Ch. 21..30

Chapter 21

Vivian forced herself to stay calm as she asked, “You’re going to the bathroom too, Mr. Hark?” “Of

course not...” Mr. Hark slurred, scooting over to her. Vivian recoiled at the alcoholic stench that his body

emitted. “I’m here for you...” Vivian almost puked at the sound of that. You’re here for me? You could almost be my father at this age! “That’s really funny, Mr. Hark,” Vivian said, giving him a strained smile.

She put a hand against the wall and tried to walk towards the ladies’ bathroom, only for him to grab her

by the arm. “Hey, Ms. William... Don’t you like me?” Mr. Hark drawled. Of course not! Vivian resisted

the urge to snap at him for the sake of her job. “Mr. Hark, you’re drunk.” “Haha! It doesn’t matter! I can

still have my way with you!” Mr. Hark sneered, moving over to pin Vivian against the wall with his large

belly. “I’ll show you just how good I am in bed!” Vivian glared at him and started to struggle against him.

“Hey! Watch your words, Mr. Hark!” Her struggling irritated Mr. Hark, and his smirk turned into a scowl.

“Stop resisting, Vivian William! The Chief Editor practically handed you over to me!” It was as though

an explosion had gone off in Vivian’s head, and she could only stare at Mr. Hark in shock and disbelief.

“What do you mean?” “Stop pretending you don’t know!” Mr. Hark growled, pressing his face against

hers. “The Chief Editor agreed to all of this, so you’re just a gift from the magazine company. You’re

mine now!” Vivian’s mind went blank, and her arms relaxed out of grief, drooping to her sides. Fabian probably despises me for what happened two years ago, but why would he do something as despicable as this? Am I just a prostitute to him? Suddenly, Vivian looked up to see a familiar figure at

the other end of the corridor. It’s Fabian! Fabian had come after her as he was concerned for her

safety. He had been suspicious of Mr. Hark since he caught the latter eyeing Vivian throughout their

meal, and his anxiety only mounted when Mr. Hark followed Vivian out just shortly after she left to go to

the bathroom. The scene before him caught him off guard. Mr. Hark was practically squashing Vivian’s

tiny frame against the wall, yet Vivian stayed still, as though she had given Mr. Hark permission to treat

her as such. Fabian could feel his blood boil. Why the hell are you not resisting, Vivian William? Are you really the sl*t that I think you are? Do you have a fetish for old, slimy men like Mr. Hark? Fabian

considered pulling Mr. Hark away from her, but her lack of resistance disappointed him. What’s the point of helping you out? What if she does have a thing for those old geezers? Won’t I be ruining her fun if I intervened now? With that, Fabian turned around and left the scene without hesitating for even a

second. As for Vivian, a glimmer of hope appeared when she caught sight of Fabian. There’s no way he would give his female subordinates to other people as gifts, even if he hates me! However, before

she could open her mouth to scream for help, Fabian had already turned around and walked away.

Boom! The last sliver of hope Vivian had crumbled into a heap the moment she saw Fabian turn his

back on her. Why would you do that, Fabian? Didn’t you see me just now? Why did you just walk away? Vivian shuddered. Maybe Mr. Hark is right... Maybe Fabian was the one who suggested this... She began to shake uncontrollably. How could you, Fabian? How could you? Suddenly, a revolting

stench filled her nostrils, and she raised her head to see Mr. Hark pressing his lips against her face.

“Ew! Get away from me!” she yelled, smacking him on the face with her hand and leaving a red

handprint on his cheek. Unfortunately, it only angered him even further. “Vivian William!” he yelled,

grabbing her by her hair roughly. “Do you still want your job in this industry?” Vivian scrunched her face

up in fear and pain. When she noticed Mr. Hark raising his hand to slap her, she squeezed her eyes

shut and braced for the pain. However, the stinging pain never came. In fact, the next thing she knew,

Mr. Hark gave a frightening yelp and pulled away from her. “M-Mr. Norton? Why are you here?”

 

Chapter 22

Mr. Norton? Vivian’s eyes flew open to see a familiar figure on a wheelchair. Her eyes widened

immediately. “F-Finnick?” Am I dreaming? Finnick studied her from head to toe, taking in her flushed

face, sparkling eyes and body-hugging outfit that brought out her beautiful curves. Her beauty irritated

him. Who would go to work in that outfit? No wonder she attracts so many perverts! Finnick ignored

Vivian completely and glared at Mr. Hark. Mr. Hark had wanted to slap Vivian, but Finnick popped out

of nowhere and grabbed his wrist. Finnick was wheelchair-bound, but it did not hinder his movements

at all. His height advantage made the maneuver as easy as if he had been able-bodied. Finnick was a

prominent figure in the magazine industry, which was why Mr. Hark recognized him immediately. The

fat on his cheeks trembled as he stared at Finnick in shock and forced a smile onto his lips. “Mr.

