Ch. 171..180
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 171
“What’s so great about her? Why do I have to investigate her?” Yasmin explained, “I ran into her colleagues yesterday. They were the ones who told me about it.”
Yasmin continued, “Vivian looks plain and has a coquettish face. I bet she must have approached you for your money and social status. Trust me, Mr. Norton, I’ve seen tons of women like her! You mustn’t let her deceive you!”
Finnick shot her a cold glare. “Don’t talk about Vivian with your filthy mouth again or that’ll be the last thing you ever say.”
Finnick’s words sent a shiver down Yasmin’s spine. She had not expected for Vivian to have such an important place in Finnick’s heart.
Having no other special talents apart from crying, Yasmin turned on the waterworks immediately.
“Mr. Norton, I only said that for your own good! You’re the only man who respects me as a woman. All the others simply want to take advantage of me…” She cried even louder as she spoke.
However, Finnick was immune to her tears as Vivian was the only one he cared about.
“I promise you that I won’t mention Vivian ever again! Please don’t be mad at me, okay? Don’t ignore me…” Yasmin said with tears rolling down her face.
At that moment, the door to the office was opened. Noah came in with the security guards and was shocked by the sight before them.
Despite being rather open about such things, Yasmin was still a star and couldn’t show herself to others like that. She quickly got dressed and wiped her tears before strutting out of Finnick’s office.
Her face became twisted with hatred the moment she left his office.
I hate you, Vivian! How dare you steal my man? I’ll make you pay for this!
Yasmin’s ego had taken a huge blow from Finnick’s response earlier.
In the meantime, Vivian was writing an article at the magazine company.
The senior editor Lesley had put her in charge of this article as she believed that the person who was present at the scene would be able to write the most impactful content.
The President of Finnor Group had a candlelight dinner with superstar Yasmin Ziller! Yasmin had expressed her adoration for Finnick many times, but there was a wedding ring on his right hand…
Vivian found it difficult to continue writing any further and felt a throbbing pain in her chest. I guess it does affect me, after all!
She actually regretted accepting that assignment as she found herself starting to overthink and getting jealous very easily.
Vivian felt her back aching after not getting much sleep for a few nights for she had to watch Finnick from pouncing on her. Hence, she figured she should eat something nutritious for lunch.
This is probably a good opportunity to make a name for myself. Since I’ve already made use of my husband, I might as well go all the way with it!
She pulled herself together at the thought of that.
Vivian was very satisfied with the photographs taken as they showed Finnick and Yasmin sitting across each other in a very romantic and classy environment, which helped her greatly with writing the article.
Vivian tried her best to stick to the truth as much as possible while spicing things up a little here and there to make it entertaining, or the readers would complain about it.
Hehe, this is my chance to revenge! Sorry, Finnick! Think of this as a little punishment for bullying me every night!
Right when Vivian was getting in the zone with her writing, her phone rang all of a sudden.
She took a look at it and frowned when she saw that it was an unknown number.
Who could it be?
“Hello, this is Vivian from Glamour Magazine.”
It turned out to be Yasmin on the other line. She asked Vivian to meet her alone.
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The two met up at Ocean Café, a very popular café frequented by famous people to discuss business as it was fairly dark which provided them with the privacy required.
Yasmin had changed out of her overcoat and put on an expensive dress. She looked like a wealthy lady with her makeup and hair tied up.
Vivian on the other hand, rarely wore anything fancy herself and only watched Ashley show off her expensive clothes. As such, she wasn’t impressed by Yasmin’s attire in the slightest way.
A waiter saw Yasmin lighting up a cigarette and was about to stop her, but held his tongue when he realized that she was a superstar.
It took Vivian every ounce of patience to keep her anger in check when Yasmin blew a mouthful of smoke in her face.
“Vivian, was it? I believe this is the second time we’ve met. I didn’t invite you here to befriend you though. On the contrary, you’re currently my rival in love!”
Vivian could tell that she was here to declare war with her over Finnick. I was writing an article trying to ship these two together just moments ago, and now I’m sitting at the same table with the girl in the article! Vivian chuckled at the thought of that.
“What are you laughing at? Are you looking down on me?” Yasmin was surprised by her response.
Vivian waved at her. “No, not at all! I was just spacing out for a bit. That’s all.”
What a strange woman… Yasmin thought to herself.
