Vergei andred cold. “Do we even care whether it’s true?
Wavtor responded, his tone filled with sincerity. “She’s not just your mother–she’s my wife.“
“II you really saw het as your wite, you wouldn’t have in off with the money and let us drowning in debt,” she shot back, her mood worsening by the second. Insages, fi
from the past flooded her mind. “And you certainly woulby’t have ignored us all these was.”
Sence ellen the other end of the lose.
Victoria’s lips were pressed into a tight lane, her anger binning hot and steady
“What if I told von 1 down with the
Thad no choice back then?” Wayne’s voice suddenly seinded uwch older, burdened with pull. “If I hadn’t done what I did, all of you would’ve been dragged
She let out a scoil laugh. “Do you really think I’d believe that?”
hat was like stabbing someone and telling them it was to their good.
meetme,Wayne said, his tone even heavier “El tell you everything. And if you still resent me after hearing the truth, I’ll kneel before your mother and beg for her
- “Victoria hung up and hailed a cab straight to the location he had sent
Her rational mind told her this was just another of his lies–just like the ones he had fed her before. But buried beneath those thoughts was a tiny, fragile sliver of hope
She had nothing left to lose. There was nothing left in her for him to deceive. If this was yet another one of his tricks, so be it. But if he was telling the truth, she and Laura deserved to bear in
Thirty minutes later, she arrived at the upscale bar and followed the directions to the private lounge where he was, When she reached the door, she didn’t hesitate and pushed it
The dim lighting inside cast long shadows, but her eyes immediately locked on the middle–aged man sitting on the couch.
When he saw her, he slowly stood up with a complex mix of emotions in his gaze. “Vicky”
Victoria didn’t respond. She remained by the door, staring at him
Time had stripped any the confidence and arrogance he had once possessed as the president of a company. Now, his features bore traces of defeat, and his posture was weighed down by lite’s hardships.
**Why are you just standing there? Come sit Wayne said, guiding her toward the couch.
Victoria remained standing, simply staring at him.
There was a conflicted look in his eyes, and his voice was hoarse as he said, “You’ve lost weight. Have you not been eating properly?
“That doesn’t matter.” She pulled her hand away from his grasp, refusing to be swayed by his concern. “You said you’d explain why you ran off with the money and abandoned us.
“Can’t we just have a proper conversation first His voice was heavy. “It hurts me to see you like this,”
*If you truly care, explain the so–called hardship of yours,” Victoria said without a trace of emotion. After everything that had happened and after Wayne’s betrayal, she found harder and harder to believe in such words.
He lowered his eyes, his posture seeming to crumble.
Victoria stood her ground, smoking
Η
“I never wanted you to know, but since you insist on answers, I’ll tell you, Wayne said at last. He took a sip of the liquor on the table, his expression clauded with melancholy.” The company’s bankruptcy wasn’t an accident–it was deliberate sabotage.”
Victoria listed in silence.
“111 hadn’t taken that money and fled abroad, our entire family would’ve faced retaliation,” he continued, his voice heavy with regret. “But by taking the money, I had a chance to rebuild things. And more importantly, I could investigate who was behind it all, ”
“After all that talk, didn’t you still just take the money and abandon us? Victoria pointed out the key issue
Wayne’s grip on
on his glass tightened, his lowered gare darkening. He had planned to play the sympathy card to weave a flawless excuse to make Victoria believe him. But after raking his bean, he reared that he had no perfect answer
And now, he didn’t know how to respond
