Chapter 171 Outmaneuvered
Alexander Harrington held up the card, the light catching on its unique design. "This card is exclusive to partners of the Rohan Company," he noted, his voice carrying a hint of accusation.
Victoria Kensington, silent, took the card and examined it more closely. Recognition dawned as she realized the emblem emblazoned on it indeed belonged to the Rohan Company.
"Victoria Kensington, are you affiliated with the Rohan Company in any way?" Alexander Harrington's question was pointed, his tone more serious.
A wave of anxiety washed over Victoria. "I'm not," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. How could she possibly be involved with such a company?
"Then how do you explain this?" He reclaimed the card from her, his tone stern and questioning.
"I...," she began, but her explanation was cut short.
The sudden ring of his phone interrupted them. He glanced at the caller ID, pulled out his phone, and answered. "What's up?" he asked, his voice softening at the sound of Isabella Montgomery's voice.
"I had a nightmare, Alex. Can you come over?" Her voice was tender, pleading for his presence.
"Sure, I'll be right there," he responded, his tone reassuring.
After ending the call and pocketing his phone, Alexander Harrington turned his attention back to Victoria. "Regardless, you shouldn't have accepted this card," he stated, his voice firm. He dropped the card beside her and promptly turned to leave.
Victoria Kensington remained motionless, the pain in her ankle intensifying. She looked at the card again, grasped it, and understood why the lady from Rohan Company had left it there.
He had assumed she had accepted a favor from the Rohan family. Yet, when Isabella Montgomery mentioned a nightmare, he was quick to rush to her side. Victoria had inadvertently overheard their conversation, they were standing so close.
Indeed, the difference between love and its absence was vast. To those in love, a nightmare at 10 PM was believed without question. But for those not loved, judgment was cast without waiting for an explanation.
Victoria Kensington stared at the slim bank card in her hand. It was just a little thing, yet it led him to doubt her right away. She knew that the powerful were always suspicious, but she hadn't imagined it to this extent. After all, it only had two hundred grand in it. Had she sunk so low?
The pain in her chest flared like an old wound reopening, the scabbed part slowly splitting again to leak searing blood. Outside, the thunder roared once more, yet she could only sit there. Her ankle throbbed with intense pain, but it seemed irrelevant. She felt this might be divine punishment for not seeing people for who they truly are, for loving the wrong person. Love at first sight? Ridiculous.
---
The rain continued to pour outside. Eventually, she gingerly jumped down from the shoe rack, wincing despite her caution. Why elevate someone beyond reach if one cannot understand them, nor take responsibility for them?
She grabbed a beer from the fridge, cracked it open, and applied it to her swelling while taking a few sips. Scenes from dinner, his sudden, almost celestial appearance late at night to save her life, carrying her shoes and bringing her home, all replayed in her mind. "Victoria Kensington, you need to stay alert, don’t harbor any illusions about him," she reminded herself.
The beer, once settling in her stomach, seemed to bring some clarity. She placed the cold bottle back on her ankle and examined the swelling. Not severe perhaps? But it still hurt. Back when her mother was around, if she ever got swollen…
Victoria Kensington hugged her legs, chin resting on her knees, forcing herself not to think of the past. From here on out, she was alone, utterly independent. She wouldn't let her mother’s absence stop her from taking care of herself. She would work hard.
The room grew quieter, the solitude amplifying, but she took a silent breath, and the tears threatening to spill were pushed back once again.
---
In the private room of the elite club, Edward Sinclair couldn’t hold back any longer. "So, the person Isabella Montgomery was actually with that night... was Seb?" he asked, needing confirmation.
Alexander Harrington's mind was preoccupied with the image of Victoria's hurt look when he left. Snapping back to reality, all he heard was Benjamin Beaumont saying, "If that's the case, what are you going to do?"
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