Chapter 113
Sarah was waving her hands in a mix of embarrassment and humility. "Oh, Mrs. Camille Hardwick, please, you're just being nice. Compared to Mrs. Harrison, I'm nowhere near her level. She's the real beauty."
Camille's smile faltered slightly, her tone turning sharper. "You're selling yourself short. She-"
"Camille." A low, commanding voice cut through the conversation before she could finish.
Camille stiffened and glanced toward Henry.
He had just finished his call and was sitting on the chair.
His sharp features remained stoic, but his words carried an edge.
"It's just a minor injury. Her leg's already healing, and you can see her during the show later.
You rushing to the hospital now only makes it look like a serious situation.
People might start wondering if it'll affect her performance.
" He directed the remark toward Jennifer, his tone making it clear he found the visit unnecessary.
Jennifer frowned as she became more serious. "But I heard Victoria stirred up quite the drama last night."
"And who said that?" Henry asked.
Jennifer quickly caught on–Henry wasn't interested in addressing the chaos from the night before. Realizing her current priorities, she decided not to push further, especially when she still needed Sarah for now.
Jennifer remarked, "I heard she's been using the name Vika to do photography work lately. She's your wife. How can she take on such jobs? Tell her to stop."
Henry replied in a low voice, "Victoria has significant influence and recognition. With her status and capability, why should I stop her?"
Jennifer froze as she stared at Henry. This son of hers was a complex man. While he didn't seem particularly fond of Victoria, he wouldn't tolerate anyone mistreating her.
Today, he had summoned them specifically to issue a warning. He was well aware of their intentions to stand up for Sarah. When it came to certain things, he was fiercely protective of his people.
Jennifer seethed inwardly, her dislike for Victoria growing stronger with Henry's defense of her. But for now, she couldn't voice her true intentions.
Henry didn't call her out directly, leaving Jennifer no choice but to feign ignorance.
Jennifer's expression grew colder than before. "Fine, but make sure she stays out of trouble and doesn't cause any chaos anymore."
With that, she stood up and left, not bothering to maintain appearances even when Camille was here, as she didn't care about the Hardwick family in the slightest.
Sarah sat quietly on the hospital bed, clutching the blanket tightly, too scared to utter a word.
At first, she thought Henry had called Camille over to reprimand her. To her surprise, it was to warn them not to hold Victoria accountable for what happened last night!
Initially, she had reached out to Jennifer, exaggerating the events from the night before, expecting Jennifer to take care of it.
She had been eagerly awaiting an apology from Victoria, but instead, Henry showed up. Once again, things were spiraling out of control, and she was growing increasingly uneasy.
Henry turned to Camille, his tone cold slightly. "Camille, I heard she jumped out of the car. What happened? Why would she suddenly do that?"
Camille clenched her purse tightly; her mind was in a mess.
After hearing Henry's words, she realized what was going on –he was subtly giving her a warning!
At the same time, she felt a wave of relief.
At least he hadn't immediately confronted her about Victoria's behavior, which would have made things difficult to resolve.
She forced a smile and explained, "She made a mistake, and I just said a few things to her.
The next thing I knew, she jumped out of the car, and I was left in shock.
When you sent someone to find me, I was at the hospital.
It's all my fault. I've always spoiled her, let her get away with her temper, and now she can't even stand being reprimanded the slightest."
Camille looked helpless but quickly shifted the blame entirely onto Victoria.
Henry's deep eyes held a cold glint, his voice sharp and biting as he said, "That's definitely her fault."
Camille nodded quickly. "Exactly. I'm at my wit's end. She won't listen to anything I say."
"Well then," Henry said calmly, "She can stay at your place and rest while she heals. I'll be there with her. Camille, you've always adored her, so I'm sure you'll take good care of her, right?"
"This..." Camille was completely stunned. How could this be? After hearing about Victoria's "spoiled" behavior, Henry should have been on her side, scolding Victoria together with her. Instead, he was now saying Victoria should go home and rest.
Camille felt a strong resistance inside. But since he had said that she was going back with her, she had no choice but to accept it; otherwise, it would contradict everything she had just said.
Camille clenched her purse tightly as an uneasy feeling crept in.
She wanted Victoria to receive Henry's affection, but at the same time, she feared that if Victoria got too much, she would become uncontrollable, making it difficult for them to handle her.
"Camille, is something wrong?" Henry raised an eyebrow, his gaze growing colder as Camille remained silent.
"No, I'll go take care of it now. I'll make sure her favorite food is ready," Camille quickly replied with a forced smile, standing up and rushing out of the room.
The coldness on Henry's handsome face remained unchanged as he stood up, his gaze turning to Sarah, who had remained silent.
The chill in his eyes made Sarah shiver involuntarily. "Henry," she stammered, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Do you remember what I promised you five years ago?" he suddenly asked.
Sarah's eyelashes fluttered as she hesitated, then said, "You said you'd marry me."
"But what did you do?" Henry's voice remained steady, his gaze cold and unwavering as he looked down at her.
Sarah's face went pale, and she bit her lip in silence.
"When I was planning our wedding, you suddenly left and went overseas to study without a word.
To me, that looked like you were walking away from everything I offered.
" Henry's voice was deep, calm, almost too smooth.
"If that's how it is, then I'll find another way to protect you.
Sarah, aren't you going to appreciate this opportunity I'm giving you? "
"I was wrong, Henry!" Fear flooded Sarah's chest, and she quickly begged, "I... I just couldn't stand that she slapped me, so I said a few things to Mrs. Jennifer Harrison. I didn't expect her to bring in Mrs. Camille Hardwick. Henry, I swear I know I was wrong. I won't do it again."
She quickly admitted her mistake, begging pitifully, terrified he might take back all the favor he had shown her. Having been under his protection for so long, she felt her heart had grown greedy, and all she wanted was more.
As for why she had suddenly left five years ago, especially after what happened, she couldn't bring herself to say a word.
Henry's eyes, once full of warmth and protection for her, now carried nothing but coldness. He mocked, "Remember what you said, or I can't promise that your sister can still save you the next time something like this happens."
He turned and left, leaving behind a lingering chill that seemed to seep into every corner of the room.
Sarah clutched the blanket tightly. She felt resentful, but she dared not act on it.
Because of what happened in the past, Henry had tolerated her, allowing her to do anything she pleased and even protected her when it mattered. But if he ever decided to break his promises, she knew she would mean nothing to him anymore.