Chapter 81
Victoria returned to Starlight Terrace and saw Tina and Emma playing with Lego blocks.
"Ms. Victoria!"
As soon as Emma saw her, she threw the toys aside and ran over, hugging her tightly. "Are you okay? Did that woman give you a hard time?"
Tina also looked at her with concern. "Vika, are you alright?"
"It's Fine".
Tina let out a relieved sigh, patting her chest. "You scared me! I thought we were about to witness some melodramatic scene with a scumbag husband tormenting his wife for the sake of his mistress."
Victoria laughed at her. "You read too many novels, huh?"
Tina blinked innocently. "It's just a little hobby, haha."
Victoria said, "Come on, let's go eat. What do you want to eat?"
Emma excitedly shouted, "Pizza!"
Tina nodded, "I second that!"
"Then it's pizza!"
Victoria made the decision. The three of them went out to a famous pizza restaurant, where they found a spot in the lively dining area.
The rich, savory scent filled the air inside the restaurant and Victoria handed the menu to Tina to order while she took a moment to speak with Diana.
When Diana picked up the phone, she immediately asked, "So much has happened. Do you think this will affect the settlement of the remaining payment?"
Victoria hesitated for a moment. "I don't think so..."
Diana's voice was cold. "Henry doesn't like you, and you've hurt his 'beloved.' He's very likely to withhold the payment."
Victoria fell silent. She thought to herself, if he did that, then he really wasn't a man.
Diana sighed in rare exasperation and said, "For now, don't confront him directly. Don't make things difficult over money."
"Okay." Victoria agreed.
After hanging up, Tina had finished ordering. And Victoria added a few more items before calling the waiter. But as she looked up, she saw a familiar figure standing at the door.
Jayce stood in the doorway, his handsome face devoid of expression. Yet, the beauty mark under his eye added an alluring charm. Even though his eyes showed no emotion, his presence exuded an eerie, almost sinister aura.
He stared at her indifferently.
Victoria waved at him, a simple greeting, and was about to look away, but unexpectedly, he started walking toward her. Then, he sat down beside her.
"Sir, you...?" The waiter froze, unsure of what to do.
Jayce lowered his eyes and remained silent.
She looked at him, silently asking if he wanted to stay.
Jayce didn't respond or leave, so that meant... he was staying.
Tina and Emma sat across from them, their eyes wide with curiosity, watching the interaction.
Victoria smiled politely and asked, "Mr. Caldwell, what a coincidence. Did you need something from me?"
Jayce turned to her with a dark expression and replied, "Didn't you call me over?"
"Well, I..."
Victoria was momentarily stunned. She had just raised her hand to greet him; she hadn't called him over at all!
However, now that Jayce was sitting there, and considering he was one of her major clients, she couldn't exactly say anything.
She quickly flashed a smile and said, "Oh, right, I saw you stand over there alone and thought we could eat together. This is my assistant, Tina. And this is the daughter of my friend, Emma. Mr. Caldwell, I hope you don't mind joining us?"
"Okay." Jayce responded indifferently.
It was evident that he had been resting well recently. He seemed much better than before, with a healthier appearance and a gaze that no longer seemed so lifeless.
"Mr. Caldwell, what would you like to eat?"
Emma blinked her eyes and asked sweetly, her voice soft.
Jayce remained silent. He didn't even glance at Emma.
Emma tilted her head, confused. "Mr. Caldwell, aren't you going to talk?"
Victoria smiled and said, "Mr. Caldwell doesn't like to talk much, Emma. Don't disturb him."
"Okay."
Emma nodded and then started playing a finger game with Tina.
Victoria picked up the tablet, carefully adding a few more items to the order, then turned to Jayce. "What do you think? Will you eat any of these?"
But to her surprise, he kept staring at Emma and Tina's hands.
It wasn't easy to make such a withdrawn person show such a visible emotional reaction. Victoria decided not to disturb him any further.
As the food arrived, Victoria began eating.
Jayce, still indifferent, suddenly asked, "Has he forgiven you?"
"Mm?" Victoria paused mid–bite, puzzled by his question.
"What is he talking about?" she wondered.
But Jayce fell silent again, lowering his eyes. His long lashes cast a shadow over his face, and the beauty mark below his eye gave him an almost hypnotic allure. But at that moment, it only added to the oppressive atmosphere, making it difficult to appreciate his looks.
Communicating with him truly required immense patience.
Victoria tried to think through what he was referring to. Then it hit her he must be talking about the time he took her to apologize to Henry .
She hadn't even remembered it until now!
"Mr. Caldwell," she said earnestly, "I think before you make decisions like that again, you should consult with me first. If I had known the person you wanted me to meet was him, I wouldn't have gone."
"Why?" Jayce looked up at her, confusion written all over his face. "Aren't you two married?"
Victoria pulled her lips into a thin line. "Then think about it. Why would I hide my identity from him?"
Jayce responded coldly, "I don't want to."
Victoria was speechless.