Chapter 9

Victoria froze at Leon's words. It was at this moment that she truly saw Leon for who he was. She began to understand that after submitting the divorce application, they were nothing more than strangers. The suffocating pain in her chest instantly vanished. She adjusted her emotions, and her expression turned cold. "I'm not someone important, but if you had the decency to return my belongings on your initiative, none of this would've happened." "It's just a suitcase. Leon wouldn't want your stuff anyway." Eva spoke up in Leon's defense. "He wouldn't, but I don't want my suitcase to be tainted with filth." Victoria looked at the two, and her gaze was no longer filled with pain or sorrow. All that remained was emptiness as if something inside her had just been hollowed out. Leon's eyes darkened slightly. Victoria's expression remained indifferent as she said, "Give me my stuff, and I'll leave right away." She'd suddenly let go to accept his sudden indifference and that he'd chosen someone else. "Edwin saw me with the suitcase," Leon reminded her. "Affording an identical suitcase shouldn't be a challenge for you, Mr. Quigley. You probably don't want us seeing each other too often from now either." Even Victoria was surprised at how quickly her heart had turned cold. Leon scrutinized her and tried to determine if she was acting out of anger, but no matter how he looked at her, she remained eerily calm. "Bring the suitcase from upstairs to Ms. Smith," he instructed the bodyguard behind him. The bodyguard nodded. Then, he headed inside and soon brought out a pastel-colored suitcase. Just when Leon and Eva thought Victoria would take it and leave without another word, the latter suddenly unzipped it right in front of them. Eva was confused. "What are you doing?" "Checking if anything is missing," Victoria said flatly. She delivered the most cutting remark with the calmest tone. Leon clenched his jaw. He hadn't expected her to learn this quickly. "Are you doubting Leon's character?" Eva snapped and added fuel to the fire. "There's nothing in there other than a few documents and certificates. Even if there was something valuable in there, he wouldn't spare it a second glance." "He wouldn't, but would you?" Victoria wouldn't hesitate to throw cutting remarks at anyone she saw right now. "Leon…" All Eva could do was turn to complain. "Weren't you just eyeing all the jewelry and designer bags in my room at noon?" Victoria snapped the suitcase shut and suddenly thought it through. "But then again, I don't need them anymore. It's fitting for a recycling station to collect trash." Eva's hands clenched tightly at her sides, yet she couldn't lose her composure in front of Leon. "I'll have those things taken care of. Eva won't use anything you've touched," Leon said. "Is that so?" Victoria's fingers curled slightly, and she added, "And yet, didn't she use you?" Eva instinctively looked at Leon, who had a dark gaze. "I'll tell Edwin about the divorce tonight. You should start thinking of an excuse that might lessen his hatred for you," she continued as her clear eyes met Leon's with a hint of mockery. With that, she turned and left, taking cold, indifferent steps. "Wait," Leon called out. Victoria stopped and frowned slightly when she realized how easily she'd obeyed him. Leon walked over and demanded, "Give Eva the card. It's no longer yours." Victoria took the card out of her bag, which was deactivated from the day Leon's cheating affair was exposed. She glanced at it a few times before finally handing it over. Leon reached out to take it, but just as his fingers were about to come into contact with the card, Victoria loosened her grip and sent the black platinum card falling to the ground with a crisp clatter. Her eyes flickered with a mix of emotions. But in the end, she hid them all and simply said, "Apologies. It slipped."