Who else but the Turner family would save a murderer? Victoria couldn't think of anyone else.
But who would have guessed that after saving him, they would end up silencing him for good! She should have known that, given the Turner family's venomous nature, killing to cover up their tracks would be their best option.
Now everything was ruined. Not only had she lost her last clue, but her investigation into the culprit had also alerted the Turner family. If they discovered that she knew the truth, would she be next? The sudden realization made her heart race, and she couldn't calm down for a long time. But no matter what, she had to bear the consequences alone. She couldn't let her adoptive parents find out.
After her three-day break, she returned to work. To avoid drawing the Turner family's attention, she spent her days either working or visiting her adoptive mother in the hospital, making sure to stay out of their sight.
She also strictly followed the doctor's advice to abstain from alcohol and get adequate rest for a month. Secretly, she spent a significant amount of money hiring a new private investigator to look into her adoptive parents' car accident.
A month passed quietly.
She took some time to go for a follow-up checkup at the hospital, and the results showed everything was fine.
After Victoria left the hospital, Leo received a call from the hospital.
"Mr. Carter, Miss Kingsley has had an ultrasound. The fetus is over two months old and developing very well."
"Didn't she show signs of a miscarriage? Delivering food every day won't affect her?" Leo asked.
"Miss Kingsley grew up in the countryside and is in excellent physical condition. She isn't as fragile as most pregnant women," the doctor replied.
"Got it."
Despite Victoria's constant hustle and bustle every day, she never expected that it would affect her unborn child. But contrary to her worries, everything seemed fine.
Velvet Club.
As the night deepened, the club began to fill up. Under the dazzling lights and flowing drinks, young men and women, exhausted from their work, indulged themselves without restraint. Some swayed on the dance floor, while others drowned in their glasses, seeking a temporary escape from reality.
Watching this scene, Victoria couldn't help but sigh. If it weren't for the Turner family's deliberate harm to her foster parents, she would have taken her money back home to open a bar or a grocery store, living a simple and peaceful life.
Around ten o'clock at night, as Victoria was taking a breather in a corner, her walkie-talkie crackled to life.
"Sister Victoria, Sister Victoria, come to the men's restroom quickly. Young Master Harper is asking for you."
"The men's restroom? Get lost! Why would I, a woman, go to the men's restroom?" Victoria replied disdainfully, pressing the button on her walkie-talkie.
"Oh, come on, Sister Victoria, you have to come. Young Master Harper specifically asked for you. Don't worry, there's no one in the men's restroom right now," Jack reassured her, knowing her concerns.
"Lucas Harper again! Fine, fine, I'm coming."
With that, Victoria clipped the walkie-talkie to her belt and headed towards the public restroom.
As soon as she reached the men's restroom, a few security guards greeted her immediately.
"Go check it out, Young Master Harper is sprawled over the toilet and won't get up."
"He specifically asked for you."
"Hey, Sister Victoria, you should seize this chance. Who knows, you might go from rags to riches…"
Listening to the teasing from her buddies, Victoria kicked Jack lightly.
"Who are you calling a chicken?"
"Oops, my bad," Jack said with an awkward smile. "Sister Victoria is like a koi fish leaping over the dragon gate."
"Stop talking nonsense. You guys better get back to work before the manager catches us slacking off," she said, waving her hand to send the guys off to patrol the bar.
Walking into the men's restroom, she noticed the first stall was open. Tilting her head, she saw Lucas Harper sitting on the toilet, vomiting into the trash can.
Lucas, the second son of the Harper family from New Orleans, was known for his good looks but also for being a useless playboy and a notorious troublemaker. Mentioning his name often brought ridicule. How did Victoria know him? Well, it was a classic case of "no fight, no friendship."
Not long after Victoria started working at Velvet Club, she saw Lucas bullying Jack. Unable to stand it, she grabbed a bottle from the table, smashed the bottom, and pointed the sharp edge at Lucas.
"Jack is under my protection. Try touching him again, and see what happens!"
Lucas, however, pointed to a bottle of vodka on the table and said, "If you can gulp this bottle in one go, I'll let him go."
Victoria, who had been drinking with her foster father since childhood, had an impressive tolerance for alcohol. She grabbed the bottle of vodka and downed it in one go.
After that, not only did the security team respect her, but even Lucas Harper looked at her differently.
Since then, Lucas often dragged her into drinking games, and over time, they became friends. The security team, impressed by her bold and righteous actions, started calling her "Sister Victoria."
"Ugh..."
Lucas couldn't stop himself from throwing up again.
Victoria felt a wave of nausea as she covered her nose with one hand and tapped Lucas's shoulder with an electric baton in the other.
"Lucas, if you're drunk, just go home. Sitting here and puking is disgusting."
Hearing Victoria's voice, Lucas wiped his mouth with a tissue. His face, usually bright and handsome like a big boy, was now smiling as he reached out to her.
"Come on, give me a hand."
"I'm afraid you'll dirty my hands."
She shook the electric baton with a look of disdain. "Grab this instead."
Lucas obediently grasped the baton, stood up, and walked to the sink. He scooped up some water to rinse his mouth and washed his face.
Victoria crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, watching him.
"Which girl dumped you this time? Look at the state you're in."
Lucas propped his hands on the sink, staring at his disheveled reflection in the mirror.
Suddenly, he smiled and turned his head to look at Victoria.
"Does everyone think I'm a loser?"
His smile carried a hint of bitterness and helplessness.
The sudden seriousness made Victoria uncomfortable. She pulled out a few paper towels and handed them to him.
"If you're not drunk, get out! Uh… hey, Lucas, what are you doing?"
Before she could finish her sentence, Lucas suddenly grabbed her arm and pinned her against the wall.
"Victoria, do you know that you're the only one who's ever treated me differently?"
He was reeking of alcohol, making Victoria feel a bit uncomfortable.
"Victoria, will you be my girlfriend?"
Victoria: "..."
She didn't take Lucas's drunken words seriously at all. Instead, she glared at him.
"Have I not beaten you up recently? Do you need a reminder of who you are?"
"You… you… just look at how ugly you are! I'm not even picky, so why don't you just settle for me?" Lucas mumbled, his words dripping with drunken arrogance.
"Lucas, are you still half-asleep? Do you need me to help you sober up?" Victoria couldn't help but snap at him.
"Ahem..."
At that moment, a cough echoed from the entrance of the men's restroom.
Both of them turned their heads towards the sound.
Victoria's back stiffened, and her eyes widened slightly.
Leo Carter? Why was he here? How could he be here?
But then she remembered that the child she had carried for Leo was no more, and they had no ties left. She quickly adopted an indifferent and cold demeanor.
"Well, well, what a coincidence! Master Carter is here to use the restroom too?"
Lucas maintained his casual posture, one hand propped against the wall and the other in his pocket, as he greeted the suddenly appearing Leo.
The Velvet Club was one of Leo's properties. Although he usually resided in the penthouse, he rarely came down to inspect the place unless he was entertaining business partners.
Who would have thought that today, of all days, he would decide to come down for an inspection, only to catch this woman shamelessly flirting with the useless Lucas?