Chapter 223

Victoria was freezing and feeling miserable. She tried to wring out the water from her clothes to lighten the load.

William noticed her struggle and instinctively reached out to help wring out the hem of her dress.

Watching their actions, Victoria suddenly found the scene amusing and couldn't help but ask, "Ever been chased like this before?"

William tilted his head slightly, pondering for a moment as memories surfaced. "A few times, but I wasn't exaggerating. I used to be able to shake them off with my skills."

Victoria thought to herself, 'This guy is really something, always making dangerous situations sound like a game. I can't tell if he's truly capable or just careless.'

But judging by how he handled things earlier, he didn't seem inexperienced. He must have faced many dangerous situations over the years.

They walked and stopped intermittently on the rugged path, unsure of how much time had passed.

Victoria estimated that even if they retraced their steps now, it would be hard to find the spot where they had come ashore.

William alternated between walking beside her and scouting ahead. After a while, he habitually looked back to check on Victoria, only to find she had fallen far behind.

He quickly walked back, ready to ask if she was okay, but saw her slowly lift her head, her cheeks unnaturally flushed, and her eyes filled with exhaustion.

William's heart tightened. He hurried to her side and gently touched her forehead, feeling the heat. "You seem to have a fever."

Victoria weakly touched her face, realizing it was burning hot. She really did have a fever.

No wonder she felt like her body was getting heavier and heavier. She had thought she was finally warming up, but it was actually the fever.

"Your constitution is really something," William couldn't help but tease. Then, without hesitation, he squatted down in front of her and patted his back. "Get on, I'll carry you."

Victoria didn't hesitate, leaning onto his back and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Your constitution is the unusual one."

William carried her forward, his tone smug. "Thanks for the compliment."

After a while, Victoria mumbled something in a daze. William turned his ear to her. "What did you say?"

Victoria exhaled warmly and raised her voice. "I said, I want to pass my constitution to you, and my illness too."

William could feel Victoria's face pressed against his neck, her cheek's heat seemingly penetrating his skin.

"Alright," he said softly, "give it all to me."

Victoria was light, and William carried her for a long time, feeling the already gloomy sky grow darker.

Her clothes were wet, but her face was burning hot.

Victoria fell asleep on his back, or rather, her fever worsened.

At first, she could still chat with him intermittently, but later, when William called her, she barely responded.

William had never felt Harry was this slow before, growing increasingly frustrated, thinking he would dock Harry's bonus for the entire year.

In the dim forest, faint sounds emerged. William looked up and saw a few beams of light in the distance. He put Victoria down and shielded her, recognizing the group with flashlights.

He sighed in relief, seeing Harry and Alvin leading the group.

William hadn't expected to see Alvin here, and a sense of foreboding crept into his heart.

"Victoria."

Hearing the call, Victoria woke up abruptly and hurriedly pulled away from William's embrace. "Dad."

The swelling on Victoria's lips was too obvious for Alvin to miss.

He looked at her with a mix of disappointment and heartache, his lips tightly pressed as he suppressed his anger. "Come with me."

William glared coldly at Alvin, a mocking smile on his lips, his eyes full of provocation. "Alvin, she's not your possession."

Alvin finally focused on William, and the next second, he swung a punch.

Victoria's heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, she instinctively rushed forward, spreading her arms to shield William.

Alvin was shocked and stopped his punch abruptly.

William stared at the small figure in his arms. She was petite, just reaching his chin, her face flushed from the fever, yet she was trying her best to protect him.

In that moment, William felt a warm current flow through his heart, filling the usual restlessness and emptiness with her protective gesture.

Victoria slowly opened her tightly shut eyes. Realizing what she had done, she panicked and broke free from his embrace, stumbling back. "Dad, I..."

She was filled with regret, knowing she had made a big mistake. She kept asking herself inwardly, 'What was I doing? Why did I protect William?'

Alvin glared at her for a long time before gritting his teeth and saying, "Come here, I'll carry you to the hospital."

"Okay." Victoria lowered her head and obediently lay on his broad back.

William watched Victoria, her head drooping as she lay on Alvin's back, unable to calm down.

It wasn't until he got into the car that he seemed to snap out of it, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

The gray smoke quickly filled the car, blurring his vision.

Victoria felt like she was in a scorching desert or a humid tropical rainforest. Her body was unbearably hot, and her head was heavy.

When she woke up earlier, she saw Alvin sitting by her bed with a stern expression. The white walls and sheets made her realize she was in a hospital.

Her thoughts were slow, and her breathing was heavy. Alvin touched her forehead and told her to keep sleeping if she felt uncomfortable.

Victoria vaguely remembered that she and William had been walking in the woods, and now Harry and Alvin had found them. They were safe.

Thank goodness.

She relaxed and fell back into a deep sleep.

When she woke up again, she was drenched in sweat, tiredly opening her eyes. The room was dark, indicating it was late at night.

She moved her body, feeling somewhat better, though still dizzy.

Turning her gaze to the side, Victoria was startled to see someone sitting by her bed.