Chapter 121: Chapter 121

Victoria Sinclair walked slowly to the seaside, standing shoulder to shoulder with the group.

The sky gradually showed a hint of white, the sea breeze carrying a salty and wet scent gently swept over the beach.

She stood quietly, her hair fluttering with the wind, seemingly merging with this morning sea breeze.

On the horizon, a splash of orange-red subtly spread, gradually penetrating the clouds, as if ready to break through.

Eugene Vaughn turned his head, his gaze gently falling on Victoria Sinclair’s face, as if lost in thought.

Victoria felt his burning gaze, turning her head to meet his eyes.

The moment their eyes met, emotions flowed, and ambiguous feelings quietly surged between them.

Victoria felt a slight tension in her heart and awkwardly asked, "Is there something on my face?"

Eugene did not directly answer but gently took her fair hand.

Victoria was startled and instinctively wanted to pull her hand back, but Eugene held it tightly, and she couldn’t break free.

His hand was warm and firm, gripping just the right amount, making her feel an inexplicable sense of security.

"Why are you holding my hand?" Victoria asked softly, with a hint of helplessness in her voice.

"Isn’t it normal to hold a friend’s hand?" Eugene grinned playfully and said seriously, "Victoria, we will last forever."

Victoria blinked, puzzled, "What do you mean by ’last forever’?"

"Friendship," Eugene chuckled, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Victoria sighed helplessly, "Alright, now can you let go of my hand?"

"Let’s go over there." Eugene did not release her hand; instead, he forcefully led Victoria towards another part of the beach under everyone’s gaze. He deliberately distanced himself from the crowd, as if wanting to enjoy this moment of solitude.

Victoria felt somewhat uneasy, sensing the complex emotions hidden in the gazes from behind. The more she tried to pull her hand away, the tighter Eugene held it.

"Eugene, we’re friends, not a couple, don’t hold my hand when walking." Victoria complained as they walked, a hint of helplessness in her tone.

Eugene slowed his pace, looking at the distant light of the sunrise, speaking unhurriedly: "This is how I interact with friends, holding hands is normal."

Victoria muttered to herself: This guy is full of nonsense. She couldn’t help but ask, "Do you do this with Vivian too?"

"Vivian and I aren’t friends, so no hand-holding," Eugene responded crisply and neatly.

"What about Charlie Spencer and Miles Shaw? Do you hold hands with them too?" Victoria continued to probe, a hint of teasing in her eyes.

Eugene chuckled lightly, nodded, and after a while, said: "Yes, I do hold hands with them too."

Victoria wasn’t so easily fooled, she huffed speechlessly but felt a faint sense of amusement inside.

The two walked a long distance, the waves lashed against the beach, seemingly rising higher with each wave.

Eugene suddenly bent down, picked up a cute pink spiral shell, and handed it to Victoria: "It’s pretty, do you want it?"

Victoria’s eyes suddenly lit up at the sight of this rare shell, her smile sweet: "It’s so beautiful, thank you."

Seeing the smile on her face, Eugene couldn’t help but let go of her hand, looking around. The beach was scattered with many oddly shaped shells, and Eugene picked only the prettiest ones.

Victoria, after all, a girl couldn’t resist pretty shells, she too bent down, starting to search for shells she liked.

Suddenly, Victoria spotted a large shell buried in the sand, with only a tip sticking out. She excitedly shouted, "Eugene, there’s one here!"

Eugene immediately walked over, crouched down, and without hesitation, reached out to dig. After digging a few times, he finally unearthed a large shell.

"Wow, it’s so big!" Victoria was as happy as a child, her eyes shining brightly.

Eugene, holding the large conch shell, ran to the seaside and washed the sand off in the icy seawater.

Since it was winter, Victoria worried he might get cold, hurriedly followed, "Eugene, don’t wash it, the seawater here is very cold."

Eugene didn’t mind, after cleaning the conch, he handed it to her with a gentle tone that made one tremble: "This conch is really beautiful, worth collecting."

Victoria took the conch, softly said: "Thank you."

Just then, a big wave suddenly came.

Victoria hadn’t had time to react, her feet were already soaked in the icy seawater.

She instinctively screamed in surprise, wanting to run away, but the water already covered her feet.

In her panic, Eugene swiftly wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting her entirely off the ground.

Victoria found herself airborne, flung into Eugene’s embrace.

Eugene steadily held her, walking towards the beach.

Victoria, with her arms around his neck, softly said in his ear, "The seawater is so cold."

"Are your shoes wet?" Eugene looked down at her, his eyes full of concern.

"Yes." Victoria nodded, her feet already numb from the cold.

Eugene gently placed her on the beach, looking back at the sunrise over the sea, then at Victoria: "You can watch the sunrise anytime, let’s go back and change your shoes first."

Victoria felt her feet were terribly cold, nodded, but a strange warmth surged in her heart.