“Anyway, you’re just an ordinary girl. A dime a dozen, in fact. Why don’t you forget about your unrealistic dreams of winning the heart of Finnor Group’s President, huh? You don’t deserve to be with someone like Finnick!”
Pfft! Does she even know that we’re already married to each other? Oh, wait… I forgot that she doesn’t know anything about that! I guess I can’t blame her for what she said then. Still, do I really look like the kind of woman who would seduce others? I thought I had always behaved and dressed appropriately!
Yasmin mistook Vivian’s silence for a display of her power as an experienced mistress and pressed on, “What’s your relationship with Mr. Norton? You two seem rather close. Don’t tell me he’s already sponsoring you financially?”
Sponsoring me financially? Does she take me for a sugar baby of some sort? What a joke! She claims to like Finnick, and yet she doesn’t even know a thing about us!
Seeing no response from Vivian, Yasmin decided to boast about the moments she had spent with Finnick instead.
Fortunately for Vivian, Finnick had already told her about their meeting last night, so Yasmin’s words had no effect on her feelings whatsoever.
“I’ll have you know that Finnick was the one who approached me with the offer of being the company’s spokesperson! I know Finnick is into me, as he wouldn’t have done that otherwise!” Yasmin said.
Finnick told me all about that long ago. Looks like he was really being honest with me! Vivian thought to herself as she listened.
At that moment, the waiter brought two cups of coffee over to their table. Yasmin had ordered a cappuccino, while Vivian simply ordered an espresso.
Yasmin took a look at Vivian’s cup and said, “You have such a terrible taste!”
She’s calling my taste terrible?
Vivian had written an article on coffee some time ago. She spent an entire week doing her research to gain a complete understanding on the origins of coffee, its production and manufacturing. Her dream was to start up a café of her own with her retirement funds.
Fabian had brought her to all sorts of cafés and events in Sunshine City. He even jokingly said he was willing to become her coffee cup so she could hold him every day.
Vivian laughed at her and said, “You think ordering a cappuccino makes you feel more superior?”
After everything that happened, the couple that swore to be together forever then had each found their own spouse.
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Vivian collected herself and stared at Yasmin.
“I think I’ve said enough for you to understand that backing out is your only option, so just give up! You can’t beat me!” Yasmin said.
She’ll probably keep going on for an entire day if I don’t say something. Unlike her, I’ve got a lot of work to do! Arranging the sequence of their photos in the article, for example!
Vivian took a sip of her espresso before slowly saying, “You seem very confident, but I don’t really see Mr. Norton being that close with you. Could you describe your relationship in detail?”
Just like that, the battle for dominance between the two had instantly become an interview session for Vivian.
“Sure! I’ll never forget the look in Finnick’s eyes when he first saw me. It was so full of passion that he probably would’ve pounced on me if we weren’t in public! That’s love at first sight, got it?” Yasmin replied without a second thought.
Although Finnick did look at her with admiration at first, it wasn’t that passionate like what she had described. He simply felt that he had made a great decision, as Yasmin was indeed the best candidate to be their spokesperson. It was obvious that Yasmin had misinterpreted that admiration for passion, and Vivian felt the need to wake her up from her silly dream before things got worse for both Finnick and her.
“Is that so? You don’t seem that close with Mr. Norton though, Vivian said.
Yasmin let out a deliberate sigh and waved at her. “Well, you know how men have an image to maintain in public! He’s just shy, that’s all! You know nothing about it!”
“Hmm… You haven’t been close enough with Mr. Norton to share a room with him, have you?” Vivian asked.
Her words reminded Yasmin of the incident in Finnick’s office earlier that morning, which made her really angry. “That’s because we’re keeping our distance, got it? What, you think you’re that great? You’re nothing but a mistress! Heck, you’re not even worthy of being a mistress! At the end of the day, the only true winner is his wife!”
Vivian choked on her coffee upon hearing that and nearly spat it out when she heard that.
His wife? That’s me! It seems there are lots of people who admire, envy, hate, and even question my position. It is surely tough being his wife! I’m making so many enemies without even knowing it!
Yasmin thought she had choked on her coffee out of fear and taunted her, “Aww, are you scared? I’m warning you now, you’d better stay away from Finnick or I’ll expose your little scandal and have his wife sort you out! Don’t blame me if you find yourself stripped naked and beaten to an inch of your life on the streets someday!”
Vivian couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer.
So Yasmin is really envious of me, huh? It’s a shame she doesn’t know that Mrs. Norton is staring her in the face right now! According to her threat, I’d be beating myself up! What a joke! Fate sure has a wicked sense of humor!
