Ch. 121..130
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 121
Fabian was slightly bewildered when he saw her. “Vivian, didn’t you receive the email with the notice saying that the meeting will be delayed for half an hour?”
Damn it! Vivian cursed internally; she forgot to check her emails as Finnick’s appearance yesterday threw her plans into disarray.
“I totally forgot.” She excused herself, “Sorry, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Wait!” Fabian halted her.
Frowning slightly, she asked, “Mr. Norton, is there anything else?”
“There’s something I want to ask you.” Fabian rose to his feet, asking softly, “Do you love Finnick?” Unlike his usual spitefulness, at that moment, he sounded gentler like how he used to in his youth.
Vivian’s brows knotted as his direct question caught her by surprise. “I’m sorry, Mr. Norton. This has nothing to do with work, so I refuse to answer.” With that, she turned to leave.
However, Fabian grabbed hold of her wrist and gabbled, “I’m not asking in the capacity of the Chief Editor but as your ex-boyfriend. Or maybe… I’m asking out of concern as your friend.”
He didn’t go home the other night as he couldn’t stop thinking about Vivian’s marriage with Finnick. Before this, he thought that she married Finnick for his money; but now, it seemed like that was not the case.
If she wasn’t going after Finnick’s wealth, there were only two possible reasons for her to marry him, which were either out of love or pressure.
To Fabian, it seemed impossible that Vivian would fall in love with another man. He was not over her yet even though two years had passed since their breakup, and he believed she felt the same as him. As such, he would rather believe that she was forced to marry Finnick.
When he asked his subordinates to look into their marriage, he found out that Vivian had gone on numerous blind dates just a month before marrying Finnick.
Those men were all ineligible, but they had one thing in common — all of them resided in Sunshine City. As he recalled about her mother, who was seriously ill, he seemed to have understood the true reason behind her marriage.
Even so, he felt that he needed an answer from Vivian herself to account for the sudden end of their relationship two years ago.
Vivian’s face turned pale when he tried to probe into her marriage, but she gripped her composure and retorted, “Fabian, did you forget that Finnick is your uncle? Don’t you think it’s inappropriate to pry into your elder’s private affairs?”
Fabian never thought Vivian would use her identity as his elder to shut him up. He uttered through gritted teeth, “Vivian William, aren’t you saying that just so you could avoid my question? Is it because you don’t love Finnick at all? You married him to get the status of permanent resident so that you could stay in Sunshine City, am I right?”
A smidge of worry appeared on her face as she never thought Fabian could delve that deep into her marriage.
My guess is right! Fabian’s spirit lifted upon capturing the nuances of her expression. He gripped her shoulder and continued to grill her, “Vivian William, is it true about what I said just now? You don’t love Finnick at all, do you? Well, it makes sense… It’s impossible that someone would like a cold-hearted cripple!”
He didn’t know why he cared so much about Vivian and Fabian’s relationship, but jealousy was eating him up at the thought of Vivian sleeping by Finnick’s bedside every night. It drove him crazy to think that the two might already have had intimacy with each other.
He could only seek relief from the pain of envy by humiliating Finnick about his disability and cold personality, which seemed to be the only chinks on his armor.
Initially, Vivian decided to laugh him off, but her fury sprang to life upon hearing him insulting Finnick. “Fabian Norton, are you done?” With all her might, she shook his hand off and came back at him coldly, “Who do you think you are to pour scorn at Finnick? Unlike you, he is always trustful of me! You are incomparable to him! No matter why I marry him, I never regretted my decision!”
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Fabian’s face turned pale as he looked at her face that was purple with rage. He never expected Vivian, who was an apathetic person, to take up the cudgel on Finnick’s behalf by making such caustic remarks.
Is she mad because I insulted Finnick? Seems like it’s not just a paper marriage between them, and she genuinely regards Finnick as her husband.
Fabian felt suffocated at the mere thought of it. The next moment, he gripped her arms with greater force and bellowed, “Vivian William! Don’t tell me that you have fallen in love with Finnick? Are you an idiot? You don’t know that man at all!”
Vivian couldn’t even say a word. Her face was twisted with pain, but Fabian took no notice of it as he continued to spat out, “Finnick is nothing but a heartless man. Do you know that he left his girlfriend to die ten years ago in order to save his own life? I couldn’t believe that you would have eyes for such a selfish prick!”
Vivian, who was struggling to break from his grasp, was thunderstruck upon hearing his words. Her face was pale as she blurted out, “You’re lying! Don’t you try to throw mud at Finnick!”
Seeing her defending Finnick further roused his anger. Overwhelmed with fury, Fabian totally forgot that the incident from ten years ago was a taboo topic. “If you don’t believe in me, you can always look into the kidnap incident ten years ago. You will find out how Finnick managed to escape from the hands of the kidnappers and how Evelyn Morrison, his girlfriend, died because of him.”
