The corner of Victoria's frozen lips twitched. She forced out a polite smile as she walked toward Benjamin.She asked, "What made you come here, Benjamin?"Benjamin frowned slightly when he heard her words and replied, "I'm not even allowed to visit you now?"Victoria was quick to sense the note of jealousy in his tone.She shook her head and said, "Of course you can!"She looked up at Benjamin with glinting eyes as she murmured, "I'm happy that you're here, Benjamin."Benjamin's icy demeanor lessened slightly as he saw that Victoria only had eyes for him.He could easily let Victoria off, but he wouldn't be as generous to someone who was trying to steal his woman away.He walked past Victoria toward Asher.Asher could feel Benjamin's piercing gaze on him. He stepped back fearfully with a hint of panic.Victoria's gaze followed Benjamin. She raised her brow when she saw how Asher was acting.Benjamin picked up the portrait that Asher had accidentally dropped on the ground an
Asher looked at the way Benjamin had pulled Victoria back. His lips formed a silent 'O' before running away swiftly.Soon enough, only Victoria and Benjamin were left in the room.…Asher was still looking shocked outside of the room.How frightening!Asher patted his chest before arching his neck to look into the room.He asked, "What's going on between Ms. Victoria and Mr. Harper? Did they know each other from the outside world?""They don't!""No!"Silas and Wendy denied it in unison.Asher stared at the two of them in obvious disbelief.Ruby, who was standing at the side, added, "Everything Ms. Victoria is doing is for the bigger picture of the Hughes clan."Wendy immediately agreed and said, "She's right. Ms. Frost repeatedly urged us not to offend Mr. Harper before she left."Even though we don't know for what reason, Ms. Victoria is sacrificing herself for the greater good!"Asher replied, "Mr. Harper is rich and handsome. Countless young ladies from the noble fami
Victoria's finger touched Benjamin's lips, but her wrist was held by him.She did not struggle but instead looked at him with a smile.She replied, "Because this is useful against you. Do you not like it anymore, Benjamin?"How could he not like it?Victoria's lips curled upward, and even her eyes were smiling.She was confident that she had Benjamin right under her control.She was self-assured and unscrupulous.Benjamin narrowed his eyes and easily carried her over to sit on his lap. He then placed his other hand on the back of her head and leaned in to kiss her hard.Victoria smiled and wrapped her arms around Benjamin's neck cooperatively.Benjamin kissed her harder. His arms tightened around her body.The sounds of their kissing and their heavy breathing could be heard in the quiet room.Victoria leaned against Benjamin's chest as she breathed in laboriously. Her cheeks were flushed red.She could hear Benjamin's heartbeat alongside her own beside her ear.Victoria re
Victoria raised her eyebrows. She looked straight at Benjamin's muscular chest."Are you trying to make me forget what I saw by replacing my memory?"She was excited and not the slightest bit shy. "How long should I look?"It wasn't because Victoria was unabashed. Victoria and Benjamin were legally married. They had done everything a married couple would do after moving in together.She could not feel any sense of embarrassment from just looking at his chest.Benjamin looked at Victoria as she stared straight at him. Her gaze was brazen.Victoria seemed unaffected, but Benjamin could feel himself heat up with her gaze."If you want to see, you can look at me. My body is in much better shape than everyone else."Besides, I'm wealthier than Asher. Asher's wealth comes from his father, whereas all my money is mine alone."Everything that is mine is yours. I'll even give you a mountain of gold if you want me to."Victoria laughed out loud. "I know. You're much better than Asher.
