Chapter 120: Chapter 120

Victoria Sinclair pushed Eugene Vaughn away, taking a step back to put some distance between them. Latest content published on novel[f]ire.net

The sea breeze howled past, scattering her long hair and the tears in her eyes.

"Eugene, we... really can’t go back." Her voice was light, yet carried an undeniable firmness, "Let’s be friends."

Eugene’s fingers trembled slightly, as if trying to grasp something, but found nothing to hold onto. The darkness swallowed the pain and unwillingness in his eyes, his voice hoarse and low: "Be friends? Do you think I can just be friends with you? I can’t see you every day, can’t hug you, can’t touch you, kiss you, I can’t even live with you. For me, that’s more painful than death."

Eugene’s warm hand grabbed her wrist urgently, "Victoria, tell me, do you really have no feelings for me at all?"

His voice had a slight tremor, a fear of hearing a negative answer.

Tears once again blurred Victoria’s eyes, her lips trembled as she attempted to say something, yet it was caught in her throat.

She didn’t know what kind of feelings Eugene truly had for her.

But how could past wounds be easily erased?

She had finally gathered the courage to leave this failed marriage, to escape from a despicable father-in-law and a scheming mother-in-law.

She had dreams she wished to fulfill, and she didn’t want to be trapped in marriage, losing her freedom.

She slowly closed her eyes, biting her lip, and painfully uttered a few words: "Eugene, let me go, and let yourself go too."

Eugene seemed to be drained of all strength, slowly releasing her hand.

His body swayed, and he murmured hoarsely, "Victoria, I can’t."

Victoria’s heart felt like it was being pierced by countless needles, her hands clenched into fists at her sides, nails digging deep into her palms. She endured the pain inside, her voice trembling as she said, "Eugene, you will meet someone better, you will be happy."

Eugene’s voice suddenly became serious, deep and firm, "Victoria Sinclair, I only want you."

The waves endlessly crashed onto the beach, over and over, as if playing a sad song for this broken relationship.

Victoria felt distressed and didn’t want to continue the conversation.

She turned around and walked in the direction she had come from, her steps heavy and slow, each one feeling like it was treading on her own heart.

Eugene stood there, watching her silhouette gradually fade away.

Victoria returned to the front of the tent.

The men were drinking on one side, and the women were holding sparklers, setting off small fireworks on the other.

Everyone’s gaze naturally turned toward her.

Charlie Spencer pointed to a nearby tent, "Sis-in-law, your tent is over there. The third one."

Victoria glanced at the tent but didn’t respond to Charlie’s words.

Ethan Vaughn frowned unhappily, "Victoria Sinclair has already divorced my brother, stop calling her sis-in-law."

Charlie sipped his drink and chuckled, "They will remarry sooner or later, no need to change it back and forth, it’s a hassle."

Ethan’s face looked unusually displeased.

Miles Shaw nodded in agreement, clinking his can with Charlie’s, feeling a sense of camaraderie.

Tiffany Rhodes picked up a can of beer and offered it to Victoria, "Sis-in-law, would you like to come have a drink with us? Or would you prefer to go set off fireworks with Jenny and the others?"

Without hesitation, Victoria walked over to the chair beside Tiffany, took the beer he handed her, "Thanks." She forcefully pulled open the can tab.

After sitting down, Ethan’s intense gaze was fixed on her.

Victoria drank her beer slowly, her gaze drifting toward the dark seaside not far away, where Eugene still stood lonely and unmoving, as if merged with the darkness.

Ethan asked, "Victoria, it’s been half a year since you sold your company, what are your plans now?"

The three of them looked at Victoria curiously.

Victoria leaned back in her chair, eyes lowered to the beer in her hand. After a moment of thought, she said, "My professor from university has a project for me to join."

"What kind of project?"

Victoria countered, "Besides drug research, what else can I do?"

Ethan’s lips curved with a bit of pride, "You could come work at Vaughn Group. No matter what position or benefits you want, I can accommodate you."

The outdoor lighting was dim and yellow, just enough to hide the fleeting disdain in Victoria’s eyes.

She showed no emotion, only politely said, "Thanks, but I’m not considering it for now."

Ethan leaned forward, boldly confessing, "Victoria Sinclair, be my girlfriend. I’m not the same as I was before; I’ve taken over Vaughn Group and am no longer wasting my days idly. I’m likely to inherit most of the business and family assets, and with me, you’ll surely be happy."

