Ch. 61..70
Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Vivian only remembered now that she had left the spaghetti Bolognese she made for lunch at home as
she left in a hurry yesterday.
She figured that Finnick must have eaten one of them and kept the other in the fridge.
Vivian felt embarrassed. She perched on her toes and tried to reach for the serving of spaghetti
Bolognese in Finnick’s hand. “You don’t have to eat the leftovers from yesterday. Since I’m here, I’ll
make you something fresh.”
Seeing Vivian struggling to get ahold of the spaghetti, Finnick only writhed his lips. Instead of lowering
the plate of pasta in his hand, he bent down to face Vivian.
Vivian was shocked by Finnick suddenly moving so close to her. She lost her balance and tripped over.
Fortunately, Finnick was quick to react. With one scoop around her waist, he pulled her back upright.
“Be careful,” Finnick muttered under his breath. “No need to make me anything. I really like your
spaghetti.”
For some reason, Vivian blushed at Finnick’s words even though they were nothing special. Perhaps it
was because of his deep and husky voice.
“If you like my spaghetti then let me make you more.” Vivian was afraid that Finnick would notice her
queasiness and lowered her head. “Leftovers are not healthy to eat.”
“It’s not like I eat leftovers all the time.” Finnick slowly let go of Vivian’s waist and popped the spaghetti
into the microwave. “I don’t want to waste food, especially since you made it.”
Vivian knew she wouldn’t win Finnick in banter and backed off. She watched as Finnick remove the
heated spaghetti from the microwave and ate it slowly.
Finnick looked elegant while he was consuming the plate of spaghetti. Even though it was just
homemade food, he acted as if he was eating a Michelin three-star meal.
“Hey,” Vivian, who sat opposite Finnick, spoke hesitantly with her two hands clasped together. “I will try
to pay you back the money for my Mom’s surgery and medicine.”
Finnick’s eyes narrowed at Vivian’s words. He was in the middle of twirling a few strands of spaghetti
into a ball.
“Vivian.” Finnick swallowed the food inside his mouth and uttered with his deep voice, “Did you forget
the promise you made me yesterday?”
“Yesterday?” Vivian was stumped. Then, she suddenly recalled what Finnick was talking about. “Oh,
you mean the promise I made to come to you if I ever need help?”
“Yep.” Finnick shifted his gaze to Vivian’s face. “I thought we are close enough for me to help you?”
Finnick’s eyes were like scalpels that could dissect Vivian’s mind right away. At that moment, Vivian felt
as if she was standing naked in front of him. She replied shyly, “It’s not that I don’t think we aren’t close
enough. I just don’t like owing others.”
Vivian bit her lips determinedly as she tried to keep her head cool.
At that moment, Finnick was a friend to her. Still, Vivian could not let herself be indebted to others.
Finnick kept what he initially wanted to say to himself when he saw the conviction in Vivian’s eyes.
“If you really want to repay me…” Finnick’s eyes shifted to the spaghetti ahead and had an idea. “It’s
okay if you don’t pay me the money. I am in no need of it anyway. You can repay me in some other
ways instead.”
“How else can I repay you then?” Vivian was flummoxed as she couldn’t figure out what Finnick
needed. He was a man who had everything.
“Food.” Finnick gave Vivian a terse answer. “If you really want to repay me, just cook for me.”
Vivian gaped her eyes. She couldn’t believe her own ears.
“Huh? That’s all you want?” Vivian was dumbfounded. “But my cooking isn’t that great.”
Vivian admitted that her cooking was only mediocre at best. Her cooking was a far cry from Molly’s
excellent cooking.
Finnick is such a picky eater. Why will he want me to cook for him?
“What’s wrong?” Finnick arched one brow. “Do you not want to cook for me?”
“Of course not,” Vivian replied in a hurry. “But my Mom’s hospital bills cost sixty thousand. How many
meals do I have to make to cover that?”
“What do you think?” Finnick threw the question back at Vivian.
Vivian was at a loss for words.
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Chapter 62
Even at a regular restaurant, a meal would only get as expensive as a few hundred. Vivian was pretty
sure that she needed to make at least a hundred meals to repay her debt.
“Around a hundred?” Vivian replied warily.
Finnick was entranced by the seriousness on Vivian’s face as she mulled. Unwittingly, he smiled a little.
“Alright, a hundred meals it shall be.”
“Then what do you prefer?”
“I don’t know,” Finnick replied slowly. “Just cook whatever you are best at.”
“No, that won’t be fair to you.” Vivian thought that she had to cater to her client’s needs if each meal
costed around six hundred as she had calculated. “The number of dishes that I know how to make are
very limited. How about I show you what recipes I have tomorrow? I’ll let you have a tester of those
recipes too.”
