Ch. 291..300

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 291

She pushed the plate over to Vivian, saying, “I made your favorite shortbread. Eat it while it’s hot.”

“Mom, I’m asking you a question! How do you know him?”

Grinning, Rachel explained, “I used to be a housemaid for the Morrison family. At the time, my main job was to look after Benedict. That’s why we’re so close. You have no idea what a beautiful little boy he used to be! I found myself smitten by his cuteness. He took a liking to me too, always running around me and calling me Ms. Rachel. He was such an obedient child!”

Vivian could imagine how adorable Benedict must have been when he was young. She wondered if her baby would be as beautiful. Judging by Finnick’s appearance, it was a given. Once the baby was born, Rachel would be ecstatic to be able to look after another child again.

At this, she was reminded of her main purpose for this visit. Distracted by Benedict’s appearance, she had nearly forgotten.

Her lips curved into a grin as she purposely said vaguely, “Mom, Mom! I have good news to tell you!”

“What is it?”

“I’m pregnant!”

“Really? That’s wonderful!” It had been a long time since Rachel was this happy.

Ever since Vivian and Finnick got married, Rachel had been worried about her daughter. Now, it seemed like her worry had been for naught.

Taking in the blissful smile on Vivian’s face, Rachel felt the last of her apprehension vanish. She mentally thanked God for looking out for them both.

After asking how Vivian had been feeling recently, Rachel stated, “Your appetite is going to get a lot worse in a few days. You’ll also be suffering from nausea all the time.”

As if on cue, Vivian felt her stomach roiling in protest.

Noting the slightly nauseated look on her daughter’s face, Rachel chuckled and continued, “Let me tell you something. Being pregnant is not as glorious as people always make it out to be. When I was pregnant with you, I was vomiting every single day at every single meal. It got so bad I lost a lot of weight. After that phase, my appetite returned but I was insatiable. It was like my stomach was a black hole. I ate so much that I gained back all the weight I had lost and then some more. Walking became hard and all I could do was waddle around slowly. My stomach was so stretched. Then, at close to ten months, I gave birth to you.”

Vivian paid close attention to what her mother was saying. “Mom, did it hurt when you gave birth to me? Did it hurt a lot?”

“Of course! I gave birth to you naturally, you know. At the time, I kept telling myself that I had to endure till the end. I had to ensure you entered this world safe and sound.”

Rachel’s mind cast back to when she was in child labor. To this day, she could still remember the agony she had been in. It felt like her body was ripping in half. However, the moment she heard her baby’s first cry, tears trickled from her eyes. What was all this suffering in the face of bringing a new life into the world?

Once again, Vivian was in awe at how great her mother was to give birth to her and raise her alone.

She thought back to all the jobs Rachel had done in her whole life. Her mother had been a saleswoman, an insurance agent, a newspaper stand seller, a tailor… The list was endless. All these jobs were difficult jobs that required hard labor.

Despite doing all these hard jobs, all she had gotten in return was scorn and disdain. Yet she still managed to raise Vivian and send her off to university. It was absolutely astounding.

Tears pricked at Vivian’s eyes at the difficult life her mother had led.

As if Rachel had been thinking about her life too, she commented, “It was not easy bringing you up alone. I wasn’t very talented nor was I rich. I had to work hard to earn enough money to get us by. Looking back on it now, the Morrison family actually treated me quite well. At least the work environment was good.”

Something occurred to Vivian and she asked, “By the way, Mom, you said you looked after Benedict when he was young. Does that mean you know Evelyn as well?”

Evelyn!

How could Rachel not know who she was?

“Mom? So do you?” Vivian noticed the way her mother’s eyes shifted slightly, like she was hiding something.

Lowering her gaze, Rachel tucked her hair behind her ears. “Of course I do!”

So she does know Evelyn!

Vivian pressed, “What was she like as a little girl?”

Rachel’s voice was low as she replied, “She’s an outstanding girl, of course. After all, she was born into such a good family. How could she not be?”

That’s true. If Evelyn weren’t such an amazing woman, Finnick would not have found it so hard to forget her; Benedict would not have pampered her so either.

Vivian mentally berated herself for asking such a stupid question.

Rachel shot her daughter a curious look. “Why are you suddenly asking about her?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just asking.”

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Vivian was reluctant to tell Rachel about Evelyn’s death. Maybe her mother already knew. Whatever the case, she did not want to continue this topic further lest she caused her mother more grief.

