Chapter 227

Chapter 227

The call was from an unknown number.

Victoria frowned slightly and declined it.

But the caller rang back immediately, clearly determined not to give up until she answered.

After a moment's hesitation, she picked up. "Hello?"

No one responded. Only the sound of breathing came through the line.

Her frown deepened. "Hello? Can you hear me?"

"It's me."

Charles's hoarse voice came through the receiver. "I'm downstairs outside the Howard Airlines building right now. Can you come down and see me?"

Victoria's gaze cooled, degree by degree. "Mr. Smith, I don't see any reason for us to meet."

She had the child. The divorce was final.

A proper ex-husband should be as good as dead to her.

All this repeated pestering was frankly out of line.

"Victoria, are you really this heartless?"

Charles's voice trembled. "I won't do anything to you. I just… I just want to see you. Once."

Ever since the divorce, Charles felt like he was losing his mind.

No matter what he did, his thoughts always circled back to Victoria.

He'd assumed time would help him forget. Instead, it only got worse. He'd even started hearing her voice—her happy, affectionate voice calling his name right beside his ear.

At first, Charles thought that wasn't so bad. At least it felt like Victoria was still with him.

But then Rhea caught him talking to empty air. Terrified, she immediately called a psychiatrist.

The doctor said Charles had developed a serious psychological condition. Medication alone likely wouldn't be enough.

Worse, the side effects would leave him foggy and sluggish.

Rhea was on the verge of tears. After pressing repeatedly, the doctor finally said, "The person who started the trouble must fix it. Perhaps letting Mr. Smith see the person he longs to see might help him recover."

Only then did Rhea agree to let Charles go find Victoria.

Before this, she'd refused every time. Whenever Charles so much as mentioned the idea, Rhea would threaten to kill herself to stop him.

Victoria knew none of this.

Even if she had, she would've said one word: "Serves him right."

Irritation simmering beneath her skin, she was about to refuse when her gaze happened to land on Hugh's face, bright with anticipation.

Victoria: "…?"

Was that eagerness she saw in his eyes?

"Fine. I'm coming down."

Joy broke through Charles's voice, impossible to hide. "Great! I'll wait for you!"

After hanging up, Victoria looked at Hugh, exasperation written all over her face. "Let's go, boyfriend."

"Babe, you read my mind."

Hugh grabbed her hand and practically dragged her toward the elevator. He had an official title now. Everything was different.

---

Downstairs, Charles paced back and forth restlessly.

Every other second he straightened his tie, then ran his fingers through his hair.

He'd dressed meticulously for this meeting.

The moment he spotted Victoria, his face lit up. "Victoria!"

He strode toward her, arms reaching out for an embrace—only to be stopped by a large hand blocking his path.

Hugh's eyes were ice-cold. "You can talk, but putting your hands on her the second you show up? Don't you think that's crossing a line, Mr. Smith?"

Charles finally noticed Hugh standing right beside Victoria.

His jaw tightened. "This is between me and Victoria. It has nothing to do with you."

"You're trying to hug my girlfriend, and you say it has nothing to do with me?"

Hugh shot back.

Charles stared, eyes wide, as if he'd heard something incomprehensible. "What do you mean, girlfriend? You two are together?"

"Mm-hmm."

Hugh draped his arm over Victoria's shoulder and pulled her against him, his tone dripping with smugness. "Obviously. Victoria divorcing you and choosing me was the best decision she ever made."

His voice turned cold. "Every way you failed to take care of her—I'll make up for. You've had your meeting. Now leave. We have a date, and you're in the way."

The color drained from Charles's face. He swayed, nearly losing his footing.

Victoria's gaze settled on him.

In the time since she'd last seen him, Charles had lost a shocking amount of weight. His cheeks were deeply hollowed, and the suit that once fit him perfectly now hung loose and empty on his frame.

Her eyes caught his tie.

It was one she'd once given him, poured her heart into choosing.

He'd tossed it in the trash without a second glance and warned her not to try pulling stunts like that again.

She had no idea where he'd dug it up from.

And the pin on his lapel.

She'd made that by hand.

These gifts she'd once given with such love now looked like nothing more than a cruel joke.

Charles's gaze landed on Victoria, raw and pleading. His lips quivered. "This isn't real, is it? Victoria, you and Hugh are just messing with me, right?"

"We only just got divorced. How can you already be with him?"

"You were the one who said you loved me first. Why don't you love me anymore? And we have a child together!"

Victoria watched his unraveling with an expressionless face. Her tone was flat. "Even if we'd only been divorced for a single day, you'd have no right to dictate my life. Percival will be just fine with me. At least I won't keep someone around who tried to poison him."

Charles went even paler.

His lips trembled. He shook his head, murmuring, "No. That's not how it was."

Victoria looked at him and saw a reflection of herself—all those countless times she'd felt just as powerless.

She lost interest. "You've had your meeting. Going forward, I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of our lives. Even if my boyfriend is generous enough not to mind, I don't want him to be uncomfortable."

Hugh's brows lifted, satisfaction curling at the corners of his eyes.

"My girl is so good to me. It's a shame some people had a treasure right in their hands and didn't know what it was worth. Too late for regrets now."

Hugh wrapped his arm around Victoria and turned to leave. Charles called after them.

"Wait! The law gives me visitation rights. I want to see Percival!"

Victoria stopped. "Fine. We're taking Percival out for dinner tonight. You can join us."

---

That evening. Kinfolk Nook Bistro.

When Dena carried Percival into the private dining room and saw Charles, she visibly froze.

Charles, on the other hand, was overwhelmed. He rushed forward in two quick strides, reaching out. "Percival, Daddy's here to see you. Come here, let Daddy hold you."

Dena held Percival tight and looked to Victoria for guidance.

Victoria nodded. "He's here to see the baby."

Only then did Dena carefully place Percival in Charles's arms, though her eyes stayed locked on him like a hawk.

Charles held Percival gently, his gaze tracing every inch of the small face with quiet longing.

"Everyone says Percival looks just like me. But now that he's growing, he looks more like you."

Victoria didn't respond. She simply waited, calm and still.

She wouldn't refuse a lawful visit. But she had no desire to make conversation with Charles.

Hugh finished ordering. When the server began bringing out dishes, he spoke up. "You've seen the kid. We're about to eat. Aren't you leaving, Mr. Smith?"

Charles pressed his lips together and held Percival tighter. "Dinner's on me. Just let me spend a little more time with him."