Chapter 6

Victoria pulled her arm back from Theodore's grasp, snapping out of her daze. "Thanks," she murmured, her voice low, eyes dropping to conceal the storm swirling inside. With everything in chaos, she had no choice but to head home. Theodore got in the car too. Before Victoria could say a word, he calmly stated, "I'll take you." That was a first. He was always buried in work, and not once had he offered to drive her anywhere. Victoria turned to look at his profile, dazed for a moment. Rain still poured outside. The pounding against the car windows was nonstop, and a chilly draft crept in through a crack, making Victoria shiver. Moments later, she saw Theodore reach out, turning up the heater. Her gaze flickered. Was he... actually worried about her? But the thought was gone as soon as it came. She couldn't forget how recently he'd been at the hospital, holding Isabella gently, comforting her, saying the divorce had gone through and promising to make things right. Victoria's lips curled into a bitter smile as she turned to stare out the window. Everything outside was a blur behind the sheets of rain—directionless, just like her—without a home to return to. The car came to a stop in front of the Ellis family house. As soon as she got out, Theodore's phone rang. On the other end, Isabella's voice was feeble, barely hanging on. It sounded like she'd fall apart any second. "You suddenly have a fever?" Theodore asked. Her voice trembled as she spoke, face pale as paper from the chill. "Maybe I caught a cold... I'm not sure. Don't worry about me. Go take care of Victoria." Then, deliberately, she knocked over a glass on the table, letting it crash to the floor. She screamed into the phone. "Ahh!" "Isabella?" Theodore frowned sharply, but the call had already ended. His lips pressed into a tight line. Without another thought, he rushed back toward the car. As if just remembering something, he paused and looked back at Victoria, his expression unreadable. "Something came up. I gotta go." Victoria gave a small nod and stepped back. She didn't respond—because deep down, she knew the truth. To Theodore, it was only ever Isabella who truly mattered. She turned and walked into the villa. Behind her, the sound of the engine roared to life and faded into the distance, taking her heart down with it. His eyes caught the lone figure in the rearview mirror—umbrella in hand, unmoving. A storm of conflicted thoughts swirled behind his still expression, but he remained frozen, as if torn between staying and leaving. He had waited. Waited for Victoria to stop him. To say something. But she didn't. Not a word. She wanted him gone—was that it? Inside the house, it was dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. Victoria let her eyes skim the living room, then froze at the faint noise upstairs. She inhaled deeply and slowly climbed the steps. At the master bedroom door—slightly ajar—a hoarse female voice came through. "You brought her into our home, and look what happened! We never should've adopted her. She murdered my daughter—Gina was just a kid! Call the cops! She has to pay. I won't stop until there's justice. She doesn't deserve to walk free!" Hannah's cries turned to rage, her voice rising with every word. The hatred was so raw you could feel it. She had once loved Victoria like her own daughter. Never would she have imagined things would come to this. And William just stood there with a face full of sorrow, his hand gently rubbing Hannah's back. He let out a long breath, voice heavy with disappointment and pain. "How... how could Victoria turn out like this?" Victoria's knees almost gave out as she leaned weakly against the railing, all the color drained from her face. Even her dad believed it now? What really crushed her wasn't the made-up accusation—it was the heartbreak of watching the people she once called family refuse to believe her at all. How was she supposed to stay strong with that? That's when William stepped outside. The second he saw her, he froze with surprise. "You... what are you doing here?" This had been her home, too. But now, coming back here felt like trespassing. Victoria opened her mouth, but no words came out. Inside, Hannah spotted her and stumbled out of the house, charging straight at her. "You murderer! I'm going to kill you!" Her hair was a mess, eyes wild with rage and heavy with tears that hadn't dried. She looked terrifying. Victoria was caught off guard and instinctively backed up several steps—almost falling down the stairs. The look in Hannah's bloodshot eyes was like poison. "Dad, Mom... you really don't believe me?" It felt like someone stabbed Victoria in the chest—deep and merciless. William held Hannah back, shooting Victoria a complicated look. "Just go... don't come back." That said everything. They didn't believe her. To them, she was already a killer. In that moment, the wall she'd painstakingly built around herself came crashing down. "You were the one who took me in, who said I was family. You know who I am! And now you won't even give me the chance to defend myself?" She'd been carrying so much these past few days, the pressure in her chest was suffocating, like something heavy and wet clogging her lungs. "Victoria, I..." William's face twisted with guilt. He'd always treated her like his own. But with everything that had happened, with what looked like solid evidence, how could he ignore his real daughter's death just for her sake? His thoughts were a mess of conflict, and before anyone could react, Hannah broke free from his arms and ran barefoot up the stairs toward the rooftop. "Hannah!" Both of them took off after her. As they reached the rooftop, Victoria saw Hannah already climbing over the protective railing. Her dress flapped wildly in the wind, and she swayed dangerously with every gust, like death could whisk her away at any second. They were on the fourth floor—if she jumped, there'd be no coming back. "Mom!" "Hannah!" Their voices trembled with fear, but neither dared rush forward in case it spooked her more. Rain soaked them to the bones. The wind bit through their wet clothes, making them shiver. Victoria blinked through the rain. "Mom, please... just calm down. Can we talk? Please?" But Hannah didn't respond to her—her eyes locked on William. "We only had Gina. Just one daughter. If you can't get justice for her, William, then what's the point? I'll go be with her instead!" "My poor baby. She must be so cold and lonely down there. I've got no reason to stay here anymore—I might as well keep her company!" William trembled, trying to reach her. "Stop saying that! Hannah, I'm here—we'll go through this together. Just come back down, please!" Watching this unfold, Victoria's heart hurt so badly, it physically ached. But who caused all this anyway? She clenched her fists tight, nails digging into her palms. "Mom!" The word burst out of her, and suddenly she dropped to her knees on the soaked rooftop with a hard thud.