On the day of the foal's tenth-day celebration banquet, Wendy woke Victoria up.After spending a long time getting ready, Wendy looked at Victoria through the mirror. Wendy's eyes shined."Victoria, you'll be the most beautiful woman there. You'll definitely outshine Roxy."What?Victoria frowned and took off the heavy gold jewelry on her head.She rubbed her neck and said, "That's so heavy! It's too heavy. I can't wear that. My neck is already aching from the weight."Victoria could feel a headache coming at the thought of wearing such heavy jewelry for the whole day.Wendy did not see anything wrong with the situation. "It looks good. The gold jewelry makes you look wealthy.""What would you think if you saw a girl attending a banquet with a head full of gold jewelry?""I would think it's a waste of money. It would also make her look unsophisticated and ugly."Wendy immediately continued, "However, commoners clothing would not be suitable for such gold jewelry."The women
Victoria watched as the butler walked up and guided the way. She lowered her curtains.Quickly, the carriage was well on its way.Wendy sat opposite Victoria and lifted the curtains once again to look outside.After a while, she lowered the curtains and looked at Victoria.Her voice was soft as she whispered excitedly, "Ms. Victoria, all the carriages are headed toward the small house opposite the paddock. However, our carriage is entering the paddock directly."Victoria lifted the curtains again. She just so happened to see a vehicle carrying around seven to eight girls out of the house.The vehicle looked quite similar to a golf buggy. However, the buggy was made of wood, not steel.The buggy had six wheels, and they were all made of wood.It had beautiful engravings on it and had been painted thoroughly. It looked so exquisite to the point that it looked like it could have been a museum treasure.A woman sitting in the driver's seat was turning the steering wheel. Next to t
The tour took around half an hour."Other people's paddocks are just plain and simple. Not only does my paddock have a race track, but it also comes with an archery range and a football field."You can carry out every activity you can think of here. There are a few mountains behind the paddock. They also belong to my family."During spring or autumn, we can go hunting. Right now, we can go and pick fruits."The scenery is also beautiful. Those dignitaries in the Hughes clan like to come to my place often to play around."Wendy marveled at the place. "No wonder Mr. Chadler's so wealthy. You and your family are amazing!"Wendy sincerely gave Asher a thumbs up. Her expression shined with genuine respect."The fact that the paddock is well received in the Hughes clan definitely has something to do with Mr. Chadler's greatness. Your paddock is large and beautiful. It's also unique."No to mention these buggies. The Hughes clan also uses carriages, yet you have gold buggies in your p
Asher gave a short explanation before leaving in the buggy hurriedly.Wendy watched as the gold buggy sped away. She looked at Victoria and murmured, "I wonder what happened. He's acting as if the sky has fallen."If it weren't for her situation, Wendy would have secretly followed Asher to see what had happened.Silas said, "Ms. Victoria, he took the buggy. What are we supposed to do?"Victoria was not worried. "When he reaches where he needs to be, the buggy will return to fetch us. I'm not in a rush anyway."Victoria pursed her lips and pointed at the black horse. "Just now, Asher said that that horse looked like Ms. Frost's old horse. I want to go in to take a look."Wendy disagreed. "You'll need to attend the banquet later. It'll be alright if it was Silas and me, but what would you do if the smell sticks to you?""Ask someone to bring us some smocks."Victoria asked someone to open the gate to the stables.Due to Asher's orders before he left, Victoria, Silas, and Wendy c
Victoria saw that Benjamin wasn't looking like he was kidding at all. She placed both of her hands on his chest and turned her head away when he leaned in to kiss her.She then pushed him away hard and changed the topic by saying, "I heard that Solomon was beaten up in his own house last night."Benjamin chuckled lowly and said, "There's no use changing the topic."As he was talking, he arched his neck and pressed his lips near Victoria's ear.Victoria's ears, especially her helix, were extremely sensitive. She subconsciously pulled her hands back and covered her ears with her palms.Benjamin took the chance to wrap his arms around Victoria's waist and pulled her close to him. His face was close to hers.Victoria could feel Benjamin's burning desire as she was pressed down onto his lap. She now knew better than to struggle.This was just shooting herself in the foot!It wasn't that she didn't know what he was like, but she just had to stir him up.Victoria felt uneasy when she
Victoria used her other hand to support her cheek as she blinked.She said, "How could someone who dislikes wasting words and unnecessary chatter nag endlessly over just a small wound?"Benjamin coldly asked, "Are you complaining that I'm long-winded and annoying now?"He looked aggrieved, as if he would be angry if Victoria were to answer "yes".Victoria laughed out loud again and replied, "I'm not!"She used her finger to poke at Benjamin's cheek.She was smiling when she asked, "Are you madly in love with me, Benjamin?"Benjamin looked at Victoria seriously as he crouched by her legs.If it was before this, he would've nodded and replied "of course" without hesitation. But now …Benjamin couldn't be as confident and sure when he recalled Wendy's previous words.Victoria didn't think much of it and took Benjamin's silence as affirmation.She continued, "I'm thinking that you're definitely madly in love with me. That is why you're so heartbroken and reacted abnormally even
"Where are we heading to now, Ben and Mrs. B? Why are the people here so weird? Why are they dressed up as if they're in a period drama?"What is this place? Why are the both of you here?"Yves was back to his lively self as soon as he got into the carriage. He started asking endless questions."You regained your memories now, Ben? I knew you'd never forget about Mrs. B no matter what. Even if you did, you'd definitely remember everything as soon as you saw Mrs. B!"Yves gushed on. It took him a good while to realize that Benjamin's expression had changed. Even the atmosphere in the carriage became strange.He asked, "Did I say something wrong?"Wendy laughed dryly and replied, "He's not as deeply in love with Victoria as you think he is. He didn't remember anything."Yves laughed awkwardly before pursing his lips.He started to butter Victoria up."How did you know Ben is here, Mrs. B? How did you find—"Victoria pursed her lips and glanced at Gwen who was driving in the fro