Vivian had heard enough of her threats and saw no point in continuing that conversation any further.
“Right, I’ve heard what you came here to say. I still have a lot of work to do, so I’ll be taking my leave now. I already paid for my coffee, by the way,” she said while standing up.
Yasmin wasn’t quite satisfied as she had yet to get Vivian out of her way.
“Oh, one more thing,” Vivian looked Yasmin straight in the eye as she spoke, “A relationship isn’t something you can just force yourself into.”
Yasmin slumped back into her chair.
Damn it! Why won’t Vivian just know her place and back off!
Vivian quickly rushed back to her office and continued writing her article in silence.
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She showed no mercy to Yasmin in her article either. I’m teaching her a lesson for her own good. As women, we both have it rough dealing with people. Although she has done all sorts of things to hurt me, I won’t stoop so low to do the same.
The day went by peacefully, and it was soon time to get off work. Everyone else hurried home, and Vivian was the last to leave her office.
She noticed that the lights were still on in Fabian’s office and decided to sneak away quietly. Finnick sent her a text: I’ll be coming home for dinner tonight.
Vivian texted him back: What would you like to have for dinner?
He replied shamelessly: You.
Vivian found herself blushing bright red when she recalled how they had shared a bath last night and hurried on home.
Finnick stopped by a flower shop and bought Vivian a bouquet of flowers to cheer her up.
He knew she liked gloveworts, as that was mentioned in her files when he investigated her earlier.
The maid at home had cooked up a huge variety of nutritious dishes for dinner.
If only I could cook as well as the maid. That way, I’d be able to handle Finnick and his picky eating habits! Vivian thought to herself when she saw the dishes on the table.
She liked the flowers he got her very much, and felt like whatever fatigue she had during the day had disappeared in an instant when she caught a whiff of its fragrance. He knows I like gloveworts? Finnick sure is attentive!
“How was your day? Did the people at the magazine company give you any problems?” Finnick asked while munching on the food.
Hearing that made Vivian feel awkward.
“No, of course not! In fact, they were too busy thanking me after my huge contribution!”
Vivian added, “That lovestruck idiot Yasmin on the other hand, came to see me today.”
Finnick was displeased to hear that. I warned her to stay away from Vivian, and she went to see her right after?
“What did she say?” he asked.
“Nothing much, really. She just tried to spite me and make me jealous in order to relieve some of the hatred in her,” Vivian replied truthfully.
Finnick chuckled. “You kinda brought that upon yourself, you know?”
Hmph! Just you wait, Finnick! I’ll have you stomping your feet in anger the moment the article gets released!
Sure enough, the magazine containing that article sold like hot cakes a few days later, and the internet went crazy over it.
Netizens were even congratulating Yasmin on Twitter.
Nice job! Now, go for it and make him yours!
Hehe, I bet those two have already been going at it!
Finnick is so hot! He’s mine!
Shameless! Shameless! Shameless!
Sarah sighed as she scrolled through the comments online. “Vivian, you’ve really done it this time! Our company has gotten famous now thanks to this article. A beauty and a millionaire, eh? What a scoop!”
I wonder if Finnick has read the article yet… Vivian thought to herself.
Meanwhile, Finnick had seen the article and was very unhappy about it.
News about it had spread throughout the entire office, and he even received phone calls from major clients trying to find out more about it.
Vivian sure is nasty…
Finnick grinned when he saw her name on the magazine.
Looks like I’ll have to punish her tonight! I won’t let her off the hook until I make her beg for forgiveness!
He was thinking about the things he would do to her when Noah knocked on the door and said he had brought Xavier Jackson over.
“Come on in!” Finnick said.
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Xavier was still in shock from being tied up by Noah.
He stared at Finnick in confusion for quite a while before realizing what was going on.
“Finnick, what’s the meaning of this? How could you do this to me? Have Noah untie me at once!” he shouted.
Xavier was sleeping soundly with a woman in his arms earlier that morning when he was suddenly dragged to the floor by Noah. Xavier was about to curse at him, but held his tongue when he saw Noah crack his knuckles.
He was aware of how skilled Noah was in combat skills and knew better than to anger him. Noah allowed Xavier to get dressed before tying him up and bringing him over.
He kept asking Noah what it was about along the way, but Noah simply refused to answer, much to his dismay.
