Edward had found Henry White.
Henry was Edward's close buddy, the older brother of Jack White, and the younger brother of Catherine.
Unlike Edward's sharp and handsome features, Henry was a textbook example of an overweight rich kid.
While the White family business was managed by Catherine, the largest shareholder was actually Henry. In other words, this guy barely did anything productive. His daily routine consisted of driving sports cars, chasing women, and spending money he could never finish spending.
Henry had many underlings but hardly any real friends. The only person he considered his true friend was Edward.
When Henry received a call from Edward, he was momentarily stunned. But as soon as he heard that Edward wanted to have some fun, he became ecstatic and immediately sent him a location.
It was an upscale private club, where every woman inside was a so-called "model."
Spending anything less than eighty to a hundred thousand money in one night here was considered embarrassing for ordinary rich folks. As for Henry, if he didn't spend at least a few hundred thousand money per visit, it would mean he was feeling unusually frugal out of pity for his father.
So, while he might have been overweight, the treatment he received here was unquestionably top-tier.
Edward, however, was in a foul mood.
It wasn't as if he hadn't seen luxury before. He'd played the villain six times already and knew exactly how the wealthy enjoyed their lives. This kind of place was nothing new to him.
He noticed that even Henry seemed utterly bored, his eyes glazed over from seeing too many beautiful women. He had indulged in every pleasure this place had to offer and now had no idea how to entertain himself anymore.
But Henry was still far more enthusiastic than Edward. He called out cheerfully, "Ially, Moriy, and… uh, what's your name again?"
"Dear, I'm Sally!"
"Doesn't matter, doesn't matter. You girls take good care of my bro here. He doesn't come to places like this often. If you can make him feel heavenly tonight, hehe, I'll give each of you a 100,000 money—no upper limit!"
The girls immediately lit up and crowded around Edward.
"Boss Astor, what do you like?"
"Boss Astor, let's play a game! We've got plenty of fun games to make you feel amazing!"
But Edward, who had come here seeking a distraction, realized he couldn't find any joy in this at all.
"Quiet for a moment. I need to talk to Fatty."
The girls obediently backed off, turned off the music, and chatted softly over their drinks.
"What's wrong?" Henry asked. "Not interested? Want me to swap them out?"
"It's not that." Edward sighed. "I'm getting engaged to Victoria. Did you know that?"
"I know." Henry snorted. "Victoria… I don't even know what to say about her. What's so special about her? Her figure? Her face? Which girl here doesn't have those? Do you have any idea how many beautiful women you've ignored over these three years because of her?"
"And even if you like being a simp, why her?Victoria's family has nothing left. They're clinging to your Astor family just to survive, yet she still acts like she's above everyone else, walking around with that sour expression. Just thinking about her makes me want to puke!"
Edward glanced around and said, "We've been throwing money around in places like this since college. Aren't you tired of it after all these years?"
"I've been sick of it for a long time," Henry admitted. "But what else can I do? I tried working once—I took three naps in a single morning. When my subordinates reported work to me, I couldn't understand a single thing they said! I'm good for nothing else. I just know how to spend money, party, and chase women."
Edward looked at him. "That's not called 'chasing women.' Chasing involves effort and sincerity. What you're doing is just waving cash and snapping your fingers."
"Oh, so I should be like you? Following around Victoria, a woman who never smiles, like a loyal dog?"
"At least she's a respectable woman from a good family."
"My sister's from a good family too!" Henry shot back. "Why did you break up with her? Why chase after Victoria instead of my sister? You two grew up together; if you had put these three years of effort into my sister, you'd probably be my brother-in-law by now, and I'd be holding my nephew!"
Edward stared at him. "Are you seriously asking me why? You set me up! You got me drunk and threw several women into my bed, and your sister caught me red-handed!"
"I was young and stupid! We could've explained it! But no, you had to go all Astor family heir on me and walk away. Be honest with me, did you get bored of my sister and just dump her on purpose?"
Edward almost yelled, "We were in high school back then! High school! I didn't know anything! I kissed her on the cheek once and couldn't sleep for three days!"
