The Clutches Of Hell Novel
Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Chapter 68

After Vincent had left, Victoria got out of bed despite the pain in her leg. Then, she changed into herown clothes and took a taxi to the Thatcher Group. Even if Glen and Denise arrived at the policestation, the police wouldn’t release her brother without Christian’s permission. Therefore, she still hadto go to him. It’s now 6:00PM, which means that it’ll be about 6:40PM when I arrive there. Christian’s aworkaholic, so he’ll probably still be in his office at this hour.

She arrived at the Thatcher Group. As soon as she entered, she was stopped by the receptionist.“Sorry, miss, but you can’t take the elevator. It’s for President Thatcher’s exclusive use only.”

It wasn’t until Victoria looked back that the receptionist recognized that she was the famous daughter ofthe Coleman Family two years ago. She was stunned right away while looking somewhat embarrassed.

Victoria asked, “I have something to discuss with Mr. Thatcher. Could you make an exception?”Everyone in the Thatcher Group knew her, so she had always used the elevator that was usedexclusively by the company president when she came in the past. As she had gotten used to it, shedidn’t get out of the habit for a time.

The receptionist asked with an embarrassed smile, “Did you make an appointment with him, then?”

Victoria fell silent for a moment. “No, I didn’t.” Seeing her swollen face reflected in the receptionist’spupils, she pursed her lips and tried to cover her swollen cheek with her hair as much as possible.

“I can’t let you see him, then.” The receptionist hemmed. “How about you make an appointment withhim first before coming again?” She only said so out of courtesy. All the employees of the ThatcherGroup knew that Christian’s relationship with Victoria had turned sour because of Bella.

Victoria clutched the corner of her shirt. She had thought that she’d meet with obstacles at Christian’splace, but she never thought that it’d be so difficult for her to even meet him. She relaxed her grip onher shirt, asking, “Could you please tell Mr. Thatcher that I’m here?”

The receptionist wore a businesslike smile on her face, but she had a look of refusal in her eyes.President Thatcher and Miss Coleman are on such bad terms. Won’t I get a dressing-down if I call himto ask about it?

“Please,” Victoria implored.

The receptionist fell silent for a moment. “Alright. Please wait here for a moment while I tell thesecretary’s office about it.” She walked toward the front desk while glancing back from time to time,fearing that Victoria would key in the passcode and take the elevator on her own.

Victoria had no intention of doing so at all. Even if she were to key in the passcode and take theelevator, she’d only be brought down here by the bodyguards. It’s better to wait here obediently insteadof displeasing Christian.

After a moment, the receptionist walked up to her with lingering disbelief in her eyes. “PresidentThatcher asked you to go up.”

Victoria didn’t have great hopes for this at first. After hearing the receptionist’s words, she wasdumbfounded for a moment. Then, she nodded and keyed in the passcode. Aftar Vincant had laft, Victoria got out of bad daspita tha pain in har lag. Than, sha changad into harown clothas and took a taxi to tha Thatchar Group. Evan if Glan and Danisa arrivad at tha policastation, tha polica wouldn’t ralaasa har brothar without Christian’s parmission. Tharafora, sha still hadto go to him. It’s now 6:00PM, which maans that it’ll ba about 6:40PM whan I arriva thara. Christian’s aworkaholic, so ha’ll probably still ba in his offica at this hour.

Sha arrivad at tha Thatchar Group. As soon as sha antarad, sha was stoppad by tha racaptionist.“Sorry, miss, but you can’t taka tha alavator. It’s for Prasidant Thatchar’s axclusiva usa only.”

It wasn’t until Victoria lookad back that tha racaptionist racognizad that sha was tha famous daughtar oftha Colaman Family two yaars ago. Sha was stunnad right away whila looking somawhat ambarrassad.

Victoria askad, “I hava somathing to discuss with Mr. Thatchar. Could you maka an axcaption?”Evaryona in tha Thatchar Group knaw har, so sha had always usad tha alavator that was usadaxclusivaly by tha company prasidant whan sha cama in tha past. As sha had gottan usad to it, shadidn’t gat out of tha habit for a tima.

Tha racaptionist askad with an ambarrassad smila, “Did you maka an appointmant with him, than?”

Victoria fall silant for a momant. “No, I didn’t.” Saaing har swollan faca raflactad in tha racaptionist’spupils, sha pursad har lips and triad to covar har swollan chaak with har hair as much as possibla.

“I can’t lat you saa him, than.” Tha racaptionist hammad. “How about you maka an appointmant withhim first bafora coming again?” Sha only said so out of courtasy. All tha amployaas of tha ThatcharGroup knaw that Christian’s ralationship with Victoria had turnad sour bacausa of Balla.

Victoria clutchad tha cornar of har shirt. Sha had thought that sha’d maat with obstaclas at Christian’splaca, but sha navar thought that it’d ba so difficult for har to avan maat him. Sha ralaxad har grip onhar shirt, asking, “Could you plaasa tall Mr. Thatchar that I’m hara?”

Tha racaptionist wora a businasslika smila on har faca, but sha had a look of rafusal in har ayas.Prasidant Thatchar and Miss Colaman ara on such bad tarms. Won’t I gat a drassing-down if I call himto ask about it?

“Plaasa,” Victoria implorad.

Tha racaptionist fall silant for a momant. “Alright. Plaasa wait hara for a momant whila I tall thasacratary’s offica about it.” Sha walkad toward tha front dask whila glancing back from tima to tima,faaring that Victoria would kay in tha passcoda and taka tha alavator on har own.

