandals as his pathetic and weird state drew many eyes onto him. However, he was not bothered at all because he wished to reach the emergency room as fast as possible. There were quite a handful of people waiting in line for the elevator. He took a nce at them before heading for the stairs immediately. Skipping two to three flights of stairs at a time, he dashed all the way to the emergency room. The police officers exchanged nces and they trailed behind him dutifully. Outside of the emergency room stood Charlotte and Gabrie. Since they spent some time on the rooftop under the rain, their sodden clothes hugged their body and revealed their sexy curves. Noticing Christian¡¯s arrival, Gabrie jumped to her feet from the seat. With her hands tightly sped and her head hung low, she was feeling so guilty that she dared not speak. ¡°Mr. Thatcher.¡± Though getting drenched by the rain made one look pitiful, that was not the case for Charlotte as she became sexier. She approached him with knitted brows and every movement of hers was captivating. ¡°How¡¯s Victoria?¡± He did not notice the worry that seeped into his voice. ¡°She¡¯s in the emergency room. Her pulmonary edema and leg injury have rpsed, and the doctor said she¡¯s in bad shape.¡± She shook her head before averting her gaze at the police officers attractively. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The youngsters flushed instantly at her nonchnt nce. One of them stammered on his words as he expounded, ¡°We received a report t-that someone was speeding i-in the district. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Her gaze swept across Christian¡¯s pajamas and sandals. While kneading her brows, she responded to the officers, ¡°Mr. Thatcher doesn¡¯t have the time for that at the moment. It¡¯s inconvenient to talk about this outside of the emergency room too. Pleasee this way.¡± That works too. As such, the officers followed her to the opposite direction of the emergency room. In the meantime, Christian stood still outside of the ER and stared at the ring red sign of ¡¯emergency¡¯, which was somehow a sore to the eyes. The doctor said she¡¯s in bad shape. What does that mean? His limbs went weak and darkness loomed in his vision. For the first time ever, trepidation and anxiety swallowed every cell in him. His mind kept repeating the fact that Victoria might die and he could not stop his hands from trembling. Gabrie, who was standing beside him, sneaked a peek at him. When she saw his long face, she quickly withdrew her gaze and deliberately slowed her breathing. ¡°Why is she on the rooftop at this hour? How did you find out that she¡¯s over there?¡± Christian¡¯s frosty voice broke the silence in the corridor. As soon as he uttered a word, her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. Her heart was beating so rapidly that it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest any second. All the while, she respected and feared him at the same time. This time, there was also guilt and anger. She was livid because it was not worth Victoria doing those. She lowered her head and intoned, ¡°I returned to the dorm at 1.00AM. Daisy, our roommate, came back soon after that. Previously, she kept scolding someone every time she came back, but she seems to be in a good mood today, so I asked her where Victoria went. She told me that Victoria won¡¯t be coming back anymore and that Victoria might die tomorrow¡ª¡± ¡°Make it short.¡± He was not in the mood to hear the long story due to the thoughts cluttered in his head. His emotionless voice was not loud, but it scared Gabrie. After gulping her saliva, she narrated, ¡°Daisy has been at odds with Victoria. Her answer was weird, so I asked another colleague about Victoria¡¯s whereabouts. The colleague told me that Mr. Sharp arranged for Victoria to clean the rooftop. I was worried that she would be in trouble, so I went there. When I found her¡­¡± She gulped. ¡°She could not hold for any much longer.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Her gaze swept across Christian¡¯s pajamas and sandals. While kneading her brows, she responded to the officers, ¡°Mr. Thatcher doesn¡¯t have the time for that at the moment. It¡¯s novelxo fast updateinconvenient to talk about this outside of the emergency room too. Pleasee this way.¡± Herst words pricked Christian¡¯s heart as his lips and body were trembling unconsciously. Watching his reaction, she held her tongue and attempted to breathe softly in order to shrink her presence. At the same time, she was hoping for Charlotte to return as soon as possible. He did not continue the conversation further as he was rooted at the spot like a lifeless sculpture, leaving only the raindrops on his hair and clothes to patter onto the ground. Gabrie¡¯s heartbeat was in sync with the soft sound of the droplets trickling onto the ground. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, things are settled, but your driving license is revoked. You will have to take the driving test again.¡± Charlotte strode to them elegantly after speaking to the police. It took Christian a moment before he nodded and hummed in response. Charlotte sighed at that, but she did not talk to him any longer. Instead, she looked at Gabrie and raised her eyebrow. ¡°You arrived earlier than I did. Why didn¡¯t you call the ambnce?¡± Hearing this, he turned his head to cast his gaze onto Gabrie with vehement feelings. Gabrie¡¯s body tensed up at the drop of a hat. Her eyelids fluttered rapidly as she stuttered under their gaze. ¡°I-I was t-too flustered, s-so I didn¡¯t think of c-calling the ambnce.¡± Christian took a step forward to her with his frosty gaze. ¡°Is that so?¡± His stare drained the color from her face and caused her body to tremble as she kept gulping down her saliva. She had always been fearful of him and the fear only deepened after she knew that he broke Victoria¡¯s leg. ¡°Think carefully before answering.¡± His eyes zeroed in on her like a nail and every word of his was laced with chill. Seeing that she could not put up with the pressure from the two, Gabrie leveled with them. ¡°I did call the ambnce, but Victoria begged me not to. So, I told them not toe after that.¡± Speaking of it, she could not suppress her urge as she continued, ¡°If I was her, I would¡¯ve done the same thing too! It¡¯s painful for her that her identity from Miss Coleman has been swapped to a bar girl at Delta, let alone having a broken leg and being thrown out naked. She doesn¡¯t even have a home to return to and her parents kept telling her off. It¡¯s better off to die than to live this way!¡± As soon as she finished her words, she regretted it and lowered her head in silenceThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Christian knew that she wished to die all along, but it still stung to hear her suicidal attempt from others. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. It was as if he set foot into a quicksand trap and the sand swallowed him from all directions. Whenever he breathed, the sandy particles filled his nostril and throat before suffocating him. Charlotte took a glimpse at him before telling the flustered Gabrie, ¡°It must¡¯ve been hard for you. You should return home now. I¡¯ll permit two days leave for you. And keep this matter between us, okay?¡± ¡°Thank you, Charlotte.¡± Gabrie decided to bite the bullet despite withstanding the pressure from Christian. ¡°But I wanna stay here.¡± Charlotte looked at her in silence whereas Gabrie hung her head low without a word. ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Charlotte then cast her gaze onto Christian¡¯s soaked attire. ¡°I¡¯ll bring some clothes for you to change into.¡± However, his lips pursed into a thin line as he stared at the emergency room quietly. So, she left without waiting for his reply. Now that Gabrie and Christian were left alone in the corridor, she peeked at him several times. After a moment of hesitation, she held her phone to the staircase to give Vincent a call. Since it was possible for the surgery to fail, Victoria might want to meet him for thest time. Meanwhile, Christian stood by the door to the emergency room. Although he felt flustered, cold, tired, and irritated all at the same time, he did not want to sit or change his clothes. He just wished to stand quietly like that. Even when he witnessed how Victoria betrayed him with his own eyes, he never imagined a world without her. If she doesn¡¯t make it today, I¡­ His breathing became rapid as he pursed his lips and fished out his phone to ring up Warren. ¡°Look into the best specialists for pulmonary edema and leg diseases in both Bloomsway and the country. Send them to Alden Hospital as fast as possible at all costs.¡± I will never let her die! Gabrie returned to see him frozen on the same spot after making a call. It seemed like he did not budge at all. She walked softly, stood behind him, and dared not take a seat albeit tired. The time ticked and passed, yet the door to the emergency room did not open. Christian¡¯s heart sank bit by bit. He phoned Warren, who had contacted several specialists. Unfortunately, some of them were not in Bloomsway; even the nearest specialist could only arrive at 4.00PM the next day by ne. Unease surged from the bottom of Christian¡¯s heart to every part of his body. Never once had he experienced such helplessness before. At that moment, Charlotte brought over a set of suit and leather shoes as well as arranged an empty patient room for him to change his attire. Yet, he remained still right there as if he could not hear anything. Sighing, she ced the bag on the seat and sat down. With her palm propping her chin, she pondered. At the same time, Gabrie stood for so long that her legs began to ache. She bent over to massage her calves before sitting down. Due to nervousness, she had only upied half of the seat. Charlotte nced at Christian¡¯s back and whispered into Gabrie¡¯s earnguidly, ¡°What do you think of the way Mr. Thatcher treats Victoria?¡± Gabrie¡¯s body tensed up in surprise because of the unexpected question. Although she was not in the mood to gush about Victoria and Christian¡¯s rtionship, she had to pull herself together in order to answer her superior. ¡°I-I seldom meet him, so I¡¯m not sure.¡± Despite her soft voice, she was so worried that Christian might overhear her, hence she took a few peeks at him. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t like her, why is he behaving like this?¡± Something beneath Charlotte¡¯s eyes rippled. No one knew whether the question was for Gabrie or she was just muttering to herself. As a woman herself, Gabrie flushed after meeting Charlotte¡¯s deep gaze. She parted her lips, yet nothing escaped from her lips. After taking a nce at him, her eyes fixated on the ER like he did. On usual days, Christian felt that time passed by very quickly. After attending one or two meetings and settling dozens of documents, the day was over without him knowing. Presently, every minute and every second was agonizing; it hurt like a ming knife cut. ¡°Christian, what happened to Tori?¡± Evelyn arrived under the maid¡¯spany at 3.58AM. She asked someone to look into the situation, only to find out that he and Victoria were in the hospital. However, she was clueless of the details. In branded clothes, she exuded an extraordinary aura despite not wearing any make-up. Her appearance prodded Gabrie to jump to her feet unconsciously and she stood next to the chair in distress. ¡°Her pulmonary edema and leg injury recurred. She¡¯s in the emergency room right now.¡± Sinovelxo fast updatence Christian¡¯s legs went numb due to the long standing, he staggered on his feet while approaching Evelyn. He barely stood still with the support of the wall. Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened and her mouth was agape at that. A couple of momentster, she finally regained herposure and gazed at him in disbelief. ¡°Christian, you¡­ What have you done to Tori again?¡± He pursed his lips without a response. ¡°You¡¯re getting the wrong idea, Mrs. Thatcher.¡± Charlotte took a step forward to rify softly, ¡°He has nothing to do with this matter.¡± Evelyn¡¯s brows creased tightly as her expression darkened. Even though she stopped questioning, it was obvious that she did not believe in Charlotte¡¯s words. Vexed, Evelyn averted her gaze onto Gabrie. ¡°Miss, do you know how Tori is doing right now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s¡­ in a bad shape.¡± Gabrie was surprised to be questioned by the legendary Mrs. Thatcher as she became careful with her words. ¡°When I found her, her disease rpsed and she couldn¡¯t even speak. Once the ambnce arrived, she¡­¡± She paused momentarily before continuing with difficulty, ¡°She already lost consciousness.¡± ¡°How long has she been inside? Did the doctor say anything?¡± Evelyn tried to keep her cool, but her tempo raised. Before Gabrie could respond that it had been over an hour, the ER door opened precisely at that moment. A doctor walked out in his surgical gown and mask. Trailing behind him was a huffing and puffing nurse. She was holding a few papers and no one knew what they were for. Christian¡¯s eyes brightened as he scuttled to the doctor to inquire about Victoria¡¯s condition. However, the doctor¡¯s long face stopped the words from escaping through Christian¡¯s throat. He had never expected himself to hesitate so long just to ask a question. ¡°Who¡¯s Victoria Coleman¡¯s family?¡± asked the doctor hurriedly upon removing his mask. Christian swallowed his saliva while quelling the surging emotions in him. ¡°H-How is she doing?¡± It was difficult for him to spit out each of those words. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Chapter 132 ¡°The situation is dire,¡± the doctor answered quickly before asking, ¡°Are you a family member of Victoria? If she continues the operation now, her life will be in danger; if she doesn¡¯t, she may be able to live for another 12 hours.¡± ¡°Once you agree to continue the operation, you can sign the consent formter. Otherwise, we will immediately transfer her to the ICU.¡± Christian¡¯s brows and nose were drenched in cold sweat, and his handsome face was pale as a sheet. He clenched his fist and said, ¡°Her family is not present, but I am her¡­ superior. I am able to sign the consent form¡­¡± ¡°No. Only her family members are permitted to sign!¡± the doctor abruptly interrupted him and he had no time to inquire about Victoria¡¯s family¡¯s absence either. ¡°Please hurry and summon her family. If they are unable toe in person, allow them to agree over the phone by leaving a recording of the call.¡± Evelyn had never been one to make clean-cut decisions and she was now in a big dilemma. ¡°Is there no other safe route? Money is not an issue!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time here! Call Victoria¡¯s family right away!¡± The doctor¡¯s face flushed as he eximed. There was a burst of rapid footsteps as soon as he finished speaking. Vincent, who was topless and only dressed in pajama pants, ran over with a slipper on his foot, roaring with scarlet eyes, ¡°What happened to Tori? Where¡¯s Tori?¡± ¡°Doc, he¡¯s Victoria¡¯s family member!¡± Gabrielle grabbed Vincent¡¯s arm and dragged him in front of the doctor. The doctor wiped his brow with the back of his sleeve and said, ¡°Continuing the operation could put Victoria¡¯s life in danger. If she does not have the operation, she will only have half a day to live. If you agree to proceed with the operation, please sign the consent form as soon as possible.¡± The nurse in front of the doctor rushed forward and handed Vincent some paperwork and a pen. The weather was not hot; in fact, it was even a little cold after the rain, but sweat continued to run down Vincent¡¯s temples. He looked at Christian with red eyes as the blue veins on his forehead and neck burst out like an evil spirit fleeing hell. ¡°Is the operation consent form signed, Dr. Hill? She will only be transferred to the ICU if their family member does not sign it!¡± the nurse eximed as she ran out of the emergency room. Dr. Hill stomped his feet in rage and asked Vincent, ¡°Sir, are you going to sign it?¡± Vincent wiped the corners of his eyes, red fiercely at Christian, and gritted through his teeth. ¡°Yes!¡± Taking the consent form and pen from the nurse, he took a deep breath and signed the document before returning it to her. The nurse then quickly took it and returned to the ER with the doctor. Soon, the emergency room door was shut once again. During this time, Christian stood at the side with zero authority as he was unable to help or intervene since he was not a member of Victoria¡¯s family. He was unsure what he was feeling; he was upset and stuffy, but his emotions were mostly fear, panic, and anxiety. He was terrified that she would die in this manner. At that point, he did not want to get into specifics about whether he liked Victoria, or how he felt about her; he only had one thought right now¡ª to keep her alive! ¡°Christian Thatcher! You¡¯re a f*cking b*stard!¡± With scarlet eyes and raised fists, Vincent approached Christian. Gabrielle clenched her teeth, bit her lower lip, and extended her arms in front of Christian. ¡°M-Mr. Coleman¡­ This incident might not be rted to Mr. Thatcher!¡± ¡°Get the hell out of my way!¡± Vincent screamed, his bloodshot eyes wide. Though Gabrielle was terrified, she did not move a step. ¡°Mr. Coleman, i-if Victoria wakes up and hears that you h-hit Mr. Thatcher because of h-her, she¡­ she will¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, Vincent gritted his teeth and took a step back, suppressing the rage and hatred that was coursing through his veins. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Christian exhaled a sigh of relief only to find his back dripping wet. ¡°Vince,¡± Evelyn called out as she approached him before sping her palms together apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened to Tori.¡± A slight frown appeared on Christian¡¯s face as he stepped back, but he made no excuses. Vincent wiped his tears away and shook his head at her. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s that b*stard¡¯s fault, so you don¡¯t have to apologize to me or Victoria!¡± ¡°Christian is my son and he made a mistake, so I¡­¡± Evelyn sighed deeply after looking at Christian. She then changed the topic. ¡°It is pouring outside. What brought you here dressed like this?¡± Hearing this, Charlotte picked up the suit bag on the seat and handed it to Vincent. ¡°This is Mr. Thatcher¡¯s coat. He¡¯s about your size, so you should be able to wear it as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather die of frostbite than to wear his clothes!¡± Vincent replied angrily and despondently, turning to Evelyn without epting the coat. ¡°I wanted to look for Victoria, but my father refused to let me do that by yanking my clothes. My clothes are all ripped!¡± It was difficult toment on anything when the father was so cruel to his own daughter. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell your dad that Victoria was being resuscitated? If you did, he would definitely¡­¡±novelxo fast update Evelyn said in an attempt tofort Vincent. ¡°I did, but he didn¡¯t let mee over!¡± he interrupted her in distraught before viciously staring at Christian. ¡°It¡¯s all because of this jerk who uses the Colemans Family as a threat. My father will never let me see Victoria even if she dies!¡± Evelyn remained silent as it was difficult for her to say anything. Teresa eventually arrived and handed Vincent a set of clothes. ¡°Mom stopped Dad and allowed me to come here. Don¡¯t hold it against Mom, she doesn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason for her to be phony!