"You two dated for three years in college! Did you lose your memory or something?" Henry shouted back.
At that moment, Edward's phone rang.
Seeing Victoria's name on the screen, his expression changed instantly. "Quick, quick! Get the girls back! Turn the music on! Louder! Everyone, let's party!"
Henry was dumbfounded. "Why the sudden hype?"
"Shut up! It's Victoria! I need her to stay away from me!"
As soon as he heard her name, the nearly 200-pound Henry leapt up like a spring. Gritting his teeth, he yelled, "Party! Let's party like there's no tomorrow!"
And so, the phone call happened.
But just when they thought everything was settled, the club manager arrived about thirty minutes later. He leaned close to Edward's ear and said, "Boss Astor, Boss Windsor is here. She's in the elevator now. Should I… ask the girls to leave?"
The manager was sharp—he understood the dynamics here. After all, every high-end club kept meticulous records of the city's wealthy families, their habits, and their relationships.
But this time, Edward didn't need subtlety. At least, not with Victoria.
When Victoria walked in, she was greeted by the sight of Edward holding two women in his arms, eyes closed, singing loudly:
♪ "They all say I'm charming and debonair…" ♪
SCREECH!
The music stopped abruptly.
"Huh? Why'd it stop? I was just about to show off my vocal range!"
Edward turned his head. "Well, if it isn't my beautiful fiancée, the one and only Victoria! Hahaha, come on, have a seat, pick a song, and sing!"
Victoria stared at him coldly. "You're having quite the time, aren't you?"
"Not bad, not bad. Just unwinding a little. Did you need something from me?"
That one question stumped Victoria.
Right. For the past three years, it had always been him reaching out to her. When had she ever come looking for him?
Victoria's lips moved slightly. "Come with me. I have something to ask you."
Victoria was used to speaking to Edward this way. In her mind, the fact that she was speaking to him at all was already a favor.
Surely, he'd respond like always—grinning like a fool, thrilled to follow her without a second thought.
But times had changed.
Edward smirked. "I'm a man! A real man of indomitable spirit and iron will! What's wrong with spending time with a few girls, huh? Huh? Are you upset? Angry? Fine then, let's call off the engagement!"
Everyone froze in shock.
Even the general manager, who was ready to step in and mediate, sensed that something was off.
Boss Astor wasn't giving Victoria any respect today. In fact… he seemed intent on breaking up?
[ Don't move!
Let's see where this goes. ]
Edward was immensely proud of himself.
[Victoria, don't say I didn't give you a chance. If you can put up with this, I'll admit defeat.]
[Oh, look at her chest rising and falling in anger! She's mad, isn't she? Furious, right? She's about to explode!]
[There's a glass of beer right in front of you. Throw it in my face, and we'll be done.]
But instead of losing her temper,Victoria smiled.
She stepped closer. One of the girls quickly moved aside, and Victoria slid onto the seat next to Edward, leaning close with a sultry smile. "Why are you so angry? I was just worried about you!"
Edward was so stunned he nearly exploded on the spot.
And it wasn't just him—Henry stood frozen in disbelief, and the club manager, who had been prepared to intervene, widened his eyes in utter shock. Was this really the legendary, sharp-tongued Victoria?
Victoria wrapped her arms around Edward, and he instinctively recoiled, trying to shrink away. Yet his mouth remained stubborn. "Y-You… Don't think an apology means I won't scold you…"
Victoria held him tighter. "Let's not party tonight, okay? I just want to talk to you."
Edward stared at Victoria, feeling as though his entire world was crumbling.
What was happening to the female leads in this story?!
Elizabeth's bizarre "genetic mutation" was already more than enough for him to deal with.
[What the hell is wrong with Victoria today?]
[What's going on here? I just want to quietly play my little villain role, enjoy a few peaceful days, and stay far away from you big shots. Why is that so hard?]
[Can't we just live our separate lives in peace? Is it so difficult to leave each other alone?]
Victoria listened to his unspoken thoughts, and her heart tightened.
[ Did this guy really want her to stay as far away as possible? ]
Edward gritted his teeth hard.
He had made up his mind. Time to take a risky gamble!