“Alright then.” Finnick’s lips curled up even more.
The next day, Finnick had a meeting early in the morning although it was the weekend. When he left
home, the sun was barely visible in the sky.
After waking up, Vivian got a few recipes from the internet and started to work on them.
From her few days of observation, she noticed that Finnick liked his food spicy. Thus, she decided to
try out the recipes for beef chili, buffalo wings, and sriracha grilled tofu.
After working her sweat off for an entire afternoon, Vivian was finally done with the beef chili. She took
a picture of it and sent it to Finnick on WhatsApp to see whether he liked it.
Inside the meeting room of Finnor Group.
The managers from each department were taking their turns to report their results.
“That sums up our outcome for this quarter.” The middle-aged man wiped the sweat off his forehead as
he spoke with his heart in his throat, “Are you satisfied with it, Mr. Norton?”
Finnick’s slender fingers flipped through the documents in his hand. There was a bleak expression on
his face. “Do you really think I’ll be satisfied with this kind of results?”
Everyone was covered in cold sweat.
“M-May I know what is the problem?”
“Everything,” Finnick spat bluntly before tossing the document back at his employee. He uttered without
an expression on his face, “Redo.”
The whole room fell silent.
That was Finnick Horton. His disability did not impede his career ambitions. His sharp decision-making
skills and accurate judgment were what transformed into a powerhouse.
“Yes, Mr. Norton!” The middle-aged man trembled as he returned to his seat with the document. Just as
the next manager was about to make his report, someone’s phone sounded.
Beep!
The crisp notification ringtone broke the silence of the room.
Everyone’s face was as white as paper. They exchanged glances with each other in anxiety.
Who’s so daring to not put their phone on silent during a meeting?
As everyone was still trying to read each other’s expression, Finnick nonchalantly looked at his phone
screen that lit up.
The WhatsApp message that came in seconds ago was from Vivian. She sent a few pictures.
Finnick swiped across the screen to unlock his phone. He saw the few dishes Vivian made and also a
message from her.
Which one of this would you like?
At the end of the sentence was a quirky emoji.
Inside the meeting room, everyone realized that the phone that beeped earlier belonged to Finnick and
not anyone else.
They exchanged a glance with one another in disbelief.
Finnick was a workaholic. He only used his phone for work purposes. Everyone was thrown off by the
fact that such a man was checking his WhatsApp in a meeting.
Before everyone could recover from the shock, something even unbelievable happened.
Finnick’s thin lips were curled upwards.
Everyone caught Finnick’s slight smile and felt as if they were struck by lightning. Their eyes widened
in astonishment.
Our tiger boss is smiling?
Many of them in the room had been with Finnick since the day the Finnor Group was founded but never
had they seen their boss smiling.
Meanwhile, Vivian was still busy with her cooking in the kitchen. She was completely oblivious about
the explosive impact the pictures she sent had caused at Finnor Group. After flipping through a few
recipe books, her phone beeped.
She hurriedly checked her phone and saw that she received a message from Finnick: All of them.
Vivian thought to herself, Tsk, how greedy! Vivian writhed her mouth and ate the last piece of buffalo
wings she made earlier. She was going to make Finnick a fresh batch later.
At night, when Finnick returned home, he was greeted by a tableful of scrumptious dishes. He peeped
inside the kitchen and saw the dainty woman still busying herself.
It was an ordinary scene in any household, but to Finnick, it was oddly comforting.
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Chapter 63
“You’re back?” Vivian noticed Finnick Norton and scurried out of the kitchen. “Hurry up and clean your
hands! I think I made too much. Just finish whatever you can. If you can’t finish them, I’ll pack them up
into a bento for you to take to the office.”
“It’s fine,” Finnick replied as he settled in his seat. “I can finish it.”
Vivian did not trust Finnick’s words. The amount of food on the table could feed more than four people.
There were only the two of them in the house.
It was soon proven that Vivian had underestimated Finnick’s capacity. For some reason, he seemed to
have a voracious appetite that day. Finnick wolfed down everything Vivian prepared.
Vivian was stupefied. She had had many meals with Finnick before but this was the first time she saw
him eating so much as if he was a champion at an eating competition.
The next day was Sunday. Vivian spent the whole day researching recipes and preparing food for
Finnick.
Soon, it was Monday, and Vivian had to go to work.
Vivian used to enjoy going to work, but ever since Fabian became the Chief Editor, going to work was
like jumping into the fierce waters of the Nile river, except that she was drowning in work instead of
water.
As soon as she sat down, Lesley Jenson, the senior editor at Glamour Magazine strode to her in a
rush. “Vivian, I have to interview someone this afternoon. Sort these documents out for me ASAP and
send it to the Chief Editor’s office.”