¡± Vincent took out his suit jacket and put it on, but he was dressed strangely with the pajama pants and pair of unassuming slippers. With that, a crowd gathered outside the emergency room. Nobody said anything and everyone only stared at the ER¡¯s tightly shut ssdoor. The sky gradually brightened and the sun rose from east to southeast. Christian checked the time on his wrist¡ªit was 9.30AM. Victoria has been in the ER for about seven or eight hours now. His heart sank again as if thousands of ants were crawling down his throat and into his atrium to gnaw on it; his throat tightened and his heart ached. Screech! At that moment, Dr. Hill emerged from the ER before eximing, ¡°The operation¡¯s¡­ a sess!¡± Though it was such a short sentence, he had to gasp each word out before he copsed to the ground from exhaustion after announcing the operation¡¯s status. The doctors and nurses involved in the operation were exhausted as theyy on the ground inside the open door, but their relieved smiles could not be hidden. At this point, Christian¡¯s tense nerves had only slightly rxed. He pursed his lips with a racing heart before standing up to enter the ER. However, Dr. Hill stopped him by stretching his legs and saying tiredly, ¡°The patient has just woken up and she will be pushed to the general ward.¡± ¡°You can go in and talk to her, but you cannot let her get emotional. She also needs to rest, so you should leave after a few words with her. Better yet, just don¡¯t talk at all. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Chapter 133 As soon as the voice died away, two nurses pushed Victoria out of the room. Christian¡¯s gaze was fixed on her and he subconsciously followed suit. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Thatcher. Don¡¯t follow her!¡± Vincent grumbled as he came to a stop in front of him before clutching Christian¡¯s cor with both hands. After he finished speaking, Vincent trotted to catch up with Victoria. ¡°Christian, I don¡¯t care if you have any issues with Victoria. She¡¯s not in the ce to be triggered right now, so I¡¯m pleading with you as her mother. Please just avoid showing up before her during this time,¡± Evelyn said as she approached him. Christian stood there staring at Evelyn, fists slightly clenched without any words. ¡°Christian¡ª¡± She summoned him once more, this time with pleading eyes. He tightened his fist, then rxed it and responded calmly, ¡°Okay.¡± Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief when she heard hispromise. As such, she worriedly trailed after Victoria with Gabrielle, Teresa, and the servants following behind her. Only Christian, Charlotte, and Dr. Hill, who remained on the ground, were left in the previously crowded corridor. After ncing at the ¡¯emergency room¡¯ sign, Christian pursed his lips and walked toward the elevator. The tall man¡¯s silhouette could not help but appear lonely and pathetic. Charlotte paused for a half-minute, repeatedly thanked the doctor, then followed Christian into the elevator. There were only the two of them in the elevator and she leaned against it while smirking at him. ¡°You imed to have no feelings for Victoria, Mr. Thatcher. Duplicity is pointless now that you¡¯re twenty-four years old.¡± This time, Christian did not deny it but changed the subject instead. ¡°Please find out everything about the rooftop incident and let me know.¡± Ding! The elevator had finally reached the first floor. He emerged from the elevator wearing half-wet pajamas and slippers before driving away, leaving a bunch of onlookers surprised and curious. At this point, the rain had stopped and the sky was clear with fresh air. Charlotte inhaled deeply, gazed up at the sky, and stretched her waist; her brows and eyes were filled withziness and interest. Christian¡¯s character dictated that he should have invited her to the car in a gentlemanly manner, but this time, he said nothing and drove away¡­ Tsk, someone¡¯s heart is broken. In the general ward, Victoriay on the hospital bed with a countenance as pale as paper. The hospital bed and gown appeared oversized when they were donned with her extremely thin figure. Instead of asking what was wrong, Vincent stared at her with scarlet eyes, silently crying. His expression,bined with his unremarkable outfit, was very amusing, but no one had the mood to laugh at this point. ¡°Vince, I¡¯ve just been resurrected. Shouldn¡¯t you be a little happy?¡± Victoria¡¯s lips twitched, but her eyes were filled with unmistakable sadness. She thought that she would be dead for sure this time, but God forbid if she darednd a foot across hell¡¯s gate¡­ She would most likely resume her boring and undignified life once she was released from the hospital. God sure has nothing good in store for me. ¡°Why are you crying when Victoria¡¯s operation¡¯s sessful?¡± Teresa frowned as she handed Vincent a tissue. ¡°If you cry again, I¡¯m kicking you outta the room.¡± Yet, her tissue was refused by Vincent. He simply wiped his nose with his sleeve and asked Victoria, ¡°When you begged to die, didn¡¯t Teresa and I sh across your mind?¡± After a brief pause, he raised his voice and asked, ¡°Who do you think I¡¯m working so hard for now?¡± He went to thepany to learn business and was mocked by many people, but he never considered quitting; he was yearning to be stronger so that he could force Christian, that jerk, to leave Victoria. ¡°Vince, the doctor advised us not to fluctuate her emotional state. You can discuss thatter.¡± Evelyn gently drew him aside to persuade him. Vincent, on the other hand, said nothing and just stared at his sister. ¡°Who said that I begged to die? I got caught in the rain while trapped on the rooftop. My pulmonary edema and leg problem recurred, so I was sent here. I did not choose to die,¡± Victoria exined. He remained unconvinced and eximed, ¡°Liar! Gabrielle told me that she called an ambnce for you, but you were pleading for death. All she could do was call the ambnce and tell them not to come!¡± Seated on the chair beside him, Evelyn found what she heard to be surprising as a glint shed across her eyes. Meanwhile, Gabrielle twisted her hands together while her face became gradually flushed. She looked at the siblings, feeling dumbfounded and speechless. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to speak much at that point. Gabrielle may have misheard my wordnovelxo fast updates due to the strong wind, rain, and thunder,¡± Victoria responded lightly with no intention of ming Gabrielle. Still, her brother was suspicious despite his visage brightening up after hearing it. ¡°Tori, no matter what happens, your brother and I will always be on your side. Don¡¯t be too harsh on yourself,¡± Teresa said as she sat on the edge of the hospital bed, holding Victoria¡¯s hand. ¡°I know,¡± Victoria replied, smiling. ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot for Tori this time and I have nothing to offer you. Please text me your bank ount number and I¡¯ll reimburse you!¡± Vincent offered as he approached Gabrielle. Blushing intensely, Gabrielle paused before declining, ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. We live together at the dorm and I just so happened to help. It¡¯s no big¡ª¡± ¡°Just send your bank ount info to my brother. He¡¯ll be ufortable if he doesn¡¯t repay you,¡± Victoria said with a smile. Though sheughed a lot today, Teresa felt that Victoria was not truly happy. She¡¯s only putting up a front for me and Vince to save us the worry. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Coleman,¡± Gabrielle thanked cautiously with a little joy after looking at Victoria and Vincent. In actuality, he was unconcerned about this trivial matter. Instead, he was focused on the ultimate mystery. ¡°You said that someone locked Tori on the rooftop, right?¡± He clenched his fists and looked downcast. ¡°Daisy should be the one who locked her up there, but I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure,¡± Gabrielle said after gulping her saliva. ¡°Get some rest and don¡¯t think about anything else,¡± Vincent hummed to Victoria before turning and walking out. ¡°Where are you going, Vince?¡± Teresa stood up and stopped him, fearing that he would cause more trouble after leaving the room. However, his footsteps continued as a stern voice echoed from the door, ¡°Whoever dares to kill Tori, I will f*cking end her!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to deal with your brother, Tori. I¡¯ll see youter!¡± Teresa was worried about both Vincent¡¯s rash actions and Victoria¡¯s condition. ¡°Teresa, it¡¯s alright. I won¡¯t die this easily.¡± Victoria chuckled before adding, ¡°Also, tell my brother that sometimes it¡¯s easier to be dead than to stay alive. There¡¯s no need to end the person who locked me up there.¡± Nobody knew it better than Victoria that living was far worse than dying. At this point, Gabrielle could feel both strangeness and familiarity radiating from Victoria. This was precisely how she treated Gabrielle during those incidents¡­ It¡¯s scary Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 ¡°Rest assured. Other than¡­¡± Teresa was about to mention Christian, but when she noticed Evelyn nearby, she swallowed the name and continued, ¡°Both Vincent and I will never let go of the person who tried to kill you.¡± She made a promise to Victoria and dashed off to catch up with Vincent. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Gabrielle walked over to the door and shut it while standing back cautiously to secretly nce at Victoria and Evelyn. ¡°You got caught in the rain and had to deal with me all night. It must be one hell of a night for you. Please head back and have a good rest,¡± Victoria told Gabrielle. Since Gabrielle was indeed exhausted and Victoria was no longer in danger, she epted the offer to leave. ¡°Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?¡± Evelyn inquired, her eyes filled with anguish and guilt. ¡°Not at all, Mrs. Thatcher. I¡¯m not hungry,¡± said Victoria. Evelyn then sighed and fell silent. ¡°What Mr. Thatcher did has nothing to do with you and you have no reason to be sorry toward me.¡± Victoria¡¯s tone was soft. After saying this, she coughed and covered her mouth. Evelyn¡¯s face changed dramatically when she saw this and she quickly took Victoria¡¯s hand in hers and asked, ¡°Are you okay? Are you rpsing? I¡¯ll have the doctore right over!¡± Flustered, she stood up as soon as she finished speaking. ¡°No need for that. My throat is a little itchy and it¡¯s not because of the rpse,¡± Victoria assured gently, taking Evelyn¡¯s arm. Only then did Evelyn¡¯s face regain blood. ¡°When did you develop pulmonary edema, and howe I¡¯ve never heard of it?¡± Evelyn inquired as she sat down, gaping a few times. ¡°I became infected while in prison. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to die so easily,¡± Victoria stated calmly. However, the more indifferent Victoria¡¯s demeanor, the more uneasy Evelyn felt. ¡°Tori¡ª¡± Evelyn called out, but she was cut off. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that Mr. Thatcher¡¯s actions have nothing to do with you? He is your son, even if you are on his side, I can understand,¡± Victoria said, smiling. ¡°Besides,¡± she added bitterly and sarcastically, ¡°you have done a lot more than Mr. and Mrs. Coleman have done for me.¡± Evelyn sighed beforeforting, ¡°Don¡¯t be too downhearted. Your mother is simply ustomed to listening to your father¡¯s words. In fact, she still treats you as her daughter.¡± ¡°Ha! So what if she still considers me her daughter? She will unconditionally support Mr. Coleman for as long as he lives,¡± Victoria sneered. ¡°Even if Mr. Coleman intends to murder me,¡± she added, licking her dry lips. Though the VIP ward wasrge, Evelyn felt as if she were trapped in a toy poodle cage, rendering the atmosphere to be oppressive and depressing. She parted her lips to say something, but could not think of any right words to say. ¡°Go back and rest, Mrs. Thatcher. I, too, am exhausted and need to rest.¡± Victoria broke the silence with a murmur and a movement of her arms. ¡°So¡­ tired¡­¡± Evelyn felt as if the cage that had imprisoned her had shrunk to the point where she could not even move. ¡°Huh? Sure. Have a good rest.¡± She had no idea what expression she wore when she left the ward. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry about Victoria and Christian. Let them handle it,¡± the servant advised after leaving the ward. ¡°I just feel sorry for Tori. After all, I grew up watching her, and her family is¡­¡± Evelyn rubbed her aching brows. She paused with a look of loneliness and reluctance on her face before uttering, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll go back and make some soup for Tori to bring for herter.¡± Victoriay on the hospital bed with no intention to catch a wink; instead, she opened her hands and stared nkly at the gauze that was wrapped around her hands. She had no other sensation in life besides experiencing pain. She wished Vincent and Teresa would leave her alone so that she could die without any burden or threats from Christian. However, she was afraid that her brother and sister-inw would have to abandon her, leaving her with no one in the world to care for and pamper her¡­ Is it human nature to be contradictory? Victoria licked her dry lips before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. I¡¯m exhausted. Really, utterly, exhausted. ¡­ Teresa trotted behind Vincent as he drove the car to the Delta Club at breakneck speed. The Delta Club¡¯s traffic was moderate at 11.00AM. The front desk staff, as well as the guests who stayed in the lobby, looked at Vincent with a variety of human emotions¡ªindifference, curiosity, mock¡ª as they whispered¡­ ¡°Why is he dressed in a suit with pajama bottoms? That¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°What a clown! He¡¯s only wearing one shoe!¡±novelxo fast update ¡°Has he gone insane? I heard recently that he is crazy about business and that has made a fool out of himself!¡± ¡°Vincent recently destroyed the Delta Club. I heard that the Colemans gave Mr. Thatcher thend in the Glogan¡¯s urban development area as a result of this. If Vincent destroys the Delta Club again, the Colemans will be unable to afford thepensation. We shall wait and see!¡± ¡°What an ill-fated life that Mr. Coleman has to have Vincent and Victoria at every corner¡ª¡± Before the woman could finish her sentence, Vincent walked in front of her and raised her with both hands, ¡°Jessica Doyle, is it? Didn¡¯t you use to follow my sister around like a dog? I see you have turned into a backstabbing b*tch now, huh?¡± ¡°Vin-Vincent.¡± Jessica was caught off guard and her face turned pale with fear. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ just a ¡­dy¡­¡± Vincent threw Jessica to the ground with a bang and stepped on her stomach almost as soon as she finished her sentence. ¡°And?! If someone deserves to be beaten, I don¡¯t care about their gender!¡± A few women who were gossiping a moment ago did not dare to speak anymore. He snorted coldly at Jessica, who was extremely terrified, and spat on the ground. He then asked the front desk impatiently, ¡°Where are your new boss and Daisy Torres? Get them here!¡± While Vincent was distracted, Jessica jumped up and hid herself into the crowd. Her waist straightened again, but her voice was much lower this time. ¡°Do you really think this is the Coleman Residence? Wait for Mr. Thatcher to deal with you! Hmph!¡± ¡°Miss Doyle, sh*t-talking behind people¡¯s back is nothing. You should¡¯ve said it in his face,¡± a man mocked. As such, Jessica murmured a few words in a volume so low that no one could even hear it before heading upstairs. The Delta Club¡¯s front desk had always been difficult and the people watching assumed they would ignore Vincent, who was looking for trouble. No one expected the front desk manager to stand up and respectfully reply to Vincent, ¡°Someone has already asked for Mr. Sharp and Daisy. Please wait for a moment.¡± She finished her speech by pointing to therge vase that Vincent wanted to kick. ¡°This is a vintage vase from the Romantic period that has recently been replenished. It¡¯s not worth it if you waste hundreds of thousands with just a kick.¡± However, Vincent had not even managed to do anything when Teresa, who was known for her good temperament, stepped forward and swayed therge vase off the air with a kick. ¡°What an eyesore.¡± It all depended on everyone¡¯s interpretation of her sentence, whether it was the vase, the front desk, the person watching the fun, or Christian Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Vincent was concerned Teresa had hurt her leg, and he drew her behind him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do these chores.¡± Then he yelled angrily at the receptionist, ¡°Where have the others gone? Do you not have anyone here?¡± ¡°Did something bother you today, Mr. Coleman?¡± Mr. Sharp walked downstairs with a pale face. ¡°Please have some tea to rx,¡± he said with a smile. Vincent simply scoffed and red at him. ¡°Thomas, please serve some tea to Mr. Coleman right away!¡± Mr. Sharp was getting chills from Vincent¡¯s stare and couldn¡¯t keep his smile on. His staff Thomas, whom he instructed, responded and went to get some tea. However, before he could serve the tea¡ª With a bang, Vincent kicked Mr. Sharp to the ground. Then he squatted, grabbed Mr. Sharp¡¯s hair and ruthlessly growled, ¡°So you¡¯re the one who asked Victoria to clean the rooftop on her own, huh?¡± Mr. Sharp copsed on all fours after the kick, and he was unsure of where his sses had fallen. He groped for a long time before finding them, but his sses had been crushed and he couldn¡¯t wear them at all by then. He looked at Vincent with squinted eyes as cold sweat trickled down from his forehead. ¡°Yes, I was the one who sent her there. Is there any issue with that? She works for the Delta Club, so it¡¯s natural for me to delegate some tasks to her¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Vincent interrupted with a yell and punched Mr. Sharp. Mr. Sharp¡¯s left side of the face immediately swelled. He was so shocked that he covered his face and shrank back, unable toplete even a single sentence. ¡°W-What exactly happened? You must, at the very least, exin why you are doing this to me!¡± ¡°You nearly killed my sister! How dare you act so innocently in front of me!¡± Vincent grabbed Mr. Sharp¡¯s cor and lifted him. Every word he said was forced out through his gritting teeth. Mr. Sharp was taken aback by Vincent¡¯s words. His face turned horrifyingly pale, and shivers ran down his spine. ¡°You can¡¯t hold it against me! I, too, am an employee! I simply followed my superior¡¯s instructions; I have no idea what happened! I¡­ I¡¯ve already exined the situation to Miss Coleman, and she said she understands and doesn¡¯t me me! I really have no idea what happened!¡± He was almost in tears as he spoke. When he told Victoria to clean the rooftop by herself, he made sure he spoke carefully so as not to cause any trouble. Even if something did happen, he would not get involved, but he had not anticipated Vincent beingpletely unreasonable! The crowd around them burst outughing and began to cheer while watching what was going on. If a disagreement arose, someone from the Delta Club would normally intervene and inform Charlotte or Christian. Today, however, they were told to keep their heads down and pretend they didn¡¯t know what had happened to Mr. Sharp. Mr. Sharp, on the other hand, wanted to shift all me to his superiors in order for Vincent to count his scores with Charlotte or Christian, and let Mr. Sharp off the hook. Yet, Vincent became even angrier when he heard Mr. Sharp¡¯s words, and he kicked the man hard. ¡°How dare you mention Christian in order to frighten me! Do you honestly believe I¡¯m afraid of him?