Chapter 391

Richard Montgomery stood organizing files in his study. He rose to pour himself a drink. His cigarette accidentally dropped onto the expensive carpet. It immediately began smoldering.

He tried stamping out the small flame. But it spread rapidly instead. The fire quickly consumed everything flammable around it. Wooden furniture. Bookshelves. Piles of documents. Even the heavy drapes.

“Help!” Richard shouted desperately. “Fire! Somebody help!”

He suddenly remembered an critical contract hidden in the shelves. Three months of relentless negotiations would be destroyed. He had to save it.

Richard charged through the flames toward the shelf. His sleeve caught fire. The heat seared his skin.

“Aargh!”

He cried out in agony and stumbled back. Frantically, he beat at his burning clothing.

The contract was moments from being incinerated. It would be lost forever.

Suddenly, a slender figure burst into the room.

“Father, get out!” Someone shoved him forcefully into the hallway. The figure dashed past him into the inferno.

It was Victoria!

Victoria actually ran into the burning study!

“Victoria! Come back! Get out!” Richard yelled while extinguishing his sleeve.

She ignored his shouts completely.

Flames engulfed the entire room. Bookshelves groaned and collapsed around her. Burning volumes crashed at her feet.

She pushed forward relentlessly. Her target was the deepest shelf.

Victoria snatched the contract from its hiding place. She also grabbed the laptop from the desk.

A massive bookshelf cracked loudly overhead. It plummeted directly toward her.

“Victoria!” Richard screamed. He tried rushing back inside.

But it was too late. The heavy shelf slammed down onto Victoria with crushing force.

“Argh!”

She was pinned beneath the burning wreckage.

Maids finally arrived with fire extinguishers. They battled the blaze furiously. Several minutes passed before the last ember died.

Richard and the staff heaved the shelf off her. Victoria’s clothes were charred. Soot blackened her face. Deep cuts marred her arms.

Yet she lay protectively cradling the contract and laptop. Despite her severe injuries, the documents were completely unharmed.

Richard’s eyes stung with emotion. “Victoria! Why… why would you be so reckless?!”

“My Victoria! Oh, my poor girl!” Eleanor Kensington helped lift Victoria from the debris. She carried her out carefully.

Victoria moaned painfully as consciousness flickered. She lay limp in Eleanor’s arms, dazed and confused. Her voice emerged as a strained whisper. “The contract… Father’s contract…”

Though barely audible, her sole concern was the document.

Eleanor’s heart clenched at the raw worry in her voice. “The contract is safe. You saved it,” she soothed. “Don’t speak now… The doctor is coming.” Victoria relaxed hearing this. Her eyes fluttered shut as darkness took her.