Vivian received the documents and furrowed her brows. “Hey Lesley, I have to prepare for tomorrow’s
interview later in the afternoon. Is it okay if you pass this to someone else to work on?”
Before Lesley could even reply, Shannon’s voice came out of nowhere in an abrupt manner. “Vivian, is
it me or have you been acting funny lately? Pfft, don’t act as if we don’t know your relationship with Mr.
Norton. For whom are you putting on that act?”
Vivian was taken aback by Shannon’s sudden rebuke. She knitted her brows at the girl who was on the
same rank as her in the company. “Shannon, what are you talking about?”
“Huh, what am I talking about? Looks like someone here doesn’t want to admit it.” Shannon sneered
and slanted her eyes at Vivian. “You think all of us are blind?”
Vivian wanted to defend herself, but she noticed her colleagues were peeking at her as she unwittingly
swept her eyes across the room. Those eyes were filled with suspicion and derision.
Vivian could feel herself stung by a million needles.
She was very familiar with the glares that she received. They reminded her of the unfriendly stares her
lecturers and classmates on campus gave her for an incident that happened two years ago.
Vivian bit her lips. She didn’t know what to say. Thus, she sat down and swiftly finished organizing the
files she was tasked with. Then, with everyone’s attention on her, she strode to Fabian’s office and
knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Fabian’s languid voice came behind the door. Vivian pushed the door ajar and walked through it.
Fabian zoned out for a few seconds when he saw Vivian. The latter hurriedly placed the organized
documents on his table. “Mr. Norton, here are the documents you asked for. If there’s nothing else, I’ll
take my leave.”
As soon as Vivian was done speaking, she turned around and headed for the exit. But before she could
reach the door, Fabian’s metallic voice rang out from behind.
“Vivian, stand where you are.”
Vivian halted in her steps unwillingly. Without turning her head around to face Fabian, she asked
monotonously, “Mr. Norton, is there anything else I can help you with before I leave?”
“What’s with that attitude?” Fabian’s tone grew even colder. He sauntered to Vivian and questioned her,
“Are you avoiding me?”
“Yes,” Vivian answered straight to the point.
For some reason, Vivian’s frankness stirred up rage in Fabian.
Yet, when Fabian saw the lack of vigor on Vivian’s face, his tone softened as he figured she must have
been taking care of her mother. “Vivian, how’s your mother?”
Fabian was not fond of Vivian’s mother who was somebody else’s mistress. Nonetheless, he still
respected her as Vivian’s mother, since he had met her a few times when he was dating Vivian. He
only asked about her well-being out of courtesy.
Fabian’s question caught Vivian off guard. The light in her eyes wavered a bit, but she soon got back to
herself. “She’s doing fine. Thank you.”
Fabian noticed the tension in Vivian’s expression and hesitated before he spoke, “I heard that you are
in need of money for your mother’s medical bills. Have you seen the text I sent you…”
“Mr. Norton,” Vivian didn’t wait for Fabian to finish his words before she interjected. “If there’s nothing
else, I’ll get back to work.”
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Chapter 64
Vivian marched out of Fabian’s office before the latter could make a reply.
Only when she reached the corridor outside did she pause to sigh.
Vivian wondered what had gotten into the mind of Fabian. Not only did he stop shaming her, but he
was asking about her mother’s well-being.
Vivian discovered that no matter how viciously Fabian talked her down, he still cared for her, and Vivian
wasn’t very comfortable with that.
Vivian made up her mind that she was better off treating her ex-lover as stranger.
Now that Vivian was done with Fabian, she went to Sarah to ask her out for lunch.
Meanwhile, Fabian froze in his original spot as he watched Vivian leave his office.
At that moment, he wasn’t even sure how did he feel about Vivian.
Fabian thought he despised that woman with an unreadable mind. But last week, when he heard that
she was only trying to get money for her mother’s illness, he was overridden by remorse.
Having dated Vivian for so long, Fabian knew how important was Rachel William to Vivian.
It prompted him to send a message to Vivian on WhatsApp asking her whether she needed money.
However, Vivian didn’t reply to his text.
Does she already have enough money? Did she get it from those boy toys of hers?
Fabian felt like he was going to lose his mind. The thought of Vivian sleeping with other men for money
infuriated him.
He could feel a slow rage brewing within him. He loosened his tie in frustration and stomped to his
desk. He dialed in a number on the phone. “Help me look up which hospital is Rachel William in.”
Fabian was enlisting the help of the Norton family’s men who were incredibly efficient. A few hours
later, they called Fabian and informed him about Rachel’s whereabouts.
Half an hour after the phone call, Fabian came to the First Hospital in S City with a bouquet of lilies.
Fabian’s eyes gleamed when he found the private ward Rachel was in.
He knew that there was no way Vivian could afford to pay for a private room in the hospital with the
soaring medical fees nowadays.