The two decided to head back without waiting for the sunrise to fully rise.

In the distance, a few women in the crowd noticed their departure.

Sarah Lowell stood beside Vivian Miller, her tone filled with obvious discontent, "This camping trip was clearly meant to create opportunities for you and Eugene, didn’t expect Victoria to mess it up."

Jenny Vaughn also frowned, softly complained: "Victoria indeed is too scheming, even after the divorce, she still clings to my brother. We need to find a way to make my brother see her true colors, we can’t let her continue entangling him."

Renee lightly brushed her hair disturbed by the sea breeze, a disdainful smile on her lips: "Women like Victoria, naive, ignorant, neither wealthy nor powerful, and without strong backing, are the easiest to deal with."

The other three, hearing this, all turned their gaze to Renee.

Jenny Vaughn, especially eager, couldn’t wait to ask, "Renee, do you have a way?"

Renee smiled subtly, her gaze passing over a few people, falling on Ethan Vaughn in the distance, meaningfully saying: "The opportunity is right in front of you, it depends on whether you can seize it."

Following her line of sight, they looked at Ethan, glanced back at Renee, filled with confusion and expectation.

"Tell us?" Jenny couldn’t hold back and eagerly asked.

Renee smiled slightly, beckoning them to come closer.

The group immediately gathered, heads close together, forming a small circle of conspiracy.

Renee covered her mouth with her hand, an eerie glint in her eyes, a smiling understatement as she quietly laid out her plan. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel⦿fire.net

Her voice was so low, as if afraid of being scattered by the wind, but the chill in her tone sent shivers down people’s spines.

After listening, a trace of complexity flashed in their eyes, and they exchanged glances, seemingly weighing the feasibility of this plan.

In Jenny Vaughn’s eyes, a flicker of ruthlessness appeared, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, as if she could already see Victoria Sinclair being exposed for who she really was, in utter disgrace.

The sea breeze continued to blow, the distant sound of waves faintly heard, as if playing a prelude to the conspiracy about to unfold.

After the beach camping ended, everyone returned to the large villa, each enjoying a leisurely time.

Victoria Sinclair changed her shoes and socks that were soaked by the seawater, carefully cleaned them, and placed them in the dryer.

Then, she walked out of the room with light steps and went straight to the open kitchen. She gently supported herself on the island counter, elegantly seated herself on a high stool, and her gaze unconsciously fell on Eugene Vaughn’s busy yet stylish figure.

"What are you doing?" Victoria Sinclair asked softly, her voice so gentle that it seemed afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the moment.

Eugene Vaughn turned his head at her voice, his eyes instantly becoming as gentle as water, and he spoke softly, "I’m making beef porridge, do you like it?"

Victoria Sinclair’s eyebrows curved into a smile, and she nodded lightly, responding, "Yes."

"It’ll take a little while longer." Eugene Vaughn stirred the porridge in the pot a few times, covered it, and walked a few steps to stand in front of Victoria Sinclair.

The two stood there, separated by the island counter, silently looking at each other, and an unusual emotion seemed to permeate the air.

"After breakfast, do you have a place you want to go? I’ll go with you." Eugene Vaughn’s tone was full of anticipation.

Victoria Sinclair gently shook her head, "No, I just want to stay in the room quietly and read."

Eugene Vaughn couldn’t help but frown slightly, "It’s a rare opportunity to play out here, isn’t it a pity to just read in the room?"

Victoria Sinclair’s lips curved up into a light smile, "I’ve been playing for half a year now. Besides, my room’s balcony is large and spacious, with a particularly good view, and the scenery is stunning. Reading in such an environment is much more interesting than going out to play."

Eugene Vaughn pressed his lips together and nodded slightly.

"What about you?" Victoria Sinclair curiously asked, "Any plans?"

"You’re definitely not going to let me stay in your room and read with you." Eugene Vaughn said indifferently, as if anticipating her answer, "Then I’ll go with Charlie Spencer and the others to the back mountain to hunt wild chickens."

Victoria Sinclair nodded and didn’t say anything more.

Eugene Vaughn glanced back at the porridge bubbling in the pot, then turned his gaze back to Victoria Sinclair. After hesitating for a while, with a slightly conflicted expression, he spoke, "Victoria, there’s something I wanted to ask for your opinion on."

"About Nathan Austin setting us up, I definitely won’t let him off easily," Eugene Vaughn couldn’t help but slowly clench his fist, a trace of anger flashing in his eyes, yet he tried hard to hold back, maintaining the final bit of calm, "But Nathan’s sister is your best girlfriend, I’m afraid it might affect your relationship, so I wanted to ask what you think."

Victoria Sinclair took a deep breath, her hands resting on her legs, and she subconsciously pinched her nails, lowering her head as she slowly exhaled.

