Not far away, Aurora saw Avery talking to Tyler and could not help but whisper, "It's her."Vicky turned her head to look at Aurora. "Do you know her?"Aurora nodded. "Her name is Avery Yeager. She is Lincoln's fiancee."Vicky furrowed her brow slightly.She had heard rumors about Lincoln's fiancee. Though she did not know the girl's name, she knew she belonged to the prestigious Yeager family, whose background was no less impressive than the Hart family.Rumors had it that Valencia hastily arranged a fiancee for Lincoln who could provide support out of fear that the return of her biological son, Tyler, would threaten Lincoln's position, and Lincoln had accepted the arrangement obediently.Aurora's voice rose again. "Speaking of which, the Yeager family is even more powerful than mine. Being engaged to Lincoln is considered marrying down a class, I suppose. Although the Hart family is also a top-tier aristocratic family, Lincoln's status as an adopted son is somewhat inferior whe
Vicky was a bit puzzled as to why Aurora felt the need to bring this up to her.Seeing Vicky's confusion, Aurora sighed with resignation. "Vicky, I'm sure Tyler's looks must've attracted quite a few admirers, right?"It finally dawned on Vicky what Aurora was getting at. "Are you saying that Avery might develop feelings for Tyler? But she's engaged to Lincoln, right? Would she try to date them both at the same time?""Not necessarily, but if Lincoln intends to break off the engagement with Avery and he gets his way...don't you think Avery might shift her attention to Tyler?" Concerned that Vicky might feel upset, Aurora added, "Of course, this is just what I think. The engagement between Avery and Lincoln might not be easily dissolved. After all, the investment Avery's family has made in Lincoln is significant, and the more they've invested, the harder it is to let go. Avery may have a fondness for handsome men, but she's not the type to dabble with multiple relationships. However,
Instantly, two maids darted toward Vicky from behind Valencia, and one of the maids slapped Vicky across the face.Smack!These maids worked hard labor over the years and were extremely strong, so Vicky's cheek instantly turned swollen.Valencia sneered smugly. "Look around and think twice if this is a place for you to do as you please!"The next instant, Valencia froze because Vicky raised her arm and slapped the maid before her.The maid did not anticipate that Vicky would fight back and collapse onto the ground under the impact.Although the slap was not aimed at Valencia, it still humiliated her.Valencia had met many wealthy and high-ranking heiresses, even some princesses, who all treated her with the utmost respect with the exception of Vicky.'It's because of her that Tyler repeatedly disregarded me, his own mother!' hissed Valencia internally and pointed at Vicky, her anger shaking her voice. "How insolent! How dare you lay your hands on someone? All of you, grab her,
Half an hour of hiding was all Vicky managed before Valencia's men found her.It seemed that Valencia was playing for keeps this time, as the people she sent to find Vicky were all skilled bodyguards.In the face of these professional guards, Vicky had no means of defending herself.Knowing that resistance was futile, Vicky decided not to invite more trouble upon herself.By the lakeside, Valencia stood on the bridge, enjoying the scenic view of the lake.When Vicky was captured and brought back, Valencia sneered. "Weren't you running away? Why did you stop?" Valencia leisurely walked over to Vicky's side, looking down at her from a superior position. "Where do you think you are? Did you really think that you could escape?"Restrained by the bodyguards on either side, Vicky could not move an inch. She remained silent, refusing to speak, and Valencia's gaze turned colder and more contemptuous the longer she looked at her.Normally, Valencia prided herself on her noble status and
"What's going on?" rang a familiar, melodious voice in a tense tone.Vicky jolted and looked up to find Tyler's face before her.Feeling as though she had been burnt by his presence, she instinctively pulled away, yet Tyler held onto her.He pursed his lips in displeasure as he studied her swollen cheeks. "Vicky, what happened here?"At this moment, the bodyguards finally rescued Valencia from the water.Since she had not been in the water for long, she was relatively unharmed, but the shock had caused her heart to ache.The servants, upon seeing her condition, immediately took out the relaxant they carried with them and fed them to Valencia.After taking the medicine, her pallid face gradually regained some color, but her breathing remained rapid.Valencia was drenched from head to toe, with strands of water plants and leaves clinging to her hair, completely losing her elegant and noble image."How dare you?! Damn you! Damn you!" Valencia gnashed her teeth and cursed, her who
Avery approached Valencia, who was still sitting on the ground. "It's cold on the ground. Why don't you get up first?"Valencia's expression darkened slightly. "Avery Yeager?"Valencia took the opportunity to pick on Vicky as Avery went to see Lincoln, knowing that Lincoln would stop her if he found out.She did not raise Tyler, so she was not overly upset that he did not listen to her. However, Lincoln had always been obedient, and the only times he would disobey Valencia were when Vicky was involved.It felt as though her son was being taken away by another woman, and Valencia could not help but resent Vicky because of it.Upon hearing the voice, Vicky turned her head and saw Avery helping Valencia to her feet."Missus Hart, what happened? Why are you so angry?" Avery asked softly.Valencia disliked Avery because of her scandalous past. However, considering that the Yeagers had helped Lincoln on multiple occasions, Valencia maintained frosty civility toward Avery in public des
The smile on Avery's face froze in place. "So, you're saying that you don't want to apologize?""Why should I apologize when I didn't do anything wrong?" Vicky said coldly."Is it not wrong for you to shove Missus Hart into the lake?" Avery asked in surprise."Are you saying that when someone's life is in danger, it is wrong for them to act out of self-defense? Are you saying that if they end up injuring the person who was hurting them, they should apologize?" Vicky retorted.Avery was instantly rendered speechless.As a highly educated noble lady, she could not bring herself to be unreasonable, but Valencia was different.She pointed angrily at Vicky and exclaimed, "Don't think you can get away with some fabricated nonsense, Vicky. I won't let you off the hook today until you're properly punished for your actions. The Harts won't let you off either! And—"Before Valencia could finish her words, Tyler spoke up, "Vicky, apologize to Mother."Vicky was taken aback and looked up a
All heads turned toward the source of the voice.A tall, slender man appeared seemingly out of nowhere.He wore a hat, a mask, and sunglasses that almost obscured his entire face, but one could still make out small red rashes on the exposed skin.As soon as Valencia caught sight of him, her expression changed instantly. She hurriedly approached him, her voice filled with concern. "Lincoln, why are you here? Your injuries haven't fully healed, and you shouldn't expose your face to the wind... Hurry, hurry, go back and rest!"Valencia paid no attention to Vicky and attempted to usher Lincoln away. However, he stood his ground, unmoving. "I heard you fell into the water, so I came to check on you. Are you alright?"Lincoln's concern seemed to greatly please Valencia. "Can't you see that I'm perfectly fine now? There's nothing wrong with me. You don't have to worry about me. Go back and rest."Instead of leaving, Lincoln's gaze shifted toward Vicky. "Vicky," he said, his eyebrows fur