Which guy is helping him?
Damn it!
Fabian repressed the rampant thoughts in his mind and knocked on the door. A frail voice of a woman
came from inside. “Come in.”
Fabian entered the room and was stunned by the sight of a pallid and skinny woman on the bed. “Ms.
William…”
In his memory, Rachel was a gorgeous woman who attracted men wherever she went. She was so
pretty that Fabian didn’t find it a surprise that she was a mistress.
But right now, he almost could not recognize the woman in front of himself.
“Fabian?” Rachel was also astounded by Fabian showing up at her door. The next instant, glee crept
onto her face. “It’s been a long time since I last met you, Fabian! You look even more charming than
you were! Have a seat!”
Fabian sat down next to Rachel and started a conversation with her. Rachel was always fond of Fabian
whom she claimed to have ‘come from a humble background’. As they chatted, Rachel unknowingly
brought up the past.
“Oh, you were so nice to Vivian back then!” There was a hint of regret in Rachel’s eyes. “Sigh, who
knew the two of you couldn’t make it till marriage. Imagine the surprise I had when I woke up from my
two-year coma and found out that Vivian is married to…”
Fabian’s ears perched up right away when he heard Rachel’s words. His face twisted as he intervened,
“Who did Vivian marry?”
Rachel was dumbfounded by Fabian’s question. “Wait, you don’t know who married Vivian?”
“I have just returned from abroad not long ago,” Fabian slurred through his words. “I haven’t heard
anything about her marriage.”
“Oh, I see.” Rachel’s eyes lost their shine. “Hmm, it’s so hard to believe that there’s still someone who
doesn’t know about their marriage given how famous Vivian’s husband is. Perhaps, he purposely tried
to keep it low-key.”
Rachel’s words got Fabian worked up. He frowned and questioned, “So who is Rachel’s husband?”
Rachel thought Fabian was just genuinely curious about Vivian’s life. She answered tactlessly, “Don’t
you know? It’s Finnick, the president of the Finnor Group. He’s also from the Norton family. How come
you don’t know anything about it? Honestly, I am kind of worried.”
Rachel blabbered on, completely unaware of how pale Fabian’s face was at the moment.
Finnick?
Vivian’s husband is Finnick?
“That’s impossible!” Fabian blurted out loud. He jumped up from his seat. “You must have mistaken!
How could Vivian have married Finnick?”
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Rachel didn’t expect such a dramatic reaction from Fabian and was taken aback. Still, she continued
as if she could relate to Fabian, “Yeah, I was equally as shocked when I heard about Vivian’s marriage
to Finnick. Sigh, what were you doing back then, Fabian?”
Fabian could no longer continue the conversation with Rachel. He ran out of the room and sped all the
way back to his office.
Meanwhile, at the magazine company, Vivian and Sarah were eating the sandwiches they bought in
the pantry. While Vivian ate, she was scrolling her phone for recipes to make for Finnick. Her friend
Sarah glanced at her from time to time as she munched on her sandwich with a blank expression.
“Shoot your questions, Sarah,” Vivian said with her eyes still on her phone. She already noticed earlier
that Sarah had something on her mind.
Sarah’s face flushed red at once. She replied gingerly, “Oh, it’s nothing big. It’s just that there have
been these rumors going on in the office about…”
“About me and Fabian?” Vivian raised one brow.
“It’s more than that.” Sarah bit her lips and mustered her courage to continue, “Okay, so Shannon and I
saw you getting off a luxury car just a few days ago. That time, everyone was already saying that you
have a special thing going on with the Chief Editor. Then, Shannon also added that she has a few
friends from Z College who said that…”
Vivian felt her heart skip a beat when she heard the word ‘Z College’.
It was the reason why she left H City for the bustling Sunshine City. She really needed to leave her bad
rap behind to start a new life.
But to her mishap, no matter where Vivian went, her past would be brought up.
Vivian finished the last bite of her sandwich and laughed light-heartedly. “What did they say about me?
That I pimped myself out for cash? Or that I was dating Fabian back on campus?”
Sarah was surprised by Vivian’s bluntness. Her expression became even more awkward as she hurried
on to answer, “Vivian, never will I think that you are that kind of person!”
Vivian was touched by Sarah’s kind words. “Thank you so much for believing in me, Sarah.”
After lunch, Vivian headed back to her office. Right away, she could spot a few of her colleagues talking
about her.
Vivian merely put on a carefree smile.
Two years ago, she could never have survived such slanders and insults. But now, she was bulletproof.
She knew that she couldn’t do anything about it and decided to just ignore them. Vivian was aware that
she did nothing wrong.
At this thought, Vivian sunk into her seat and started to prepare for tomorrow’s interview. Out of the
blue, a loud bang came from the office door as a silhouette bolted past.
