Chapter 197

Hannah must be the stunning woman who had dined with Samuel at the restaurant that day.

Victoria hesitated for a moment but decided to trust Samuel and let him make his own choice.

If he thought Hannah was a better match for him, Victoria wouldn't stand in the way. After all, when it comes to matters of the heart, there's no right or wrong, only what feels right.

Samuel finished his call and smiled awkwardly at Victoria. "Mr. Carter, Victoria, I gotta go now. I'll visit you another day."

Victoria nodded. "Drive safe."

Alvin saw Samuel out and then returned to the living room.

Within two minutes, Victoria received a message from Samuel: [Victoria, don't get the wrong idea. Ms. Wright is with my parents. My dad's not feeling well, so I need to go check on him.]

Victoria felt a warmth in her heart as she read the message and smiled slightly. She replied naturally: [I didn't think much of it.]

In truth, he didn't need to explain anything.

Because no matter what decision Samuel made, Victoria would support him.

Samuel saw her reply and breathed a sigh of relief.

Early that morning, Hannah had been invited over by Primrose and Elmer.

Samuel had come to Victoria's partly to spend the holiday with her and partly to avoid Hannah.

But with Elmer's heart condition, as a son, he had to go back, whether it was serious or not.

Not long after Samuel left, Wendy came home.

Her dad was out with his mistress and illegitimate child again, leaving her mom alone.

She couldn't stay out too long, worried her mom might do something drastic.

For dinner, Alvin prepared a feast, and the father-daughter duo enjoyed it immensely.

After dinner, Victoria cleaned up the dishes and washed the kitchenware.

"Victoria, some business partners invited me to play poker. I'll be out for a while. You should get to bed early," Alvin advised.

Victoria grinned. "Got it. Win big for us!"

Alvin laughed heartily.

After Alvin left, Victoria curled up on the couch, flipping through TV channels out of boredom.

Before long, her phone rang.

The caller was Robert, someone she hadn't heard from in a while.

"Victoria, happy Easter," Robert said.

"Robert, happy Easter. What made you call me out of the blue?" Victoria asked.

Robert sounded a bit uneasy. "Victoria, I took on a case abroad and can't make it back today. Could you check on my mom? She's feeling a bit lonely."

Victoria agreed immediately. "No problem, Robert. I'll head over now."

"Thank you," Robert said.

"Don't mention it. Elara took such good care of me before. It's the least I can do," Victoria replied.

After a bit more small talk, they hung up.

Victoria quickly gathered some things and took a cab to Elara's house.

Elara was delighted to see Victoria. "Victoria, what a surprise! Come in, come in."

"Robert's busy with work, so he asked me to keep you company," Victoria explained.

Elara frowned. "That boy, always troubling others."

Victoria linked arms with Elara, smiling. "Elara, even if Robert hadn't asked, I wanted to see you. It's been too long."

Elara beamed. "Really? I've missed you too!"

Victoria took out the fruits she brought and placed them on the table. She pulled up a chair next to Elara, and they chatted while watching TV.

They talked until Elara grew sleepy, and Victoria got up to leave.

Before she left, Elara seemed hesitant, as if she had something to say but couldn't.

Sensing this, Victoria asked softly, "Elara, is there something you want to tell me?"

After a moment of thought, Elara looked at Victoria. "Victoria, you should go upstairs and see. The apartment you used to rent is now occupied by William. He insisted on buying it at a high price."

Victoria was stunned, her face changing color.

William living in that tiny apartment?

"Elara, are you sure he's here?"

Elara sighed. "I'm not certain, but you should check it out."

With mixed emotions, Victoria headed upstairs.

Standing outside her old apartment, Victoria hesitated.

It was in this very room that she learned about Alvin's involvement in William's parents' deaths and that Alvin's imprisonment was his doing.

William had tormented her to get back at Alvin.

That day, Victoria had truly hated him.

But later, William nearly lost his life saving Alvin.

These tangled events left Victoria confused.

She couldn't love him, but she couldn't muster the hate either.

"What are you doing here?" A deep voice startled her.

She turned quickly to see William's almost perfect face. "What are you doing here?"

"Just getting some fresh air," he said, adding, "This is my home now."

In other words, whatever he was doing here, it was perfectly normal.

"And you?" William asked, looking directly into her eyes.

Victoria couldn't bring herself to ask, "Why are you living in my old apartment?"

Feeling awkward, she saw William tilt his head slightly, watching her quietly. Then he smiled and took her arm. "I haven't had dinner yet. Will you join me?"

"Um... Okay."

Victoria felt a pang of regret as soon as she said it.

What was she doing?

She had firmly told Alice she had nothing to do with him, yet here she was, having dinner with him.

But Victoria wasn't one to dwell on such things. Since she was already here, she might as well have dinner with an old friend.

It wasn't a big deal.

With that thought, Victoria felt more at ease.

As she entered, she noticed the apartment looked almost the same as when she lived there.

Even the scattered shoes, paintings, and various decorations were still there.

Seeing the familiar room, Victoria felt a moment of disorientation, as if nothing had changed, yet everything had.

"What are you standing there for? Change your shoes and come in," William called from the living room, holding a bottle of expensive red wine.

Victoria snapped out of it.

Even if the furnishings hadn't changed, the lifestyle certainly had.

She put on the slippers and sat at the dining table.

The table was laden with luxurious foods: lobster, king crab, foie gras, caviar-stuffed snails, and more.

Victoria swallowed and remarked, "The life of the rich is extravagant. Can you eat all this by yourself?"

William glanced at her without answering.

What could he say?

Should he tell her he had hoped she would join him for the holiday?

Though he knew it was unlikely, he had still prepared all this food, holding onto a sliver of hope.

And she had come.

William lowered his eyes, hiding the fleeting joy within.