Chapter 107
After their bath, the two of them lay in bed, with Victoria holding a storybook and reading it to Emma.
Emma awkwardly tugged at her hair.
"What is wrong?" Victoria asked, puzzled.
Emma sighed, "Ms. Victoria, last night, after I had fallen asleep, Jude barged into my room."
Victoria's expression soured. "Did he bother you?"
Emma replied, "He woke me up and insisted I read him bedtime stories. He is so irritating!"
Victoria frowned. She thought, "Is this really something Jude would do? The more I try to understand him and Henry, the less I seem to get it."
Emma continued, "I was so tired, I did not feel like reading him a story, so I just sent him a recording of you reading one. Then he left."
She rolled over, gazing at Victoria. "Ms. Victoria, do you think he will keep listening to the recording until he falls asleep?"
Victoria felt a bit conflicted. Sarah had texted her last night to boast, and Emma told her that Jude had dozed off while listening to a recording yesterday.
She thought, "It is all too complicated."
She really did not want to dwell on it any longer, and she certainly did not want to look back.
Emma suddenly called out to her. "Ms. Victoria."
"Hmm?"
Victoria snapped back to attention and turned to face her.
Emma spoke softly but her words left Victoria speechless. "It seems Jude is seeking your forgiveness and want you to love him. Will you forgive him?"
The room fell silent.
After a brief pause, Victoria gently pinched her cheek. "Do you still want me to read you a bedtime story?"
"Yes."
Emma nodded right away, rolling over and settling down beside her.
Victoria's gentle voice began weaving a beautiful fairy tale, and before long, Emma was fast asleep.
She shut the storybook and stared into space, her mind empty as she tried to come up with an answer.
The lights flickered out, plunging the room into complete darkness.
The night grew darker.
Victoria sensed something was off in her sleep. Groggily, she opened her eyes and realized she was being carried.
Startled, she blinked her eyes open wider and saw the sharp silhouette of a man in the dim light.
"Henry!"
"Put me down!" she hissed.
Seeing that she was awake, Henry did not loosen his hold. Instead, he tightened his grip to stop her from struggling and carried her out of Emma's room.
The hallway lights were brighter, and Victoria squinted. "Are you crazy?"
She thought, "I was sleeping so peacefully, and now he is just carrying me away?"
She started to struggle right away. "Let me go!"
Henry replied sternly, "Struggle as much as you like, but if anything goes wrong, it is not my fault."
Victoria quickly silenced her words.
In the master bedroom, he tossed her onto the bed. She quickly tried to escape, but he seized her ankle and yanked her back. Climbing onto the bed, he pinned her down tightly.
"Stay still."
His powerful arm held her tightly while his breath felt warm across her shoulder.
Victoria was furious.
"What are you doing? Cannot sleep unless I am here?"
"Yes," Henry answered bluntly.
Victoria let a cold laugh. "So, before we met, you never slept at all?"
His voice was deep. "I used to depend on medication to sleep, but since marrying you, I no longer need it."
Victoria fluttered her lashes and said, "Is that why you refuse to divorce?"
The arm around her tightened, making it hard for her to breathe. Victoria struggled for a moment.
"I am running out of breath!"
Henry paused without talking, his heavy breathing brushing against her skin.
The room was dimly lit, and they were close–too close. Yet, the unspoken distance between them felt as vast as a chasm.
Victoria's gaze was steady, and after a brief pause, she closed her eyes.
But her sleep was restless, as though she had fallen into a nightmare. Before she could even make sense of it, a sharp scream pierced the air.
She jolted awake. "What is going on?"
The scream was followed by a series of broken cries.
"Boohoo...Ms. Victoria..."
Victoria's expression shifted. She hurried out of the room and saw Emma running down the hallway, barefoot, tears streaming down her face as she cried out for her.
She quickly went over and lifted her into her arms. "Sweetheart, I am here. What is wrong?"
Emma clung to her, crying uncontrollably. "Your...phone rang...I tried to find you, but I...accidentally answered it...a woman was yelling at someone...it was so scary..."
Victoria flinched all over.
She had left her phone on the nightstand when she let Emma sleep with her. But when Henry took her away in the middle of the night, she had forgotten to grab it.
She held Emma tightly, soothing her. "Did it frighten you? I am sorry."
Feeling guilty, Victoria carried Emma back to the room, avoiding looking at Henry as she passed him.
Henry's lips tightened, his face growing more somber.
The commotion had woken the house staff, who were now standing downstairs in confusion.
Henry coldly ordered, "Make a glass of hot milk for her."
"Yes, Mr. Harrison."
The chef hurried to the kitchen..
Jude opened the door and saw the scene. His brows furrowing in concern.
"Dad, what is going on?"
"Nothing, go back to sleep," Henry replied, heading into Emma's room. He listened as Victoria gently comforted Emma.
With Victoria by her side, Emma's emotions gradually calmed, and her crying subsided. Her nose was red from tears, and she appeared deeply shaken.
The hot milk was ready shortly, and the maid brought it in, speaking softly to Victoria. "Mrs. Harrison, let Emma drink this. It will help her sleep better."
Victoria fed it to Emma, who soon relaxed and drifted off to sleep.
She got up, wiped Emma's face with a dampened towel, and then checked her phone.
The call was from an unfamiliar number.
But the number was all too familiar–it was Sarah.
A cold expression settled on Victoria's face. She gripped her phone, her eyes darkening with a chill.
"You stay with Emma. I will be back soon," she said to the maid.
The maid replied promptly. "Yes, Mrs. Harrison."
Victoria changed her clothes and left the house.
Henry noticed and frowned, hurried after her. "Where are you going in this time?"