Chapter 218

Victoria froze, lowering her head to look at the invitation Hannah had handed her, her fingers lightly touching the soft red cover.

As a woman herself, Victoria understood that Hannah was doing this out of insecurity, seeking some comfort from her.

And Hannah was right; she and Samuel did need a proper goodbye.

Victoria forced a smile at Hannah. "I'll be there on time."

"Thanks," Hannah said with a sweet smile before getting up and leaving.

Watching Hannah's retreating figure, a faint trace of sarcasm crossed Victoria's lips.

She was becoming more and more hypocritical.

On the weekend, Victoria got up early.

She took a long, relaxing bath, then opened her wardrobe to carefully select the perfect outfit. Sitting at her vanity, she meticulously did her makeup.

Since it was a final farewell, she had to look her best to give Samuel peace of mind.

Before leaving, on a whim, Victoria took out the ring box from her drawer, stared at it for a long moment, and finally put it on.

Victoria stepped out of the car at the hotel entrance, gently lifting her dress as she prepared to walk inside. Suddenly, a group of reporters rushed out from both sides. "Ms. Carter!"

Caught off guard by the sudden appearance of so many reporters, Victoria froze, her steps halting.

"Ms. Carter, we've heard you were very close with Mr. Brown. Is that true?"

"So, Ms. Carter, in what capacity are you attending today? As a friend of Mr. Brown or as his ex-girlfriend?"

"Rumor has it that the Brown family disapproved of you, which led to your breakup."

Victoria found herself surrounded, unable to move.

Seeing the microphones almost touching her face, she quickly raised her arms to shield herself.

Where did these reporters get their information?

Their relentless questioning drew the attention of many guests.

Hearing the reporters' questions and looking at Victoria, the guests' eyes filled with disdain.

So, she was Samuel's ex-girlfriend. Who knew what kind of entanglement they had?

Her presence here was clearly to cause trouble for the engaged couple. What was she up to?

Victoria felt utterly humiliated by their gazes.

The reporters continued to hound her, and Victoria kept retreating, her face growing increasingly pale. "These are all baseless rumors. I have nothing to say."

A sharp reporter immediately followed up, "Are you refusing to respond because you feel guilty?"

At that moment, a slightly cold voice cut in, "Why are you harassing my girlfriend?"

Victoria turned towards the voice and saw William standing at the back of the crowd, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit.

William strode towards Victoria with long, confident steps.

He wore a perfectly pressed black suit, his hair neatly styled, his handsome features exuding a noble and proud aura.

He wrapped his arms around Victoria's slender waist, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes before quickly disappearing.

He curved his lips into a charming smile and asked softly, "Baby, did they give you a hard time? If they made you uncomfortable, I can sue their companies into bankruptcy."

Though he whispered in her ear, his voice was loud enough for all the reporters to hear clearly.

The reporters exchanged shocked glances. Since when was Victoria William's girlfriend?

But then again, rumors about them had been circulating for a while.

There had been talk that Victoria was William's sugar baby, and later, gossip suggested she had come between William and Alice, leading to their breakup before the wedding.

Now, with William publicly declaring their relationship, it seemed to make sense.

The reporters were instantly excited. This was a big scoop!

They swarmed around the couple, "Mr. Scott, when did you and Ms. Carter start dating?"

"Ms. Carter, can you tell us why you and Mr. Scott started dating?"

The barrage of questions made Victoria's head spin, like a swarm of flies buzzing around her. She opened her mouth to speak, "We..."

"We're doing great." Before Victoria could finish, William cut her off, smiling as he gently but firmly led her into the hotel. "The ceremony is about to start. It's rude to be late."

Ignoring the persistent reporters behind them, William kept a relaxed smile on his face, his hand sliding down her shoulder to rest on her waist. "You don't want to upset the Brown family, do you? Admitting our relationship is the best way to handle this."

Victoria frowned. Though his words made sense, something felt off.

She turned her head to glare at William, her eyes filled with anger. "You planned this, didn't you?"

William didn't deny it. Instead, he looked at her with an appreciative, almost amused expression. "You're not as dumb as you look. But I did come to attend the engagement ceremony. I just didn't expect you to be here."

Victoria turned away, struggling to break free from his hold. "Do you realize the trouble your words just caused? Not only will our privacy be exposed, but my father will also be dragged into this!"

Hearing her concern for Alvin, William's eyes grew colder, his tone mocking. "If he doesn't want to be involved, he shouldn't be in this circle. It's really responsible of him to let his daughter worry about his mess."

His sarcasm infuriated Victoria. "I know you still hate him, but I'm his daughter. It's my duty to protect him. If you can't stand it, stay away from me! I never begged you to stay!"

William looked at her in disbelief, anger flashing in his eyes. "Who taught you to use and discard people like this?"

Victoria ignored him, taking the opportunity to break free and stride towards the venue.

William stood there, watching her stubborn back, his eyes darkening.

"Having a fight?" Eugene approached with a smirk, glancing at William. "Didn't expect you to be so cunning!"

William shot him a look, uninterested. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Announcing she's your girlfriend in public was a brilliant move! She can't back out now. After all, it's better to be seen as your girlfriend than to be accused of interfering in someone else's relationship."

William casually slipped his hands into his pockets, walking leisurely into the banquet hall. "Whether she admits it or not, the result is the same."

"Just a word of advice, don't get too cocky."