The Abandoned Wife Dumped Him First (Victoria and Elias) novel Chapter 77

After dinner, Laurel was pulled into conversation by a group of society ladies.

Victoria, never one for such occasions, found a convenient excuse to slip away to the back garden.

With nearly everyone in the banquet hall, the garden was dimly lit and quiet.

Victoria stood with one arm crossed, her mind replaying what Garnett had said earlier, lost in thought.

That person wanted Garnett dead. Their first attempt through Harry had failed, which meant there would certainly be a next time. And with the enemy in the shadows while they were in the open, the situation would only become more dangerous if they didn't find this person soon.

But...

Harry was now missing, and their only lead was gone.

Victoria's lips pressed into a thin line. She felt like she was overlooking something, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Suddenly, she bumped into someone.

With a sharp 'crash', a glass fell to the ground and shattered. Red wine splashed up, instantly staining the hem of Victoria's dress. The rich aroma of wine filled the air.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, my lady! I... I didn't do it on purpose!" The maid looked terrified, apologizing profusely. Before Victoria could react, the maid knelt down and started trying to wipe her dress.

Her efforts only made it worse. The wine stain spread into a large, even more noticeable blotch.

Victoria's eyes darkened slightly, her thoughts unreadable.

The maid looked at the growing stain, so scared she was on the verge of tears. Her expression was one of pure disbelief. "My lady this... I... I really didn't mean to. I didn't expect... It's all my fault, I ruined your dress, I..."

Seeing Victoria's prolonged silence, the maid grew anxious. When their eyes met, she had the unnerving feeling of being seen through.

But she had already come this far!

The maid gritted her teeth, steeled herself, and stood up. With tears in her eyes, she slapped herself hard across the face!

"I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!"

With that, she raised her hand to slap herself again.

Victoria caught her wrist, her gaze calm, her expression neutral. "It's fine. It wasn't entirely your fault."

"My lady, let me take you to change into something else," the maid said guiltily.

Victoria didn't answer right away.

The maid's hands clenched nervously as she watched Victoria's expression. Just as her patience was wearing thin and she was about to ask again, Victoria finally nodded.

"Deliberately having someone ruin my dress to lure me here... among the people I know, you're the only one who would resort to such a ridiculously stupid tactic." Victoria turned back slowly, a faint, mocking smile on her lips as she looked at Genevieve.

Genevieve's face darkened, and she gritted her teeth. "Victoria, you think you're so smart, don't you? So what if you knew I tricked you into coming here? You still came, didn't you?! I guess you're not as smart as you think!"

"I came here because there was something I couldn't figure out, no matter how much I thought about it." Victoria advanced on her, stopping right in front of her.

Genevieve froze. Meeting Victoria's scrutinizing gaze, she felt an inexplicable wave of guilt and took half a step back. "Wh-what?"

"That night, you said I wouldn't be Miss Sanger for much longer. That once Garnett died, my grandfather would have no reason to support me anymore." Victoria's pace was slow and deliberate, yet it seemed to carry an invisible pressure.

"S-so what! Was I wrong?!"

"On its own, that statement isn't wrong. But isn't it quite a coincidence? Right after you said that, something happened to my father."

"Did Victoria find out I was the one who called Harry?" No, that's impossible! She had used a burner phone, and Harry had never even seen her. How could Victoria have found out!

At that thought, Genevieve denied it outright. "I don't know what you're talking about! Even if I said those things, it was just out of anger! What proof do you have that there was a problem with Garnett's medical parole—"

"I didn’t tell you there was a problem with my father's medical parole!" Victoria's expression turned glacial as she cut her off with a sharp retort.

Genevieve's face went white.