Now, he was sitting in front of Finnick like a prisoner of some sort. They didn’t even bother to give him a glass of water.
“What the hell do you want with me, Finnick? You could’ve just called me over!” Xavier shouted angrily.
Finnick had a vicious look in his eyes as he questioned Xavier coldly, “Xavier, tell me. Did you lay your hands on a woman who was drugged in Century Hotel two years ago?”
Since when did Finnick concern himself with my personal affairs?
Xavier began pondering his question and seemed lost in thought.
Noah gave him a push on the back and urged him to answer Finnick’s question.
That snapped him out of it, and he replied shortly after, “A woman who was drugged? No way, I wouldn’t touch someone like that! With my wealth, there are tons of women who would willingly throw themselves at me! I’ll admit, I am frivolous and can’t hold my liquor, but I am quite the connoisseur when it comes to women!”
With Xavier’s wealth and good looks, there really is no need for him to drug a woman, nor is he the type of person to do such a thing. But what if he was drunk? What if he was so wasted that he didn’t know what he was doing? He could’ve entered the wrong room by mistake!
“I suggest you think twice before answering my questions. We both know you’re quite the monster when you’re drunk.” Finnick pressed on.
Xavier realized the gravity of the issue when he saw how serious Finnick was, and Vivian was the only person he had ever taken so seriously.
“Are you talking about Vivian? What on earth happened?” Xavier asked.
Finnick kept quiet as he didn’t know what to say, and he didn’t want to ruin Vivian’s reputation either. On top of that, he didn’t want to bring up Fabian.
Noah noticed the look on Finnick’s face and answered Xavier’s question on his behalf.
He gave Xavier a brief summary of what happened to Vivian during her time in university two years ago.
Xavier was shocked by what he heard and sympathized greatly with her. Who on earth could’ve done such a sick and heartless thing to her? That b*stard better pray I don’t find him or he’ll have hell to pay!
Noah smiled and apologized, “I’ve been investigating that incident under Finnick’s orders and managed to find out the date and room number with the help of the hotel staff. They found a scarf with the letter “J” on it while cleaning the room the next morning and handed it over to me. It looked really similar to your custom-made scarf, so… Well, I apologize for dragging you here like this. You were the most suspicious one on the list, after all.”
Xavier nodded after hearing his explanation. “No, it’s fine. I understand that you were just doing your job. That scarf was indeed…”
He paused all of a sudden and glared angrily at Finnick. My scarf factory was acquired by someone and put out of business some time ago. Could Finnick be the one responsible for that? He is the only person capable of doing such a thing!
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“Is that why you shut down my scarf factory? Because you thought I did it and wanted to avenge Vivian? Well, you might as well go the whole nine yards and kill me off while you’re at it!” Xavier shouted.
Finnick motioned at Noah who then untied Xavier and poured him a glass of whisky.
Finnick has gone too far! First he’s protecting Vivian, and now he’s become her private investigator? He is such a lovesick b*stard! Does he not care about his friends anymore now that he has a wife? I won’t forgive him for this! Xavier cursed at him in his head.
Finnick still had his doubts as all evidence pointed to Xavier, and he knew just how much of a playboy Xavier was.
“Try your best to recall, Xavier. Look, I won’t kill you or do anything to you even if you were the one who did it. I just want to find out the truth and help Vivian seek the justice she deserves so she can be happy again. Think hard, Xavier, think! What happened at the Century Hotel two years ago?”
Xavier downed the glass of whisky and tried his best to recall what had happened.
“I swear I have never laid a hand on Vivian, and I would definitely admit to it if I did! As for that scarf… I don’t know how it ended up being there either,” he replied.
Finnick was still unconvinced and asked, “Could it be that you’ve slept with so many women that you simply forgot about it?”
Xavier buttoned up his shirt and tidied up his outfit. “That’s impossible. You see, I keep a record of every woman I sleep with. With the amount of women I sleep with, I’d go crazy trying to remember them all! I assure you I have never seen Vivian, let alone sleep with her!”
Xavier flipped through his diary and checked his schedule from two years ago. “I’ve never been to Century Hotel two years ago. See? It isn’t recorded in my diary, and I don’t remember ever going there either.”
If it wasn’t Xavier, then who else could the scarf belong to?
Noah followed up with another question. “What about the scarf, then? It was produced by your factory and has the initial of your family name on it.”
What? Even Noah is questioning me now? I guess they really do see me as a suspect, huh? This is injustice!
