Chapter 95
Victoria froze for a moment, gazing at Emma's sweet, innocent face. Her words struck a chord deep within her.
"Is this the kind of emotional support a child gives their mother?" she wondered.
At that moment, she truly envied Evie for having such a little angel.
The thought of Jude and the past five years....
Victoria just gave a bitter, twisted smile and changed the subject. "How about we go put these two flowers in some water?"
"Okay!" Emma agreed.
They returned to the living room, where a maid had prepared the necessary tools.
As Victoria trimmed the stems, she said, "Have the rose bushes in the garden dug up."
"But..." the maid hesitated.
"What is it?" Victoria asked, giving her a puzzled look.
"Mr. Harrison won't allow it," the maid replied.
Victoria paused, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. Roses were delicate flowers; without careful tending, they would die.
"Fine," she said with a sigh, dismissing the thought.
It was Rose Villa, his house. He could do whatever he wanted with it.
And she wouldn't be staying anyway.
Later, Victoria prepared a lavish spread, and the two little ones sat with her in the dining room. She served Emma food, her eyes filled with tenderness.
Watching this scene, Jude gripped his fork tightly but remained silent.
After the meal, he approached Emma. "I need to talk to you."
Emma, who was watching the small fish in the fish tank, turned her head and glanced at him. "About what?"
"Come with me."
Jude turned and walked outside.
Emma followed him. The two kids arrived at the garden, some distance from the villa, where no one else followed.
Jude turned to look at her, only to find her eyes full of vigilance. He said, "Why did you lie?"
"Humph, that's because you're Ms. Victoria's son. I do not want Ms. Victoria to be sad. If you were some random kid, I wouldn't have let you off the hook," Emma crossed her arms and snorted.
Jude's small face was stern. "Even if you didn't tell her the truth, I won't thank you. I still don't welcome you here."
"Well, that's not up to you," Emma said nonchalantly. "You're Jude, right? How about we have a fair competition?"
"What do you mean?" Jude asked.
Emma's eyes flickered. "Let's see who can win over Ms. Victoria's heart more. If you win, I'll leave immediately. If I win, I get to call the shots from now on. How about it?"
Jude replied, "My mom already loves me. I won't compete with you."
"Really?" Emma looked at him intently. "Does Ms. Victoria really still love you?"
Meeting Emma's large eyes, Jude started to lose his confidence.
He clenched his fists, and Victoria's recent behavior towards him flashed through his mind.
She was growing colder and colder, more and more dismissive...
She didn't even help him up when he fell.
She really didn't like him anymore.
It was the truth, but he just refused to admit it.
"So," Emma said, "wanna compete with me?"
Jude lifted his gaze to meet hers, his eyes firm. "I'll definitely win," he declared. "I'll definitely drive you away!"
With that, he turned and left.
"Humph!" Emma snorted, watching his retreating figure.
As dusk settled, Henry stepped into the villa and spotted Victoria immediately. She was sprawled on the sofa, completely engrossed in some reality TV show, looking comfy and carefree.
It was a far cry from her usual polished appearance, yet somehow, her presence seemed to brighten the entire villa.
His ordinarily stern expression softened. He shrugged off his coat and walked straight towards her, leaning in for a kiss.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"
Victoria yelped, startled, and jumped to her feet.
She was suddenly taller than him, clutching a throw pillow like a shield against a would–be attacker.
Henry stared at her, his usually playful eyes now dark and unreadable. He had actually...lost control for a moment there.
It wasn't as if this had never happened before.
There were times when he'd come home after a long day at work, and he'd find her arranging flowers in short nice dress, showed off her long legs, her hair pulled back in ponytails, loose strands framing her face.
The soft light would cast a warm glow around her, making her seem ethereal.
In those moments, his heart would skip a beat, and he'd follow his instincts, walking over to her, turning her around, and pressing her against the table for a kiss.
She'd be surprised at first, but she'd quickly melt into his arms, her dark, clear eyes sparkling with delight. And then sometimes he would carry her straight to the bedroom to get intimate.
But now, all Henry saw was guardedness.
Henry loosened his tie with a tug, his gaze steady on her. "You used to love it when I did this."
Victoria's breath hitched. She quickly suppressed her feeling, shaking her head with a wary look. "I don't remember. You know, the way you came at me just now, trying to kiss me... it made me want to call the cops."
So he knew she liked him? Was that why he felt free to hurt her so recklessly because he had her feelings and affections in the palm of his hand?
A flood of memories rushed into her mind.
He would come home from work, or when he was relaxing at home while she was busy with her things, he would suddenly come over, kiss her, get intimate with her whenever he wanted.
At those moments, she had been ordinarily overjoyed. She believed that he actually had feeling for her.
But now she understood that she seemly was just a toy for him to be satisfied his needs.
Thinking back on those moments of excitement and joy, she now felt they were undeserved.
In the space of a few breaths, she gathered her emotions and inched away.
Unexpectedly, Henry suddenly stepped forward, scooped her up in his arms, and strode towards the stairs.
Victoria let out a cry of surprise. "Hey, what are you doing? Put me down!"
She looked around nervously, afraid that Jude and Emma would see them. That would be so awkward!
Fortunately, both children were not around.
She grabbed his collar. "Henry, it's still daytime!"
Henry glanced down at her. "So you mean, tonight's fine?"
Victoria choked, then retorted, "You can go find someone else! There are plenty of women who like you. I'm sure tons of them would be happy to play with you!"
His face hardened the moment she finished her sentence. He had already carried her into the bedroom and tossed her onto the bed.
She rolled over and tried to crawl away, but her ankle was suddenly seized, and she was yanked back. He flipped her over, his eyes icy.
"Why would I pay for it when I have it for free, legally, right here?"