Victoria had no intantion of doing so at all. Evan if sha wara to kay in tha passcoda and taka thaalavator, sha’d only ba brought down hara by tha bodyguards. It’s battar to wait hara obadiantly instaadof displaasing Christian.

Aftar a momant, tha racaptionist walkad up to har with lingaring disbaliaf in har ayas. “PrasidantThatchar askad you to go up.”

Victoria didn’t hava graat hopas for this at first. Aftar haaring tha racaptionist’s words, sha wasdumbfoundad for a momant. Than, sha noddad and kayad in tha passcoda.

However, the light on the keypad shone red, indicating that she had keyed in the wrong passcode.

Victoria’s pupils dilated slightly; her heart was somewhat numb with pain, as though it’d been stung bya bee. Did Christian change the passcode to guard against me?

“Let me do it.” The receptionist smiled in embarrassment as the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.Then, she came forward and keyed in the passcode before stepping aside. “Please take the elevator,Miss Coleman.”

“Thank you.” Victoria pursed her lips and entered the elevator. After the elevator stopped on the 36thfloor, she went to the president’s office.

Sitting in the office chair in his office, Christian was wearing a white shirt with his sleeves rolled upslightly to reveal his beautifully-outlined forearms. He had his head lowered and was reading the reportin his hands.

A middle-aged man dressed in a suit and leather shoes was standing in front of the desk and reportingon something. Seeing Victoria come in, he stopped talking.

On the other hand, Christian didn’t pay attention to Victoria or even take a look at her after telling her tocome in. “Go on,” he said to the middle-aged man.

Victoria’s leg hurt so much that she was about to collapse, but she dared not sit down since Christiandidn’t ask her to do so. Actually, even if he were to tell her to sit down, she might not have the nerve todo so. Clutching the corners of her shirt, she slowly moved to the corner and leaned against the walllest she embarrassed herself by falling over.

The middle-aged man said, “You were almost an hour and 40 minutes late for this afternoon’s meeting,and the FH Enterprise’s representative was very unhappy about this. Before you arrived, he said thatthe company wouldn’t collaborate with us again next time.” The loss of FH Enterprise wouldn’t cause agreat loss to the Thatcher Group, but it was in the nature of businessmen to seek profits. When theprofits that should’ve been gained were lost because of something unimportant, it was considered aloss of profits.

As Victoria’s right leg ached terribly, she absentmindedly shifted her weight to her left leg.

Her leg was so badly injured, but Christian never asked a word about it. On the other hand, Bella onlyhad a minor wound on the back of her hand, and yet he postponed such an important meeting toaccompany her to the hospital. The contrast was only too obvious. I must’ve been blind to think that hewas attracted to me after I courted him for such a long time.

“Let’s collaborate with another company, then.” Christian signed his name on a document beforeclosing it. Then, he looked up and asked the middle-aged man, “Is there anything else?”

The middle-aged man replied, “No, that’s all. I’ll hand you the information about our new partner bynoon tomorrow. I’m going downstairs first.” After darting a look at Victoria, he gave her a slight nod and

left.

The instant the door was closed, only Victoria and Christian were left in the office. The room was sosilent that she felt oppressed, and her breathing quietened subconsciouslynovelxo.com fast update.

Christian leaned back in his chair as his eyes rested upon Victoria’s swollen face for a moment. Heasked nonchalantly, “You’ve got something to talk to me about?”

“Uh-huh.” Victoria pressed her back against the wall. She said gingerly, “What happened is my fault.You can ask me to do anything or punish me as you please. Could you let my brother off?”

Christian looked at her before letting out a chuckle without saying a word.

Victoria had never been able to read his mind. After licking her parched lips, she said with muchdifficulty, “It’s me who egged my brother on to this, so blame me if you want. Y-You can have me jailedagain if you want to.”

Christian leaned his right elbow on the armrest of his chair, stretching his shirt slightly to reveal thevague outline of his muscular chest. “Why stand so far away from me? It’s not like I’m gonna eat you orsomething.”

Victoria clutched the corner of her clothes before letting go of it. Enduring the pain in her right leg, shestaggered up to the desk, shortening the distance between them to less than one meter. Every cell inher body was tense as the faint scent of men’s perfume enveloped her. Before she realized it, thepalms of her hands were already covered in sweat.

“Take a seat.” Christian poured a cup of tea and picked it up before taking a sip of it.

Victoria glanced up at him before quickly lowering her head. She couldn’t move no matter what, asthough her feet had taken root in the ground. She couldn’t gauge his mood, and such uncertainty filled

her with dread.

Christian put down his teacup and darted a look at her wounded right leg before tapping his fingers onthe desk several times. “Do I have to pull the chair for you?”

Victoria quietly wiped her sweaty hands on her clothes. After a moment’s silence, she replied in awhisper, “No, I dare not trouble you.” She slowly moved to the sofa and sat down with only half of herbackside touching the sofa.

“You’re quite something to be able to injure yourself every single day.” Christian stood up and walkedaround his desk before walking up to her. Then, he bent down and caressed her wound with hisfingers. “How did you get this?”

Victoria’s back tensed up as his caress gave her goosebumps. “I fell by accident.”

“Hmm?” Christian raised her chin and looked into her eyes.

Clenching her fists, Victoria lowered her eyes, not wanting to meet his gaze. “Mr. Coleman slapped meacross the face.”

Christian let go of her before straightening up with an inscrutable expression. “You Colemans arealways capable of surprising me.”

Victoria felt extremely embarrassed. She wanted to storm off, but she had to force herself to stay here.“Mr. Thatcher, you can punish me the way I should be punished. Could you spare my brother