Chapter 5

They weren't standing that far apart. The moment he spaced out, he pulled her straight into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. "Theo—" Her shocked gasp got swallowed up in the kiss. Theodore placed one hand under her, laying her gently on the sofa, his other hand gripping her waist firmly to keep her still. Victoria, already teetering on the edge, suddenly remembered how close Theodore and Isabella had become. That thought felt like a thorn under her skin. Her lashes lowered slightly, dulling the light in her eyes. A soft word slipped out from her lips—just one word, but it stopped him cold. "Disgusting." Reality snapped back like a slap. Theodore quickly let go. He looked down at her pale face and let out a cold, bitter laugh. "Did you feel disgusting with Elijah too?" he scoffed. "Or is it just with me?" Victoria's breath caught in her throat at the jab. Her expression dimmed even more. She looked up and stared at him without saying a word. Theodore raised an eyebrow and stepped back, face turning distant and cold. "Gina's funeral is tomorrow morning at nine. Don't forget." That was all she said before turning and walking away. Just like that, the whole incident passed without much of a ripple. Rain drizzled nonstop. Gina's funeral had only a handful of close friends and family. Everyone stood quietly under umbrellas. Hannah was sobbing uncontrollably in William's arms. Victoria and Theodore stood off in a quiet corner. As she looked at the people who once felt like home, at these so-called parents and relatives, all she saw now were strangers. Staring at the photo on the gravestone, memories surged—her painstaking effort to piece together that crushed skull. Her brows tightened. Five years ago, she was the princess of the Ellis family, adored by all. Then they found their real daughter, Gina, and just like that, everything changed. Too many things happened since. Gina wasn't the sweet innocent girl she pretended to be. She killed Victoria's cat, twisted the truth, made herself the victim. That was all it took for William and Hannah to believe that Victoria had faked it all just to get rid of Gina—that she was jealous and cruel. And things like that happened over and over. Within a year, Victoria was thrown out, ties completely severed. "Aren't you going to go comfort your parents?" The low voice behind her pulled her thoughts back. Victoria's lips pressed into a thin line. She looked at Hannah, barely staying upright from grief. A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes. She took one step forward... then stopped. In the end, she didn't move closer. Just as Hannah was about to faint from all the crying, her phone buzzed again and again. She unlocked it—an unfamiliar email. Inside was a video. She and William exchanged a glance, then tapped play. The clip showed Gina arguing with a skinny woman. From Gina's face, she was clearly upset. Hannah's voice was hoarse, her hands trembling, "This... this was before Gina went missing... Who's that woman?" William's brows drew together, a terrible feeling creeping in. That figure... looked too much like Victoria. But he didn't say it. Not until the woman turned—and her face became clear on the screen. The shock hit hard. Hannah's phone slipped from her hand and hit the ground with a loud thud. It was Victoria. "She killed Gina..." Hannah mumbled, face pale as a ghost, struggling to believe what she just saw. She turned her head and saw Victoria standing a short distance away with an umbrella. Something inside her snapped. Like a tight string suddenly breaking. She lost it—rushed over and slammed into her, both hands wrapped around Victoria's neck. "You took my daughter! You killed my Gina!" The chaos drew every pair of eyes their way. Victoria gasped for air. Hannah's nails dug deep into her skin, leaving harsh indents, as if she really meant to strangle her. Her arm dropped limply, the umbrella clattered onto the ground. Theodore's eyes turned cold in an instant. He yanked Hannah's hands off Victoria with force and shielded her with his body. The moment he caught sight of the fresh red marks down her pale neck, his expression darkened. "Why didn't you dodge?" His tone was harsh. He turned to her—she just stood there, stunned out of her mind, not reacting at all. Hannah was still spiraling, her bloodshot eyes locked onto Victoria. "We took care of you for over twenty years! This is how you pay us back?!" She lunged at her again—never once giving Victoria a chance to explain. In the scuffle, Hannah yanked the necklace off Victoria's neck and threw it to the ground. "Elijah!" The name slipped from her lips before she could stop it. Ignoring the rain and the crowd's stares, she darted over and scooped the necklace into her hands, cradling it close like it was the most precious thing in the world. Her fragile expression made something in Theodore's chest twist unpleasantly. He clenched his jaw and walked over quietly, holding the umbrella over her head. "Hannah, calm down!" William tried to soothe her, casting Victoria a conflicted look. He didn't say a word, but his eyes—those eyes were full of disappointment. Victoria had no idea what was going on. All she felt was a sharp, aching hollowness in her chest, like someone had carved it open and just left it bleeding. Her knees hit the ground, weak and unsteady. She did nothing wrong. She hadn't hurt anyone. After all these years—her supposed parents didn't believe in her either? "Hannah!" Gasps rippled through the crowd as Hannah suddenly collapsed. The funeral turned into a mess after that, ending earlier than planned. Just beneath the trees at the edge of the cemetery, a slim figure disappeared into the rain. Isabella closed the car door with a smirk after watching the show. But the memory of Theodore shielding Victoria made her grip her phone so tight her knuckles went white. Then she shoved it at the man next to her. "Get someone dependable. Wipe out any trace of this." Aaron Mills didn't know why she was so involved in the Ellis family's mess, but he backed her without question. "Don't worry. I've got it." Isabella turned her head, watching through the window as Theodore held the umbrella over Victoria. She thought the what Victoria had suffered—far from enough. Not a single look from Theodore should land on anyone else. Back at the villa, Isabella filled the bathtub with cold water, shed her clothes, and slowly sank into it. ... In the heavy downpour, Victoria tucked the necklace away, her eyes suddenly sharp with resolve. She wasn't going to take the blame for something she didn't do. She needed to go back and get real answers from the Ellis family. As she stood, her legs gave out for a second, and she stumbled. A hand caught her wrist just in time—Theodore's. Her skin was ice cold. He'd seen that look in her earlier—blank, hollow. He figured she must've been thinking of Elijah. A sour feeling bubbled up in him, annoyance—but also, strangely, something like heartbreak.