Chapter 59
"Oh... I'm so sorry!"
If they weren't in a car, Victoria would have already bowed deeply to Edward in apology.
She nervously wrung her hands, her eyes downcast. "Your suit... let me get it cleaned for you? If you need me to pay for it, I absolutely can!"
As she spoke, she cautiously glanced at the area she had mussed up. Thank goodness she wasn't a drooler. Otherwise, a simple apology wouldn't have been nearly enough.
Edward's gaze was calm. He looked down at the spot and said flatly, "No need. You can get out."
From start to finish, he showed no trace of disgust.
Beside him, Chase's eyes nearly popped out of his head. 'No way.'
Was this really his boss, the man with an obsessive need for cleanliness?
He remembered an intern who had accidentally spilled a bit of water on his leather shoe.
Edward's expression had changed instantly, scaring the poor kid so badly he couldn't sleep for nights, convinced he was about to be fired.
But now, as Chase's gaze shifted to Victoria, he grew thoughtful.
Perhaps Mr. Windsor really did treat Ms. Spencer differently.
Victoria, for her part, hadn't expected to be let off the hook so easily.
She blinked, afraid he might change his mind, and quickly apologized once more before turning and scrambling out of the car.
Her retreating figure moved with such haste as though someone were chasing her.
Edward lowered his eyes, his gaze lingering on her for a fleeting second. His long fingers pressed the button to close the window. "Let's go."
Meanwhile, Yara had been dropped off at Veda's house. They were probably having dinner at this hour.
Victoria lay languidly on her bed. She had returned too late to cook, so she figured she would pick Yara up after they had eaten.
Just then, the phone beside her chimed with a notification. A new message?
She reached for the phone, her eyes drawn to the faint glow of the screen.
Liam: [I'm off tomorrow. Are you free? I'd like to treat you to a meal, if you'd grace me with your presence?]
Liam wanted to take her to dinner? Victoria hesitated. Frowning, she thought for a moment before tapping out a reply with her slender fingers.
[Dinner sounds great, of course, but there's no need for you to treat. You've helped me so much, it should be my turn to treat you. Just send me the time and place.]
Since they had been classmates, Liam knew her personality well. Not a minute later, the time and location arrived.
Victoria glanced at it briefly before turning off the screen.
The next day.
"I thought you might bring Yara today. I didn't expect you to come alone," Liam said, a gentle smile on his face and a teasing note in his voice. "Looks like I'm not lucky enough to see Yara today."
The restaurant he had chosen wasn't overly fancy, but its privacy and food were second to none.
More importantly, it was affordable, well within a range Victoria could manage.
"I was originally planning to bring her," Victoria said, spreading her hands in a gesture of helplessness. "But Veda wanted to take her to the amusement park today, and Yara was really excited to go, so I couldn't bring her along."
She recalled the teasing look on Veda's face when she left the house that morning, and a deeper sense of resignation flickered in her eyes.
Heaven only knew what was going through Veda's head. Leaving aside whether Liam had any feelings for her, after everything with Aiden, she had long since become wary of anything romantic.
They were friends, and they could only be friends.
"I see." Liam's expression cleared, and he smiled as he passed her the menu from beside him. "I ordered a few things based on my memory of your tastes, but take a look and see if there's anything else you'd like. I'm not sure if your preferences have changed after all this time."
'My tastes?' Victoria was a little surprised. She took the menu and scanned it.
The dishes listed were very much to her liking; there were even several things she had loved back in her student days.
"How did you know what I like to eat?" She asked, arching an eyebrow playfully. "Don't tell me you were keeping tabs on my meals back then?"
She meant it only to lighten the mood. She never expected him to actually nod.
"You didn't know?" Liam replied with a relaxed smile on his face. "I used to have a crush on you, so I was always thinking about what you were eating. I guess I still remember. My memory must be pretty good."
His words struck her like a bolt from the blue, leaving Victoria completely stunned. A crush on her?
"You're not joking, are you?" She studied his face, unable to stop herself from blinking.
Had she really been that charming? Liam had been popular with so many girls back then. A man that exceptional had had a crush on her?
"Don't worry about it." Liam, sensing her thoughts, just smiled faintly. "That was all in the past. You just need to think of me as an old classmate or a friend now. Don't feel any pressure. It was something I chose to do back then."
His tone was gentle and soothing, pleasant to the ear. Victoria let out a long breath, her body slowly relaxing. "You're at a law firm now. What's your day-to-day like?"
She smiled. "Next time, I'll bring Yara to have a meal with you..."
The atmosphere eased again, their conversation drifting back to their old school days.
Around a corner, Chase tore his eyes away from the documents in his hand and glanced idly around the room, then froze.
Was that Ms. Spencer? What was she doing here? And who was the man with her? Did Edward know?
He cautiously peeked at his boss beside him and, just as he'd feared, saw the cold glint in Edward's frigid eyes. And that gaze was fixed precisely on Victoria's location.
'This is bad.'
Over at their table, Victoria and Liam had finished their meal and stood up to leave.
"You must have taken a cab here today, right?" Liam picked up his jacket, looking at Victoria. "I drove, so if you want a ride, I can give you a lift..."
Before he could finish, a chilly voice cut in from the side. "Victoria."
They both turned toward the sound. Victoria's eyes widened in surprise. "Mr. Windsor? What are you doing here? You..."
She received no answer. Instead, a large hand suddenly closed around her slender, delicate wrist.
Edward pulled her toward him, his gaze lifting to meet Liam's. His tone was clipped. "I'm taking her home. We have something to discuss."
He hadn't yet processed the source of the irritation churning inside him, but his actions and words had already outpaced his thoughts. That tone, that expression—it was nothing short of a declaration.