Chapter 481 Chapter 481: He Cheated On You
“My adoptive father was bedridden due to severe illness, and my adoptive mother was also in poor health. As a child, I had to start earning money to support the family.”
“I did whatever I could to make money, even resorting to theft and robbery. Once, I got caught stealing and was nearly beaten to death. I thought my life had no hope. Then, one day, I saw a man who looked exactly like me on a large TV screen in the street...”
“He was dressed in a suit and tie, exuding an aura of authority. I asked a passerby who he was, and they told me he was the president of the Hans Group, one of the wealthiest people in Hadale.”
Victor was a heavy smoker. After finishing a cigarette, he lit another one. The bedroom was filled with the smell of cigarettes. The unpleasant smell made Estelle feel uncomfortable, and she couldn’t help but turn away and cough.
“Oh, I just remembered that Cristofer said that you have lung disease, and he told me not to smoke when I stay with you,” Victor said. However, he didn’t intend to stub out the cigarette and continued to smoke. “I won’t listen to him. Why should I do as he said? He has no right to order me! I’ll do the opposite of everything he asks me to do!”
Fortunately, Estelle’s hands were untied, and she could move freely. Coughing slightly, she put her hand on the sofa armrest for support and slowly stood up.
Seeing this, Victor instantly became vigilant. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to open the window. The smell of cigarettes is too strong,” Estelle said.
“Don’t open it!” Victor growled and quickly grabbed Estelle’s wrist and pulled her hard. Losing her balance, Estelle fell back on the sofa.
Victor was strong, and the skin on his hand was hard and rough. As he held Estelle’s wrist with great strength, some blisters on Estelle’s wrist were broken, and she felt unbearable pain.
Estelle frowned and hurriedly grabbed a few tissues from the box on the table to wipe the liquid oozing from the blisters on her wrists. She noticed Victor examining his own hand carefully.
“My hands are different from Cristofer’s, aren’t they? He’s had a comfortable life, blessed by luck since birth, and his hands must be smooth. I’m not like him. I’ve faced hardships since childhood, and my hands are rough with calluses,” Victor remarked, then glanced at Estelle’s wrist. “I only pulled your wrist lightly. How did it end up like this? Your skin is so delicate.”
Hearing his words, Estelle suddenly recalled something. During her time with Mr. Mysterious, they spent most of it in darkness. Mr. Mysterious often held her from behind and held her hand. On their wedding night, under the Malus Halliana tree, he gently touched her face.
In her memories, Mr. Mysterious’ hands were dry, broad, and warm, with only slight calluses likely from physical activity. Despite his strength, he was always gentle when holding her hand and touching her, never causing her any harm.
‘Victor’s hands are completely different from Mr. Mysterious, Estelle thought and raised her head to look at Victor. ‘I should have found out that he was not Mr. Mysterious when he held me in the Rose Garden and when he wanted to have sex with me forcibly! There is no similarity between Mr. Mysterious and him except for their faces. Even their voices are different.’
At that moment, Victor sat with his back to the light, holding a cigarette between his fingers. His open palm was rough and covered in thick calluses. It was only now that Estelle noticed that Victor’s voice had changed from before. While it still had a hoarse and deep quality, there was now a cold and careless tone in his speech and an unfamiliar accent.
Lost in her thoughts, Estelle was suddenly jolted when Victor threw her handbag at her. He stood over her, looking down with a condescending expression, and said, “Miss Hudson, it’s time to settle everything.”
“What do you intend to do?” Estelle quickly alerted.
“I want you to arrange a meeting with Cristofer,” Victor replied.
“In my name?” Estelle asked cautiously.
“No, in mine,” Victor clarified. “You don’t need to get involved in the feud between Cristofer and me. Besides, I keep my word. You will remain unharmed no matter what happens between me and Cristofer.”
Estelle clenched her teeth, thinking, ‘Victor is acting like a man possessed. He knows he can’t escape legal consequences, so he plans to eliminate Cristofer before getting caught. If Cristofer dies, Grandpa Gary, who is already seriously ill, might die because of grief. What can I do to prevent this from happening?’
She gripped her handbag tightly, forcing herself to stay calm and assess the situation.
‘Victor wants me to summon Cristofer because he believes Cristofer cares about me. In this case, I need to make Victor doubt Cristofer’s attachment to me or convince Cristofer to let go of our relationship.’
‘As long as Cristofer doesn’t come here, everything will be fine. Since Victor doesn’t know where the Hans Residence is, he won’t even have a chance to see Cristofer and Grandpa, let alone hurt them.’
“What’s on your mind?” Victor asked, squinting at Estelle. “Are you thinking about protecting Cristofer? Why bother? He used to hurt you. You should hate him like I do. Why not team up with me? We can get back at him together.”
Estelle looked down and sneered, “He’s still the father of my children. I’ve moved on from the past and don’t want revenge.”
“Silly woman,” Victor remarked.
“I won’t seek revenge, but I haven’t forgiven him. Even though he’s Mr. Mysterious, I’ll never be with him again,” Estelle declared.
Victor raised an eyebrow and asked, smiling, “How will you support your family on your own?”
“I own a company. Did you forget? My uncle took it after my father passed away, but I took it back three years ago. With my skills, I’ll revive the company and raise the children without the Hans family’s help.”
Victor nodded in approval. “You’re independent and level-headed.”
“I’ve never relied on men,” Estelle stated.
“You could rely on Cristofer,” Victor suggested.
“I could, but I don’t want to. I fell in love with him twice. The first time, he hurt me, and I almost died. I wouldn’t have fallen for him again if he hadn’t deceived me as Mr. Mysterious. I never want to see him again.”
Victor smiled and said, “He cheated you to be with you. He’s despicable. If I were you, I’d make him kneel and beg for forgiveness.”
“Like I said, Cristofer is the father of my children. I don’t want to do anything drastic to him for their sake. A bad relationship between us isn’t good for the kids’ upbringing. When they’re older, I’ll cut ties with Cristofer completely, and we’ll be strangers.”