Chapter 163
As if possessed, Vanessa reached for the paper. She knew she had already taken too long. At any moment, someone might burst into the study. The thought flickered faintly in her mind, yet she couldn’t bring herself to walk away.
Theodore Liam Battenberg. The signature of that renowned duke. Why… was this here? And that handwriting…
“Theo… as in Theodore?”
The memory struck her without warning, making her shoulders jolt. Why now? Why of all moments did that day come back to her?
Her breath trembled at the edges. Barely holding herself together, Vanessa forced her gaze to follow the text from the top. Her thoughts were in shambles, it took her three times longer than usual to understand each line.
As she turned the pages, a violent ripple of emotion spread through her gray eyes. It was a contract. An investment agreement. At the same time, it looked like evidence, proof of the scandal that had shaken society just days ago.
Evidence. Something that, if exposed to the public, would brand that scandal as undeniable truth.
“My God…”
An investment promise of staggering scale. A generous share of betting rights in exchange for land sold for a racetrack. Records showing her uncle borrowing from multiple private lenders, using this contract as collateral.
And beneath it all was a chain of mortgage documents.
And once again, at the bottom of the first page—
[Theodore Liam Battenberg.]
In that instant, Vanessa crushed the paper in her hand. Was this real? Or was she trapped in some grotesque illusion?
Her heart pounded so fast that she felt dizzy. Sometimes, certain thoughts grew too quickly, swelling beyond control. They were always the worst kind. Distorted. Detached from reality. Almost pathological.
Yes. This is just a delusion.
After all, she had only seen him sign his name once, no, twice. Memory couldn’t be trusted as evidence. Memories warped easily.
That night at the circus, the way he had scribbled “Theo” into the officer’s notebook, that alone proved nothing.
“Ah…”
Vanessa sank slowly to the floor, crushed beneath her own thoughts. An unbearable wave of anxiety surged through her.
Perhaps the handwriting was similar. Or perhaps her memory was completely wrong. For a long moment, she stared blankly into the air.
She suddenly burst into a sharp laugh.
Ridiculous. It couldn’t be.
‘It’s River Ross. My childhood friend. That gentle, kind boy.’
How long had they known each other? Even if they hadn’t seen each other often, it had been years. There was no way she could mistake River Ross for another man. Her rigid expression began to crumble.
…But what had River Ross looked like back then? Black hair. Blue eyes… No—was it closer to dark brown? And his eyes… a lighter blue?
Well, it didn’t matter. People changed as they grew. In truth, her memories of that time were all hazy. Like a painting blurred with too many layers.
She couldn’t even recall his features clearly—how could she imagine what he looked like now? All she truly remembered was a promise. That he would come visit again the following summer.
And that promise had gone unfulfilled, for a very long time.
Until River Ross returned. To the rose garden that summer. And to them—
Her thoughts which had been flowing seamlessly until then, came to a sudden halt. A possibility that could erase this absurd suspicion in an instant, flashed through her mind.
Vanessa rose abruptly from where she had been sitting, like someone in a trance. Her pale face flushed with a strange, desperate hope.
Quickly, she restored the safe to its original state, gathered the necessary documents, and returned the key to its agreed hiding place.
“Miss?”
A maid called out in surprise as she rushed past, but Vanessa didn’t even have the presence of mind to respond. She hurried down the stairs and broke into a run along the back garden path.
The ground was slick from last night’s rain. Damp bushes brushed against her, soaking the hem of her dress. The wet fabric clung to her ankles. Overgrown branches occasionally lashed against her calves.
Even so, Vanessa didn’t hesitate for a single moment.