Vivian raised her head in puzzlement and saw Fabian’s contorted face as he strode in her direction. He
growled, “Vivian, see me in my office now.”
Vivian furrowed her brows. She wanted to reject his request, but she didn’t want to blow up the ticking
timebomb in Fabian.
Everyone in the office was now staring at Vivian with an even muddled expression dawned on their
faces. A reckless Shannon showed up and snorted, “Wow, what was that? Is Mr. Norton trying to
rekindle his old flame with you? Pfft, leave that poor man alone. You were the one who cheated on him
back then. Don’t toy with his feelings anymore.”
Vivian glared at Shannon before striding off to Fabian’s office.
Upon entering Fabian’s office, Vivian could see Fabian pacing in front of his desk.
It was a familiar scene to Vivian. Back in college, Fabian would always pace in his room whenever a
stressful situation was coming up.
“Mr. Norton,” Vivian took the initiative to speak after reading the mood in the room. “What’s the matter?”
Fabian halted in his steps and glowered at Vivian. He uttered through his teeth, “Vivian William. Oh,
pardon me. Perhaps I should call you Vivian Norton instead, now that you are married to Finnick.”
Vivian could feel the world around her fade out as blood drained from her face.
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Chapter 66
“H-How did you…” Vivian William stammered as her lips trembled. Before she could finish her
sentence, Fabian Norton stomped up to her and held her by her shoulders.
“It’s not important at all how I found out about it!” Fabian was even more incensed as Vivian did not
deny her marriage to Finnick, which meant that it was not fake news. “Why didn’t you tell me about it?
What will you get from hiding your marriage from me?”
Fabian recalled the time he brought Vivian to meet Finnick and introduced Vivian to his uncle. Fabian
figured they must have had a good laugh about his ignorance about their current relationship.
Vivian couldn’t stand the crushing grip of Fabian on her shoulders anymore. She howled, “Fabian
Norton! Please chill the hell down! I didn’t intend to hide my marriage from you. It’s you who have never
asked me about it in the first place!”
Fabian noticed the grimace on Vivian’s face and realized he was hurting her. Immediately, his steam
died down.
He let go of Vivian in an instant and staggered as he fell onto the sofa. He dug his fingers into his hair
and hugged his head while he muttered, “Why did you marry Finnick? Why did you cheat on me two
years ago?”
Vivian could feel her heart ache seeing Fabian in that wretched state.
Until now, she could still remember the young man in a white T-shirt who would deliver breakfast to her
doorsteps every day with a big grin and two shallow dimples on his cheeks. In front of her dorm, the
boy would shout out loud, “Good morning, Vivian William!”
Vivian wondered how did her relationship with that cheerful boy came to this.
Vivian bit her lips as she tried to hold back her tears.
She thought her hatred for Fabian was deep-rooted, but seeing his misery now, she could not bring
herself to loathe him anymore.
Fabian did not live an easy life. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he suffered from a lot of
humiliation and heartache. He had a lot of inner demons to deal with.
At that moment, Vivian wanted to console Fabian and tell him the truth about how she didn’t cheat on
him. However, what Fabian said next shattered that kind intention of hers.
“Vivian William!” Fabian raised his head and revealed his bloodshot eyes. “Why do you love money so
f**king much! For money, you are willing to marry Finnick even though he’s crippled?”
The color on Vivian’s face faded away. She stared at Fabian in disbelief and responded with a shaky
voice, “W-What are you talking about?”
“Is there anything you won’t do for money?” Fabian rose from the sofa and walked closer to Vivian with
a threatening aura. “You cheated on me because of money, right? You did whatever you could to hook
yourself up with my uncle because of his fortune, right? How impressive, Vivian!”
Vivian looked daggers at the man in front of her as if she had never seen him before.
“Say something, Vivian!” Fabian edged in closer to Vivian as she remained silent. “If you knew I am
also from the Norton family, would you have married me too?”
For some reason, Fabian could feel an unquenchable ball of fire churning in him every time the thought
of Vivian marrying Finnick struck him.
“Do you regret it now that you know I am also from the Norton family? I’m physically fine, unlike that
crippled uncle of mine.” The rage in Fabian took control of his mind and made him insult his uncle.
“Also, my Dad said, after Finnick got into the accident, not only was his legs crippled, but he has also
lost what made him a man. Vivian, I am truly impressed by how determined you are to get your hands
on his money! So you’re willing to live a life without sex as long as you have…”
“Fabian shut the f**k up!” Vivian screamed at the top of her lungs. It was the last straw.
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Chapter 67
She could not understand her calm reaction when Fabian hurled insults at her. In contrast, she was
furious when Fabian insulted Finnick.