¡± Mr. Sharp had no answer to that. The only thing he could do was curl up on the floor and sob, pleading with Vincent to let him go. After feeling exhausted, Vincent finally stopped beating Mr. Sharp. He grabbed Mr. Sharp¡¯s cor with clenched teeth and asked, ¡°Daisy happened to lock the rooftop door after you told Victoria to clean up the rooftop on her own, didn¡¯t she? Did you intend for that to happen?¡± Everyone gasped when they heard that. Vincent was notorious for spoiling his sister, and now Mr. Sharp had locked Vincent¡¯s sister up on the rooftop, so iIt was no surprise that Vincent went insane and viciously attacked Mr. Sharp. ¡°T-The door was locked?¡± There was a thunderstormst night, and terrible things could have happened if someone were locked on the rooftop. At that point, Mr. Sharp was so terrified that he was drenched in cold sweat. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea about that! It was my superior¡¯s order to have Victoria clean the rooftop. I really don¡¯t know about the locked door. Mr. Coleman, you can¡¯t me me for that!¡± Mr. Sharp was so terrified that he couldn¡¯t resist nature¡¯s call. The entire lobby was immediately filled with the stench of urine. Smelling that, Vincent immediately threw Mr. Sharp on the floor and took a few steps backward. The onlookers also took a few steps back while covering their noses. ¡°Your superior¡¯s order?¡± The sound of a woman resonated, attracting the attention of many of the men present. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much me to ce on me?¡± Charlotte asked as she walked in. Mr. Sharp¡¯s face turned ghastly pale as he looked at her. He continued to tremble and tried to exin, but nothing came out of his mouth. Seeing that, Vincent spat on the floor while scolding vulgarities and looking enraged. He assumed Christian was offended by the camera and the drugs incidents, and that what happened on the rooftop was his retaliation against Victoria, but it turned out now that everything was Mr. Sharp¡¯s idea. Mr. Sharp could see the venom in Vincent¡¯s eyes right away. His limbs softened and he began pleading for mercy, his face swollen, ¡°M-Mr. Coleman, I had nothing to do with locking the door! Daisy¡­ Daisy was the one to do it. It was her idea as well to send Victoria to the rooftop¡­ I-I have nothing to do with it!¡±novelxo fast update Vincent, however, was too enraged to listen to Mr. Sharp¡¯s exnation. At that, he blew a gasket and grabbed a vase nearby, shing it across Mr. Sharp¡¯s head. Blood sshed everywhere, but the injury was not fatal. Mr. Sharp copsed on the floor, his hands on his head as he yelped in pain. ¡°You two,e here and throw him out into the rain! Only take him to the hospital if he is about to die. Just make sure he doesn¡¯t die!¡± Vincent issued an order to two male employees. The two male employees remained motionless. Instead, they turned to look at Charlotte, who nodded. With her approval, they then dragged Mr. Sharp by his limbs and carried him out. Vincent, on the other hand, was emotionless as he looked at the blood trails on the floor. ¡°So, where¡¯s Daisy?¡± He clenched his teeth, looking around. ¡­ Meanwhile, Christian returned to his house to change his clothes. His body was exhausted, but he wasn¡¯t sleepy at all. Various scenes jumbled up in his mind, including the time when Victoria followed him everywhere he went, how she behaved lowly in front of everyone after she was released from jail, and all the words his mother, Charlotte, and Derick advised him. All of these things turned his heart upside down. ¡°Victoria has no desire to live. I called the emergency services, but sheter begged me to send them back.¡± The female employee¡¯s words rang in his ears, piercing his heart as if each word were a sharp knife. Christian felt so awful that he couldn¡¯t breathe. Nothing changed no matter how hard he struck his chest. At this moment, his phone began to vibrate. As soon as he answered the call, the man from the other end of the line said, ¡°Mr. Thatcher, I¡¯m at the caf¨¦ you mentioned. All information I¡¯ve obtained over thest two years has also been organized per your instructions.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± Christian¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved up and down as his gaze dimmed.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 After the call, Christian nned to drive to the caf¨¦. However, as he sat in the driver¡¯s seat, he remembered that the traffic cops had detained his driver¡¯s license. With a frown, he dialed his driver¡¯s number. ¡°This is the fastest I can go, Mr. Christian! If I go any faster than this, I¡¯ll get into trouble!¡± Even though they had only been on the road for ten minutes, the driver repeated himself for the umpteenth time. Christian clearly wasn¡¯t pleased with what he heard. He pursed his lips and furrowed his brows as he looked at his watch. Fifteen minutester, they reached the caf¨¦. Christian stepped out of the car and into the caf¨¦, his steps quicker than usual. The driver quickly followed. ¡°Wait for me in the car,¡± Christian stopped and said. The driver gave a light hum and returned to his car, puzzled. Christian had always let the driver follow him wherever he went, but today he did the opposite. The driver began to wonder if Christian hade to the caf¨¦ for an under-the-table issue. Christian entered the caf¨¦ and, under the re of the waitress, walked straight to the man wearing a baseball cap in the corner. He approached the man and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the thing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so anxious, Mr. Thatcher,¡± Michael said, pointing to the seat across from him. ¡°Please take a seat first. The problem appears to be moreplicated than you believe.¡± Hearing that, Christian took the seat in front of Michael. ¡°Does that ident bother you a lot, Mr. Thatcher?¡± Michael asked, smiling as he handed Christian a paper bag. Christian took it. Just as he was about to open it, the waitress came over. Smilingly, she asked, ¡°Sirs, what would you like to have?¡± ¡°A cup of cappino. Extra sugar, please,¡± Michael said. After taking down his order, the waitress then turned to Christian. ¡°What about you, sir?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like atte,¡± Christian stated, As he was opening the paper bag, he suddenly stopped and added, ¡°Serve it quickly. Thank you.¡± After taking the orders, the waitress returned to the coffee bar and quickly delivered a cup of cappino andtte. She did not, however, leave after cing them on the table. Christian began to be impatient. His usual reserved demeanor was absent in the face of the paper bag containing the ident¡¯s evidence. ¡°Do you have anything else?¡± ¡°Sir, could¡­¡± The waitress¡¯ face was flushed. She gathered her courage and asked, ¡°Can I get your number?¡± ¡°No,¡± Christian replied without even a slight hesitation. Before the waitress could say anything further, he quickly continued, ¡°We have some important matters here. Thank you.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She then left unwillingly. Michael was surprised by what had happened. She¡¯s a prettydy, but she has terrible taste! Christian pushed histte to the side before opening the paper bag and removing the contents. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, why did you order the coffee if you¡¯re not going to drink it?¡± Michael took a sip of his cappino and smiled, content. ¡°They¡¯ll keeping here if I don¡¯t order something. That will disturb our discussion.¡± Christian¡¯s face darkened as he flipped through the papers and extracted the other contents of the paper bag. Michael¡¯s smile faded and it was reced by an annoyed and indignant expression as he ced his cappino on the table. ¡°I think I¡¯ve finally met my match this time!¡± With a sigh, he continued, ¡°Let me make a guess. I suspect that the red sports car Miss Coleman was driving was not hers.¡± ¡°It was hers.¡± Christian furrowed his brows and unbuttoned his cor while saying, ¡°The model, car te number, as well as the scratch at the door on the left side all showed that it was hers.¡± Victoria scratched her car two days before her birthday, necessitating the importation of a foreign paint. As a result, the scratch was still there at the time of the ident. Hearing that, Michael took a sip of his cappino and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, Mr. Thatcher. Hear me out first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Christian put his right palm on the table and began tapping his fingers. Michael wiped the corners of his mouth before cing both arms on the table and leaning forward slightly. ¡°I discovered that the car te had previously been altered, but I couldn¡¯t find any useful fingerprints on it. My guess is that the car was not Miss Coleman¡¯s. Someone swapped her car for another identical car, and transferred her license te to this vehicle. Following that, I checked numerous surveince cameras but found no leads. Subsequently, I discovered that when Miss Coleman did her manicure on September 24th, she parked her car in a surveince camera¡¯s blind spot. On that day, a strangely dressed man appeared around the manicure shop, and he even followed Miss Coleman for a while. When I finally found that man, he had died because of his lung cancer which was diagnosed two years ago.¡± Michael sighed regretfully as he said this. ¡°That appears to be too much of a coincidence.¡± Christian¡¯s tapping speeded up as he frowned. ¡°Did anyone do something to him?¡± Michael shook his head in response. Disappointed, he answered, ¡°No. His doctor predicted novelxo fast updatethat he would only live untilst year. It was already a miracle that he survived until I recently discovered him. He was single and had no family, so I had no one to ask about his personal information. But I persuaded a banker friend to check on that man for me, and I discovered that he received a transfer of 500,000 two years ago. That sum of money may not seem like much to you, Mr. Thatcher, it is astronomical to the average person.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Christian did not expect there woulde a time when he couldn¡¯t keep his cool. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to hear about Michael¡¯s entire investigation. ¡°Even if Victoria¡¯s car was swapped, can that prove she¡¯s innocent?¡± he asked candidly after taking a sip of histte. ¡°No,¡± Michael stated tly. ¡°To be honest, if Miss Spritz was behind this, she would have prepared everything a long time ago. The car¡¯s brakes were damaged due to normal wear and tear. To be more specific, someone must have driven the car in a way that intentionally damaged the brakes, causing them to fail. So, even if it could be proven that the car was swapped, there¡¯s no evidence that someone intended to harm Miss Coleman through the way he or she used the car, because the brakes were damaged due to normal wear and tear. In fact, nothing we say here has any effect. The most difficult one is still the recording.¡± Michael hit his forehead with his hand as he muttered, ¡°The car¡¯s brakes were problematic. If the recording is proven to be false, the crash can be ssified as an unintentional ident. However, if the recording cannot be said to be tampered with, the ident bes a deliberate act of murder, whereas the damaged brakes are merely an ident.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± Michael then took his cappino and took a few sips. ¡°I¡¯m confusing myself now!¡± There was a long moment of silence. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that all you¡¯ve said was just to conceal the fact that you didn¡¯t manage to get any useful information?¡± Christian said, his gaze fixed firmly on Michael and coldness revealing from his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t say that!¡± Michael smiled sheepishly after drinking his coffee. ¡°It took me nearly a year to figure out about the car swap, and more than six months to find that man. That amounts to nearly two years.¡± Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Under Christian¡¯s cold stare, Michael put his cappino down and sat with his arms crossed. ¡°Anyway, based on my two-year investigation, Miss Spritz is truly terrifying. You would be in trouble if you married her, despite her good looks and family education.¡± ¡°The police havepared the recording and determined that it was Victoria¡¯s voice. The recording is genuine.¡± Christian stood up, looked down at Michael and said, ¡°If the recording is genuine, you can¡¯t prove Victoria is innocent, right?¡± Being stared at by Christian made Michael uneasy. He moved around before standing up and coughing lightly. ¡°I suspect that the recording was made at random in the past, when Miss Coleman and Miss Spritz were ying around. But this is just my suspicion. I need more time and effort to investigate, just as I suspected the car wasn¡¯t Miss Coleman¡¯s.¡± It wasn¡¯t long after the rain stopped but the sun was already out, shining brightly against the vast blue sky. Christian stood with his eyes lowered, the sun¡¯s rays reflecting on his eyshes and casting shadows on his face. He was in a bright spot, but he appeared so gloomy that those around him were terrified. The caf¨¦ was cozy, with green nts that were visually appealing. The aroma of coffee pervaded the entire space. It was rxing to sit in the caf¨¦ with a hot beverage. However, Michael, who was standing in front of Christian, found nothing enjoyable about it. Finally, he couldn¡¯t keep quiet any longer and broke the silence. ¡°This is already the most I can do, Mr. Thatcher. I understand your dissatisfaction, but I can only refund half of the payment. After all, I can¡¯t work for nothing for the past two years¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Christian sat down and wrote a cheque before standing up and stuffing the cheque into Michael¡¯s palm. ¡°Continue with the investigation.¡± Michael looked at the figure written on the cheque and smiled right away. ¡°Rest assured that I¡¯ll contact you right away if I manage to get anything.¡± Christian responded with a nod. He exited the caf¨¦ with a solemn expression, his silhouette gloomy. ¡­ Meanwhile, what happened to Mr. Sharp was only the beginning of a long night at the Delta Club. The onlookers¡¯ party was just getting started. Daisy was cursing as she was led downstairs. All of the expletives she used seemed to be in stark contrast to her stunning appearance. ¡°Let go of me! Don¡¯t you all hear me? Let me go!¡± ¡°B*stards! I¡¯ll kill all of you!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. That made Vincent sneer. He approached Daisy, who was still swearing, with the vase in his hand and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re the one who locked the rooftop¡¯s door?¡± Daisy, in return, raised her head and replied arrogantly, ¡°Do you have any proof of that? If the answer is no, you should keep your mouth shut!¡± Gabrielle had returned and was also in the lobby. When she heard that, she took a few steps forward and asked with a grim expression, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you who locked the door, why did you tell me Victoria is nevering back then?¡± ¡°I do whatever I want. It¡¯s none of your concern!¡± Daisy broke free from the guards and dashed towards Gabrielle, a ferocious expression on her face. But before she could reach Gabrielle, Vincent kicked her on the legs. With that, Daisy wobbled a few steps backwards before leaning on the big vase and falling to the floor. Jessica came downstairs not long after. She tried to strain her neck among the crowd to see what was going on. In an eerie tone, she then said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it not confirmed that she was the one who locked the door? What if Mr. Coleman got the wrong person?¡± Vincent had always been an impulsive man who relied on his fists more than logic. When he heard that, he raised his fist threateningly and said, ¡°If you dare, do continue!¡± He was never reasonable, and it didn¡¯t matter if he was beating a woman or not. As a result, Gabrielle simply moved her body indignantly, but she did not dare to say anything else. However, there were some people in the crowd who were not afraid of him. Jessica¡¯s words were picked up by a young man, who continued, ¡°Mr. Coleman, aren¡¯t you acting like a tyrant here? How do you intend to resolve the situation if you truly have the wrong person¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Daisy stood up from the ground and yelled at Gabrielle, ¡°Yes! I was the one who locked that woman on the rooftop! What can all of you do to me?¡± Everyone in the crowd was speechless when they heard that. The young man who hadn¡¯t even got the chance to finish his words went silent with his face flushed. ¡°You asked what we could do, didn¡¯t you?¡± Vincent approached Daisy and punched her on the nose hard, his eyes red. ¡°I can make you wish you¡¯d rather die!¡± Daisy felt dizzy after getting punched. Her eyes went nk and blood gushed from her nose, smearing half of her face. She wiped her face quickly with her right hand. Seeing her own hand covered in blood, she was about to begin her scolding when Teresa suddenly grabbed her hair. Teresa was so enraged that she wanted to grab Daisy¡¯s hair and p her on behalf of Victoria. But, to her surprise, Daisy¡¯s entire piece of hair fell off the moment she grabbed her beautiful curls! Everyone, except for Gabrielle, was stunned before bursting outughing when they saw Daisy¡¯s two- inch hair and the dents on her head. Charlotte, too, curved the corners of her lips, attempting to keep her smile in check.novelxo fast update Vincent and Teresa, who stood in front of Daisy, were both angry and amused. Meanwhile, Daisy, who had been yelling at the top of her lungs, flushed instantly, and no one knew if it was from anger or embarrassment. Her hands covered her head and her lips pursed as she swept her gaze across the crowd. Then the tears began to fall. She tried to straighten her back as she looked at Charlotte. ¡°Miss Charlotte, I work for the Delta Club; are you going to stand there and watch me get bullied?¡± Charlotte smiled even wider when she heard that. ¡°Of course,¡± she replied casually. Laughter erupted once more among the crowd. Daisy was at a loss for words. Her expression was terrible, changing from one of rage to one of embarrassment in seconds while wiping the blood from her nose. Shamefully, she swept her gazes across everyone once more and yelled, ¡°Stopughing! Don¡¯t you all know who I¡¯m serving? I¡¯m Old Mr. Ford¡¯s woman! He would not let you all go if he knows I¡¯ve been bullied!¡± ¡°Mr. Ford?¡± Vincent asked, mockingly. ¡°What Mr. Ford? Even if Mr. whatever-you-call-him shows up, I¡¯m not afraid!¡± Hearing that, Charlotte raised her brows and revealed stunning information. ¡°It¡¯s too early to say that, Mr. Coleman. Do you know who Mr. Ford is?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Vincent asked reflexively. ¡°Henry Ford,¡± she answered with a smile while ncing at the crowd. Everyone was shocked when they heard that. ¡­ Victoria simply wanted to rest for a while, but she fell asleep unknowingly. When she woke up, Evelyn was sitting beside her, with Christian and Gabrielle standing in front of her. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Evelyn smiled. She then winked at Christian, signaling him to leave the room. Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Christian frowned when he saw that. He then cast a nce at Victoria, his gaze fixed on her dry lips for a fraction of a second before he withdrew his gaze and exited the room. Gabrielle immediately went to close the door. Her expression lightened, and she sat on the seat beside them. ¡°I prepared some soup and porridge. Which one would you like to have?