Norton? W-Why are you here?” Finnick’s gaze was colder than ice, yet Mr. Hark was sweating as

though he had been standing under the sun. Finnick shoved Mr. Hark’s hand aside and took out a

piece of tissue paper to wipe his hand down. With a disgusted look on his face, he spat, “Scram!”

Scared out of his drunken daze, Mr. Hark scurried off immediately. ... Fabian strode out of the

restaurant, still brooding over what he saw in the corridor. His phone suddenly rang, jolting him out of

his trance. “Hey! Fabian Norton! Are you trying to get me killed?” Mr. Hark yelled the moment he picked

up the phone. “Huh?” Fabian was caught off guard. “Why didn’t you tell me that Vivian William was

attached to the president of Finnor Group?” Mr. Hark demanded. “What?” “What do you mean ‘what’?

Finnick Norton came just before I got what I wanted! Why didn’t you tell me more about that woman? I

would have avoided her at all costs!” Fabian skidded to a halt. Finnick’s here? Since when did he come to Q City? “Hey! Fabian! Are you listening?” Mr. Hark continued to bark at him, but he no longer had the

patience to listen to him. He had not made his true identity as part of the Norton family public, hence he

regularly got yelled at by insignificant people like Mr. Hark. After a while of staring into space, he finally

took out his phone again and gave Vivian a call. A few long beeps later, the call finally went through,

but the voice that greeted him was that of a man’s. “Hello?” Fabian’s heart skipped a beat, and he

ended the call without hesitating for even a second. He stared at his phone for a long moment before

bursting into maniacal laughter. I know that voice! It’s Finnick, isn’t it? Don’t tell me it’s him... Are they actually living together? Fabian could almost cry from laughing too much. Her contact in his phonenoveldrama

suddenly felt like a needle to his eye. Oh... Vivian... What did I ever do to you? Why did you have to make me suffer so much? You’re already married, and yet you’re still eyeing other men? Why Finnick, of all people? On the other end of the line, Finnick gently set Vivian’s phone down with a blank look on

his face. “Who is it?” Vivian asked weakly, already half-asleep from the alcohol. Finnick had helped her

pick up the call just now, seeing how intoxicated she was. “Just a spam call,” he answered. “Oh...”

Vivian answered as she nursed her throbbing head. “Does you head hurt?” Finnick asked gently,

noticing how much pain she seemed to be in. “Yeah...” Vivian said. She almost jumped out of her skin

when a pair of hands came to rest at her temples. “How does this feel?” Finnick asked as he rubbed

her temples gently. His fingers felt coarse and cold on her burning skin, and it made her heart race for a

few seconds. She shifted away from him. “T-Thanks. I feel better now.” However, she was pulled back

by him immediately. “Don’t move!” he commanded coldly.

 

Chapter 23

Vivian froze and looked out of the window. Under the dim glow of the streetlights, she noticed how

Finnick’s expression seemed more stern than usual, as though something had been bothering him.

She sobered up immediately. “Are you angry, Finnick?” I’m sure any man would be mad if they saw someone harassing their wife... “What do you think?” he asked, making the temperature in the car drop

by a few centigrade. “I’m sorry...” Vivian whispered. “That’s it?” Finnick said, raising an eyebrow. Vivian

froze as something popped into her mind. “Hey! Don’t overthink things!” she exclaimed. “It was just a

normal business meal... I didn’t know Mr. Hark would do something like that...” She feared that Finnick

would misunderstand things too, just like how Fabian did two years ago. In fact, she was gravely

frightened by the very prospect of it. Finnick was her husband and the only person who cared about

her, and the last thing she wanted was for him to hate her as well. Finnick stared at her with a strange

glint in his eyes. “I know,” he said, sounding relaxed. Vivian heaved a sigh of relief, only to freeze when

Finnick spoke again. “Don’t go to these business meals anymore.” Vivian nodded obediently. As

Finnick continued to massage her temples, she found herself leaning into his touch. Finnick shivered

when he felt something soft burrow into his shoulder. He looked down to see her resting her head

against his shoulder, taking in her baby pink cheeks, long eyelashes and lightly parted lips. His eyes

widened for just a second. What is this I’m feeling... “Vivian...” he rasped. “Hmm?” Vivian drawled as

she looked up. She realized with a start that their faces were less than five centimeters apart. “Ah! I’m

sorry!” she exclaimed, pulling herself away from him out of shock. However, before she could react,