Whenever Vivian thought of Finnick, the perfect man, sitting in a wheelchair and how his eyes revealed
the sense of loneliness subconsciously; she could not help herself but loathe Fabian.
Finnick was forced to hide his talents and pretended to be disabled for ten years because of his terrible
family.
Fabian was stunned as he did not expect Vivian to react this way.
Vivian no longer wanted to spare him another glance when he paused.
“Fabian, I know this is weird for you because you thought Finnick and I had a forbidden relationship.
But the truth is, we’re a lawfully wedded couple, and I’d know better if he’s able to perform behind
closed doors, so mind your business,” she spoke coldly.
With that, she slammed Fabian’s office door heavily as she left without looking at him once more.
Fabian was alone in office when she left. He stood there blankly as if his soul left his body.
He was only brought back to reality when his cellphone rang.
He picked up the phone and saw the caller ID; it was Ashley. A sense of irritation slowly crept to him
unknowingly.
“Hello, what is it?” he asked impatiently.
“Fabian, are you busy right now?” Ashley responded sweetly.
“No, I’m fine. What’s up?”
“Oh, it’s nothing important. I just realized that our wedding has been decided, yet I haven’t met your
grandfather… Don’t you think I should meet him since he is the head of the Norton family?”
Fabian was impatient and intended to reply “Some other time, okay?”, but his eyes shone at a sudden
thought.
“You’re right. Not only my grandfather, but you should also meet my aunt, my uncle, and the rest of the
Norton family members,” he replied in a calmer manner.
“Really? When?” Ashley asked joyfully.
“Soon, I guess. I’ll arrange a family dinner and invite everyone, and I’ll formally introduce you to them,”
he replied as the corners of his mouth rose into an icy arc.
…
Once the clock struck six, Vivian could not wait to leave the office.
As she stood up, she noticed many people whispering among themselves while glancing at her with a
look of disdain.
Vivian was irritated by Fabian and the people who loved to gossip.
She wondered if it was time for her to switch job as her mother’s condition had stabilized.
Vivian was lost in her thoughts the entire way home. When she arrived, she realized Finnick was
already home. He was not seated in the wheelchair, instead, he was standing in the living room.
“You’re home?” Finnick asked plainly.
Vivian looked around the house while taking off her shoes and asked, “Where’s Molly and Liam?”
“Oh, I gave them a break.”
“I see. Let me prepare dinner for you. What would you like to have?” Vivian asked as she walked into
the kitchen.
“Anything,”
Vivian was exhausted after a day at work. She would have made a simple meal if it were just for
herself. However, Vivian remembered her promise to pay off her debt with Finnick by cooking, so she
dared not neglect him. Hence, she opted for a fancy dish of beef stew as her dinner menu.
Her mind drifted to the annoying matters in the magazine company while she was chopping
vegetables. She lost focus for a split second, and suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her fingers.
“Ahhh…”
She yelped as she retrieved her hand and noticed that she had accidentally cut her finger.
“What happened?” Finnick’s voice rang behind her. Vivian turned and saw Finnick entered the kitchen.
“It’s nothing. I have accidentally cut my finger. I’ll be fine once I put on a band-aid,” Vivian squeezed a
smile.
It was a small and shallow cut; hence there was not much blood.
“Let me see.” Finnick ignored Vivian’s words as he grabbed her hand and began to examine her finger.
She was slightly embarrassed to see Finnick with a stern look on his face.
“I’m fine. It’s just a small cut, I can handle it myself… Ahh, Finnick. What’re you doing?” she asked
softly.
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Finnick ignored Vivian as he quickly sucked on her finger.
Vivian instantly felt a wave of electric current ran through her finger as a warm and moist sensation hit
her. A tingling sensation had also spread all over her body within seconds.
She could feel her cheeks heating up, yet she could not bring herself to look at Finnick’s handsome
face. She was flustered and shifted her gaze before saying, “Finnick, it’s- it’s okay…”
She was so nervous that she stammered upon her words. Then, Finnick let go of her hands and
lowered his gaze to see her face as red as an apple.
“Give me a second. I’ll go grab a band-aid.” He laughed lightly and left the kitchen.
When Finnick left, Vivian felt that she could breathe again and quickly took a few deep breaths.
Soon enough, Finnick returned with a band-aid in hand. He tore open the band-aid and carefully
wrapped it around Vivian’s finger. His eyes shone brightly like obsidian stones that were filled with
seriousness. It seemed like he was looking at some precious item instead of a wounded finger.
When he had carefully put on the band-aid, he eyed the kitchen and frowned. “There you go. Maybe
we should save cooking for another time. Why don’t we order some takeout tonight?”
Vivian could not think straight as she was filled with embarrassment. Hence, she agreed with
everything Finnick had said.
