Chapter 49
Aiden's gaze swept over the two of them, the doubt in his heart deepening.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.
If memory served him right, Yara bore a faint resemblance to Edward.
Feeling the weight of that scrutinizing stare, Edward's brow furrowed even more, his own gaze turning cold.
He had no interest in wasting time on someone with a questionable mind, so he simply chose to ignore him, turning his thoughts back to the company matters he had just been discussing with Victoria.
"Victoria, you tell me the truth." The more Aiden turned it over in his mind, the more convincing it became, until he could no longer keep the anger from sharpening his voice.. "Is Yara a child you had with someone else? Did you betray me?"
If she wasn't his biological child, how else could two people in this world look so similar?
And for it to be such a coincidence.
Once this idea took root, everything Edward had done before took on a different flavor.
The more Aiden mulled it over, the more it felt wrong, and a surge of fury clouded his judgment, making his words aggressive and accusatory.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Victoria hadn’t anticipated a question like that.. Her brows knitted together as she retorted, a touch of disbelief in her tone. "You were the one who personally signed the consent forms for the IVF back then. Are you going to deny it now and claim it was all my scheme?"
Fury surged through her, so sharp it nearly drew a laugh. She could hardly believe that Aiden, just to get his way, would go this far, could fabricate such a story. Setting aside whether Yara and Edward were related by blood, how dare he, the one who had cheated first, have the audacity to ask such a question? Did he not find it ridiculous?
Hearing this, Aiden's expression stiffened; he had clearly recalled the moment she mentioned. ButHe clearly refused to own his fault, pride barricading the truth.
"Maybe you were just covering your tracks, putting on a whole show for me."
Aiden declared self-righteously, "Besides, Yara has no blood relation to me. No matter what you say, you'll always be right. It would be simple for you to deceive me. How do I know if you're telling the truth?"
His utterly unreasonable demeanor filled Victoria with disgust. What had she ever seen in him?
Not only did he lack a sense of responsibility, but he also refused to admit his own mistakes, only ever pushing the blame onto others.
"Believe it or not, it's thetruth." Her patience had worn thin. "If it weren't for your fertility issues, why would I have gone through IVF?" She snapped, her voice laced with irritation. "To think that after doing it, I'd still be accused of cheating by you. You deserve to have no heirs!"
The words were vicious, and Aiden's face changed instantly.
"Victoria! You venomous woman!"
He gritted his teeth. "I knew I shouldn't have married you in the first place. At least now I wouldn't..."
These arguments were nothing new.
Edward frowned slightly, his patience having long since evaporated.
"Security," he said coolly, gesturing toward Aiden. "Throw him out of the hospital."
The rest of Aiden's sentence caught in his throat. He stared at Edward in disbelief. Those eyes were icy and serene, betraying not the slightest hint of emotion as they locked onto his.
Edward wasn't joking.
Realizing this, Aiden spun around, intending to run.
It was one thing to argue, but to be physically thrown out by security in a public place? If anyone recognized him, how could he ever show his face in their circle again? The humiliation would be absolute.
But while he was fast, the bodyguards were faster.Aiden had barely taken a few steps when strong hands grabbed his arms, pinning him in place and leaving him looking utterly helpless.
"Edward! You two just wait!" he snarled through clenched teeth, unable to break free from the iron-like grip.
With Aiden's departure, the area returned to its previous state of calm.
"I'm sorry,"Victoria murmured, her sigh barely more than a whisper. She turned to Edward, a hint of guilt in her voice. "I didn't know he would show up today. I'm sorry you were affected by this. I'll be more careful next time."
From Aiden's expression, it was clear he had misunderstood something. But so what if he had? The worst he could do was spread rumors that she had cheated first, shifting all the blame onto her. None of that could hurt her anymore.
It could not affect her.
Yet Victoria’s gaze drifted to the man beside her, and despite herself, a sigh escaped her lips. It had to be Edward.
She didn't want her personal matters to affect him, especially afterall he had done to help her. The last thing she wanted was to be a burden.
"It's a baseless accusation," Edward said, smoothing a wrinkle on his sleeve, his tone placid. "Pay it no mind."
Without his permission, Aiden couldn't stir up any trouble.
Even if he did manage to leak this story, few media outlets would dare to publish it. His gaze lingered on Victoria for a moment, and he felt an unfamiliar pull he couldn’t ignore., for the first time, offered a sliver of reassurance. "He doesn't have the nerve."
Nearby, Chase quickly lowered his head to hide the wide-eyed shock on his face.
Had the sun risen in the west today? He never imagined he’d live to see the day Edward offered comfort to someone.. It was a bit stiff, but it was astonishing nonetheless.
Victoria still felt a pang of guilt, and she merely nodded at his words. "There are too many eyes and ears out here. Let's go in. I can show you that design draft we were talking about earlier."
Edward could see her spirits were low, a listlessness about her. His thin lips parted, but his gaze suddenly caught the slight tremor in her right hand, and his brow tightened. "During the interview, you noted on your form that you have an issue with your hand."
Even off-duty, his words emerged with that same impersonal chill, like frost on glass.. Edward, however, was completely unaware of it. He lowered his eyes, his focus fixed on Victoria. "Is it convenient to talk about it?"
That, at least, sounded somewhat polite and considerate.
Victoria managed a slight smile. Edward was probably the only person who could make an inquiry sound so much like a statement.
"It was just an accident,really." She looked down, thinking for a moment as she chose her words. "A while ago, I was on my way to deliver a design draft to Aiden when I got into a car accident. It resulted in a comminuted fracture in my right hand."
At this, Victoria's lips curved into a self-deprecating smile. "I just chose the wrong person. The doctor told me then that if I received the best treatment promptly, there was a chance of recovery. But Aiden was indifferent, and so..."
Even after all this time, the injury’s impact on her remained profound. Even as she tried to act nonchalant, the slight catch in her voice betrayed her true emotions.
Edward didn't speak at first. He waited in silence until Victoria regained her poise, then lobbed the bombshell with disarming ease.
He asked, "Do you want to heal your hand?"
The previous investigation report had been clear. The city’s once-celebrated designer, Q, held far more value for the company than the present Victoria, hampered by her injured hand. Edward showed no concern that she might answer incorrectly. He lifted his eyelids slightly. “Forget everything else for now. Just tell me what you truly want.”