Second Vows Adored by the Billionaire novel Chapter 14

Most of it barely registered. Then the server brought out a plate of meat pies in a rich sauce, and Eloise's eyes stung before she could stop the reaction.

The dish dragged up a memory she had never truly let go of, from the year she broke with her grandfather and lived with Victor in a cramped rental while they tried to build a company out of nothing.

When they were at their poorest, even a single meat pie had been split in half, one half for him, one half for her.

She had not felt it was bitter then, because Victor had always fed her hope until she believed it was nourishment.

He had held her and promised, "When we become rich, I'll make you the happiest woman in this city."

He had promised more than once, "You've been so good to me. I swear I'll only love you. You're my only one."

Those words were still vivid in her memories.

Now they felt like repeated slaps.

Eloise had no appetite. She barely ate.

Victor picked up a meat pie, tore it neatly in half, and placed one half in her hand with the same affectionate gaze he always used.

"Tonight, we'll eat it as we used to," he said gently. "Half for you, half for me. We'll remember the hard days, and then we'll look ahead. Our life will only get sweeter."

Then he continued, as though he were reminiscing about a love story rather than a betrayal. "I'll never forget what you did back then. I had no money, and you went behind my back and borrowed from a loan shark. You were chased for repayment and almost had your arms and legs broken." His voice softened with gratitude. "A kind stranger saved you, and they even repaid the debt for us. That person was incredible."

Victor shook his head. "To this day, we still don't know who it was. I've always wondered who would be kind enough to pay back more than a hundred thousand for someone else, principal and interest, without asking for anything."

Victor kept talking. Eloise held the half pie and felt nausea rise.

She could not eat it.

She didn't want to vomit in front of him, so she excused herself and went to the restroom, where she threw up until her stomach cramped.

Only then did Eloise admit the truth. Her disgust toward Victor had become physical.

Their marriage license was fake. In fact, she could disappear at any moment.

"It's not good to vomit so often," he said evenly. He placed a business card into her hand. "This is a friend of mine. He's excellent at treating the stomach. Go see him."

He washed his hands, turned, and left without looking back.

Eloise stood there, stunned for a few seconds, and then looked down at the card. The name was familiar and famous. It was a highly respected traditional medicine doctor in the city.

He was known for being nearly impossible to book unless someone had the right connections.

This man had simply handed her a direct card.

Eloise replayed his words and suddenly remembered.

The last time she had been vomiting on the street, she had also run into him.

He had recognized her then, too, which was why he had said what he said.

If so, then the night she fainted and woke up in the hospital, was he the one who had brought her in?