Chapter 236

Chapter 236

Chase looked up at Victoria, his eyes carrying a hint of bitterness, "When I was little, my uncle—Alexander's father and my dad both wanted me to train alongside Alexander in combat, firearms, and all sorts of other skills."

"But I was too young back then, too playful and afraid of hardship. I thought it was tiring and dangerous, so I cried and refused to learn. My family felt sorry for me and just let it go."

"Now when I think about it, if I had stuck with it back then, even if I'd only learned half of what Alexander knows, wouldn't I be qualified to stand by Marc's side now and face those things with him? At least I could see with my own eyes that he's safe, instead of just sitting here waiting like this, unable to help with anything."

Chase's voice grew lower and lower, filled with regret over his past choices and frustration at his inability to change the current situation.

This deep affection and self-blame revealed a heavy side of Chase that had never been seen before, so different from his usual carefree and optimistic self.

Victoria looked at him without offering any words of comfort, simply saying calmly, "Everyone has their own path. Protecting yourself and not making him worry about you—that's the biggest help you can give him right now."

Chase froze for a moment, then smiled bitterly and nodded, saying nothing more. He just gazed out the window at the busy streets, his eyes still full of concern.

The joy of the celebration dinner couldn't completely dispel his worry for his distant friend.

The celebration dinner ended in an atmosphere that was lively yet tinged with a trace of concern.

The excitement of winning the championship and the comfort of good food helped the team members temporarily set aside their worries, their faces once again showing the bright smiles that belonged to young people.

Alexander arranged vehicles to safely transport the team members back to their hotel.

Back in the presidential suite on the top floor of the hotel, all the noise was completely shut out.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows was Avalonia's dazzling city nightscape, while inside the suite was complete tranquility.

Alexander took off his suit jacket, casually draping it over the sofa armrest, loosened his tie, and looked at Victoria beside him, whose brow carried a barely noticeable trace of fatigue.

"Go to the bedroom and get some proper sleep."

His voice was low and carried undeniable concern. "You've slept too little these past two days. The nursing home has experts and Chris's people watching over things, and Ronan's condition is stable, so don't worry. Once you've rested well, we'll go over."

He knew that although Victoria appeared cool and strong, the continuous high-intensity mental strain, combat, waiting, and the intense competition that had just ended were all draining her energy.

Even someone made of iron needs rest.

Victoria did indeed feel a wave of deep fatigue washing over her. She didn't try to act tough and nodded, "Okay."

She turned and walked into the spacious, luxurious master bedroom. Without taking much notice of the room's furnishings, she headed straight for the bed that looked incredibly soft and comfortable.

Taking off her jacket, Chase practically collapsed into the fluffy bedding.

The moment her body touched the soft mattress, the accumulated fatigue instantly engulfed her like a tide.

She closed her eyes and almost immediately fell into deep sleep, her breathing becoming steady and even.

However, this rare deep sleep didn't last long.

After only about an hour, the phone on the nightstand began vibrating persistently, the screen lighting up to show the caller, Thalia.

The vibration sound was particularly clear in the quiet room.

Victoria was a light sleeper, especially in unfamiliar environments. She opened her eyes almost on the third vibration.

Her eyes were instantly clear and sharp, not at all like someone who had just been woken up. She frowned slightly, reached for her phone, and seeing it was Thalia's name, pressed the answer button. Her voice carried the hoarseness of just waking up and a trace of displeasure at being disturbed, and she couldn't help but let out a small yawn.

"Thalia."

From the other end of the phone came Thalia's voice, so excited it nearly burst through the speaker, speaking as rapidly as a machine gun, "Victoria! My brilliant designer! Guess what? Huge news! We got feedback from Celestria's princess! She absolutely loves the 'Red Flame Flowing Light' ruby jewelry set you designed! She wore it to a palace banquet yesterday, and apparently it stunned everyone!"

"The princess personally called to express her thanks, praising the design as uniquely creative and perfectly blending ancient charm with modern aesthetics! The payment has been transferred to the company account, and it's thirty percent more than we expected! And that's not all—the princess also personally introduced us to three ladies from her circle, all potential high-end clients! Oh my god! We've really hit the jackpot this time, and Victrix Luxury Goods Company has truly made a name for itself in the international high-end custom design circle! You're amazing!"

Thalia's voice was full of excitement, pride, and unlimited hope for the future. Even through the phone, one could imagine her dancing with joy.

However, hearing this string of good news, Victoria remained unusually calm, even somewhat uninterested due to being woken up.

She rubbed her temples, responding with a flat tone, "Really? That's good."

She yawned again, her voice heavy with sleepiness. "Thalia, I just finished a gaming championship final today. I'm exhausted and just want to sleep. If there's nothing else important, I'm hanging up?"

"Wait! Wait!"

Thalia quickly stopped her, her excited tone subdued somewhat but still carrying a trace of urgency as if she'd discovered something new. "I'm done with the good news, but there's something pretty disgusting I need to tell you about."

"What is it?"

Victoria asked lazily with her eyes closed, just wanting to end the call quickly.

"Yesterday at lunch, I was eating with the person in charge of the International Emerging Jewelry Design Competition organizing committee, discussing cooperation for the next event. During the meal, he showed me a design that made it to the top five, saying it was from a young designer in Novaria with great talent."

Thalia's tone became somewhat odd. "When I looked at that design, the style, lines, and that unique deconstructive feel were really similar to some of your early work! I was immediately suspicious, so I specifically asked for the designer's name. Guess who it was?"

Victoria said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

Thalia took a deep breath and said, "It was Veda! Your dad's adopted daughter, Veda!"

Victoria's eyes, which had been lazily closed, suddenly opened.

Her sleepiness instantly dissipated by half.

"Veda?"

Victoria's voice carried a clear trace of coldness.

"Yes! Her!"

Thalia's tone carried disdain and disbelief. "I looked at that design repeatedly. Although the details were somewhat immature and modified, the core concept and overall structure were at least ninety percent similar to a ruby bracelet sketch you had discarded before!"

"I remember you said that design was too sharp and not fluid enough, so you crumpled it up and threw it away. Victoria, tell me honestly—did you accidentally lose some design sketches? Or did someone from the Gonzalez family go through your things?"