Chapter 205
Victoria hadn’t expected to run into anyone she knew-let alone someone connected to McNeil.
The surprise distracted her, and as she stepped down, her foot twisted beneath her. A sharp crack echoed up her leg. She stifled a groan as pain shot through her, collapsing to the floor.
“Vicky!”
Sophia gasped. Before she could react, Marcus had already crossed the room in a few long strides and swept Victoria up into his arms.
“Are you alright?”
He couldn’t tell if his sudden arrival had startled her into this, but he had a sinking feeling it had.
“I twisted my ankle,” Victoria replied, grimacing as the pain surged.
Every move she made on the dance floor was demanding-sometimes even pushing the boundaries of what was possible for a female dancer. But years of grueling physical training, thanks to her background as a racecar driver, had prepared her body for almost anything. Almost.
It was Marcus’s unexpected appearance that had shaken her, making her lose her footing and ultimately injuring herself.
“Check if you’ve broken anything-oh my God-” Sophia could barely get the words out, her voice trembling with fear. Max hovered nearby, his worry etched plainly across his face.
“We need to get you to a hospital,” he said quietly. He wasn’t a doctor, but anyone could see that Victoria’s right foot was immobile, and that this was more than a simple sprain.
Victoria was still in her dance leotard, its close fit accentuating her figure as Marcus held her. For the first time, Marcus felt his pulse quicken over a woman— just one glance, and he was uncharacteristically unsettled.
Still, he managed to be a gentleman: he shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it around her before lifting her securely in his arms and heading for the door.
Sophia looked after them, uncertainty clouding her face. She had no idea who this man was. At first, she assumed he must be Victoria’s husband, but then she heard Max call Victoria ‘Miss’ and realized she had no idea what the connection between the three of them was.
“It’s alright, he’s a friend,” Victoria said, trying to reassure her. Her ankle was throbbing now, and she knew she needed a hospital. Normally, she would have flatly refused Marcus’s help-she avoided McNeil’s friends whenever possible. Curtis was the one exception, and now she’d somehow gotten tangled up with Marcus too.
She’d picked up rumors before-how little McNeil seemed to care about Gwyneth’s birth mother, how he liked to joke about her, even hinting that Victoria might have been some kind of escort, which would explain why he kept her identity a secret. Because McNeil was the only male heir of the Langford family, they didn’t care who gave birth to his child-as long as the bloodline continued, they would accept anyone.
It wasn’t just that McNeil refused to acknowledge her as Mrs. Langford; even his friends seemed to dismiss her so easily. Victoria found it impossible to warm up to anyone in McNeil’s circle.
“I’ll come with you,” Sophia insisted, still anxious. Victoria had a family, after all, and even though the man looked handsome and trustworthy, Sophia couldn’t help but worry for her friend.
“Miss Carter, that’s really not necessary. You still have classes to teach, and Mr. Green is a good friend of mine. We go way back,” Victoria said, flustered at the awkwardness of it all.
Marcus spoke up as well. “Don’t worry. I’ll take her to the best hospital, and I’ll keep you posted.”
Sophia watched as Marcus-tall, athletic-carried Victoria out in his arms. Max hurried after them, his face drawn with concern.
The fall had been worse than it looked: a minor fracture in her leg. Marcus was wracked with guilt.
“If we hadn’t shown up, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Don’t worry-I’ll take care
of everything while you recover,” he promised, his voice low and sincere.
His words sat oddly with Victoria. She managed a faint smile. “It’s just a small injury. A few days’ rest and I’ll be fine.”
“It’s settled, then,” Marcus replied, not giving her a chance to protest. When Max announced he needed the bathroom, Marcus let him go on his own.