Chapter 507 Any Groom Will Do
"It's you, Noah Borgia?" Victoria exclaimed.
"And Alexander's wife turns out to be you, Victoria. It's been a long time," Noah replied, equally surprised by this unexpected reunion.
The rest of the Howard family looked on in astonishment.
"Do you two know each other?" Preston asked, clearly puzzled.
Noah laughed warmly. "We do know each other, though Victoria might not be thrilled to see me."
"Why is that?" Preston inquired.
Noah wasn't wrong. Victoria truly wasn't happy to see him. His presence brought back memories that played like nightmares in her mind.
What a small world. She never could have imagined Noah would be Cynthia's husband.
Her exceptional combat skills were, in fact, thanks to him. Without his brutal training regimen, she wouldn't possess the abilities she had today.
Noah appeared refined and elegant, giving the impression of a distinguished university professor. But appearances were deceiving.
In reality, he was the founder of Renovania's underground mafia. He maintained his low profile through one simple rule: stay out of trouble in his territory, or face unbearable consequences.
Under the intense, curious gazes of the Howard elders, Victoria provided only a vague explanation of how she and Noah had met, carefully avoiding the truth. She knew Noah wouldn't reveal his true identity to the Howard family either.
After all, few people knew he was the founder of Renovania's underground mafia. His appearance certainly didn't suggest it.
Victoria couldn't help wondering how Cynthia had become involved with Noah—and married him, no less.
After dinner, Victoria and Alexander left Howard Villa around nine, declining to stay overnight.
In the car, she reflected on Cynthia and Noah's interactions during the evening. They seemed like any normal couple.
Alexander, who had been holding back his questions all evening, finally spoke up, "Darling, tell me the real story about you and Noah."
Victoria turned to him. "I already told you."
Alexander chuckled. "You think I'm as easily fooled as my parents? Come on."
Victoria shot him an annoyed glance. "Don't say that. I didn't lie to your parents—even if I didn't tell the whole truth, it was with good intentions."
"Then tell me the whole truth," Alexander persisted.
She had no intention of hiding it from him; it simply wasn't appropriate to discuss in front of the Howard elders.
"Noah is Ellington's uncle and the founder of Renovania's underground mafia," she revealed.
Alexander paused, taking this in. He'd known Noah's identity wasn't simple, but he hadn't connected him to the Renovania mafia. He'd secretly investigated Noah before but found nothing, confirming his suspicion that Noah was much more than just a businessman.
"I learned my combat skills at Noah's underground training facility. He was the merciless instructor who personally oversaw my training."
Noah had indeed been her teacher, despite the hardships she'd endured under his tutelage. She recognized that without those difficult experiences, she wouldn't be who she was today.
Meanwhile, at Howard Villa, Cynthia was asking Noah the same question. Knowing her husband's true identity, she naturally suspected Victoria's story was fabricated.
"Noah, how did you really meet Victoria?" she asked.
Knowing his wife's curiosity, Noah looked up from his book and gestured for her to join him on the sofa.
Cynthia sat beside him as Noah closed his book.
He began, "Six months after I met you, I was in Country M on business. One night, we were ambushed because we hadn't received advance intelligence. Victoria saved me. She was just a teenager then—I still don't know where she got the courage, but she wasn't afraid of guns or blood."
Noah recalled that night, genuinely admiring Victoria's bravery.
"Back then, she only knew basic self-defense techniques combined with her natural cleverness. To repay her, I asked what she wanted. Do you know what Victoria said?" he continued.
Cynthia was intrigued. "What did she say?"
Noah smiled. "She said she wanted access to the mafia's underground training facility, and she knew I could arrange it."
At the time, Noah had even suspected Victoria might have orchestrated the ambush herself, only to conveniently "rescue" him. He investigated but found no connection between her and his attackers. Her saving him truly was coincidental.
