Chapter 92

At this moment, a man with a face full of flesh, reeking of alcohol, staggered over to Victoria.

He looked at Victoria with a malicious glint in his eyes and mumbled, "Hey pretty lady, drinking alone? Let me join you."

Victoria was taken aback and slightly raised her head. The strong smell of alcohol prevented her from realizing the danger in front of her. She instinctively waved her hand, "I don't need it, thank you."

"How could you not need it? Such a beautiful girl should have someone to drink with!" Another man chimed in, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

Victoria felt a wave of discomfort and irritation. She wanted to avoid them but was surrounded by their laughter and teasing.

She tried to stand up but lost her balance due to her drunkenness and almost fell.

"Stay away from me!" Victoria glared at them, but this only provoked more laughter.

The owner of the barbecue restaurant couldn't stand it anymore and wanted to intervene, but one of the men stopped him, "Mind your own business, or you'll regret it."

The owner shrank back in fear.

The other customers in the restaurant didn't dare to make a sound, afraid of getting involved.

"Miss, you're so thin, drinking is bad for your health. If you get a stomachache, I'll feel terrible." The man with the fleshy face reached out to touch Victoria's cheek, his rough palm rubbing against her delicate skin.

Victoria recoiled in disgust and slapped his hand away.

"You bitch! How dare you!" The man was furious and raised his hand to slap Victoria.

Victoria retreated several steps, and just as the man was about to strike, a dark shadow loomed over him, blocking his way. A fist landed heavily on his nose, causing him to clutch his nose in pain and scream.

William kicked him to the ground, stepping on his chest, and said coldly, "Get lost!"

"You bitch, how dare you hit me?" The man struggled to get up and swung his arm at William, but William caught his wrist, causing him to feel a bone-crushing pain.

He screamed in agony, his face contorted with pain.

Seeing this, his companions grabbed chairs or bottles and threw them at William. William kicked the chairs away and then picked two up, mercilessly smashing it on them.

Cries of pain echoed around. William walked towards the man clutching his nose.

Sensing danger, the man tried to run.

With a loud crash, his bulky body hit the wall, and he fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

William stepped on his chest and said coldly, "You're lucky tonight. If I see you again, you won't be so fortunate!"

With that, he released his foot and helped Victoria up from the ground.

Her eyes were red, and tears stained her face, making her look very pitiful.

A hint of heartache flashed in William's eyes.

Victoria opened her eyes in a daze, staring blankly at William.

William squatted beside her, placing his hands on her shoulders, "What's wrong? Don't you recognize me?"

Victoria stared at him for a moment, then threw herself into his arms.

"Dad, they were bullying me," Victoria mumbled, hugging William and crying loudly.

William's hand paused, then he patted her back and sighed helplessly, "There, there, don't cry."

Victoria buried her head in his chest, inhaling his familiar scent, and gradually stopped crying.

After a while, Victoria looked up at William and suddenly asked, "Dad, did I do something wrong to make you angry? Tell me, I'll change! Please don't leave me again."

William was silent for a moment. As he carried her on his back, he said, "You didn't do anything wrong. It was my fault."

Victoria blinked in confusion, letting William carry her.

She nestled on William's warm, broad back, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, feeling comforted by his familiar scent.

"Dad, where did you go? I missed you so much. I thought you didn't want me anymore. I was so scared."

"I'm sorry for making you suffer."

Victoria leaned on his back, swaying gently, "Dad, you can't lie to me. I really missed you. Mom only likes Bobby. She..."

Thinking of Nora, Victoria's tears welled up again, "Dad, I'm so tired and exhausted."

She choked and sobbed, her tears soaking William's coat.

His breathing became uneven, and his heart ached.

Victoria wrapped her arms around William's neck, "Dad, I want to go back to school, but I can't. Mom needs to be hospitalized, and Bobby needs to go to school. You told me to stay out of her and Bobby's business, but Mom said if I don't give her money, she'll go to the media and expose my relationship with William."

Victoria cried even harder, her eyes swollen and sore, tears streaming down like a river breaking its banks. She cried so hard it was heart-wrenching.

"Dad, I've embarrassed you. I'm a bad girl. I sold myself for money. That Alice even called me a prostitute."

The more Victoria spoke, the more upset and aggrieved she felt.

It was as if she was venting all the pent-up emotions from so long. She became more and more agitated, eventually crying so hard she could barely breathe.

William's heart tightened. He quickly carried her back to her home, took the key from her bag, and opened the door.

He gently placed her on the sofa, poured her a glass of water, and handed it to her.

"Drink some water first, don't cry." William coaxed softly.

Victoria held the warm cup, her eyes downcast, not speaking.

William sat beside her, gently rubbing her long hair, speaking softly, "Don't cry. I'll teach them a lesson for you, okay?"

Victoria slowly looked up, her eyes red and swollen, and suddenly jumped into his arms, "Dad, you know what? I drove away the only person who really cared about me."

William's body stiffened slightly at the word "only."

Victoria continued to cling to him like a cat seeking shelter.

William sighed, picked her up, walked to the bed, and laid her down, covering her with a blanket. He then said softly, "Sleep."

His voice was gentle and doting, making it hard not to be drawn in.

"Okay." Victoria responded, pulling the blanket over her head.

William turned off the light and was about to leave.

Victoria grabbed his hand, crying, "Dad, don't go!"

William's body trembled, then he leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Okay."

He then took off his coat, lay down on the bed, and held Victoria in his arms, gently patting her back, "There, there, sleep. I'm not going anywhere."

Feeling William's presence, Victoria felt much more at ease and soon fell asleep.

A faint smile of happiness and contentment appeared on her lips.

William looked at her sweet face, his eyes deepening, and his throat felt dry.

Since the last time at Snowflake Peak, it had been almost a month since he had made love.

Now, with her lying in his arms, her cute and charming sleeping face so close, his body felt hot, and a certain part of him began to stir.

William swallowed, forcing himself to look away, but he couldn't control his growing desire.

Victoria felt a bit cold and murmured, instinctively moving closer to the heat source, mumbling, "So warm."

This low moan acted like a catalyst, causing William to completely lose control. He took the initiative and sealed Victoria's incessant lips with his own.