Chapter 256

Chapter 256

Edward ignored the overly polite greetings, toasts, and compliments around him that felt more like performances, and walked straight toward Victoria.

His approach came too suddenly. His figure and presence carried an obvious pressure that made Victoria tense up so much she almost forgot to breathe.

"Edward..." Her voice was tight, almost panicked, and her body instinctively stepped back half a step.

Victoria immediately lowered her head, her gaze fixed firmly on the hem of her black evening gown. She deliberately avoided his eyes, her fingertips gripping her black clutch so hard from nervousness that her knuckles turned white.

Victoria's reaction made Edward's chest suddenly clench, as if torn open by sharp, internal pain.

The weight of reality struck him, piercing straight into his nerves.

In those days that had actually happened, Victoria had lowered her head like this countless times in front of him, clutching at her clothes. But back then she wasn't shy—she was scared!

Edward had once believed Ophelia's lies, grabbed Victoria by the hair, and thrown her hard onto the floor. He had humiliated her with the most vicious words, forced her to eat blueberry pie that would make her go into shock, forced her to go to underground gambling dens!

Edward remembered those hands from reality. Those hands bore burns, whip scars, and blood stains. Now when he saw her habitual gesture of interlacing her fingers, his eyes couldn't help but burn with heat.

"I'm sorry... Victoria, I'm sorry..." Despair surged in his heart like a silent cry.

But in this dream he had created with his own hands, Edward wouldn't allow himself to make everything worse again.

The illusion continued forward.

Edward turned around, calmly picked up a prepared mojito from a nearby server's tray, and held it out to Victoria.

"The nights in Varellia are a bit stuffy. This will help you feel better." His tone was so gentle it was almost like coaxing her, and carried obvious comfort.

Victoria seemed startled by this gentleness, her cheeks quickly flushing red. "Th... thank you."

She reached out to take the glass. In that instant, her soft fingertips accidentally touched Edward's defined hand.

That brief touch shot through him like an electric current. Victoria's heartbeat immediately went wild, her breathing becoming rapid too.

She hurriedly pulled her hand back, holding the glass with both hands, forcing herself to stay calm, lowering her head to take small sips. The cool mint and slight sting of alcohol pressed against her tongue, but she seemed more like she was using them to hide the emotions spiraling out of control inside her.

Edward watched her lose her composure from such a tiny touch, his gaze lingered uncontrollably on her, as if greedily confirming she was still here.

In reality, he could never touch even the hem of her clothes again. She was long gone.

Only in this fabricated memory could he still remember the warmth of her fingertips.

"After the exhibition ends, have dinner with me." Edward spoke smoothly, his gaze locked tightly on her face. His tone was so forceful it left almost no room for retreat, yet pressed down with gentleness, like wrapping a command in a request.

Victoria's head shot up. She didn't even have time to swallow the drink in her mouth or refuse before Edward had already turned and left, surrounded by several business figures from Eurathia, blending into the crowd as if nothing had happened.

The next three hours felt like a long, sweet torture for Victoria.

Wherever she went, whether she was looking at Renaissance sculptures or listening to Tomas's explanations, she could clearly feel a burning gaze following her the whole time.

It was Edward's eyes.

That gaze cut through the crowd, past all the socialites and noble ladies, following her without any attempt to hide, filled with possessiveness and longing.

That kind of attention made Victoria both embarrassed and uneasy. She could even feel sweat on her back, and even her posture holding the wine glass became stiff.

As time went on, the struggle in Victoria's heart grew stronger. She just couldn't cross that line.

She warned herself over and over in her mind, 'Victoria, are you crazy? He's Anne's boyfriend! He's the future son-in-law the Windsor family has chosen! You shouldn't misunderstand anything, and you definitely shouldn't let yourself have any inappropriate thoughts!'

And outside the illusion, Edward's soul watched all this in pain.

Edward knew very clearly that it was precisely this guilt over Anne—so intense it was almost pathological—that in reality became the hardest restraint. Combined with his violence, he had step by step pushed Victoria until her mind completely broke, pushed her to jump from that overpass! In reality, she had given up her life because of this guilt!

But in this dream, Victoria's desperate attempt to suppress herself only made her more confused.

On one hand, she felt a secret, crazy attraction to Edward; on the other, she was crushed by guilt toward Anne until she couldn't breathe. She felt like she was suffocating.

Finally, the exhibition came to an end.

Victoria was afraid Edward would come over again about dinner. She took advantage of the chaos as the crowd dispersed, keeping her head down, trying to stay close to Tomas and Jasper, attempting to just leave like this.

"Let's go quickly, Jasper, let's get out of here..." she urged frantically, her steps becoming unsteady.

But when they had just reached the exit steps, a tall, upright dark figure was already waiting there steadily.

Edward had his hands in his pants pockets, the night wind lifting the hem of his coat.

He stared at Victoria trying to "escape" in the darkness, the corner of his lips curving into an undisguised, forceful smile.

Jasper immediately frowned. He keenly picked up on Victoria's panic and instinctively stepped forward, blocking her behind him, looking directly at this powerful CEO, his tone full of wariness.

"Mr. Russell, what exactly do you want? Victoria is already very tired tonight. We're taking her back to the studio."

Tension immediately tightened in the air.

Edward's eyes narrowed slightly, the dangerous edge of an heir flashing in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

At this moment, Tomas laughed softly, as if he'd been waiting for this scene all along.

This well-experienced elder had seen through Edward's gaze at Victoria during the exhibition—it contained emotions that were too obvious.

Tomas stepped forward, reaching out to pat Jasper's shoulder firmly, as if reminding him not to interfere anymore.

"That's enough, Jasper."

Tomas gave Jasper a clear look, then turned to Victoria, his tone as relaxed as announcing class was over. "Work is finished. For the rest of the time, Victoria, you can make your own arrangements. The formal part's done. Now comes the best part of the night in Varellia."

"Mr. Savage!" Victoria was so anxious her voice shook, her cheeks burning hot.

Tomas ignored her resistance and directly pulled a very unwilling Jasper down the steps. "We'll go first. We won't disturb you."

Before leaving, Tomas turned his head and gave Edward a meaningful look, as if saying, I've left you the opportunity, don't waste it.

Edward nodded slightly, silently expressing his thanks.

The night wind swept past the exit, and the distant noise gradually faded.

After Tomas and Jasper's figures disappeared at the end of the street, only Edward and Victoria remained at the scene.

The dim yellow lamplight fell on Victoria's flustered face. She was so nervous even her breathing trembled, not daring to lift her head to look at him at all.

Edward gazed at her. Reality and dream overlapped like two lines in this moment. He only wanted to make up for all her regrets, only wanted to give back the tenderness he had never given her in reality.

He moved closer by one step, his leather shoes making a low sound on the stone steps.

His figure instantly pressed down, enveloping Victoria in shadow. The woody fragrance mixed with tobacco scent surrounded her, leaving her nowhere to retreat.

Edward lowered his head, his gaze softening, his voice low and hoarse, falling beside her ear.

"Now, are you willing to give me your time?"

Victoria's cheeks instantly burned red.

She stood on the steps—accepting wasn't right, refusing wasn't right either. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, and that secret, crazy love that only comes in youth finally overcame reason.

Facing his direct yet restrained request, she found she simply couldn't do it, couldn't say no again.

Under Edward's breath-held, waiting gaze, she bit her lower lip, her eyelashes trembling lightly, and finally... gently nodded her head.