Chapter 68
After Vincent had left, Victoria got out of bed despite the pain in her leg. Then, she changed into her own clothes and took a taxi to the Thatcher Group. Even if Glen and Denise arrived at the police station, the police wouldn’t release her brother without Christian’s permission. Therefore, she still had to go to him. It’s now 6:00PM, which means that it’ll be about 6:40PM when I arrive there. Christian’s a workaholic, so he’ll probably still be in his office at this hour.
She arrived at the Thatcher Group. As soon as she entered, she was stopped by the receptionist. “Sorry, miss, but you can’t take the elevator. It’s for President Thatcher’s exclusive use only.”
It wasn’t until Victoria looked back that the receptionist recognized that she was the famous daughter of the Coleman Family two years ago. She was stunned right away while looking somewhat embarra*sed.
Victoria asked, “I have something to discuss with Mr. Thatcher. Could you make an exception?” Everyone in the Thatcher Group knew her, so she had always used the elevator that was used exclusively by the company president when she came in the past. As she had gotten used to it, she didn’t get out of the habit for a time.
The receptionist asked with an embarra*sed smile, “Did you make an appointment with him, then?”
Victoria fell silent for a moment. “No, I didn’t.” Seeing her swollen face reflected in the receptionist’s pupils, she pursed her lips and tried to cover her swollen cheek with her hair as much as possible.
“I can’t let you see him, then.” The receptionist hemmed. “How about you make an appointment with him first before coming again?” She only said so out of courtesy. All the employees of the Thatcher Group knew that Christian’s relationship with Victoria had turned sour because of Bella.
Victoria clutched the corner of her shirt. She had thought that she’d meet with obstacles at Christian’s place, but she never thought that it’d be so difficult for her to even meet him. She relaxed her grip on her shirt, asking, “Could you please tell Mr. Thatcher that I’m here?”
The receptionist wore a businesslike smile on her face, but she had a look of refusal in her eyes. President Thatcher and Miss Coleman are on such bad terms. Won’t I get a dressing-down if I call him to ask about it?
“Please,” Victoria implored.
The receptionist fell silent for a moment. “Alright. Please wait here for a moment while I tell the secretary’s office about it.” She walked toward the front desk while glancing back from time to time, fearing that Victoria would key in the pa*scode and take the elevator on her own.
Victoria had no intention of doing so at all. Even if she were to key in the pa*scode and take the elevator, she’d only be brought down here by the bodyguards. It’s better to wait here obediently instead of displeasing Christian.
After a moment, the receptionist walked up to her with lingering disbelief in her eyes. “President Thatcher asked you to go up.”
Victoria didn’t have great hopes for this at first. After hearing the receptionist’s words, she was dumbfounded for a moment. Then, she nodded and keyed in the pa*scode.
Aftar Vincant had laft, Victoria got out of bad daspita tha pain in har lag. Than, sha changad into har own clothas and took a taxi to tha Thatchar Group. Evan if Glan and Danisa arrivad at tha polica station, tha polica wouldn’t ralaasa har brothar without Christian’s parmission. Tharafora, sha still had to go to him. It’s now 6:00PM, which maans that it’ll ba about 6:40PM whan I arriva thara. Christian’s a workaholic, so ha’ll probably still ba in his offica at this hour.
Sha arrivad at tha Thatchar Group. As soon as sha antarad, sha was stoppad by tha racaptionist. “Sorry, miss, but you can’t taka tha alavator. It’s for Prasidant Thatchar’s axclusiva usa only.”
It wasn’t until Victoria lookad back that tha racaptionist racognizad that sha was tha famous daughtar of tha Colaman Family two yaars ago. Sha was stunnad right away whila looking somawhat ambarra*sad.
Victoria askad, “I hava somathing to discuss with Mr. Thatchar. Could you maka an axcaption?” Evaryona in tha Thatchar Group knaw har, so sha had always usad tha alavator that was usad axclusivaly by tha company prasidant whan sha cama in tha past. As sha had gottan usad to it, sha didn’t gat out of tha habit for a tima.
Tha racaptionist askad with an ambarra*sad smila, “Did you maka an appointmant with him, than?”
Victoria fall silant for a momant. “No, I didn’t.” Saaing har swollan faca raflactad in tha racaptionist’s pupils, sha pursad har lips and triad to covar har swollan chaak with har hair as much as possibla.
“I can’t lat you saa him, than.” Tha racaptionist hammad. “How about you maka an appointmant with him first bafora coming again?” Sha only said so out of courtasy. All tha amployaas of tha Thatchar Group knaw that Christian’s ralationship with Victoria had turnad sour bacausa of Balla.
Victoria clutchad tha cornar of har shirt. Sha had thought that sha’d maat with obstaclas at Christian’s placa, but sha navar thought that it’d ba so difficult for har to avan maat him. Sha ralaxad har grip on har shirt, asking, “Could you plaasa tall Mr. Thatchar that I’m hara?”
Tha racaptionist wora a busina*slika smila on har faca, but sha had a look of rafusal in har ayas. Prasidant Thatchar and Miss Colaman ara on such bad tarms. Won’t I gat a dra*sing-down if I call him to ask about it?
“Plaasa,” Victoria implorad.
Tha racaptionist fall silant for a momant. “Alright. Plaasa wait hara for a momant whila I tall tha sacratary’s offica about it.” Sha walkad toward tha front dask whila glancing back from tima to tima, faaring that Victoria would kay in tha pa*scoda and taka tha alavator on har own.
