Chapter 29
The Miller family estate-a grand villa where Victoria’s late mother once lived with Simms-sat in the heart of Starfall City’s most exclusive neighborhood.
Here, the mansions easily ran into eight figures. Victoria herself had only moved out after marrying McNeil; her father, cold and methodical, sent every last trace of her mother’s belongings off to the auction house. After her bitter falling out with Simms, Victoria had never looked back.
So when the household staff spotted Victoria stepping out of a sleek black SUV at the front gate, their shock was impossible to hide.
The butler hurried out, signaling for someone to open the gates while reaching for his phone to call Simms.
“Miss Victoria? Is that really you?”
Daniel, the butler, came forward to greet her. She recognized him instantly-her father’s old chauffeur. It had been years, and now he was running the place.
When Daniel noticed the suitcase at Victoria’s feet, his surprise deepened. “Does Mr. Miller know you’re here?”
Was Victoria planning to move back in? Hadn’t she remarried and left all this behind?
“Do I need permission to return to my own home?” Victoria replied coolly, striding inside with Yasmine at her side.
Daniel chuckled awkwardly. “Of course not, Miss Victoria. I just meant, if you’d let us know, I would have come to collect you myself.”
Victoria offered a faint, polite smile and said nothing more.
Yasmine carried the suitcase upstairs, and Victoria soon discovered her old bedroom had been meticulously cleaned and fitted with fresh linens. Daniel rushed up, as if hoping to prevent something, but he was too late. Victoria ran her hand over the immaculate vanity, not a speck of dust in sight.
“This room wasn’t cleaned for me, was it?”
Everything was spotless—almost as if Ms. Morris’s move-in date was just around the corner.
“Miss Victoria…” Daniel hesitated, knowing better than to say too much. By now, Mr. Miller would be on his way.
Meanwhile, on the main road, a Rolls-Royce glided smoothly toward the gates.
Inside, a man in his forties pressed his phone to his ear, his tone calm and authoritative.
“There’s no helping it. You’ll just have to put up with things for a few days. I need to see what’s going on first.”
Yulia Morris’s gentle voice replied, “She’s your daughter. You can’t just throw her out. Take care of your family, that’s what matters. I’m not in any rush.”
She was always so understanding, and Simms appreciated that more than anything.
Yulia had been by his side longer than any other woman-she knew his heart better than anyone. They’d weathered many years together. She wasn’t just his first love; she was unforgettable. He couldn’t let her go, not now, not ever.
Especially since they shared something even deeper-
“Mr. Miller has returned.”
The car pulled smoothly into the driveway and stopped.
Daniel breathed a sigh of relief at the sound.
Victoria glanced at Yasmine. “Help me hang up my clothes, would you?”
Just then, Simms entered the living room as Victoria came down from the stairs.
“You’re back?” he said, frowning. “Why so suddenly? Not even a phone call?”
He tried to keep his temper in check. Victoria’s expression was a mirror image of his late wife—proud, unyielding, always above it all.
“Thank you for keeping my room spotless,” Victoria said coolly. “Starting today, I’m moving back in.”
Simms was caught off guard, struggling for words.
His engagement party with Yulia was only three days away. The hotel, the guest list-everything was in motion. Victoria’s unexpected return threw all his careful plans into chaos.
He’d kept Yulia a secret for years, only recently bringing her to a few private gatherings. She’d been with him since her teens-eight years his junior, loyal through thick and thin.
In the good years, he made sure she wanted for nothing. Now in her thirties, Yulia was radiant-her skin still dewy, her figure lush, her presence magnetic.
Simms had seen and done it all, but Yulia still captivated him.
“If you’ve come home, where’s McNeil?” he asked, voice guarded.
Victoria had barely set foot in this house since her marriage; she and her father hadn’t spoken in six years. Even when she’d given birth to Gwyneth, Simms hadn’t called once.