Chatting a while longer, Vivian finally left. She had only just turned the corner of the street when she spotted a tall figure.

Benedict was leaning against his Range Rover. Upon noticing Vivian, he called out, “Get in. I’ll send you back.”

Although she knew she should not be too friendly with Finnick’s enemy, she found that she did not actually hate Benedict. Strangely enough, she even felt a sort of kinship with him.

She had a lot of questions that she hoped he might be able to answer.

That was why she nodded in agreement. He swiftly opened the car door for her, gesturing her to step inside like a gentleman.

Sitting down in the driver’s seat, he started up the engines.

Benedict broke the silence first, “I never thought you would be Ms. Rachel’s daughter, Vivian.”

Vivian bobbed her head, replying, “Yeah. I never expected my Mom to know you either.”

“Seems like we’re fated to meet.”

Benedict glanced at her, discovering that she looked even prettier from the side.

Focusing his attention back on the road, he stopped the car at a red light.

He spoke up again, “Ms. Rachel was very nice to me when I was young. Unfortunately, things happened and she left my life. I honestly never thought I would get to see her again today.”

“My Mom told me about you, about all the things you did when you were a little boy.”

“Did she tell you I was a naughty one?”

“No. She actually kept praising you, saying how you were very smart and understanding. She liked you a lot. You and… Evelyn.”

She had thought that by mentioning Evelyn, he would talk a little bit more about his sister. To her disappointment, he did not.

Instead, he seemed much more interested in her. “Where were you when Ms. Rachel was working for us? I’ve never seen you even once.”

“I was at Miller Residence.” She explained. “Mom told me your family did not like outsiders staying there. Left with no other choice, she sent me off to live with the Millers.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

His voice was sincere as he uttered, “If it weren’t for us, you probably wouldn’t have needed to live with the Miller family. I have a rough idea of what sort of people they are. I’m sure they didn’t treat you very well, did they?”

“Forget it. It’s all in the past now. You were just a kid back then anyway.” Slowly but surely, she had been trying to get over her past. “Besides, Finnick has already taught them a harsh lesson for what they did to me. I don’t hate them anymore.”

She should not have brought up Finnick’s name. The moment his name left her lips, Benedict tensed.

“Who knows if Finnick did that for you or for himself? Don’t be so naive! He’s not as perfect as you think he is! He’s a hypocrite!” His voice came out stiffly.

Vivian would not allow anyone to speak badly of Finnick in front of her.

She scowled, snapping, “Benedict, could you not get so agitated at the mention of Finnick every single time? Do you really know what happened back then? Maybe it’s not what you think it is!”

“You leap to his defense each time! How very stupid of you!” Benedict’s face was blank as he hissed, “I’ve never seen such an idiotic woman as you! You’re so foolish! An idiot!”

At this, Vivian understood that it was pointless to argue with him. They would just end up hurting each other.

Her tone was less than friendly when she demanded, “Let me off. I want to walk back home myself.”

Sensing the unpleasant atmosphere in the car, Benedict realized that Vivian had misunderstood him. In truth, he was not against her specifically.

“Please don’t misunderstand. I don’t hate you; the one I hate is Finnick.”

Now feeling embarrassed for her mistake, she suggested, “Then maybe you misunderstood Finnick too. Did the Morrison family actually investigate the incident carefully back then?”

For a long while, Benedict was silent. Vivian did not prod him further.

Abruptly, he uttered, “At the time, the Morrison family was in dire straits. We did not have the time and energy to investigate that matter.”

His w bewildered Vivian. The Morrison family, one of the top three families in Sunshine City, were in dire straits?

He did not elaborate further, probably finding it too humiliating to tell her.

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Vivian returned to the magazine company.

For some reason, Benedict’s words niggled at her mind and she was determined to find out what he meant.

Since Jenny had been working at the magazine company the longest, Vivian decided to ask her about what happened all those years ago.

Jenny pondered the question for several moments before flipping through her notebook of that year.

At last, she answered, “Ten years ago, the Morrison family had an unprecedented business crisis. Several large companies banded together to threaten their business. Things got so bad that Morrison Group came close to getting bought over by that consortium. This incident shook everyone to the core since the top three families in Sunshine City were interconnected. If one of them prosper, so would the others; and vice versa. Needless to say, the Jackson and Norton families were alarmed at how things were going. However, they did not actually help the Morrison family. Instead, they stood by the sidelines.”

