She let out another short, bitter laugh.
"Here you are again, calling to say sorry."
She raised her voice slightly now, her words coming faster.
"Co, Benedict... is it your apology I’m supposed to accept? Is it your sorry that is going to make smile? Do you think your weak little apology can fix anything for ?"
She scoffed, then imdiately her fingers clenched around the phone.
"Your apology will never make smile. Never. Do you understand that?"
Her tone turned cold, her voice slicing like a blade.
"And from the look of things," she continued, pausing as if weighing her next words, "you’re now useless. You’re not even useful to anymore."
At that mont she narrowed her eyes, staring at the wall in front of her like she could see through it.
"What’s the essence of having a boyfriend who can’t do anything for his girl? Huh? Who can’t even make her smile? Can’t even fight for her? Can’t protect her? What exactly are you good for?"
However she didn’t wait for an answer. Her words had already turned into accusations.
"You calling to say sorry... that’s not an apology. That’s an insult."
Her voice dropped to a low, dangerous tone.
"And I will not fold my hands anymore to accept this."
At that mont, upon hearing what Victoria just said, Benedict then took in a deep breath on the phone and said
"I know you’re angry, but please Victoria calm down."
His voice ca out low, but steady careful not to spark another outburst. "Victoria... just calm down, and listen to ?"
She didn’t respond. She sat still, silent, her eyes narrowed, her lips pressed together tightly. Benedict could hear her slow breathing on the other end of the call. That alone made his throat tighten.
"I know, I know how it ca off before," he continued quickly. "That’s why I’m apologizing. I an it. I know how it must’ve looked how I acted when you ca to the first ti. But I’ve fixed everything now."
Hearing his words Victoria raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing. She crossed her legs and leaned back on the couch, phone pressed lightly to her ear. She was listening now but not believing. Not yet.
Benedict exhaled and went on, "I’ve already put everything in place. I didn’t waste ti after what happened. I went straight to my father... and my uncle too."
Her eyes narrowed further, suspicious now. "And what exactly did you go to them for?"
"Because it’s their connection you were asking for, right?" he replied, voice getting firr. "That’s what this was all about. You needed access. You wanted soone who could pull strings soone who could bring down that woman, the one you told about. The one causing problems for you."
Still Victoria said nothing again, but the tip of her heel started tapping lightly on the floor.
Benedict continued without waiting. "Well, my father is the head of the prosecution division now. And my uncle? He’s in charge of the division that handles fraud and illegal activities."
Hearing what he just said, Victoria’s brows twitched just slightly. That... she hadn’t known.
"So I thought—why not go directly to them? If the two of them work together on a case like this... especially one with enough suspicion to act on—"
He paused briefly, like he was weighing how far to go. "They can take her down, Victoria. For real."
Her eyes lit up for the first ti—but her face didn’t soften. "You talked to both of them?"
"Yes," he said, rushing now. "I already talked to them. I explained everything, even though I didn’t give your na yet. But I gave them all the right angles. They agreed that it sounds like a case worth opening. They’ve given the green light."
He waited. He expected excitent. At least a tiny bit of gratitude.
But Victoria’s voice ca out cold.
"So... they’ve given you the go-ahead?" she said, slowly.
"Yes," he responded, almost smiling. "They told to bring the case to them."
At that mont, upon hearing what Benedict just said, Victoria slowly leaned back on the couch, her lips twitching into a crooked smile. She stared at her reflection in the black screen of the TV across the room, as if trying to process what she just heard. Her fingers, which were slightly trembling before, now found a calm rhythm tapping against the edge of her phone. There was a sudden shift in her tone as she responded, one that Benedict could clearly sense on the other end of the call.
"Well, Benedict," she said with a light laugh, her voice now smooth and teasing, "why didn’t you just say this from the very beginning, hmm?"
She shook her head softly, even though he couldn’t see her. "You made bark and scream at you like a crazy woman, all because you wanted to play so suspense movie with . Imagine that."
Her smile widened as she crossed her legs. "If you had told this earlier—that you were already speaking with your father and uncle, and that they had actually agreed—Benedict, I would have kissed this phone right now. Do you even know how mad I was earlier?"
She paused and laughed again, this ti genuinely amused by her own earlier frustration. "And here I was, thinking you were just another useless man wasting my precious ti."
There was a brief silence between them, and then Benedict’s voice ca through, warm and proud. "I just wanted to be sure before raising your hopes. But now, I’ve done everything. You can count on it."
Hearing his words Victoria smiled again, softer this ti. Her voice dropped into a lower, more satisfied tone. "You’ve done extrely well, Benedict. I an that. I’m very, very happy with this recent developnt."
On the other end of the call, Benedict chuckled gently, the sound genuine. "So, does that an you’re smiling now?" he asked playfully.
Imdiately, Victoria would then say on the phone, her voice now soft and warm, "I’m smiling very well, Benedict. If only you could see my face right now, you’d know how happy you’ve just made . In fact, if this wasn’t just a phone call, I swear, I would’ve hugged you so tightly and planted a very good kiss right on your lips." She let out a little giggle, her tone filled with joy and a hint of mischief. "But since it’s only a phone call," she added playfully, "I guess I’ll just have to save all that for later."
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