Chapter 186
"Clink"– Henry set the glass down on the table with just enough force to produce a crisp sound.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew heavy, an unspoken tension hanging in the air.
With cold eyes locked on Jayce's impassive expression, Henry sneered, "So, you're set on pursuing my wife, huh?"
Henry's entire demeanor exuded an icy chill, and for a brief moment, a flash of menace flickered in his eyes.
Jayce met his glare without flinching. "As long as she divorces, I have every right to go after her."
Henry's expression twisted, his face a mask of suppressed fury. He couldn't believe it had come to this.
Internally, he seethed, "Jayce did fall for Victoria? When did they even get close?
And now, there's nothing I can do about it. The Caldwell family has business ties with us. My grandpa and Sir Caldwell are old friends. If I make a move, the two of them will object.
Now, we're at an impasse. Jayce and I grew up together; he was always the one trailing behind me. And now? This guy wants to steal my wife?
Heh, Fine! Perfect!"
Henry's gaze turned icy, tinged with a mix of ridicule and disappointment. For a moment, Jayce found it hard to meet his eyes. He frowned slightly, just as if he were about to speak. But before he could, the door to the private room creaked open, and Victoria walked in.
Victoria's gaze swept across the two men seated on the sofa. Seeing that no punches had been thrown, she let out a subtle sigh of relief. She looked at Henry and spoke directly, "Mr. Caldwell targeted Sophia on my behalf. If you want to defend her, then come at me."
Seeing her so quick to defend him, Henry felt his temple throb, and his expression darkened to its limit. He thought irritably, "He wants to pursue her, and now, she's defending him? Heh! So now, I'm the one standing in their way, huh?"
He let out a laugh–not out of amusement, but sheer frustration -and leaned back into the sofa, crossing his legs in an unhurried, arrogant manner. He crooked a finger at Victoria, a silent command. Her brows furrowed slightly, but after a pause, she complied and walked toward him.
The moment she was close enough, Henry grabbed her wrist and pulled her down onto his lap. She froze in shock and instinctively began to struggle.
"If you don't want me to target him, then behave," he murmured lowly into Victoria's ear, his warm breath brushing against her skin. She shuddered, her body going rigid, and eventually stopped resisting.
Henry wrapped an arm around her waist and cast a glance at Jayce, who sat stiffly across from them, his tension plain to see.
The smirk on Henry's lips deepened, but his gaze only grew colder.
"Victoria," he began, his tone casual yet pointed, "Our wedding anniversary is coming up, isn't it? What gift do you want?"
Victoria stared at him, stunned. "He remembered?" she thought incredulously. "Every year for the five years we've been married, I've meticulously planned our anniversaries, hoping for some reaction from him. But all I ever got was his cold disregard.
In the first year, he said it wasn't an important date. In the second year, he was away on a business trip. In the third year, he got drunk at a social event and went straight to bed when he came home. In the fourth..."
Victoria closed her eyes, unwilling to revisit those memories. What had once been a day of hopeful anticipation had become something she no longer looked forward to. She felt that Henry was right all along; it was just an ordinary day with nothing worth celebrating.
As she thought of that, her emotions drained away, and she answered flatly, "What exactly are you doing now?"
Henry tilted his head slightly. "I want to give you a gift. Anniversaries should have some sense of occasion, don't you think? You like that sort of thing, right?"
Victoria sneered and pondered mockingly, "So, he knew all along that I liked a sense of occasion?"
Henry frowned deeply. "What kind of reaction is that?"
Victoria responded coldly, "I don't need it. And I don't want to celebrate any anniversary." As soon as she finished speaking, she felt Henry's grip on her waist tighten. Her back straightened instinctively in response.
But she remained fearless, continuing, "Why should I celebrate the day I was pushed into this frozen, suffocating marriage? Is it just to remind myself how you've treated me over the past five years? What's there to commemorate?"
The pain she felt was unbearable like her heart had been shattered into pieces.
Henry stared at her, momentarily stunned. She was still in his arms, yet her delicate face was cold and distant. The calm, detached look in her eyes reflected the bitterness she had endured, creating a chasm between them as vast as an ocean.
Henry had intended to rile up Jayce, but instead, he found himself the one getting riled up. Showing off a relationship only worked when there was genuine love to show–only then could it make others jealous. But the reality was that there was no love between them.
Henry was overwhelmed with frustration, the composed expression he usually wore nowhere to be seen, replaced once again by a dark and stormy look.
Looking at his expression, Victoria laughed. "If I had to choose a gift, then how about divorce papers?" she said, her voice tinged with sarcasm.
"Victoria!" Henry nearly growled her name, his teeth clenched tightly. A palpable chill emanated from him as his grip on her waist tightened even more.
Right then, Jayce decided to speak up, "She doesn't love you. Don't you hear her? She wants a divorce." With that, he strode over and pulled Victoria out of Henry's grasp.
"Henry, you two are not right for each other. Just let her go," Jayce said, his tone as calm as ever, his face devoid of emotion. But to Henry, his words sounded like pure mockery.
Henry's anger immediately boiled over. He shot to his feet and swung a punch at Jayce. "That's between her and me! Who the hell are you to comment?" As he roared, his eyes burned with fury.
Jayce stumbled back a few steps from the force but quickly regained his balance. When he looked up again, his expression was feral, like a beast provoked into a fight. He then lunged at Henry with equal aggression.
Seeing this, Victoria was stunned. They hadn't fought before, but now, out of nowhere, they were throwing punches. She hurried forward to stop them, shouting, "Stop it! Both of you!"
Clenching her teeth, she threw herself between them. Henry and Jayce froze, their fists halting mid–air. Both men glared at each other like enraged predators, their bodies radiating hostility.
Henry's eyes shifted to her face. When he noticed how pale she looked, he immediately lowered his fist and yanked at his tie, his irritation consuming him entirely. Seeing this, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
But Victoria's relief was short–lived. Her eyes widened in horror as a dull thud echoed in the room, followed by a sharp cry from her. "Jayce, what are you doing?"
Jayce had smashed a bottle over Henry's head. By then, Jayce's delicate yet sharp features twisted with madness, his eyes glinting with a strange, almost euphoric intensity. He even muttered to himself like someone unhinged, "He bullies you, and he won't divorce you. He deserves this."
The way he looked right now was enough to strike fear into anyone, and Victoria was no exception–she was terrified.
Henry was caught off guard by the smashing, his tall frame staggering slightly. But he reacted quickly, turning around and landing a solid kick to Jayce's stomach.
Jayce was sent flying, his body slamming into the wall before collapsing onto the floor, where he lay for a long moment, unable to get up.