The other three’s faces immediately turned somber, their eyes filled with a hint of displeasure, staring at Ethan with disdain.

As if their brother’s wall was about to be pried away, anxious but without grounds to stop it.

Victoria remained silent, drinking incessantly.

She wasn’t skilled at drinking, but at the moment, feeling annoyed and irritable, she only wanted to drown her sorrows in alcohol.

Ethan continued, "You can seriously consider it, I’ll always be waiting for you."

Victoria ignored Ethan’s voice, her gaze continually glancing in Eugene’s direction.

"What’s wrong with Eugene?" Charlie asked curiously, "Why hasn’t he come back yet?"

"Could he be thinking something rash?" Tiffany worriedly stood up.

Miles chuckled softly, "What are you thinking?"

"Then what’s he doing standing by the sea for so long?" Tiffany looked at Victoria, asking nervously, "What did you guys talk about just now?"

Victoria exhaled lightly, shaking her head.

"I’ll go call him back." Tiffany said, just about to take a step when Charlie immediately grabbed his hand.

Tiffany was worried, "You don’t understand, that guy’s thoughts are quite extreme, if..."

"Extreme?" Charlie chuckled softly, "Do you have a misunderstanding about him?"

"I grew up with him." Tiffany pointed at Ethan, "If you don’t believe me, ask his brother."

Charlie and Miles both looked at Ethan, and Ethan squinted his cold eyes, saying nothing, nodding slightly with a mocking smile.

Just then, Eugene started walking over,

Tiffany let out a sigh of relief, sat down to continue drinking, and remarked with a sense of appreciation, "That guy is just a weirdo."

Seeing Eugene about to approach, Victoria quickly finished the beer in the can, put down the empty bottle, and stood up, "I’m going back to rest."

Charlie reminded, "Five o’clock tomorrow, remember to set an alarm to watch the sunrise."

"Okay." Victoria turned and walked toward the tent.

Eugene just returned, and Victoria had already left.

Eugene had just returned, only to see Victoria Sinclair’s retreating figure.

He watched the figure fade into the distance, his eyes growing darker, as if harboring endless sorrow and loss.

Charlie Spencer handed him a new can of beer, "Want a drink?"

Eugene shook his head, sat down, and pulled out his phone to send a message to Victoria Sinclair.

Victoria Sinclair had just returned to her tent when she received Eugene’s message.

She locked the tent’s zipper.

Sitting down, she opened WeChat to check.

Eugene: [I promise you, we’ll be friends. But I have one condition, you can’t avoid me anymore.]

The heavy weight on Victoria Sinclair’s chest lifted immediately, and she exhaled softly.

Eugene: [As your friend, do you have any requests?]

Victoria Sinclair: [No.]

Eugene: [Let’s watch the sunrise together in the morning.]

Victoria Sinclair: [Okay.]

Eugene: [What do you want for breakfast?]

Victoria Sinclair: [I have one request, don’t be too nice to me.]

Eugene: [Okay, I’ll do as you say.]

Victoria Sinclair’s low spirits instantly brightened, she put down her phone, turned off the tent’s small light, and lay down in her sleeping bag.

Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe she was just too tired.

She quickly fell asleep.

She didn’t know how long had passed when she groggily sensed the tent zipper moving.

She sleepily opened her eyes, surrounded by darkness.

"Victoria." Eugene’s gentle voice, tinged with cautiousness, softly broke through the stillness of the night.

Victoria Sinclair became a bit more awake, squinting to see a man’s blurry shadow shifting by her side.

"Eugene, what are you doing?" Victoria Sinclair’s voice was lazy and soft with sleep.

Eugene settled next to her, his tone slightly resigned, yet a bit playful: "Victoria, I’m afraid of ghosts, sleeping next to you makes me less scared."

Victoria Sinclair was shocked awake by his words, turning to face the man lying beside her, she replied displeased, "Afraid of ghosts? Eugene, are you joking?"

"No joke, really scared." Eugene said as he pretended to shiver, leaning closer to her.

Victoria Sinclair instinctively wanted to edge away, but her sleeping bag enclosed her tightly, making it difficult to move, "Don’t lean so close, if you’re afraid of ghosts you should find your buddies."

Eugene closed his eyes gently, his voice becoming increasingly lazy and hoarse, as if murmuring in a dreamlike state: "You know I have a cleanliness obsession, I really can’t stand the strange odors on them, and the deafening snores.