¡± Evelyn pointed to the two thermal sks on the table and asked. Victoria wanted to tell them she didn¡¯t want any because she didn¡¯t have an appetite. However, when she met Evelyn¡¯s gaze, she changed her mind. ¡°I¡¯ll have the porridge.¡± Gabrielle immediately stood up and filled a bowl of porridge, thereafter serving it to Victoria. Victoria, however, really had no appetite for anything. She scooped a spoonful of porridge and brought it near her mouth. After blowing on it, she only had a small sip. ¡°How long have you been here, Mrs. Thatcher?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just arrived.¡± Evelyn smiled and asked, ¡°Is it hot?¡± Victoria simply said it was fine and continued to eat her porridge. ¡°Victoria¡ª¡± Evelyn called. ¡°Yes?¡± Victoria put the spoon down and looked at Evelyn. Evelyn cast a quick nce at Gabrielle. Her lips moved, but no words came out. ¡°I¡¯ll buy some fruit.¡± Gabrielle took the hint and left. The door closed, leaving only both Evelyn and Victoria in the room, and the former said, ¡°Your parents fought over you. They¡¯re both getting divorced right now. The only thing holding up the divorce certificate is the distribution of their assets.¡± Victoria¡¯s hand trembled slightly when she heard that, and she almost dropped the bowl in her hand. After a brief moment of silence, she let out a low hum and lowered her head to eat her porridge. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. The porridge, which was supposed to be delicious, was not. In fact, it felt bitter, and she wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of her illness or something else. Looking at her, Evelyn sighed. ¡°They couldn¡¯t agree on how to distribute the assets?¡± Victoria raised her head to look at Evelyn after swallowing the food in her mouth. ¡°Yes. Your mother wanted a 20% share of the assets, but your father¡­¡± She gave a mocking smile and said with disdain, ¡°Your father wanted her to have nothing. He said that the Coleman Family¡¯s money has nothing to do with your mother.¡± In fact, Denise was the one from a wealthy background, whereas Glen was merely a pauper. Both of them knew each other during their university days. After they graduated, they wanted to get married, but Denise¡¯s parents did not allow it. However, Denise got pregnant out of wedlock subsequently and insisted on only marrying Glen. Hence, her parents had no choice but to agree to their marriage. Denise was the only daughter of the Laurent Family. Two years after she got married with Glen, her parents passed away in an ident. Following that, Glen took over the Laurent Family¡¯s business, which waster renamed to the Coleman Group. Victoria scoffed when she heard Evelyn¡¯s words. She then removed the spoon from the bowl and drank the porridge directly from the bowl. ¡°You don¡¯t need to finish it if you can¡¯t,¡± Evelyn took the bowl from Victoria and said. Then, she ced the bowl on the table. Victoria sat on the bed, her gaze lowered. Her gaze didn¡¯t reveal anything, but her hands were tightly clutching her nket, a smattering of porridge at the corners of her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± Evelyn took a tissue and wiped Victoria¡¯s lips. ¡°What else can I say?¡± Victoria raised her eyes, pursed her lips and continued, ¡°No matter what the reason was, they will not divorce.¡± Her father regarded his reputation highly. As such, he would never divorce her mother for fear of being labeled a heartless and ungrateful man. Her mother, on the other hand, was already ustomed to relying on her father. She would undoubtedly forgive her father if he relented and apologized. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t expect your mother to divorce him because of you this time, did you?¡± Evelyn took Victoria¡¯s hand in hers and stated solemnly, ¡°All children are their mothers¡¯ flesh and blood. Which mother could bear witnessing her child¡¯s suffering?¡± Victoria did not respond to that and she merely pursed her lips tighter. At this moment, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± Evelyn said. Gabrielle walked in smilingly and ced the fruits she bought on the table. ¡°I¡¯ve grown older, and my body no longerpares to yours.¡± As Evelyn let go of Victoria¡¯s hand, she smiled andmented, ¡°I¡¯m still tired from what happenedst night. I¡¯m going back to rest now.¡± Victoria nodded to that. ¡°Please go back and rest, Mrs. Thatcher.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave the porridge and the soup here. See you tomorrow,¡± Evelyn responded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to visit me if you¡¯re busy or tired. I¡¯m big enough to take care of myself. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You grew up in my care; how could I not be worried?¡± Evelyn responded as she exited the room. When she walked out, she noticed that Christian was still here. ¡°Don¡¯t linger any longer. Before Victoria is discharged, do not meet with her!¡± Evelyn muttered angrily. ¡°Please ask the driver to send you back. I¡¯ll just take a cabter,¡± Christian responded. But Evelyn only gave him a sidelong nce. When she walked past him, she grumbled, ¡°What have you been doing all this while¡­¡± Christian lowered his head and remained silent, his eyes filled with regret. Meanwhile in the ward, Gabrielle shaped her right hand into a trumpet close to her mouth and pointed with her other hand at the door. ¡°Mr. Thatcher has not yet left. He¡¯s standing at the door,¡± she muttered softly.novelxo fast update ¡°Okay,¡± Victoria responded absentmindedly. Seeing that, Gabrielle cleared her throat and continued, her voice low, ¡°Mr. Thatcher rushed here once he knew something happened to you, and he was fined a lot of money for speeding and running a few red lights. Money may not be important to him, but his license has been revoked, and he must retake the driving test to obtain a license!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Victoria regained her senses and responded casually, frowning. Her reaction was so calm that Gabrielle couldn¡¯t stop herself from continuing talking. ¡°Mr. Thatcher seems to like you a lot, Victoria. It¡¯s too bad you didn¡¯t notice how pale his face was when he found out something had happened to you¡­¡± ¡°Stop mentioning him,¡± Victoria said as she clenched the bed sheets beneath her. ¡°Huh?¡± Gabrielle was taken aback. She then asked cautiously, ¡°You used to admire Mr. Thatcher a lot. Don¡¯t you feel happy that he likes you too?¡± ¡°He broke my leg, drove me to homelessness, and even humiliated me in the Delta Club. Is that how he shows his liking of me? Why should I be happy?¡± Victoria scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t have masochistic tendencies.¡± To that, Gabrielle pursed her lips stiffly and chuckled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. I should be thanking you instead. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would be dead now.¡± Gabrielle couldn¡¯t tell if Victoria was being sincere or sarcastic. ¡°Victoria, do you¡­ do you think I¡¯m a busybody?¡± Victoria had wanted to die, but she was thwarted by Gabrielle. ¡°No. I wanted to die, but you indeed saved me. These are two different matters. I sincerely appreciate it.¡± Victoria then asked, ¡°How did you know I was stuck on the rooftop?¡± Gabrielle¡¯s expression darkened as soon as she heard that. ¡°Marvin, that jerk, said he wanted to make amends with me. But it turned out that after asking me out, he drugged me and offered me as a wee gift to his client.¡± Before continuing, she lowered her head to wipe her tears. ¡°Daisy appeared shortly after I returned at around 1.00AM. She seemed to be acting strangely, so I asked around for your whereabouts and went to the rooftop to look for you.¡± Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Chapter 139 ¡°Daisy¡­¡± Victoria mumbled and smiled. People like Daisy needed to be taught a lesson in case she did something even worse. But then again, if Victoria did anything to Daisy, she would do even worse things to exact revenge. There was no end to this infinite loop of vengeance. When Gabrielle saw Victoria¡¯s smile, she felt embarrassed. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid to be cheated by that b*stard again?¡± she asked as she yed with her hands. ¡°No.¡± Victoria stopped for a few seconds before continuing, ¡°That man isn¡¯t worth your love at all.¡± Gabrielle¡¯s expression turned gloomy. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about him and ruin our moods,¡± she waved her hands and said. Then, her eyes shone as she turned excited and eximed, ¡°Let me tell you something interesting! Mr. Coleman beat Daisy up for you, and that stupid woman revealed the man backing her! Who do you think the person is?¡± Victoria, despite herck of interest, asked cooperatively, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Henry Ford!¡± Gabrielle couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice. ¡°Miss Spritz¡¯s grandfather, Henry Ford of the schrly family! He is a well-known calligrapher who is already seventy years old. What made him get involved with a woman like Daisy?¡± Victoria was shocked by that news as well. As she was close with Be in the past, she had seen Henry many times. From what Victoria remembered, Henry was truly unique. He didn¡¯t care about money or reputation; he spent his days practicing calligraphy, nting flowers, and walking his dog. Hence, it took her by surprise that he was the one backing Daisy. Gabrielle, on the other hand, was excited that Victoria was now interested in what she was saying. ¡°That old man is already over the age of seventy. Do you believe he can still perform as a man?¡± Victoria was stumped for words. ¡°Daisy even imed to be pregnant with Old Mr. Ford¡¯s child!¡± Gabrielle then began to gossip. She moved closer to Victoria and continued, ¡°Do you believe that child is really his? Or he has been cuckolded?¡± In the past, Victoria had been addressing Henry as her grandfather, just like Be did. Listening to his gossip made her feel strange. Hence, she licked her dry lips and responded, ¡°I¡¯ve no idea, but Daisy slept with Mr. Sharpst night.¡± Gabrielle gave an odd smile at that. ¡°Would Old Mr. Ford have a heart attack if he discovered Daisy had been cuckolding him?¡± After continuing for a few more minutes, she sighed. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Coleman wanted to continue teaching Daisy her lesson, but it appeared that Old Mr. Ford had contacted Mr. Glen, as Mr. Glen brought a few men to the Delta Club and forcibly took Mr. Coleman away.¡± Victoria pursed her lips when she heard that. Her gaze dimmed, and she was clutching the bed sheets underneath her so tightly that her fingers turned pale. Seeing that, Gabrielle wanted to console her. But before she could say anything, the door opened and Christian walked straight to the bed. Victoria cast an emotionless nce at him before withdrawing her gaze. ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Thatcher.¡± Gabrielle braced herself and called out to him, intending to invite him out so as not to agitate Victoria. Christian turned and looked at her, his gaze cold. ¡°Anything?¡± Gabrielle immediatelyughed awkwardly at that. All of the words she intended to say vanished. All she could respond was to point to the fruits on the table and asked, ¡°Would you like some fruits? I can wash them now.¡± And she ended her sentence with her awkwardughter. ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± he replied. ¡°Just wash them for yourself and Victoria.¡± Gabrielle felt stressed being in the room, and she wished she could find an excuse to leave. However, she was afraid that Christian would say or do anything that would agitate Victoria. Hence, Gabrielle had no choice but to remain in the room. ¡°Have a banana, Victoria. Bananas are good for you.¡± Gabrielle handed Victoria a banana, as it didn¡¯t need to be washed. Victoria took the banana, peeled it and took a bite. Christian¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he looked at Victoria. ¡°Don¡¯t discharge first. I¡¯ve already instructed the doctor to treat your legs.¡± ¡°Can Victoria¡¯s legs still be treated?¡± Gabrielle asked before Victoria could say anything, her eyes shining. Christian responded with a light hum, with his gaze still fixed on Victoria. In fact, he was wondering in his mind if he truly liked Victoria. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that, Mr. Thatcher.¡± Victoria tossed the banana peel into the trash can behind him. ¡°I don¡¯t have any money, so I¡¯m not going for treatment.¡± Gabrielle¡¯s heart almost stopped when she saw the banana peel flying past Christian¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You don¡¯t have to fork out any money.¡± Christian went to the table, took a peach and stuffed it into Victoria¡¯s hand. Victoria lowered her gaze to look at the peach. ¡°Are you asking me to gulp down this entire peach?¡± she said sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯ll cut it for you!¡± Gabrielle was worried that Victoria might simply throw the peach at Christian, so she rushed to the bed and took the peach from Victoria. ¡°Thank you for your charitable work, Mr. Thatcher, but I don¡¯t need that,¡± Victoria said indifferently, although she was still clutching the bed sheets tightly. ¡°How dare I have my legs treated before Miss Spritz has hers? If my legs recovered before hers, you might break them again.¡± Gabrielle was terrified upon hearing that, and her heart nearly leaped out of her mouth. She wanted to secretly signal Victoria to stop being sarcastic, but Victoria did not notice her at anovelxo fast updatell. ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± Without saying anything further, Christian left with a frown. Victoria, on the other hand, remained sitting on her bed. Her lips was pursed and she looked extremely gloomy. How can he break my legs and have them treated whenever he pleases? Is he treating me as a toy? With this in mind, Victoria exhaled deeply, her eyes red. She trembled as she touched her disabled right leg, wondering what the point of getting it treated was. She hadn¡¯t danced in two years, and it would be difficult for her to get back into it. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to get your leg treated?¡± Gabrielle asked with her brows furrowed. ¡°Victoria, don¡¯t make rash decisions that will leave you disabled for the rest of your life. It isn¡¯t worth it!¡± ¡°Would you get treatment if someone broke your leg and wanted to treat it afterward, and he might even hurt it again?¡± Victoria replied. Her eyes were devoid of any trace of happiness. Her words stumped Gabrielle, rendering the woman unable to say anything. ¡°I¡¯m not going to ept his kindness,¡± Victoria continued. ¡°When I¡¯m capable enough to defeat him, I won¡¯t be bound by it as well.¡± Gabrielle got goosebumps when she heard that. She awkwardlyughed and handed Victoria the peach she had cut. ¡°Take this. Your lips are parched.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, the Ford Family was in a gloomy mood due to Henry and Daisy¡¯s rtionship. Even the servants had to walk carefully as they did not dare to make a sound. All three generations of the Fords were in the living room, including Be¡¯s family of four. The person who could not stand Henry messing around at such an age the most was Lucas. He got to his feet and said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re already over seventy years old, Grandpa! That woman, Daisy, is just in her twenties! She and Be are of the same age! How could you bring yourself toy your hands on her?¡± Henry, however, simply took his cup of tea, drank a sip of it and responded casually, ¡°True love has no age limit, Lucas. When did you be so conventional?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Everyone¡¯s face was grim when they heard it, but as the younger generations of the Ford Family, no one dared to say anything about Henry due to the family¡¯s strict rules. Lucas was furious and scowled. ¡°Daisy is a woman from the red-light district. Do you know what the others said about us when they knew¡­¡± He paused for a moment as it was too embarrassing to say it. ¡°That she is pregnant with your child?¡± Henry furrowed his brows as he appeared displeased with Lucas¡¯ words. ¡°Her family forced her to be in the red-light district; you can¡¯t me it on her. As for the gossip of others, all we have to do is ignore them.¡± When Lucas noticed that Henry was still charging on bullheaded, disregarding everyone, Lucas couldn¡¯t help but turn red in the face. His veins bulged on his forehead, and his lips quivered in fury. ¡°I have respected you and treated you as a role model since I was young. So I never expected that you would go against your morals to do such a thing. Yet, you don¡¯t feel embarrassed about it and even wanted to persuade us with your misconceptions!¡± Henry couldn¡¯t contain the rage inside him when he heard Lucas¡¯ usations. He grabbed the teacup from the table and threw it toward Lucas. The teacup hit Lucas and shattered into pieces while the warm tea flowed down his face. Then, Henry stood up and red at Lucas. ¡°It looks like you have forgotten about the manners I¡¯ve taught you, Lucas. Is this how you speak to your elders?¡± ¡°Lucas!¡± Once Nancy saw that things had gotten to this point, she couldn¡¯t hold it back any longer and ran toward him. She was heartbroken when she saw the blood seeping out from the cut on his forehead. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding. Does it hurt?¡± Lucas didn¡¯t answer and kept his mouth shut as his eyes stared intently at Henry. At this moment, Be pushed her wheelchair forward and said softly, ¡°Please forgive Lucas, Grandpa. He didn¡¯t think his words through since he lost his temper.¡± Then, she looked at Lucas. ¡°Luke, hurry up and apologize to Grandpa. Look how angry you made him.¡± Despite Be having given him an out, Lucas didn¡¯t take it. He gripped his knuckles and red at Henry as he spoke. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is the truth. It is an insult for a 70-year-old man to deny his mistake of having sex with a 20-year-old sl*t and making her pregnant.¡± He didn¡¯t flinch as he red right back into Henry¡¯s death stare and said, ¡°You are an old hooligan!¡± No matter where Henry was, everyone respected him. So, when he heard Lucas¡¯ words, he blew his top. ¡°Get out of here! I do not have such a grandson like you!¡± When Nancy heard Henry¡¯s words, she looked at him and shrieked, ¡°Dad, he is just a kid. Why are you holding such a grudge toward him?!¡± Then, she turned to Lucas and grabbed his hand tofort him, but Lucas swatted her hand away. His amber eyes were filled with ire as he huffed. ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t want such a shameless Grandpa, either! It is embarrassing!¡± With that, he wiped the blood off his face and stomped off. Everyone in the room looked at each other before turning their gaze to Henry. Then, they tried to talk him out of it. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much to cut ties off with Lucas just because of a woman from the red-light district?¡± ¡°You are already in your seventies. Who knows if that girl, Daisy, will do any harm to you? Maybe it is someone else¡¯s child she is pregnant with!¡± ¡°My wife¡¯s right, Dad. Even if it is your child, will you let her give birth to the child? Your great-grandson is already four years old!¡± The room became chaotic as everyone talked over each other in haste to persuade him. The scene made Henry¡¯s face turn gloomy, and he mmed the table loudly. ¡°Silence!