The couple entered the living room as Finnick began scrolling through the takeout website. He
furrowed his eyebrows and asked, “What would you like to have?”
“Anything will do.”
Finnick nodded as he typed away on his laptop.
At this moment, Finnick’s cellphone rang on the coffee table.
Finnick did not lift his head, but asked casually, “Who is it?”
Vivian glanced at the caller ID and answered, “It’s Noah.”
“Could you please turn on the speaker?”
Vivian did as she was told, and moments later, Noah’s voice rang from the phone.
“Mr. Norton,” Noah called. For some reason, he sounded a little excited.
“Speak,”
“I found a lead about the little girl from the past!”
Vivian was stunned. The little girl from the past?
Finnick’s expression changed slightly when he heard Noah’s words. He quickly asked, “What lead?”
“It’s a photo that was taken around the place where the accident happened. Shall I send it to you?”
“Yes, please.”
After Noah hung up, Finnick resumed ordering the takeout. Vivian could not resist but asked with
curiosity, “Err…who is the little girl Noah mentioned?”
Finnick glanced sideways at Vivian.
He disliked others asking him questions about his personal matters and would have felt annoyed if it
was someone else. However, he was a little happy as it was Vivian who asked.
It seemed that this woman is curious about my matters?
“I was saved by a little girl during the kidnap incident back in the days. Hence, I’ve been searching for
her to repay her,” Finnick answered truthfully.
The kidnap case? Vivian paused as she thought to herself.
Was it the kidnap case that the public thought had led to Finnick’s disability?
Vivian was a little curious, yet she could also guess how the kidnap case had affected Finnick. It was
just like the incident that happened to her two years ago; it was a nightmare. Therefore, she did not ask
further.
The doorbell rang thirty minutes after Finnick had ordered the takeout.
Vivian opened the door and saw a delivery boy standing nervously by the door and asked, “Hi, did you
order pizza?”
Vivian hesitated as she glanced at the box in his hands.
“Someone ordered pizza?”
“Yes,” The delivery boy answered nervously. It was clear that he had not made deliveries to the upper-
class residential area before. Vivian quickly took the pizza, signed and said, “Thank you.”
Vivian walked into the room with the pizza. She could not help but asked, “Finnick, do you like pizza?”
Finnick paused when he saw the box in her hands, “That restaurant is a pizza place?”
“Yea. Why do you think it was?”
Chapter 69
Chapter 69
Finnick’s brow knitted as he turned his laptop towards Vivian. “This restaurant is called Flavors of Italy. I
expected the entire set of dishes to be Italian cuisine.
Vivian was instantly embarrassed.
He was indeed the son of a wealthy family. Who would take restaurant names and dishes seriously
nowadays? She thought to herself.
“Most Italian restaurants that offer takeout would serve pizza like this,” Vivian said as she placed the
pizza on the table, “Have you ever had pizza?”
“Yes, I’ve tried charcoal grilled pizza when I traveled to Europe.” Finnick lowered his gaze and added,
“But I haven’t tried pizzas served in a takeaway paper box like this.”
“Well, there’s always the first time to anything right.” Vivian grinned while she tore a piece of pizza and
handed it to Finnick.
Finnick stretched out his hand to take the pizza. He took a bite and frowned slightly. “It doesn’t taste
like the ones I’ve tried in the past.”
“Haha, it’s not that bad to eat something like this occasionally,” Vivian replied in amusement.
She tore a piece of pizza as she talked and began eating.
In comparison to the exquisite dishes Molly prepared every day, she preferred simple food that suited
her taste.
She recalled her university days when she would buy junk food like this at the snack street behind Z
College with Fabian. Although those food were unhealthy, they enjoyed them.
Finnick was dazed as he watched the woman before him devouring pizza with a big grin on her face.
He suddenly realized, perhaps he didn’t know Vivian that well.
Noah arrived while the couple was eating pizza.
As he entered the room, his eyes widened in surprise when his gaze fell onto the pizza placed on the
coffee table.
As his personal assistant, Noah knew how particular Finnick was with his diet. Yet, he was eating
pizza?
He tried to mask his shocked expression and handed the envelope to Finnick. “Mr. Norton, these are
the photos that I’ve found,” he reported respectfully.
Vivian had pizza in her mouth and was thinking if she should leave the room. However, Finnick did not
seem to mind her presence as he opened the envelope right away and took out the photos.
Finnick frowned when he looked at the photos. “They are so blur.”
Indeed, the photo was simply taken by a tourist. The picture had willows tree by the lake, and a girl in a
red dress stood in the corner. Unfortunately, her face was muddled.
“Excuse me, Mr. Norton. The picture was taken by someone who was at the location of the incident
coincidently. But the time and the girl’s outfit matched your description. Hence, she should the girl
you’re looking for.”