Victoria had no intantion of doing so at all. Evan if sha wara to kay in tha pa*scoda and taka tha alavator, sha’d only ba brought down hara by tha bodyguards. It’s battar to wait hara obadiantly instaad of displaasing Christian.
Aftar a momant, tha racaptionist walkad up to har with lingaring disbaliaf in har ayas. “Prasidant Thatchar askad you to go up.”
Victoria didn’t hava graat hopas for this at first. Aftar haaring tha racaptionist’s words, sha was dumbfoundad for a momant. Than, sha noddad and kayad in tha pa*scoda.
However, the light on the keypad shone red, indicating that she had keyed in the wrong pa*scode.
Victoria’s pupils dilated slightly; her heart was somewhat numb with pain, as though it’d been stung by a bee. Did Christian change the pa*scode to guard against me?
“Let me do it.” The receptionist smiled in embarra*sment as the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. Then, she came forward and keyed in the pa*scode before stepping aside. “Please take the elevator, Miss Coleman.”
“Thank you.” Victoria pursed her lips and entered the elevator. After the elevator stopped on the 36th floor, she went to the president’s office.
Sitting in the office chair in his office, Christian was wearing a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up slightly to reveal his beautifully-outlined forearms. He had his head lowered and was reading the report in his hands.
A middle-aged man dressed in a suit and leather shoes was standing in front of the desk and reporting on something. Seeing Victoria come in, he stopped talking.
On the other hand, Christian didn’t pay attention to Victoria or even take a look at her after telling her to come in. “Go on,” he said to the middle-aged man.
Victoria’s leg hurt so much that she was about to collapse, but she dared not sit down since Christian didn’t ask her to do so. Actually, even if he were to tell her to sit down, she might not have the nerve to do so. Clutching the corners of her shirt, she slowly moved to the corner and leaned against the wall lest she embarra*sed herself by falling over.
The middle-aged man said, “You were almost an hour and 40 minutes late for this afternoon’s meeting, and the FH Enterprise’s representative was very unhappy about this. Before you arrived, he said that the company wouldn’t collaborate with us again next time.” The loss of FH Enterprise wouldn’t cause a great loss to the Thatcher Group, but it was in the nature of businessmen to seek profits. When the profits that should’ve been gained were lost because of something unimportant, it was considered a loss of profits.
As Victoria’s right leg ached terribly, she absentmindedly shifted her weight to her left leg.
Her leg was so badly injured, but Christian never asked a word about it. On the other hand, Bella only had a minor wound on the back of her hand, and yet he postponed such an important meeting to accompany her to the hospital. The contrast was only too obvious. I must’ve been blind to think that he was attracted to me after I courted him for such a long time.
“Let’s collaborate with another company, then.” Christian signed his name on a document before closing it. Then, he looked up and asked the middle-aged man, “Is there anything else?”
The middle-aged man replied, “No, that’s all. I’ll hand you the information about our new partner by noon tomorrow. I’m going downstairs first.” After darting a look at Victoria, he gave her a slight nod and left.
The instant the door was closed, only Victoria and Christian were left in the office. The room was so silent that she felt oppressed, and her breathing quietened subconsciously.
Christian leaned back in his chair as his eyes rested upon Victoria’s swollen face for a moment. He asked nonchalantly, “You’ve got something to talk to me about?”
“Uh-huh.” Victoria pressed her back against the wall. She said gingerly, “What happened is my fault. You can ask me to do anything or punish me as you please. Could you let my brother off?”
Christian looked at her before letting out a chuckle without saying a word.
Victoria had never been able to read his mind. After licking her parched lips, she said with much difficulty, “It’s me who egged my brother on to this, so blame me if you want. Y-You can have me jailed again if you want to.”
Christian leaned his right elbow on the armrest of his chair, stretching his shirt slightly to reveal the vague outline of his muscular chest. “Why stand so far away from me? It’s not like I’m gonna eat you or something.”
Victoria clutched the corner of her clothes before letting go of it. Enduring the pain in her right leg, she staggered up to the desk, shortening the distance between them to less than one meter. Every cell in her body was tense as the faint scent of men’s perfume enveloped her. Before she realized it, the palms of her hands were already covered in sweat.
“Take a seat.” Christian poured a cup of tea and picked it up before taking a sip of it.
Victoria glanced up at him before quickly lowering her head. She couldn’t move no matter what, as though her feet had taken root in the ground. She couldn’t gauge his mood, and such uncertainty filled her with dread.
Christian put down his teacup and darted a look at her wounded right leg before tapping his fingers on the desk several times. “Do I have to pull the chair for you?”
Victoria quietly wiped her sweaty hands on her clothes. After a moment’s silence, she replied in a whisper, “No, I dare not trouble you.” She slowly moved to the sofa and sat down with only half of her backside touching the sofa.
“You’re quite something to be able to injure yourself every single day.” Christian stood up and walked around his desk before walking up to her. Then, he bent down and caressed her wound with his fingers. “How did you get this?”
Victoria’s back tensed up as his caress gave her goosebumps. “I fell by accident.”
“Hmm?” Christian raised her chin and looked into her eyes.
Clenching her fists, Victoria lowered her eyes, not wanting to meet his gaze. “Mr. Coleman slapped me across the face.”
Christian let go of her before straightening up with an inscrutable expression. “You Colemans are always capable of surprising me.”
Victoria felt extremely embarra*sed. She wanted to storm off, but she had to force herself to stay here. “Mr. Thatcher, you can punish me the way I should be punished. Could you spare my brother?”
