Chapter 166
Martin walked down the street.
The street was still crowded with people, and countless couples passed by him.
Holding hands, leaning close to each other.
He and Victoria used to be just like that!
But now she was gone.
Snow suddenly started falling from the sky again, landing on his head and shoulders.
Martin reached out his hand. The snowflakes fell onto his broad, warm palm and instantly melted into a puddle of cool water.
Victoria had said she loved snow the most, because in her eyes, snow was the cleanest thing in the world, able to wash away all the filth.
On the building across the street, news kept playing: "Hayden has passed away, memorial service at the funeral home tomorrow."
With such overwhelming coverage, Martin didn't believe Victoria hadn't seen it!
The only explanation was that she knew, but she didn't care anymore.
As long as she could escape his control, escape his torment, she didn't care about anything else.
When Martin thought of this possibility, his heart felt unusually heavy.
Why though?
Victoria used to say that no matter what he did to her, she would love him forever, so how could she just change her heart like that?
Was she really with Aaron?
Was she that carried away?
Martin couldn't accept it!
His expression grew colder and colder. He pulled out his phone from his coat pocket and called Brian, "Notify the media, announce a huge reward."
"Five hundred million dollars to anyone who can provide information about Victoria!"
Brian wasn't surprised by Martin's decision, because he knew Martin had always had feelings for Victoria; he just wouldn't face his own heart.
Now that Victoria was gone, he was forced to face his feelings.
Maybe this was a good thing for Martin—he could finally learn to cherish what he had!
The cold wind cut across his face like knives.
Martin returned to the apartment. He used to hate coming home.
Because he didn't know how to face his enemy's daughter. He both loved and hated her, and he was often cold and harsh with his words.
She would give him attitude, too.
So Martin would throw himself into work to relax.
But since Victoria disappeared, everything changed.
He came home every night now.
Work didn't seem that important anymore, and he was no longer a workaholic.
Every time he came home, Martin held onto a bit of hope—what if, when he got there, he'd be surprised to find Victoria had come back?
What if the lights in the house were suddenly on?
But every time, it was disappointment!
This time, Martin wasn't getting his hopes up either.
But after entering the password and walking into the apartment, he didn't change his shoes and went straight up the spiral staircase.
He saw that all the lights on the second floor were on!
Had Victoria come back?
She really came back!
Martin's heart, which had been lifeless, came alive, angry that Victoria had disappeared for so long!
Why was she only coming back now?
Why did she turn off her phone and not let him reach her?
Victoria had no idea she was in his dreams every night!
Martin quickened his pace and entered the living room.
The kitchen light was on too.
He walked to the doorway and heard sounds coming from the kitchen.
Was Victoria making him dinner?
Yes, that must be it. Victoria was always good at pleasing people. After suddenly running away this time, she saw the news about Hayden and came back.
She was making him dinner to apologize.
She was afraid of being punished!
Martin sneered. He wasn't planning to forgive Victoria so easily!
But when he entered the kitchen, the woman in an apron turned around and smiled warmly at him, "Mr. Collins, you're home?"
The light in Martin's eyes, like the loneliest star in the night sky, suddenly dimmed, then faded and disappeared completely.
It wasn't Victoria.
She hadn't come back!
Kaida caught the disappointment in his eyes and smiled awkwardly, "Mr. Collins, hasn't Ms. Gonzalez come back yet?"
He didn't want to answer that question.
These past few days, many people had asked him that question, and he had asked many people that question too.
"Didn't I give you time off? Why are you here?" Martin frowned.
Kaida smiled and explained, "I came to clean, and also to water Ms. Gonzalez's plants and feed the Gracula religiosa."
Martin turned and walked out of the kitchen.
Martin's lonely figure moved Kaida. "Mr. Collins, have you had dinner? Should I make you something?"
"No need. Just finish up and go home."
Martin's cold voice drifted over.
He glanced at the plants in the corner, still looking lifeless.
As expected, they were almost dead.
Martin pushed open the glass door to the balcony.
The cold wind blew on the Gracula religiosa in the cage. The bird was using its beak to groom its feathers. Hearing footsteps, it looked up, and when it saw Martin, its eyes lit up.
Thinking Martin was coming to feed it.
The Gracula religiosa suddenly started meowing like a cat.
It sounded just like a kitten.
Martin walked up to it and stared for a while. Snowflakes fell on the bird's black feathers.
He picked up the cage and brought it inside the balcony, then hung it on the clothes rack.
Kaida found the bird's food and gave it to Martin, then took off her apron and left.
Martin watched expressionlessly as it ate the food in big bites, looking carefree and making him envious.
"Your owner is really heartless, leaving behind the plants she bought and you, abandoning you. She ran off to have fun by herself," Martin said in a low voice.
The Gracula religiosa seemed to understand human speech. It paused, stopped eating, and looked up at Martin for a long, long time.
After a while, it suddenly raised its voice and sadly mimicked Victoria's tone, "Martin, if I really died, would you be sad?"
"Martin, if I completely disappeared from this world, and you couldn't find me no matter what, what would you do?"
Martin was momentarily dazed. So Victoria had been planning to leave all along!
She even told the Gracula religiosa about her plan?
No, wait—she had asked him these questions before, but he had dismissed them. He didn't believe she would actually leave.
"Eat your food," Martin said irritably.
The Gracula religiosa went back to eating.
Just then, his phone suddenly rang.
The screen flashed with Brian's name.
Martin quickly picked it up and answered the call, sitting up from the sofa.
"Mr. Collins, there's news about Mrs. Collins!" Brian was very excited.
Martin's face lit up, but he still tried to stay calm, "Wait, let me go to the study to talk to you."
He didn't want to take the call in front of the Gracula religiosa—the little creature picked up words too quickly.
In the study, Martin closed the door and asked urgently, "You found Victoria's whereabouts?"
"That's right, money really can do anything! This five-hundred-million-dollar reward is so attractive. A netizen actually ran into her, and the house Mrs. Collins is renting now belongs to the netizen who gave us the information—they're the landlord. I've talked to the landlord, and we won't alert her. Mrs. Collins doesn't know we're coming," Brian explained.
Martin narrowed his eyes and asked the question on his mind, "Is she alone or is she with Aaron?"
If Victoria were really with Aaron, he wouldn't easily forgive a woman who abandoned her husband and ran away with another man!