Chapter 274 I Don’t Want to Hear the Name Martin

Chapter 274 I Don’t Want to Hear the Name Martin

Victoria wasn't quite sure why Martin would show up here.

Was he here to mourn Hayden?

Probably not. Before Hayden died, they had been alone together.

They were enemies. Why would he be kind enough to come mourn?

So Martin must be here to make snide remarks and watch the drama unfold.

Victoria's fingers tightened around the urn she was holding.

Today was the day Hayden would be laid to rest. She didn't want any conflict with Martin.

She wanted to quietly and peacefully see her father off.

She didn't want Hayden's soul to be troubled.

With this thought, Victoria looked away, holding the heavy urn as she walked toward Martin.

Martin's heart instantly tightened.

But Victoria walked right past him, light as air, as if she didn't know him, as if he were invisible.

Last night, Martin had chain-smoked in his car all night, watching the heavy snow fall.

Since yesterday, her attitude toward him had been cold.

He had kindly helped find Terry to treat Hayden, but she told him to leave the hospital, saying Hayden wouldn't want to see him when he woke up.

When he learned of Hayden's death, he came to the Gonzalez Villa.

She wouldn't answer his calls.

Yesterday he could still make excuses—she was too busy, too grief-stricken, so she didn't see his missed calls.

But she could answer Brian's calls yet had no time for his, and even now, she hadn't called back.

Martin couldn't find any more excuses to fool himself. Victoria was doing this on purpose.

A bitter feeling stuck in his throat, unable to swallow it down or spit it out.

Victoria, holding the urn, was about to approach the hearse.

Martin grabbed the arm of Victoria's black down jacket. "Your father died. Why didn't you tell me?"

Tell him?

Victoria blinked her dry eyes.

Why would she tell him?

To fight, to hurt each other, to torment each other?

No, not hurt each other—she couldn't hurt Martin one bit.

Martin was cold-hearted, no, heartless. How could anyone hurt him?

Victoria didn't want to deal with him and tried to leave.

But Martin wouldn't let go. "I'm asking you a question."

Knowing she couldn't avoid it, Victoria turned her head, lifted her eyelids, and looked at Martin coldly, answering his question with one of her own. "What good would telling you do? So you could gloat?"

Martin was furious at these words.

His fingers gripping Victoria's jacket sleeve tightened.

What did she mean by telling him was useless, that he would gloat?

Hayden's death had nothing to do with him at all!

"I'm your husband. Shouldn't I know when my father-in-law dies?" Martin frowned.

Victoria sneered. "You're also a murderer, Martin."

"What do you mean I'm a murderer? Who did I kill?" Martin laughed coldly in anger, his face dark enough to drip water.

He had kindly wanted to share her burden, and this was her attitude.

She was pinning the label of murderer on him?

Martin really couldn't stay calm anymore. "Make yourself clear. You call me a murderer—where's your evidence?"

"Martin, I don't want to settle these old scores with you today. Don't worry, we have plenty of time to settle our accounts. Even if you hadn't come looking for me today, I would have come to collect what's owed. Eventually." Victoria sneered, her eyes as cold as if she'd become a different person.

Aria, who had just come out of the building, saw Victoria and Martin pulling at each other.

She immediately lost it.

Aria rushed over and yanked Martin's arm away. "What are you doing here? What are you doing here! Hayden is dead, and you still want to cause us trouble? Today is his burial day. Can't you pick another day to start something?"

Martin's arm was shaken off.

His hand hanging at his side clenched into a fist.

More stirring up trouble.

Aria loved to stir up trouble. A while ago, she kept pushing Victoria to divorce him, and now she was accusing him of starting something.

Martin really didn't want to let this go.

With his current power and status, who could really do anything to him?

But he looked at Victoria. Victoria had become so thin she was barely recognizable.

Thinking of the child she was carrying—his child.

Martin forcibly swallowed the anger in his heart.

Brian, seeing that they had misunderstood Martin, couldn't help but speak up. "Mrs. Collins, Mrs. Gonzalez, actually Mr. Collins..."

Actually, Martin wasn't a bad person. He came to help, it was all Martin's idea.

Before he could finish, Martin shot Brian a cold look. "Get Victoria back safely."

"Yes, Mr. Collins."

Brian swallowed the rest of his words.

Victoria glanced at Martin coldly and walked past him. "Don't follow. My father doesn't want to see you."

Her tone held no hatred.

No resentment.

Only indifference and exhaustion.

Martin felt like his kindness had been completely wasted.

He watched the funeral procession drive away.

After smoking a cigarette, he adjusted his emotions.

He would follow Victoria.

What if something happened again?

The Hill Group.

Aaron sat in his leather chair, scrolling through news on his phone, when he saw a post: Hayden, former chairman of the Gonzalez Group, passed away yesterday and was laid to rest today.

Aaron frowned, picked up the desk phone, and dialed his assistant's extension. "Look up Hayden's hometown address."

A few minutes later, the assistant found it and sent the address to Aaron's phone.

Aaron rose from his chair and put on his coat.

The assistant pushed the door open and, seeing Aaron about to leave, quickly said, "Mr. Hill, last time you and Mr. Smith were supposed to meet, you stood him up. If you do it again this time, your father will really be angry."

"I have something to take care of. Call Mr. Smith back and tell him when I return, I'll personally apologize." Aaron draped his coat over his arm and left quickly.

Hayden's funeral.

He had to go pay his respects.

Hayden was a well-known philanthropist. He had to burn some incense for him.

Aaron drove, following the GPS to Hayden's hometown.

In the hearse, there were only Victoria and Brian.

Victoria sat in the passenger seat, the vintage-style urn resting on her lap.

Her fingers traced the patterns on the urn, ice-cold to the touch.

Aria got carsick, so she was in the car behind.

"Mrs. Collins, Mr. Collins is actually..." Brian gripped the steering wheel and spoke up again.

He really felt that Martin wasn't a bad person, just not good at expressing himself.

Victoria's expressionless face instantly darkened, her delicate brows furrowing tightly as she cut off Brian's words. "Today is my father's burial day. I don't want to hear about unrelated topics."

Brian saw how much Victoria rejected Martin—she couldn't even stand hearing his name mentioned—and surprise flashed in his eyes.

What on earth had happened these past few days over the New Year that Victoria's attitude toward Martin would change so drastically?

"Dad, Victoria is taking you back to your hometown. Rest well in there, don't be afraid." Victoria looked down at the urn, murmuring in her heart.