The Abandoned Wife Dumped Him First (Victoria and Elias) novel Chapter 196

Rivertown was one of the few small towns in the suburbs of the Imperial Capital.

The drive from the city center took nearly two hours.

By the time Victoria drove into town, it was already past three in the afternoon. The two-lane street had few pedestrians, and even fewer shops were open.

The sides of the road were cluttered with small stalls covered by tarps, making it difficult for the car to navigate.

After a short drive, Victoria found a place to park.

The light snow, which had stopped halfway there, had started again.

Standing by her car, Victoria looked at the cold, quiet street and felt like a stranger, completely disoriented.

"Miss, need a room?" A middle-aged woman bundled in a thick coat stepped out of a shop. She eyed Victoria's car curiously and asked with a broad smile.

Victoria looked up and realized she had parked in front of a small inn.

She considered it. The address in Abbey's file wasn't very detailed, and she was in an unfamiliar place. Finding it would likely take some time. Even if she got lucky and found it today, she definitely wouldn't make it back to the city in time.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll take a room."

At that, Rita’s face lit up. She figured she'd landed a big spender and quickly ushered Victoria inside. "A single is 500 a night, a double is 550. Which one would you like, Miss?"

Victoria had assumed that in a small town like this, a room at a simple inn would only cost a few dozen dollars. Hearing Rita's quote, she raised an eyebrow and glanced at the price list on the front desk.

It clearly stated: 'Special Offer, Single Room 70 a night!'

Rita, who was basking in the joy of a potential windfall, noticed Victoria's gaze and followed it. Her smile immediately turned awkward. She hastily hid the price list in a drawer.

"That was from a promotion a few days ago," she said, forcing a laugh. "Forgot to take it down."

Victoria saw right through her but didn't say anything. "Can I use a card? I'll stay for two nights. A single is fine."

Two nights—that was a thousand dollars!

Rivertown was tiny, with a permanent population of less than ten thousand. Everyone knew everyone else, so almost no one ever needed to stay at an inn.

A thousand dollars in room fees was more than she might make in an entire month!

"Yes, of course!" Rita said hastily. She rummaged deep in a drawer for a POS machine, wiped it down with a couple of tissues, and took Victoria's bank card.

Rita frowned. "Prescott? We have several families with that name in town. Do you have any more details, Miss? Like how many people are in the family, if they have kids, or what someone in the family does for a living?"

Victoria pretended to think, remaining silent for a moment. "I think there are two daughters. The older one is about my age…"

Smack!

Rita suddenly slammed her hand on the counter, her voice excited. "Well, why didn't you say so! A family with two daughters, that has to be Carpenter Prescott's family!"

Victoria was startled by the sudden noise but quickly recovered. "Carpenter Prescott?"

"That's right. Two daughters, and his wife is from out of town. It has to be them! He's the only man in the family and makes a living building furniture for people in town. He’s a carpenter."

As if she'd found her purpose in life, Rita came out from behind the counter and pulled Victoria over to a seat. "Miss, so you're looking for them… Take my advice, now is not a good time to visit."

A sense of unease crept over Victoria when she heard Rita’s suggestion.

"Why?" she asked.

Rita sighed heavily. "A few days ago, their older daughter killed herself."