Chapter 784

Our partnership with Victory Group was finally set in stone. I’d been worried at first that Edward might try to put a stop to it, but he never brought it up or tried to interfere. Honestly, he showed a lot of class about the whole thing.

Our company just took another big step forward, so I decided to take three days off. I told Edward I wanted to head back to Hachester and take my daughter out for some fun.

Edward was totally cool with it. He didn’t even ask to tag along–just said he’d be heading back to Braylin himself for a few days.

I suspected he was going back to Braylin to stop Ryan from transferring.

‘Did I really start the arguments in the Jennings?’ I wondered.

Just thinking about it made me nervous. If I really made them turn against each other, would Jeffrey Jennings still let me stay?

My mind was in turmoil when Vivian called me out of the blue.

At that moment, I was driving on the highway back to Hachester. I put on my Bluetooth headset and heard Vivian say, “Ryan just got divorced. Is he coming to see you?”

“Aunt Vivian, what’s going on?” I didn’t answer her question, just asked what was happening.

“Victoria, you’re a smart girl. You were the first woman Ryan ever cared about. Who do you think he got divorced for?”

My heart skipped a beat. “Aunt Vivian, do you think it was because of me?” I asked.

“Let’s not sugarcoat it. Honestly, I’m glad Edward likes you—it’s the first time he’s actually serious about a relationship that could go somewhere. But now… I can’t say if you two are truly a good match. The only thing standing between you is Ryan.” Vivian was so clear-headed about it, and there was no blame in her words—she was just calmly weighing the pros and cons with me.

I really appreciated that about her. She was one of the most reasonable adults I knew.

“Aunt Vivian, I’m sorry. I never expected things to get this complicated. I’ll have a proper talk with Edward about it. But what’s going on with Ryan?” Vivian’s sincerity made me bold enough to ask her directly.

“That kid is stubborn as a mule. Even after Jeffrey gave him a couple of beatdowns, he still won’t back down about transferring to Shaville. Edward’s in Braylin right now, trying to sort it out. The whole family’s in chaos. I can’t say who’s right or wrong, but this mess is bad for everyone. Victoria, I’m begging you–no matter what happens, please don’t let things get any worse,” Vivian pleaded sincerely.

My chest felt tight, like someone was choking me and I couldn’t breathe.

‘Is everything really happening this fast? It honestly feels like a storm is about to hit,’ I thought.

‘Should I get ready before the storm actually hits?’ I wondered.

I was honestly thankful I’d picked my career over getting married back then.

If Edward and I had already tied the knot overseas, everything would probably be in total chaos by now.

“Alright, I promise. And thank you for trusting me, Vivian,” I said softly. As soon as the words left my mouth, Vivian ended the call.

For a moment, everything was silent. I took off my Bluetooth headset and looked up–after the rain, the sun had come out over Hachester, and a massive rainbow was spanning half the sky.

Staring at that rainbow, all the knots in my heart suddenly unraveled.

‘What am I even holding onto?’ I wondered.

If the day ever came when I had to part ways with Edward, all I could do was walk away peacefully.

Back in Hachester, I didn’t tell a soul. I just headed straight to the school gate and waited outside to pick up Yvonne.

“Victoria…” I heard a man’s voice behind me–Jared.

I turned to see Jared standing there.

He strode over with those long legs of his. “What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be off traveling the world with Edward?”

I paused, suddenly remembering that was the story I’d fed Jared before. No wonder he still thought I was off on some grand adventure.

“The trip’s over. I just wanted to come back and spend a few days with my daughter,” I said.

“Did you have fun?” Jared asked, sounding a little resentful.

“Yeah, I did,” I replied.

Jared’s gaze sharpened. “Word is, Ryan just got divorced. So, how much longer do you think you’ll be this happy?”