“It’s true that the scarf looks a lot like mines, but that letter “J” doesn’t necessarily stand for Jackson! It can also stand for Johnson, Jordon or even Jenkins!”
Finnick threatened him. “Don’t try and worm your way out of this one, Xavier! You know I can do far more than just shutting your factory down, don’t you? If that scarf isn’t yours, then whose is it?”
Man, it’s been forever since I’ve seen Finnick care so much about a woman… Back then, Finnick would do whatever he wanted without a care in the world. However, everything changed over time, and he even went as far as pretending to be wheelchair-bound to hide his capabilities. Now that he has Vivian in his life, I can see some life in his eyes once again. As his friend, I must do what I can to help him out! Xavier couldn’t help but sigh at the thought of that.
“I have a lot of scarves which I give out to my close friends and major clients every year. As for the scarf you found from two years ago… I’ll need some time to recall and look into it. Rest assured, Finnick, I will do whatever I can to help you get to the bottom of this!” He quickly stormed out of the office after saying that, afraid that they would suspect him of lying again.
Of course, he would still deliver his promise to Finnick and try his best to help him out.
Finnick went into deep thought as he pondered over what Xavier had said.
If what Xavier said is true, and he only gave the scarves out to his close friends and business clients, then… Could it be that one of them was responsible for what happened to Vivian?
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I wonder if I know any of them… Although that incident was an accident, I had planned on teaching that man a lesson anyway. It’d be awkward if it’s someone I know, but I won’t let him off the hook for what he did to Vivian! How dare he touch my woman before me? He deserves nothing but death!
Finnick frowned at the thought of that.
Noah didn’t trust Xavier either.
“Mr. Norton, do you really believe what Xavier said?” he asked.
“Xavier and I go way back, so I know him very well. He isn’t the kind who’d do something he wouldn’t admit to. I’m not so sure about his efficiency though,” Finnick replied firmly.
Noah nodded without saying a word.
“I just hope he can find us something useful. At least we’d be a step closer to uncovering the truth.”
Meanwhile, in the Norton family villa, Mark’s assistant, Harry came by to report in on his work. He started off his report with the trivial stuff, all of which Mark noted down in his journal.
“Is there anything else you have to report?” Mark asked.
Harry stood up straight as he felt what he had to say next was extremely important.
“Yes, Mr. Norton. I have big news for you, sir!”
Mark’s eyes lit up. “Well? Go on, then!”
Harry continued, “A few days ago, I received word of a few people having a fight in the Century Hotel lobby. There was a drunk woman…”
Mark almost lost his temper when he heard that. What nonsense is this? How is this big news? Is Harry trying to get himself fired or something?
Harry noticed the impatient look on his face and said, “Calm down, Mr. Norton. Please let me finish.”
“Hurry up then!” Mark couldn’t stand how long Harry took to get to the point in his reports.
“Now, under normal circumstances, there wouldn’t be anything odd about that. However, in this case, all security camera footage in that hotel had been deleted! My genius brain tells me something isn’t quite right here, because Finnick, Fabian, and Vivian were there,” Harry said with a chuckle.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?” Mark asked. “What else did you find? Who deleted the footage? Was it Finnick?”
Harry nodded. “That’s right, Mr. Norton. On top of that, there’s something much stranger.”
Mark waited silently for Harry to continue. There’s definitely something going on here. Vivian, Fabian, Finnick, the security camera footage… Finnick must’ve been trying to hide something by deleting it…
“A guest at the hotel saw someone who looked like Finnick that night, except he wasn’t in a wheelchair. That man was walking and running about like any other man,” Harry said.
Mark stood up from his chair in shock.
What a surprise!
He grabbed Harry by the collar and shouted, “Are you sure? Is this true?”
Harry could barely breathe and struggled to speak, “T-This is just my speculation… Why else would he delete the security camera footage otherwise?”
He coughed and wheezed when Mark let go of him.
He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t have anything to hide. The only people Finnick would delete the footage for is Vivian and himself.
“Harry, I want you to investigate this incident thoroughly! Leave no stone unturned!” Mark ordered.
“We’re unable to find the witness, so we can’t really prove anything now,” Harry replied.
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Mark was starting to worry and fear.
If that really were Finnick, then wouldn’t that mean he’s pretending to be crippled? Why would he do that? I wonder if grandpa knows about it…
Harry noticed the frown on Mark’s face and asked, “Mr. Norton, shall we try using that method from ten years ago?”
