Chapter 235
Chapter 235
Under Elysia's hopeful gaze, Victoria took a bite.
The meat fell right off the bone, tender and rich. Flavor burst across her tongue instantly.
"This is amazing!"
The words escaped before she could stop them, her eyes going wide.
Elysia's face lit up with a satisfied smile.
"I'm glad you like it. Eat more—you've gotten so thin from all that work."
Victoria had lost weight. She'd been living in the training studio, refusing to leave until she'd pushed herself to complete exhaustion.
With that kind of intensity, it would've been strange if she hadn't slimmed down.
Now she was lean and graceful, her skin glowing, her eyes brighter than ever.
Nothing remained of the worn, exhausted woman she'd once been.
Victoria smiled softly. "Okay."
Seeing not a trace of resentment on Victoria's face, Elysia finally let out a secret breath of relief.
She turned to Hugh. "Mr. Howard, please eat too. Make yourself at home."
Hugh responded immediately. "Please, just call me Hugh."
Something seemed to click for Elysia. Her gaze bounced between Hugh and Victoria with dawning curiosity.
She'd been so preoccupied worrying about whether Victoria was still upset that she'd completely overlooked the fact that these two had arrived together.
Hugh suddenly set down his fork and stood. "Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Johnson—Victoria and I are together. Since everyone's here, I'd like to make my intentions clear. I will do everything in my power to treat Victoria well."
"And if I ever let Victoria down, you can deal with me however you see fit."
He spoke with absolute sincerity, his eyes filled with warmth as they rested on Victoria.
Victoria still had a rib between her teeth. She froze, staring at him blankly.
He hadn't mentioned anything about this on the way over.
The way he was talking... it almost sounded like a proposal.
Elysia was stunned for a long moment before recovering.
She smiled and nodded. "Oh, listen to you—as long as you two love each other, of course we have no objections."
She'd seen how good Hugh was to Victoria these past weeks.
She'd actually been hoping to nudge them together herself.
Hugh was young, accomplished, gentle, and attentive—leagues beyond Charles in every way.
But Sawyer abruptly pushed back from the table, stood, and headed for the wine cellar.
Hugh and Victoria exchanged startled glances.
"Mom, where's Sawyer going?"
Victoria couldn't help asking.
Elysia just glanced over and waved it off with a smile. "Don't worry about it. He's just getting something."
Even so, the tension on Hugh's face was impossible to miss.
Elysia beckoned to him. "Hugh, don't just stand there. Sit down and eat."
"I'll wait for Mr. Johnson."
Sit down? Hugh wouldn't dare.
This was the first time he'd formally revealed his relationship in front of Victoria's family. He needed to make the right impression.
Elysia tried to say more, but Victoria cut in. "Mom, leave him alone. If he wants to stand, let him stand. It's fine."
A moment later, Sawyer returned carrying two bottles of red wine.
"Today calls for a double celebration! As her brother, I absolutely have to share a few drinks with my future brother-in-law!"
Sawyer was smiling, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath it—the kind of smile that came through gritted teeth.
A wave of unease washed over Hugh.
Sure enough.
Over the course of the evening, Sawyer used the wine as cover to interrogate Hugh inside and out.
He even managed to find out which preschool Hugh had attended.
Three rounds in, both men were visibly flushed.
Sawyer slung his arm around Hugh's shoulders. "Hugh, level with me—what does your family think of Victoria?"
He fixed Hugh with a warning glare. "I'm telling you right now, if anyone in your family looks down on her because she has a child, I will bring the entire Johnson family down on your head."
Sawyer's eyes went red, tears threatening to spill. "Victoria's had such a hard life. It's my fault—her own brother, too busy being cautious, too afraid to act. I hurt her so many times. I failed her..."
Victoria sat nearby, emotions tangling in her chest.
To say she wasn't moved would be a lie.
This was the kind of family bond she'd once only dreamed of having.
She'd never imagined anyone would actually shed tears over her past.
Elysia's eyes glistened too. She took Victoria's hand. "Victoria, sweetheart, you've been through so much."
Victoria shook her head. "It's all in the past. At least right now, I'm happy."
She was more than content.
Hugh listened to every word Sawyer said, then answered with quiet conviction. "Sawyer, I promise—I will treat Victoria well. As long as I'm here, no one will get past me to hurt her."
"Good! Remember what you said!"
Sawyer's voice boomed. "If you break that promise, don't blame me for what comes next!"
"You have my word."
By the end of dinner, both men were thoroughly, hopelessly drunk.
A servant helped Sawyer upstairs to rest. Victoria propped up Hugh, ready to leave.
"Victoria."
Elysia stopped her. "Why don't you all stay tonight? Your room is still here, and we have plenty of guest rooms."
Seeing Victoria hesitate, Elysia added, "You can't take care of Hugh and Percival by yourself. Stay home tonight, okay?"
Meeting Elysia's near-pleading eyes, Victoria swallowed the refusal on the tip of her tongue.
Just as Elysia had said, her room was exactly as she'd left it—clean, tidy, clearly maintained by someone who came regularly.
With servants looking after both Percival and Hugh, Victoria took a long, luxurious bath and collapsed onto her bed.
Her room had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden.
Outside, the moon hung bright in a sky scattered with stars. Pale light spilled across the flowers, and everything was impossibly peaceful.
Victoria felt almost dizzy with disbelief.
She'd never imagined she'd have the room with the best view. Never imagined she'd have a family's unconditional love.
All of this had once belonged to Veda.
Her years at the Spencer Villa felt impossibly distant now—like a few throwaway lines in someone else's story, barely real.
Victoria rolled over, buried her face in the soft bedding, and sank into deep, dreamless sleep.
---
Across town, in a hospital room.
Even in sleep, Charles's brow was furrowed tight.
Through the haze, he felt someone climbing into his bed.
"Victoria..."
The name slipped out instinctively. He opened his eyes slowly, and in the moonlight, found himself staring into a completely unfamiliar face.
He was instantly, fully awake. His arm shot out and shoved the woman off the bed.
"Get out."
His voice was ice. The woman trembled from head to toe.
Her face went white. She stammered, "M-Mrs. Smith sent me..."
"My mother?"
Charles narrowed his eyes, studying her.
Looking more closely, he noticed a faint resemblance to Victoria in her features.
Rhea was truly willing to stoop to anything to get him to produce an heir.
Charles rubbed his brow, exhaustion weighing on every syllable. "Leave. Tell my mother I don't need a woman."
The woman bit her lip, hesitating. After a long moment, as if summoning every ounce of courage she had, she moved closer. Tears welled in her eyes. "Mr. Smith, please—just think of it as helping me? My little brother needs money for his medical bills. Just one night... I'm begging you..."