The Abandoned Wife Dumped Him First (Victoria and Elias) novel Chapter 181

In the morning, Victoria woke to a dry, scratchy throat, likely from the sudden drop in temperature and the emotional blow she’d been forced to accept.

“Meow!”

Right on schedule, Dawn leaped onto her bed and affectionately rubbed against her hand.

Victoria looked at the little outfit Dawn was wearing and couldn’t help but smile.

The day of the first snow, Cerys Thorne had dragged her around town for hours, visiting one pet store after another and ordering a whole wardrobe of tiny clothes for Dawn.

At first, Dawn wasn’t used to them. The moment she put one on, his limbs would go rigid like a wind-up toy with jammed gears, and he couldn't walk at all.

But after ten days or so, he’d grown accustomed to them.

Victoria picked him up, got out of bed, and went through her morning routine. She opened a can of cat food. “Your godmother won’t be back until tonight, so you’ll have to make do with this for today. She’ll get you something better when she returns.”

“Meow!”

At the sound of the can opening, Dawn darted to his food bowl and dug in.

“Achoo—”

As Victoria squatted down, a sudden shiver ran through her, and she gently rubbed her nose.

It seemed she’d really caught a cold.

She put on a jacket and sat cross-legged on the sofa. While messaging Felice Donald to request permission to work outside the office to find design inspiration, she opened a delivery app to look for a 24-hour pharmacy.

The doorbell rang suddenly.

Before Victoria could react, Dawn, who had been engrossed in his food, heard familiar footsteps and was the first to run to the door, letting out two meows.

Victoria walked over and opened the door, confused.

Unexpectedly, with a single “meow,” Dawn darted out and vanished around the corner in an instant.

“Dawn!” Victoria cried out, immediately chasing after him.

“Meow~ Meow~”

Victoria rounded the corner and saw Dawn, in his fluffy white outfit, sitting by the elevator. The display above the button showed that the doors had just closed and the car was descending.

Clearly, the person who had rung her doorbell had just taken the elevator down.

Victoria stared at the rapidly changing floor numbers on the display, her brow furrowed in thought.

Just then, Dawn rubbed against her leg, his tail playfully wrapping around her bare ankle. The tickling sensation broke her concentration.

“Dawn, was that someone you know?” Victoria murmured, biting her lip. Dawn didn’t answer. He simply retracted his tail and sauntered back toward the apartment with a cat’s grace.

Victoria’s lips twitched in a faint smile.

She couldn’t believe she was asking a cat questions.

Shaking her head in resignation, she walked back, thinking that since she didn't have to go to the Design Institute today, she could just go to the management office and check the security footage. That would tell her who had been at her door.

Suddenly, a splash of green caught her eye.

Realizing he had overreacted, Manager Waldron coughed twice and explained lamely, “My… my throat’s a bit sore. Please excuse me, Miss Sanger.”

Hearing that, Victoria felt she couldn’t press further. “So, even after the cameras are repaired, the previous recordings can’t be recovered, is that right?”

Manager Waldron nodded solemnly. “That’s correct. But you can rest assured living here, Miss Sanger. Willow Creek Estates has a very high level of security. Even with the cameras down, we’ll increase patrols around your home. You can be certain that no unauthorized individuals will get near. You have my word!”

Since she couldn’t find anything out, there was no point in staying.

Besides, the person had only hung cold medicine on her door and done nothing else. She couldn’t very well call the police.

Victoria considered this. “In that case, please be extra vigilant during your patrols.”

Manager Waldron and the guard nodded in unison, assuring her repeatedly.

Victoria glanced at a dark patch on the upper right corner of the large monitor screen before turning to leave.

Seeing her go, Manager Waldron patted his rapidly beating heart, about to let out a long-held breath of relief.

“By the way.”

“Ahem…” The breath hitched in his throat as Victoria suddenly turned back. He broke into a fit of coughing.

She looked at him, puzzled. “Manager Waldron, it seems the apartment across from mine has been sold.”

The manager’s smile froze on his face, and he started to stammer. “I-is that so? It’s been sold already?”

“Yes. Do you happen to know who the owner is?” Victoria narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharp and probing.