Hearing that, Theodore's face turned completely dark, his eyes locked on Victoria with a stormy glare.

So now she's got someone backing her up, even the way she talks has changed?

"Victoria, say that again."

Just as it looked like he was about to storm over, Isabella quickly grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Victoria, are you okay? Why are you here too? Are you sick?"

Victoria didn't even glance at her fake concern. Without a word, she turned and headed straight for her room.

Yeah, she really didn't need to stick around and watch her ex live out his fairytale with his 'one and only'.

Henry watched Victoria's lonely back as she walked away, then turned to give Theodore a glance filled with unspoken meaning.

Something told him there was way more going on between those two than either was letting on.

But he was smart enough not to poke around. Better stay out of it.

Once Victoria and Henry disappeared down the hallway, Isabella finally looked back at Theodore.

She suddenly wasn't so sure of herself anymore.

Theodore never wore his emotions on his sleeve, but the way he just snapped at Victoria? That wasn't nothing.

"Theo, Victoria didn't look so great just now... Should we maybe check in on her?"

She asked carefully.

But Theodore's voice was cold.

"What's there to check?"

"Let me help you back to your room."

Hearing that, the tension in Isabella's chest finally eased. Maybe she really was overthinking it. If Theodore had been that quick to divorce Victoria, then she shouldn't have to worry.

So what if Victoria was sick?

Even if she didn't have much time left, Isabella was still determined to make every minute count-and she wasn't going to waste the chance to hit Victoria where it hurt.

In the hospital room.

Victoria glanced at Henry, who looked like he had something to say but hesitated. She took a sip of water.

"Thanks for taking care of me these past couple of days. I shouldn't take up any more of your time."

The message couldn't be clearer-time to leave. They barely knew each other anyway. Even if he looked like Elijah, Victoria knew deep down-he wasn't him.

She had to let the past go, no matter how hard it was.

Henry slipped his hands in his pockets and stepped forward. "That guy just now, your ex?"

Victoria met his gaze, the flicker in her eyes betraying emotions she couldn't quite hide.

Not just an ex. He was her ex-husband, too.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. It just seemed like... something was off between you two."

Victoria shook her head. She really didn't feel like explaining anything right now.

But Henry didn't leave. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat down beside her. "I've got nothing urgent to do. It's kinda fate we met, right? Mind if I stay with you for a bit?"

She didn't say anything more. Just pulled the blanket up and laid down, her back facing him.

The room went quiet.

At some point, she fell asleep.

Maybe it was because of Henry's presence... but for the first time in a while, she dreamed of Elijah again.

In the dream, he hadn't started chemotherapy yet. He still looked the same-kind and warm.

He stood in the sunlight smiling at her, just like old times. "Victoria, make sure you take care of yourself."

"Elijah..."

When she opened her eyes, the IV had already been removed from her arm. Night had fallen outside the window-she hadn't realized she'd been asleep that long.

Slowly propping herself up on the bed, her head still a little foggy, she sat for a moment in silence.

Just then, the door opened and Henry walked in.

Their eyes met-both caught off guard for a split second.Victoria hadn't expected him to still be there.

For a brief second, in the quiet loneliness of her heart, a strange warmth crept in.

She quickly snapped out of it and reached for her cup, but in her haste, almost knocked it over.

"Careful."

Henry instinctively reached out to steady the cup but ended up grabbing her hand instead. The cup clattered to the floor, water splashing onto his pant leg.

The two of them froze, an awkward silence settling in the air.

At the same time, Theodore, after much hesitation, stood right outside Victoria's hospital room.

Through the window, he saw their hands... together.

His brows furrowed instantly.

Something in his chest was starting to boil-something he didn't quite want to name, but it was loud enough to drown out rational thought.

His fingers tightened around the doorknob, but he didn't push it open. Instead, he stood there, eyes locked on their hands like they were glued together.

"Sir, are you a relative of the patient?"

The sudden voice of a nurse startled Victoria. She immediately pulled her hand back from Henry's, her cheeks turning a faint red as she shifted her gaze to the side with a couple soft coughs, trying to compose herself.

And just like that, as she looked away, her eyes met his-dark, intense, and impossible to ignore.

She was momentarily thrown off, her breath catching in her throat.

The nurse stepped in, holding a thermometer, glanced at it casually, and said, "You're looking much better than earlier. Don't forget to eat on time, okay? You're young, take care of yourself."

