NovelEnglish
Chapter 31
Vincent said, “You’ve survived two years in prison, haven’t you? Just hang in there for a little longer,
okay?”
Victoria licked her dry lips, not answering him.
“Do you not believe me?” Vincent raised a hand. “I swear, if I don’t keep my word, I’ll get run over by a
car when I go out, and get struck by lightning on rainy days. I will not die a proper death!”
Victoria grabbed his raised hand. “Vincent, don’t say that…”
“Then promise me that you won’t seek death anymore, alright?” Vincent said anxiously,”You managed
to survive such a harrowing time in prison, and your current situation must be better than being in
prison, right? In that case, just—”
“No, it’s not better at all.” With her voice hoarse, Victoria interrupted and said, “Vincent, do you know
how it feels like to be called a murderer everywhere you go?”
She took a deep breath and said shakily, “Do you know how embarrassing it is to kneel on the ground
while apologizing to others? Do you know… How terrible I felt when Dad ran away at the sight of me?”
In prison, she kept telling herself that everything would be better when she was released.
However, when the time came, she realized how cruel reality was.
“Vincent, just pretend you never had a sister. Just let me leave in peace, alright?” Victoria tried to smile.
“I will try my best so that it looks like a pure accident. I won’t let Christian get any excuses to turn his
wrath on the Coleman…”
Family.
“You’re great at planning things, huh?”
Just then, the door to the ward opened with a click, allowing Christian to walk in with a half-smile.
His usually perfect suit was a little messy, and there was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, perhaps
because of the higher temperature in the ward or something else.
Victoria’s face instantly turned pale. She was terrified and panicking at that moment.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtWhy is he here?
“You want to make it like a pure accident to deceive me?” Christian walked over to the bed, one step
after the other. He stared at her intensely with his dark eyes. “Do you think you’re that amazing, or do I
look like an idiot to you?”
Vincent straightened his back, stood up, and shielded Victoria behind him. “Christian, you’d better
watch yourself! Bella’s legs are precious to you, but what about Tori’s? You broke her legs, and she
was sent to prison as well. What else do you want?”
“You have quite the temper, Mr. Coleman.” Christian cocked his head to the side as he looked at
Vincent, speaking calmly.
Vincent braced himself and was about to say more when Victoria tugged at his sleeve, shaking her
head at him.
He frowned, then moved aside in annoyance.
“Mr. Thatcher.” Victoria sat up, then raised her head to look at Christian. “You and Miss Spritz hate me
so much, so I’ll pay for the crimes I committed two years ago with my life. Is that alright with you?”
Her face was very pale, and her work clothes loosely covered her body. She looked unusually thin and
weak.
Christian looked down at her. Her eyes were calm like a stagnant puddle, which was a stark contrast to
the mania and adoration they used to hold two years ago.
His thin lips pursed into a line as he grew a little annoyed for some reason. “Death is too easy for you.”
“So my life isn’t even worth one leg of Miss Spritz’s…” Victoria tried to smile, but she couldn’t pull it off
at all. She only felt pathetic. “I see.”
“Thatcher, quit the bullying!” Vincent clenched his fists, his eyes turning bloodshot.
Christian smoothed the wrinkles on his suit, saying casually, “Mr. Coleman, you should be thanking me.
If not for me, Victoria might not even choose to keep living.”
Vincent’s rage was almost uncontrollable as he raised his fist, swinging it toward Christian’s face.
“Vincent!” Victoria removed the needle and stood barefoot on the floor, shielding Christian behind her.
Their family couldn’t afford to mess with Christian, after all.
Vincent’s fist hung mid-air, his eyes a glaring red as he seethed through gritted teeth. “Move, Tori!” he
yelled.
“It’s getting late; Teresa and the children must be waiting for you. You should go home.” Victoria’s eyes
were filled with pleading. Vincent was the only person alive who was good to her, and she couldn’t drag
him down because of her.
Vincent retracted his fist, suppressing the tears in his eyes as he glared at Christian. “Never forget this,
Thatcher. If anything happens to my sister, I’ll make you pay even if it costs me my life—”
“Vincent, please go home.” Victoria tugged at his shirt, interrupting him. “Be careful of the injury on your
head. If you feel anything wrong, come to the hospital as soon as possible.”
Vincent looked at her with his reddened eyes. He wanted to say something, but he felt as if something
had lodged within his throat. He couldn’t utter a single word.
A moment later, he took out a card and forced it in her hands. He glared at Christian at the side, then
turned around and left.
Victoria looked down at the card in her hands. It was still the same card from last time. She sighed
silently, then stuffed it in the pocket of her work clothes.
As long as she didn’t touch the money in the card, her parents probably wouldn’t know.
“I’m sorry.” She bowed deeply toward Christian and said in exhaustion, “I apologize on my brother’s
behalf for what happened just now. Please forgive him.”
“I see that you siblings are on good terms with each other,” Christian said, his motives unfathomable.
Victoria pursed her lips, then kneeled on the floor. “I’m really sorry. Please forgive him.”
“I’m not some emperor who likes seeing people kneel in front of me.” Christian looked down at her, a
slight frown on his brows. “Get up.”
The bruise on Victoria’s knees hadn’t healed, and her stomach was also hurting excruciatingly. She
supported herself with both hands on the floor as she got up with great difficulty.
“Why the infusion?” Christian looked sideways at the drip bottle.
The smell of alcohol hadn’t departed from her mouth, and it made Victoria want to retch. She
suppressed the raging emotions within her, but when she spoke, there was still an unmistakable
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bitterness in her voice. “I drank too much alcohol, and it triggered my stomach problem.”
Christian’s jet black eyes gazed at her for a few seconds. Then, he averted his gaze and scoffed
nonchalantly.
Victoria didn’t know what she was expecting. She knew she shouldn’t expect him to feel remorse
because of this, but when she heard him scoff, she still couldn’t help but be disappointed.
It turned out that her status in his heart was even lower than she had imagined… She had
overestimated herself.
Knock knock!xo.com fast update
Someone knocked on the door just then, and without waiting for a response from within the ward, they
opened the door and strode right in.
Bella sat in a wheelchair, donning a white dress. A perfect smile hung on her face, and when she saw
that Christian was here too, surprise and jealousy flashed across her eyes, but she quickly composed
herself.
She wheeled herself next to him while saying shyly, “You still remember that I have a rehabilitation
appointment today, Chris. Given how busy you are, I thought you’d have forgotten.”
Victoria lowered her head. She gripped her clothes with her hands which had been hanging limply at
either side of her body. She felt the chill from the floor traveling up from her feet to her heart, turning
everything cold.
No wonder Christian would come to the hospital; it was because Bella had a rehabilitation session
here.
“How is your leg?” Christian swept a glance at Bella’s leg which was exposed to the cold weather. A
mocking look flashed across his eyes.
“The doctor said that no matter how well it heals, it can never return to what it used to be.” Bella smiled
bitterly. Then, she said in a low voice, “It’s alright, though. Even if I can’t dance for the rest of my life, I
won’t blame Victoria.”
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