Chapter 127
The next day, Victoria received a call from Grace saying the car had arrived at the Rose Villa entrance.
"I'm not at Rose Villa. I'm going straight to the hospital," Victoria replied.
"Understood, Mrs. Harrison."
At the hospital, Victoria ran into Gideon, who had just finished his rounds. He greeted her with a smile, "Good morning. How have you been lately?"
Victoria's expression was neutral. "Just average."
Gideon's smile deepened. He said, "I can tell you're not in great shape. Let's go to my office first. I still need to prepare something."
"Okay."
Victoria sat down in the office chair, checking her messages. The last shooting job had just finished, and Diana had already secured the next one.
This time, it was a familiar face, Sophia.
Seven years ago, she had taken some photos of Sophia on a whim. Once they were released, they created a huge buzz. Now that Vika had made a comeback, Sophia was eager to collaborate
again.
It was easier to work with people she knew, so Victoria agreed. The job was to shoot a high–fashion editorial for Sophia, who was working with a luxury brand. They were putting a lot of effort into the promotional photos.
While she was thinking about the details, Gideon interrupted, "I'm ready. Come with me."
Victoria put away her phone and followed Gideon out of the hospital.
In the car, she asked curiously, "Where are we going?"
Gideon smiled, "Hypnosis requires a quiet environment. The hospital is too noisy, and things could go wrong midway."
Victoria nodded calmly. She didn't have strong feelings about the whole thing. After all, she hadn't actually lost her memory. She figured it would just be like taking a nap.
She thought a deep hypnosis might even improve her sleep quality.
The car quickly pulled up to the entrance of a beautiful villa. Gideon said, "This is my home."
Victoria hesitated and asked, "We're doing it at your house?"
"Yes, it's very quiet here. Henry's already arrived, so don't. worry," Gideon smiled faintly.
Victoria wasn't actually afraid. She just felt it was a bit presumptuous to suddenly show up at his house.
She followed him inside. The villa was designed in a modern style, with flower–covered trellises, running water, and a swimming pool and lawn. The three–story building looked. stunning, with rose vines climbing up one of the side walls.
In the living room, Henry was standing by the windows, on the phone.
Hearing the noise, he glanced over but then turned back to continue his conversation in a smooth, deep voice, speaking fluent foreign language.
His tone was calm and soothing, somehow making Victoria's heart race without reason.
She quickly looked away and followed Gideon into another room. The room was warmly decorated, with a reclining bed to one side and a vase of vibrant flowers on the nearby cabinet.
"Lie down and get comfortable first," Gideon instructed.
Victoria nodded and lay down. She suddenly asked, "Is your hypnosis technique reliable? I won't turn into an idiot, will I?"
Gideon maintained his calm smile. "No, you'll just feel like you've had a deep, restful sleep."
That was reassuring.
Just as Victoria was about to close her eyes, the door opened, and Henry walked in.
Immediately, she said, "Tell him to leave. I can't sleep with him here."
Henry's face darkened instantly.
Gideon smiled faintly as he glanced at Henry. He said, "Step outside. If she stays on edge, it'll be hard to hypnotize her successfully."
Henry shot him a displeased glare before turning to leave.
Gideon raised an eyebrow. He thought, "Victoria doesn't want to see him. Why is he glaring at me?"
"Don't be nervous. Treat this place as your own home." Gideon lit an incense, and the air quickly filled with a subtle wood aroma mixed with a hint of something more familiar to her.
Victoria closed her eyes. "I'll try."
Gideon smiled faintly but remained silent, waiting patiently.
As Victoria emptied her thoughts, the incense began to take effect, and her consciousness drifted into a hazy state.
In the haze, she seemed to return to a morning five years ago.
A loud knock on the door jolted her awake, but before she could fully react, a hand gripped her neck.
She opened her eyes and saw Henry's cold, sharp features. He looked at her coldly. "You dared to scheme against me? Are you courting death?"
Victoria was stunned, the suffocating grip on her neck leaving her in a daze. It was only when Sebastian broke down the door that she escaped being strangled.
Her head buzzed, and the blanket was suddenly yanked over her head. Henry said in a frigid voice. "You Hardwicks really know how to scheme."
His words were laced with unabashed mockery.
Everything happened so fast that Victoria didn't have time to figure out what was going on. Within days, the Hardwick and Harrison families had swiftly arranged their marriage.
At that time, the Harrison family's internal power struggle was reaching a boiling point. A scandal at such a moment would have been disastrous. The Hardwick family had exploited this vulnerability, forcing the Harrison family to compromise.
The wedding was simple, attended only by family members from both sides. After the low–key ceremony, they returned to their home.
Victoria wore a wedding dress with delicate makeup. She was a little shy and nervous. Forgetting his coldness, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of anticipation for their future together. He didn't know that she had already fallen in love with him.
Back when she stayed at her grandmother's house, she would secretly watch him, even though he had never noticed her. Even with such a terrible beginning, marrying him had fulfilled one of her deepest wishes.
He stood in front of her coldly and said, "I will never love you. But since I married you, I won't cross any lines. I hope you'll remember this. Our marriage is purely a business arrangement."
His words were cold and distant, radiating an unmistakable sense of detachment. Yet the next second, he had her pinned beneath him on the bed.
On their wedding night, their passion burned fiercely.
Her consciousness continued to sink deeper as if there was no end to it. It felt like reliving her life, watching memories from the past five years unfold.
Half a year into their marriage, she became pregnant. Overjoyed, she shared the news with him, but he remained as cold as ever.
Later, Jude was born, and she seemed to find a new anchor. She watched as Jude grew day by day, learning to call her Mom and tottering toward her with tiny, unsteady steps.
In those moments, she thought it was all worth it. Even if she couldn't earn his love, at least she was his wife. They had a child together. Maybe this could be enough for a lifetime.
But reality crushed her hopes. When Jude turned three, Jennifer took him away without warning.
Victoria tried to stop her and fought against her, but Jennifer's face remained cold, her eyes filled with disdain. "Jude is the Harrison family's eldest grandson," Jennifer said with biting contempt. "A scheming woman like you has no place raising him."