Finnick’s hand had already slid down her face and grabbed her chin. Without warning, he pressed his

lips against hers. The coolness on her lips made her snap out of her drunken, confused state

immediately. Finnick’s kissing me? He’s actually kissing me? By the time they reached the hotel, Vivian

had already fallen asleep. Finnick placed her on his lap and took her to their room. When he lifted her

onto the bed, he noticed that her wrists were still red from the scuffle with Mr. Hark. His gaze turned

cold immediately, and he took out his phone to make a call. “Hey, Finnick! I haven’t heard from you in

ages!” The person on the other end of the line drawled. “I need your help,” Finnick said. Anyone who

was familiar with him could feel the dangerous tone in his voice. “Wow! That’s rare! Just say it, and I’ll

do it!” “I need you to get rid of someone for me,” Finnick said, his voice a low growl. “He hurt someone

on my side, so I must make him suffer.” Vivian woke up the next morning with a splitting headache due

to all the alcohol from the previous night. She struggled to get up from the bed, and a low voice made

her freeze. “You’re awake?” Vivian looked up to see a full course meal waiting for her on the table and

Finnick sitting nearby. “Finnick?” Vivian exclaimed as the events of the previous night flooded into her

mind. I almost got violated by Mr. Hark, and Finnick appeared just in time to save me... Wait, what did we do in the car afterwards? Oh my... Did we kiss? “What’s wrong?” Finnick asked when she did not

get off the bed. “Are you alright?” Vivian looked up at him with a start. Finnick’s room was a presidential

suite, and the sunlight pouring in from the gigantic windows bathed him in its golden glint. He looked

like a literal deity, though the blank look on his face reminded her that he was just a mere handsome

mortal. It made her feel as though the kiss was just an illusion. “I-I’m fine!” she stammered as she

clambered off the bed, only to freeze when she saw what she was wearing. It was a white shirt that

was obviously too big for her, considering how it reached all the way to her thighs. “W-What are these

clothes?” “Have you forgotten?” Finnick asked, raising an eyebrow. “You threw up last night after

getting drunk. I asked a female hotel employee to change you out of your soiled clothes and dress you

in one of my shirts.” Oh... So the hotel employee did it... Vivian sighed in relief, not noticing Finnick’s

gaze studying her from head to toe. Finnick grinned, only to freeze the moment Vivian got up from the

bed.

 

Chapter 24

His shirt hung off her tiny frame like a gigantic curtain, exposing her collarbones and slender legs every

so often. Finnick looked away, his face heating up rapidly. He had always prided himself with his self-

control, yet he had no choice but to take a few sips of ice-cold water to calm himself down. Vivian sat

down at the table, not having noticed anything strange about him. “I’m going back this afternoon,”

Finnick said halfway through their meal. “Are you coming along?” Vivian recalled the drama from the

previous night and nodded solemnly. “I’ll follow you.” She could not care less about her relationship

with Fabian, even if it would cost her job in the future. “Alright.” “Oh, before I forget,” Vivian said. “Why

are you in Q City?” Finnick’s hands froze for a moment, but he regained his composure just as quickly.

“I had a last-minute meeting.” “I see,” Vivian said, stuffing another bite of food into her mouth. After they

collected their clothes from the dry cleaning store, they set off for the airport to catch a flight back to

Sunshine City. Noah had been waiting for them when they arrived at the lobby. He raised an eyebrow

when he saw Vivian walking towards him. No wonder he was in such a rush to come to Q City! He’s here to look for Mrs. Norton! “Mr. Norton, here are some documents that require your signature,” Noah

said, trying his very best to hide his shock. He managed to steal a glance at Vivian when he handed

the documents over to Finnick. He had heard some spicy rumors regarding Mrs. Norton the previous

day, and he didn’t expect Mrs. Norton’s first love to be... “Ahem.” Noah shivered and turned around to

meet Finnick’s cold glare. He lowered his head immediately. Vivian did not notice a thing. When Finnick

got into the car, she hurried over to follow him. Finnick glanced at the documents in his hand before

closing the folder abruptly and looking up at Vivian. “Vivian, let’s go and meet my family this weekend.”

Vivian? Vivian froze for a few moments, completely caught off guard by how he addressed her. She

took a while to digest the situation before answering, “Sure.” I’m curious about his family anyway... Vivian did not think much about it, but her words almost made Noah jump out of his seat. He glanced at

the couple in the backseat through the rearview window. Oh my god! He’s actually bringing her to meet his family? Could that mean... Noah did not dare to think any further. Vivian and Finnick arrived at

Sunshine City after just a few hours, while Fabian was held back by some matters that he had to attend

to. He had wanted to establish ties with Mr. Hark’s magazine company, only to wake up to reports of

Mr. Harks’ company getting sued and going bankrupt. What in the world? This is definitely not a

coincidence. There’s only one person who could destroy Mr. Hark’s life overnight! Fabian could feel his

blood pressure rising. Darn it! Why would he go to such lengths just for Vivian? Doesn’t he know that Vivian is married? It took a while, but he managed to clear up the mess in Q City and return to

Sunshine City. When he stepped out of the plane, he saw Ashley waiting for him at the gate. “Fabes!”

