The Abandoned Wife Dumped Him First (Victoria and Elias) novel Chapter 32

Victoria's back hit the banister, and she winced in pain.

But a second later, she caught sight of the drop behind her and quickly steadied herself, afraid she might accidentally fall over.

"Tell me!"

Victoria met his gaze, her own eyes defiant as she shot back, "What do you want me to say? You tell me, and I'll say it."

A vein throbbed in Elias's temple. His hands, gripping the railings on either side of her, tensed. His chest rose and fell as he glared at her, his eyes so cold and heavy it was as if he wanted to tear her apart just to shut her up.

An idea sparked in his mind. His gaze dropped to her lips, and he leaned in.

As his shadow fell over her, Victoria realized what he was about to do. Her lashes fluttered, and she quickly turned her head away.

His cool lips brushed against her earlobe, sending a shiver through her.

Victoria's hands, hanging by her sides, clenched into fists.

Realizing what he'd almost done, Elias's eyes grew colder. He pulled back. Seizing the opportunity, Victoria ignored the pain in her back and turned to go upstairs.

"Throw away the application. You're not entering that competition."

"Why not?"

Victoria stopped dead in her tracks, turning to him in disbelief. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind until one surfaced, making her breath catch in her throat.

"It's because of the plagiarism, isn't it?"

"So... you think if I compete, and someone exposes the scandal that Mrs. Shawn once stole a design, it will be an embarrassment to you, right?"

Her wounded expression stung him, and Elias frowned.

The facts of the case were clear. Competing would only bring trouble. What was she playing innocent for?

"I didn't plagiarize."

Victoria met his gaze and saw the cold indifference in his eyes. A bitter smile touched her lips. "Elias, why can't you just believe me for once?"

"I'd believe you," Elias said, his gaze cold and mocking, "only if you were the one sitting in that wheelchair right now."

-

The next day was Grady's birthday, which also happened to be the day for prison visits, allowed every three months.

In the visiting room.

The fifty-square-foot room was bare, save for the security cameras in each corner and a long iron table in the center.

Victoria and Grady had been waiting for five minutes when the iron door across from them opened. A middle-aged man in a dark blue striped uniform walked in.

"Ahem... cough, cough..."

Suddenly, Garnett covered his mouth and let out a series of coughs.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Victoria asked, looking at him with concern.

"It's nothing, just a lingering cough from a cold a few days ago." Garnett lowered his slightly clenched fist and gave Victoria a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm tough as nails."

Victoria wasn’t fully convinced. She searched his face for any sign that something was off, but came up empty. In the end, she just had to let the worry go.

Grady sensed her worry and patted her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't look so glum. It's my birthday, so give me a break and smile a little, okay? Besides, I have some good news to share."

With that, he took out a document and handed it to Garnett. "Dad, this is an application for a reduced sentence."

Victoria was stunned. "Reduced sentence?"

Grady explained, "I spoke with the lawyer. The Sanger Group paid the victims' compensation in full right away and even provided extra restitution. Plus, Dad has been a model inmate for the past two years. If we apply now, there's a high chance he could be released a year early."

Victoria's eyes lit up, her expression filled with excitement. "Does that mean our family can be together again soon?"

Grady ruffled her hair and nodded with a smile.

Garnett stared at the application, a flicker of unreadable emotion in his eyes. He remained silent for a long time.