Unable to stop herself, Vivian interjected, “Why didn’t they help the Morrisons? I thought their families have always been rather good friends?”

“Yeah. Under normal circumstances, they would have aided the Morrisons. Of course they wouldn’t want the Morrisons to crumble. Unfortunately, that year was a bad year for everyone. They were suffering from the world economic crisis too. That was why they could only watch helplessly from the sidelines.”

Vivian listened carefully as Jenny explained everything.

“That’s not even the end of it.”

“There’s more?”

“Well, what I’m about to tell you might not be directly related to the forceful takeover of Morrison Group, but Evelyn Morrison was kidnapped around this time as well. The poor Morrisons, they just couldn’t catch a break.”

So, these are the factors that might have affected the kidnapping all those years ago.

“At the time, Finnick and Evelyn were…” Jenny trailed off, not sure if she should tell Vivian more about the kidnapping.

Vivian urged her, “It’s okay, Jenny. Please continue. Finnick’s already told me about their kidnapping.”

Relaxing, Jenny continued her story, “Luckily, the Norton family finally decided to step in. Although Evelyn Morrison died in that fire, Morrison Group received the Norton family’s help and managed to get through that tough time. Otherwise, the Morrison family would have been destroyed.”

That’s right. Even with the Nortons’ help, the Morrisons have fallen from grace. Everybody looks at them with disdain now, treating them as yesterday’s news.

However, Vivian had a feeling that the Morrison family would rise to glory again if Benedict were to manage the company properly.

She questioned, “It must have been Samuel Norton who helped them, right?”

She thought Finnick’s grandfather must have been quite an important figure back in the day.

To her surprise, Jenny shook her head. “You’re wrong, Vivian. At the time, he was so anxious over Finnick’s kidnapping that he had fallen ill. There was no way he would have the energy to aid the Morrisons.”

“Then who?”

“Mark Norton, Finnick’s older brother.”

Vivian was at once stunned and puzzled. Mark? It was Mark who helped the Morrisons?

She was not that familiar with Mark. However, from what she knew of him, he was quite a sinister man. He would not do anything that did not benefit him.

She asked Jenny, “Are Benedict and Mark on good terms?”

Snapping her notebook shut, Jenny answered, “I have no idea. I guess they’ve probably known each other since young?”

Before Vivian could think on this more, her stomach suddenly spasmed and nausea rose in her.

Jenny panicked upon noticing the green look on Vivian’s face. She cried out, “Vivian, what’s wrong? Why do you look so terrible?”

Clamping a hand over her mouth, Vivian waved her other hand at Jenny before she rushed toward the toilets. She instantly started retching the moment she entered one of the stalls.

Sarah hurried over, frantically asking Jenny what was wrong.

The latter replied, “I don’t know. She looked like she wanted to vomit.”

“She wanted to vomit?” The wheels turned in Sarah’s head before it clicked. She shouted, “Do you think she’s pregnant?”

At the word “pregnant,” the entire office exploded into mutters.

Anyone working for a magazine company was usually quite sensitive when it came to sniffing out something. Naturally, they were also quite nosy and loved to gossip. Vivian’s current status as Mrs. Norton only served to make the news even more exciting.

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After puking her guts out, Vivian felt a lot better.

I’ve been feeling rather nauseous lately. Must be the morning sickness kicking in. Her spirits soared at the thought even as her heart swelled with love.

Washing her hands at the sink, she took a moment to stare at her reflection. She seemed to have lost a little weight. Despite that, she was still buoyed at the thought of being a mother.

When she returned to the office, she noticed everyone staring at her with wide grins.

Did something happen?

Her voice was cautious as she asked, “Err… Did something good happen, guys?”

Sarah walked up to her and said, “Congratulations, Vivian! You are pregnant, aren’t you?”

So it was you! Busted!

Feeling a little shy, Vivian murmured, “Yeah… I-I’m pregnant.”

Sarah swept her into a bone-crushing hug, squealing loudly. It was almost like she was the one pregnant and not Vivian.

In her excitement, Sarah shook Vivian agitatedly as she babbled, “Wow, you’re so amazing, Vivian! You’re going to be a mother! Mr. Norton is going to be a father!”