Ashley yelled, rushing over to him the moment she caught sight of him. “You’re finally back? Why didn’t

you pick up my calls?” Fabian glanced at her, annoyed by how much she resembled Vivian. “Nothing

much. I was just busy,” Fabian said before turning around and leaving the airport. Ashely’s face fell as

she watched Fabian disappearing into distance. She recalled what his secretary told her a few days

ago. “Oh, the Chief Editor’s going to Q City for a business trip with a journalist from the company. Her

name? Vivian William.” Ashley clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms painfully. Vivian William! It’s you again! Who gave her the right to compete with me? Ashley bit her lip and whipped out

her phone. “Hello?” she said into the phone, her voice laced with an icy malice. “Do you still have the

pictures from last time? I need them. Every last one of them.”

 

Chapter 25

Vivian was concerned that Fabian would be annoyed by her sudden departure from Q City, therefore

she was surprised when all she heard from him was radio silence. Soon, the weekend came. That day,

Vivian dressed herself in a wine-red gown that Finnick had prepared for her. She proceeded to put on a

diamond necklace and a pair of high-heel shoes to her outfit before walking downstairs slowly. Finnick

had already been waiting for her downstairs, and the sound of her high-heels clicking against the wood

of the stairs made him look up. His eyes widened the very next second. Vivian was prettier than the

average girl, but she was never the type to put much effort into dressing up. In fact, she was used to

hiding her beauty rather than flaunting it. As a result, she looked like a shimmering diamond in light

makeup and the dress he picked out for her. Vivian walked over to Finnick and stared at him,

wondering why he was being so silent. “What’s wrong? Do I look weird?” she asked bashfully, running

a hand through her hair. That was the first time she wore something like that, and checking its price

online did nothing to help with her anxiety. “No, you don’t,” Finnick said, snapping out of his daze. “You

look beautiful.” Finnick was not one to be stingy with praises, particularly when the receiver was his

wife. Vivian froze. Did he just praise me? “Let’s go,” Finnick said, pushing himself to the car on his

wheelchair with Vivian following close behind. They picked a high-end restaurant for their gathering

with Finnick’s family. When they arrived at the restaurant, Vivian alighted from the car as Finnick held

her hand. As they got onto the lift, Vivian’s anxiety suddenly mounted. “Finnick... Are your family

members... Difficult people?” “No,” Finnick said. He paused for a short while before continuing,

“Though... I’d suggest that you get ready for it.” Vivian froze for a moment. Before she could ask him

what he meant, the lift door opened at their floor. Vivian ran after him, and they soon arrived at the

largest private room at the end of the corridor. The moment they entered, Vivian noticed an old man

sitting at the table. That’s his grandpa! Vivian gave him a polite smile and walked over to greet him,

only to stop abruptly in her tracks when she took a good look at his face. The man before her had

gotten on in his years, yet his eyes were bright and his back was straight. His gaze was stern as he

trained his eyes on her, and it made her recoil just a bit in fear. Vivian had seen that memorable face

countless times before, be it in magazines or in the news. That’s Samuel Norton, the Old Master of the Sunshine City Norton family! Vivian’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as she stared at him in

shock. He’s Finnick’s grandfather? Does this mean that Finnick is that mysterious, unknown son of the Norton family? As the most prominent family in Sunshine City, everyone knew every single detail about

their family history. The elder Mr. Norton had one son, who in turn gave birth to two grandsons.

However, both his son and daughter-in-law passed away early, leaving their two sons in the care of the

elder Mr. Norton. His grandsons had a huge age gap. The older one was almost forty years old, and his

son Fabian Norton was known to the world as the ‘grandson of the Norton family’. His other grandson

was only about thirty years old, but he got into an accident about a decade ago and ruined his health

forever. His family sent him overseas and never spoke about him again. Could Finnick be that mysterious second grandson of Samuel Norton? Vivian’s face turned pale as a sheet. She knew that

Finnick’s last name was Norton, but she had never put two and two together before. Everyone thought

that Finnick got to where he was by his own hard work, and no one guessed that he had the entire

Norton family backing him up. Does that mean that... Finnick is Fabian’s uncle? Am I living in a drama? My first love became my brother-in-law, and I’m his aunt now? “Vivian?” Finnick whispered into her ear

as he pushed himself over to her. “You alright?” “I...” Vivian stammered. “I-I... Finnick? I don’t feel so

good...” Finnick’s eyes darkened before he spoke. “Let’s just get this over and done with. Besides, my

brother and nephew is coming soon.” His nephew is coming too? Vivian’s face turned even paler at that

statement.

