CHAPTER 19: CHAPTER 19: MISS PICK-ME PRETENDS TO FAINT TO BLOCK THE SIGNING

The empty office was so silent that only Victoria Sinclair’s heavy heartbeats could be heard.

Her phone was down to 3% battery, yet she kept agonizing over whether to call Eugene Vaughn.

Even when the phone shut down, she still lacked the courage to dial his number.

Time slipped away like a torrential rain in her heart chamber, the wind was cold, the rain was chilly, and the sky was heavy, an overwhelming sense of helplessness was beyond imagination.

She waited for a full hour.

That was already her utmost limit.

Victoria Sinclair picked up her bag and walked out of the office.

She came to the elevator and pressed the button.

In an instant, the door opened.

The two construction workers inside took a step back, and Victoria Sinclair entered, leaning powerlessly against the wall.

The workers behind her whispered quietly.

"Should’ve recorded it beforehand, just in case she tries to frame us."

"Who would have thought she’d step on that plank with nails? If she’s going to sue, it should be against Vaughn Group, what does it have to do with us?"

"These days, there are all kinds of freaks."

"Who says they’re not? Must’ve been kicked in the head by a donkey."

Ding! The elevator door chimed.

The two workers walked out from behind Victoria Sinclair.

Victoria Sinclair stepped out of the elevator and approached the reception desk, asked in a soft voice, "Hello, may I ask if President Vaughn has left the company?"

The receptionist politely replied, "Yes, an hour ago, President Vaughn hurriedly ran out carrying Miss Miller. Miss Miller has an injury on her foot, and there was blood all over the place."

Combining the conversation she overheard in the elevator, Victoria Sinclair understood everything. She politely replied, "Thank you."

Walking out of the building, the afternoon sun remained bright, but Victoria Sinclair felt a deep gloom in her heart, as she trudged heavily towards the subway station.

As the throng of people passed by on the streets, the city’s noise became irrelevant to her.

Her heart began to ache unreasonably again.

After falling in love with Eugene Vaughn, she realized there is a kind of heartache that isn’t excruciating or unbearable; it’s a subtle dampness corroding the heart, making one feel as if they can’t hold on much longer.

She bought a ticket with cash and boarded the subway. The air conditioning felt cold, and she stood by the door hugging her arms. During the over an hour-long journey, her mind was groggy, and she urgently wanted a warm shoulder to lean on.

However, there was none!

——

At the hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. Miller rushed to the hospital, their expressions anxious.

Eugene Vaughn approached them, "Uncle, Auntie, Vivian is inside undergoing an MRI scan."

Mrs. Miller turned pale with fright, her voice trembling, "What happened to Vivian?"

Mr. Miller was furious, "How did my daughter end up like this when she was just visiting your company?"

Eugene Vaughn looked somber, "She went to the company rooftop to livestream, just when some workers were on duty. She stepped on a nail, and her foot bled a lot."

Mr. Miller looked puzzled, "Why does she need an MRI for a foot injury?"

Eugene explained, "When I got the call and reached the rooftop, she had already fainted. After sending her to the hospital for a thorough check-up, she didn’t lose a lot of blood, didn’t go into shock, her head wasn’t injured, and the wound on her leg has stopped bleeding. She also got a tetanus shot, but she’s in a constant state of sleep, and we can’t wake her."

Mrs. Miller, nervous, asked, "What did the doctor say?"

"The doctor couldn’t reach a conclusion and is conducting a comprehensive examination." Eugene’s tone was cold, with a hint of helplessness. "But I believe she’s probably faking it, that’s why I asked you to come over. I’m heading back to the company now."

Mr. Miller’s face turned dark with anger, grabbing Eugene’s collar, he gritted his teeth and scolded, "My daughter’s life is uncertain, and you’re saying she’s faking it? You grew up with her since childhood and are like a brother to her, do you think this is how you should speak? How dare you leave her like this?"

Eugene gently pushed Mr. Miller’s hand away, "Uncle, I know her too well. If I didn’t treat her as a sister, I would completely ignore her."

Eugene then turned to Mrs. Miller, "Auntie, I’m leaving now. Wait by her bedside and say I’ve already gone. She will naturally wake up when she knows she doesn’t need to pretend anymore."

Mrs. Miller seemed to understand her daughter, nodded awkwardly without much to say.

Eugene swiftly left the hospital, driving back to the company.

Upon returning to the office, Victoria Sinclair was already gone.

He went to the assistant’s room, breathing heavily as he asked, "Where is Victoria Sinclair?"

Assistant Palmer stood up nervously, "President Vaughn, I was busy all the time and didn’t notice."

Eugene turned around, took out his phone, and dialed.

The voice system responded, "The number you have dialed is currently switched off..."

——

The following day.

Victoria Sinclair had been sleeping since last night, staying in the room all night, and woke up at six in the morning. After freshening up, she left the room.

On the coffee table in the living room, there were two brand-new contracts.

She picked them up to have a look.

They were the revised contracts by Eugene Vaughn, drafted according to her suggestions, with most details in her favor. She put the contracts in her backpack, intending to take them back to the company for Angela Austin to review as well.

As usual, she prepared two breakfasts, activated the sweeping and mopping robot, and tossed the dirty clothes into the washer-dryer.

She sat in the living room reading, waiting for Eugene to wake up, wanting to say thanks.

As time ticked by, right after eight o’clock, her phone rang.

Victoria Sinclair picked it up for a glance—it was Angela Austin.

Answering the call, her voice soft, "Good morning, Angela."

Angela’s voice was extremely tense and urgent, "Victoria, come back quick, something’s happened at the company."

Victoria panicked, didn’t ask further questions, hung up immediately, grabbed her bag, and ran outside.

A journey that usually takes ten minutes, she made in five, gasping for breath as she stood at the research institute’s entrance.

Angela accompanied two firefighters out, holding a correction order, speaking with utmost respect, "Rest assured, Firefighters, we will definitely rectify the issues and ensure they’re not repeated next time."

Seeing the firefighters off, Angela heaved a long sigh, and walked up to Victoria, passing her the correction order, "Thankfully, they were minor issues, just need to rectify them."

Victoria looked at the order, "It was just a fire inspection, why did you say something happened? You scared me."

Speechless, Angela snorted coldly, hands on her hips, she exhaled like it took her immense effort to suppress her anger, then slowly spoke, "Clearing the clutter from the fire escape will solve that, but before the fire department arrived, the commerce department came too. The finance department has gone to the tax bureau, saying our taxes might have issues that require thorough investigation. There’s another group inside, they’re even trickier and more troublesome."

Victoria’s heart sank, feeling an overwhelming pressure coming from all directions, definitely not normal, asking, "Who’s inside?"

Angela gritted her teeth, "The Animal Protection Society..."

This organization seemed official, yet unofficial.

Victoria felt utterly exhausted, "Why are they here with us?"

Angela took a deep breath, "Yes, I’d like to know why too. I just had an argument with them, if the firefighters hadn’t come, we might’ve ended up fighting. Now the sales personnel are attending to them. The batch of experimental animals we bought has all certifications and documents, legal and compliant, yet they accuse us of animal cruelty, demanding we release all except the mice. They even threaten to sue us..."

Angela was so angry her face turned green, hands on hips, pacing back and forth in front of Victoria, looking at the sky and the ground without catching her breath. She then looked at Victoria, "Did you offend someone?"