Jenny hastily stopped Sarah’s movements, berating her, “Let go of her! Pregnant women shouldn’t move so roughly, especially in the first few months. Their pregnancy is still not stable yet! You’re going to hurt her!”

Gasping, colors drained from Sarah’s face as she released her grip on Vivian immediately.

Smiling, Vivian assured her, “I’m okay, Sarah. I’m not that fragile yet.”

The rest of her colleagues swarmed over, eager to congratulate her. They also reminded her to be careful from now on.

Shannon had not expected that Vivian would get pregnant so soon. This means that her position in Finnor Group just got much more secure!

She began to regret her previous actions, hating herself for offending Mrs. Norton.

Squeezing forward, Shannon pasted an ostentatious smile on her face as she simpered, “Oh, congratulations, Vivian! You’re so lucky!”

Sarah and Jenny rolled their eyes at Shannon’s rapid change in attitude.

Sarah could not help sniping, “Wow, Shannon, your attitude changes faster than the blink of an eye! You used to have it out for Vivian all the time previously. What, are you regretting your actions now?”

“Shut up!” Shannon glared at Sarah. When she turned back to Vivian, she was all smiling. “Ignore her. I apologize for whatever misunderstandings we used to have. You’re a magnanimous person. You won’t hold my past actions against me, will you? We’re all still colleagues and good friends, right?”

Vivian twitched her lips into a stiff smile. “I won’t hold a grudge against you. We’re all colleagues here. I’m grateful for everyone’s well-wishes.”

Seeing how everyone was so attentive to her, Vivian was touched.

Ever since they found out about her identity as Mrs. Norton, that brought them all closer together. They laughed and joked with each other a lot more. Never would anyone talk badly of her behind her back again. Nobody would call her dirty or accuse her of being a homewrecker again.

Humans are so realistic.

Just as everyone was chatting cheerfully, Fabian appeared.

The cold expression on his face effectively silenced everyone.

His gaze was locked on Vivian as he stated, “Come to my office. I want to talk to you.”

Her colleagues shrank back in their seats at the tension they could sense coming from their Chief Editor.

Left without a choice, Vivian obediently followed Fabian into his office.

Sarah and the rest craned their necks to look. Once the two entered the office, they murmured amongst themselves, trying to guess what he had to say to her. They noticed how he always had an odd look in the eyes when he stared at her. Sometimes, he acted like he had a grudge against her; Other times, it was the complete opposite and he treated her kindly.

As she was pregnant, Fabian gestured for Vivian to take a seat.

However, deep in his heart, he found himself unable to accept that reality.

His lips trembled when he asked, “They were talking about how you are pregnant. Is that true?”

“Yeah.”

“Vivian, are you really planning on staying with Finnick for the rest of your life?” He growled. Anger crept into his tone as he continued, “You can’t give birth to that baby! Have you forgotten what you and your mother went through? Do you want history to repeat itself?”

At first, Vivian was taken aback by the seriousness of Fabian’s words. Then, her expression hardened.

Why does my pregnancy have anything to do with what my father did? Finnick is not Harvey Miller. He won’t do to me what Harvey did to my mother! Comparing the two of them is just outrageous!

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Vivian retorted sharply, “Fabian, I won’t end up like my mother because Finnick is not Harvey Miller.”

Her protectiveness of Finnick sent pain shooting through Fabian’s heart.

She added, “Fabian, I really hope you’ll give Finnick and I your blessings.”

She knew Fabian hated her husband. That was why he sent her off to interview Benedict. He wanted her to find out what sort of man Finnick was so that she would leave him.

Too bad for Fabian, his plan failed. She had already fallen in love with Finnick long before then.

“I won’t give you my blessings! Never!” Fabian roared, “Vivian, you know I love you! Yet you married another man and are going to have his child. Can you blame me for being upset?”

Taking a deep breath, he continued his lament, “Do you have any idea how sad I was when I heard you are pregnant? Vivian, I can’t forget you. I can’t forget about all our memories together…”

There was no way to reverse time. The same could be said for love. You either loved someone or you did not. There was nothing reasonable or logical about love. It just was.

Sighing, Vivian practically pleaded, “Fabian, forget about me. You can’t always live in the past; you still have a long way ahead of you! Ever since you left me all those years ago, fate had already decided we’re not meant to be together.”

Fate had already decided we’re not meant to be together.

