Fake trust
Twenty minutes later, in the station’s service hall, Mrs. Stone sat with an ice pack pressed to her swollen face. The scratch on her cheek had been cleaned and bandaged, but her eye was turning a spectacular shade of purple.
Victoria stood over her, arms crossed, her voice tight with barely controlled rage. “You’re always causing trouble! Do you have any idea how busy I am? My IPO just got suspended, and now I have to waste time cleaning up your mess!”
Mrs. Stone lowered the ice pack, her voice defensive. “It wasn’t my fault! The security guards insisted I was trespassing! How was I supposed to know they’d call the police?”
“Are you insane?” Victoria’s voice rose. “You broke into someone’s house! What if the owner had been there? What if they’d had a gun? Do you have a death wish?”
“I didn’t break in!” Mrs. Stone protested. She hesitated, glancing at Vincent, who was standing several feet away pretending to be very interested in a bulletin board.
She remembered Vincent had specifically told her not to mention the penthouse yet…he wanted to surprise Victoria. But the situation was too dire now. She had to explain.
“This is all a misunderstanding,” Mrs. Stone blurted out. “That house is actually your wedding home. Vincent bought it for you. For both of you. The keycard is right here She held up the black card. “I just wanted to take a look first, make sure everything was perfect. If anything was missing, I could arrange things ahead of time. Who would’ve thought the door alarm would suddenly go off and bring in a bunch of guards who treated us like thieves?”
Victoria stared at her mother, then slowly turned to Vincent “What house is she talking about? What wedding home? Why don’t I know about this?”
Vincent’s face had gone from pale to gray. He hadn’t expected Mrs. Stone’s foolish enthusiasm to take his offhand words so seriously. That keycard he’d given her was just something he’d picked up from a cheap motel weeks ago …a random card he’d found in his jacket pocket. He’d never magined she’d actually try to use it.
Afraid his lie would be exposed, Vincent forced a laugh and quickly snatched the card from Mrs. Stone’s hand. “ No, no, it’s not your fault at all! It’s mine!”
Victoria’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Vincent, what is going on?”
“I was too impatient that day,” Vincent said quickly, his mind racing. “I gave her the card before I’d even registered it with the property office. That’s why it wouldn’t work.” He shook his head with exaggerated frustration. “The property management is so rigid and unhelpful. I’ll have my assistant deal with those incompetent guards first thing tomorrow morning.”
Mrs. Stone’s face brightened with relief. “Oh! So it was just. I see. I was too impatient too, wasn’t I? I should have Waited.”
Worried about appearing vain or troublesome in front of her future son–in–law, she hurriedly waved her hand in a magnanimous gesture, “No, no, Vincent, please don’t be too hard on the security guards. It was just a misunderstanding. They were only doing their jobs.”
She forced a few awkward laughs despite her swollen face. Actually, now that I think about it, the fact that I ended up here just proves how diligent and responsible the are! Once you two move in, I won’t have to worry about your safety at all.” She smiled through the pain. “We, that’s the difference with an expensive house… pricey, but definitely worth it for the security!”
Victoria’s expression slowly shifted from suspicion to somthing softer. She looked at Vincent, a shy smile touching her lips. “You really bought us a house? You kept such a big thing from me?”
1/2
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Vincent pulled her close, his voice dropping to something tender. “I didn’t want you distracted by trivial matters. All you need to do is focus on your career and your success. Let me handle everything else.”
Victoria’s eyes glistened. “Vincent… that’s so thoughtful.”
Mrs. Stone watched them with satisfaction, then suddenly straightened despite her injuries. “Oh! That reminds me …today was supposed to be your bell–ringing ceremony! How did it go? I’m so sorry I missed it!”
Victoria’s expression transformed instantly. The softness vanished, replaced by cold fury. She pulled away from Vincent, her jaw clenched tight. “Don’t even bring it up.”
Mrs. Stone blinked in confusion. “What happened?”
Victoria’s voice shook with rage. “That bastard Adrian stabbed me in the back. He colluded with outsiders to frame me. He stole my listing qualification and gave it to some bankrupt nobody he’s sleeping with. And now he’s trying to destroy my entire company.”
Mrs. Stone looked to Vincent for confirmation, her hand flying to her chest in shock.
Vincent nodded gravely, but then his eyes lit up with the sudden opportunity that if he should save her now, when everyone else completely abandoned her, she will be mine completely. He pulled Victoria close again, his voice filled with determination. “Don’t be upset, darling. Leave this to me. I’ll make sure no one destroys your company. I have connections too…powerful connections. We’ll fight this.”
Victoria looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. “You really think you can fix this?”
“I promise you,” Vincent said confidently. “Trust me.”
Victoria threw her arms around him, completely missing the flicker of desperation in his eyes.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