When he later questioned Victoria about it, she admitted the truth: she had been passing by and initially didn't want to help, but when she spotted the mafia insignia on him, she decided to intervene.
So in the end, she had saved him for her own benefit. Had he been an ordinary person, she might have simply walked away.
As they got to know each other, Noah discovered Victoria was no ordinary girl. She was intelligent, brave, determined, and emotionally detached—someone who always kept her promises.
She endured training regimens that would break most men. More importantly, Victoria had natural talent. After less than a year in the underground facility, she was already competing in the fighting arena.
Given her exceptional abilities, Noah had hoped to cultivate her as an asset, but her independent nature made her difficult to control.
They made a wager: if she could win 100 matches in the underground arena within six months, he wouldn't force her to stay and would grant her equal authority to command mafia resources.
She won the bet, needing only three and a half months—essentially winning one match per day without fail.
People called her "The Little Monster." To this day, Victoria's arena record remains legendary in the mafia's underground training facility, unbroken by anyone. Yet no one knew her identity or even that she was a woman, as she always wore a mask.
"You really were bold, taking on someone like him," Alexander remarked after hearing the story, impressed once again by Victoria.
Victoria shrugged. "It wasn't really a scheme—just an opportunity that presented itself."
Opportunities favor the prepared, and she had been prepared.
After getting to know him, she discovered the real Noah was even more terrifying than the rumors suggested. His elegant, gentlemanly facade was deeply deceptive.
"I can't help but wonder if Noah used that handsome face to win over Cynthia," she muttered.
Alexander, holding her hand, suddenly asked, "What attracted you to me, then? Why did you agree to marry me so quickly?"
Victoria looked at him, blinking. "Do you want the honest truth?"
Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it all."
Victoria fell silent for a moment. She finally said, "The truth is, I was attracted to your handsome face. I needed to marry someone eventually, so why turn down a handsome, powerful, wealthy man? I'd be foolish to refuse, wouldn't I?"
"Let's be honest—when someone so attractive and beneficial practically falls into your lap, you don't question it. You just say yes," she added.
At the time, besides avoiding her grandmother's matchmaking attempts, he happened to match her aesthetic preferences, so she agreed.
"You make a good point. I should be grateful I was your first arranged date," he replied.
Speaking of arranged dates, Lila had plenty to say on the matter.
Ever since catching the bouquet at Victoria's wedding, Lila's mother had arranged three blind dates for her the very next day, claiming the bouquet was a sign from heaven that her destined husband would soon appear.
Lila had been complaining to Victoria about this for over a week. She'd thought her mother would give up after a few days, but here they were, eight days later, with yet another arranged date.
"Darling, you have to help me deal with my mother," Lila pleaded. "If you hadn't thrown that bouquet to me, I wouldn't be in this mess."
Victoria sighed, taking a sip of coffee to calm her nerves. She could honestly swear she had thrown the bouquet randomly, not targeting anyone.
Looking at Lila slumped across the table like a wilting flower, Victoria said, "This is easy to solve."
Lila perked up slightly, her eyes brightening. "How?"
Victoria smiled. "Tell your mother you already have a boyfriend and you're living together."
"No way!" Lila rejected the idea without hesitation.
Victoria fell silent, mentally pitying Owen for a few seconds.
His family background was excellent—he came from a respected medical dynasty. Yet her friend was hiding him like some shameful secret.
"Why not?" Victoria asked, taking another sip of coffee.
Lila kept repeating the same thing: "It just won't work. My mother can't know about Owen's existence."
"But there must be a reason," Victoria pressed.
"There isn't one."
"That seems a bit unfair to him."
Victoria sensed that Lila was deliberately letting the situation deteriorate rather than fixing it. In simple terms, Lila was afraid of marriage.
If her mother learned about Owen, she would undoubtedly push for an immediate wedding. Since Owen already wanted to marry her, Lila would have nowhere to turn.
Given the choice, Lila preferred enduring her mother's daily blind date arrangements to facing constant pressure to get married.
