Chapter 156
Eugene glanced at the downcast William, suddenly unsure of what to say.
Man, love really is a killer, he thought. Even someone as proud and untouchable as William had been brought to his knees by it.
Eugene was about to offer some comforting words when his phone buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled it out, checked the screen, and answered the call.
The person on the other end spoke softly, and Eugene listened carefully before quickly agreeing.
After hanging up, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and looked up to find William's gaze fixed on him.
"William, what's wrong?" he asked, feeling a bit unnerved by the intensity.
"Is it Mr. Brown's birthday party?" William raised an eyebrow. "I'll go with you."
Eugene was caught off guard.
William flicked the ash from his cigarette, his deep eyes fixed on the horizon.
Saturday afternoon, sunlight filtered through thin clouds, gently illuminating the street.
Samuel's black Bentley slowly pulled up in front of Victoria's apartment building.
A moment later, Victoria stepped out, and it was as if the air around her brightened.
She wore a light blue off-shoulder gown that flowed gracefully to her ankles, perfectly accentuating her slender waist and elegant figure.
Her makeup was delicate and understated, her shiny hair loosely pinned up with a few strands falling around her long neck, adding a touch of casual allure. She looked like a fairy stepping out of a painting, breathtakingly beautiful.
Samuel got out of the car and quickly walked over to her, his eyes filled with admiration and tenderness.
He extended his hand, gently taking Victoria's arm. "You look stunning today."
Victoria blushed slightly and smiled. "You look handsome too."
Samuel was dressed in a tailored suit that highlighted his tall, lean frame, paired with a simple yet elegant white shirt. His hair was meticulously styled, and beneath his fringe, his deep eyes and high-bridged nose exuded a natural grace that was hard to ignore.
They headed straight to the hotel.
Tonight was Samuel's grandfather's 80th birthday, and the entire Brown family was present, along with many of Elmer's business associates.
Despite Victoria's attempts to keep a low profile, her status as Joshua's student and a gold medalist in an art competition had made her somewhat famous.
As soon as she arrived, a group of Brown family relatives surrounded her, scrutinizing her and bombarding her with questions.
After all, Samuel was the most outstanding and picky among the younger generation of the Brown family.
They had introduced countless girls to him, but he had never shown interest in any of them.
No one expected him to choose someone as young as Victoria as his girlfriend.
Victoria remained composed, polite, and smiling, neither ingratiating nor aloof.
However, some people just didn't know when to stop-like the plump woman sitting next to Primrose, who looked at Victoria with disdain and openly mocked her. "The Brown family has high standards for daughters-in-law. Does such an ordinary girl deserve Samuel?"
Her voice wasn't low, and nearby people turned to look.
Seeing the attention, she raised her voice even more. "This girl may look all sweet and innocent, but her private life is a mess. She broke up an engaged couple and got tangled up with Alton from the Bridges family, causing a huge scandal last year. His girlfriend ended up in jail and had to pay a ton of money. Now she's after Samuel."
"And that's not all. Her dad committed serious crimes and went to prison, leaving a mountain of debt. Like father, like daughter. With a dad like that, how good can she be?" she added.
Samuel's face darkened, and he strode over before Victoria could stop him.
"Samuel, I'm fine."
Samuel approached, causing the woman to flinch.
"Samuel..."
"Aunt Juno, I know my girlfriend better than anyone! If anyone dares to spread rumors again, don't blame me for not considering family ties!" Samuel said coldly, his gaze icy as he looked at the middle-aged woman named Juno.
Juno stepped back, embarrassed and angry. "Samuel! How can you talk to me like that? I'm your aunt! You've been bewitched by this woman. You used to be so mature and sensible, but now you dare to defy your elders? Everyone can see that this girl is causing chaos even before she's married into the family. If she does, the Brown family will never have peace!"
She turned to Primrose, crying, "Primrose, look at your son! He's offending me for this woman. You need to set things right!"
Primrose's face was grim.
She had liked Victoria when they first met. Despite her modest background, Victoria was beautiful, well-mannered, and intelligent, with a pair of clear, innocent eyes.
Primrose had supported the relationship, but the more she learned, the more she worried about Victoria's complicated background.
She wasn't snobbish; she just feared that Samuel would face trouble if he married Victoria.
She sighed. "Samuel, how can you speak to Juno like that? She's your elder. Apologize to her!"
Samuel looked deeply at Primrose, understanding her underlying message.
Apologizing to Juno was just the surface; she also agreed with Juno's words.
He could hear it, and so could Victoria.
She lowered her eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line, saying nothing.
Samuel clenched his fists, turned, and took Victoria's hand, leading her away.
Primrose was stunned. "Samuel! Stop! Where are you taking her?"
Ignoring her, Samuel left the venue with Victoria.
He was usually polite and composed, but today he was uncharacteristically impulsive.
Elmer was in a private room with some business friends when Primrose came in. He greeted her and then stepped out.
"What happened?"
"It's Samuel..." She had barely explained when Elmer, furious, went to find Samuel. "This is outrageous! Does he know what today is? Causing a scene over a woman? He's embarrassing me!"
Apologizing to his friends, he stormed out, with Primrose following.
They found Samuel in the hotel lobby, kneeling to fix the folds in Victoria's dress, murmuring, "Wait here, I'll get the car."
Elmer was livid, and Primrose's heart ached.
"You idiot!"