The last bit of color left Vivian’s face. She was at a loss for words as this revelation was too much for her to handle. Evelyn… Is she the owner of the crystal necklace? She’s dead?! And she died in the kidnap incident ten years ago?
Fabian loosened his grip on her arm. A hint of remorse flashed across his face the moment he regained composure.
The Norton family had imposed an information blackout on the news relating to the kidnap incident. It was a tacit understanding between the Nortons to never bring it up again. But now, he spilled the beans because of his jealousy.
Vivian doesn’t know Finnick at all… I am only telling her these so that she knows Finnick’s true colors!
Fabian justified himself that he was telling Vivian about the incident for her sake. With a calm expression, he uttered, “Vivian, even though we are no longer a couple and we might never be one again, I don’t want you to be deceived by Finnick.”
Vivian could no longer hear anything he said because her mind was jumbled up.
Just then, the workers swarmed into the meeting room. Upon seeing Vivian and Fabian alone in the meeting room, they exchanged meaningful glances with each other before settling down in their seats.
Vivian, too, took her seat. She was absent-minded during the meeting as she was bothered by what Fabian said just now.
It turned out that for the past few days, she was troubling her head over a woman who had passed away years ago.
Is it true that Evelyn, that beautiful girl, died because of Finnick? Vivian dared not think further.
She was back in her office when the meeting finally ended. During the lunch break, she hesitated but eventually made her steps toward Jenny’s cubicle.
“Jenny, can I ask you something?” asked Vivian.
Jenny was an experienced investigative journalist who had worked for more than ten years in the press. It was a demanding job for her, so she decided to jump ship to Glamour Magazine and became an editor for the interview column. The two got along rather well with each other. “What is it?” asked Jenny cordially.
Vivian bit her lips and said, “I want to ask you about the kidnap incident that happened to the Norton family ten years ago.”
Jenny was slightly bewildered as she never expected Vivian to ask about that incident. Inexplicably, she was visibly panicked. “Vivian, why are you asking this?”
A decade had passed since the incident. Vivian knew Jenny was the only one she could turn to because apart from the Nortons, only the journalists and the policemen in charge of the case could help clear her doubts.
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Therefore, she decided to try her luck by asking Jenny, the long-serving journalist. “I…” Vivian steeled herself and replied, “I am just asking out of curiosity.”
“If you’re asking just to satisfy your curiosity, I advise that you better not pursue this matter any further.” Jenny put on a stern face as she continued, “It is not our place to inquire into the Norton family’s affair.” With that, she resumed her work at hand.
Jenny’s unduly reticent attitude only further aroused Vivian’s curiosity. I believe Jenny must know something…
“Jenny.” She pulled a chair to sit next to her. “I couldn’t tell you the reason, but I really need to know about the incident.”
At that moment, Vivian and Jenny were the only ones left in the office as the other workers had gone for lunch.
Jenny lifted her head and cast a meaningful glance at Vivian before she spoke, “Vivian, I can tell you about it, but you need to be frank with me. Are you asking this because of your husband?”
Vivian was taken aback by her words. “Jenny, you actually know about…”
“Yes, I knew about it quite some time ago.” Jenny let out a sigh. “Your husband is Finnick Norton, am I right? He is the second son of the Norton family, and the victim of the kidnap incident.”
Vivian’s eyes widened. She had always tried to stay low-key, but Jenny still managed to discover her husband’s identity and his relationship with the Norton family.
Although Vivian remained silent, her reaction made Jenny certain of her conjecture. “Are you surprised that I actually know about your husband’s background?” Jenny gave a resigned shrug and then explained, “Actually, I already knew that Finnick comes from the Norton family when I first interviewed him. I became suspicious that he was your husband when I saw your wedding ring, so that’s why I tested you just now.”
Being deeply impressed by Jenny’s intuition and attention to detail, Vivian couldn’t help but look at her with admiration. It would take at least ten years of working experience in the press to acquire those qualities.
Since Jenny already had it all figured out, there was no need for Vivian to hide from her. After all, there was nothing for her to hide in the first place. It was just that she disliked being the center of gossips, that was why she never mentioned her marriage with Finnick.
“Yes, Jenny, you’ve guessed it right.” She lowered her voice and asked, “So now, can you tell me what happened ten years ago?”
Vivian thought Jenny would turn her down again, but to her surprise, she seemed to have gotten through to the other woman when Jenny looked deeply into her eyes and said, “Vivian, I always know that you’re a nice lady. Even though rumors are circulating in the magazine company saying that you are a gold-digger, I will only believe in my own judgment.”
Vivian’s eyes reddened. “Thank you, Jenny.” Since two years ago, she had been facing all sorts of misunderstandings and derision from her colleagues. Soon, she no longer bothered to dispel those rumors because no one would believe in her. She was touched when Jenny said she trusted her.