Victoria realized she couldn't persuade Lila, which meant she wouldn't be able to fulfill her promise to Owen.
Just then, Lila's phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, her face immediately fell.
She didn't answer.
The caller hung up, but called again within seconds.
Victoria gave the seemingly distraught Lila a sidelong glance.
"What can I do for you, my dear mother?" Lila then answered, her tone instantly transforming into something sweet and obedient.
Whatever her mother said, Lila's responses remained consistently agreeable, "Yes. Alright. I understand. I'll definitely be there on time. Okay. Goodbye, Mom. Sure. I'll head over soon."
Victoria was astonished at how the same Lila who had been miserable moments before could speak so compliantly, with no trace of her actual feelings detectable in her voice.
She silently gave Lila a thumbs-up.
After hanging up, Lila heaved a deep sigh. "Darling, I have to go. I need to rush to my next blind date."
Victoria was speechless but still asked, "Does Owen know about this? Aren't you worried he'll get angry if he finds out?"
Lila replied confidently, "Don't worry, he'll never know. He spends all day either at the hospital or in the operating room—he has no time to wander around."
Besides, she wasn't doing anything wrong—just briefly meeting potential suitors before leaving after a few minutes.
But Lila forgot that no secret stayed hidden forever.
Owen might spend his days at the hospital, but he wasn't the only person there.
At an upscale restaurant, Lila deliberately arrived half an hour late.
Her date had grown impatient waiting, but the moment he saw her beauty, his irritation vanished.
Lila gave him a cursory glance, then sat down across from him with a demure expression.
She offered a faint smile. "You're Efrain Hubbard, right?"
Efrain wore glasses and had a decent appearance—prim, proper, and seemingly conventional. But compared to Owen, he fell far short.
"Miss Scott, allow me to formally introduce myself. I'm Efrain Hubbard, but you can call me Efi—many of my friends do."
Lila gave an awkward smile and said nothing.
Efrain assumed she was shy—beautiful women often were, after all.
He continued, "I've learned about your situation. Your mother mentioned you haven't found the right person yet. I believe our meeting today was arranged by God, don't you think?"
Lila gave another awkward smile and remained silent.
In her mind, she thought, 'What nonsense!'
She wanted to say, "Get to the point, I'm in a hurry and don't have time for your rambling!" but being an educated person, she instead said, "Efrain, please be direct. I have another blind date to get to."
Her bluntness left Efrain momentarily speechless.
Still, he pressed on. "Lila, have you seen my profile?"
Lila felt uncomfortable with this stranger using her first name so casually, but she tolerated it, forcing a faint smile. "No, I haven't!"
That was all she said.
Efrain had to continue on his own.
Confident in his merits, he said, "I'm 29 years old, currently a department manager at a Fortune 500 company with a stable, high income. I have a master's degree and own a car and two apartments. You can rest assured about that. After we're married, you can stay home with the children—you won't need to work."
After listening, Lila showed no reaction. Instead, she asked, "You said you know about my situation, right?"
Efrain nodded. "Yes."
"Tell me what you know," Lila challenged.
Though puzzled by her request, Efrain obliged, given her attractive appearance.
He began, "Your mother told me you work at a film company—an ordinary office worker. She said you've never had a boyfriend and have a gentle personality..."
Before he could finish, Lila interrupted him, "No, they've been lying to you."
Efrain looked confused. "What?"
Lila's demeanor changed instantly, from docile to something else entirely. With a mischievous smirk, she said, "Not only have I had multiple boyfriends, but I've also had one-night stands. I accidentally got pregnant once and then accidentally had an abortion."
"And I'm not gentle at all—I party hard and can fight too. I hang out at bars and love partying with crowds," she added.
As Lila became more animated in her fabrications, she failed to notice someone in a corner booth recording the entire scene.
This person had spotted her the moment she walked in.
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