CHAPTER 270: CHAPTER 270

At that moment, Victoria snapped out of her shocked daze like someone waking up from a bad dream. Her eyes blinked rapidly, her lips slightly parted as she tried to understand what had just happened. She stood in the middle of the room, frozen in disbelief, staring at the door Abigail had just walked through. It slammed softly behind her, but to Victoria, it echoed like a thunderclap in her ears.

"No... no, no, no," Victoria muttered under her breath, shaking her head slowly like she was trying to physically reject the reality. "This can’t be happening. Abigail? That Abigail? She’s backing down? Because of Cora? No, that’s not even possible."

She turned around, pacing back and forth now, her heels tapping nervously against the tiles. Her heart raced. Her fingers clenched tightly into her palm. She spoke again, louder this time, her voice full of disbelief, "There’s no way Abigail would suddenly pull out from this. Something... something must have happened. Something big."

Victoria stopped pacing and looked at the chair Abigail had sat on earlier. "They threatened her. Yes... that’s the only explanation. They must have used something against her. Something strong enough to scare her into this nonsense."

Her face twisted with frustration, and she ran her hand over her forehead. "But what could it be? What do they have on her?"

She thought back to Abigail’s unusual appearance earlier. Sunglasses in the evening? Face mask indoors? That wasn’t fashion it was concealment. Abigail never tried to hide her face unless something was terribly wrong.

"Wait..." Victoria whispered, her eyes narrowing. "Was she... crying? Was she beaten? Did someone lay hands on her?"

Suddenly, it all made sense. That cold tone in Abigail’s voice, the lack of fire in her eyes, the way she refused to let her emotions show. She was protecting something. Or someone. That was not just fear. That was damage. Something had already happened to Abigail. Someone had already gotten to her.

"But who?" Victoria hissed under her breath. "Who the hell has that kind of power to silence Abigail?"

Then her thoughts drifted to Cora. That bitch. That manipulative little thing. Could it be her? Could she really have people backing her up now? People strong enough to threaten Abigail into silence?

Victoria’s eyes lit with rage. "No. No, no, no. Cora is not walking away from this. After everything she’s done? After the humiliation? After trying to take Robert from Abigail? No way. Not without a lesson."

Her breath trembled, but her eyes were wild with a new kind of determination. She clenched her jaw tight, her fists even tighter.

"You’re not escaping, Cora," she muttered darkly. "Not like this. Even if Abigail is out of the game, I’m still standing. And I’ll be damned if I let you win."

At that moment, Victoria walked up to the man with steady steps, her jaw slightly clenched, her eyes sharp like she had already made up her mind before even getting close. She stood right in front of him, arms crossed as she stared him down. The man, still seated at the small corner table in the café, looked up slowly, casually sipping the last of his drink like he was in no hurry.

"I don’t care what Abigail told you," Victoria said with a cold tone, not even bothering with pleasantries. "The plan still continues. I’m here to let you know that everything we discussed still stands. You hear me? Nothing changes."

The man slowly set his cup down, his face unreadable. "Miss, your friend Abigail she came here just moments ago. She made it very clear that the job was off. She paid in full. She made no room for doubt. And as you can tell, I’m a man of principle. I don’t continue jobs that the client has cancelled. It’s done."

Victoria took a breath, her fists now balled at her side. "That’s where you’re wrong," she said, leaning in slightly. "Abigail might’ve been the one who brought you in, but I’m the one who needs this done now. And I’m not here to beg."

The man arched a brow but said nothing.

Victoria’s tone softened but didn’t lose its edge. "Look. I know you don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, but something is pushing her to back down. This isn’t Abigail. She’s never the type to walk away when we’re this close to taking her down. So whatever made her change her mind... that’s not your concern. What should concern you is that I’m willing to pay you the exact same amount she paid. Hell, I’ll double it if that’s what it takes."

The man sat back in his chair slightly, observing her for a moment. "You’re asking me to reopen a plan your own friend cancelled. That’s not just business you’re asking me to step into something personal. You do understand that, right?"

Victoria didn’t even blink. "This is personal. For me."

"Even if it might go against your own friend?"

"Especially because it goes against her," Victoria snapped back. "If she’s too scared to finish what we started, then that’s on her. But me? I’m not scared. I’m not backing out. Cora needs to be taught a lesson. And if you’re the one to do it, then I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of."

The man drummed his fingers on the table for a moment, then glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one was paying attention. "And if Abigail finds out that you went behind her back?"

Victoria smirked and said, "Let her find out. By then, it’ll be too late for her to undo anything."

The man looked at her for a long second, weighing something in his mind. But Victoria leaned in closer and finished with one clear line: "This time, not because of my friend, but because of me."

Upon hearing what Victoria just said, the man didn’t react at first. He just stood there, eyes narrowed, lips pressed in a firm line. He didn’t want to speak, not even a word. To him, this conversation should’ve already ended. He had made his point clear, yet here she was still pushing.

But Victoria wasn’t done. Not even close.

She took a small step forward and raised her voice slightly, a fire in her tone. "I’ll double the money," she said, her eyes locked on his. "Yes, you heard me. Double. I want the plan to continue. That girl Cora cannot be allowed to win. I don’t care what it takes. If I double the amount, are you going to accept it or not?"