Victoria didn't answer. Honestly, the nurse's words went in one ear and right out the other.

Her full attention was on the man at the door. Meanwhile, Henry, acting every bit the considerate partner, spoke up on her behalf, his tone gentle and a little too familiar.

As the nurse walked out with the tray, she couldn't help but glance back at the three of them-good-looking people, sure, but the vibe? Off.

"Is there something you want?"

Henry's voice broke the silence, cold and even, as if the incident earlier that day with Theodore meant nothing.

"No offense, but she needs rest."

Henry was usually warm and accommodating around Victoria, so his sudden change of tone caught her slightly off guard.

Theodore stood under the soft hallway light, one hand in his pocket, the other still clenched from earlier. The warm glow edged his figure in gold, but his expression was unreadable.

Still, Victoria felt a strange chill crawl up her back.

"You seriously don't have anything to say to me?"

Theodore stepped closer, slow and measured, like he already knew the answer.

Victoria's hand clenched the sheet under the covers.

After half a minute of tense silence, she let out a low laugh and shot back, "It's late. Why aren't you off with Isabella? What exactly are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to see what brilliant moves landed you back in the hospital."

Even he didn't know why he'd said that.

He'd literally read her medical file earlier-knew she was admitted for severe malnutrition.

He came here planning to check on her. Show a little concern maybe. But the words that came out? Pure sarcasm.

Too late to take it back now, and no way he was going to show weakness with another man in the room.

"Appreciate the concern, but maybe save that for Miss Waters."

Victoria barely got the words out when a woman in a white dress showed up in the doorway. With hair that long and dark, all she needed was red lipstick to give anyone a proper scare.

"Theodore."

Isabella's eyes were watery, like she'd burst into tears any second.

Theodore didn't spare a glance at Victoria on the hospital bed, striding straight to Isabella.

"What's going on? You didn't even put shoes on."

"I had a nightmare. Woke up and you weren't there... I got scared."

"I'll take you back to your room."

Theodore draped his jacket over her shoulders and bent down, ready to pick her up.

But Isabella clearly wasn't ready to leave-her gaze locked firmly on Victoria, full of suspicion.

What, showing up in the same hospital room? Was she trying to get Theodore back?

Whatever her plan was, Isabella wasn't about to let it work.

She spotted the man from earlier and decided to confront directly.

"This gentleman looks familiar. Are you Victoria's friend?"

Henry, who had just been observing, was now directly called out. He gave Victoria a brief glance but said nothing.

He could tell Isabella had her own agenda.

So staying silent felt like the smarter move.

The air turned stiff. The atmosphere tense and awkward.

Theodore shifted slightly, his eyes catching the two figures behind him. His chest tightened.

Without another word, he scooped Isabella into his arms and carried her back to the room.

He tucked the blanket around her gently, about to stand up, when Isabella grabbed his hand.

"Theodore, I don't think Victoria looked too well just now... Is she okay?"

That question irritated him. The last thing he wanted was to think about what he saw earlier.

Victoria? Worried about her?

She was probably having the time of her life in someone else's arms.

He reached up, switched the overhead light to the bedside lamp.

"Focus on yourself first. Don't worry about things that don't matter. The important thing is getting you better."

Isabella's expression dropped again. "But Theodore, I can't help worrying..."

She hadn't felt at ease ever since learning the truth.

She was scared. Scared that she'd lose before she even had a chance to fight.

And with Victoria in the same hospital... it just felt like trouble waiting to happen.

Theodore gently patted her head. "I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I just didn't expect... you'd be the only one left beside me now."

Isabella leaned into him, her cheek on his chest, silently mapping out her next move.

The next day, Victoria was ready to be discharged.

She knew if she stayed even a little longer, Henry would keep visiting with some excuse or another.

But he wasn't Elijah. Their bond wasn't like that. She didn't feel comfortable troubling him further.

"Weren't we clear on being friends? Now even a friend offering you a ride home gets rejected?"

Hard to push someone away with a smile like his.

Seeing that faint grin, Victoria gave up on turning him down again.

"Then thanks. Sorry to trouble you."

Two days wasn't long. But not exactly short either.

She still didn't know much about Henry, but from the way he spoke, she could tell-he wasn't just some nobody.

The sun was warm and gentle as they stepped outside.

Victoria tilted her face up, closing her eyes against the light.

For a second, she looked completely out of it.

