Chapter 8

Hearing Leon's words felt like a knife to Victoria's heart. When she first saw the news about him and Eva, she'd been upset but held onto a sliver of hope that it might just be a misunderstanding. But now that she was hearing them speak, it was far more painful than she'd imagined. A suffocating pressure weighed down on her chest. "What is it?" Leon's deep voice came through the phone. His tone was colder than before as if she were nothing more than someone insignificant. Victoria still wanted to confirm. "What are the two of you doing?" "Is that why you called?" Instead of answering, Leon threw another question back at her. Feeling completely disappointed, Victoria took a moment to steady her emotions and decided against wasting more time. "Where's my suitcase? Give it back." The response she got was a dial tone. Leon had hung up. Victoria called again and vowed to get her documents back. The longer they stayed with him, the more likely something was to go wrong. This time, Leon didn't pick up. … Eva glanced at the screen and saw Victoria's number, so she tentatively asked, "Aren't you going to answer?" "First come, first served. Let's watch TV first." Leon ignored the phone as it rang and didn't bother picking up. Only wearing a silk camisole after her shower, Eva looked seductively sexy as she wrapped her arms around his. "I don't want to watch TV. I want to do something else with you." She leaned in closer. If Leon just lowered his gaze, he'd see the inviting view below her neckline. "Please." Leon stopped her. He was unaffected by her advances. "Your current priority is to take care of your health." "Do you not like me? Is that why you're rejecting me?" Eva looked hurt. "That's not it," Leon reassured her. "You kissed Vicky but won't touch me. Why?" "That was just an act for Edwin," Leon replied as he gently removed her hands from his arm and smoothly changed the subject. "Don't worry about your place in my heart. You're the most important to me." Touched by his words, Eva hugged him tightly. But deep down, a flicker of unease remained. She knew her lie would eventually be exposed. If Leon ever found out that it was Victoria, not her, who'd saved him as a child, she'd lose everything she now had. By then, she'd be left with nothing. … An hour later, Victoria received a reply from Leon. It was a short, simple message, saying, "Come get it yourself." Attached was a location marker for Waterside Manor. Without hesitation, Victoria told Edwin she had some errands to run and headed straight for the address. When she arrived, it was empty. The gates were locked, and no sound came from the inside. She called Leon again, but he didn't answer. That was when she realized Leon was toying with her. Instead of playing along, she sent him a message, "If you're not here in three minutes, I'll call the fire department to have them open the door." They weren't officially divorced yet, so she had the right to access his property. Leon hadn't expected her to react this way and returned with Eva 30 minutes later. Seeing the two acting intimate, Victoria didn't lash out or make sarcastic remarks. Instead, she walked up to them and asked, "Why didn't you answer the phone?" "Why should I? Are you someone important?" Leon coldly replied. His gaze was indifferent as if she were a stranger.