“I was shocked when I first heard that you were going to marry Finnick.” Jenny gave her a sympathetic look. “I admit that he is an excellent man, but from what he did two years ago, I don’t think he is husband material.”
Vivian’s expression changed. “Jenny, what do you know?”
Jenny let out a sigh. “You sure are lucky because you’ve asked the right person. I was still working in the press when that incident happened, and I was responsible for reporting the case. At that time, I had dug deep into the case, but I was threatened by the Norton family to not leak any information about it. I knew how powerful the Norton family is, that’s why I stayed tight-lipped all these years.”
Vivian finally understood why Jenny knew that Finnick came from the Norton family. If Jenny had investigated the kidnap case, she would definitely know about Finnick’s name and how he looked.
However, Vivian felt unsettled by Jenny’s tone. “So what happened at that time?”
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Jenny started spilling the story. “At that time, Finnick was still a freshman in university. Initially, the Norton family planned to let him study abroad, but he decided to stay in the country because of his girlfriend. If I’m not mistaken, her name was Eve…”
“Evelyn Morrison.” Vivian interjected.
Jenny was slightly bewildered. “You know about that girl? That’s right! Her name was Evelyn Morrison. They made a sweet couple, and I guess they were each other’s first love. Anyway, Finnick decided to stay for her.”
Vivian suddenly recalled the photos in Finnick’s drawer that pictured the two smiling broadly in their youth. They must have loved each other very much… Just like Fabian and I in the past…
“In their first year at university, Finnick and Evelyn got rid of the bodyguards to have fun in a small town. That was the place where they were kidnapped.”
“They?” Vivian interrupted Jenny, “You mean Finnick was not the only one being kidnapped, but Evelyn as well?”
With a solemn expression, Jenny nodded, “That’s right. The Norton family has suppressed the news, so everyone thought Norton was the only victim. No one knows about this poor lady being the other victim.”
“What happened next?”
“The kidnappers demanded a huge ransom. The elder Mr. Norton paid the ransom to save his grandson. However, maybe Finnick and Evelyn saw their faces, the kidnappers decided to kill them. They locked the two in a warehouse and set fire to it.”
Vivian tensed up. “So Evelyn was burned alive? Finnick was the only one who managed to escape?”
“It seemed to be so.” For some reason, Jenny’s face looked grim. “But according to the crime report kept at the police department, I found out both Finnick and Evelyn were tied up by the kidnappers. Finnick managed to himself and escaped the burning warehouse with his legs injured. However, when Evelyn’s body was found, she was being left in the warehouse, with her limbs all tied up.”
Vivian’s face became ashen. “You mean…”
“Yes,” Jenny deepened her voice, “Frankly speaking, Finnick left her behind in the burning warehouse to save himself.”
“No…” Vivian blurted out, “Finnick is not a selfish person… He will never do something like that…” Although they had not been together for long and that he seems to be unapproachable, she could tell that Finnick was a warm-hearted person. He was not someone who would leave his girlfriend for dead.
As if she already expected Vivian to defend Finnick, Jenny looked at her and sighed. “Vivian, those who are born with a golden spoon are more fearful of death than us common folks. It was normal for him to leave his girlfriend behind since he was injured, not to mention that he was still young when the incident happened.”
Biting her lips, Vivian remained silent.
“This is all I know because the Norton family prohibited the media from following up on the case. I never intend to tell you all these, but I guess it doesn’t matter since you are already married to Finnick. I might be a little extreme, but I honestly think that a man who doesn’t even try to save his girlfriend from death is unworthy of your trust.” Jenny held Vivian’s hand in hers as she continued, “You are a nice lady, and I don’t want you to get hurt. Don’t have high hopes for Finnick, or else you might be disappointed. You can only count on yourself.”
Vivian understood that Jenny’s advice was straight from the heart, but she was still reluctant to think poorly of Finnick. She forced a smile and said, “Jenny, thank you for telling me all these, but I don’t believe Finnick would do something like that.”
Jenny was worried as she looked at the stubborn Vivian. “Are you blinded by Finnick already? Vivian, listen to me. Those wealthy men are all stand-offish prigs, and you can never count on them nor believe in them.”
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Vivian smiled and stopped talking.
The initial shock had worn off as she gradually digested what Jenny and Fabian had just told her.
She finally knew the identity of the woman she envied, which was none other than Finnick’s first love.
Not only that, but the woman was also already dead. No matter what the truth was, she had sacrificed her life for Finnick. It was an indisputable fact.
At last, Vivian understood the reason Finnick had such a sorrowful expression every time he looked at that crystal necklace.