Fabian was struck speechless at her words. If only he had not abandoned her back then; If he had chosen to trust her, they would not be in this situation today…

Who else could he blame but himself? Vivian was not in the wrong here.

Vivian thought Fabian was calling her into his office so that he could assign her an interview or something. Now, she realized it was purely for personal reasons. He just wanted to persuade her to leave Finnick again.

Since there was no point in lingering in his office any longer, she said, “Mr. Norton, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be taking my leave.”

Fabian was on the verge of a mental breakdown. It would seem like there was really no hope for him and Vivian anymore.

“Vivian, is it really not possible between us? Do you honestly have no feelings for me? Not even the slightest bit? I don’t believe that…”

Vivian had to admit she used to love him, so very deeply. Yet after everything that had happened, her feelings for him became nothing more than memories of her youth. In those memories, she loved him and the feeling was mutual.

However, in the real world, right now and for the rest of her life, she would only love Finnick.

She replied softly, “Don’t forget that Ashley is pregnant too. You should focus all your love on her and your unborn child. Fabian, there’s really no going back for us.”

“Vivian, it’s still not too late for us to get back together! As long as you’re willing to return to my side, I’m willing to start things over again! We can leave this country and begin a new life somewhere else! I can give up everything for you!” He cried out with desperation lacing his every word.

Vivian sighed. Why can’t he understand? Why is he so hung up on me?

Although Ashley had a lot of flaws and was incredibly ruthless, there was no doubt that she was truly in love with Fabian. He really should be cherishing her.

Just as Vivian was about to persuade him again, there was a knocking sound from the door. It was Shannon.

She entered the office, noting the fury simmering in the air.

Not wanting them to direct their anger on her, she spoke up carefully, “Mr. Norton, this is the draft for Benedict Morrison’s interview about his antique fair. These are the photos. Please check if you’re satisfied with the typesetting. Senior Editor Jenson is waiting for your approval before she proceeds.”

Fabian’s expression was stony as he accepted the draft. He flipped through it quickly, not expecting a lot of issues.

The mere mention of Benedict was already more than enough to catch the readers’ attention. Those beautiful photos of him would only serve as a prop. The article itself had even fewer problems. Vivian was the one to write up the script before the interview so he had already seen it then.

He nodded at Shannon. “Everything looks great.”

Signing at the bottom, he handed the draft back to her.

She smiled at Fabian and snuck a sideways glance at Vivian before she left.

Upon stepping out of this office, Shannon mulled over what she had seen. Both of them had differing expressions on their faces. Fabian looked angry and frustrated while Vivian’s brows were knitted deeply in displeasure.

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Their conversations were inaudible to her, but it did not seem like work matters…

Shannon thought of how Ashley had made her keep an eye on Vivian, and also how she had managed to snap the picture of Fabian forcing a kiss on Vivian. Together with the recent news of Vivian’s pregnancy, she felt that the matter must be more complicated than that.

Should I inform Ashley? Is there something wrong with Vivian’s child?

Shannon thought about it for a long time before deciding to give it up. Never mind if I offend Ashley, it would be worse to offend Mrs. Norton and Finnick!

With this thought, Shannon went back to her work as if nothing happened.

After Shannon left, Fabian continued the conversation with Vivian in the office.

Fabian continued, “Vivian, you should remember when I got you to interview Benedict, it was with the hopes that you will see how fake and heartless Finnick really is! For the sake of his own life, he abandoned Evelyn who was completely infatuated with him. He ran away and left her to lose her life in that fire. Such a man is not worth your sacrifice at all!”

“That’s enough, Fabian!” Vivian was extremely angered. “It would have been fine had you not brought it up, but now that you mention it, how could you do that? You knew very well that Benedict was biased against Finnick, and you purposely arranged for me to interview him. Since when have you become so devious?”

Why is everyone against Finnick and they keep saying that it was his fault? What did he do wrong? Vivian felt very wronged on Finnick’s behalf as she felt that he had it so tough for so many years. She knew very well how it felt to be misunderstood.

She said, “Fabian, I love Finnick, and I will be with him for the rest of my life. No matter what you say, and no matter how others view Finnick, he is still the best man in the world to me. You can forget about it, Fabian.” With that, she opened the door and left.

Fabian could hear his own heart shatter into pieces.

He sat at his seat and watched the scenery outside as it grew bleaker by the minute.

