After breaking Ricky's nose, they had called it a night—well, Victor and Victoria did. The other two conscious people (the power siblings Rex and Regina) were throwing a fit. Rex, especially, started to threaten them heatedly.
Disregarding all, Victoria darted out of the house, following Victor. Surprisingly, he still held her hand securely.
This side of him—this protective side of him was entirely new to her. Sure, she had seen glimpses and heard how he cared about the people around him. Now, she was witnessing it, feeling the warmth and depth of his formidable safekeeping directing toward and surrounding her for the first time.
Inside the car, her eyes filled up with tears—not from pain. It was because no one had ever stood up for her against Rex Davies. Since the moment Victor started to stand for her, she realized she was suddenly being able to relax. Suddenly, it was okay for her not to be prepared for yet another fist giving her another bruise or getting into a brawl to save herself from being dominated.
Without her even asking, she had someone who stood in front of her like a shield.
"Hey," Victor's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Why are you crying? Did that prick you call a father grip your arm that hard? Come on, show me. Gosh, at this rate, your whole body will be a bandage." His agitation escalated over the passing seconds.
Indeed, tears streamed down her cheeks, she realized and hurried to wipe them with the palms of her hands. "It's not hurting, truly," She shook her head frantically when Victor started to check her arm for injuries.
Wiping her face clean, she closed her eyes and bent her head.
Victor was quiet for a long couple of minutes before he called her name indulgently, "Victoria. Look up." But she did not move. "Look up at me, please."
A second passed, and then she looked up. Although she had wiped her tears, her eyes hadn't dried yet.
"If you're not hurting, then why are you crying?" Victor coaxed.
"It's nothing," Victoria said, sniffing. Feeling his stare unwavering, she sneaked a look up at his face and found disbelief written all over his expression. "No one had ever dared to save me like you did, knowing they would have to face the all-powerful Rex Davies to do so," she shrugged weakly, and she couldn't help but whimper—breaking into tears again.
A look of turmoil crossed Victor's face.
He had already slipped close to her while checking her arm for any injuries. That's why he didn't have to cross a great distance to engulf her in a hug. Just angling his body, he covered her with an arm and dragged her willing body into his soothing embrace.
"It's been me all alone all these years," she said, sniffling into his shirt. "Even when I had to sit in front of the scrutinizing eyes of the psychiatrist, I was still alone," she chuckled sardonically. "After all, that damned psychiatrist was under my father's dominance, too. His money can buy anything; the fear he produces can overpower anyone—"
"Not me," was Victor's instant reply. "Not from tonight, that is. You'll never be alone, Victoria."
But what if someone's fated to be alone in the end, no matter what.
Her tears had originated a large wet spot on his shirt. Her cheek felt cold as she rubbed on that spot. For some time, he ran a hand up and down at the back of his head. It calmed her mind magically.
Like the night of the wedding, she nodded off in the car at some point during their journey back home.
Home.
She was beginning to call it home.
"That's right. I want maximum security for my mother and sister. Yours is not just a random security company, Neil. It's because Kate always highly recommends you that I've faith in you to provide my family proper protection."
Victor's serious tone as he talked on the phone with this Neil guy made Victoria slowly stir awake. Unlike the night of their wedding, Victor walked around the car and opened the door for her upon realizing she was awake.
Neil! Ah.
As sleep dropped from her eyes and she brainstormed, gradually, she recalled meeting him one time in the past. Of course, Kate was the reason for their meeting, but that was a long story.
On their journey up to the apartment, Victor explained how he was hiring a couple of bodyguards for his mother and sister and setting up a high-tech security system for his family home. He was surprised to know Victoria had already met Neil in the past.
"Do you believe Kate so much," Victoria asked, "to make decisions regarding your family's security according to her preferences?"
One of his eyebrows rose. He nodded. "I can trust her with my eyes close. She is an extraordinary person and my best friend, you can say."
Something nasty began from that moment deep within Victoria's heart. A gloomy feeling roused and continued to give her discomfort like they were needles underneath her skin.
--
The next day, after the first shoot of an advertisement for a leading car manufacturing company, Victoria returned to the office to get done with her remaining hours at work. It was good that she didn't have to do much except for sorting out the reports of her jobs done in the past week.
The afternoon sun had begun to dim its glare, preparing to rest for the night.
Orland came up to Victoria's cubicle with a friendly smile. "You look better than the past couple of days, Victoria."
"Well, thanks," Victoria looked up from her laptop.
"Try not to get injured anymore, alright?"
Victoria smiled back at him and kidded, "I don't go to injuries, Orland. Injuries come to me."