He had once loved that woman deeply. She was burned to death because of him and perished at the age when she was at her prettiest and when he loved her most. Under such circumstances, how many people would be able to truly let go of the past?
The emotions which Finnick was experiencing inside his heart was unimaginable to Vivian.
Suffering severe injuries to his leg from the kidnapping incident was nothing compared to losing the love of his life, which was what really scarred him.
As for what Fabian and the rest said about Finnick abandoning Evelyn for his own survival— Vivian did not believe a single word of it.
Even if that was indeed what happened, Vivian trusted that Finnick must have had his reasons for doing so.
Perhaps that sounded a lot like trusting someone blindly, but the woman would always choose to believe Finnick.
Finnick had done the same for her with regards to the incident that happened to her two years back.
Trust and understanding were two important building blocks for every marriage.
Besides, Finnick had already suffered too much from that accident ten years ago. How could Vivian bear to add on to his pain by accusing him of being heartless?
When Vivian and Jenny ended their conversation, most of their co-workers from the magazine company had already returned from lunch.
The two women did not dare to continue talking about it any further and went back to their own work stations, continuing with their tasks.
After a long day, Vivian finally managed to complete all her work and was ready to knock off.
She had received Molly’s text in the afternoon, telling her that a caretaker had already been hired for her mom.
However, Vivian decided to make a trip back personally as she was still a little worried. Only after she made sure that the caretaker was indeed professional and responsible did she feel assured enough to return to Finnick’s villa.
Meanwhile, at Finnor Group, Finnick was studying the newest endowment model in his office.
Just then, a knocking was heard at the door before Noah walked in.
“Mr. Norton,” Noah addressed his boss, while acting somewhat strange. “You have tasked us to find out about the man who violated Mrs. Norton two years ago and we’ve made some progress. We checked every surveillance camera in the hotel and all the hotel records but did not discover anything out of the ordinary. The only noteworthy finding is an item which was left behind in the hotel room.”
Finnick stopped typing on his keyboard and replied in a cold tone, “How did your work efficiency deteriorate to such a level? You guys have been investigating for so long, yet you can’t even find out who was the man who did it? Moreover, if you have found a suspicious item in the hotel room, why didn’t you look further into it? Do you need me to do it myself?”
Noah was already breaking out in cold sweat but bit the bullet and answered, “Mr. Norton, I will definitely look into the item, but before that, I feel that it would be better for you to take a look at it first… “
Only then did Finnick turn his attention away from his computer screen.
Noah quickly placed the item on the table and explained, “Century Hotel is a five-star hotel, so everything left behind by guests, even if it’s just a coin, would be properly kept by the hotel. They would then try to contact the guests to retrieve their items. However, they have not been able to get in touch with the owner of this item, as such, this item has been kept in the hotel’s storeroom for the past two years.”
Lying on Finnick’s desk right then was a handkerchief.
It was green in color and made from premium silk. It was a men’s handkerchief which was thoughtfully designed. One look at it and anyone would be able to tell its exquisite workmanship. There were no prints on it, except for a cursive letter “J” sewn at the corner of the handkerchief.
Finnick’s expression changed straight away when he saw the handkerchief. He then picked it up and scrutinized it, before suddenly looking up at Noah. With an ice cold gaze, he asked, “Are you sure that this handkerchief was found in the hotel room?”
Noah had taken out his own handkerchief to wipe off the beads of cold sweat which had formed on his forehead. “Yes, Mr. Norton. That’s why I brought it here for you to take a look,” the assistant replied.
Finnick gripped tightly onto the handkerchief, so much so that the delicate piece of cloth was already crumpled.
“Get Xavier here!” The man ordered through gritted teeth.
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“Errr… When we found the handkerchief, I’ve already tried contacting Mr. Jackson, but he’s currently attending a design conference overseas and his phone has been switched off. As such, we haven’t been able to reach him.”
“Then think of a way to contact him!” Finnick roared. “Ask him to come here immediately after you manage to reach him!”
“Understood, Mr. Norton,” Noah answered, his face as pale as sheet.
Finnick was no longer able to focus on the endowment model displayed on his computer screen. Instead, he proceeded to wheel himself out of the room swiftly.
Noah followed behind hurriedly as he heard his boss ask, “Has Vivian gotten back home?”
“Molly had just called to inform that Mrs. Norton is already at home.”
Only then did Finnick’s tensed expression soften. Just then, he suddenly noticed that he was still holding onto that handkerchief and threw it towards Noah with a look of disgust. “Throw this thing away. Also, acquire the factory which manufactured this handkerchief and shut it down. I don’t ever want to see a similar handkerchief appearing anywhere in this world again.”
Noah felt like he was being placed in a tough spot as he asked, “But how about Mr. Jackson… “
“Just do as I say!” Finnick yelled before Noah was able to complete his sentence.
Vivian was already asleep when Finnick reached home.
