Amy Sinclair cast a sharp glance at Victoria Langley before picking up her phone and dialing a number. Victoria hadn't yet grasped what Amy was doing when the call connected.

Amy's voice was firm and unyielding. "Ms. Langley mentioned she has an upcoming concert and is concerned about injuring her hands. She believes you'd be displeased, so she's refusing the task of sorting herbs. Mr. Whitmore doesn’t tolerate idleness, so perhaps it’s best if you retrieve Ms. Langley yourself."

A heavy silence stretched on the other end before a deep voice finally responded, "Put Victoria on the phone."

Amy handed the phone over without hesitation.

Victoria already knew who was on the line. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, "Alexander, I just—I can't risk damaging my hands. You know how vital they are for my performances. Professional violinists even insure them..."

Alexander Blackwood's reply was calm but final. "I'll have specially designed gloves sent over. They'll protect your hands completely."

Victoria was momentarily speechless.

Noticing her silence, Alexander added, "I have a meeting shortly. If there’s nothing else, I’ll end the call now."

Within half an hour, four pairs of gloves arrived—three for Victoria, and one small pair for Oliver Kingsley.

Theodore Whitmore tried them on and raised an eyebrow in approval. "Impressive craftsmanship. Thin as silk yet durable enough for herb handling. If I'd known Alexander had access to such equipment, I'd have had Vivian prepare extra batches."

Victoria nearly choked on her indignation.

Alexander sending gloves instead of rescuing her was a clear message—he wouldn’t interfere. Reluctantly, she resumed sorting the herbs.

Though she had come at Alexander’s request, Victoria had no intention of enduring this humiliation. She knew Theodore was deliberately making things difficult for her, and she refused to play along.

Soon, she clutched her head dramatically, her face paling.

"My head... it's spinning... I think I'm going to collapse..."

Amy suppressed a smirk and immediately dialed emergency services.

Minutes later, an ambulance arrived to whisk Victoria away.

At the hospital, Alexander strode in, rubbing his temples in exhaustion.

"What happened this time?"

Amy explained smoothly, "Ms. Langley suddenly complained of severe dizziness and claimed she was in critical condition. I couldn’t take any risks with her health, so I called for medical assistance."

An hour later, Victoria was wheeled out.

The doctor adjusted his glasses and spoke gravely, "Ms. Langley’s condition is... concerning. She requires complete rest and must avoid any form of stress—"

Theodore, who had accompanied them, cut in sharply, "Can you actually treat her, or are you just wasting our time?"

The doctor blinked in confusion. "Sir, Ms. Langley is suffering from a serious condition. We can only manage symptoms—"

Theodore scoffed. "If you can’t treat her, then stop making grand diagnoses. Real patients suffer because of incompetence like yours."

His tone left no room for argument.

Theodore had suspected from the start that Victoria had already bribed these doctors.