¡± he roared. At that moment, everyone kept their mouth shut; the room turned as silent as the grave. As the room quieted down, Henry slightly regained hisposure. He poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip. Then, he looked at Be and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your opinion on this, Be?¡± As his words fell, everyone¡¯s gaze was on Be. She bit her lips and said slowly, ¡°I know you aren¡¯t a pervert like the others said you are. You truly love Miss Torres with all your heart.¡± ¡°Be!¡± Nancy tugged on her sleeve and said unpleasantly, ¡°How could you help that bi¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Kevin quickly pulled her back to his side and signaled for her to keep her hands out of this. At this moment, Henry¡¯s wrinkled face was already back to its gracious self. ¡°You know me well, Be. Go on, say it,¡± he praised. Be purposely avoided his expectant gaze and continued, ¡°But this is still a bad thing, Grandpa. It will affect both of our families.¡± Henry was displeased when he heard her words. His face turned nasty, and he mmed the teacup down, but Be ignored him and added, ¡°Furthermore, I know a few things about Miss Torres; she has a bad reputation. Grandpa, she doesn¡¯t have any no good intentions toward you since she approached you and drugged you. I say that we let her have an abortion and pretend that this never happened!¡± ¡°This is outrageous!¡± Henry mmed the table, his eyes full of disappointment toward Be. ¡°Daisy never drugged me, and I will not let you guys frame her to protect my reputation. Only a lowlife would do such a thing!¡± Everyone was displeased by his words; even Be had furrowed her eyebrows. Just as she was about to speak, Henry cut her off. ¡°So what if I¡¯m in my seventies? I didn¡¯t cheat on anyone, nor did I break thew. What is there to be ashamed of dating someone openly?¡± A glint shed across Be¡¯s eyes, and she took a step forward. ¡°Grandpa, you¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear another word out of you!¡± Henry cut her off again and stood up with a stern look. ¡°Daisy is now in Thatcher¡¯s hands. If you do not bring her back by tonight, I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± Then, finally, he huffed and stormed off angrily after sweeping his irate re over everyone present. Be pursed her lips as she looked at his departing figure and felt disgusted beyond measure. The scene was a mess. Everyone felt humiliated by this May-December romance of Henry¡¯s, but none of them could do anything since he was still the patriarch of the Ford Family. Nancy was impatient to get something done but couldn¡¯t think of anything. ¡°Be, you can¡¯t help your grandpa on this one. What if Christian is disgusted by this matter and refuses to be engaged with you?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°But I must go.¡± Be forced a smile. If Grandpa goes and finds Christian himself, who knonovelxo fast updatews how things will turn out? she thought. Nancy¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Are you really going?¡± she asked. ¡°What else can I do?¡± Be retorted in apparent annoyance. ¡­ After Christian left the ward, he didn¡¯t go and instead stood by the door. He pursed his lips and put a cigarette between his lips. Before he could light it up, a nurse said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. No smoking is allowed.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Christian kept the lighter away and threw the cigarette into the garbage can. Then, he stood by the window and looked at the sight. His mind was in a mess, but at the same time, it seemed as if his mind was nk¡ªhe was too irked to let his thoughts sink. Ring¡­ As the phone rang, Christian picked up the call. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I had already booked an appointment with Dr. Walker for the checkup, but¡­¡± The person on the other side of the call said slowly, ¡°When he knew that it was you who asked for his help, he refused toe no matter what.¡± Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Hearing the person¡¯s words, Christian gripped his phone tightly. ¡°Do you know the reason why?¡± he asked coldly. ¡°Yes¡­¡± The person lowered their voice. ¡°His aunt is Jill Lopez. She has worked as a maid for the Coleman Family for several years. She had told him things about you and Miss Coleman to him. So, he has a¡­ bad impression of you.¡± The truth was that Dr. Walker had a terrible impression of Christian, but he didn¡¯t dare to say it. Christian¡¯s eyes flickered, but he did not say anything. Instead, he said, ¡°Give me Jill¡¯s home address and contact number now.¡± Then, he hung up the phone. At this moment, Christian heard the sound of the door opening. He instinctively turned around and looked at the door of the ward. He saw that Gabrielle had her back toward him; half of her body was inside the ward, and she was grabbing the door handle as she said her goodbyes to Victoria. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. If Mr. Thatcher wants to see you, just¡­ just think of him as a dummy and don¡¯t get mad at him. The doctor said that you can¡¯t be too emotional, okay?¡± Through the door¡¯s gap, Christian could see Victoria on the bed. He could see that she had changed much since two years ago; her baby fat was gone¡ªher facial features had sharpened¡ªand she looked more mature than before. Yet, although she looked more alluring than before, he felt suffocated. He wondered if this was what heartache felt like. Did he feel it because of love? As he was staring at her, it was only natural for her to take notice of him too, but she frowned and looked away after ncing at him as if he was some disgusting being. When he saw her reaction, he could feel his heart ache even more; it was as if someone was jabbing his heart with needles. Although the feeling was not deadly, it was unbearable. Christian wondered if this was the so-called love that Matthew was talking about. He was never in a rtionship, nor did he know what love felt like. All he knew was that he never had this unpleasant feeling when Victoria was always by his side before she turned 18. Gabrielle noticed Victoria¡¯s absentmindedness as she had not answered her for quite some time, so she pouted. ¡°Victoria, did you hear what I just said? If Mr. Thatcher¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Victoria cut her off and said, ¡°Since when was Mr. Thatcher fond of being a peeping Tom?¡± Her gaze fell upon Christian while her voice held a hint of mockery. As soon as Victoria¡¯s words registered in Gabrielle¡¯s ears, she widened her eyes in shock and stiffened. Her eyes twitched as she slowly followed Victoria¡¯s gaze, and her face had changed into so many expressions swiftly before finallynding on embarrassment. She gulped and said awkwardly, ¡°M-Mr. Thatcher, I thought you had left. What a coincidence.¡± She chuckled dryly and didn¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯m so lucky that I said dummy rather than saying he talks bullsh*t. But¡­ I don¡¯t think it is a good thing to speak at a time like this now either. she thought. ¡°I have had this hobby recently,¡± Christian said as he looked at Victoria. Victoria furrowed her brows at him but averted her gaze. On the other side, Gabrielle was fidgeting between them; she felt ufortable in every way possible. Just by peaking at Christian, she felt like she was being roasted alive on a spit. Victoria noticed Gabrielle¡¯s difort, so she spoke up, ¡°Gabrielle.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Gabrielle turned and looked at her, almost on the verge of tears. ¡°I have some things I want to talk about with him. But, you can leave first,¡± Victoria said as she licked her dry lips. This time Gabrielle was so happy that she almost cried happy tears as she was being saved from this dreadful situation. ¡°I¡¯ll be going then!¡± she eximed. Then, she turned to Christian, lowering her head, not daring to look at him, and said, ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Thatcher!¡± Afterward, she rushed off quickly. Victoria saw that Christian was the only one left outside through the door. Then, she lowered her eyes andughed at herself. Christian furrowed his eyebrows slightly and unbuttoned a button from his shirt, but the heavy feeling from his chest didn¡¯t decrease. He recalled when Victoria would be delighted if they had the chance to spend some time alone, but now she was avoiding him like he was a monster. Just like that, one sat inside the ward while the other stood outside; the door between them was slightly ajar. Christian stared at Victoria intently while she looked at the floor. The atmosphere was oppressive and weird as none of them spoke a word. Just then, Gabrielle, who had left, returned while panting. ¡°I almost forgot that Victoria said she wanted to go to the bathroom.¡± She smiled awkwardly while averting her gaze. Then, under Christian¡¯s stare, she walked into the room stiffly. Victoria¡¯s eyes shed as she saw Gabrielle. ¡°I can go on my own. You don¡¯t need toe back to help me,¡± she said. Gabrielle fidgeted ufortably as she had her back against Christian; she felt as if Christian was going to bore a hole through her back. ¡°I can wait outside if it¡¯s inconvenient for me to be here while you talk.¡± She was still worried about Victoria as she couldn¡¯t be too emotional since she had just recovered. Victoria looked at Gabrielle for a moment before she lowered her head and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, she covered her mouth and coughed. Gabrielle immediately took notice of the cold sweat beading her forehead and asked hurriedly, ¡°Victoria, are you alright?¡± Christian stood even straighter and instinctively took a step forward toward Victoria when he heard Gabrielle¡¯s anxious question. But then, he frowned and backed away. ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡± Before Victoria could say that she was okay, she started to cough again, cutting off her own sentence. Her face was as pale as a ghost, and sweat was trickling down her forehead. Christian widened his eyes when he saw such a sight. He ran into the ward within a few steps, knocking over the chair and almost falling as he ran too fast, but he ignored all of it and ran beside the bed, pressing the emergency button with trembling fingers and a pale face. Ten minutester, Victoria was being sent into the operating room while Christian and Gabrielle stood outside. None of them uttered a word, and the atmosphere was heavy. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. After Gabrielle hesitated for a long while, she finally built up the courage and said, ¡°Mr. Thatcher, can you¡­¡± She gulped and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead before she continued. ¡°C-Can you not come to the hospital for these few days?¡± She stuttered multiple times just by saying a sentence.novelxo fast update Christian¡¯s gaze went from the operating room to her as soon as she said those words; his gaze was icy cold. Gabrielle could sense his hostile gaze, so she twisted her fingers together as her back was soaked in sweat, and she couldn¡¯t help but tremble. Although this was awful society, she was still scared of him after she learned that he had broken Victoria¡¯s legs. ¡°I¡¯ll leave after she is out,¡± Christian said, and his eyes went back to the operating room. Initially, Gabrielle wanted to tell him to leave now as Victoria might be too agitated after seeing him, but looking at his expression, she didn¡¯t dare to say a word. To be honest, as an outsider, she couldn¡¯t understand Christian. Mr. Thatcher couldn¡¯t have loved Victoria since he brutally broke her legs and hurt her multiple times. But if he really didn¡¯t love her, he wouldn¡¯t be so stressed out and anxious when she entered the operating room; one can¡¯t fake those negative emotions, she thought. Gabrielle felt that she didn¡¯t understand what the rich were thinking, whether it was Christian or Victoria. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Chapter 142 After an hour, the door of the operating room slid open. At that instant, Gabrielle tensed up and looked at Christian reflexively, afraid that he would rush forward and upset Victoria again. However, he only stood there and looked inside the operating room. Then, he asked the doctor, ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± The doctor took off his mask and wiped the sweat on his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s just that Miss Coleman is too weak and needs to rest well. So I advise asking those not on good terms with her to stop visiting her for these few days. If you know people on ill terms with her, please tell them this,¡± the doctor said. Gabrielle gulped and nced at Christian when she listened to the doctor¡¯s advice. Just as she was taking a sneak peek at him, he was looking in her direction too. This caused her to shiver, and she lowered her head quickly, not daring to look around. ¡°I understand.¡± He took another look inside the operating room and gripped his knuckles slightly before releasing them and walking toward the elevator. Gabrielle was slightly relieved when she watched him leave without kicking up a fuss, but she was still tense as long as he was still within her sight. Suddenly, Christian turned to her and asked, ¡°Are you Gabrielle?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Her heart trembled, and she stood straighter. ¡°Yes. My name is Gabrielle; the same name as the British singer,¡± she said. Christian nodded and said faintly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a month and a half of holiday.¡± With that being said, he walked into the elevator. Only when the elevator was closed shut did Gabrielle regain her senses. Did Mr. Thatcher give me a month and a half of holiday so I can take care of Victoria? she thought. She ran her hand through her hair, mumbled something incoherently, and followed the nurse, who was pushing Victoria back to the ward. Because the anesthesia hadn¡¯t worn off yet, Victoria was still asleep, which made Gabrielle feel that she had worried too much. If she had known things would turn out like this, she would not say those disrespectful words to Christian. Ding! As the elevator arrived on the first floor, Christian stepped out of it. When he left the hospital, he encountered Be by the door; she was sitting in a wheelchair with a bouquet on her knees. This time, it wasn¡¯t Lucas pushing her wheelchair but a maid. ¡°Chris, are you here to visit Victoria too?¡± Be asked softly. Christian twitched his lips when he looked at her. Then, instead of answering her question, he asked, ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± There was bewilderment on Be¡¯s face, but then she smiled. ¡°You must have misunderstood me. I am not here for you but to visit Victoria.¡± Christian scoffed and left without saying anything. Be furrowed her eyebrows for a second at his departing figure before smoothing out her expression. ¡°Chris!¡± she shouted. ¡°Other than visiting Victoria, I¡¯m here to talk to you about something.¡± Christian stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her, but he didn¡¯t stroll toward her and just looked at her sardonically. ¡°Was it Mr. Carter who told you that I¡¯m here?¡± Mr. Carter was the driver of the Thatcher Family. There was no way his mother would tell Be about his whereabouts; only Mr. Carter would. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink about it. I asked Mr. Carter about your whereabouts as I need to tell you something.¡± Be sighed resignedly. ¡°What is there for me to overthink? That Mr. Carter is why you always know where I am?¡± Christian chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m only saying that don¡¯t me it all on him. It¡¯s unfair for Mr. Carter if you used him of such a thing,¡± she said as she bit her lips. His expression was unreadable as he stood against the light; the shadows covered his expression. ¡°Is it convenient for me to talk to you after I¡¯m done visiting Victoria?¡± Be asked softly, breaking the silence between them. However, Christian didn¡¯t answer her. Instead, he said, ¡°Stop visiting her for these few days.¡± Be smiled bitterly when she heard his warning. ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯m going to hurt her? After all, she used to be my friend. Plus, there are many people in the hospital. So even if I wanted to hurt her, I didn¡¯t have the chance to do so. It really hurts me, knowing that this is how you see me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything. You have done more than enough just by standing before her.¡± Christian looked at her with ridicule. His words made Be stiffen, which resulted in more dejection in her eyes. Although she was silent, the maid behind her could no longer stand his attitude. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, how dare you say such things to Miss Spritz?! She had given up on suing Miss Coleman and even forgave her by visiting her when Miss Coleman did such an unforgivable thing. Where is your conscience?¡± the maid said. Christian looked at the maid using him hotly. When their eyes met, the maid, fuming in rage, immediately lowered her head and didn¡¯t dare to make eye contact with him. But still, the anger and unwillingness on her face did not disappear. Nevertheless, Christian merely tilted his head and looked at Be when he saw that the maid had lowered her head. Then, he said slowly, ¡°There are three types of people who can forgive the murderer who wanted to kill them and still treat them nicely: a saint, a fake, and an idiot.¡± He bent down and looked straight into her eyes. ¡°I think you are not a saint or an idiot.¡± Be¡¯s smile faltered as she bit her lips, and tears glistened in her eyes; she looked alluring. ¡°Chris, you ¡ª¡± Before she could finish her words, Christian cut her off. ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to tell me? Let¡¯s go.¡± With that being said, he didn¡¯t take another look at her and left. ¡°Miss Spritz, he is using you of something you didn¡¯t do!¡± The maid red at Christian¡¯s silhouette. Although she was in a rage, she kept her voice low to avoid being heard by Christian. Although Be was smiling, her tone was full of woe. ¡°Nonsense. Chris is not that kind of novelxo fast updateperson.¡± As she was speaking, she pushed the wheelchair and went outside. When the maid looked at the flowers on Be¡¯s legs, she asked hesitantly, ¡°So¡­ We won¡¯t be visiting Miss Coleman?¡± Be stopped in her tracks when the maid¡¯s question reminded her of why she was here in the first ce. She took the bouquet off her legs and handed them to the maid, saying, ¡°Throw it away; it smells bad. We¡¯ll buy other flowers and visit Victoria next time.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± the maid said, and she pushed the wheelchair. ¡°Forgive me for my impertinence; as a murderer, she doesn¡¯t deserve you wasting your time on her. It¡¯s not like she would thank you for it.¡± ¡°No matter what, she used to be my friend. I can¡¯t be a heartless person just because she is one.¡± Be smiled and said softly. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Around 6.00PM, Be and Christian entered a Japanese restaurant. After she ordered a bunch of food, she looked at him and said, ¡°I ordered almost everything you liked. Go on and see if there is anything you want to add on.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± he said. To him, ordering food with certain people was just a waste of time as he wouldn¡¯t be in the mood to indulge in them. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 ¡°Okay,¡± Be said. Then, she turned to the waiter. ¡°That¡¯s all for now. If we need anythingter, I¡¯ll order again. Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re wee. Your food will be ready soon,¡± the waiter said before leaving. After the waiter had left, Christian crossed his legs together; his upper body leaned forward slightly, looking as if he didn¡¯t want to stay there any longer. Even though Be was in a wheelchair, she still looked elegant. ¡°I only heard of this restaurant and never tried it before. You entered here once you saw it. Have you been here before?¡± she asked. He twitched his lips into a slight sneer as heid his eyes on her. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. I just came here because it¡¯s the nearest; it saves my time.¡± Be gripped her hands and smiled despite hearing his uncharitable words. ¡°It looks like you are busy with work. You must take good care of yourself. Your body should be your priority no matter how important your work is.¡± ¡°Thepany isn¡¯t that busy. I don¡¯t want to waste my time on some matter. So it¡¯s meaningless as it wastes time and affects my mood.¡± Christian smiled. A glint of bitterness shed across Be¡¯s eyes as she grinned. Then, she stopped talking. After a moment, the waiter served the food she had just ordered. ¡°The sashimi is fresh. Try some of it, Chris.¡± Using a serving fork, she ced a piece of sashimi on Christian¡¯s te. Christian merely nced at the sashimi, retracted his gaze, and didn¡¯t move or say anything. After she silently ate, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, ¡°I heard that something happened to Victoria at around midnight. Were you so busy with her problems that you are now sporting dark circles underneath your eyes as if you didn¡¯t sleep the whole night?¡± Christian shifted his position and replied, ¡°Indeed, I didn¡¯t sleep for a night, but it wasn¡¯t just because of her.¡± Be¡¯s eyes shed with a calctive gleam, and she smiled. ¡°Is there anything other than Victoria¡¯s matter that you had to work on in the middle of the night?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Hmph.¡± He sneered. ¡°Do you also need to know how many meals I ate, what I ate, and how many times I went to the bathroom?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about you. I didn¡¯t mean anything other than that. So I¡¯ll stop asking if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Be smiled self-deprecatingly. Then, she said, ¡°Actually, I wanted to talk to you about my grandpa.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Christian propped himself on the table with his elbow and raised his eyebrows. ¡°You¡­ must have heard about the incident involving my grandpa, right?¡± Be lowered her eyes. Although expressionless, her ears were red as it was not a rather shameful thing to talk about. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of it. Unfortunately, unlike you, I don¡¯t have many friends that I can ask around for others¡¯ whereabouts and those messed up things,¡± Christian said as he tapped the table with his fingers Be was red from embarrassment as she heard his disparagingments; she was rarely pushed into this state. After she ate a piece of sashimi, her face returned to normal. One can onlymend her for her excellent control over her emotions. She swallowed her food and said, ¡°Did you really not hear about it? The matter of my grandpa has something to do with the Delta Club.¡± ¡°Delta Club is just a smallpany among the Thatcher Group. So I can¡¯t waste my time and focus on everything that happens in there,¡± Christian said. His words made Be frown and bite her bottom lip anxiously. ¡°There is a woman called Daisy Torres in the Delta Club. She drugged my grandpa to get into our family. Now that she is pregnant with his child, I need to take her back,¡± she said. ¡°I do know about Daisy. If I¡¯m not mistaken, she is in her twenties while your grandpa is in his seventies. And you are saying that she had drugged him?¡± Christian ced his hands on his knees and leaned back against the chair. ¡°Of course. My grandpa couldn¡¯t have fallen in love with a wh*re.¡± Be smiled as she gripped her knuckles. ¡°If so, why do you still have to ask me about her?¡± Christian asked as he chuckled. Be was at a loss for words. Then, he said, ¡°Since she is an employee of the Delta Club and had done such an illegal thing, why don¡¯t we send her to the police department and let them handle this? If it is true that she had drugged your grandpa, I won¡¯t take her side and let her spend her time in prison.¡± Again, Be didn¡¯t know what to say, and her expression morphed into one of annoyance. Christian straightened his posture as he propped himself with his elbow, leaned forward slightly, and inquired, ¡°What do you think, Be?¡± He taunted. ¡°Is this fair enough?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we should let the police handle this. After all, this is not a serious matter, and my grandpa is a public figure. If those reporters knew this, they would have a field day.¡± Be forced out a smile. But Christian ignored her and continued, ¡°It¡¯s fine. With the power of a few families, no reporters would dare to report fake news to earn money.¡± Then, he paused and looked at Be as if he meant something. ¡°But if this is true, it¡¯ll be unknown if the media will report on it and how many people would be desperate to get a slice of thetest scandal.¡± After Christian said his piece, the room fell into silence. At that moment, three waiters came and ced the prawns and sushi on the table. After they had served the food, they quietly left the room. The maid beside Be was confused about what they were saying. Now that both had kept quiet, she fidgeted ufortably. Only when she stood behind Be did she feel slightly better, but now that she was still in Christian¡¯s view, she felt uneasy again. After the both of them stayed silent for a while, Be broke the silence. ¡°The Ford Family values bloodline. Regardless of how Daisy had gotten pregnant with my grandpa¡¯s child, the child she¡¯s carrying is still ours. I hope you can understand and let me take her away,¡± she said. ¡°If you insist on taking her away, I don¡¯t mind. But during the process of Victoria¡¯s treatment, I don¡¯t want to see any idents happening because of you,¡± Christian said.novelxo fast update His words took her aback momentarily. Then, she said bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s only fair to pay for the price of one¡¯s sin.¡± She looked at her legs and continued. ¡°Two years ago, Victoria didn¡¯t kill me but broke one of my legs. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unfair for me that you wanted to treat her legs?¡± she questioned. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, the Ford and Spritz Family are on good terms. You are crossing the line by doing so much for a murderer,¡± the maid rebuked as she was loyal to Be. Christian pursed his lips and said, ¡°I said it multiple times¡ªwe both know what happened back then. Furthermore, you will be able to stand up like a normal person after some time.¡± He wanted to make Be suffer the way she did to Victoria by recording her voice as evidence, but she was very cautious with her words and had never specified that it was her who set up the car ident. Be¡¯s smile faded. ¡°But I can never dance anymore! I¡¯m sorry, Chris. No matter how generous I am, I can¡¯t just sit there and watch Victoria getting her legs treated,¡± she said. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 The Japanese food on the table looked scrumptious, but neither Christian nor Be had the appetite to enjoy such a delicacy. The corner of Christian¡¯s lips curved up, but there was not a hint of joy in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can only apologize. Daisy is one of the employees in my Delta Club. I¡¯m not going to hand over an employee to be the partner of an old man almost on his deathbed.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me, Chris?¡± Be squeezed out a forced smile as her body tensed up. Christian calmly replied, ¡°I¡¯m just reiterating the facts.¡± The conversation seemed so familiar, but their roles had changed. She froze for a moment, then smiled, clenching her fist tightly, and said softly, ¡°I came here today looking for Daisy because my grandpa has asked me to. So it¡¯s not a big deal if this doesn¡¯t work out. But I may decide to sue Victoria due to disappointment if you aren¡¯t agreeable.¡± He looked at her darkly and sat down. ¡°You¡¯re a smart person, Chris. You should know what to do.¡± Be had regained herposure as she drawled out the words. ¡°Is that so?¡± Christian narrowed his eyes. Sheughed. ¡°At least, I think you¡¯re smart.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you then.¡± He nced at her coldly. ¡°You have two choices now. First, you take Daisy with you, and I¡¯ll treat Victoria¡¯s legs. The second is that you sue Victoria, but I¡¯ll be exposing Old Mr. Ford¡¯s affairs online.¡± A shocked Be froze in horror but still maintained the slight smile on her face. ¡°What if I take Daisy with me and still don¡¯t agree to treat Victoria¡¯s legs? ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Christian refuted. She could no longer keep her smile at his words. ¡°Chris, do you really think my grandpa cares about his name?¡± ¡°Does he not?¡± He smiled and stood up. ¡°Good for him, then.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Be¡¯s mind whirled when she saw his resolute back and bit her lips as she called out in a panic, ¡°Chris!¡± However, he did not even pause, nor did he respond to her. ¡°Miss, what should we do now?¡± When the maid saw that Christian was almost out the door, she got anxious. ¡°If this matter regarding your grandpa and Miss Torres is exposed, it won¡¯t look good on the Ford Family, and our name will be dragged through the mud!¡± Menace shed in her eyes as she assured the maid, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± She waited until Christian was at the door, ready to push it open, before speaking, ¡°Whatever it may be, Victoria was a friend of mine. I¡¯ll be d to see her legs healed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a smart person.¡± Christian stopped in his tracks but did not turn his head and returned the praise to her. Be¡¯s hand tightened on the armrest as she smiled. ¡°Since that¡¯s settled, why don¡¯t you sit and join us? It¡¯s a waste to order and not eat the food.¡± ¡°I have different preferences. You guys can go ahead as I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Chrisitan pushed the door and left without looking at her. Be¡¯s red lips parted slightly and trembled when she saw the empty doorway. Then, her head drooped as pain and bitterness filled her eyes. After Christian left the Japanese restaurant, he took a taxi to Jill¡¯s noodle house. Jill was cleaning a table with her back facing him as he walked into the shop. ¡°Hi, what would you like? Hang on a minute, and I¡¯ll be right over.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She turned around only to see Christian standing there, and the smile on her round face froze. Then, she swiftly set aside the broom and dustpan and told him, ¡°Oh my, the food this humble shop serves can¡¯t possibly be appetizing for Mr. Thatcher. If it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯d rather not waste food.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Jill,¡± he greeted her. ¡°Well, of course.¡± She smiled, but her tone was snarky. ¡°You¡¯re the president of the great Thatcher Group. I¡¯m just the owner of a little noodle ce. We¡ª¡± She pointed at the sky, then at the ground. ¡°We are like heaven and earth. It¡¯s natural that we don¡¯t meet often. Just like today, it¡¯s unusual that you¡¯re here. It¡¯s making my heart pound in fright!¡± ¡°Is the seafood noodle avable? I¡¯d like to have one, please.¡± Christian looked down and pulled the chair out before sitting down. ¡°Oh well, I wouldn¡¯t dare to make it for you.¡± She was stillughing. ¡°What if you find a hair or a fly in it and close down my shop? It¡¯s safer for me to decline this sale of yours. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Christian knocked lightly on the table twice. ¡°I think that even if there weren¡¯t any hair or flies, you¡¯d pluck some hair or catch some flies and add them in.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s a funny joke, Mr. Thatcher. I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Jill picked up the broom and continued sweeping the already clean floor. ¡°If you knew about that and hurt me, who could I ask for help then?¡± He raised his eyebrows a little and asked, ¡°If I didn¡¯t find out about it, would you continue to do so?¡± She stopped sweeping and chuckled while looking at him with the broom in her hand. ¡°Dr. Walker¡¯s your nephew, right?¡± Christian dropped the act and asked her directly since Jill was not being very weing. They would be talking in circles forever and never get to the point. ¡°Yes, he is,¡± Jill answered. ¡°But he¡¯s bad-tempered and doesn¡¯t have a close rtionship with me. So if he doesn¡¯t want to treat Be¡¯s legs, it¡¯s no use for you to look for me.¡± Christian then asked, ¡°What if he refuses to treat Victoria¡¯s legs then? Can Ie to you?¡± Jill paused for a moment and then let out augh. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about this. He returned from Pancada a few days ago, and I¡¯ve talked to him about treating Tori¡¯s legs. He will do it for free until she¡¯s healed.¡± She let out a chuckle. ¡°Tori¡¯s got quite a temper and draws a clear line between love and hate. She doesn¡¯t like to ept people¡¯s help easily as well. If you care, I¡¯d like you to leave her alone.¡±novelxo fast update ¡°That¡¯s great. Thanks, Jill.¡± His eyes darkened as his slender fingers tapped on the table lightly. Finally, he stood up to unbutton the top button of his shirt, but the weight on his heart did not lessen. Jill replied, ¡°You¡¯ve mistaken. I¡¯m doing this for Tori, not you. So you don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got something to do. I¡¯ll take my leave now. I¡¯ll visit you when I have the time.¡± His brows furrowed slightly as he got ready to leave. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Jill held up the broom against his knee to stop him as the smile on her face disappeared. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the truth about you breaking Tori¡¯s leg two years ago, but thank you because she would have a life sentence if that were not the case. This doesn¡¯t mean that I like you, though. I can¡¯t ept the things that you¡¯ve done to her. If you want to repent, I¡¯m begging you to let her go and leave her alone. As her auntie, I¡¯ll thank you on her behalf.¡± Christian nced at the broom before moving his gaze up to Jill and mocked, ¡°How did you know that it wasn¡¯t her who did me wrong?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jill was taken aback. He stepped over the broom and strode out of the noodle house before biting back harshly, ¡°You¡¯re in no ce to interfere with mine and Victoria¡¯s matters.¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Victoria originally had the VIP suite all to herself, but now there was another sick person on the guest bed. Lying on the bed in a hospital gown, he had a handsome face that bore a resemnce to her. His left leg and arm were hanging mid-air while covered in a ster cast and it lookedical. ¡°Are you¡­ dumb?¡± Victoria sat on the hospital bed in speechlessness while looking at her brother. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Dad wanting to lock me up and I was afraid of you getting bullied, I wouldn¡¯t have jumped from the second floor. If I hadn¡¯t done that, things would have¡ªargh!¡± Vincent identally touched his injury and his face went pale from the pain. Teresa stood aside and watched him coldly while Gabrielle had her head down, trying to suppress her laughter while her shoulders shook. ¡°I¡¯m an adult with an ID card. You don¡¯t need to worry about me so much. Don¡¯t be so reckless next time.¡± Victoria pursed her lips and nced at Vincent¡¯s leg that was hanging in mid-air before she sighed inaudibly. However, he did not stop his antics even when he was immobile. He kept bickering with his wife while Victoria chatted with Gabrielle. It was a calm afternoon in the ward. Soon, it was 8.00PM and Gabrielle was about to leave. She pushed the door open to see two unexpected guests and looked at Victoria subconsciously before mming the door shut. Hearing that, Victoria looked at the door and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Gabrielle let out a dryugh and wanted to exin when Glen¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°Who¡¯s inside? Open the door.¡± Immediately after that, Denise¡¯s soft but raspy voice could be heard. ¡°Tori, Vince, Tess, are you guys inside? Open the door for us.¡± Victoria pulled a long face and her lips pressed together tightly as she gripped the bedsheet beneath her tightly. Among the people that she hated seeing the most were Be and Christian, ranking in the first ce while her parents came second. ¡°Mrs. Coleman.¡± Gabrielle had offended Victoria¡¯s parents before and did not want to risk it anymore. She turned toward Teresa and tried to hint at her. ¡°The doctor said Victoria should be on bed rest and avoid fluctuations in her emotions.¡± Teresa frowned, but did not say anything. ¡°Mr. Thatcher visited Victoria today and she had another surgery after that.¡± Gabrielle realized that Teresa was not in a good position to stop Glen and Denise as she was a daughter-inw. So, she turned toward Vincent. ¡°They¡¯re f*cking everywhere!¡± Vincent cursed. However, it was unclear if he was condemning Christian or Glen and Denise. Teresa walked to the table, picked up two cups, and asked him, ¡°Are you going to do it or not?¡± Vincent did not answer and reached out his uninjured hand to grab the two cups before hurling them at the door. Bang! The cups collided with the door. Smash! Soon, they turned into shattered pieces on the floor. ¡°Scram!¡± he hollered at the door as the veins on his forehead throbbed. ¡°We don¡¯t wee you. Get out of here!¡± Gabrielle¡¯s heart trembled at his angry shouts. ¡°You should leave first,¡± Victoria told her. Since Teresa and Vincent were there to protect Victoria, Gabrielle did not have much to worry about. She wanted to avoid offending people she should not be dealing with. Hence, she hastily bid goodbye and walked out the door while avoiding the shattered pieces on the floor. Just as Teresa wanted to lock the open door, Glen pushed it open and marched in before she could do it while Denise trailed behind him with swollen red eyes. ¡°Tori¡­ ¡± Denise rushed past Glen and stopped before Victoria¡¯s hospital bed. She scanned Victoria up and down while tears streamed down her face. ¡°Are you in a lot of pain?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. With trembling hands, she wanted to caress Victoria¡¯s cheek, but Victoria turned her head to the side. ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you if I¡¯m in pain or not, Mrs. Coleman,¡± Victoria said quietly while looking at her as if she was looking at a patient. As Denise saw the hate and disgust in her eyes, she stumbled back and sobbed softly with her hands over her mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re thinking about.¡± Glen humphed. ¡°You wanted a divorce because of an ingrate like her? Are you regretting it now?¡± He fixed his gaze harshly at Victoria and continued, ¡°Not only would she not be grateful to you, she might even stab you in the back! Are you nuts?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that about my daughter!¡± Denise smacked him with her bag and screamed, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you expelling Tori from the Coleman Family and leaving her to die, why would she¡­ not acknowledge me as her mother anymore?