At the same moment, Theodore and Isabella exited the hospital.Isabella was worried something might go wrong again, so she used the excuse of her "awkward identity" to have Theodore help with her discharge paperwork.

But what were the odds? Just as they stepped outside, they spotted two painfully familiar figures.

By the car, Henry had his hand up to shield Victoria's forehead. "Watch your head."

To anyone else, the scene looked like a super lovey-dovey couple moment.

Theodore suddenly stopped. His whole vibe turned ice-cold, and that wave of heaviness he couldn't quite explain crashed down on him again.

He took a step forward, but before he could go any farther, Isabella winced, clutching her chest with a tight-lipped expression.

He glanced sideways. "What's wrong?"

"Probably because I ate too fast this morning... I feel kind of short of breath."

She was about to ask him to take her back to the hospital when he calmly removed her hand from his arm.

"Just rest here for a bit."

Then he walked straight toward the nearby car.

"Theo-"

Isabella's voice came out soft and unsure, her raised hand slowly falling back down.

Why?

Why was Theodore still prioritizing Victoria like she didn't even exist?

Theodore's eyes darkened. Just as Henry reached to shut the car door, he stuck out an arm to stop him.

"What are you doing here?"

Victoria blinked, caught off guard, and before anyone could react, he yanked her out of the car.

He didn't hold back at all-his grip was rough, and she stumbled, nearly falling over.

"Theodore, what the hell are you doing?"

She was already feeling weak after all that time in the hospital, and now he was dragging her around like this? It was exhausting.

He didn't say a word, just clutched her wrist tighter.

"What do you think? If I hadn't shown up, were you planning to go home with him?"

His gaze was locked on her, like he was trying to see right through her.

Victoria frowned, immediately realizing he'd gotten the wrong idea-but explaining wouldn't help.

She tried pulling away, but his grip didn't budge. Henry got out of the car too, eyes sharp. "Let her go."

"This is between me and my wife. Not your business."

Theodore turned his head slightly, voice low but forceful.

The words made Henry freeze for a second. He looked at Victoria, totally confused. Wife?

But nothing about how they acted screamed "married couple."

Isabella had heard it too as she walked over, and it hit her like a brick to the chest.

She bit down on her lip hard, but her expression shifted quickly, switching to soft and understanding.

"Theo, it's cold and Victoria's not fully recovered. Let's just take this home, okay?"

Theodore clearly agreed. The driver had already pulled up, and he pushed Victoria toward the car.

"I'll have my assistant pick you up later, Isabella."

With that, he told the driver to leave, not even looking back. The gloom in his eyes didn't escape Isabella-she could tell he was seriously upset.

But even so, he still chose Victoria over her.

She just stood there, watching that black car disappear from sight, and couldn't stop the bitterness from eating at her.

They were divorced. Why couldn't Victoria just back off already?

Her smile turned thin and cold, but then she realized Henry was still nearby.

She didn't care about him-but Henry suddenly stepped in front of her.

"So... what exactly is going on between those two?" said Henry.

Noticing the sudden gleam in his eyes, a fresh idea instantly popped into Isabella's mind.

Isabella smiled lightly. "What about you? Do you like Victoria?"

She said it so bluntly that it actually caught Henry off guard.

Seeing the brief flicker of surprise in his eyes, Isabella still looked confident. "They're not together anymore, but there are probably still some loose ends. If you can, keep her company. She could really use the support right now."

With that, she got into her assistant's car and left.

Henry stood there, lost in thought.

Victoria and Theodore had split. But then... who exactly was Elijah?

At the villa.

The moment the car stopped, Victoria hopped out without hesitation.

Yeah, they were still under the same roof, but that didn't mean she had to talk to Theodore.

"So now that you've got a stand-in for Elijah, you won't even bother speaking to me?"

Theodore slammed the car door and stared at her back, his eyes dark.

That thought stirred up an odd frustration in his chest.

Victoria paused but didn't turn around. "Think what you want."

In a way, she didn't really want to trouble Henry with anything. Theodore barging in and dragging her away actually saved her some hassle.

But to Theodore, her indifference felt like a slap in the face-a silent protest.

He yanked off his tie in irritation and followed her into the villa.

Victoria was exhausted. The moment she made it upstairs, she flopped onto the bed, ready to crash.

But halfway through dozing off, her phone started ringing.

It was the head of her department.

"Victoria, you've been absent for days. Everything okay?"

