Chapter 554 Games Beneath the Surface

Wyatt reached up, his knuckles brushing lightly over the reddish bruises on Yunice’s neck. They didn’t look like a result of a car crash—more like hand marks.

Yunice replied calmly, “The doctor said it’s soft tissue bruising, likely from some accessory in the car that hit me during the impact. It’ll fade in a few days.”

Elianna dropped her gaze, eyes darting.

That’s a lie. Paul strangled her. And Paul also said the one who framed Oscar was Morgan.

So that’s why Yunice staged the car accident—to explain away the marks on her neck.

That way, Wyatt wouldn’t suspect she’d met with Paul—or that she knew the truth.

Wyatt invited both women to eat the late-night meal together. His phone buzzed several more times during the meal, but he ignored it.

The two bodyguards, now thoroughly disgraced, stood nearby with pale faces and stiff postures, nervously watching Wyatt for any sign of fury. They had failed to stop Yunice from crashing into a tree. This was on them.

Yunice said softly, “It all happened so suddenly! They didn’t have time to react. Please don’t punish them.”

Wyatt didn’t reply—he just helped her to a few dishes in silence. After a few minutes, he got up and made an excuse to step out. The two black-suited bodyguards immediately followed him, their faces drawn like men walking to their executions.

Once they were gone, Yunice slowly put down her fork and glanced at Elianna, who was still eating. Her tone was cool. “Nothing you want to say?”

Elianna looked relaxed, almost smug. “You thought I’d rat you out, huh? Don’t worry—I’m not that stupid.”

“Wyatt trusts you more than anything. Even if I told the truth, one word from you and I’d be the one getting blamed.”

She snorted inwardly. Go on, be smug while you can. Just wait until Nora wakes up. Then you’ll learn what real favoritism looks like.

Yunice studied her for a moment, then looked away. As long as Elianna kept her mouth shut, that was enough.

Just then, Yunice’s phone rang. She looked at the screen and answered, “Victor…”

“You’re at the hospital?”

“Okay. Where are you? I’ll come get you.”

Elianna perked up her ears, listening in.

Yunice stood and said, “If Wyatt comes back, tell him I went to meet a friend.”

Meanwhile, Wyatt stood outside, his expression grim as he questioned the two bodyguards. “What did Yunice do today? What exactly happened?”

In his mind, Yunice was always calm and collected. And the site of the crash had no other vehicles in sight. Why would she crash into a tree on her own?

The guards, stiff with nerves, answered carefully, “Ms. Yunice and Ms. Elianna visited the Saunders family. They stayed for about half an hour. When they came out, she didn’t look well… maybe she was emotionally overwhelmed.”

Wyatt frowned. The Saunders family?

She must’ve been upset about Oscar.

Now that Elsie was gone and her body cremated, the chain of evidence was weak. Without new suspects, Oscar was going to carry this blame to the end.

No wonder Yunice was distressed.

He’d have to cheer her up.

“Victor.”

Yunice found him waiting quietly in the corridor. He still carried that soft, scholarly aura as he smiled lightly. “What happened this time? Why are you at the hospital again?”

Yunice smiled sheepishly. “Just a minor scratch. Victor overreacted—it’s nothing serious.”

Victor’s eyes twinkled with something unreadable. “He’s so concerned, and yet… why couldn't he come?”

“He had something to deal with.”

Victor smiled faintly and didn’t press. Instead, he looked down and handed her a small box. “No more games… Here, rhino horn. I hope you still need it.”

The moment Yunice saw what was inside, her eyes lit up.

“You actually found it!”

Victor smiled. “It’s rare, yes—but not impossible to get if you’re determined enough.”

Yunice couldn’t help but feel like his words held a deeper meaning.

Victor, still smiling, added, “Go ahead. Use it to save whoever you want.”

Just as she reached out to take it—

A familiar voice called out behind her, light and teasing: “Nuonuo, why didn’t you bring me along to meet your friend?”

Yunice turned around. Wyatt was strolling toward them casually, eyes locked on Victor with a sardonic gleam. He was always like this around Victor—like the moment they locked eyes, he turned hostile.

Yunice quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Wyatt, Victor’s here because I asked him to bring me something. Don’t always be at odds with him.”

Wyatt’s gaze swept to the wooden box in her hands, then he lifted his own identical box with a raised brow. “He gave you one—but is his better than mine?”

Yunice’s expression was complicated.

Who compares gifts right in front of someone like that?

Before she could speak, Victor stepped into the fray. Still smiling, he said, “Gifts aren’t about value—they’re about whether they reach the heart.”

Wyatt’s lips quirked into a cool smile. “And you’re that sure yours did?”