Chapter 13 #2
My eyes burned. My vision blurred. I didn't understand how my life had become this utterly wretched. I bit down hard on the soft tissue inside my cheek, tasting blood.
I struggled not to cry here. I couldn't become more pitiful, more pathetic.
Whatever else, Julian was right. I had used him. I'd drugged him, exploited his trust to infiltrate that manor, and ultimately, to secure protection, I'd actively climbed into his father's bed.
I'd hurt Julian to protect myself. That was an undeniable fact.
I raised my head, looked directly into Julian's bloodshot eyes, and spoke in the most sincere tone I could manage.
"I'm sorry."
Julian froze. The additional vicious words he'd prepared stuck in his throat. He probably expected me to argue, to make excuses. After brief confusion, he released a cold, mocking laugh.
"You think one flimsy apology fixes everything?"
"I know. I'm sorry." I repeated mechanically, voice controlled and steady. "There's no possible justification for what happened. You can stand here and curse me as long as you want tonight. I owe you that."
"No, you don't need to apologize to this piece of trash at all."
A low voice carrying dangerous intent suddenly cut in from behind, interrupting me.
Victor arrived carrying terrifying hostility, forcefully cutting through the surrounding crowd to stand between us.
I hate to say it, but this was the first time I'd ever been so desperate to see a man's face. The instant I saw Victor, the tears I'd been desperately holding back broke free, sliding down my cheeks.
Victor didn't waste words. He simply reached out his large hand, grabbed Julian's hand clamped on my shoulder, and mercilessly twisted it backward.
Accompanied by a crisp sound of grinding bone, Julian screamed in pain. He was forced to release me, clutching his wrist and staggering backward two steps.
Victor pulled me behind him in one motion. His broad shoulders completely blocked Julian's furious gaze and those malicious, probing eyes around us.
"You'd better shut your filthy mouth, Julian." Victor's voice carried bone-chilling cold. "Your ridiculous engagement ended long ago. You're the one who played around with other women like an undisciplined bastard, which led to the broken engagement."
Julian rubbed his swollen wrist, releasing a cold, sarcastic laugh.
"I played around. But at least I wasn't shameless enough to fuck Evelyn's mother!"
That vicious statement made everyone gasp.
My heart contracted violently, sharp pain piercing through my chest. My mother had died years ago in a tragic accident—a wound in my heart that would never heal. Julian knew this perfectly well, yet now he dragged my mother out to humiliate her with the filthiest words.
Victor's expression darkened to an extreme. He swung his solid fist, slamming it into Julian's jaw.
A dull impact sounded. Julian flew backward, crashed hard onto the marble floor, blood immediately seeping from his mouth corner.
"You're an animal with zero bottom line." Victor looked down at him.
Julian wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, scrambling up from the floor in disgrace. He'd completely lost it, pointing at Victor and shouting. "Which one of us is the animal? You slept with my woman! And I'm your own son!"
"She dumped you a long time ago." Victor declared coldly. "You're just too stupid to accept reality."
I was terrified things would escalate further. I immediately reached out and grabbed Victor's sleeve.
"Victor. Please, stop. Let's leave."
Victor turned to look at me. He saw the undried tear tracks on my face and my pale complexion, a flash of obvious heartache in his eyes. He grasped my wrist in return, preparing to lead me through the crowd away from this toxic place.
The moment we turned, Julian roared from behind and charged recklessly at us.
He hadn't taken two steps before Victor's personal bodyguard Luca and several other men in black swiftly moved forward, cleanly knocked Julian to the ground, and pinned down his shoulders and arms.
"Please, let's go, Victor." I urgently pulled his hand, wanting only to escape these terrible stares as quickly as possible.
But Victor stopped. He didn't follow my pull toward the exit.
Instead, he forcefully pulled me into his arms. I was completely confused.
The surrounding murmurs grew louder. Extreme humiliation nearly made me cry again.
I didn't understand why he wasn't taking me away, why he was letting everyone continue watching this joke.
Victor raised his head, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room, and spoke in a raised voice.
"Evelyn never seduced me. From beginning to end, it was all me, Victor, acting unilaterally out of lust. I was the one who coveted her. Once I set my sights on her, I never planned to let go. I was the one who used every despicable method to force her to stay by my side."
I stared in shock, snapping my head up to look at this man who'd just taken all the blame for me.
Victor was looking at me, too. Then, ignoring the gasps around us, he bent down without hesitation and, in front of everyone watching, kissed my lips dominantly.