She sat up, rubbing her temples. Her voice still had that groggy edge from sleep.

"All good. Sorry, Mr. Marson. I haven't been able to make it in lately."

Victoria rarely talked about her home life at work. She usually kept to herself, which made people think she was stuck-up. But she didn't really care as long as her work was fine.

Mr. Marson had always looked out for her. He'd been the one to give her a shot early in her career, so this unexpected call probably wasn't just a check-in.

Sure enough, he quickly got to the point.

There was a task, and he wanted her to handle it.

She changed clothes and went downstairs-only to see Theodore already in the living room.

He was turned away from the stairs, talking on the phone by the window.

Victoria stopped for a moment, just watching him. For a second, he looked like that teenager who used to win basketball games by sheer will.

How did they even end up here?

Theodore must've felt her gaze, because he glanced back slightly.

"I'll see you later then," he said, ending the call.

Only one person he spoke to in that tone-Isabella.

That name snapped Victoria out of it. She took a deep breath and started down the steps. Just as she was about to leave, his voice came from behind.

"Where're you going?"

"I think, given how things are with us now, we don't really need to check in on each other's plans anymore, do we?"

Theodore frowned slightly, like he wanted to say more, but she was already out the door without looking back.

He tightened his grip on the phone and stared at her retreating figure, deep in thought.

At the morgue.

Victoria got out of the car and walked in, spotting Mr. Marson at the office entrance talking to someone.

"Victoria, come meet someone," he said.The man turned his head at the sound, and as soon as she got a good look at his face, a flicker of surprise crossed Victoria's eyes.

Henry Carter?

She honestly thought they'd never cross paths again after that encounter at the hospital.

Henry clearly didn't expect to see her here either. His gaze shifted between her and Mr. Marson, visibly taken aback.

"You said the person who could help me with this... is Victoria?"

"You two already know each other?" Mr. Marson looked just as surprised. That actually made things much easier-he'd been a little worried their personalities might clash since both of them tended to be reserved.

"We met before, and Mr. Carter helped me out. Didn't expect to run into him again," Victoria replied calmly, skipping any mention of the hospital. Henry quirked an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Looks like fate keeps throwing us together," Henry said, chuckling.

Mr. Marson led them into the office, cutting straight to the chase.

"I normally wouldn't trouble Victoria with this, but this one's complicated. I'm asking for a personal favor."

Victoria gave a small nod, her face composed. "Just say it."

As long as it was his request, she'd do her best to help regardless.

"Here's the thing-I need you to restore a body. But because of who it is, it has to stay completely confidential. It's best if you don't involve anyone else while you're working."

Victoria immediately nodded.

That kind of discretion wasn't anything new to her.

In their line of work, keeping things private was part of the job. Families rarely wanted any details about the deceased to leak out. And professionally, they were trained to keep things separate-what happened in the lab stayed in the lab.

Yet Henry still looked like something was bothering him.

"Because of the person involved, this might bring you trouble later. That's the part I've been worried about."

Victoria's expression didn't change. "I'll be careful."

Still, Henry looked hesitant, like he wanted to say more. But Victoria didn't push.

Since they were done discussing the job, she figured she'd head out.

Back at the lab, Chloe Rogers dashed over as soon as she walked in.

"Finally! You're here, Victoria. Mr. Marson's been asking about you all morning."

"I know."

Mr. Marson typically wouldn't reach out unless it was something serious. And from what she could see, his relationship with Henry was clearly more than just acquaintance-level.

After a few quick words with Chloe, Victoria grabbed her things to go home.

She had just stepped outside when she spotted Henry by his car, head down, scrolling on his phone. Noticing her, he looked up and started walking over.

"Got time for dinner? I'd like to go over some things from earlier with you, just the two of us."

Victoria's eyes lingered on his face-it reminded her so much of Elijah's. She hesitated for a beat, then nodded.

Henry took her to a trendy fusion restaurant.

The place was cozy, with a faint scent in the air and soft piano music playing in the background. It felt surprisingly calming.

"You still look a bit pale. You probably shouldn't have been discharged so soon," he said.

"I'm fine now. But thanks," she replied while sipping her tea.

Henry gave a relaxed smile. "We're friends, you don't need to be so formal."

Victoria didn't say anything right away. That word-"friends"-left her slightly unsure how to respond.

Just then, a server came in with their food.

From the half-open door, Victoria heard a voice outside. A voice she recognized.