¡± Glen avoided Denise¡¯s smacks with a gloomy face, but she was not going to stop anytime soon. ¡°You said Tori was¡­ putting on an act thest time she almost died in the car crash. Now, her pulmonary edema recurred and had to be sent to the ER, but you still insisted that she was novelxo fast updateacting!¡± ¡°Are you done?!¡± He grabbed onto her arms with bloodshot eyes as impatience was written all over his face. He felt that his obedient wife had gone crazy and it all started when she found out that Victoria was in the ER due to the recurrence of her pulmonary edema. It was like she had be a different person. ¡°F*ck!¡± Vincent cursed as it seemed that no one noticed him despite his shouting for attention. He punched his bed and boomed, ¡°Can you both f*cking leave? This is a ward. Bring your fight elsewhere!¡± Victoria covered her mouth and coughed softly while her face turned paler than it was before. Teresa looked at her worriedly and went up to Glen and Denise. ¡°Dad, Mom. The doctor said Tori needs to be on bed rest. She should keep her emotions stable too.¡± ¡°Now, you¡¯re all getting on top of me, huh?¡± Glen was used to dominating the home, but today, it seemed like everyone was going against him. The anger inside was at its limit as he exploded and snapped with a red face, ¡°Since all of you care about Victoria so much, might as well f*cking stay with her!¡± It was his first time cursing in front of others. The room went still while Denise looked at him incredulously as tears brimmed in her eyes. ¡°What else do you know besides crying?¡± he shouted at Denise as his nostrils red. ¡°You¡¯re such a useless punching bag and gave birth to two b*stards too. Do you still think that you are a good wife to me? If it wasn¡¯t for me, the Coleman Group is long gone, but you had the nerve to secretly hide twenty percent of the shares and threaten me for an ingrate!¡± Victoria coughed into her hand as she sneered. Ingrate. Murderer. These were the words her father used to describe her. Watching her cough, Vincent was rmed and wanted to jump off the bed, but Teresa held him down. She then walked toward Victoria and nced at Glen and Denise, who were still at it. Despite being irritated, a worried Teresa asked Victoria, ¡°Are you alright? Should I get the doctor for you?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not dying.¡± She shook her head and showed Teresa her palm. ¡°I¡¯m just coughing and there¡¯s no phlegm. It¡¯s not recurring.¡± At that, Teresa and Vincent let out a sigh of relief Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Denise stopped her tears as despair filled her eyes. After a while, she said with a trembling voice, ¡°After all these years, is this what you think of me? That I¡¯m useless and only know to cry?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a well-known fact?¡± Glen retorted, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for me bringing the Coleman Group up where it is now, did you think the twenty percent share you own would be worth this much now? You¡¯re not worthy of those shares!¡± Stunned, Denise was speechless as her eyes widened. Vincent did not harbor good feelings toward his parents because of what happened with Victoria. Therefore, he was only annoyed that they were arguing and merely watched them as hey on the hospital bed. On the other hand, Teresa was a daughter-inw, so it was awkward for her to say anything as well. The room was so silent that a pin drop could be heard. Suddenly, a cold sneer rang out. Victoria adjusted her sitting posture before taunting, ¡°Mr. Coleman is talking nonsense as usual. There isn¡¯t one sentence that makes sense. You should ask yourself how you could take over thepany had my grandparents not died in the car crash. How could a poor young man like you, who had to ask for money from your wife to go to university, be the president of the Coleman Group?¡± ¡°Y-You shut up!¡± Glen hated it when people brought up his past as a poor person. With a hand over his chest, he pointed at Victoria while his breathingbored. ¡°You¡ª¡± Click. At that moment, someone outside pushed open the door and Christian walked in. He first looked at Victoria to see if she was fine before turning his gloomy handsome face around and interrupting Glen. ¡°Please leave, Mr. and Mrs. Coleman.¡± When he looked over, Victoria avoided his gaze. Even after he turned around, she did not look at him and kept her eyes down. Glen replied, ¡°Christian, you¡ª¡± Just as he opened his mouth, Christian coldly interrupted him, ¡°Now. Immediately.¡± ¡°Since you want me to leave, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Glen regained his usual gentlemanposure, but signs of his anger lingered on his face. ¡°But I want to talk to you about thatnd in Glogan.¡± Christian furrowed his brows slightly and looked at Victoria once again. Still, she kept her head low and he could only see her side profile, which was bing slimmer. Feeling a painful tug at his heart, he rolled his Adam¡¯s apple before affirming to Glen and opened the door. Recently, Glen had been looking for Christian, but Warren had been giving excuses that Christian was not in the office; or he was in a meeting; or that he was very busy and had no time. After going to his office so many times, Glen knew that Christian was avoiding him. Hearing his answer, Glen immediately brightened up and followed him. Denise subconsciously wanted to go after him, but retracted her footsteps and wiped away the tears as her head hung low. ¡°Tori, are you alright? You were coughing just now. You must let us know if there¡¯s a problem because Teresa can get the doctor,¡± Vincent asked with concern when the ward finally regained its peace. Denise, who was wiping her tears, looked up in fear. ¡°Tori, was it because of me and your dad¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Victoria furrowed her brows and coldly interrupted her. Then, she turned to Teresa and Vincent before telling him with a gentle expression, ¡°I¡¯m alright. Don¡¯t you guys worry.¡± Seeing that Victoria was so close to Vincent and Teresa but so distant to her, Denise staggered from the sadness welling up in her. It did not help as she recalled the heartbreaking things Glen said to her as well. ¡°Mom!¡± Teresa quickly went up to support her as she was about to fall. Denise leaned against her and looked at Victoria with tears in her eyes. ¡°Tori, do you me me for not taking your side two years ago?¡± Victoria looked down. She did not meet Denise¡¯s gaze nor did she reply. When she was sent to jail two years ago and became a pawn, she only felt wronged, sad, and overwhelmed by the pain of Be¡¯s betrayal. However, she had never resented her parents. However, it all changed when she left the prison and experienced her parents¡¯ attitude toward her. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Back then¡­ You did such an outrageous thing and crashed into someone with a car. I couldn¡¯t¡­ I was too ashamed to help you,¡± Denise said in agony. ¡°My heart was torn seeing you sent to jail right before my eyes.¡± Victoria frowned as she clenched her fists. She could not identify that feeling in her heart, but it was not a nice feeling at all. ¡°Stop talking.¡± After being on the borders of life and death, she had seen through certain things. Denise¡¯s eyes were swollen like the size of golf balls, but she was even more dejected at Victoria¡¯s attitude. ¡°You said you have a good rtionship with Be. H-How could you hit her with the car because Christian likes her?¡± Teresa wanted to stop Denise midway in her sentence, but it was toote. ¡°I¡ªsaid¡ª¡± Right this moment, anger boiled in Victoria¡¯s blood as she shot up and warned through her teeth, ¡°Shut¡ªUp!¡± She did not believe her!novelxo fast update She did not believe her at all! She would never believe her! Victoria walked toward Denise with red eyes and stopped as her whole body was tense. ¡°I¡¯ve said it a million times. It wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t do it. I didn¡¯t do it! Why don¡¯t you believe me?¡± She pointed at herself and questioned, ¡°I¡¯m the daughter you gave birth to after carrying me for ten months. Why don¡¯t you believe me but listen to Be instead?¡± Denise took two steps backward as she looked at Victoria¡¯s unnerving stance and tried to defend herself, ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Just because I¡¯m usually wild and not obedient like Be?¡± Victoria closed up on Denise as tears formed at the corners of her eyes, but she forced them back. ¡°Since you think I¡¯m not a good person and I can¡¯t bepared to Be, then forget the fact that I was ever your daughter!¡± Feeling her throat tightening, Victoria took a deep breath shakily. ¡°I¡¯m not holding onto the Coleman Family, but why are you guysing after me? Do you find satisfaction from berating me?¡± Denise¡¯s lips trembled and parted, but the tears started flowing from her eyes instead. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Victoria coughed into her palm before pointing at the door and growled. Denise did not move though as the tears kept streaking down her face. She looked at Victoria with pain and sadness, as well as surprise at the same time. Not a word came out from her even though she opened her mouth a few times. Teresa, who was standing at the side, wanted to say something but did not know what. Vincent, on the other hand, did not move a single muscle and stared at the ceiling. Nobody knew what he was thinking about. ¡°Ha!¡± Victoria snickered. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll leave since Mrs. Coleman isn¡¯t leaving.¡± She got off the bed and walked to the door without wearing shoes and had a slight stagger on her right leg. Vincent turned his head around when he heard the door click open and nced coldly at Denise. Then, he frowned before trying to get up. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be on bed rest now. Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll go.¡± Teresa pushed him down and told Denise before rushing out. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on Tori.¡± Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Denise looked at the door with tears pooling in her eyes and she was about to go after Victoria when Vincent gloomily called out, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see your daughter have a rpse, you should stay in the ward.¡± ¡°Vince, you think it¡¯s my fault too?¡± She wiped her tears with a handkerchief and asked painfully while sobbing. He turned away and did not look at her. His uninjured hand was tapping on the hospital bed, but the hostility and irritation were obvious on his face. When Victoria stepped out of the room, she saw Christian and Glen standing not far away from the door. She coldly nced at them before walking toward the stairs on the east of the hallway. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you put on your shoes beforeing out?¡± Christian walked to her side and pulled on her arm. He looked disapprovingly at her bare feet. She turned her head to the side and looked at him darkly before pushing his hands away roughly. ¡°Mr. Thatcher is speaking to you. Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± Glen saw Victoria and raised his voice at her as he was reminded of his disapproval of her. Victoria snickered and challenged him, ¡°Why does it matter to you if I answer to him? Who are you to tell me to do things?¡± ¡°You¡ªYou brat!¡± He breathed heavily and had a hand over his heart. His face turned red as his breathing quickened. ¡°Ha!¡± She sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t have a hypocritical father like you. Don¡¯t mistake me for your daughter! Also, I suggest that you learn to control your emotions. If anything happens to you, there¡¯s no one here to rescue you!¡± As they argued, she did not once look at Christian, who was standing by her side. It was as if he was a wall. ¡°You! You¡ª¡± Glen stared gloomily at her as if he was getting out of breath. Victoria snorted at him, turned around, and left. ¡°Go back and put on some shoes before you go out.¡± Christian frowned slightly as he walked past Glen and stopped in front of her. Glen still had his hand on his heart, but his breathing had calmed down. He looked between Christian and Victoria with unreadable eyes as he became deep in thought. She looked up at Christian and tightened her fist and shot daggers at him. ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me that you, Mr. Thatcher, fancies interfering with people¡¯s choice in wearing shoes.¡± The pent-up anger and grudge she had against him for the past two years boiled and shattered her sanity. Her voice sharpened as she shrieked, ¡°You just want to see me in distress. You want to see me in pain. You wish that I was in the depths of hell. Well, I¡¯m at my lowest now. Are you happy?¡± ¡°Victoria!¡± Her scathing expression was reflected in his eyes asplex feelings tugged at his heart. It was pain, suffocation, and something else he could not pinpoint. Victoria snickered loudly. ¡°Keep your concern for the woman you love. I don¡¯t need it. It¡¯s a burden for me. You don¡¯t need to warn or threaten me. I¡¯m a selfish, ruthless person. If you force me, I¡¯ll just die. I don¡¯t care about the others.¡± She coughed and did not look at him anymore before leaving with a gloomy expression. Looking at her skinny back, he lifted his right leg, but withdrew it back before itnded on the floor. There was an unreadable look in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll bring Tori some shoes in a bit. Thank you for your concern, President Thatcher.¡± Teresa had caught up with her and carefully told him, ¡°Tori just argued with Mom. So, she¡¯s not in her right mind. I hope you can forgive her if she has disrespected you.¡± Christian looked at Victoria¡¯s moving figure as his eyes sank and he unbuttoned his shirt. He gave Teresa a nod. ¡°Okay.¡± With that, he did not say anything else. Teresa was not sure what he meant by that and her heart pounded, but she could not do or say anything about it. She dipped her head and apologized to him before going back to the ward to get Victoria¡¯s shoes and look for her. ¡°Mr. Thatcher, about the matter I was talking about, have you made a decision?¡± Glen was back to his old elegant self, but his face was still a little pale. The Thatcher Family did not have intentions to have a project in Glogan. However, there was news that they wanted to auction thend they received from the Coleman Family. Even though it was an auction, the purchaser would have already been decided before the day itself; that was the reason Glen wanted to look for Christian today to talk about this matter. Christian nced at him before telling him indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s no use for you to discuss this with me now. The highest bidder gets thend. If you really want thisnd, just prepare more money. There¡¯s no need toe to me.¡± Auctions were filled with uncertainties. So, it was hard to predict who would be the winner, especially since that piece ofnd in Glogan was a valuable one. Manypanies were eager and would be trying their best to win thend. To outbid the rest of thepanies during the auction, the Coleman Group would have to give the highest price in the market, which was not a good thing for them. ¡°Haha.¡± Glenughed curtly and insinuated, ¡°Christian, you¡¯ve been in the workforce for a few years now. Don¡¯t you know that the final purchaser has already been pre-decided by the auction house?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Christian answered without hesitation.novelxo fast update At that, a genuine smile crossed Glen¡¯s face. ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that many otherpanies have that practice, but not the Thatcher Group,¡± Christian interrupted him. He turned his head to look in the direction Victoria left as his slender fingers rapped against his thigh and imperceptible irritation showed in his brows. The smile on Glen¡¯s face froze. The Thatcher Group had always appointed the Coleman Group as the purchaser in secret for auctions both three and five years ago respectively. Christian¡¯s answer was merely dismissing him. He tried to squeeze a smile. ¡°You¡¯re funny, Christian.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°I never joke about my work,¡± Christian answered and looked in the direction Victoria left once again. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now. I¡¯ve got some matters to attend to.¡± With that, he left. Glen hurriedly stepped forward to stop him from leaving. ¡°Is there something else, Mr. Coleman?¡± Christian raised an eyebrow. Glen sighed and asked, ¡°Christian, are you doing this because of the incident between Victoria and Be two years ago?¡± Christian only looked at him and did not respond. ¡°It was us that was in the wrong two years ago. I didn¡¯t educate her well. To express our apologies, the Coleman Group has been giving up a lot of profits to Spritz Group over the years too. I¡¯ve also cut off ties with her as father and daughter. I¡¯m doing all I can topensate Be and I hope you don¡¯t harbor hard feelings toward me or the other family members because of what Victoria did.¡± Christian chuckled, but there was not an ounce of cheer in his eyes. Instead, it was pitch ck that could chill people to their bones. Glen¡¯s heart skipped a beat at his grim chuckle Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Chapter 148 ¡°You¡¯ve probably guessed what actually happened in the car ident two years ago, haven¡¯t you, Mr. Coleman?¡± Christian inquired slowly, his gaze fixed steadily on Glen¡¯s face. For the first time, Glen talked about the car ident that urred two years ago. ¡°Regardless of who is in the right or wrong, Be was ultimately injured while Victoria got her leg broken and was imprisoned,¡± he said after giving it some thought. ¡°She has received the penalty that she deserved. And as for¨C ¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a ¡®great¡¯ person.¡± Christian smiled and cut him off. Glen couldn¡¯t figure out what he meant and thought he wasplimenting himself, so he continued saying, ¡°Victoria deserved her punishment for doing something wrong. Although she is my daughter, I have to be reasonable and not stand on her side.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re a great man indeed.¡± Christian sniggered sarcastically. Glen smiled. ¡°As for thend in Glogan¡­ ¡± He did not finish his sentence, but it was obvious what he was implying. ¡°Take part in the auction the way you normally would. I¡¯d suggest you prepare some cash in advance. Going to the bank for a loan is an option if the avable cash in thepany is insufficient. I have other stuff to do, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Christian walked away without giving Glen a chance to speak. The smile on his aged yet well-groomed face was reced by confusion, which grew even more as he watched Christian leave. Since the ident where Victoria knocked Be, Christian held a grudge against the Colemans. Why was Christian still unhappy with him even after he made it clear that it had nothing to do with him? From his expression today, it didn¡¯t appear like he hated Victoria to the core, but rather¡­ C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. After giving the ward a quick nce, he frowned and finally decided to head in. With bare feet and a sullen face, Victoria made her way to the grass in front of the hospital. The lights were on, but they weren¡¯t particrly bright. The patients and their apanying family members had also left by the time it was 9.00PM, leaving the area vacant. Her limbs became cooler as time went on. Her entire body was frigid but her heart was warm, and the heat brought by rage and sullen fire nearly scorched her soul to death. ¡°Tori, put on your shoes. The ground is cold, and it¡¯s not good for you.