Chapter 195

"William! What the heck are you doing?"

William shoved Victoria into his Rolls-Royce without a second thought.

"Take her home," he commanded, indicating Wendy with a glance.

Harry caught on immediately. Just as Wendy was about to step in, he quickly nudged her back into the car. "Come on, come on, what's going on? Let me help."

The car door closed with a sharp click, followed by the sound of the lock engaging.

"William!" Victoria sat in the passenger seat, her cheeks puffed up in anger, glaring at him with wide eyes. "Are you out of your mind?"

William started the car smoothly, making a sharp U-turn, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Didn't you say you wanted to pay for the car repairs? How can we do that without an estimate?"

"I told you, Harry can tell me."

"Victoria, this isn't a small amount. We're talking about repair costs that could easily run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Why do you think I can easily trust you?"

Victoria was momentarily speechless.

She had indeed relied on their past relationship, and now that he had ruthlessly exposed her, her face burned with embarrassment. She forced herself to say, "Fine, let's get the estimate first. I'll pay whatever it costs."

William's eyes narrowed slightly, the mockery in them growing more intense. "I know you have a good salary, and your dad's business is picking up. Of course, you wouldn't think twice about this kind of money."

"William, if you have something to say, just say it. Why do you have to be so sarcastic? Who could have predicted this bad luck, rear-ending your car of all things? Don't make it sound like we did it on purpose!"

William briefly glanced at her, his tone indifferent. "You're so self-righteous, I almost forgot you rear-ended me."

Victoria glared at him fiercely, turning her head away in a huff, refusing to engage further.

He really drove to the Car Service Center.

Since they were handling it privately and she was taking full responsibility, there was no need to involve the traffic authorities. Coming here to get a rough estimate of the repair costs made sense.

William leisurely sat in the VIP lounge, sipping the coffee the manager personally brought him, watching Victoria bustle around with a calm demeanor.

When Victoria received the estimate showing $250,000, she felt a wave of dizziness. She pinched herself, trying to stay composed.

Her insurance would cover up to $150,000, leaving her to pay the remaining $100,000 out of pocket.

This meant she suddenly owed William $100,000.

"William? What are you doing here?"

Alice walked in, her gaze casually sweeping over Victoria before giving her a polite smile. "You two aren't here on a date, are you? That's a new one, coming to a Car Service Center for a date. Is the food here that good?"

Victoria, filled with anxiety, had no time for Alice's possibly genuine or joking comment. Her eyes were fixed on the daunting number on the estimate.

William raised an eyebrow. "What brings you here?"

"I got a new car last month. It has a minor issue, so I scheduled a check-up for today."

The manager nodded repeatedly. "Ms. Garcia, please have a seat and relax."

Alice, being smart, didn't sit next to William but chose a spot beside Victoria on the same couch.

"Ms. Carter, what's wrong? You look so worried. Did something happen?"

Victoria took a deep breath, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Nothing much, just suddenly owing $100,000."

"What?" After hearing the story, Alice quickly tried to mediate. "William, it's just $100,000. Don't make it hard for Ms. Carter."

Victoria looked at Alice with newfound appreciation. Regardless of her motives, that was a decent thing to say. Coming up with $100,000 all at once was a bit much for her.

"I'm not forcing her. She admitted full responsibility and even offered to write an IOU."

Victoria fell silent.

Alice smiled sweetly. "Then I'll pay it for her."

Victoria's eyes widened in disbelief. Alice had changed? This was $100,000! And she was offering to help just like that?

William's brows furrowed, and he finally looked up, giving Alice a cold glance. "Why should you clean up her mess?"

"Don't say that. We're all friends here. Besides, it's just $100,000. It's not a big deal."

Victoria almost thought she misheard. Alice was acting out of character. $100,000, and she didn't even blink?

But William's gaze grew colder. "Whoever's at fault should take responsibility."

He glanced at Victoria's slightly pale but still delicate face, noting the fleeting surprise and gratitude in her eyes. His frown deepened. Why hadn't he noticed before how money-hungry she was? A mere $100,000, and she was looking at Alice with such admiration. If he'd known, he would have used money to keep her close.

Victoria snapped back to reality, her mind clearing. She politely thanked Alice. "I appreciate your kindness, Ms. Garcia. This man may be annoying, but he's right. If it's my responsibility, I have to bear it. Even if it's a million dollars, I can't shirk it."

Alice turned to William, her voice soft and persuasive. "William, don't hold it against Ms. Carter. Do it for me, okay?"

Victoria never expected Alice to humble herself to plead with William on her behalf.

William's expression grew darker. He hadn't intended to make her pay. He was just annoyed when she turned to leave and wanted to tease her. Alice's plea gave him an excuse.

William waved his hand, pretending to be magnanimous. "Since you asked, I'll let her off the hook."

Victoria thought she'd be happy about the waived compensation, but it felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, revealing a harsh truth. To William, Alice was the special one. A casual word from her could change his mind.

Alice couldn't hide her joy but carefully concealed it, turning to comfort Victoria. "Ms. Carter, William is just like a child. Don't take it to heart."

Though she was apologizing for William, her words hinted at their closeness, a bond others couldn't reach.

"Of course not. I'm very grateful for William's generosity. But William, rest assured, when I have the money, I'll pay you back in installments."

William narrowed his eyes, letting out a cold snort. "You're really something. Even your insincere diplomatic words sound smooth."

Victoria gritted her teeth. What was wrong with William today? Couldn't he go a minute without mocking her? But knowing she was in the wrong, she suppressed her anger, forcing a smile. "It's not insincere. I mean it."

"You? Mean it?"

"You!" Victoria really didn't want to say another word to him!