Chapter 234
Chapter 234
Charles didn't look up. His voice was calm, matter-of-fact. "I want Victoria."
Rhea choked on her words. "...You're already divorced. She's never going to remarry you. She's just one woman, Charles. Let me find you someone better, okay?"
Charles's finger paused almost imperceptibly on the screen. Then he slowly raised his eyes, his gaze dull and mechanical as it settled on Rhea.
"No."
The word fell from his lips, flat and final.
Rhea was nearly frantic, but seeing the deathly pallor of his face, she softened her approach. "Even so, you can't just shut yourself away like this. You're young. Meet a few other women and you'll see—Victoria isn't that special."
"Charles, please listen to me. I'm doing this for your own good. Percival's been taken away. You can't just sit here and let the Smith family line die out."
Charles was unmoved. "Percival has my blood. He's my child. Of course he's a Smith heir."
"But Percival was awarded to Victoria!"
Rhea couldn't help raising her voice.
The family had blamed her endlessly for losing Percival.
If Charles continued like this—half-dead, refusing to remarry, refusing to have more children—how would she ever hold her head up in the Smith family again?
"Charles, how long are you going to keep this up?"
Charles set his phone down and fixed Rhea with a cold stare.
Rhea faltered under his gaze. "Wh—why are you looking at me like that?"
Charles sighed. "Mom, stop pressuring me to get married. I have zero interest in any other woman."
"So you'll only have Victoria? Is that it?"
Rhea asked, incredulous.
Charles nodded without hesitation. "That's right. She's the only one I want. If it's not her, I'd rather stay single for the rest of my life."
"Percival already exists. Everything I have will go to him."
"Absolutely not!"
Rhea's voice turned shrill. "Even if you won't remarry, you need to find someone and have another child! The Smith family line cannot end here!"
Charles spoke quietly. "Tell Lynn to find a guy who's willing to take her last name, Smith. Any kids they have will carry the Smith surname too."
"That's completely different!"
"How? Isn't Lynn a Smith too?"
Rhea was speechless.
She couldn't stand being in that room another second. She lasted barely two minutes before hurrying out.
Charles was clearly a lost cause for now. If it came down to it, she'd have to push Lynn to find that kind of man.
But any man willing to let his children take their mother's surname wouldn't come from a family of means.
And Rhea found that beneath her standards.
The door slammed shut.
Charles didn't flinch. He picked up his phone and went back to scrolling through their chat history.
He was like a traveler who'd reached the end of the road—out of supplies, out of options—clinging to these pathetic scraps of memory just to keep going.
---
Victoria threw herself into training in the days that followed.
One afternoon, she'd just stepped out of the practice room, drenched in sweat, when her phone rang.
It was Elysia.
"Victoria, sweetie, have you been working too hard lately?"
Elysia's voice carried a cautious edge. "Today's your birthday. Sawyer and I prepared a big dinner. Would you... like to come home and eat with us?"
Ever since learning the truth about Victoria and Michelle, Elysia had struggled with how to face her daughter.
She'd spent an entire week preparing this birthday dinner, personally selecting nearly every ingredient.
But she'd been too afraid to call.
She was terrified Victoria would blame her.
After all, she'd been a terrible mother.
Hearing the careful, tentative tone on the other end of the line, Victoria felt a sharp ache in her chest.
In all fairness, Elysia hadn't known anything. She'd done nothing wrong.
Victoria exhaled silently, deliberately brightening her voice. "Sure! Hugh, Percival, and I will all come over tonight."
"Wonderful, wonderful! Everyone come, everyone come!"
Elysia's excitement was palpable, her words tumbling over each other.
She paused, then added softly, "Victoria, don't worry. Michelle will never set foot in the Johnson Villa again. I've had Sawyer take her to change her surname too."
"I know, Mom."
Victoria's voice was quiet. "Thank you."
She'd never imagined a day would come when her family would handle her emotions with such tender care.
After hanging up, Victoria looked up to see Hugh walking toward her with a water bottle. "Let's go home for dinner tonight."
Hugh's hand stilled almost imperceptibly. "Does it have to be tonight?"
Victoria blinked. "Do you have other plans?"
Hugh shook his head.
He pinched her cheek gently, his tone a mix of indulgence and exasperation. "Did you forget? It's your birthday. I was going to take you out to unwind today. But seeing how hard you've been training, I figured we'd do a nice dinner first and save the real celebration for after your evaluation."
Understanding dawned on Victoria.
Warmth flooded through her. She wrapped her arms around him. "You don't have to make a big deal out of it. This is already more than enough for me."
"Silly girl. Of course your birthday deserves a proper celebration."
Hugh held her close and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
Victoria tilted her face up. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.
---
After work, Victoria picked up Percival, and the three of them headed to the Johnson Villa.
The moment she stepped through the door, confetti burst overhead.
"Happy birthday, Victoria!"
Elysia's smile was warm and gentle. She held out an enormous gift box.
"Thanks, Mom."
Victoria took the box but didn't open it, setting it aside for now.
Sawyer descended the stairs in a crisp white suit, a procession of household staff trailing behind him. Every single one carried a gift box.
One by one, the boxes were placed before Victoria until they formed a small mountain.
"Sawyer, what is all this?"
Victoria asked, bewildered.
"These are the birthday presents that should have been yours for the past twenty-some years. Now that you're home, of course we need to make up for every one."
Sawyer paused, guilt shadowing his features. "Victoria, I owe you an apology. I was wrong before. I let you and Percival suffer. I don't expect your forgiveness—I just want to make things right however I can."
Something flickered in Victoria's eyes.
Her gaze drifted to Percival, adorable and well-behaved, and she shook her head. "It's okay. It's all in the past."
At least Percival was by her side now. And everyone she loved was here.
"Alright, let's eat first!"
Elysia cradled Percival in her arms, her voice soft and warm.
Sawyer nodded eagerly. "Right, dinner first! Mom cooked everything herself tonight, Victoria. You're going to love it!"
They gathered around the dining table. Elysia had even set up a highchair for Percival.
Twelve dishes covered the table, each one the kind that required hours of painstaking effort.
Victoria's eyes widened. "Mom, you made all of this?"
Elysia smiled shyly. "It's been ages since I've cooked. I'm not sure if it'll be to your taste."
She placed a piece of braised short rib on Victoria's plate and watched her with eager, hopeful eyes. "Try it. Tell me if you like it."