¡± After lingering behind her for a while, Teresa gave a soft sigh and approached Victoria with her shoes. Whether it was a disabled leg or pulmonary edema, catching a cold could be troublesome. Victoria¡¯s head lowered, ignoring Teresa as she wore no shoes. The heat of her heart was entwined with the chill on her body; it was as if she was on the rack. ¡°No matter how mad you are, don¡¯t take your body lightly. If you have a rpse of your illness, it¡¯s you who suffers, not those that you hate.¡± Teresa squatted down to hold her feet. ¡°Raise your feet.¡± ¡°I need to cool down for a moment. Go back, Teresa. It¡¯s chilly here,¡± Victoria remarked in a slightly harsh manner. As she shook her head, tears dropped down the corner of her eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to make me mad, do as I say,¡± Teresa screamed at her. ¡°If you don¡¯t obey me, I¡¯ll let your brother out to deal with you.¡± ¡°With a physical disability, he can¡¯t even get out of bed, let alone beat me up,¡± said Victoria while grinning, which caused a salty tear to fall into her mouth. As she spoke, she raised her right foot that was held by Teresa. ¡°When he recovers, he¡¯ll certainly beat you.¡± Teresa put on her right shoe and lifted her left foot, saying, ¡°Lift it up.¡± Looking down at Teresa as she put on her shoes, Victoria elevated her left foot. She was holding it in so much that she felt like her chest was being choked, causing her to struggle for breath. She hurriedly wiped the tears that were about to fall andughed again. ¡°My brother won¡¯t hit me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re aware of that, yet you continue to punish yourself.¡± After putting on Victoria¡¯s shoes, she stood up. Her eyes became slightly red. ¡°You have no idea how your brother has been living here for the past two years; he always drinks, and when he¡¯s wasted, he sits on the ground sobbing while apologizing to you.¡± She choked and exhaled deeply, her voice returning to normal. ¡°He¡¯s now beginning to work and learn the ropes in thepany, and he always makes a fool of himself. Every time he returns, he¡¯d get so pissed that he¡¯d want to give up, but he¡¯d still arrive at work an hour earlier the next day. It seems as though he¡¯s two entirely different people!¡± Victoria lowered her head as she remained silent. Her upper body was obscured by darkness, making it difficult to see her face or read her emotions; all that could be seen was crystal clear droplets dripping onto her shoes. ¡°Your brother is doing this just to help you.¡± Teresa patted the back of her hand tenderly. ¡°Don¡¯t torture yourself, or both your brother and I will be heartbroken.¡± Only once in the previous two years had Victoria shed a tear in front of her brother and novelxo fast updatesister-inw, which was during her birthday celebration. At other times, even if she was frustrated and angry, she never shed a tear in front of them. However, Victoria¡¯s tears at this very moment were uncontroble. She tried to stop them by raising her head, yet tears continued to stream down her auricle and her neck. Her two years in prison had harmed both her dignity and caused her fury. The sole reason she wanted to live was to see her parents, brother, and sister-inw once she was released from prison. She then intended tomit suicide and escape this terrible world after that. Still, she didn¡¯t expect to see Christian before seeing her parents. He threatened to make her a Delta Club employee, a life that was worse than death. She considered her time in jail to be the worst period of her life, but she didn¡¯t want her parents to judge or talk poorly of her. Thus, she had to work at Delta Club. However, the humiliation and targeted harassment she had to endure while working there only made her feel worse. It was until then that she realized the worst period of her life had just begun. She struggled with exhaustion, agony, helplessness, and despair every day. Victoria knew that dying would be the ideal oue, but she didn¡¯t want her brother and sister-inw to be dragged into the situation, so she had to continue to live every day like a walking dead instead. Coward, worthless, shameless, and murderer were among thebels that had been ced on her by others. It did hurt her sometimes, but Victoria had suffered many deaths, so only her brother and sister- inw were relevant to her; she was already numb to how others judged her. ¡°Victoria,¡± said Teresa as she put her coat back on. Then, she hesitated before saying, ¡°No matter how strong they are, the Thatchers cannot disobey thew. You don¡¯t need to stay at Delta Club with your brother for me. How about this? Your brother and I will figure out a way to send you abroad after you get discharged from the hospital, and you shall never return.¡± Victoria lowered her head and wiped away her tears numbly. Then, she said hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. Once you¡¯re discharged from the hospital, go abroad.¡± Teresa sighed softly. ¡°You only make your brother and I worry even more when you¡¯re living like this for us.¡± ¡°As for Mr. Thatcher¡­ No matter how furious he is, he can¡¯t murder me and your brother,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°A lot of times, living is harder than dying.¡± Victoria appeared to be a lifeless figure as she gazed up at the darkened sky with her soulless eyes. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Teresa frowned. ¡°Tori¡ª¡± ¡°Teresa, it¡¯s fine. I will ept responsibility for my so-called mistakes. I want to be alone, so you should return first.¡± Victoria cut her off with her hoarse voice. Teresa pondered for a while before saying, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you half an hour, and if you don¡¯te back by then, I¡¯lle to you,¡± she then warned. ¡°Alright. Thank you, Teresa.¡± Victoria forced a grin, but she was unable to. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Keep track of the time,¡± Teresa said while passing her phone to Victoria. She nodded. ¡°Teresa, I¡¯m already twenty years old. Don¡¯t treat me like a three- or four-year-old child who would be kidnapped at any time.¡± ¡°You worry me more than a child does,¡± replied Teresa. Victoria pursed his lips and silently fiddled with the phone. ¡°I¡¯ll head first, then.¡± Teresa waved at her and left. The eerily empty night was devoid of stars or the moon. There was only the fresh air from the rain and a fewmps on the grass, but to Victoria, only an environment like this would allow her to unwind for a while. She exhaled a breath of relief and stood for some time, constantly sensing someone looking at her. When she turned around and looked behind her, all she could see was a portion of someone¡¯s clothing vanishing at the inpatient department¡¯s entrance. Perhaps standing therete at night was strange to others, several people took small nces at her. Victoria grinned. She had be a little too sensitive after serving two years in jail. ¡°Victoria?¡± A man called out. She shuddered and frowned in hatred, not turning around or responding to him. When he didn¡¯t receive a response, he shouted again, ¡°Are you Victoria?¡± The sound of footsteps approaching her followed. Not wishing to see this individual, Victoria pursed her lips and turned away to walk off. When he saw her leaving, his footsteps hastened, and the person sessfully caught up with her. Now, he stood in front of her. Under the incandescent bulb, the man¡¯s gorgeous facial features were clearly visible, and the bottom of his amber eyes showed signs of tiredness and rage. ¡°Why did you not respond?¡± Victoria stared at him nonchntly. Due to her surroundings, she became more irritated. ¡°Is there a rule stating that I must respond when you call?¡± ¡°Victoria, do you have to talk to me like this?¡± Lucas grabbed her arm. His eyes were clouded in wrath and hurt at the same time. Finding his actions repulsive, she firmly shrugged off his hand before stating, ¡°I have said it before; I hope you will stay away from me. I don¡¯t want to be used of seducing you by Mrs. Spritz, Miss Palmer, or Miss Spritz.¡± Once she finished her sentence, she turned to walk away. All of a sudden, Lucas grabbed her wrist and brought her into his arms. ¡°Why do you still treat me this way when you know I can¡¯t move on from you?¡± he questioned with a painful tone as he hugged her tightly. ¡°Why can¡¯t you get over Christian even after he broke your leg and sent you to prison?¡± Victoria was just recovering from a serious illness. Her body was still weak, and she couldn¡¯t break away from him despite much effort. ¡°Let go!¡± ¡°Is Christian really that good?¡± Lucas refused to let go but held onto her tighter. ¡°Do you really love him that much, Victoria?¡± She was panting from the struggle, and at this point, her previously nonchnt eyes were filled with rage. ¡°I¡¯ll say it once more¡ªlet go!¡± ¡°What if I say no¡­ ¡± Lucas whispered quietly as he held her tightly in his hands. ¡°Ha!¡± Victoria interrupted him with a sneer. Then, she stepped on his feet, forcefully pushed him away, and pped him. p¡­ In the quiet night, the firm p was extremely resonant. She gave him a stern look and gritted her teeth as she hissed, ¡°You. Are. Disgusting. ¡± He humiliated her for Be, but now, he acted with such warmth. It was disgusting; he was already engaged to Scarlett, yet he continued to pester her. He¡¯s filthy! Victoria previously refused to be in a rtionship with him because she genuinely didn¡¯t like him, but she still thought of him as a big brother; today, she refused to be with him because he was genuinely disgusting! ¡°As long as you stop seducing Christian, I can overlook your ident with Be. Then, I¡¯ll break the engagement with Scarlett and marry you instead.¡± Lucas was sorry for his sister, but he really couldn¡¯t let go of Victoria. After learning that she almost died from that ident, he no longer wanted to fool himself by thinking that he had already moved on. Besides, his grandfather, who was in his seventies, married a twenty-year-olddy. Since his family did not have an overly strong opinion about it, they might be able to ept him and Victoria being together too. ¡°Where did you get such confidence that I would want to be with you?¡± She scoffed as she red at his swollen left face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you working at Delta Club to live life like how you did before?¡± In his eyes, there were struggle and self-me, but there was more insanity. ¡°If you marry me, I can give you whatever you want!¡± He moved closer to grab her hand and whispered in a quieter tone, ¡°I will immediately divorce Scarlett as long as you promise me. Isn¡¯t this far better than enduring the humiliation if you stay with Christian?¡±novelxo fast update Victoria looked at their intertwined hands without struggling this time. She indifferently looked past his shoulder and said, ¡°You¡¯ve arrived just on time, Miss Spritz. Your brother was just talking to me about marriage.¡± ¡°Be, why are you¡­¡± Lucas let go of Victoria¡¯s hand subconsciously. When he turned around intending to exin to her, he found that there was no one behind him. Victoria had lied to him, so he turned back to face her. ¡°Why are you staring at me with such eyes?¡± She moved a short distance away to create space between them and said mockingly, ¡°I was just testing you out just now. You insisted that you cannot get over me, so is this what you meant by that?¡± Lucas¡¯ countenance altered as he clenched his fists. ¡°I¡¯m serious about being with you. Even if Be actually arrives, I don¡¯t intend to back out of it. Yet here you are, mocking me,¡± he remarked bitterly and furiously. Hearing that, she picked up the phone and looked at the time. Sixteen minutes had passed. She scowled, and her contempt and rage increased even more. ¡°Even if you genuinely want to marry me, what then?¡± she questioned as she set down her phone and turned to face him with a sarcastic look. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°You marry me, but you¡¯d feel sorry for Be, don¡¯t you?¡± Victoria snarled harshly. His brows drew even closer together, but he remained silent, which meant he agreed to it. ¡°Imagine if I endured countless tribtions in order to marry a man I didn¡¯t love. If I had any arguments with Miss Spritz in the future, you, as the older brother, will stand on her side no matter what and me me. Besides, I have to endure the reprimand from your mother and Miss Palmer using me of seducing you. Victoria raised her eyebrows sarcastically. ¡°Marry you? Am I out of m Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Lucas was dumbfounded by her words, but he couldn¡¯t refute it. He subconsciously moved a few steps to stop Victoria as he saw her turning away with a stern look. He had the unsettling feeling that she was drifting further and further away from him since two years ago. ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Spritz?¡± Below the incandescent light, Lucas could clearly see the frustration between her eyebrows when she nced up at him. He felt a sudden pang of pain in his heart, and after repeatedly trying to say something, the words finally came out. ¡°If you are right, I will always be on your side.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± sheughed coldly and mocked, ¡°Then, Mr. Spritz, may I ask whether you ever thought your sister was wrong?¡± Lucas¡¯ throat tightened as he said, ¡°Being understanding and smart from a young age, Be has always put others¡¯ needs ahead of her own. Even after you intentionally knocked her two years ago, she refrained from filing awsuit against you out of concern that doing so would result in your lifelong incarceration.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Victoria gave him a direct look, the sarcasm in her eyes growing, but she refrained from speaking. Lucas was one of those who just wouldn¡¯t understand, so no matter how much she said, it was simply a waste of saliva. Right then, footsteps approached, and a gentle male voice sounded from behind Victoria. ¡°You said so much, but the only thing you want to emphasize is that you don¡¯t think your sister is ever wrong, right?¡± Victoria frowned slightly and turned to look at the person. He was dressed in a white doctor¡¯s coat over a straight-cut suit. He had a handsome and cheerful appearance with tworge dimples on each cheek. The night was dark and the lights were dim, yet he stood in front of her as if he was shining. ¡°William Walker?¡± Lucas frowned and spoke after assessing the man. William grinned. ¡°It¡¯s been seven years since Ist saw you. I¡¯m surprised you can recognize me at once.¡± The two were ssmates from kindergarten to junior high school, but William spent his first year of high school as an exchange student in Pancada and hadn¡¯t been back since. ¡°Meeting in this situation is certainly not a nice thing.¡± Although his lips curved a little, Lucas¡¯ eyes showed no signs of happiness. He said, ¡°I have something to discuss with my girlfriend. Please leave us alone for a while.¡± When Victoria heard this, her eyes grew heavy, and just as she was ready to speak, William took the lead. ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Heughed before Lucas could react. ¡°You must be joking, Mr. Spritz. My aunt told me every day that you used to always stick around Tori, but after the incident two years ago, you both became enemies.¡± Lucas¡¯ facial expression changed, and he tightened his fists a little. After pausing for a moment, William¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he continued, ¡°Why don¡¯t I know about this? Since when did Tori be your girlfriend?¡± Being constantly called ¡®Tori¡¯ by a stranger, Victoria frowned but remained silent. ¡°The issue between me and Victoria is none of your concern.¡± Lucas¡¯ expression worsened, and he clenched his fists tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate what you just said.¡± With his hand extended, William pulled Victoria into his arms and added, ¡°My aunt¡ªor Aunt Jill, if you prefer¡ªsaid that as she wanted to introduce me to Tori to be her boyfriend when I returned. So, as Tori¡¯s future boyfriend, your issue with her is still within my concern.¡± Victoria initially wanted to push the man away, but when she heard that his aunt was Aunt Jill, she stopped doing so. ¡°Let¡¯s leave. Just ignore him.¡± She took the initiative to grasp William¡¯s forearm and walked toward the inpatient area. Lucas wanted to continue to pester her, but she had lost her patience. She coldly remarked while shaking her phone in front of him, ¡°Mr. Spritz, do you want me to contact Miss Spritz, Mrs. Spritz, or Miss Palmer to tell them that you are bothering me in the hospital?¡± Hearing that, he brought his already lifted foot back. His heart throbbed as he observed the scorn and anger in Victoria¡¯s eyes. He felt slightly guilty and angry, but was unable to move on at the same time. Pain and struggle shed in his eyes. He hesitated again and again, but watched Victoria leave with William in the end while she grabbed onto the other man¡¯s arm. As soon as they arrived at the inpatient area, William released Victoria¡¯s arm, stepped back, and appropriately widened the space between them. Then, he said, ¡°Aunt Jill usually addresses you as Tori, and I didn¡¯t know your name either. I hope you don¡¯t mind that I addressed you that way just now.¡± ¡°I am Victoria. Victoria Coleman.¡± She took a nce at his badge and asked, ¡°You¡¯re Aunt Jnovelxo fast updateill¡¯s nephew who studied abroad in Pancada?¡± William smiled, and his eyes appeared to have sparkles in them. ¡°I just returned yesterday. My name is William. William Walker.¡± ¡°Thank you so much for just now,¡± said Victoria, her smile dying down. ¡°Don¡¯t be too courteous,¡± replied William after removing his white coat and cing it over his arm. ¡°It¡¯s only a tiny effort.¡± After pausing for a moment, he asked, ¡°Please don¡¯t mind this, but I heard from my aunt that there are some issues with your right leg, correct?¡± ¡°Just a little.¡± Victoria gently retreated her right foot and remarked, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know that I¡¯m ¡®disabled¡¯ until you actually paid attention. It¡¯s very obvious if you do, though.¡± ¡°You must have gone through a lot of pain in order to train to walk normally, right?¡± he said softly while looking at her leg. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Victoria simply replied, retreating her right leg again. ¡°I¡¯m aware that as a new acquaintance, I may have said a bit too much. But I am a specialist in this field, plus my aunt mentioned that you learned dancing, so I have been hoping to help you recover,¡± William remarked honestly. She then checked the time on her phone before turning to face him and said, ¡°Mr. Walker, I appreciate your goodwill, but there is no need for that. I¡¯ll take my leave first since someone is waiting for me.¡± As soon as the words were spoken, Teresa hurriedly ran down. ¡°Tori, why are you¡ª¡± She ran closer, only to realize that a stranger was standing beside Victoria, so she stopped talking and asked, ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Hello. I¡¯m William, Aunt Jill¡¯s nephew. I¡¯m a doctor who specializes in leg issues.¡± William took the initiative to introduce himself before Victoria could say anything. When Teresa heard that he specialized in leg issues, her eyes lit up as she spoke slightly more excited than usual. ¡°You specialize in that field? Can you aid Tori, then? She fractured her leg two years ago, but a while back, a doctor imed that it may still be cured!¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!