CHAPTER 21: YOU’RE HERE AGAIN!

A sleek black car pulled up in front of the grand Ashford mansion, its engine purring to a halt. The chauffeur stepped out first, quickly opening the back doors. Victoria and Callum stepped out together, their expressions tired.

It was already quite late. After the chaos of the failed horse-riding lesson, they had chosen to spend the remaining day wandering through the city streets rather than returning to the mansion right away.

As Victoria turned to head inside, Callum reached out and gently caught her arm.

"Are you angry with me?" he asked, his voice low, uncertain. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "About earlier... with the horse."

Victoria paused, then turned to him. Her silvrer hair already tied into a pig tail again after the horse chaos..

"I’m not angry with you, brother," she replied. "I’m just... deeply annoyed at that jerk." Her tone sharpened, her jaw clenched. It was obvious who she meant.

Callum exhaled a soft breath of relief, but his brows drew together again in hesitation.

"Can you not tell anyone what happened today? The accident... I know it was my fault, but if the others find out, they’ll turn on me. I just....." he sighed. "I don’t have the energy for any of their drama tonight."

Victoria nodded. "Of course. I need rest more than a lecture tonight . The secret is saved with me."

With that, she began walking toward the mansion’s towering entry doors.

"Bring everything we purchased inside," Callum instructed the uniformed servants stationed at the front. They immediately began unloading the car, carefully carrying shopping bags and parcels toward the side entrance.

Callum followed Victoria inside. Together, they stepped into the lavishly decorated living room only to find every member of the Ashford family present, seated and facing the entrance as though waiting for them.

"Good evening, Father. Mother. Brothers," Victoria greeted politely, forcing a warm smile onto her lips despite the tension pressing down on her.

"What’s going on?" Callum asked first, his voice cutting through the quiet. He frowned at the atmosphere. Something was off.

All eyes were on him.

"You still dare to ask that?" Mr. Ashford bellowed, slamming his hand down on the armrest of his chair. His voice echoed across the marble floors, thick with fury.

Meanwhile, Theo rushed to Victoria side, his brows knitted with worry. There was genuine concern in his dark eyes.

"Were you badly hurt?" he asked quickly, gently taking her by the shoulders and turning her slightly to examine her. "We heard you fell off the horse during practice. Are you alright? The doctor’s already here....he’s waiting in the guest room to check on you."

Victoria blinked.

Oops. They already know.

"I’m fine, everyone," she replied with a small smile, hoping to defuse the tension. "Really. I don’t need a doctor. I just want a hot shower and sleep."

"No, you’re getting examined," her stepmother interjected sharply before turning to a nearby maid. Without a word, the servant gave a subtle nod, acknowledging the silent command to summon the doctor.

"Come, sit here." Theo led her toward the sofa and gently sat her down, hovering protectively by her side.

Moments later, the doctor entered the room....a young man with neatly trimmed black hair, dressed in a formal dark suit under a white coat. He scanned the room, his eyes immediately falling on Victoria. Her silver hair made her stand out.

Without hesitation, he approached her.

"May I?" he asked politely, pulling out his stethoscope and placing it gently against her chest to listen to her heartbeat. Then, he examined her hands, noting a light scrape, and moved on to her knees. He cleaned the shallow wounds with antiseptic and carefully placed plasters over them.

"Please make sure she’s completely alright," Damien said, stepping forward with tension in his voice and worry etched across his face. "The worker said she fell hard. We need to be sure."

"She’s fine, Mr. Ashford," the doctor replied, standing upright. "No internal damage. Just a few bruises and surface wounds. I’ll leave some medication for her...pain relief and anti-inflammatory drugs."

He pulled a small set of bottles and blister packs from his medical kit and arranged them neatly on the stool beside the sofa.

"I’ll take my leave now," the doctor added with a respectful nod." How to use them is glued to the bottle."

"Thank you, Doctor. Lucien, see him out," Mr. Ashford ordered. Both the doctor and Lucien acknowledged the command and exited the room.

"Dinner is ready, Victoria. You should eat something so you can take your medication," her stepmother said, stepping forward with a practiced, warm smile. "And we need to discuss what happened at the academy today."

