The Abandoned Wife Dumped Him First (Victoria and Elias) novel Chapter 343

Grady’s lips formed a tight line. He met Victoria’s gaze, hesitated for a moment, then finally stood up. “Elias Shawn, my apologies. I was worried and jumped to conclusions.”

Victoria looked up at him and added her own thank you.

At their words, the boy merely shot them an expressionless glance, said nothing, and strode past Grady.

For a moment, Victoria felt an intimidatingly cold presence emanating from him, sending an unexpected shiver down her spine in the warm summer morning.

In the end, Grady was still too worried about Victoria’s injury. He swapped his speaking slot with a classmate and carried her to the infirmary to have her ankle checked.

The doctor pressed on her swollen ankle a couple of times, causing Victoria to wince. “Ahh! Doctor, please be gentle! It hurts so much!”

Grady, ever the protective brother, heard her cries and felt a mix of anger and heartache. “Doctor, please be a little gentler. My sister can’t handle pain.”

“If she can’t handle pain, then why was she walking around on an ankle this swollen? Let’s see if you dare do it again,” the doctor said, half-exasperated, half-amused, as she applied a new medicated patch to Victoria’s ankle. “Alright. If you don’t want to end up in a wheelchair, you’ll stay home and rest properly for the next few days. No more walking around.”

With that, the doctor left.

Only Grady and Victoria remained in the small infirmary room.

“Does it still hurt?” Grady asked, seeing her pale face.

It hurt. It hurt like hell. But Victoria was afraid of worrying Grady, so she forced herself to endure it. “Not as much anymore.”

Grady let out a small sigh of relief, but then his expression suddenly darkened as he remembered. He enunciated each word, his voice tight with anger. “Victoria, tell me yourself. In the car and in the classroom, what did you promise me?”

Victoria guiltily pressed her lips together. Seeing Grady’s frown, she knew he was truly angry. Her own lips trembled, and she reached out a hand pitifully, wanting to take his and plead her case.

“Grady… I was wrong.”

“Don’t. You’re the jewel of the Sanger family. How could you ever be wrong? I’m the one who’s wrong,” Grady said irritably. He wanted to pull his hand away but couldn’t bring himself to be harsh, which only made him angrier.

“Grady, my dearest Grady, I’m so sorry. I really know I was wrong, and I’ll never do it again. If you’re afraid dad will find out and punish you, you can hit me to let off some steam. I’ll plead with dad for you, I promise I won’t let him hurt you, okay?”

Victoria repeated the name in her heart, committing it to memory. She thought she would find a chance to thank him in person again someday.

On that seemingly ordinary, mild morning, Victoria naively thought she had simply encountered a boy even more striking than her brother. At that time, she could never have predicted that the name ‘Elias,’ once imprinted on her mind, would span twelve long years to be deeply engraved upon her heart. That single glance became an image that lingered in her memory, impossible to forget.

***

A sharp pang shot through her chest, pulling Victoria back to the present. The memory of the boy in the white shirt and black trousers merged with the Elias before her now.

When she had reached out to push him, she had already been leaning slightly forward. Holding that position, she could feel the muscles in her arm and lower back beginning to ache from the strain.

Victoria pursed her lips. Seeing that the man’s eyes were still closed, as if he were sound asleep, she tried again to twist her wrist and pull her hand free.

Suddenly!

The man’s dark eyes flew open. His large hand seized her wrist and yanked. Before she could react, he pulled her into his arms, then rolled over, pinning her beneath him—