Edmund showed no signs of surprise and spoke with his usual cold tone, "The servant has already prepared lunch. I was planning to have the servant feed you after you woke up, but since your injury is not serious, you can go downstairs and eat by yourself."
With that, Edmund got up and left.
Victoria had originally wanted to refuse to eat in a fit of anger.
But as Victoria was about to speak, she suddenly felt if she did that, it would be like she was afraid of Edmund. So Victoria followed Edmund down the stairs without showing any weakness.
When Victoria arrived at the dining room, Edmund was already seated at the table.
Victoria sat silently across from Edmund.
It was only then that she realized that she had been married to this man for three days, but it was the first time they had eaten together alone.
Victoria saw her favorite chicken on the table and picked some.
"You can't eat that," Edmund said from across the table.
Victoria looked at him in surprise.
"Poultry can affect wound healing. As a doctor, you should know this basic fact," Edmund said as he scooped up some soup from the pot.
Victoria stared at him dumbfounded.
She had never seen anyone behave so elegantly and nobly at the dining table before.
Edmund's hands moved gracefully and with a light tinkling sound, he placed the bowl of soup in front of her.
"Drink this. It's good for you," Edmund said.
It suddenly dawned on Victoria that Edmund had just poured her soup personally. She was touched beyond words.
But then, Victoria remembered that Edmund had reminded her more than once that regardless of who his wife was, he would fulfill his duties. Victoria calmed down instantly.
She lowered her head and drank the soup.
Edmund picked up some other food for her.
"I told Jack to ask the servants to prepare these for you. Eat them all, it's nourishing and helps heal wounds," he said.
Victoria was surprised by how much attention Edmund was paying to her. She had only suffered a minor scratch.
Victoria kept her head down throughout the meal.
Edmund's eyes fixed on her.
"And, you're too skinny. I like my wife to look healthy."
"Ahem!"
Victoria almost choked on the soup.
In fact, Victoria had been on a diet recently. She was 5.4 feet tall and weighed only 90 pounds during her college years. However, she gradually gained weight after starting to work, and now she weighed nearly 95 pounds.
Edmund, on the other hand, didn't seem to be hungry. He didn't eat anything but spent the entire time selecting and serving food to Victoria.
Strangely enough, Victoria felt like she was six years old again, dining with her mother, feeling loved and cherished!
When Victoria was six years old, her mother became mentally ill, and she had to live with Edward, Lacey, and the others. She had been missing that feeling in her life ever since.
Victoria never expected that the person who would give her that feeling again after fourteen years would be Edmund!
But she would never let herself develop any feelings for Edmund.
The person Edmund loved was Xenia.
Victoria knew that to Edmund, she was only a temporary substitute for Xenia's position as Mrs. Haines.
Thinking of Xenia, Victoria's mood suddenly turned sour.
Victoria quickly finished the food Edmund had served her and left.
"You kept calling your mother when you were unconscious, what happened to her?" Edmund's voice came from behind her.
The most sensitive part of her heart was touched, and Victoria's fingertips trembled.
"She went missing," Victoria said.
Edmund's gaze became strange.
"We've been married for three days, and you never told me about something so important," he said.
With her back to Edmund, Victoria couldn't tell if she was feeling disappointed or ironic. "What difference does it make whether I say it or not, in our kind of relationship?"
"If you don't say anything, how do you know it won't make a difference?" Edmund's voice was noticeably lower. He felt inexplicably empty inside.
Victoria had experienced Edmund's dominance before, and she didn't want to anger him, so she explained, "My mother used to live in a mental hospital. A month ago, she ran away from the hospital and never came back. Only Edward and Lacey knew her whereabouts. They forced me to marry you as a replacement for Xenia by using my mother's whereabouts as leverage..."
Thinking of her mother, Victoria couldn't stay calm and burst into tears.
"But after I married you, they changed their minds again. They said they would only tell me my mother's whereabouts after you signed a contract for a certain project with them. That's the whole story."
After speaking, Victoria hurriedly walked upstairs.
Victoria knew her position in Edmund's heart.
Victoria never expected Edmund to help her.
As Victoria disappeared from view, Edmund was lost in thought.
At that moment, Jack passed by outside the dining room.
"Jack, I need you to do something," said Edmund.
Jack entered, respectfully saying, "Mr. Haines, just tell me what you need."
"Give Edward the project he's been wanting," Edmund replied.
"This..."
Jack was shocked.
"Mr. Haines, on Mrs. Haines' first day as your wife, you wanted to give Edward that project as a way to repay the favor to the marry their daughter to you. However, after a thorough investigation, we found that Edward is not capable of handling that project. If we give him the project, it will cause you at least 28 million dollars in losses."
"I know," Edmund said.
Jack was even more shocked. "Mr. Haines, if you know that, then why would you...?"
"Jack, stop asking." Edmund could see Victoria's sad face in front of him.
"You arrange it now. I will sign the contract with Edward tonight."
Jack reluctantly nodded, "Yes, sir. I'll do it."
...
The next day, Edmund woke up at 5:30 am as usual and read in his study.
He held a necklace in his hand.
The night when the girl saved his life, Edmund tore off this necklace from her neck in order to repay her in the future.
Later, Edmund asked Xenia about the necklace, and she admitted that it was hers.
But Edmund never returned the necklace to Xenia.
For some reason, every time he was with Xenia, he couldn't recapture the "burning hot" feeling of that night.
But every time Edmund held the pearls, he could smell the subtle yet distinct fragrance that would instantly transport him back to that night. And his inexplicable yearning and reluctance towards the girl would resurface...
At that moment, Jack knocked on the door.
"Mr. Haines, the two people who were plotting against Mrs. Haines have woken up in the early hours of this morning. After interrogating them all night, I found out who ordered them to harm Mrs. Haines."
Edmund's deep gaze turned ice-cold.
"Who is it."
"It's..."
After a long struggle, Jack finally said, "It's the person you want to spend the rest of your life repaying, Ms. Xenia Collins..."
The expression in Edmund's eyes suddenly became as sharp as a razor.