Chapter 11 After Alaric left , Victoria sat on the couch in a daze before continuing her work . This is the path I have chosen , so I am on my own . Suddenly , her phone rang , and she glanced at it to see it was from Noel Javier . After calming herself down , she picked up the call . " What's up ? " " Victoria , did the secretary of Labauve Group's vice president call you ? " When Victoria heard that , she scrolled through her inbox until she found the email , clicked it , and nodded . " Yes . So , what's up ? " " Pass me the tasks on your plate . I'll settle them for you . " Then , she paused and questioned with a hint of doubt , " Huh ? " " Yasmin said you were sick . Why didn't you tell me ? " Noel's voice sounded gentle as he sighed and persuaded her , " Take a good rest if you're not feeling well and switch off your phone . You think your body's made of steel , huh ? " He used to be her father's right - hand man at Selwyn Corporation before the Selwyn Family went bankrupt . However , the company's sudden bankruptcy derailed what should have been a prosperous future for him . After the incident , Victoria thought he would look for a position more fitting to his talents , but he joined Cadogan Group . It came as a shock to her after she learned about it , so she asked him . Noel , on the other hand , merely offered her a smile . " Did you assume that I joined Cadogan Group because of you ? You should be aware that they are the largest corporation in Gandra , right ? No other company can offer me a better career advancement than them . " It's hard to argue with him when what he says is reasonable . With that in mind , Victoria felt too ashamed to try to talk herself out of it . Then , she recalled that her father used to set her up with him before her family went bankrupt . In addition , the way he answered her father still stuck in her mind . She recalled him looking at her with a gentle expression and smiling softly . He answered , " Victoria is still young . So , let's talk about it later . " Since then , he had treated her warmly and acted as an older brother . Moreover , he had always been considerate and attentive to her needs . Gradually , the expression in his eyes when he looked at her changed . Nevertheless , she was conscious of his intentions . However , her heart had long belonged to someone else . Few people in this world would have their feelings reciprocated . Thinking of that , Victoria snapped out of her daze and declined Noel's offer. " Don't worry about it , Noel . It's only a cold . I'm all good now . " Meanwhile , on the other line , he said nothing and sighed heavily , " Are you drawing a line between us now , Victoria ? " When she heard that , she paused in silence . " Let's put aside Mr. Selwyn being my savior . We're now colleagues in the Cadogan Group . Shouldn't we help each other out during hard times ? " " Noel- " " Do you think I'm incapable of taking over your responsibilities ? Or are you starting to dislike me ? " " Not at all , " Victoria hurriedly denied it . " You've treated me very well . Why would I dislike you ? " She did not have a brother , and Noel , a few years older than her , was always considerate toward her . Moreover , she had always regarded him as an older brother . So , why would she hate him ? Hence , when she denied his statements , she sounded anxious . Perhaps , her attitude had pleased him , eliciting a chuckle from the other end of the line . His laughter was deep yet sweet . " If you don't hate me , transfer your tasks over. " Victoria bit her red lips and nodded eventually . " Okay , then . Thanks for helping out , Noel . I'll treat you to a meal later . " " I will remember your promise . " " Sure . " After the call ended , Victoria emailed Noel about the task , but she was so concerned about forgetting something that she took her time writing a detailed message . Meanwhile , it took him a while to text her . ' Okay . I got it . Stop worrying about it and get some rest . ' Finally , she felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders that she could delegate her duties to someone she trusted when she was sick . Initially , she had planned to return to the company , but she could now rest at home for another day . At that moment , she realized another pressing matter that required her attention . Victoria looked down and glanced at her belly before reaching down and gently stroking it with her hand . Within my body , a new life is beginning to take shape . What am I supposed to do with the child ? Should I go ahead with the abortion ? When she thought about it , she felt utterly helpless . Then , she fished out her phone and dialed her best friend's number . " What ? You're pregnant ! Pfft ! " Meanwhile , Victoria was at a café when the woman in front of her spit out her coffee . The woman's worked - up tone and actions drew a lot of attention . Victoria was speechless after seeing the woman's reaction . Then , she quickly looked around to make sure no one she knew was there and heaved a sigh of relief . Afterward , she handed Summer Jones a tissue and whispered , " Lower your voice , would you ? Everyone is looking our way . " So , Summer took the tissue and wiped her lips before nodding obediently . " Sorry . I was too shocked . " Victoria glanced at her best friend helplessly . Instead of sipping her coffee , Summer propped her chin on the table and gazed at Victoria with large , round eyes . In a subdued voice , she asked , " Why did you suddenly get pregnant ? Didn't you guys take precautions ? " " We did . " Victoria sipped the coffee and uttered indifferently , " It was an accident . " " What are you going to do , then? Are you going to keep the baby ? " Victoria was momentarily taken aback by the question and paused before shaking her head . Then , Summer looked at her in surprise . " A - Are you not going to keep it ? Why ? You've been married for a long time , and I noticed how well he treats you . You're invited to every occasion he attends , and if you hadn't told me you were in a fake marriage , I would have assumed you two were truly in love . " " Really ? " Victoria offered a light smile . Her reaction … Summer took another glance at her . She thought Victoria was behaving a little too indifferently , but as her best friend for years , Summer suppressed her true thoughts and asked , " Is Alaric aware ? " " I didn't tell him . " " You … " Summer held back and questioned , " When are you planning to tell him ? " Nonetheless , Victoria pursed her lips without a word . In response , Summer gave her a look of doubt . " Wait . What do you mean ? Are you not going to tell him about such an important matter ? This child is not only yours , you know ? He belongs to the both of you ." When she said that , Victoria still had a stubborn look . Unable to suppress her curiosity , she blurted a thread of sentences , " What's up with you ? How could you be so calm even after what happened ? You're pregnant , and it's וו " Claudia is back . " Her mere sentence made Summer freeze on the spot . Victoria's gaze turned colder at this point . " Do you still think it matters if I tell him ? "