Chapter 36: Victor

Avey's world felt like it was unraveling before her eyes. Panic gripped her heart, and her mind raced, searching for any way to make things right. "Where is Lucian, Aunt Olivia? Please, I need to know!" Avey's voice trembled, her eyes already wet with unshed tears, fear and desperation thick in her tone.Olivia looked away, guilt flickering across her tired face. "I don't know, Avey... He was at home when I left. But... he might have gone somewhere else. Lucian...

he never stays put for long, especially not at home." Olivia's voice was soft, burdened with her own guilt and shame. She had failed as a mother, and now her son was slipping away from her too.

Avey's heart dropped further. "He's not at home... No, no, I need to find him." She was muttering to herself, already thinking of ways to track Lucian down. "Yes, yes, I'll call someone, hire someone to track him. That'll work... I can't just let this happen!" Her voice was frantic now, panic overtaking her reason.

She was filled with the regret of not going to him sooner, of waiting and hesitating, lost in her own tangled emotions after coming back in time. "I could've fixed this! Why did I wait? Why did I let this happen again?" Her thoughts echoed with guilt and self-blame.

Just as she was about to rush out of the party, leaving behind everything her birthday, the guests, the people watching her so closely a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks. Searᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Hey! Happy birthday, Avey! Sorry I got a little late, but I'm here now, haha."

Avey froze. That voice. The last voice she wanted to hear. Slowly, she turned her head toward the entrance, her heart sinking.

It was Victor.

He stood there, dressed in a pristine white suit, his confidence radiating from him like an aura. He had that same calculated smile on his face, the same sharp eyes that could fool anyone into thinking he was a charming, harmless young man. But Avey knew better. She had seen his true face, seen the wolf beneath the sheep's clothing.

"What are you doing here?" Avey spat, her voice cold and laced with disdain. "I remember telling you yesterday to stay away from my party. We only had a business deal, and that's all. Stop acting like we're close, Victor." She narrowed her eyes, every fiber of her being recoiling from him.

The memories from her past life flooded her mind the way he had manipulated her, twisted her emotions, and used her to hurt Lucian.

remembering that avey clenched her first.

Victor only chuckled, completely unfazed by her hostility. He took a few more steps toward her, his smirk growing. "Come on, Avey. No need to be so harsh on your birthday. I thought we were friends." His voice dripped with fake concern as he reached out, as if to comfort her. "You look stressed, though.

What's wrong? Anything I can help with?"

victor was confused at what happened to her why is she behaving like this

embersemed but still he knows to control the situation

Avey felt her skin crawl. "Friends? We are nothing, Victor." Her words were icy. "Just leave me alone."

Victor's smile never faltered. Instead, he turned his attention to Olivia, who had been standing quietly beside them. "Ah, Miss Olivia! I didn't notice you at first." His voice oozed charm as he greeted her. "You're as stunning as ever. It's always a pleasure to see you." He even winked, a gesture so casual and confident that it made Avey want to scream.

But Olivia wasn't charmed. Far from it.

Her fists clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she struggled to contain her anger. "This boy... How did I ever fall for his tricks in the past? How did I ever let him into our lives?!" Olivia's thoughts raced, disgusted with herself for how blind she had been. In her last life, she had been fooled by Victor's smooth words and fake charm.

She had let him manipulate her, even allowing him to use her against her own son. "How could I have been so blind?!" she thought, rage and guilt boiling inside her.

But now, now that she had a second chance, she saw everything clearly. It was like a fog had been lifted from her eyes, and she could finally see Victor for who he really was a schemer, a manipulator who used people for his own gain.

In truth, Victor was the "protagonist" of this world's twisted narrative. Every female character no matter how strong or independent was somehow drawn into his orbit, manipulated to serve his story.

Victor was like a wolf in sheep's clothing, skilled at twisting emotions and manipulating people to get what he wanted. Olivia could see through him now, the barrier of the past finally lifted, and she could clearly see the web of manipulation he had spun around them.

This was a novel world, after all, where the fate of certain characters was written, where heroines were all destined to be drawn toward the protagonist. It was the twisted mechanics of the world, a game they had all unknowingly been forced to play. But now, Olivia could see things clearly, and she was furious with herself for ever falling into Victor's trap.

Olivia had been one of his targets for conquest,

olivia was feeling angry it disgusted her to realize just how far she had fallen under his influence in her previous life. "But no more," she thought fiercely. "I'm not that foolish woman anymore. I won't let him use me, or anyone else, again."

Olivia's sharp gaze bore into Victor, filled with a cold, simmering fury. "How dare he try to worm his way back into our lives? How dare he?" She could feel the rage pulsing through her, but she forced herself to remain calm, not wanting to cause a scene at Avey's party. Not yet, at least.

Victor's smile faltered for a brief moment under Olivia's cold stare, but he quickly recovered, flashing another charming grin. "Well, I hope you're both doing well. If there's anything I can do to help, you know you can count on me." His eyes glinted with that calculating look, as if he were already thinking of how he could use this situation to his advantage.

"Never again," Olivia promised herself. "I won't let him get away with this. Not this time." She kept her sharp gaze on Victor, her mind buzzing with the anger she felt for both him and her own past self.

Victor, seemingly unaware of the storm brewing in Olivia's mind, turned back to Avey with a charming grin. He held out a beautifully wrapped present. "Here's a little something for you, Avey." His tone was sweet, too sweet, as if they were the best of friends.

But Avey wasn't falling for it anymore. Her eyes narrowed, and she felt her anger rise. She wasn't going to play this game like she had before.

