Chapter 170

Chapter 170

"Well, this is rare. You actually have time to go out with me."

Veda teased, "I half expected you to be glued to your desk even with an injury, radiating productivity."

Victoria smiled helplessly. She couldn't exactly argue.

After the car accident, her hand had been a wreck and she'd still been working.

No wonder Veda said things like that.

"I missed you, that's why."

Victoria steered the conversation. "Besides, it's just my left hand this time. Doesn't affect my work. I just wanted to see you."

That was the truth.

She'd had some downtime lately, and it gave her clarity.

Work could always wait.

Her health couldn't.

She still had a stack of design drafts to get through—a few days off wouldn't hurt.

And besides...

"Veda, a couple days ago, I saw the person responsible for destroying my family."

Victoria lowered her voice. "My 'uncle.' And Aiden."

The moment the words left her mouth, Veda's expression shifted. Her brows drew together.

"Does Edward know about this?"

Worry crept into her tone. "If your uncle went after the company before, he's definitely not going to leave you alone. Do you need me to get more people to watch your back? Actually—just stay at the Windsor Estate for now. It's safer there."

Victoria didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but warmth flooded her chest.

"It's not as serious as you think. I'm just not sure what he's planning next."

She tapped the table, her expression turning serious. "The companies that helped Aiden before—they're all connected to him. It makes me uneasy."

If it were just about money, she wouldn't care.

But if Michael had something bigger in mind...

Veda set down her coffee cup. "You think he's not just after the Spencer family assets—he's eyeing the Windsor family too?"

"I don't know Michael well."

Victoria's finger traced the rim of her cup slowly. "But his accounts are frozen, the appeal has been filed, and I've cut off his domestic foundation. If he wants to recover, his only option is to find a bigger backer—or a bigger target."

Veda finished the thought for her. "The Windsor family."

Victoria nodded. "He went after the Spencer family before because their assets overlapped with his business. The Windsor family operates across too many industries. If he really sets his sights on them, prying open even one sector would be enough to get him back on his feet. But he's good at hiding behind other people, letting them take the fall. He won't show his face."

Veda was quiet for a few seconds. "What do you need me to do?"

"You know more people than I do. Your network is wider."

Victoria looked at her. "I need you to watch for anyone connected to Michael making contact with companies under the Windsor Group. See if anyone's approaching them under some other pretext—partnerships, acquisitions, anything."

Veda took a sip of coffee, her expression grave. "Consider it done. My sources go deeper than you think. Don't worry."

Victoria reached over and squeezed her hand. "Thank you."

Only Veda had always stood by her side.

She was truly grateful.

"Don't get sentimental on me."

Veda smiled. "Honestly, I'm kind of curious how capable your uncle really is. If this were a novel, he'd be the villain who runs the entire plot."

Victoria laughed despite herself. "The scariest thing about him is that you never see him coming. He hides deep. My dad learned that the hard way, and that's why he ended up..."

Veda patted the back of her hand. "Enough. Stop overthinking. You've got Edward. You've got me watching the outside. He's not going to cause a storm. Your job right now is to heal your hand, finish your designs, and wait for the appeal to come through so you can bring your dad home."

Victoria nodded.

They lingered at the café a while longer before going their separate ways.

The wind was strong when Victoria stepped outside. She pulled her jacket collar tighter.

She thought of the silhouette she'd seen at the bus stop that day.

If it really was Michael, what was he doing back?

Was he trying to seize control of the assets before the appeal went through, or was there something bigger at play?

Before she could think it through, the car arrived.

As she bent to get in, her phone buzzed. She glanced down—a message from Edward.

[Checked. No entry record for Michael.]

Victoria stared at the words for a few seconds, then typed back.

[Could be a fake identity. Try investigating from where he was based before.]

A few seconds later, Edward replied.

[Already sent someone. Are you out? Watch your surroundings.]

Victoria glanced out the car window at the flowing streetscape and sent back a single word: [Okay.]

She put her phone away and leaned back in the seat, closing her eyes.

If Michael had entered the country under a fake identity, it meant he'd planned his escape route long ago.

He'd been orchestrating the Spencer family case since over a decade ago, leaving himself an exit at every turn. A man like that wouldn't come back without preparation.

She opened her eyes and watched the shop signs streak past the window. A direction was taking shape in her mind.

If he really was coming for the Windsor family, his first move wouldn't be finding people—it would be finding an entry point.

The Windsor Group had too many business sectors. He'd look for the one that drew the least attention but could still move real money, then use someone he'd dealt with before to build a bridge.

Veda would watch the network of contacts. Edward was already tracing travel records. Two lines running in parallel—eventually, they'd intersect.

---

Meanwhile, across the city.

Bianca leaned against her hospital bed. On the tray table in front of her sat a bowl of soup, long gone cold.

She picked up the spoon with her left hand. Her wrist had no strength. The spoon tilted sideways and clinked against the rim of the bowl, splashing drops of soup onto the tray.

She threw the spoon back into the bowl. The clatter was sharp in the silent room.

Damn it.

This was all Victoria's fault.

She really was useless now.

Aiden stood by the window, his back to her. His mind was blank—he didn't even know what he was thinking.

Bianca stared at his back for a few seconds, then spoke. "When are you planning to divorce me?"

Aiden's spine went rigid, but he didn't turn around. "What are you going on about now?"

He hadn't expected those words to come from Bianca.

"Going on about?"

Bianca's voice climbed higher. "Your father told you to divorce me. You think I don't know? You show up for ten minutes every day and leave. You think I can't tell you don't want to be here?"

Aiden finally turned to face her.

His expression was flat, unreadable. "Your right hand needs rest to recover. Stop fixating on all this."