Chapter 164

Chapter 164

"It hurts!"

Bianca tried to move her left hand. Searing pain shot through her.

She turned her head and saw her left arm encased in thick plaster and bandages. Her eyes instantly rimmed red.

She tried her right hand next. Her fingers could barely curl, and a tingling numbness buzzed through her fingertips.

The door opened. Aiden walked in.

His expression was slightly off.

But the moment Bianca saw him, her eyes lit up.

"Aiden!"

She clenched her teeth, each word forced through the gaps. "My arm is broken! This is all Victoria's fault! If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be in this hospital! Can you make her pay? Please?"

Her forehead was wrapped in gauze, her pretty face streaked with tears, eyes swollen and red.

The picture of pitiful vulnerability.

Something flickered in Aiden's gaze—a reflexive twinge of sympathy.

"Bianca, I ran into Victoria on my way here."

He recalled the earlier encounter, his expression turning serious. "Tell me the truth. Did you go after her today to destroy her hand?"

Aiden didn't care what happened to Victoria.

But.

When it came to stabbing Victoria, he didn't want Creative Haven or the Smith family dragged into it.

Bianca's face stiffened. Guilt flashed across her features.

"Aiden! What are you trying to say?"

Her voice pitched higher, scrambling to deflect. "You promised you'd be good to me forever—and now you don't even believe me? Are you still hung up on that bitch Victoria?"

Fury loosened her tongue. She'd say anything.

The sliver of sympathy Aiden had felt was nearly gone.

"How long are you going to keep this up?"

He frowned, voice low and tight. "Do you have any idea what's happening with the company right now? You still think Victoria is the same pushover she used to be? She has the Windsor family behind her now!"

If Edward truly cared about Victoria—

He'd absolutely retaliate.

And those recent rumors about Edward planning to marry Victoria... were they actually true?

The things weighing on Aiden's mind were completely lost on Bianca.

"So you're saying you're taking Victoria's side?"

Tears clung to her lashes, threatening to spill. "After everything you've done, she was never going to let you off the hook anyway! You really think she'd go easy on you? And the Spencer family situation—you..."

Bianca was too angry to filter herself. Words tumbled out unchecked.

"Enough!"

Aiden's face darkened. "I'll have someone handle this. But right now, you'd better start worrying about your hand."

His irritation bled into every word.

But it worked.

Bianca went still.

Completely frozen.

"My hand?"

She stared blankly, her voice beginning to tremble. "What about my hand? Aiden, tell me! It's just a fracture, isn't it? The left arm doesn't affect my drawing—what do you mean?"

She looked like she was about to shatter.

Aiden's aggression faltered.

"I spoke with the doctor outside your room. Your right hand has nerve damage. You'll need rest and careful recovery. They won't know about lasting effects until later."

His voice softened. "Stay in the hospital for now. I'll find the surgeon who operated on Victoria's hand—get the best care for you. Don't overthink it. Just rest, okay?"

His tone was a question.

But the message was clear: he didn't want Bianca going anywhere.

As for what he was really thinking—only he knew that.

After hearing the news, Bianca fell silent.

The quiet stretched so long that even Aiden grew restless. He frowned, opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Finally.

Bianca spoke.

"Okay. I understand."

Aiden's face broke into a grin, though he quickly arranged it into something resembling tenderness.

"I knew you'd be reasonable! Just wait for good news from me!"

Bianca said nothing. Eerily quiet. She just stared down at her right hand, her gaze so intense it could have burned a hole through it.

---

When Victoria got home, the apartment was dark.

"Yara's at my mom's. Things aren't safe right now—I don't want her here."

Edward's voice was calm. "If you'd prefer, we can both move back to the Windsor Estate. I don't mind."

"That's not necessary."

Victoria's eyes flickered. She shook her head. "But about what happened today—don't you have questions? I'm giving you a chance to ask. Go ahead."

She smiled, dropped casually onto the couch, and crossed her legs.

The man raised an eyebrow. A hint of amusement ghosted across his lips.

"Did you know beforehand that Bianca was going to come after you?"

Edward sat down across from her, his tone deceptively casual. "Or maybe you'd like to explain why you ditched the security detail I assigned to you."

He bit down hard on those last few words.

Victoria couldn't help the guilt that crept across her face.

Because that second part was absolutely true.

"I had no idea Bianca was going to attack me. If I'd known she wanted to destroy my hand, I never would have gone out."

Victoria thought for two seconds and answered the first question. "You know my hands are the most precious thing I have. They just healed—why would I risk them?"

Fair point.

But Edward wasn't letting her off that easily.

"Continue."

His fingers tapped lightly against the table, his tone unreadable.

Did she really think she could dodge him that easily?

"Fine, fine."

Victoria held up her palms in surrender. "I just wanted to surprise you."

As she spoke, she pulled a sleek box from the bag behind her.

"I figured, after everything you've done for me, I wanted to get you something meaningful. Plus, your birthday's coming up soon, right?"

Edward's gaze deepened. It locked onto the box and didn't move.

He said nothing.

Victoria wasn't bothered. She tugged her lips into a grin.

"Besides picking up fabric today, I also went to collect a gift I'd had custom-made."

Her tone was pointed. "Go on, open it. If you like it, then it was worth all the trouble I went through dodging your people. And if you don't like it... that's not an option!"

She drew out the last words in a playful lilt. Almost coy.

But her eyes were blazing bright.

Edward stared at her, then forced himself to look away.

The box wasn't large.

Compared to all the 'gifts' he'd received before.

It wasn't even particularly 'beautiful.'

But his hands moved with the care of someone opening something priceless.