Filed to story: Billionaire Bride’s Revenge (Vera & Howard)
Howard helped her to her feet and proposed softly, “Let’s go get you a doctor for a checkup. I’ll make sure Vera regrets her actions.”
“Okay,” Lily replied.
The following day, Vera visited Victor’s hospital room early in the morning. She placed the insulated container on the table and asked with concern, “Good morning, Mr. Adams. How are you today? Is your wound still bothering you?”
“Much better,” Victor replied, appearing more rested than the day before. Vera offered a warm smile.
“I brought you some chicken soup. Would you like to try it?” she asked.
Victor arched an eyebrow but accepted.
Vera set down a bowl and gently ladled the soup. The broth, simmered for hours, was rich and quickly neutralized the room’s harsh disinfectant aroma. She handed the bowl to Victor and took a seat beside his bed.
Victor picked up the spoon and sipped slowly, his strikingly handsome features making even the simplest of movements seem elegant.
Gazing at him, Vera said solemnly, “Mr. Adams, you saved my life. I’ll always remember it. If you ever need help, please let me know.”
Victor shook his head slowly. “It’s no big deal, Miss Montgomery. I’ve inadvertently dragged you into my mess.” Due to his unique circumstances, anyone close to him risked getting hurt. He didn’t want Vera to suffer because of him.
“But you took the bullet for me, and that’s a fact,” she countered.
Vera gazed at him intently, moved by his selflessness. She had never imagined anyone would shield her so bravely.
Despite their limited acquaintance, having only met three times as business partners, there was an undeniable bond between them.
Victor smiled at her. As he attempted to sit up further, Vera quickly lent her support. However, as she reached out, her hand brushed against the sharp splinter in the wooden headboard.
Suddenly-
Swoosh!
Her blouse tore from bottom to top. Vera’s face drained of color with shock. In an instant, her sleeve ripped apart, revealing her delicate skin underneath.
Vera’s skin was as smooth as silk, soft and unblemished. Her torn shirt barely concealed her, leaving much exposed. Had Victor been just any man, he might have been overwhelmed by the sight.
She quickly covered herself, her cheeks turning a deep red.
Victor caught himself and quickly averted his gaze, embarrassed by the accident.
Vera, both embarrassed and irritated, realized she had no change of clothes, adding to her distress.
Victor cleared his throat. “Please don’t worry, Miss Montgomery. I’ll have my assistant send up some clothes for you.”
He then picked up his phone and dialed his assistant. “I need a set of women’s clothes, size large. Please send them to my ward.”
“Okay, Mr. Adams,” the assistant replied before quickly hanging up, sensing something odd.
Victor was recuperating in the hospital, and Vera had come to visit him. Why she needed to change puzzled his assistant.
Victor had recently undergone surgery, and despite his youth and the apparent passion between them, he was expected to show more restraint.
The assistant, lost in thought about the morning’s events, was snapped back to reality by Cristina, who was waiting for him to update her on Victor’s schedule.
“What’s going on? Why that look?” Cristina inquired with a frown.
The assistant hesitated, unsure whether to divulge the situation.
Cristina’s presence seemed to fill the room with a commanding aura. “Are you quiet? Are you hiding something from me?”
Avoiding her intense stare, the assistant replied nervously, “Mr. Adams just called, asking for a set of women’s clothes to be sent up.”
Cristina paused, taken aback by the implications, and her annoyance grew. She silently chastised her son for his reckless behavior, despite his severe injuries.
He was indeed an adult, but sorely lacked self-discipline. He seemed utterly indifferent to his own health.
The assistant hesitated before suggesting, “Did Vera Montgomery try to make a move on Mr. Adams? Considering Mr. Adams hasn’t been intimate with any woman for years, it’s hard to imagine he’d lose control.”
Cristina scoffed. “If he wasn’t interested in women, how could he be seduced? I’ve met Vera. She’s not that type of woman.” She had observed many women over the years, and a single glance was often enough for her to form an opinion. Clearly, Vera didn’t fit the profile, so Cristina blamed her son even more.
With that thought, she picked up her phone and dialed Victor’s number.
The ward remained tense in uncomfortable silence. Vera, doing her best to cover herself, used both hands to avoid further embarrassment. Victor acted honorably, keeping his eyes shut throughout.
This standoff continued for a while.
Suddenly, Victor’s phone rang, breaking the silence. As he reached for it with his eyes still closed, the phone slipped from his hand and fell to the floor, revealing his mother’s name on the caller ID.
“Could you put it on speaker for me?” he asked. Vera did as he requested, and as soon as the call connected, Cristina’s voice filled the room with accusations.
“Victor Adams, you’re an adult. You should know better than to behave like this at such a time. You narrowly avoided death yesterday, yet today, your actions are wildly inappropriate. Did you go as far as to rip her clothes?”
Cristina bit back further anger.
For years, she had seen Victor as calm and composed, but today, his actions left much to be desired.
Both Victor and Vera, being adults, grasped the implications of Cristina’s words instantly. Vera blushed, realizing how Cristina must have misunderstood Victor’s request to his assistant.
Victor looked up at the ceiling awkwardly.
“Mom, it’s not what you think,” he explained.
“You don’t need to explain,” Cristina interrupted sharply. “I heard you ask your assistant to send some clothes to your ward. It’s not old-fashioned, but you need to be careful with your health. The doctor told you not to engage in any kind of strenuous activity and to focus on your recovery. Did you forget everything he said? What if you end up hurting yourself? Do you have to rush things?”
Cristina cut him off quickly, leaving no room for him to respond.
Vera’s cheeks grew even redder, wishing she could just disappear.
“All I’m saying is for your own good. Even if you felt overwhelmed, you need to control yourself. If this happens again, break a leg.” Cristina warned, before hanging up and ending her lecture.
The phone call only heightened the awkwardness in the ward. Victor and Vera exchanged glances, both feeling the weight of the moment.
Vera couldn’t bring herself to meet Victor’s gaze. It was more humiliating than if her blouse had been torn.
Victor shared her discomfort. He hadn’t anticipated that his call would result in such a deep misunderstanding with his mother. More importantly, Cristina had cut him off before he could clarify.
“Well-“