After a long time, she slowly said, "When I first found out about that, my immediate reaction was how to bring him to justice. But his crimes didn’t reach the level of legal guilt, so he can only be condemned morally."

"There are ways to deal with him," Eugene Vaughn said with conviction in his voice.

Victoria Sinclair shook her head, "Angela Austin is the only good girlfriend I have left."

"If I take action, it definitely won’t affect your relationship," Eugene Vaughn looked at her with resolute eyes, "Besides, even if you lose Angela as a friend, don’t you still have me?"

Victoria Sinclair couldn’t help but laugh, raising her hand to gently cover her mouth, gazing into his sincere eyes, "Do you seriously want to be my best friend?"

Eugene Vaughn placed his hands on the table, his body slightly leaning forward, slowly getting closer to her, so close that his breath could lightly brush her face, he spoke softly, "If I’m your best friend, do I get to enjoy the same treatment as Angela?"

Victoria Sinclair looked puzzled, "What treatment?"

Eugene Vaughn’s mouth slightly upturned into a mischievous grin, "Shoulder rubs, hugs, even sharing a bed."

Victoria Sinclair’s smile instantly disappeared, and she stood up without saying a word, ready to leave.

Eugene Vaughn quickly reached out, grabbing her arm, "I was just joking."

Victoria Sinclair sighed softly, "It’s not funny at all."

"The porridge is ready, have some before going back to your room," Eugene Vaughn’s tone softened, carrying a hint of pleading, "I made it especially for you, are you really not going to try it?"

In the end, Victoria Sinclair’s heart softened, and she obediently returned to her seat.

Seeing this, Eugene Vaughn smiled knowingly, turned around and cracked an egg into the beef porridge, expertly flavored it, and served a bowl for Victoria Sinclair, cautiously placing it in front of her, softly reminding, "It’s hot, let it cool a bit before eating."

"Thank you," Victoria Sinclair picked up a spoon, gently stirring the beef porridge.

She scooped up a spoonful, lightly blew on it, and then sent it into her mouth.

"The taste is fresh and sweet, really delicious," Victoria Sinclair looked up, seeing Eugene Vaughn standing in front of her with a smile, quietly watching her eat porridge.

"Aren’t you going to eat?" Victoria Sinclair curiously asked.

Eugene Vaughn looked at her tenderly, softly asking, "Is it good?"

"It’s very good," Victoria Sinclair scooped another spoonful, blowing on it lightly.

Eugene Vaughn leaned on the counter with his elbows, his body slightly inclined forward, his gaze intensely fixed on the spoon by her lips, "Let me have a taste, huh?"

Victoria Sinclair paused slightly, frowning slightly as she looked at him.

"Between friends, sharing is not excessive, right?" Eugene Vaughn looked sincere.

Victoria Sinclair helplessly replied, "Eugene, can’t you have a sense of boundaries?"

Eugene Vaughn’s mouth curled into a mischievous smile, "No." As he said so, he reached out and held the spoon in Victoria Sinclair’s hand, bringing it directly to his mouth and taking a bite.

Watching him use her spoon, eating the porridge she blew on, Victoria Sinclair’s heart suddenly began to beat uncontrollably, her heart pounding erratically, and her face uncontrollably blushing slightly.

"Hmm, very sweet." Eugene Vaughn smiled, his eyes deeply locked on Victoria Sinclair’s face, the sweetness in his words having a deeper intention.

Victoria Sinclair stared dumbfoundedly at that spoon, momentarily at a loss.

Changing it would hurt his self-esteem, and feel like disrespecting him; not changing it... wasn’t this an indirect kiss? At this thought, her face instantly flushed, as if it was on fire.

Eugene Vaughn saw her adorable daze, his eyes full of indulgence, he gently touched her head, his voice tender as a spring breeze, murmuring softly, "What’s wrong, are you disgusted by me?"

"No, not at all," Victoria Sinclair hurriedly shook her head in denial, yet her heart felt like a tangled mess, impossible to cut or sort out.

She felt the relationship between them becoming more ambiguous, their positions less clear, her heart nearly as chaotic as a pot of porridge.

In her chaos, she could only continue scooping up a spoonful of porridge, bringing it to her lips and blowing on it lightly, trying to calm her heartbeat.

Eugene Vaughn withdrew his hand, his expression concerned, and his voice incomparably gentle, he instructed, "I’ll be going with Charlie Spencer and the others to hunt wild chickens later, so be careful while you’re here, avoid those women as much as possible, and don’t have any conflicts with them. If anything happens, make sure to call me immediately, okay?"

"Yes, I understand." Victoria Sinclair nodded obediently like a docile fawn, answering him, and then she put the spoonful of porridge into her mouth.

She lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

At this moment, her heart was beating wildly like a little rabbit, her face feeling hot.

Strangely, the porridge in her mouth seemed sweeter than before, just like her current tumultuous yet sweet feelings.