Orland raised a brow and smirked. "Why don't you start doing overtime in the scriptwriting department?"
From another cubicle, Antelmo protested, yelling, "Are you guys planning to lay me off?!"
"Don't worry, Ante," she laughed and said, craning up her neck, "I will die from exhaustion if I do so many jobs at once. So, you're safe."
"Hey, listen," Orland said, resting his hip at the side of her desk. "I'm heading over to the event at your husband's—"
"My husband!" Victoria sat straight in shock.
Orland gave her a look. Antelmo peeked up from the partition surrounding his cubicle.
And after a second, while looking back and forth at both of them, it clicked into her mind. Ah, yes, she was married now! Of course, she had a husband.
She just forgot it. How embarrassing!
"Ah," she broke out in a laugh to pretend it was a joke. "I just got married but don't quite feel like it yet." It was true, by the way. She and Victor didn't have a usual married relationship, although they were beginning to form some kind of a rapport—an understanding.
"Right," Orland frowned, but then he smiled. "So, would you like to accompany me there? You can complete these reports tomorrow," he said, glancing at her laptop screen. "Let's go and observe how it's going down and how Natsuko, Ben, and Julie are working as a team. "
Victoria fixed the scarf around her neck where the bruise had considerably lightened, and the swelling had gone down. She shrugged and agreed, closing her laptop. After a day of shooting in the sun outdoors, she was finding it hard to concentrate on the boring task of making reports. It was making her want to nod off on the keyboard.
However, if she was truthful, she just wanted to see Victor. She wanted to revel in the truce they had ultimately formed that made their living under the same roof less gloomy and more relaxing. Moreover, the idea of discerning more of the friendly rapport forming between them felt quite addictive.
Since her Drago was still in the garage, she reached the Wishing Star in Orland's sports car. It was damn expensive, and the speed and wild purr of its engine excited her.
The event was a hit.
Both of them looked eagerly around the moment they stepped foot into the merry ambiance of the store.
Visitors and customers wandered about happily—some just checking out the new autumn collection, and some buying them. In the end, however, both parties flocked around the photo booth. Everyone waited for their turns to get behind the dreamy autumn-themed square frame. An ongoing photo competition there was the core of the event where people had to perform creative poses, post them on their social media, and tag the store to be judged. The best three photos would get attractive prizes from the Wishing Star in the form of products or gift bonds. It was both fun and competitive, and by the looks of it, everyone present loved it.
For this event, they outsourced a couple of photographers. Victoria was the best option at hand, but Orland needed her at the shooting of the car company advertisement as that was a more complex job, requiring a well-experienced one to do it efficiently—wasting less time, money, and labor.
Ben stood by the photo booth, looking more like a security guard making sure everyone got their turn. Julie was near him, being friendly with everyone and making sure that no problematic situations would turn up.
After diving into the bustle, they located Victor in the crowd. He talked to Natsuko, the creative head of Chimera, in a serious manner and did not notice them until Orland greeted him. Victor greeted him back cordially.
When his eyes turned to look at her as she stood beside Orland, her face warmed for some weird reason. And she noticed that his gaze lingered on her for a prolonged period.
Or was she being delusional? She did not know.
A couple of minutes of initial talk later, Orland concentrated on Natsuko, giving him a brief review of the day, the customers' demeanor, and their satisfaction level regarding the event.
With both of his hands shoved inside his pants pockets, Victor slid close to Victoria's side. "You look sunburnt," he commented, giving a glance around her face.
A little taken aback, she tucked a rowdy strand of her hair behind her ear as she wasn't really expecting him to be so straightforward about her rough looks after a day of hard work. Now, touching her hair, she realized it felt too dry and damaged. She looked at the tidy people around and discreetly glanced down at herself. Damn, she had on a pair of shorts and a baggy checked shirt with all buttons open on top of a grey camisole. And not to mention that sweat from the heat of the sun and dust and dirt from uncaringly sitting and lying on the ground to find a proper angle or perfect shot decorated parts of her attire and skin.
On the contrary, in his regular attire—suit-pants (chocolate brown today), Victor looked professional and impeccable.
She smiled awkwardly, fidgeting with the edge of her shirt. Clearing her throat, she reasoned, "Ah — what can I say? It was a sunny day, and my job sometimes makes me look like a disaster."
He stared at her. "I did not mean that. I—"
"Vicks boy!" Suddenly, Ellie's jovial voice advanced them at the same speed as she did, out of nowhere—almost as though she was a bolt of lightning. She was doing on a cute short yellow dress and had on a matching flower crown on his head with little yellow and pink flowers on it. "Ah hun, Vicks girl is also here!" throwing her arms around Victoria and giving her a short but tight hug, and then letting her go, she hooked an arm at the crook of Victor's elbow. "Now, it's time for the boss baby to click his photo. Come on, Vicks boy!"
