Chapter 272

Victoria had overheard Alexander and Vivian's conversation earlier, but she never expected it to come to light so quickly.

Margaret tightened her grip on Victoria's arm, her voice laced with urgency. "Victoria, you can't back down now. The title of Mrs. Blackwood isn't just about status—it's power, wealth, everything!"

Her eyes gleamed with greed, a feral edge creeping into her expression. "Leave Vivian Prescott to me. I'll make sure she regrets ever crossing you."

After her outburst, Victoria gingerly touched the bandages on her face, her jaw clenched in fury.

"Of course I won't give up," she hissed. "No one takes what's mine. I'll destroy anyone who tries."

Venom dripped from her words, her mind already spinning dark schemes.

"Vivian Prescott thinks she's untouchable? Let's see how she handles Eleanor Kingsley."

Alexander drove away from the hospital in a daze, his mind numb.

The road blurred before him, his thoughts consumed by Victoria's confession.

She was the one who ruined Evelyn's face.

A bitter laugh escaped him.

How ironic.

His luxury car eventually rolled to a stop outside an aging apartment complex.

He climbed the stairs mechanically, stepping into a unit frozen in time.

This had been Evelyn's home before her death. He'd purchased it at an exorbitant price, clinging to the remnants of her existence.

Three years had passed, yet he couldn't bring himself to let go.

The space remained untouched, a shrine to his guilt.

When the weight of regret became unbearable, he came here—or to her grave, whispering apologies to cold stone.

Futile.

Pointless.

His gaze swept over the empty living room, memories flooding back.

This was where he'd first seen Evelyn's scars.

Where she'd collapsed at his feet, begging for mercy while he mocked her.

Where he'd flushed her painkillers down the toilet and ripped the bandages from her wounds.

Evelyn, did it hurt?

Was I always this cruel to you?

A hollow chuckle escaped him as he picked up her diary, fingers tracing the familiar handwriting.

Between these pages, he found proof of her love—his only solace, however fleeting.

He stayed there for hours, ignoring every call.

Night fell before he finally stirred, his phone buzzing again.

Blackwood Estate.

Assuming it was his grandfather, he answered—only to be met with his mother's shrill voice.

"Alexander! Where have you been? Victoria is in crisis, and you're ignoring her?"

His grip tightened on the phone. "Crisis?"

"Her face is ruined! Do you understand how devastating that is for a woman?"

He nearly laughed.

Before he could hang up, her tone shifted.

"Come home. Now. We have a... special guest waiting."

The sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable.

When she revealed the visitor's identity, his brows lifted.

Within minutes, he was speeding back to the estate.