CHAPTER 283: CHAPTER 283

She let out another short, bitter laugh.

"Here you are again, calling to say sorry."

She raised her voice slightly now, her words coming faster.

"Come, Benedict... is it your apology I’m supposed to accept? Is it your sorry that is going to make me smile? Do you think your weak little apology can fix anything for me?"

She scoffed, then immediately her fingers clenched around the phone.

"Your apology will never make me smile. Never. Do you understand that?"

Her tone turned cold, her voice slicing like a blade.

"And from the look of things," she continued, pausing as if weighing her next words, "you’re now useless. You’re not even useful to me anymore."

At that moment she narrowed her eyes, staring at the wall in front of her like she could see through it.

"What’s the essence of having a boyfriend who can’t do anything for his girl? Huh? Who can’t even make her smile? Can’t even fight for her? Can’t protect her? What exactly are you good for?"

However she didn’t wait for an answer. Her words had already turned into accusations.

"You calling me to say sorry... that’s not an apology. That’s an insult."

Her voice dropped to a low, dangerous tone.

"And I will not fold my hands anymore to accept this."

At that moment, upon hearing what Victoria just said, Benedict then took in a deep breath on the phone and said

"I know you’re angry, but please Victoria calm down."

His voice came out low, but steady careful not to spark another outburst. "Victoria... just calm down, and listen to me?"

She didn’t respond. She sat still, silent, her eyes narrowed, her lips pressed together tightly. Benedict could hear her slow breathing on the other end of the call. That alone made his throat tighten.

"I know, I know how it came off before," he continued quickly. "That’s why I’m apologizing. I mean it. I know how it must’ve looked how I acted when you came to me the first time. But I’ve fixed everything now."

Hearing his words Victoria raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing. She crossed her legs and leaned back on the couch, phone pressed lightly to her ear. She was listening now but not believing. Not yet.

Benedict exhaled and went on, "I’ve already put everything in place. I didn’t waste time after what happened. I went straight to my father... and my uncle too."

Her eyes narrowed further, suspicious now. "And what exactly did you go to them for?"

"Because it’s their connection you were asking for, right?" he replied, voice getting firmer. "That’s what this was all about. You needed access. You wanted someone who could pull strings someone who could bring down that woman, the one you told me about. The one causing problems for you."

Still Victoria said nothing again, but the tip of her heel started tapping lightly on the floor.

Benedict continued without waiting. "Well, my father is the head of the prosecution division now. And my uncle? He’s in charge of the division that handles fraud and illegal activities."

Hearing what he just said, Victoria’s brows twitched just slightly. That... she hadn’t known.

"So I thought—why not go directly to them? If the two of them work together on a case like this... especially one with enough suspicion to act on—"

He paused briefly, like he was weighing how far to go. "They can take her down, Victoria. For real."

Her eyes lit up for the first time—but her face didn’t soften. "You talked to both of them?"

"Yes," he said, rushing now. "I already talked to them. I explained everything, even though I didn’t give your name yet. But I gave them all the right angles. They agreed that it sounds like a case worth opening. They’ve given me the green light."

He waited. He expected excitement. At least a tiny bit of gratitude.

But Victoria’s voice came out cold.

"So... they’ve given you the go-ahead?" she said, slowly.

"Yes," he responded, almost smiling. "They told me to bring the case to them."

At that moment, upon hearing what Benedict just said, Victoria slowly leaned back on the couch, her lips twitching into a crooked smile. She stared at her reflection in the black screen of the TV across the room, as if trying to process what she just heard. Her fingers, which were slightly trembling before, now found a calm rhythm tapping against the edge of her phone. There was a sudden shift in her tone as she responded, one that Benedict could clearly sense on the other end of the call.

"Well, Benedict," she said with a light laugh, her voice now smooth and teasing, "why didn’t you just say this from the very beginning, hmm?"

She shook her head softly, even though he couldn’t see her. "You made me bark and scream at you like a crazy woman, all because you wanted to play some suspense movie with me. Imagine that."

Her smile widened as she crossed her legs. "If you had told me this earlier—that you were already speaking with your father and uncle, and that they had actually agreed—Benedict, I would have kissed this phone right now. Do you even know how mad I was earlier?"

She paused and laughed again, this time genuinely amused by her own earlier frustration. "And here I was, thinking you were just another useless man wasting my precious time."

There was a brief silence between them, and then Benedict’s voice came through, warm and proud. "I just wanted to be sure before raising your hopes. But now, I’ve done everything. You can count on it."

Hearing his words Victoria smiled again, softer this time. Her voice dropped into a lower, more satisfied tone. "You’ve done extremely well, Benedict. I mean that. I’m very, very happy with this recent development."

On the other end of the call, Benedict chuckled gently, the sound genuine. "So, does that mean you’re smiling now?" he asked playfully.

Immediately, Victoria would then say on the phone, her voice now soft and warm, "I’m smiling very well, Benedict. If only you could see my face right now, you’d know how happy you’ve just made me. In fact, if this wasn’t just a phone call, I swear, I would’ve hugged you so tightly and planted a very good kiss right on your lips." She let out a little giggle, her tone filled with joy and a hint of mischief. "But since it’s only a phone call," she added playfully, "I guess I’ll just have to save all that for later."