My words caught Edward off guard, and he froze for a moment.

I said with a bitter smile, “I really want to do well in this part, but maybe I’m just not cut out for it.”

Edward got nervous all of a sudden, squeezing my hand tighter. “I’m sorry. Did I make you feel bad?”

“No, not at all.” I bit my lip. “You’ve been great. It’s on me.”

“Victoria, you’re not… thinking of leaving, are you?” Edward’s mood shifted sharply, and pain and disappointment flashed across his face. “I know asking you to be Nora’s stepmom is unfair to you, and I get that it’s made you unhappy. Just tell me what you want–anything I can do for you, I will.”

‘Edward… I can’t believe he’s lowered himself this much,’ I thought, stunned by how desperate he sounded.

When Edward looked at me again, his eyes were rimmed with red. “Honestly, I never expected things to end well between us. That day back home, when you said you were heading back to Hachester and I told you we’d never meet again–I really meant it. I was determined to let you go and stay out of your life.”

I blinked, remembering how he’d looked at me with so much hope that day, only for it all to fall apart.

I bought my ticket back to Hachester without hesitation, and just like that, we both returned to our own worlds.

But who could’ve imagined that four months later, we’d cross paths again in the United Kingdom?

Edward shook his head. “I can’t handle losing you twice… Victoria, just tell me what you want. If it’s not love, maybe you could want something else from me–money, status, anything but feelings.”

I stared at him in disbelief. Was he really hoping I’d be a little more materialistic?

“Hey, don’t get like this. I never said I was leaving.” I hadn’t expected that just complaining about how hard it was to be a stepmom would make Edward spill his heart like that.

Seeing his eyes rimmed red, tears glimmering as he tried to hold it together, I suddenly realized I was the one holding all the cards in this relationship. The power was in my hands now.

“Really?” Edward frowned, still not convinced. “Didn’t you just say being a stepmom isn’t easy?”

“It’s not easy, but that doesn’t mean I can’t handle it. Let’s be honest–your family’s not like everyone else. With all that money in the Jennings family, it makes sense to sort out the paperwork ahead of time,” Victoria said, meeting his gaze.

“Don’t worry. Nora’s got her share, and yours will be just as solid.” Edward had clearly planned for this.

“Edward, can we put off talking about marriage for two years?” I finally said, making my terms clear.

“Why?” Edward frowned, his brows knitting together. “Two years is a long time. So much could happen. I don’t want to gamble on that.”

“But that’s my condition–no marriage for two years. I need to get my new career off the ground, and I’ll probably be swamped.” I stood firm.

“So, you’re putting me to the test, huh? Want to see if my feelings for you will change over the next two years?” Edward’s eyes locked onto mine, intense and searching. “Victoria, what about you? Will your feelings for me change too?”

“Love needs trust. If we start second-guessing each other now, this could be over by tomorrow.” Annoyed, I looked out the window, refusing to meet his eyes. ‘His words are messing with my head, and I hate it,’ I thought.

Edward suddenly smiled, his voice softening. “Alright, alright. If you don’t want to hear it, I won’t bring it up again. You want two years to focus on your career? Fine, I won’t push you.”

“I’ll need your help with my career,” I said, turning to face him. “I need someone to show me how it’s done.”

Edward lowered his head, a smile playing on his lips. When he looked up again, his eyes were bright with excitement. “So you’re finally asking me for help.”

“What else? How does a little fledgling get its wings strong? You gotta get knocked around and toughen up. If someone’s willing to help me get rich, I’d be crazy to say no,” I grinned.