The Inescapable Celibate Heir Chapter 178: The Bullied Girl

Ryan hesitated for a moment before sitting next to her and asking, "Need a hand with what you're looking into?"

Victoria was taken aback for a second, then pulled up a photo from Vera's high school enrollment and showed it to him. 

"I'm trying to find out more about this girl. There are some things I need to ask her."

Ryan didn't look too closely and instead opened another laptop. "Send me her info. We'll get through this quicker if we team up."

As Victoria sent the files, she explained, "Her name's Vera. She's around our age. She enrolled at Embercrest Riverview High School four years ago. This is her enrollment photo, but there's barely any info about her online since then."

Ryan stared at the enlarged, blurry photo on the screen. The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed. 

The girl in the photo wore a blue and white school uniform, was slender, had shoulder-length hair, and a shy smile with eyes that avoided the camera. A noticeable brown mole was on her chin. 

Ryan pulled up photos from his volunteer work at a nearby nursing home last month. One of the girls there had shorter hair but the same mole on her chin. Her smile was faint, and despite her youth, her eyes showed exhaustion and weariness.

Ryan showed the photo to Victoria. "Hey, check this out. Is this her? I saw her at the nursing home last month. Didn't catch her name, but she looks a lot like the girl in your photo."

Victoria examined the photo and agreed. Vera hadn't changed much in four years. 

She looked up at Ryan. "I need to confirm this in person. Can you tell me where this nursing home is?"

Ryan replied, "I'm free today. I can go with you. I know the director well, so it'll be easier for me to get info." 

He volunteered at the nursing home every week. Though he didn't talk much, he worked diligently, and the director liked him.

Victoria agreed, and they headed out, catching a cab straight to the nursing home. It was in a quiet, somewhat remote area, about a half-hour drive away. 

On the way, Victoria learned that Ryan started volunteering there because his grandfather had lived there before he passed away. 

Despite his grandfather's death, Ryan continued to help out. 

He remembered Vera because she had a slight limp. She had been hired as a caregiver a few months ago, earning a low wage, but the director was kind and didn't demand much from her, only assigning her simple tasks.

Hearing this, Victoria felt more certain that Vera was the person she was looking for. 

Vera had dropped out in her sophomore year and had a disability. She was likely the girl who had been bullied back then. 

But she didn't know if Vera herself had come forward or if it was a classmate seeking justice.

At the nursing home entrance, the security guard, Wade Grant, recognized Ryan and greeted him with a smile. "Ryan, it's not the weekend. What brings you here today?"

Ryan nodded at him. "Hey, Mr. Grant. I'm looking for Mr. Jordan. Is he in?"

This was a public nursing home, and Colin Jordan, the director, was usually in his office but sometimes went out to secure funding or attend meetings. 

Fortunately, Colin was in today. Ryan led Victoria straight to the director's office. 

Victoria showed Vera's photo and asked if she could meet the girl.

Colin noticed Victoria's elegant attire and polite demeanor and made a call to have Vera come over. 

While they waited, Colin remarked, "Vera is a hardworking girl, though she has a bit of a limp. It's a shame she had to leave school so young to work and support her grandmother's medical bills. She's very filial."

Victoria nodded but didn't reveal why she was looking for Vera. 

Many people didn't like their painful pasts being brought up repeatedly, and Vera might not want her colleagues to know about her bullying history. 

Victoria sat quietly on a simple wooden chair, waiting.

Soon, Vera arrived. She was small and frail, looking much like she did four years ago, seemingly malnourished and underdeveloped. 

She limped over, glanced at Victoria, then quickly lowered her head and asked, "Mr. Jordan, did you need something?"

She had been working with the elderly for a long time; they needed her help and never mocked or scolded her. This job suited her well. 

Due to her history of being bullied, every time she saw someone like Victoria—young, beautiful, and glamorous—she felt a bit scared, even trembling.

Colin replied, "This is Ms. Hamilton. She wants to talk to you."

Colin guessed that Victoria might be a distant relative of Vera's. She looked well-off and he hoped she could provide some help for Vera. 

Vera was shy and not very talkative, but she was smart and had once received a scholarship in high school. 

It pained him that such a bright girl couldn't attend college, but he had to manage the nursing home and couldn't afford to support her education.

Victoria stood up and approached Vera, speaking softly. "Are you Vera? I need to ask you about someone named Ella Scott."

Vera flinched as Victoria approached, murmured a soft "yes," then looked up with confusion. "Who's Ella Scott? I don't know her."

Victoria clarified, "She might have gone by Ella Baker at Embercrest Riverview High School, sophomore year, class 3."

Vera's eyes widened in fear, and she took a step back, nearly falling. Victoria quickly caught her.