"But you can’t just come and sleep with me." Victoria Sinclair’s voice carried a hint of urgency and embarrassment.

"We’re friends." Eugene’s voice grew softer, barely audible, as if he might fall into a deep sleep the next second, "Friends are supposed to help each other, aren’t they?"

"Eugene, stop using that as an excuse, you’re doing this on purpose." Victoria Sinclair muttered softly, but Eugene didn’t respond, his breathing becoming light and even.

Victoria Sinclair took a deep breath, bit her lower lip, and ultimately chose to hold her peace.

After all, she was the one who proposed to be friends with Eugene.

Half a year later, they were lying together again, even though the sleeping bags separated them, their breaths mingled, the air filled with Eugene’s familiar and pleasant scent.

Just being aware of his presence made Victoria Sinclair’s heart flutter slightly, beyond her control.

Victoria Sinclair slowly closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down, so she could fall asleep.

She knew in her heart that Eugene was a gentleman, always respecting women, and would never do anything out of line.

And so, amidst complex emotions, she gradually drifted into slumber.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when the alarm on her phone suddenly went off. Eugene instinctively reached out and quietly turned it off.

He sat up slowly, through the white tent, he could see the sky outside was already turning light. He gently opened the tent door and stepped out.

At this time, everyone was already standing on the beach. When they saw him coming out of Victoria Sinclair’s tent, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief, as if witnessing something inconceivable.

Vivian Miller’s eyes flared with anger, her hands clenched into fists, she demanded, "Eugene, why were you sleeping in Victoria Sinclair’s tent?"

Eugene simply responded flatly, "Hmm." His indifferent attitude, as if it was just an everyday occurrence.

Vivian seemed to be comforting herself, or perhaps trying to convince others, her voice slightly trembling: "Victoria Sinclair was in your tent, wasn’t she? You swapped tents..."

Before she could finish, Victoria Sinclair emerged from the tent, calmly standing next to Eugene while tidying her hair.

Charlie Spencer and Miles exchanged a glance, smirked, the look in their eyes carried a meaningful tease, and then they headed toward the sea.

Ethan Vaughn’s expression grew increasingly grim, gritting his teeth, a hint of sarcastic coldness on his face: "Brother, don’t be so shameless."

Eugene’s expression remained unchanged, he strode forward, brushing past Ethan, his voice low yet carrying an unquestionable authority: "You have no right to tell me what to do."

Ethan’s hands clenched into fists, his body trembling slightly with anger, yet he remained frozen in place, unable to utter a word.

Victoria Sinclair silently followed behind Eugene. At this moment, Vivian Miller suddenly rushed up and grabbed Victoria Sinclair’s arm firmly.

Victoria Sinclair abruptly halted, looking at Vivian Miller in confusion and annoyance.

Vivian Miller looked at Eugene’s receding figure, then lowered her voice, harshly warning, "Victoria Sinclair, since you’re divorced, stay away from Eugene, stop clinging to him, you two will never be together again in this lifetime."

Victoria Sinclair shook off her hand forcefully, her tone firm, "What happens between him and me is none of your business."

Vivian Miller took a deep breath, her eyes welling up with tears, she gritted her teeth, saying with determination, "How is it not related to me? I’m the only wife candidate designated by Eugene, marrying him is just a matter of time, you’d better take care of yourself."

Sarah Lowell quickly stepped forward, standing next to Vivian, her eyes widened, glaring at Victoria Sinclair: "Don’t be shameless, stay away from Eugene, you’d better not be a homewrecker, or we’ll ruin you."

At this moment, Jenny Vaughn and Renee also approached. The four women encircled Victoria Sinclair, forming a highly oppressive stance.

Victoria Sinclair’s expression was calm, composedly looking at the four women in front of her.

She knew well, this combination was formidable.

A wealthy heiress with depression, a top celebrity with over ten million fans, a pampered debutante, and a former best friend who knew her past—offending any one of them would make it hard for her to stay unscathed.

Victoria Sinclair showed no sign of retreat, and for a moment, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense and explosive.

Her gaze was firm as she scanned the four women, her voice steady yet carrying undeniable strength: "My relationship with Eugene requires no explanation to anyone. How you perceive it, is your business. But remember, I, Victoria Sinclair, have never needed to depend on anyone to live, nor will I retreat because of your threats."

After she finished speaking, she walked past Vivian Miller with large strides, heading towards the sea.