She did not sleep well last night while sharing a bed with Finnick. As such, she had been feeling exhausted the whole day and went to bed immediately after finishing dinner and washing up.
The moment Finnick entered the room, he saw Vivian curled up on the bed. She was hugging the blanket tightly and wearing the silk camisole nightgown which Molly had bought for her. Her delicate shoulders and bony back were all exposed.
Finnick couldn’t help but frown at the sight.
Vivian had a sleeping habit of hugging the blanket instead of covering it over her properly. Often, the man would wake up in the middle of the night and place the blanket over her, for fear that she might catch a cold.
Why did Molly buy her such a thin nightgown? Is she not aware that it’s easier to catch a cold that way?
After Finnick shut the door, he stood up from his wheelchair and walked to Vivian’s bedside, wanting to cover her with the blanket. However, right when he stood by the bed, the woman turned around and the blanket slipped off her body completely.
Finnick’s throat tightened right then and halted his actions.
The man finally understood why Molly had specially prepared that nightgown for Vivian.
It was a black nightgown with extremely beautiful patterns which were intricately woven together. The dress was stuck to Vivian’s fair skin, which increased the woman’s allure.
In the first place, the nightgown was designed to be fitting, which perfectly showcased Vivian’s curves. In addition to her sleeping posture, it was really…
Finnick’s deep-set gaze darkened.
Just then, Vivian woke up and rubbed her eyes.
“Finnick?” She was momentarily stunned to see the man standing beside her bed, but recovered quickly. “You’re back?”
When Vivian got home, she was already worn out. As such, it did not take long for her to fall asleep. However, seeing Finnick right in front of her, the woman thought of what she heard from Jenny during the day and was instantly awake.
Finnick did not answer Vivian immediately. Instead, he picked up the blanket swiftly and covered Vivian with it. Only then did the blaze in his eyes subside. “Put on warmer clothes when you sleep next time, in case you catch a cold,” the man said softly.
Vivian was stunned for a second before realizing that she was dressed in her new pajamas and blush of embarrassment spread across her cheeks. “I was only away for a day and didn’t expect Molly to throw away all my old pajamas when I came back. This is the only one left.”
Vivian was suddenly regretting returning home the day before. Not only did it not benefit her in any way, but she had also even presented a window of opportunity for Molly to act.
Indeed, she was no match for those people who had been working for the rich and powerful for a long time.
“Oh, how’s your wound?” Finnick suddenly remembered something and grabbed Vivian’s wrist. Pulling it out from underneath the blanket, he saw the cotton gauze on her wound which was already shifted out of place. “You didn’t change the dressing again? Vivian William, can you stop worrying others?” The man said with a frown.
After getting reprimanded by Finnick, Vivian recoiled a little as she was slightly fearful. “I’ll change it immediately,” she replied.
Just as Vivian was about to climb out of bed, Finnick pressed her back down. “Let me do it. It won’t be easy using only your left hand.”
The man left and returned speedily with some cotton buds and medicine, and started changing the dressing for Vivian.
Vivian had already lost count of the number of times Finnick helped to change her dressing since the day she got injured. However, whenever he did it, her cheeks never failed to heat up as she felt his warm breaths falling on her arm.
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Vivian couldn’t help but turn her head towards the side. When she did that, Finnick’s handsome face came into view, which startled her for a moment.
From that angle, she could clearly see how long and dense the man’s eyelashes were. In addition to his obsidian-like dark eyes, Finnick’s attractive features would put any girl, including Vivian, to shame.
As she observed how attentive Finnick was at treating her wound, Vivian couldn’t help but ask, “Finnick, can I ask you something?”
Finnick remained focused on applying medicine for Vivian and without lifting his head, he answered, “Go ahead.”
“Regarding the owner of that necklace… Is she your ex-girlfriend?” Vivian took a deep breath before asking.
Finnick froze for a moment before continuing with his actions and answered, “Yup.”
To Vivian’s surprise, the man did not seem to be avoiding this topic. As much as she was slightly relieved, she couldn’t help but ask again, “You like her a lot, right?”
Finnick finally looked up and met Vivian’s eyes.
His pitch-black eyes seemed to be bottomless and unfathomable to Vivian. She could only hear him say calmly, “Vivian, why are you asking about this?”
Vivian immediately regretted asking that question as she felt that she might have overstepped his boundaries. She replied softly, “Oh, it’s nothing. I just noticed that you always have a sad expression whenever you looked at that necklace.”
Finnick’s eyes flickered before he quickly looked down again and continued dressing Vivian’s wound.
Just as Vivian thought that Finnick did not wish to continue talking about it anymore, the man spoke.
“I have let her down.”
Vivian was stunned for a few seconds before coming back to her senses. Did he mean that he had let Evelyn down?
