CHAPTER 87: THE FOOD IS READY.

"Shh," Anna cut in gently with a soft smile, reaching forward. "Let’s be sisters, Victoria."

Darius scoffed, his arms remaining firmly crossed over his chest as his sharp gaze shifted between Victoria and Anna. He said nothing, but the tension in his posture spoke volumes.

Well... it’s fine then, Anna, Victoria thought, her eyes briefly flicking to Darius before returning to Anna. Getting closer to you means getting closer to your family.

For the first time, a genuine smile curved Victoria’s lips....warm, unguarded, and unforced.

"Thank you so much, Miss Anna. I truly appreciate your kindness," Victoria said sincerely, her voice steady with emotion. She leaned in and wrapped Anna in a soft hug, an action that sent visible shock waves down Darius’s spine. For once, he was rendered completely speechless.

"The food is ready!" Darius suddenly announced, his voice louder than necessary. Everyone’s attention turned toward the kitchen entrance.

Several servants emerged, pushing gleaming silver trolleys laden with a variety of dishes. They moved swiftly and efficiently, arranging everything on the long dining table with practiced precision.

Once the table was fully set, Damien quietly took his seat, nodding in satisfaction. The servants began serving the meal, starting with fragrant fried rice, vibrant salads, and well-seasoned roasted chicken.

Without waiting for further invitation, Lucian, Theo, and Callum immediately dug into their plates.

"Oh my goodness! Elder Brother’s cooking is still top-notch," Callum exclaimed, barely pausing to chew as he shoveled another forkful of fried rice into his mouth. "He hasn’t cooked in what feels like forever, but today he did. Lucky us."

"Obviously," Theo said, glancing meaningfully in Victoria’s direction while chewing. "It’s because of Victoria"

Victoria blinked, momentarily taken aback, unsure how to react. A small, uncertain smile played on her lips.

"Exactly! We should be thanking Victoria for allowing elder brother to enter into the kitchen today." Lucian voiced out followed by an outburst from Callum and Theo.

"You should try out the chicken Victoria. It’s tender and spicy. Just the way you love it." Damien voiced out with a smile on his face.

Without wasting much time... Victoria grabbed her fork and knife and cut a small piece which she put into her mouth, the sweet taste melting in her mouth instantly.

"Oh my goodness! This is so good." Victoria voiced out with a smile on her face. "Thank you so much elder brother." She added while Damien nodded his head in response with a smile on his face.

"I’m glad the Ashford brothers can actually distinguish between right and wrong," Anna said, her tone warm and pleased as she gracefully lifted a spoonful of rice to her mouth. The moment the flavor hit her tongue, her eyes widened in delight. "Oh my goodness! This is incredible. Honestly, the chefs at the mansion aren’t even close to this. Their cooking is nowhere near this level."

"You flatter me, Miss Anna," Damien replied modestly, bowing slightly. A faint smile curved his lips, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "But thank you. As for the incident that happened earlier today... please understand this.....our family, the Ashfords, will always stand by the truth, no matter who it concerns. Mirabel is my blood sister, yes, but if she did something wrong, then she must be punished accordingly. That is our principle."

"That means," Darius interrupted, his tone sharper now, "if Victoria does something wrong, she’ll be subjected to the family punishment too, won’t she?"

His eyes locked on Damien, waiting for him to answer.

But instead of a verbal response, there was only silence.

The Ashford brothers averted their gazes. Theo looked down at his plate. Callum focused on his chicken. Even Damien didn’t reply, his fork pausing halfway to his mouth.

What’s going on? Victoria’s heart skipped a beat as she observed their reactions. Why won’t anyone say anything?

"It’s obvious they wouldn’t punish you, Victoria," Leo whispered into her ear, his breath warm against her skin, followed by a burst of laughter. "Besides, I tried checking your brothers’ memories too... and I couldn’t access them. That only means one thing....they know about the past. Their behavior now shows they’re trying to correct the wrongs they committed back then."

"No wonder..." Victoria murmured beneath her breath, her gaze flickering toward the Ashford brothers. "But still... they should at least say something."

