The Abandoned Wife Dumped Him First (Victoria and Elias) novel Chapter 254

"Ngh..."

A pained grunt escaped Elias as blood appeared on his lip.

Victoria seized the opportunity to break free from his grasp. She pushed him away with all her strength and scrambled off the sofa.

Elias sat up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his hand. He looked at the woman who had put as much distance as possible between them, feeling on the verge of exploding with rage.

He stood up and took a long stride forward.

Victoria backed away step by step, until her back was pressed firmly against the wall, with nowhere left to go.

"Run," Elias said through gritted teeth, his cold eyes burning with fury as he cornered her. He glanced at the smear of red on her lips.

It was his blood. Against her pale lips, it was strikingly vivid, and strangely alluring.

"Weren't you so clever just a moment ago?" Elias's Adam's apple bobbed as his lips curled into a sneer.

Victoria's hands, hanging by her sides, clenched into fists as she tensed her jaw.

Elias noticed the swelling on her forehead. His gaze deepened, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. He raised his hand, wanting to touch it.

But Victoria thought he was about to force himself on her again. She turned her head, dodging his hand, took a deep breath, and blurted out, "Elias, we're divorced!"

Elias's movement froze.

Suddenly, the temperature in the room plummeted to freezing.

Victoria could feel the suffocating pressure emanating from him, a palpable chill that seemed to freeze the blood in her veins.

"Victoria, say that again," Elias's voice was glacial. Each word hit Victoria's eardrums like a block of ice.

Victoria's lashes fluttered. She forced herself to remain calm and turned to meet his gaze.

Her voice was cool and clear, each word precise. "Mr. Shawn, I appreciate your help earlier. In return, I'll overlook the fact that you paid off people around me to spy on me."

"Furthermore, we are divorced. I no longer have any wifely obligations to you! If you have certain... needs, I'm sure Miss Vale would be more than happy to oblige."

Victoria remained pressed against the wall, its coolness seeping through her shirt and clearing her thoughts a little.

The security captain stepped inside and immediately sensed the oppressive atmosphere. He swallowed hard, thinking he had come at the worst possible time.

"Mr. Shawn, Miss Sanger, the man from earlier has been taken to the police station. They said he suffers from delusions of grandeur, thinks he's some kind of hero ridding the world of evil. His actions are extreme. As for why he targeted Miss Sanger, it's likely he saw those rumors online..."

The captain trailed off, not finishing the sentence.

But Victoria understood what he meant.

The delusional man saw her as a 'murderer'—a target for his brand of justice.

"We also checked the security footage. He snuck in by hiding in a garbage truck. That was definitely our oversight, and we are truly sorry! But please rest assured, we will tighten our security measures from now on. Nothing like this will ever happen again!"

The security captain bowed deeply. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Also, about the liquid in that bottle... it's been identified as a cleaning agent. It's mildly corrosive, but as long as it didn't get on your skin, there shouldn't be a problem."

Hearing this, Victoria froze. The image of the burn on Elias's wrist flashed before her eyes...