The woman felt a shiver down her spine.
Could it be that… he had really abandoned Evelyn ten years ago? Was that why he felt like he had let her down?
No.
That’s impossible.
Vivian shook her head to clear her mind and did not reply. As such, the conversation ended there.
Meanwhile, over at the Norton residence, the elder Mr. Norton had already gone to bed a while back as the elderly needed more rest.
However, Mark was still in his study with another person who stood hunched over in front of him. As that man was in the shadows, his face could not be seen clearly.
“Are you sure about this?” Mark’s face darkened and looked extremely grim. “You mean, that cripple Finnick has really done it with his new wife?”
“Absolutely sure,” the person in front of the study table answered seriously and added, “The elder Mr. Norton has been really concerned about this matter. I have observed very carefully and I’m certain that it’s true.”
“Damn it!” Mark hit his desk in fury. With his eyes burning in rage, he exclaimed, “So that means, if everything goes smoothly, that woman called Vivian could be bearing that damned cripple Finnick’s child?”
“Theoretically, that’s the case,” the person in front of the study table answered respectfully.
“We can’t let it happen!” Mark bellowed with a menacing look on his face. After analyzing the situation for a while, he said, “How about this, I’ll try to delay Finnick tomorrow and you’ll find a way to get rid of that woman, Vivian.”
The other man frowned as he asked, “Mr. Norton, why don’t we just get rid of Finnick directly?”
“Do you think I’ve not thought about that?” Mark sneered. “But as you know, the old man treats Finnick like a treasure. When the kidnapping accident happened ten years ago, he had combed the entire city to find him. That’s why we are unable to take any action on Finnick at the moment. Vivian is not the same, she’s just an outsider. Even if my dad finds out that we are the ones who did it, he wouldn’t do anything to us.”
“Alright, understood.”
“Oh, there’s something else.” Mark suddenly thought of something as his face darkened. “Fabian must not know about this.”
There was a flicker in the other man’s eye before he replied, “Sure.”
“You may leave now.”
“Yes, Mr. Norton.”
The next day, Vivian received a text from Finnick shortly after she reached the magazine company. He informed her that he was going away on a business trip and reminded her to change her dressing and take good care of herself.
Vivian replied: I will. Then, she started getting busy at work.
As the deadline for the new issue of the magazine was due soon, everyone in the office was in a frantic state and worked overtime in order to meet the due date.
Vivian was among the last to leave office and it was already past midnight. Coincidentally, there was a concert going on at the stadium beside the magazine company, which resulted in bad traffic conditions and it was almost impossible to get a cab.
As such, everyone was discussing about the most efficient way to carpool. However, when Vivian’s co-workers asked for her address, she was at a loss for words.
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She couldn’t possibly tell them that she was staying at the most expensive villa housing estate in the city.
As such, the woman had no other choice but to tell the rest that her husband was already on his way to pick her up. She smiled and told them to leave first.
Everyone was envious of Vivian for having such a doting husband and left one by one. Finally, Vivian was the only one left waiting at the entrance of the magazine company.
After twenty minutes, there was still no sign of any cabs. The woman tried to call for one using a ride-hailing app but did not have any luck as well. Since Finnick wasn’t at Sunshine City at that point in time, there was no one Vivian could seek help from.
As such, she could only continue waiting.
Suddenly, a red Ferrari sports car stopped in front of her.
When she saw who the driver was, Vivian’s expression stiffened and she immediately turned to leave.
However, the car door was swiftly pushed open and the driver stepped out, chasing after the woman.
“Vivian, why are you walking away!”
The woman stopped in her tracks and turned around reluctantly. “Mr. Norton,” she greeted.
Fabian stood in front of Vivian, looking a little helpless. But still, he opened the car door and said, “Hop in, I’ll give you a lift home.”
However, Vivian did not move and merely replied, “Thanks, but my husband will be coming to fetch me.”
She had intentionally emphasized on the words ‘my husband’ but Fabian seemed to look even more helpless as he said, “Vivian, you don’t have to spite me deliberately by saying that. I know that Uncle Finnick and my dad are both out of town.”
Vivian did not expect that Finnick was out of town handling matters related to the Norton family and felt awkward instantly. However, she still stood firmly rooted to the ground and replied, “I’ll get a cab myself.”
“Look at the time now. Do you really think you’ll be able to get a cab at this hour? Don’t worry, my intentions are pure. Even if it were another employee, I would have done the same.”
After Fabian finished speaking, he saw that Vivian was still unwilling to budge. It was then that he felt a flash of irritation. Grabbing Vivian’s wrists, he dragged her into the car.
“Fabian Norton, let go of me!”
Vivian was extremely unwilling to be involved with Fabian in any sort of manner. Besides, there was already such an awkward relationship between them. Just the fact alone that Vivian could feel Fabian’s lingering feelings for her was enough for her to draw a clear line between them.