"As for the Alphas... I’ve got no clue if they remember anything," Leo continued, his tone dropping slightly. "I could access their memories of this world, but not the ones from the past. But Darius keeps talking about dreams, right? That’s a sign. It’s only after you have sex with them... or maybe just kiss them....I don’t know exactly....that the memories from the past will begin to resurface."

Victoria nodded slowly in response, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Victoria isn’t spoiled like Mirabel," Callum suddenly spoke up, breaking the lingering silence. He straightened in his seat, his voice firm and clear. "She knows the Ashford family rules. Even though she’s lived outside all these years, she’s still well-mannered and disciplined. As her brother, I can tell the difference between my two sisters."

"Exactly!" Theo added quickly, his tone serious, no trace of jest. "Mirabel has been spoiled since birth....I know every one of her habits. But Victoria? Even though she’s been away, we kept track of her. We’ve received reports over the years. And we know....she’s well-behaved. I can vouch for her anytime, anywhere."

There was a pause before he continued, this time with a hint of regret in his voice.

"We failed Victoria as her brothers once before," Theo confessed. "But we won’t fail her again. We’ve been absent from her life for far too long. From now on, every single day we spend with her is going to matter. We won’t let her be bullied. Not anymore."

Interesting. Victoria thought to herself, a small smirk forming on her lips. So they do regret it.

"And besides," Damien finally chimed in, his voice calm but edged with steel, "you don’t need to concern yourself with our family matters, Alpha Darius, or Miss Anna. Whatever happens in the future, we....the Ashford family will find our own way to handle it."

"That’s great to hear," Anna replied warmly, a bright smile lighting up her face. "I wasn’t wrong when I said Victoria was a good girl. Even her brothers have confirmed it."

"I’d say she’s a pretender, rather," Darius interjected suddenly, his voice low and mocking as he let out a scoff. The room turned toward him in surprise.

"She’s smarter than you think," he added, his eyes fixed intently on Victoria.

"Just shut up," Anna snapped, smacking Darius lightly on the shoulder. "I know you hate Victoria, but aren’t you being a little too obvious about it?"

"She knows what I’m saying," Darius said with a smirk, his eyes never leaving Victoria. "She might fool all of you... even her family. But she can’t fool me. No one can. I’ll always see through their masks."

"Oh really?" Victoria raised an eyebrow and returned the smirk, letting out a short, amused scoff. "You’re funny, Alpha Darius. You really make me laugh."

"Just ignore him, Victoria," Anna said, gently patting her hand. "He’s not worth your energy."

"Anyway..." Theo interjected quickly, hoping to cut through the tension beginning to build between Darius and Victoria. "Since we’re all staying home today, why don’t we go out for a change? Somewhere we can have a nice time at."

Everyone turned their attention to him now.

"And where exactly would that be?" Callum asked, raising an eyebrow as he let out a sigh.

"The beach!" Anna suddenly shouted, clapping her hands in excitement. "We have a vacation house there. We might as well visit.....it’ll be fun!"

"You can’t be serious, Sister," Darius said incredulously, staring at her as though she had grown two heads. "That vacation house is for me, you, Zephyr, and Auren. No outsiders are allowed there."

"The Ashford family aren’t outsiders anymore," Anna replied immediately, her expression unwavering. "Were you blind when I took Victoria as my sister? She’s family now....even if not by blood."

"Oh, please. Spare me that nonsense, Sister," Darius said, standing to his feet, his tone suddenly cold and edged with irritation. "You know how important that place is to us. You can’t just take anyone there."

Oh wow... What’s so important about that place? Victoria wondered silently, curiosity dancing in her eyes.

Anna didn’t bother responding to Darius. Instead, she turned toward Victoria, placing a reassuring hand on hers.

"You can invite your friends, Victoria," she said kindly. "If they’re still at the academy, let me know. I’ll have them brought to the vacation house. That way, you won’t feel bored."

"That’s not happening, Sister!" Darius snapped, his voice rising. But Anna didn’t even spare him a glance.

"We have a vacation house too," Damien said carefully, trying to intervene. "The Ashford family doesn’t have to use yours if it’s a problem."

"No," Anna said firmly, raising a hand to silence him. "We’re using my vacation house. Leave Darius alone.....he’ll be fine."

Her eyes sparkled with challenge as she added, "And if any of you have friends, bring them too. The more, the merrier."