"I don't need any presents from you," Avey said firmly, her voice like steel. "And don't you dare call me by my name so familiarly."

Victor let out an awkward laugh, trying to shake off the palpable tension. "Hey, Avey, why so serious today?" he chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood, but his smile faltered when he saw her eyes narrow in cold fury.

Everyone at the party was now watching him, the weight of their stares making his skin prickle with discomfort. He could feel the shift in the room, the way Avey's words had turned the air into something sharp and dangerous.

"Again?" Avey's voice was low, dangerously steady. Her entire body trembled with restrained anger as she took a slow step forward, her eyes blazing with a fire Victor hadn't expected. She had never looked at him like this before not with this intensity, this resolve.

Her next words were slow and deliberate, each syllable slicing through the air like a blade. "I, Avey Starline, swear on my family's name that I will destroy you and everything you've built."

Victor froze, the color draining from his face as Avey's voice grew louder, her fury uncontained. "Say my name in that tone again, I dare you." Her tone was ice-cold, filled with venom that sent a shiver down the spines of those watching.

The room fell into a stunned silence. The guests, who had been watching the scene unfold, now stared in shock. A vow like this wasn't made lightly, especially not by a Starline. The whispers began almost immediately.

Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire, rippling with shock and unease.

"Did she just swear on her family name?" someone murmured, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"This is serious. Things are about to get messy," another added, their voice barely above a whisper, but the gravity of the statement settled over the room like a heavy fog.

A man nearby scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Who is that stupid kid in front of Miss Starline?" he muttered to his friend, his eyes narrowing on Victor. "He's playing with fire."

The tension in the air was suffocating, and every guest understood the weight of what had just happened. Swearing on one's family name, especially for someone of Avey's stature, was not done lightly. It was a declaration of war, an oath of destruction.

Victor had clearly underestimated the situation, and now, it seemed he had no idea how to climb out of the mess he had walked into.

"He must not know who he's dealing with," someone else muttered, casting a pitiful glance at Victor. "To challenge a Starline is suicide."

All eyes were on Avey and Victor now, the tension palpable, as everyone waited to see what would happen next.

"What do you think's going to happen?" one guest murmured to another, the anticipation palpable.

Olivia, on the other hand, stood in stunned silence, her eyes fixed on Avey. "Wasn't this girl practically attached to Victor in our last life?" Olivia thought, confused. "She even helped him with so many of his plans. What changed?" She couldn't wrap her mind around the shift. In the previous timeline, Avey had been close to Victor, even aiding him in hurting Lucian.

But now, her venom was aimed squarely at him.

The air was thick with tension as everyone processed what had just happened. The ripple of surprise swept through the party, and Victor's face lost its confident smile. His eyebrows twitched, and for a brief moment, his composed facade cracked.

"This… bitch," Victor cursed silently. His mind raced. "What the hell is going on? Why is she overreacting like this?" He tried to regain control of the situation, but he could feel his grip slipping. Avey wasn't supposed to act like this.

Even Melody, Avey's mother, was taken aback. She knew her daughter, and this wasn't typical behavior for her. Swearing an oath in the name of their family was a massive declaration. "Why does she hate him so much? What happened?" Melody wondered. She glanced at Victor, suspicion brewing.

"I'll have to look deeper into this. Something's not right."

Victor's smile returned, but it was forced. "You're joking, right?" he asked, his tone strained, trying to salvage his pride. "You can't be serious, Avey."

But Avey's cold, unyielding gaze didn't falter. "No, I'm not joking. And let me make something perfectly clear don't ever call me by that familiar tone again. Address me with the respect I deserve, Miss Starline." Her voice was cutting, icy, and absolute. "There is only one person allowed to address me in that tone, and it's certainly not you."

Victor's smile wavered further, the sting of humiliation clear on his face. He could feel the weight of the stares from the high-society guests, each one of them observing his humiliation. His reputation was on the line, and he knew it. Still, he needed to keep his composure. "I can't let her ruin everything I've built," he thought to himself.

But Avey's cold expression told him all he needed to know.she said icily. "You are no longer welcome here. I didn't invite you, and you will leave. If I ever see you near me or Lucian again, you will regret it."

The smugness vanished from Victor's face, replaced by a mixture of shock and indignation. He glanced around, aware that all eyes were now on him,himuliating him like this in front of everyone.

Victor's blood ran cold. "What the hell is going on?" he thought, his mind racing. "This wasn't how things were supposed to go." His carefully crafted plans were unraveling before his eyes, and he could feel his grip slipping. "This… this bitch…" he cursed internally. She was ruining everything, and doing it publicly no less.

Still, Victor wasn't about to let himself be beaten so easily. He forced a strained smile, trying to salvage what he could. "You've misunderstood me, Miss Starline," he said, his voice slick with faux politeness. "I see now why you're so upset. It must be because of that Lucian boy, right?"

At the mention of Lucian's name, both Olivia and Avey stiffened. Victor, sensing that he had hit a nerve, continued, hoping to shift the focus away from his own embarrassment. "Yes, that must be it. I've seen how that guy can get under your skin. Always pestering you, always following you around like a lost puppy.

If it's bothering you that much, I can take care of him for you." His voice turned condescending, as though he were offering to handle a minor inconvenience. "The ghost of legs doesn't understand the language of lips, after all."

The tension in the room skyrocketed. The once-lively party atmosphere now felt like it was teetering on the edge of a knife. The guests, sensing the danger, went quiet. Eyes darted back and forth between Avey, Olivia, and Victor, waiting to see how the situation would unfold.