Chapter 250

Chapter 250

That evening, Starwind Residence.

Outside the window, neon lights and traffic flowed through Asteria City, their flickering reflections dancing on the glass. Inside, however, there was a long-missed warmth and peace.

Victoria sat on the soft sofa. Watching as Anne make up the bed for her, the heavy weight that had pressed on her chest for so long finally loosened a little, like she could finally breathe freely.

"Anne." Her voice was soft, ringing with an unusual clarity in the quiet living room. "I've made up my mind. After I graduate, I'm going abroad with Mr. Savage for further studies."

Anne's movements stopped abruptly. She turned around and looked at her thin sister on the sofa. Victoria's face was still pale, but her eyes finally had a bit of life in them.

Shock and reluctance flashed through Anne's eyes, finally settling into a gentle sense of relief. She quickly walked to the sofa and pulled Victoria into a tight embrace.

Neither could hold back anymore—tears burst forth like a dam breaking. They held each other and cried, as if finally letting go of all the tension they'd carried these years.

"Go," Anne whispered, gently stroking Victoria’s hair, her voice quivering. "Go chase what you truly want. Go win all the jewelry awards you deserve."

Anne didn't offer any fancy words of comfort. she simply repeated, again and again, that she would always support Victoria, no matter where life took her.

On that cold winter night, the misunderstandings and distance that had stood between the two sisters for years finally dissolved. Victoria could even imagine a freer future, like seeing a door being opened.

Elsewhere in reality, Edward closed his eyes in despair.

Study abroad.

He understood exactly what that meant. Victoria had once been ready to leave Asteria City behind, to pursue her dreams and live for herself.

If not for that kidnapping, if not for Anne's tragic death, Victoria should now be an internationally renowned jewelry designer. She would be shining on Varellia's runways—not briefly, but as a matter of course.

It was him.

His wedding to Anne had made Victoria give up her unfinished studies. For Anne's sake, she had handed her life over to him, letting him decide her direction.

"I destroyed you... Victoria, I drove you to your death..." Edward curled up on the floor, chest aching as if crushed, every breath a struggle.

In the memory.

A few days later, at an upscale restaurant in Mantharic.

Violin music flowed through the restaurant like a gentle but inescapable background soundtrack. Edward wore a perfectly tailored custom suit, sitting across from Anne. They were dining, looking proper and perfect.

"Edward, I have good news to share with you."

Anne sliced her steak, her face alight with real joy. "Victoria has decided to study abroad. Mr. Savage believes in her talent. She'll definitely become a top designer."

Edward’s silverware scraped harshly against the porcelain, an involuntary twitch betraying the storm inside him.

He looked up, panic flickering in his usually cold gaze, mingling with a surge of aggression he barely recognized.

Going abroad?

That woman was leaving. She was going to Eurathia, leaving Asteria City, leaving his sight.

A strong irritation surged up instantly, like someone twisting his chest tight. He even felt short of breath, and Anne's gentle smile suddenly became glaring.

"Is that so?" He forced a slight smile, put down his utensils, grabbed the ice water beside him and gulped it down, trying to suppress that nameless anger. "That is good news. It'll help her career and benefit the Windsor family's reputation too."

Edward’s tone was mild, but every moment of that meal felt like torture.

Victoria’s face kept haunting him. Stubborn, cold, streaked with tears.

What right did she have to leave?

What right did she have to just go whenever she wanted?!

That night, Edward sat alone on the sofa at the Russell Manor.

He held a glass of strong whiskey, his tie roughly loosened, three buttons of his shirt undone. Alcohol and suppression made him like a string stretched to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.

He grabbed his phone and placed a video call to Evan.

When the screen lit up, Evan, on the other end abroad, looked at his gloomy, irritable appearance and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Drinking like this in the middle of the night. Did you fight with Anne?"

"It’s not Anne," Edward muttered, tossing back his drink, the burn sharp down his throat. "It's Victoria."

Edward stared at the screen, his eyes red from alcohol and irritation, his voice hoarse and frightening.

"I'm about to be engaged to Anne. I'm her boyfriend." He paused, as if convincing himself. "But these past few days, all I can think about is Victoria going abroad. Just thinking about her leaving Asteria City makes me so irritated I want to smash things."

Edward pressed his temples, frustration boiling over. "What's wrong with me?"

Evan was silent for a moment, his expression tightening, his gaze sharpening.

"Edward, let me ask you." Evan looked directly into his eyes. "Why do you like Anne? What do you love about her?"

Edward hesitated, but his response was automatic. "She’s gentle, kind, gracious and she’s everything proper."

"She completely fits the Russell family's expectations for the future lady of the house. What's more... years ago on the streets of Asteria City, she saved me. She's my savior. I owe her a lifetime of care."

Evan laughed softly after hearing this, the laugh carrying an obvious sigh.

"You’ve just listed the perfect qualifications," Evan said, shaking his head, his tone heavier. "Gentle, proper, suitable to be your wife, a life debt... these are all logically sound, carefully weighed reasons."

"But falling in love with someone is never because of these reasons that can be listed out."

Edward froze, staring in silence at the screen.

Evan looked at him, ultimately not taking the words to their cruelest conclusion. He seemed to be leaving his brother a path, letting him walk to the end himself.

"What you feel for Anne is more gratitude, responsibility, compatibility." Evan slowly added, "Edward, you need to figure out who you really can't let go of."

After the call, the living room felt suffocatingly quiet, as if all the air had been drawn out.

Edward sat alone on the dim sofa. His phone slipped from his fingers and fell into the carpet, not ringing again.

"The person I really can't let go of?"

"Victoria..."

He repeated in a low voice, as if mocking an absurd answer.

But at the same time, his mind uncontrollably replayed images of her over and over. Her covering her face in the hospital room, the fragility when she resisted his approach. Her standing on the award platform, glowing under the lights...

Those memories collided and tangled, threatening to tear him apart.

A nearly twisted possessiveness, along with a panic he couldn't explain, surged up together, completely swallowing him. His irritation made him unable to grasp the edge of reason anymore.