CHAPTER 107: CHAPTER 107: VICTORIA SINCLAIR INITIATES A KISS WITH EUGENE VAUGHN

After a long while, Eugene Vaughn put down his hands, stood up, and with his back to Victoria Sinclair, his hoarse voice was exceptionally gentle, "I’ll go make the salty dumplings you like."

"Eugene." Victoria’s voice carried a hint of annoyance and helplessness, "I beg you, please don’t do this."

It was as if Eugene didn’t hear her; he left the room directly, closing the door lightly.

Victoria took a deep breath, raised her hand, and used her teeth to gently bite the knot of the tie on her wrist.

Eugene hadn’t tied it tightly, and the tie was soon bitten loose.

Victoria searched around his room, hoping to find a laptop or a spare phone.

She opened a drawer and didn’t find a spare phone, but discovered a teddy bear hair tie in the cabinet.

She froze, a wave of inexplicable unease surging in her heart.

How could this hair tie be here?

It was the one she had lost.

She remembered searching for it for a long time in the living room, Eugene knew too, but he never mentioned it.

Feeling baffled, Victoria put the teddy bear hair tie back in the drawer, left the room, and headed straight for the front door.

The door was locked from the outside, and she couldn’t turn it open.

Noises of Eugene busying himself wafted from the kitchen.

Victoria walked toward the kitchen, stood at the doorway, and looked at Eugene’s broad, upright back as he kneaded rice dough on the island counter, moving with skillful concentration.

The key to the door must be on him.

To get the key, she had to get close to him.

After kneading the dough, Eugene washed his hands clean and pulled out a paper towel to wipe them dry.

At this moment, Victoria walked briskly toward him, mustered the courage, and hugged his waist from behind.

Eugene placed the towel on the counter, his warm hands gently touching Victoria’s wrist, tenderly pulling it apart, his voice magnetic and hoarse, "How did you undo it?"

Eugene held her wrist, turned to face her.

In an unexpected moment, Victoria clung to his shoulders, stood on tiptoe, closed her eyes, and kissed the corner of his lips.

Eugene was taken aback, stunned, squinting with a deep gaze.

Seeing his lack of reaction, Victoria hurriedly stepped back.

The man’s eyes reflected disappointment, "The first time you take the initiative with me, I thought... Ha! I didn’t expect your purpose was just to escape, to leave me."

Feeling guilty and uneasy, Victoria swallowed nervously, gazing at his reddened eyes, and softly explained, "I really have a lot of things to handle, you can’t keep me locked up."

Eugene laughed bitterly, "If you hadn’t been avoiding me, why would I be this extreme?"

Victoria felt remorse for disappearing for a week, filled with guilt, "I’m sorry, Eugene, I really know I was wrong, I won’t suddenly vanish again. When I finish my tasks outside, I’ll come home in the evening."

Eugene took the key back from her hand, his intense eyes calmly gazing at her, and softly asked, "Is there something you think I shouldn’t know about?"

Meeting Eugene’s disappointed gaze, Victoria felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.

After pondering for a moment, she thought she had to use another way to break free from him, "After lunch, come with me to the hospital."

Eugene looked her over, tense and worried, "What’s wrong with you?"

Feeling embarrassed, Victoria said in a small voice, "I want to get an appointment with the gynecologist for a check-up."

Eugene’s gaze darkened, an indistinguishable dimness flickering beneath the surface, as if clouds obscured the stars.

Without further questions, he exhaled lightly and released her hand, "Alright."

Victoria watched his feigned calmness, her heart ached bitterly, "Why won’t you ask what I’m going to check?"

It seemed as though Eugene didn’t hear her question, turning to slice radishes, "Wait outside for a moment, it’ll be ready soon."

Victoria could see he was pretending to be calm.

The more he acted like this, the more it hurt her heart.

Their divorce was imminent, and Victoria hadn’t planned on discussing this with him.

But he just kept avoiding it, pretending ignorance as if nothing ever happened.

Why on earth was he doing this?

Determined, Victoria pursued, "I’m going to see a gynecologist, don’t you really care what illness I might have?"

Eugene set the knife down, propped his hands on the cutting board, and in a lowered, cold voice said, "Victoria, I don’t want to know. After lunch, I’ll take you to the hospital."

"Eugene, does avoidance really solve the problem?" Victoria mustered her courage, clenched her fists, "By pretending not to know, does that mean it really never happened?"

With his head hanging, Eugene’s broad shoulders felt like they were being weighed down by a mountain, almost making it impossible for him to stand upright, an intimidating cold aura enveloped him, and he gritted his teeth and commanded softly, "Get out."

Victoria’s nose stung, her eyes filled with tears, and her throat was clogged with dry emotion, "Are you afraid to know what secret illness I might have, or afraid to know that I might be pregnant?"

Eugene’s back exuded endless desolation, his voice hoarse with a slight catch, "Victoria, are you trying to drive me mad?"

Victoria’s heart ached slightly, risking the chance he might strangle her, she asked, "If I were pregnant, would you still pretend as if nothing happened, refusing to divorce me?"

Eugene clenched his fist tightly, veins protruding on his hand, an ominous aura enveloped him, dangerously cold.

The air felt solid, stifling with oppressive heat.

In an instant, he straightened up, turned, and clasped Victoria’s arm, his grip so tight it nearly crushed her bones.

Victoria winced in pain, looking up at him.

As their eyes met with Eugene’s reddened, tear-filled eyes, she was stunned, her chest felt as though it was squeezed by a weighty rock, a dull ache washed over her like tides.

Eugene’s handsome face was filled with despair, his reddened eyes mixed with intense hatred, the anger he forcefully repressed deepened his voice like sandpaper, "He just returned to the country not long ago, and you’ve already been entangled with him?"