Chapter 4

"Five million dollars." Hearing that number, Victoria froze in place.

The next second, she suddenly laughed.

Five million dollars, to buy Cleo's belongings, to buy what little dignity Victoria had left.

How ironic. Aiden wanted to grind her into the dirt, and at her most miserable moment, it was this man she'd never met who threw her a lifeline.

Victoria looked at Edward with reddened eyes, her body trembling uncontrollably. "Is Mr. Windsor giving me charity?"

Edward's brow furrowed slightly, seeming displeased by her reaction. "If that's what you think, then sure."

"I won't accept it!"

Victoria bit down hard on her teeth, tears swirling in her eyes but stubbornly refusing to fall. "This sapphire's market value is only two million dollars. Mr. Windsor is offering too much."

"The extra three million is from me to you." Edward's tone was cold, not even bothering to look at her. "Take it to treat your daughter."

For her.

Victoria felt like her heart had been punched hard, a dull pain spreading through her chest.

She might be down on her luck, she might be broken, but she wasn't so pathetic that she needed to live off charity!

"I don't need it."

Victoria took a deep breath, forcing down the bitterness in her throat, and pulled out her phone with her trembling left hand to find her bank account number. "Two million dollars. Not a cent more."

Edward looked at her with some surprise.

Victoria was clearly a mess, looking like she'd collapse at the slightest breeze, yet her eyes shone remarkably bright, hiding a fierce determination to never surrender.

Interesting.

Edward didn't insist further, signaling Chase to transfer the money.

"Two million dollars. Deal done."

Receiving the payment notification, Victoria clutched her phone tightly.

Then she bowed deeply to Edward. "Thank you."

She took one last long look at the sapphire on the counter—Cleo's final keepsake, now also gone.

"Mr. Windsor." Before leaving, Victoria suddenly stopped, her back to Edward, her voice hoarse. "Please keep this gemstone for me. One day, I'll buy it back myself!"

With that, she left without looking back.

Edward stood there, his eyes dark and unreadable.

'Buy it back?'

In her current state?

"Mr. Windsor, this Ms. Spencer..." Chase hesitated beside him.

"Look into it."

Edward withdrew his gaze, a trace of inexplicable irritation flashing in his eyes. "Find out what's happened to the Spencer family these past few years."

Victoria rushed back to the hospital with the money, her heart racing with anxiety.

At the payment window, her hands shook so badly she could barely hold the card. Only when she saw the payment go through did she feel completely drained, sliding down the wall.

"Yara..." She murmured, scrambling toward the emergency room.

The light was off.

The doctor wheeled out a hospital bed. Yara's tiny body was buried in white sheets, tubes in her nose, her face almost transparent white.

"Doctor! How's my daughter?" Victoria rushed forward, tears instantly breaking free.

"The patient's condition has stabilized for now. She's been moved to the ICU for observation." The doctor removed his mask. "Ms. Spencer, you need to prepare yourself mentally. We must find a matching kidney for transplant as soon as possible, or the child's bodily functions will deteriorate rapidly."

As soon as possible.

She pressed against the ICU window, hungrily watching Yara sleeping inside.

It was all her fault.

She had misjudged people, invited a wolf into her home, which led to the Spencer family's bankruptcy and caused Yara to suffer with her!

Aiden... Bianca...

Victoria bit her lip hard.

What you owed me, what you owed Yara, I would collect every bit of it back!

Even if it meant going to hell, I would drag you both down with me!

She stayed at the hospital all night. Only when visiting hours ended and the nurse came to urge her did Victoria walk out of the hospital entrance like a walking corpse.

The rain was still falling outside.

She stood on the street, watching the traffic flow by, suddenly realizing she had nowhere to go.

Aiden had taken the house, her bank accounts were frozen, and all her remaining money had gone to the hospital.

In all of Emerald City, there was no place for her.

Victoria stood in the rain for a long time before finally dialing a number with trembling hands.

It was Veda Williams's number.

Years ago, when she insisted on marrying Aiden, Veda had strongly objected. They'd had a huge fight and even cut ties.

That break had lasted four full years.

The phone rang for a long time. With each ring, Victoria's heart rose higher.

Just as she was about to hang up, thinking no one would answer, someone picked up.

"Hello?" A familiar yet strange voice came through, sounding like she'd just woken up.

Victoria opened her mouth, but tears fell first. "Veda..."

The other end went silent for two seconds.

Then Veda's shocked voice exploded through the phone. "Victoria? Is that you, Victoria? What's wrong? Where are you? Why are you crying?"

A string of questions, filled with undisguised urgency.

Victoria covered her mouth, her whole body shaking with sobs. "Veda, I have nowhere to go. I want Yara to live, but it's so hard, it's really so hard."

"Where are you! Send me your location! Stay right there, I'm coming to get you right now! Anyone who dares bully you, I'll destroy them!"

Half an hour later.

Veda screeched her red sports car to a stop by the roadside, not even bothering with an umbrella as she rushed out and threw her arms around the soaking wet Victoria.

"You idiot! You big idiot!"

Veda cursed while crying. "Where the hell have you been these past years? You got hurt and didn't know how to come back to me? When we said we'd cut ties, you really never contacted me again? Victoria, how can your heart be so cold!"

Victoria leaned into Veda's embrace. All the grievances and suffering of these years finally found an outlet in this moment.

She cried out loud, heartbroken.

Veda stuffed her into the car and drove like a maniac back to her apartment.

After Victoria showered and changed into clean clothes, Veda saw the scar on her wrist and tears immediately streamed down her face.

"That bastard did this?"

Veda held Victoria's hand carefully, not daring to touch it. "Your hand is for holding a paintbrush! You're Q! How dare that animal Aiden do this!"

Victoria pulled her hand back, her expression surprisingly calm. "It's all in the past."

"It's not in the past!" Veda trembled with rage, grabbing a pillow and throwing it hard on the floor. "Aiden, that guy who climbed up by using women—if it wasn't for you back then, would he be where he is today? Now that he's successful, he kicks you and the child aside, teams up with Bianca to force you out with nothing? And doesn't even care if his own daughter lives or dies?"

"That scum should go to hell!"

"No, I can't swallow this!" Veda jumped up. "I'm going to find someone to chop him up right now!"