 

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

“No, I-I can’t do this…” she stammered, taking a few steps back on shaky legs. “G-Grandpa? I’m not

feeling well… I think I’ll take my leave first. I’ll definitely come back another time! I’m so sorry!”

With that, she rushed out of the private room without even looking back.

The elder Mr. Norton sneered as he watched her disappear down the corridor. “So that’s the girl you

married? She’s so rude.”

Finnick glared at him. “I wouldn’t have even tried if you haven’t been breathing down my neck the

whole time.”

The elder Mr. Norton widened his eyes in shock. “Y-You’re no better than her!”

He loved his youngest grandson more than anything in the world, but everything changed after the

accident ten years ago. Reading his grandson’s mind became incredibly difficult.

Finnick decided that he did not want to continue the conversation any further. Pushing the wheels of his

wheelchair, he made a move to leave the room as well.

“Hey! Where are you going?” the elder Mr. Norton demanded.

“I’ve lost my appetite,” Finnick said without bothering to look back. “You can eat with Mark and Fabian.”

Upon reaching the villa, Finnick heard from Molly that Vivian had locked herself in her room ever since

returning.

Finnick eyes darkened, visibly annoyed.

He pushed open the door to the bedroom and saw Vivian lying face-down on the bed, still clad in her

wine-red gown. Her gaze was empty and lifeless.

That only irritated Finnick even further.

He pushed himself over to the bed and stared at her with a blank expression. “Vivian, get up.”

Vivian simply ignored him, as though he was invisible.

Finnick flew into a rage. “Vivian!” he yelled. “Talk to me! Why did you come back?”

He paused as the air in the room grew colder by a few centigrade. “Are you scared of meeting my

nephew Fabian?”

Vivian sat up immediately, the blank look on her face replaced by a look of disbelief.

Her face paled as she stared at him. “H-How did you know about my relationship with Fabian?” she

asked, her voice trembling.

Did I just get deceived by the men I trust twice in a row?

“That’s right,” Finnick said, not even bothering to make her think otherwise. “I’m sure you know that I

won’t marry a random woman on the street. I know exactly what happened to you two years ago.”

Vivian shivered as she continued to train her eyes on his face.

“So?” she asked, her throat throbbing painfully. “Were you trying to embarrass me by taking me to that

gathering?”

“Embarrass you?” Finnick growled indignantly. He grabbed her wrist and squeezed it with all his might.

“He’s just an ex-boyfriend! There’s nothing to worry about if you’ve already gotten over him!”

Vivian glared at the handsome man before her, her lips pursed into a thin line.

“You don’t understand,” she said after a long pause. “You don’t understand how much Fabian meant to

me.”

Fabian had been her life force and her reason to live, and the pain from two years ago still felt fresh

and piercing.

Can’t he just understand how much Fabian meant to me?

Finnick thought that he could not get any angrier, but he was wrong.

This stupid woman!

It’s been ten years already! Just as I thought I wouldn’t be distracted by another woman…

He knew that Fabian was her first love and her boss, and he had flown to Q City out of panic when he

heard that she had gone for a business trip with Fabian.

The last thing he wanted to see was someone taking advantage of Vivian.

I should have killed that jerk Hark!

In fact, I haven’t been so emotional in a while…

This woman is challenging my patience!

How dare she confess her love for my nephew in front of me?

What am I to you, Vivian William?

“Fine. I don’t understand,” Finnick said, smirking. Without warning, he stood up from his wheelchair and

shoved Vivian onto the bed. “What I do understand is that you’re my wife!”

Vivian froze the moment Finnick stood up from his wheelchair. “Y-You can stand?”

She tried to break free of his grasp to no avail. Finnick had already straddled himself over her body and

held her hands down, hovering over her menacingly and covering her in the darkness of his shadow.

“Vivian…” he growled, his voice colder than ice. “I just remembered that we haven’t done anything as

husband and wife yet…”

 

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Boom!

“What the hell are you doing?” Vivian screamed as the shock from seeing Finnick stand up was long

forgotten.

Before she could finish her sentence, he had already ripped her dress into shreds.

Finnick rested his body against hers, encasing her in a wall of muscle and masculine dominance.

“Finnick! What…”

Vivian tried to say something, but was cut off abruptly when he pressed his lips against hers.

It was as though he was punishing her for everything she had done, and it was something she would

never be able to escape from.

No!

I don’t want this!

The events from two years ago popped into her mind, and the pain was so strong that it brought tears

to her eyes.

Finnick noticed her tears and froze in shock.

He stopped what he was doing immediately and lowered his head. “Are you scared of me, Vivian?”

Instead of answering him, Vivian grabbed her exposed shoulders tightly and continued to weep.

It was as though someone had poured a bucket of ice-cold water over him, dousing the angry flame

inside of him immediately.