Finnick was just a little punk ten years ago, but he has become a monster after being severely hurt once. Now that he’s being cautious with us, things won’t be so easy.
“You idiot! Do you really think Finnick is that easy to catch now that he has Noah by his side? You could never hope to defeat that guy, and he’s practically glued to Finnick except when he’s sleeping!” Mark scolded him angrily.
Harry felt ashamed of himself. It’s true that my skills martial arts aren’t as good as Noah’s, but I’m smarter than him!
He came up with an idea and said, “Mr. Norton, we could target Finnick’s wife, Vivian. I can tell that he loves her very much and would probably have her by his side at all times if he could.”
Vivian? I’ve met her before. Grandpa seems to like her very much too. From that video, we can see that her background and identity are a complete mystery. She’s definitely not as innocent and pure as she pretends to be, but there must be something special about her if she’s able to win Finnick’s heart.
He nodded and complimented Harry, “Vivian, eh? Yes, that’s a very good idea. You’ve finally said something smart, Harry!”
Harry didn’t know how to respond to that compliment. Wait. Does he mean that everything I said before was stupid? That can’t be right…
Mark realized what Harry truly meant a moment later and urged him, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and make the necessary preparations! There’ll be a huge reward for you if you get this done well!”
With that, Harry ran off and got to work.
Heh… I now know you’re pretending to be a cripple, and that Vivian is your weakness! Once I strike you in both your soft spots, you’ll be done for!
Mark let out a sadistic smile at the thought of that.
Despite the care vibes that Xavier gave off, he was very efficient at getting things done and had arranged for a meet-up with Benedict a day after his meeting with Finnick.
Xavier was the first to arrive at Ocean Café. After ordering a latte and two desserts, he began observing the people around him to see if there were any pretty girls nearby.
Benedict showed up moments later, and his flawlessly handsome appearance caused quite a commotion in the café.
The waitresses wanted to hit on him, but were too shy to make a move because of how pretty he looked.
Benedict had crystal clear skin, an arched nose, beautiful black pupils, and very charming lips. His fitting suit provided the perfect complement to his physique, and his overall appearance left all the women drooling over him.
Benedict was the son of the scholarly Morrison family as well as the older brother of Evelyn Morrison. The two had lost their parents at a very young age, and Benedict had to look after his sister all by himself.
After meeting up with Xavier, Benedict sat down gracefully and began ordering from the menu.
Xavier noticed that the girls were still staring at Benedict and teased him, “Man, you sure are overpowered with that charm of yours. Even a handsome man like me has been defeated by your good looks! Heck, I think I’m starting to fall in love with you!”
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Benedict ordered an espresso and said, “You haven’t changed a bit, Xavier. Still the swinger surrounded by women, I see.”
Xavier chuckled and nodded. “Haha! Spare me the pleasantries, buddy!”
“So, what do you need from me?” Benedict asked.
“Oh? What, a guy can’t just catch up with his friend?” Benedict sure is a sharp one! Xavier thought to himself.
“I know you, Xavier. Now, how about you get on with it?”
Xavier figured there was no point in hiding his intentions anymore, but he didn’t want to confront Benedict directly either as he might not admit to doing it.
“Do you know about what happened to my scarf factory a while back?” he asked.
Benedict nodded and waved as he said, “Yeah, I heard it was shut down all of a sudden. You should’ve put more effort into that factory of yours, you know? It was a real waste of potential!”
“I know, right? What a shame!” Xavier cursed at Finnick in his head. My scarves were selling great! If it hadn’t been for Finnick, I’d still be in business right now! It pisses me off just thinking about it!
“Say, what happened to that scarf I gave you two years ago? You didn’t lose it, did you?” Xavier asked.
Benedict wasn’t sure what Xavier was playing at, but he could tell that he was hiding something.
“I don’t even remember what I had for breakfast, and you expect me to remember what happened two years ago?”
Xavier sighed. He knew he had no choice but to ask him directly instead.
“You’ve always been the smarter one, Benedict. Fine, I’ll cut straight to the chase with you. I gave you a scarf two years ago, didn’t I?”
Benedict admitted to having received a few scarves from him.
Xavier pressed on, “Do you remember being in Century Hotel, then? Did you sleep with a drugged woman there and lose your scarf?”
Benedict realized how serious it was and quickly said, “Hold up, what is this all about? Could you at least explain to me what happened? What drug? What woman?”