Finnick picked up the photo as he drifted into his thoughts. Vivian looked at the photo out of curiosity.
Even though the girl’s appearance was blurry, she could tell that the girl was approximately fifteen
years old. The clothes she wore were the clearest in the picture. She wore a red tutu dress that had a
unique design.
Vivian furrowed her eyebrow and blurted, “This skirt…”
Finnick raised his eyebrows, “You recognized this skirt?”
“It does look familiar,” Vivian bit her lip, thinking. “Oh, this dress! A heroine wore this dress in a cartoon
I watched back in junior high school. It was a Disney limited edition. At that time, every girl dreamed of
having one.”
Noah suddenly thought of something and said, “Oh yes, speaking of which, the girl that you’re looking
for is of similar age as you, Mrs. Norton?”
Finnick’s kidnap incident happened ten years ago. Coincidently, Vivian was indeed fifteen years old ten
years ago.
“Do you have this dress too?” Finnick rose his eyebrows.
Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Vivian smiled bitterly, “This dress is limited-edition which costs a few thousand. I couldn’t afford that.”
Finnick nodded as he placed the photos back into the envelope and said to Noah, “Considering it was a
limited-edition dress, it shouldn’t be hard to find the authentic ones.”
Noah nodded and left.
Finnick and Vivian continued eating pizza.
Vivian was unsure if she was overthinking, but she felt that Finnick had lost his appetite ever since
Noah left. She glanced at him inadvertently a few times and noticed a blank expression on his face.
Was he….thinking about the kidnap incident ten years ago?
The media did not disclose many details as the Norton family intervened in the kidnapping case. It must
have been a horrifying experience; if not, his legs would not have been severely injured.
Vivian was staring at Finnick’s handsome side profile. Suddenly, she heard Finnick asked, “Do you like
what you see?”
Vivian was taken aback for a moment, only to realize that Finnick was referring to how she was staring
at him. She quickly lowered her head as her face became hot. “I’m sorry,”
Finnick let out a small laugh and did not say anything. They finished the pizza and Vivian went to take a
shower.
Vivian exited the bathroom while drying her hair after a relaxing shower. Yet, when she walked into the
bedroom, she did not see Finnick. Instead, he stood by the balcony of the master bedroom, staring into
something in a daze.
Vivian paused slightly before she took a few steps forward. She noticed Finnick was staring at a
pendant.
The pendant was a very delicate crystal necklace. Vivian could instantly tell that the beautiful necklace
was designed for women.
Vivian was surprised.
Finnick…was staring at another woman’s necklace?
Who was the owner of this necklace? Was it the woman that Finnick liked?
For some reason, Vivian felt uneasy at the idea of Finnick liking another woman.
She quickly shook her head and shrugged the weird feeling in her heart.
Vivian, remember who you are and don’t cross the line. You know why Finnick married you, it was only
for the title of a lawfully wedded couple. What else do you expect?
Never desire the things that aren’t yours. As an illegitimate daughter, haven’t you learned this lesson
since you were young?
Vivian was pulled back into reality and laughed dryly before proceeding to dry her hair obediently.
Finnick walked to her; the necklace he had in his hands earlier was kept away. “Fabian is organizing a
party to introduce his fiancée to the family. Get yourself ready to attend the party with me,” he said
calmly.
Vivian’s hand froze as she stared at Finnick, who stood behind her from the mirror. She asked
hesitantly, “Do I have to go?”
She caught sight of Finnick’s expression that went cold; she quickly responded, “Okay, I got it. I’ll go.”
I can hide once, but I can’t hide all my life. It’s impossible for me to avoid Fabian and Ashley forever.
Finnick’s expression softened and he nodded, “Don’t be nervous. I’ve hired someone to make a dress
for you, so please remember to visit the boutique for a fitting tomorrow.”
Vivian knew it was a big party with many guests. Although Ashley would be the star of the party, it was
her first appearance as Finnick’s wife in public. It was vital for her to be cautious and create a good
impression. Therefore, she nodded in agreement.
The next day, Vivian ended her interview early and went to the boutique Finnick told her for her fitting.
Vivian was a little wary as she had never stepped foot into such a place. Fortunately, Finnick sent Noah
to accompany her as he was busy.
“Mrs. Norton,” Noah called out. He waited by the entrance of the boutique beforehand. When he saw
Vivian, he opened the door for her and said, “This way, please.”
Vivian followed Noah into the boutique that was filled with exquisite decorations. There were many
sales assistants and a few customers in the boutique.
Vivian proceeded to the second floor, and a couple of pretty girls approached her to take her
measurements. She raised her hands awkwardly and hoped all of this would end quickly. Suddenly,
she heard a voice full of surprise…
“Vivian?”