He let go of her and stared at her pale, tear-streaked face in bewilderment. His heart throbbed painfully

at the sight before him.

Sh*t!

What the hell did I just do?

“Vivian…” he said, his voice much calmer now. He reached out to help her up, only for her to flinch

away from him, as though he had electrocuted her.

Seeing how natural her reaction was, the flame within Finnick that had just been extinguished

threatened to come back to life.

“Get some rest,” he said awkwardly before leaving the room.

After he left, Vivian continued to sit on the bed in a daze.

It’s been two years…

I thought I’ve gotten over it already, yet the memories of that incident keeps coming back whenever a

man gets close to me…

She never saw Finnick again that night.

The next morning, Vivian took her own sweet time to go downstairs after waking up. To her surprise,

Molly told her that Finnick took a midnight flight overseas for a business trip.

Huh?

Maybe he’s troubled over this too…

As for the events of the previous night, Vivian struggled to figure out what Finnick had been thinking.

She tried to convince herself that what Finnick was merely a show of power and dominance as a man,

rather than a declaration of love.

After all, I don’t think he’s very happy about my relationship with Fabian…

How about his legs? Since when could he walk?

Vivian sighed. She finished her breakfast in silence and set off for work afterwards.

When she arrived at the office, she was greeted with a giant riot. She grabbed a person nearby by the

arm and demanded to know what happened. “The Q City Magazine Company is gone! Our

collaboration projects have gone down the drain…” the person wailed.

Q City Magazine Company?

Isn’t that the magazine company that Mr. Hark runs?

Vivian whipped out her phone and was shocked to find various reports on the matter online.

The Q City Magazine Company had deep roots in the magazine industry of Q City, yet someone

managed to uproot it overnight! In fact, the owner of the company, Mr. Hark, was thrown behind bars

after he was found guilty of a long list of charges.

This seems too sudden to be true… Could someone be behind this?

Could it be… Finnick?

Vivian shook her head vehemently to clear her head.

Hey! Vivian William! Stop that! You’re his wife, but you’re not his friend! You can’t count on him to save

you when you’re in trouble!”

With that, Vivian smirked to herself. Haha! That’s karma for you, Mr. Hark!

Because of the collapse of Q City Magazine Company, the next issue’s cover had to be completely

redesigned. Vivian and her group mates finished their part of the redesigning process, after which she

was tasked by Lesley to send the product over to Fabian.

Vivian wanted to turn her down initially, since the last person she wanted to meet after the incident in Q

City was Fabian.

Fabian had let her down over and over again, and that particular incident was the last straw on the

camel’s back.

Am I really that dirty and undesirable to him?

I don’t have even a sliver of respect for him anymore.

I don’t even want to see him anymore. Even so, I can’t escape from him…

Hey! It’s not like I did anything wrong in the first place! Why am I the one running away?

With that, she picked up the mock-up that her group came up with and walked towards Fabian’s office

with pursed lips.

“Chief Editor,” she said stiffly upon entering. “Here is the mock-up that my group came up with. Please

take a look at it. I’ll take my leave now.”

She turned around to leave the room, only to freeze when his cold voice rang from behind her.

“Stop right there!”

 

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

His voice sounded colder than ice when he spoke.

Vivian did not turn back. “What’s wrong, Chief Editor?”

“Don’t you owe me an explanation?” Fabian asked, louder this time. He must have gotten up and

walked over to me…

“What explanation?”

“Everything. For example, why did you disappear from Q City all of a sudden?” he asked. She could

feel his warm breath on her neck, and it made her shiver. “Also, what’s your relationship with Uncle

Finnick?”

Vivian’s body trembled violently. She turned around abruptly to look into his cold gaze.

“H-How did you know about…”

Did he find out about our marriage? Did Finnick tell him about it?

Vivian panicked all of a sudden.

Their marriage had been a legitimate union, yet she still felt hesitant to talk to Fabian about it.

Finnick’s his uncle, and Fabian’s my first love!

“How did I find out about… What? Your relationship with my uncle?” Fabian scoffed as he closed in on

her. “Of course I know! Besides, aren’t you married? Didn’t you know that my uncle is married too?”

Vivian’s panic turned to confusion the moment she heard that.

What the hell is he trying to say?

“Talk to me, Vivian William!” Fabian yelled, angered by her stubborn silence. He grabbed her shoulders

and shook her violently. “Vivian William! Since when did you become a cheater and a home-wrecker?

You’re no longer the Vivian I knew!”

Everything became crystal clear to Vivian at that moment.

He doesn’t know about our marriage… In fact, he probably thinks that Finnick’s my sugar daddy!

Vivian could feel her already stone-cold heart freeze over into an ice cube.