Her tone was sweet, but the glint in her eyes and the harsh contrast of her red lipstick made her look more like a well-dressed vulture than a concerned parent. The lipstick only amplified her witch-like appearance, prompting an involuntary scoff from Victoria.

She tried to suppress it, but it slipped out anyway although no one noticed.

"I don’t think I’ll do that, Mother," Victoria replied firmly, her voice calm but resolute. "I’d love to just relax tonight. As for food, I’ll take some snacks and use my medication. Please excuse me for tonight as I’m extremely tired."

Mr. Ashford nodded with a slight grunt of acceptance. "Very well, dear," he said, then turned toward the head maid. "Bring some snacks to my daughter’s room, along with her medication."

"Yes, Master," the head maid responded promptly before dashing off toward the kitchen, her footsteps quick and purposeful.

Victoria, meanwhile, walked slowly toward her room with Theo guarding her, the heavy mansion doors closing quietly behind them as she entered.

"Alright brother. You can leave now." Victoria voiced out while Thei nodded his head in response before leaving.

Just as Victoria was then about to head to her bed, a sharp voice called out from the doorway.

"Young lady!" the head maid called gently, prompting Victoria to stop and open the door again.

To her surprise, a group of maids followed, carefully carrying the goods that Callum had purchased earlier that afternoon. They made their way into Victoria’s room immediately and placed the packages down neatly before the head maid herself set a plate of fried spicy chicken and a glass of fresh orange juice and water on a stool beside Victoria’s bed.

"You should have the chicken instead," the head maid said kindly, bowing her head slightly. "It will help with your medication. And please, try to rest early tonight."

Victoria nodded in gratitude, watching the maids and the others who bought the packages quietly before closing and locking the door once more.

She let out a heavy sigh. Slowly, she made her way toward her bed and sat down carefully.

Without wasting any more time, she clasped the silver locket around her neck tightly. A soothing warmth spread from it, and she felt the stinging pain in her ankles and knees melt away as the wounds healed completely.....no scars left behind. However, she left the plaster on, just to continue deceiving her family.

She then summoned a delicate plate from the locket, using it to cover the chicken. There was no need for extra protection....the plate glow softly, keeping the food fresh.

Afterward, Victoria moved toward the bathroom and took a cold shower, the cool water washing away the exhaustion of the day. She slipped into a flowing white nightgown, the soft fabric settling comfortably against her skin.

Lying down on her bed, she closed her eyes, welcoming the embrace of sleep.

’Today has been such a hectic day but it was worth it,’ she thought, her mind weary and unwilling to push further. ’I’m not strong enough to think about it for now. The thinking can wait until tomorrow. As for Callum’s gifts... I’ll check them then, too.’

With a final deep breath, she allowed herself to drift off.

*****

The next day arrived swiftly, sunlight filtering gently through the curtains and the cheerful chirping of birds filling the air. Slowly, Victoria opened her eyes, only to catch a familiar scent drifting toward her....a scent she recognized from before.

Her gaze landed on the white cat she had seen the morning prior, sitting quietly on the floor. Its purple eyes watched her with a sadness that seemed almost human.

"You’re here again!" Victoria exclaimed softly, sitting up excitedly. She scooped the cat into her arms, cradling it gently. "Where did you run off to yesterday? How did you come back again? Do you always disappear like that? Because if you do, that’s kinda creepy."

The cat meowed softly in response.

"Oh, right," Victoria chuckled warmly. "You’re an animal after all. You probably don’t understand a word I’m saying."

She set the cat down on her bed and glanced toward her wardrobe. As she stood, her foot suddenly bumped against a box....one of the many gifts Callum had brought for her. She nearly lost her balance.

"Arrrgh," she muttered under her breath. "I better organize all this."

Bending down, she picked up a jewelry box with care. Then, her mind wandered.

’Now that I think about it... I still don’t know where the other jewelry Theo gave me disappeared to. That’s strange.’

She sighed heavily, then opened the box slowly, expecting to see something precious inside. But to her shock, it was completely empty.