Victoria couldn't help but chuckle at Victor's awkward face as he was dragged away by an energetic and overly excited Ellie. She chuckled some more, seeing Victor awkwardly posing for the camera. Standing behind the square frame, it seemed he was more confused about where to put his hands. He was fumbling back and forth between his pockets, jaw, and at his sides.
Ben got angry, "Why don't you put them inside your mouth!"
When Victor and a few people turned to see who it was, Ben suddenly changed his look to an absolutely cheerful person and loudly suggested to Ellie, "Putting one of them over someone's shoulder might be the solution."
Ellie, who was laughing her ass off seeing Victor's condition, seemed to like the solution. Her eyes sparkled and she shrieked like she could add more to the idea. "That's right. I agree," she hollered then, "Call the one you find the most special here, Vicks!" And she gestured at the crowd of people who were enjoying this all way too much.
"Ellie—" Victor attempted to warn Ellie in a low voice.
But of course, Ellie wouldn't be here, would she?
With a mischievous smile, Ellie glanced at Victoria. She even winked at her.
In fact, so many others were now giving Victoria excited looks.
Orland whispered in her ear, "Get ready to have some nice couple photos taken."
While Ellie kept motivating Victor with a huge grin, his concentration diverted toward the entrance of someone.
It was Kate in a simple but beautiful tan high-waisted skirt and a white crop top. Her hair had grown a little, and she had a small clip tucked above her one ear to gather some of them in a cute and fashionable way. The most amazing thing was the smile on her face and her soft eyes that radiated the goodness of her soul.
In short, she looked the exact opposite of Victoria's messy appearance today.
After an enthusiastic overview of the store from the entrance, Kate walked in with a pleased expression. And when she moved it became clear that there was another person accompanying her.
A tall guy—Victoria noticed, went everywhere Kate went. After further observation, she recognized it was none other than Neil—Kate's best friend and the owner of a security company.
Victoria had met this guy long before during this one time Kate played a model for an advertisement.
"Katie—"
Victor calling Kate, turned Victoria's attention back to him. While Kate shook her head, refusing to go up there behind the frame. Nevertheless, Victor was persistent. Kate had to give in. With Neil's motivation (the whispering in her year by him looked like it), she joined Victor in front of the cameras.
Just like that—instantly, Victoria's smile wavered.
Discreetly she glanced around and found many giving her looks filled with sympathy and shock. Most of these people, apparently, knew that she was his wife—thanks to the advertisement where they acted together and the media coverage of their sudden wedding after the party scandal.
They were a popular couple.
Nevertheless, now they would be under public scrutiny because of Victor chose Kate in this event.
Even Ellie was giving Victoria a sympathetic—apologetic look.
Her heart lurched. Humiliation weighed heavy on her shoulders.
He chose Kate.
Perhaps, he had chosen Kate since forever.
It was she who had come between them.
From afar, near the photo booth, she saw Neil staring at her. A few feet away from him, Victor had his one arm thrown around Kate, holding her close. He suddenly pulled at Kate's cheek, taking her by surprise. Kate shrieked and laughed.
The photographer looked over the moon because of getting some nice shots
Victoria noticed that Victor did not look awkward anymore. It seemed Kate's presence had changed everything.
It felt too cramped inside the store suddenly. And although she never had a phobia related to human stares, the crowd, their stares, and whispers were beginning to suffocate her.
So, she started to take steps in reverse—inching away from him and this crowd and their speculations.
At that moment, she didn't want anything more than to get out of there.
She needed to breathe.
Turning around, she hurried out of the crowd, and while she had almost reached the exit, someone held her wrist and stopped her. She turned around to see it was Orland. For a moment, she thought he would be throwing awkward questions at her, like why she was leaving, why Victor didn't choose her, or if there were any problems between them, bla bla...
However, thankfully, Orland turned out to be a sensible man.
"Let me drive you home," was what he offered.
And she gladly accepted it—nodding softly.
~
Word count: 2716
~
A/N:
Hello everyone,
So, did you enjoy reading this chapter?
Something's burning, isn't it? But this burning is necessary to cause some movements to a certain direction - positive or negative, that we will see.
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Thanks to all those incredible people who've been supporting this story. Each one of your votes and comments matters so much to me. You people motivate me to no end. So, please, keep them coming!
Love,
Lara.