Huh…

Fabian Norton… What am I to you? Just another one of those sugar babies that climb onto the lap of

another daddy once they’ve sucked the previous one dry?

Vivian could see through him like a glass window, and she could tell that she was nothing more than a

prostitute to him. He would never believe her if she said that Finnick took her in as his legitimate wife.

“Vivian!” Fabian growled. “Answer! My! Question!”

Vivian raised her eyes slowly to meet his gaze. “Whatever. Suit yourself.”

With that, she shoved him aside and turned around to leave.

I understand everything now…

The man I loved to the moon and back is no longer…

In fact, it’s been two years since I last saw the old him.

For the next few days, Vivian threw herself into her work to distract herself from the drama between

Finnick and Fabian.

Finnick did not return even after a few days, and neither did he text nor call her. She would return to an

empty house every night, feeling lonelier than ever.

Getting used to things is a scary process… It’s only been a month ever since I got married to him, and I

can’t live without him already?

One morning, Vivian stepped into the office to see several of her female colleagues huddled around a

computer.

“That’s rare,” she said, walking over to them. “Why aren’t you all having your morning tea session in the

pantry?”

“Morning!” Sarah said, cupping her flushed face. “Who needs tea when you have an eye candy to look

at?”

“Eye candy?”

“Finnick Norton, the president of Finnor Group! The one we interviewed! He’s in M Nation attending

some award ceremony, and they’re broadcasting it live right now!”

Vivian froze.

Huh… So they’ve found my missing husband?

Vivian scooted over out of curiosity. “What award ceremony?”

“The Outstanding Youth Award! Also known as the battle of the wealthy bachelors!” Sarah said before

burying her face in her hands. “Unfortunately, I heard that Mr. Norton’s already married…”

Vivian looked at the screen. Sure enough, Finnick was slowly pushing himself onstage as the audience

gave him a standing ovation.

 

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The suit hugged his lean body nicely, outlining the sculptured shape of his figure. Although he was

sitting in a wheelchair, no one could ignore the intimidating aura he exuded.

“Congratulations, Mr. Norton.” The blonde hostess of the award ceremony excitedly passed the crystal

trophy to him.

“Thank you,” rumbled Finnick as he received the trophy. His American accent was impeccable. “I’m

very honored to receive this award.”

When he took the trophy, the hostess’ gaze landed on his finger. She instantly exclaimed in an

exaggerated tone, “Oh my God! Mr. Norton, is that a wedding ring?”

The camera immediately zoomed in to Finnick’s finger. The diamond ring which Vivian bought was

displayed on the big screen.

Vivian’s heart skipped a beat. Sneakily, she hid her finger, which was wearing an identical ring, behind

her back.

On the screen, the hostess continued enthusing over it. “Mr. Norton, so you’re really married. I wonder

how many women would be heartbroken. However, Mr. Norton, this ring is really economical, huh?”

Everyone burst into laughter after hearing what she said.

Vivian’s face flushed.

Ugh, Finnick. I already said that the ring doesn’t suit his status, but he insists on wearing it.

Despite everyone’s surprise and laughter, Finnick maintained a calm composure. He glanced down at

his finger and smiled. “My wife chose it for me. She’s never an advocate for unnecessary waste.”

Although his words were simple, it was somehow filled with an affectionate tone. Everyone instantly fell

silent.

Vivian, who was watching him through her computer on the other side of the Earth, felt her heart skip a

beat too.

Although she kept convincing himself that Finnick was just saying that for show, a part of her was

starting to be charmed by him.

He had been wearing the ring all along, no matter how embarrassing it might be.

Despite the entire world thinking that it’s impossible between us, he still acknowledges me as a part of

his life, right?

Perhaps, Finnick was just being a little mean the previous times. Now, his affirmation managed to

console Vivian.

“Mr. Norton, looks like you really dote on your wife,” said the hostess enviously.

Despite being a man of such high status, Finnick wore a cheap ring just because his wife was ‘frugal’.

This was a greater display of love than if he gave his wife a humongous diamond ring.

Finnick cracked a small smile at the hostess’ praise and remained silent.

The award ceremony ended soon. Everyone in front of the computer screen was still immersed in

shock.

“Oh my God! Mrs. Norton is so lucky. God knows how many rich men refuse to admit that they’re

married! Yet, her husband is willing to wear such a cheap ring out!” A female colleague exclaimed.

“Forget it.” A male colleague could not help but rebuke jealously, “Perhaps, he’s just too stingy to buy a

good ring and is merely using his wife as an excuse.”

“Pfft… Finnick can buy an entire diamond mine if he wants to. It’s impossible that he’ll be unwilling to

spend on a diamond ring!” Sarah scoffed. “But, for some reason, Mr. Norton’s ring looks a bit familiar.”

Immediately afterward, someone replied, “Me too! I think I’ve seen it somewhere.”