Xavier didn’t want to tell him everything about Vivian so as to not embarrass Finnick.
“Just answer the question. Have you been to Century Hotel two years ago?”
Benedict recalled the important events that took place two years ago and replied, “Yes, I have.”
Xavier went wide-eyed when he heard that. “Did you see a woman that was drugged?”
“No. I did see plenty of women that were charmed by me, though.” Benedict replied.
“And you didn’t sleep with any of them?”
Benedict gave Xavier a strange look upon hearing that. What the hell is wrong with him today?
“Come on, you know me. I may like women, but I don’t sleep around like you do.”
Xavier agreed with what he said. Benedict is indeed well-known for keeping his distance with women. Being the sophisticated scholar that he is, he always turned down invitations to parties and never had any scandals whatsoever. Heck, even Finnick is impressed by that!
Benedict found Xavier’s questions boring and didn’t understand why he was asking about such things.
He had other interests in mind, like Finnick for example.
“What has Finnick been up to lately?” he asked.
Xavier decided it was a good time to change the topic too as he didn’t want Benedict to ask him about the incident.
“Oh, that guy? He’s enjoying life with his beautiful wife so much that he’s forgotten about his friends! That guy has become a family man now!”
Benedict frowned in concern. “Finnick is married?”
Xavier nodded. “Yeah, his grandfather forced him into it.”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 180
So he really has forgotten about Evelyn, huh? Finnick left her to die in the fire back then, and now he’s gotten married ten years later…
Benedict was displeased at the thought of that.
“Hmph! So he’s forgotten about those who died for him now that he has a successful career and found someone he likes. What a scumbag!” His tone was filled with hostility.
That put Xavier in an awkward position, and he began to regret telling him about Finnick’s marriage.
The two of them continued to chat for a little while longer before going their separate ways.
Vivian heard Sarah gossiping the moment she came in the office the next morning.
“We’re in for a treat, people! I saw Mr. Norton’s fiancée come by just now! She’s dressed from head to toe in branded goods and looks really fashionable. She had a gloomy look on her face when she went in his office, so they probably had a fight or something. Be careful not to get caught in the crossfire!”
Vivian sulked upon hearing that. What’s Ashley doing here? Is she trying to pick a fight? I’d better avoid her. Maybe I should come up with an excuse to be out of office.
Shannon stared at Vivian from her desk with glee. Ha! Look who’s cowering in fear now that the Chief Editor’s wife is here! Serves you right!
Meanwhile, Ashley was close to tears in Fabian’s office as she questioned him, “Fabian, what’s the meaning of this? Why are you breaking up with me through a text message? What did I do wrong? Do you know how much that hurts me?”
Fabian sneered when he saw her.
Wow, the bold Ashley has the guts to show up here and act all pitiful… I bet those who don’t know the truth would easily be fooled by her! Oh, Ashley… You don’t know when to give up, do you?
Fabian retrieved Vivian’s photos from his drawer and tossed them in front of Ashley. “Drop the act, will ya? How much longer do you plan on pretending, huh? You’re the one who did this to Vivian, aren’t you?”
Ashley went pale and took a few steps back when she heard that.
“No, it wasn’t me! This is a misunderstanding, Fabian! Don’t just jump to conclusions like that! Besides, what can these photos even prove anyway?”
Ashley insisted that she was innocent, but that only made Fabian even more furious.
I had someone investigate the incident, and we managed to track down the people involved in taking the photos and trading them. It was none other than Ashley herself, so she must have been the one behind it all!
She was jealous of Vivian, so she used the photos to ruin her reputation! Rumors about her spread throughout the entire campus, and everyone pointed fingers at her wherever she went! This is all Ashley’s fault!
She’s the one who put Vivian through all that pain and suffering! Had it not been for these photos, I wouldn’t have lost my trust in Vivian and broken up with her! She wouldn’t have ended up with Finnick either!
He hated her the very sight of her.
“A misunderstanding, you say? You may have the others fooled, but you can’t fool me! She’s your sister, Ashley! How could you do this to her?” Fabian shouted in both anger and disappointment.
He was completely shocked when he found out Ashley was the mastermind. He just couldn’t believe that almost married such a cruel and heartless woman. She was so malicious! Beneath that angelic appearance of hers lay the heart of a devil.
He had always thought of Ashley as a kind and genuine girl, and yet she was the person who hired someone to take indecent pictures of her sister and spread rumors about her.