CHAPTER 278: CHAPTER 278

But before she could let out more words, Victoria’s father leaned forward, his face stern, his voice heavy with authority as he barked at her.

"Keep your mouth shut Victoria." His tone carried such weight that it cut through her protest instantly. His glare was sharp, the kind that made the room feel smaller.

He reminded her.

"You still hadn’t answered my question. Instead of throwing accusations back at your brother, you should say plainly whether you had been going around causing trouble again."

His voice turned colder as he added, "I hope you have not been going back to your useless habits, Victoria."

He didn’t stop there. He leaned back, his eyes never leaving hers, and continued.

"Everyone in the family knew your nature. we all knows how much you liked bullying the weak, how you enjoyed picking fights and pushing people to the edge. And I hoped you hadn’t forgotten the numerous charges that had been laid against you before even when you were still in school."

He reminded again.

"Hope you remember how much money and influence the family had to pour out to silence those matters, how many doors we had to knock on, and how much of our reputation we had to trade just to bury everything." He said it slowly, with a deep bitterness, almost as though each word was a weight pressing down on her chest.

And finally, he fixed his sharp gaze on her again and said, "I hope you haven’t gone back to that useless act again."

At that moment, upon hearing what her father just said, Victoria sat back with a tired sigh. She didn’t try to hide the disappointment written all over her face. Her eyes narrowed slightly, her lips pressed into a thin line. For a moment, she didn’t speak just stared at her father, then at Robert, who avoided her gaze. The air in the living room was heavy with tension.

Then slowly, she said, "With all due respect, I honestly don’t understand the question. Are you saying someone reported me? Or are you just assuming I did something wrong again?"

She paused, her voice steady but sharp.

"Just like I said before someone came to threaten my brother because of me? In broad daylight? And instead of him handling it the way any man should, he just stood there and let it happen? No arrest? No police? Nothing? And now the two of you are sitting here like I’m the criminal in this story?"

Victoria’s voice had risen just slightly, and her father immediately slammed his palm on the armrest of the couch, his eyes blazing.

"Victoria, keep your mouth shut and answer the damn question!" he snapped. "You always find a way to twist things. You haven’t answered me are you going around causing trouble again? You haven’t returned to those reckless ways, have you?"

He pointed at her with warning eyes.

"Don’t think we’ve forgotten the number of complaints, the lawsuits, the media silence we had to pay for when you were still in school. The beatings. The harassment charges. The bullying. Do you think it was easy for us to clean up that mess? To bury your mess behind our family name? You were supposed to grow up, Victoria!"

Victoria leaned forward, her expression unbothered.

"Oh, I haven’t forgotten," she said coolly. "And I also haven’t forgotten how all those people deserved what they got. Every single one of them. I didn’t go looking for fights. They crossed the line, and I simply showed them what happens when you step too far. I’m not going to apologize for standing up for myself."

She raised a hand slowly and gave a faint shrug.

"And yes, if someone disrespects me again, if they try anything funny, I won’t hold back. I’ll handle it the same way. And when the drama starts again, you already know what to do compensate them. Pay them off. Do your damage control. That’s what you do best, isn’t it?"

Her words hung heavy in the air.

Robert’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing. Their father looked like he was about to explode, Immediately Robert cut in.

"You mean to tell me—" he began through gritted teeth.

But Victoria cut in, lifting her hand slightly as if to wave away the fire in the room.

"I haven’t done anything crazy yet," she said with a smirk. "Yet. But if something happens, you already know what to do, Dad."

At that moment, upon hearing what Victoria just said, her father’s eyes burned with fury. His brows tightened, the corner of his lips twitching in frustration. He had expected at least some form of reflection from her, maybe even remorse. But instead, Victoria doubled down on her unapologetic behavior like nothing had changed. She hadn’t even tried to deny what he’d said, nor had she bothered to answer his question. The air was tense, and the weight of disappointment sat heavy on his chest.

"You see what I’m saying?" Robert suddenly cut in again, shaking his head slowly and rising from the armrest he had been leaning against. His voice carried a sharp tone of concern. "It’s clear her condition is back. We seriously need to take her to see her doctor again. If necessary, put her under strict observation. She needs help. Real help."

Victoria’s eyes narrowed at her brother.

Robert continued, "If she steps out and causes any serious trouble this time, it won’t just affect her. It’ll stain all of us. The entire family. And with the election so close, like Dad said, one bad headline... one viral video... and everything goes up in flames."

Their father looked between both of them, tension lining his face as he slowly nodded. "That’s not something we can ignore anymore. We need to be proactive."

Then Victoria’s chair scraped harshly against the marble floor as she stood up, anger radiating from her like heat from a furnace. "Nothing is wrong with me!" she snapped, her voice sharp and piercing.

"Why are you both trying to paint this narrative like I’m some sort of loose cannon? Have I done anything? Have you seen me act out recently?"

She glared at Robert. "You’re making it seem like I’ve started a war. And last I checked, we should be here talking about you, not me. Or has that changed too?"

The silence that followed was thick and loaded.

Their father raised his hand slowly, motioning for calm, though his face was stone cold. "Enough, Victoria. Sit down."

Victoria crossed her arms but didn’t move.

Their father turned to Robert with a deep sigh. "Now... Robert, tell me. What exactly is going on between you and Abigail?"