Having a bad feeling, Vivian was about to sneak away when Sarah reacted quicker. She clapped her

hands and cried out, “Oh, I remember now! Mr. Norton’s ring has the same design as Vivian’s, right?”

Vivian cursed under her breath. Under everyone’s gaze, she could only stop in her tracks and turn

around.

At that moment, everyone was eagerly grabbing Vivian’s hand and exclaiming, “They’re really the

same! They definitely share the same design!”

“What’s going on? Vivian, why do you have the same wedding ring as Finnick?”

 

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

As Vivian’s head throbbed, she looked at the curious group of women in front of her. After mulling over

it for a while, she had no choice but to explain, “Well, I guess I have to confess now. Actually, I’m

Finnick’s wife. That’s why we have the same wedding rings.”

The room became dead silent.

No one uttered a single word.

Soon, everyone suddenly burst into a fit of laughter.

“Haha! Vivian, you’re so funny! You actually said that you’re Finnick’s wife!”

Vivian laughed alongside everyone else, but she secretly felt relieved.

Indeed, instead of denying it, I should just admit it as a joke and evade this topic.

Still, she still pretended to be unhappy. “Why are you laughing? Why aren’t you believing me? Am I

really that bad?”

“Vivian, of course, you’re not bad.” Sarah was laughing so hard that she had already teared up. “But

he’s Finnick Norton! He’s like someone from another world. There’s no way that he’ll be involved with

people like us.”

Vivian chuckled softly.

Yeah.

Logically speaking, Finnick and I are like people from different worlds. Our relationship only became so

intimate because of an unexpected turn of events—just like how the ring looks so out of place on

Norton’s finger.

Yet, he still wears it.

Upon that thought, Vivian’s mood improved. Flicking Sarah’s forehead with her fingers, she said,

“That’s enough. Go and do your work now!”

“We’ve already revised the draft. All that’s left to do is for it to be printed. We have nothing to do now

anyway.”

Indeed, there was nothing much to do today. Hence, after Vivian sat down, she scrolled through Twitter

out of boredom.

However, once she went into Twitter, she spotted ‘Finnick Norton’s Wedding Ring’ at the top of the

trending list.

What the heck? How can this piece of news even enter the trending list? People’s yearning for gossip

is really too strong.

Curious, Vivian clicked on the search and saw a bunch of posts made by excited fangirls.

Mr. Norton is really the best man in the world! I don’t like any other men now. He’s my only love!

Who’s Mrs. Norton? Appear right now and let’s have a showdown!

I just want to say that the wedding ring’s design is XXX. I bought it too! Hahaha! Your ring has the same

design as Mr. Norton’s. I have a feeling that it’ll become extremely popular.

Amused, Vivian read the fangirls’ posts. However, when her gaze landed on a certain post, she was

stunned.

Mr. Norton is so in love right now. However, while everyone rejoices over his current wife, his ex-

girlfriend despairs. I wonder how she’ll feel if she witnesses this from Heaven?

Ex-girlfriend? In Heaven?

Vivian immediately wanted to click on the account and see who posted it. However, when she clicked

on it, the person had already deleted the post.

Feeling puzzled, she barely had time to mull over it before her phone buzzed.

It was a WhatsApp message from Finnick.

Stunned, Vivian clicked on it immediately.

[I’m coming home at six in the evening today. Let’s eat dinner together.]

Vivian could not even explain why her lips unknowingly curved into a grin when she read Finnick’s

message.

She even forgot the awkwardness between them before Finnick left. Now, all she could feel a sense of

anticipation. She no longer needed to return to an empty house anymore.

After making it till dismissal time, Vivian left work on the dot and hailed a cab.

When she returned to the villa and entered, she saw a familiar figure sitting in a wheelchair.

She suddenly felt like she had found the missing puzzle in her daily life.

“Finnick.” After taking off her shoes, she walked into the living room and called out to him. Finnick

turned around.

His face was as handsome as before. Although she had already seen him on the computer screen this

morning, now that she was looking right at him, she suddenly felt like everything was a dream.

On the other hand, when Finnick saw Vivian, he felt extremely relieved, as if a burden had been lifted

off his shoulders.

When she did not reply to his WhatsApp message, he thought that she was unwilling to eat dinner with

him because of what happened that night.

“You’re home.” Although Finnick felt relieved, he still maintained a nonchalant expression on his face.

“Molly has already prepared dinner. Let’s go and eat.”

Although she looked forward to meeting Finnick, when she finally saw him, the unhappy incident that

happened before he left suddenly surfaced in her mind. Feeling awkward, she merely mumbled an

acknowledgement before following Finnick to the dining room.

Molly and Liam were tactful people. Knowing that Finnick and Vivian had not met for days, they left

immediately after serving the dishes.