However, she was no match for Fabian’s strength and was being forced into his car.
Fabian shut the door immediately and manually locked Vivian’s side of the door with his car key, before getting into the car and driving away at the fastest speed possible. He left no chance for Vivian to get out of the car.
Vivian was simmering with anger as she glared at Fabian. Since she was already in his car, the best option she had was to keep quiet and not say a single word.
Fabian read the situation well and did not try to start a conversation with Vivian. He simply drove her back to the villa in silence.
When they arrived at the villa, Vivian finally heaved a sigh of relief at the familiar sight. She managed to force a ‘thanks’ out of her mouth and was about to get out of the car.
However, just then, Fabian, who had been keeping quiet all along, suddenly grabbed her wrists and pulled her back into the seat.
Thinking that the man was going to do something crazy again, Vivian stared at him with wide eyes and asked warily, “What do you want?”
A pained look flashed across Fabian’s face when he observed Vivian’s defensive, yet fearful expression.
However, he recovered quickly and said softly, “Vivian, I’m sorry.”
Vivian had not expected that from Fabian. She was momentarily stunned and unable to react.
“I’ve misunderstood you two years ago and left you when you needed me the most,” Fabian said seriously while looking at the woman in the eye. “I owe you an apology. I’m really, really sorry.”
Fabian was genuinely sorry and meant every single word of that.
All these while, he had been caught up with misunderstanding Vivian and taking revenge. After knowing the truth, he got busy thinking about Vivian’s relationship with Finnick. However, just the night before, he suddenly remembered that he still owed her an apology.
He had to take responsibility for his past misdeeds towards her.
Vivian’s eyes flickered slightly as she looked at Fabian, who had a serious face.
Her feelings at that moment was indescribable.
Frankly, she was never expecting an apology from Fabian. No amount of ‘sorry’ could atone for the hurt that he had caused her.
However, with Fabian looking so sincere in front of her, Vivian’s ice-cold guarded heart seemed to have melted a little.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 129
At that instant, Vivian seemed to have recognized that flamboyant, yet warm Fabian she once knew.
Her eyes dimmed and avoided his gaze. “It’s already in the past, so there’s no point bringing it up now.”
Indeed, what’s done was already done. An apology would not make anything better.
However, on a similar note, Vivian knew that there was no use holding on to it and she should let bygones be bygones.
It was still not easy for her to pretend that it did not matter at all and tell Fabian that she had forgiven him, but she also did not intend to take any revenge against him.
After all, he was her first love whom she had once loved deeply. He was present during the most wonderful part of her youth and she did not want to ruin him nor their beautiful memories together.
“Vivian, I…” Fabian felt a stinging pain in his heart. Just when he wanted to say something in reply, Vivian had already looked up and said, “Thanks for sending me back. I have to go now. Bye.”
Not giving the man a chance to respond, Vivian struggled immediately after she finished speaking and got off the car.
Fabian remained seated in the car as he looked at Vivian’s back, feeling dejected.
Is she not willing to give me a chance to apologize?
Fabian continued to sit absentmindedly in the car without driving off. Before he realized, two hours had already gone by and it was already the darkest of the night.
The man slapped himself awake and was about to leave when he detected a burnt smell coming from the direction of the villa.
Meanwhile, after Vivian got out of Fabian’s car, she returned to the villa and as usual, had dinner and washed up before going to bed.
It could have been just her imagination, but Vivian felt especially sleepy that night. She was feeling so light-headed that she almost lost her balance while showering and fell asleep once she hit the sack. It was a dreamless night for the woman.
Vivian wasn’t sure how long she had slept when she was woken up by a gush of smoke attacking her nostrils.
Vivian let out bouts of coughs as she struggled to open her eyes, but smoke went into her eyes and she felt a stinging pain.
The woman quickly realized something was amiss and climbed out of bed. However, she only realized when she tried to stand up that she was aching all over and barely had the strength to support herself.
What on earth is happening?
Vivian couldn’t bother to analyze the situation at that moment and quickly turned on her bedside lamp.
With the room lit, she immediately saw that her entire room was filled with black smoke.
H-Has… the house caught fire?
Vivian was terrified. At the same time, her cough was worsened by the burnt stench that wafted into her nose continuously. However, she managed to calm herself down quickly and struggled to get down the bed as swiftly as she could with her aching body. After grabbing her jacket, Vivian dashed out of the bedroom.
What greeted her next was an even more horrifying sight!
The flames were burning with menace as harsh smoke spiraled towards the ceiling.
The only reason the situation back in the room was not as bad was because of the closed room door which acted as a barricade. Vivian could clearly see that the entire corridor was up in flames once she opened the door.
