Chapter 198
Victoria was held so tightly by Aria that she could barely breathe.
She reached out her arms and hugged Aria back.
All she could hear was Aria's crying and sobbing. She knew Aria was crying tears of joy seeing her awake.
Victoria looked up and saw silver-white strands appearing in Aria's pinned-up hair.
Back then, Hayden was also full of vigor and well-maintained.
It was because she had trusted the wrong person. In just over a year, the Gonzalez family was ruined. Hayden first fell down the stairs and became senile.
Then there was a car accident, and they still hadn't found who did it.
All the burden fell on Aria alone. Aria aged ten years overnight and got white hair. Aria's originally peaceful retirement was destroyed by her own hands.
Her throat felt like it was holding a sharp blade.
She couldn't swallow it or spit it out. The discomfort made Victoria struggle to breathe.
She gripped the mink vest on Aria's shoulders, biting her lip with extreme guilt, "Mom, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
She was the one who made Aria suffer.
She had been pampered by her parents for a full twenty-three years and contributed nothing to the family. Aria's wish to grow old with Hayden was shattered because of her.
"Victoria, don't say sorry. You need to remember, we're family. Family faces difficulties together." Aria also spoke through her tears.
Tired from crying, Aria wiped away Victoria's tears.
Then she pressed the call button on the wall.
The operating room door suddenly burst open.
A cold, fierce wind instantly rushed in.
It made Victoria's breathing quicken.
She squinted for a while, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Martin in a dark suit, frowning deeply, striding quickly toward her.
Behind him followed a crowd of medical staff, Brian.
And Terry.
Martin was surprised and excited to see Victoria awake.
Terry, standing behind Martin, looked shocked. Flustered and at a loss, he spoke with hesitation, "Ms. Gonzalez, you're awake?"
She had been injected with sedatives and should have quietly slept to death. How did she suddenly wake up?
Victoria didn't respond and turned her head away.
Aria held Victoria on the operating table and looked at Terry with a cold laugh, "Are you disappointed my daughter woke up? Were you waiting to send her to the funeral home? Doing such wicked things, aren't you afraid of karma!"
Actually, Aria was indirectly cursing Martin.
But it was Terry who felt guilty, hurrying to explain, "Mrs. Gonzalez, Mrs. Collins really had stopped breathing at the time. Her waking up is a miracle. Of course we're happy for her too."
"Whether you're happy or not, you know in your hearts." Aria snorted coldly.
Terry wanted to say more, but Martin glanced at him and he had to shut up.
Martin then had Terry examine Victoria. After confirming Victoria was out of danger, he had the medical staff move Victoria to a VIP room.
The room was well-equipped, with Victoria as the only patient.
A nurse pierced her hand with a needle and hooked up an IV.
A bunch of equipment was placed by the bed, with tubes attached to various parts of her body.
Victoria was like a soulless doll, feeling no pain, letting them handle her however they wanted without saying a word or making a sound.
Of course, she didn't look at Martin once.
Not even once.
After the medical staff finished their work, Martin waved them away with a sweep of his hand, and they left the room.
Martin was about to ask Aria to leave so he could talk to Victoria. He wanted to tell her they were having another baby.
The words were still on his lips, not yet spoken.
Victoria grabbed Aria's wrist, "I want to be alone with my mother for a while."
Although she didn't look at him, these words were clearly meant for Martin.
Martin's hands hanging at his sides slowly clenched into fists. Her tone was very cold, very unfriendly.
She was clearly the one who did wrong, who aborted their child, who stupidly knelt in the snow. Come to think of it, he was the one who saved her life.
If he hadn't sent her to the hospital, she would have met her maker already.
This was how she treated her lifesaver? This was her attitude?
Martin's pride was hurt. Anger was jumping up and down inside him. But his cold gaze fell on her loose hospital gown, on her skeletal body, on her bloodless face.
His clenched fists slowly relaxed.
She had already been punished, hadn't she?
Kneeling in the heavy snow for so long, coming so close to death.
Most importantly, the aborted baby had come back.
There was no need for him to get angry with Victoria.
"I'll come see you later."
Martin said expressionlessly, then turned and left.
Brian looked at Victoria uneasily, then followed Martin out of the room.
Brian gently closed the hospital room door.
"Mr. Collins, why didn't you explain just now? Mrs. Collins was saved by you. If you hadn't brought Mrs. Gonzalez, Mrs. Collins would really be at the funeral home now." Brian felt indignant on his behalf.
Everyone thought Martin was cold-hearted.
As Martin's special assistant, he saw most clearly that Martin doted on Victoria more than anyone, but Martin was suppressing his emotions because of hatred.
But suppressing didn't mean they didn't exist.
If Martin hadn't told him to keep all these efforts secret, he really wanted to tell Victoria everything right away.
Martin turned to look at him but didn't answer. He didn't want to tell Victoria because he didn't want her to know.
The enemy's daughter wasn't suitable to be treated too well, at least not openly.
She was also the type to take advantage when given the chance. Things were fine as they were now, with her both fearing and hating him.
"Notify Hayden's hospital to resume all of Hayden's treatments." Martin parted his lips and ordered.
Brian nodded and turned to make the call.
Martin thought about how Victoria had coughed up blood in front of him several times, so he went to the director's office to ask Terry for a clear explanation.
Terry was just about to call Mia to tip her off that Victoria wasn't dead when he saw Martin coming. He quickly hung up the outgoing call and smiled obsequiously at Martin, "Mr. Collins, you're here."
"Is Victoria's body really okay?" Martin narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze falling on Terry's slightly chubby face, demanding an answer.
Terry's eyelid twitched and his heart jumped. He didn't know why Martin was asking this. Had he discovered something? If Martin found out everything was his and Mia's doing, the consequences would be unthinkable, catastrophic.
Seeing Terry not answering, Martin's tone became more forceful, pressing, "I want the truth. Does she have a terminal illness or not?"