Yves stared at Anna. She started out mumbling, and her voice grew louder toward the end.He looked confused. "Ben, Mrs. B, what is she talking about?"He was sure she was speaking the same language but couldn't, for the life of him, understand what she meant.Upon listening to Anna, Wendy immediately felt she was too quick to agree to Yves' request because of the money. She wanted to push him aside.However, he was in a sorry state with his limp. His face was visibly thinner than before, and his eyes weren't as bright as they used to be. She found herself sympathizing with him.Victoria pressed her lips together, and her brows creased further.Benjamin turned to Silas. "Go and get Asher!"Anna didn't dial back on her arrogance. "Great idea. I'm looking for him, too."There was a horse race today, yet he locked me up in that cabin! I have a score to settle with him!"Victoria recalled Asher leaving the stables urgently during the day and had a hunch about what happened."If yo
Yves looked up with teary eyes and could vaguely make out Benjamin's sour face.He rubbed his eyes with all his might. Benjamin's face slowly became clear to him as his vision cleared."It's really you, Ben! Oh, Ben!"He was pleasantly surprised, as though he finally had someone to rely on. He teared up in excitement.The next moment, he became aggrieved again. He was just like a three-year-old who was bullied by a stray cat.He cried, "You're here, Ben. Why didn't you ask someone to look for me? You've no idea what I've experienced."I've been locked away in that shabby cabin and almost lost it. I miss you so freaking much!"Benjamin looked less sour now. He took out his handkerchief that he brought along wherever he went.He passed it to Yves, who had tears and snot all over his face. "Clean up. You're a grownup man, you know. Look at you."With one hand taking the handkerchief, Yves clung onto Victoria with the other.Benjamin stared at his hand that was holding onto her.
Asher felt his heart shatter. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I've already gifted it to someone else!"The person in charge felt his heart ache, too. "I wanted to inform you when you arrived, but you told me to talk to you after the race."You've always said that horse has a character and that you like it, no? I never expected you to give it away."Who did you give it to? Could you, perhaps, buy it back from him?"Asher was dispirited. "I can't."He waved it off and continued, "Forget about it. It belongs to someone else now."I'd been obliging to its every wish for all the time it had been here. Still, it never obeyed me."It's intelligent and chooses its own master. I can't tame it. It's no better than an average horse to me."Tell those who witnessed that incident that they shouldn't talk about it to anyone. You may leave."The person in charge glanced at him. Bowing, he acknowledged the instruction he received and left.Asher looked toward Sebastian and sighed dejectedly
Silas and Wendy immediately hurried over in excitement when they heard they were going to split the winnings.Wendy, who wasn't the best in maths, counted gleefully, "We bet one thousand gold coins. As the odds are at one to 246, we'll get … ten thousand, 200 thousand … 244600 gold coins. Am I right?"She surprised herself when she said that out loud. She and Silas exchanged glances and started hopping about in delight.That was a lot of gold coins! They were rich!"Ten percent of 244600 gold coins would amount to roughly 24 thousand gold coins, so 20 percent would make it about 50 thousand. Victoria—"Silas and Wendy were already dizzy. Turning to them, Victoria instructed, "Give us a moment, and take Onyx with you.""You …" Silas looked at her suspiciously. Was she planning to keep all the money to herself?She gave him a warning glare, and he and Wendy obediently led Onyx away.They shouldn't offend their moneybag right now.Victoria looked at Asher. "That's over 240 thousa
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound. It was a teenager who was around 15 years old. Not bothering to keep up his image, he sat on the floor and clung to Sebastian's leg.Besides him, many others were standing around Sebastian. They all looked at Sebastian pitifully.Asher loudly asked the one kneeling, "Just look at you, Troy Lancaster! What happened to your enthusiasm?"It's only a meager sum. Do you really have to react this way?"Troy Lancaster? He was the Lancaster family's youngest son, Sebastian's younger maternal cousin.Victoria had a photographic memory. She saw his name when she skimmed through the log book earlier.He had bet 500 silver coins, which wasn't the least of all. It wasn't a hefty sum either, considering who he was.The Lancasters had very conflicting approaches in his upbringing. His mother pampered him, while his father was very strict toward him because he thought he was spoiled.Judging from his reaction, he must've been greedy and impulsivel
Once Roxy left, several women with ill intentions who criticized Victoria earlier became uneasy. They came up with excuses and left one after another.As the drama ended, everyone calmed down. Some were listless, while some were feeling down.There were also a few who approached Victoria, among whom were mainly men. They earnestly introduced themselves.Benjamin scanned the men who surrounded Victoria and somehow felt betrayed. Glowering, he seemed about to fly off the handle.His glare was too harsh, and many retreated after a short exchange with Victoria. She studied those who resolutely remained beside her.Compared to people from the outside world, the clan members had less desire for material possessions.Those who stood their ground didn't feel displeased at losing a hefty sum in the bet. They also withstood the pressure Benjamin's glare exuded.It was fair to say they were the best among the best.They were from decent families and had been receiving proper education sin