“Molly! Liam!” Even when her own life was in danger, Vivian was still worried about the two elderly who were in their rooms. However, after calling out their names a few times, there was still no response. Instead, more smoke got into Vivian’s throat.
The woman decided that she was not in the position to worry about others and the most important thing right then was for her to get out safely.
But there was no way she could charge out of the house with the fire burning so fiercely!
Vivian forced herself to stay composed and ran back to her bedroom and locked the door. Then, she carried the blanket into the bathroom and soaked it with water, before covering herself with it and dashed out of the room once again.
With the wet blanket as protection, Vivian felt a little braver and ventured towards the corridor. She tried to stay low in order not to breathe in too much smoke.
When she finally made it to the end of the corridor and was about to go downstairs, she noticed that the situation at the stairs was even worse. A few of the steps were already burnt and crumbling, making it impossible for her to step on them!
Just as Vivian was in a complete fluster and not knowing what to do, she suddenly saw white smoke whizzing towards her in bouts.
She froze for a few seconds while staring at the white smoke when suddenly, she realized…
It’s a fire extinguisher!
The next moment, a familiar tall figure emerged through the smoke and was running towards her.
“Vivian! Vivian! Where are you!”
Vivian was both shocked and elated to hear that familiar voice, as if her last lifeline had arrived. “Fabian! Ahem! Fabian I’m here!” She screamed.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 130
The white mist from the fire extinguisher restrained the fire on the stairs a little. At that instant, Vivian saw Fabian running towards her. In the next moment, the railing of the corridor next to her crashed down right between them and they were separated by surging flames.
“Damn it!” Vivian heard Fabian yelling while covering his mouth, “Vivian, stay there! I’ll come and look for you!”
Vivian was about to nod her head but suddenly she thought of something.
Wait. Is Finnick’s necklace still in the bedroom?
It should be.
Finnick treasures that necklace. He rarely takes it outside. It is always kept in the drawer at home when he goes to work or goes on duty.
The fire is so strong. After the table burns down, the crystal necklace will definitely be ruined.
Wouldn’t Finnick be very sad?
She couldn’t help but think about how Finnick always looked sad whenever he held that necklace. Suddenly, she felt bad.
Damn, wouldn’t it be too selfish of me to disregard Finnick’s most treasured necklace?
She knew that the necklace was not a living thing but that was Finnick’s only object of sentimental value and she could not bear to deprive him of this last treasured memory!
Thinking of this, she took a look at the blanket covering her body. It was still quite wet. It might be able to hold it for a while as the fire had subsided a little for the time being. It would take some time for Fabian to reach her.
So, she gritted her teeth, pinched her nose and yelled, “Fabian! I’ll go back and get something!”
Fabian was struggling to put out the fire. Hearing Vivian’s words, he was shocked and he scolded, “Vivian, are you f***ing crazy? What can be more important than your life?”
Vivian ignored Fabian’s words. Instead, she raced back to the room.
Her body felt strangely weak for some reason but she did not think twice about that. Gritting her teeth, she rushed back to the room in one breath.
She was coughing violently from inhaling too much smoke but that did not stop her. Once she got into the room, she rushed to the table.
She had not closed the door when she left, so the fire had spread into the room and the table was on fire. Vivian opened the drawer with her hand wrapped inside the blanket.
She did not realize that by now, the blanket had dried up and her hand was immediately scalded.
“Ouch!” She screamed in pain but she bore the agony and pulled out the drawer.
Immediately, she found the crystal necklace.
As quickly as she could, she took out the necklace and was thinking of taking out the photograph but it caught fire and was burnt up in no time.
She had no choice but to give it up while just grabbing the necklace carefully. Immediately, she tried to rush out of the room.
However, when she reached the doorway, the bookcase next to the door collapsed with a loud bang!
The books on the bookcase was burned into ashes and the bookcase had fallen right across the doorway. Sparks were flying everywhere and Vivian was so frightened that she took a few steps back.
What should I do…
In that moment, the door was blocked. How can I go out?
She thought of wrapping herself in the blanket and rushing out but the blanket had already started to catch fire.
At that point, she was annoyed by her impetuousness.
It seems like I might end up losing the necklace and my own life!
She wondered if she really died, would Finnick be sadder over her death or the loss of the necklace?
He would be sadder over the latter I guess…
After all, as compared to Evelyn whom he had loved so much, I am just a stranger he had befriended for only a few months.
Vivian was surprised by her thoughts. How could she, at this moment of life and death, think about these unessential things?
The fire around her was getting bigger and warmer. She could hardly see the corridor and the smoke was getting thick. Then, she started coughing with teary eyes and her vision became blurred.
Will I really lose my life here?
As she was about to break down, she wore the necklace around her neck to protect it.
If her body were discovered together with the necklace, hopefully, Finnick would understand her kind intention and for her sake, treat her mother well.