Victoria scoffed. "Pettiness is a sickness, and you're practically beyond remedy. I should give you acupuncture to cure your ailment."
"You…"
Xenia was so furious that words failed her, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.
No longer able to stand the sight of Xenia's twisted face, Victoria turned away and strode toward Best Medicine.
At this point, she was at loggerheads with Xenia.
It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that jabbing a needle into Xenia's lethal acupoint would be justified as retribution.
But Victoria couldn't do that yet.
Xenia was the pampered daughter of Edward and Lacey anyway.
Until she found her mother, she had to maintain her composure, swallow her pride, and avoid offending Edward and Lacey too much.
For now, she could only teach Xenia a lesson.
"You smug witch, don't get too cocky. I took pictures when Edwin carried you away last night. I'll show them to Edmund today and let him see how brazenly you seduced Edwin. Let's see if Edmund will still spare your life!"
Staring at Victoria's defiant silhouette, Xenia spat her words furiously.
"Oh?"
Victoria nearly burst into laughter.
"I'm shaking in my boots. Please, hurry and show Edmund the photos. I can't wait for him to find out how I've been cuckolding him and come to kill me."
Edmund, sitting in the car, felt as if he'd sustained an internal injury.
Never had she imagined that Victoria would hold Edmund in such contempt. Xenia was stunned.
As she watched Victoria walk further and further away, Xenia swallowed her bitter resentment.
"You're still in the dark, aren't you? The project Edmund promised Dad has been approved, and last night, Dad signed the contract with the Celestial Group."
It was as if a bucket of icy water doused her from head to toe. Victoria felt her entire body go numb.
"That's impossible! Edward swore he would tell me my mother's whereabouts after signing the contract. If what you're saying is true, there's no way he wouldn't have called me."
"How so? After Dad signed the contract last night, he invited me, Mom, Leila, and Lance to celebrate with a feast.
"What? Dad didn't invite you, did he? In his eyes, you're expendable in this family. Of course, he wouldn't invite you. Hahaha…"
Xenia laughed exaggeratedly to hurt Victoria.
Victoria felt as if her heart was being squeezed by a giant hand. She immediately pulled out her phone to call Edward.
But the phone only rang once before Edward hung up.
Victoria called him three times in a row, all with the same result.
Completely consumed by the thoughts of her mother, Victoria lost all motivation to go to work. She turned around and headed toward the side of the road.
She was going to find Edward.
As soon as Victoria reached the side of the road, a black Veyron slowly pulled up beside her.
The car's windows and doors opened, and there sat Edmund.
Not long ago, Victoria had noticed this luxury car parked in front of the outpatient department. Cars of this caliber were rare and always caught the eye no matter where they were parked.
Victoria just never expected that Edmund was the one inside.
She never imagined that while she was confronting Xenia, Edmund had just been sitting by in the car.
Xenia also saw Edmund, and she froze.
Edmund extended his arm from the car window and handed a ring to Victoria,
"Put it on."
Victoria looked down at the ring,
"What is this?"
"It's a symbol of your status as my wife. Plus, if you wear it on your left ring finger, it'll remind any man with designs on you that you're taken."
Edmund's voice was always cold and detached, but it carried an indescribable allure.
Victoria hesitated for a moment before taking the ring and slipping it onto the ring finger of her left hand.
In any case, she was Edmund's wife now.
He had every right to ask her to wear a wedding ring.
Victoria didn't notice Xenia's gaze which was more venomous and deadly than a cobra.
Xenia recognized the ring.
It was the Dragon Ring that Xenia had found on the hotel bed after Victoria rescued Edwin the other night. Later, Yvette used that ring to track down Xenia.
Xenia knew the ring was priceless. So, after lying to Yvette that she had risked her life to save Edwin, she asked Yvette to leave the ring with her as a souvenir. But Yvette refused.
"This ring means a great deal to Edwin. You can't keep it."
Later, Xenia noticed that Edwin wore the ring every time they met. It was clear that he truly cherished it.
Xenia never expected that Edwin would give the ring to Victoria.
After putting on the Dragon Ring, Victoria turned to leave.
"Wait."
Edmund suddenly pushed open the car door and grabbed her wrist,
"Come here."
He exuded an air of nobility and seemed imbued with some kind of magic. Victoria felt as if she were under his spell and couldn't help but obey his command and approach him.
The figure in front of Victoria's eyes shifted as Edmund cupped her face with his right hand.
He was as cold as an iceberg, but his palm was exceptionally warm, leaving Victoria momentarily dazed.
His flawless face slowly drew closer to hers. His breath brushed against her skin, making her feel as if she were spellbound.
His lips were getting closer and closer.
Was he going to kiss her?
Victoria felt that familiar fluttering sensation that she only ever experienced with Edmund return once again.
What was more, it came so violently and out of control that she struggled to catch her breath despite her best efforts to pretend otherwise.
A sudden chill brushed her skin, and she realized it was Edmund's fingertips passing over her eyes.
"As my wife, you should pay attention to your appearance."
Edmund released her face and simultaneously took her right hand, placing an eyelash he had removed from her face into her palm.
So that was his intention.
Victoria felt ridiculous for thinking he was about to kiss her just moments before.
She suppressed the flicker of anticipation in her eyes.
"Xenia said you broke up with her because of me. Is that true?"
Edmund replied, "Yes."
His eyes shone brightly in the morning light. Victoria was momentarily flustered by their intensity and took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Why did you do that?"
Edmund stared at her delicate face unblinkingly.
"If other women were my wife, I would not allow her to be bullied."
There he came again.
Victoria's heart, which had been filled with hope just seconds ago, plummeted into the icy water.
"Besides, I think my current wife is rather cute."
Edmund's voice turned much softer.
Victoria wondered if she was experiencing auditory hallucinations.