The sight of falling leaves broke Fabian’s heart further. She was just like a leaf who had left him on a fall day like this.

He still remembered how when they were in college, Vivian loved to be with children, and would bring him to do volunteer work at the orphanage.

The children in the orphanage were very pitiful, but they were all very sensible and adorable. Vivian played really well with these children. All of them loved this big sister, and said that she was pretty and gentle.

Vivian explained that they were as pitiful as she was, with no one to love nor to pamper them. However, she was more blessed than they were, because she had Fabian and her mother—which was why she wanted to help them.

Fabian still remembered how her smile looked extraordinarily radiant under the sunlight. Just like an angel, her body looked like it was radiating light as she ran happily against the sunshine while playing with the children.

Vivian even told him that her biggest dream was to have her own child and to have her own family so as to give the child a perfect childhood, which was what she never had.

At that moment he thought, since Vivian wanted to have a complete family so much, he will tell her about his real identity upon graduation, and marry her.

However, who would have thought that fate had other plans?

With sad eyes, Fabian put his memories away.

At that moment, everything was perfect. Who would have thought that after all these years, both of them would in fact have children, just not with each other.

On the other hand, Vivian was still feeling frustrated after she left Fabian’s office. When the time was up, she immediately packed up to go home.

Lately, because of her pregnancy, Finnick had arranged for a personal car and chauffeur for her. Vivian agreed to the arrangement without hesitation as she too felt that she should not be squeezing through the subway in her pregnant state.

Because she finished work early, Finnick had not returned when she reached home. She sat on the sofa for a while before the doorbell rang.

She immediately skipped to the door excitedly.

“Finnick! You are home…

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When Vivian opened the door, she could not help but ze at the sight of the person outside.

The person standing out there was not Finnick, but a completely unexpected person.

It was grandpa—the elder Mr. Norton.

He did not come alone. In fact, he had a rather large entourage with him, all of whom were carrying large and small packages containing lots of tonics.

Mr. Norton looked at Vivian lovingly and said while looking at her stomach. “Vivian, you finally did it! This is great! All these tonics are especially nutritious for pregnant ladies, so just have them. You have the greatest contribution to the Norton family right now.”

Vivian was very happy to have grandpa as a guest in their home. She immediately welcomed him into the house and offered him drinks.

The elder Mr. Norton saw how busy she was and immediately said, “Alright, stop busying yourself. Just let the maids handle it. You have to get more rest. If you can’t handle it anymore, just resign from your job and stay at home.”

Vivian felt that apart from her gastric discomfort, everything was alright and she didn’t need to resign from her job yet.

Moreover, it was not easy for her to build up her career at the magazine company. She could not bear to just resign from her job just like that.

Vivian said, “Grandpa, don’t worry, I know what I am doing.”

“Alright, up to you. As long as you are happy!”

Samuel was incredibly happy when he heard that Vivian was pregnant. Finnick was his favorite grandson, and naturally he would love his child.

Vivian felt that Samuel was becoming much more amiable towards her.

Even though Samuel was old, he was still authoritative. Everyone was respectful yet fearful of him. Even though he did not have Finnick’s aura, it was clear that he used to be an influential person in the business arena. However, he was just a friendly old man in front of Vivian right now.

While Vivian was preparing some snacks, Samuel could not help but ask her, “Vivian, they say that a mother’s intuition is the strongest. Do you think you are carrying a boy or a girl?”

She really had not thought about this at all. It didn’t matter whether it was a boy or girl…

When he saw Vivian’s innocent face, Samuel could tell that she didn’t know anything as this was her first pregnancy. Without blaming her, he merely said, “If you are craving for sour food, it would be a boy. If you are craving for spicy food, it would be a girl. How’s your appetite lately? Have you been craving for sour food? I remember when your grandma was pregnant, she threw up so much and loved eating sour food, the sour the better. She ate up quite a few baskets of lemons!”

Lemon? That mere thought caused Vivian to have acid reflux.

“No, Grandpa, I’ve just been throwing up a lot. I don’t have any special craving for sour nor spicy tastes.”

“It’s normal to be nauseous. Don’t worry and just relax. I see that your complexion is not as good as it used to be, so it is time to focus on your health.”

Indeed, Vivian also felt that her complexion was bad lately, and her appetite was really poor as well. Together with her nausea, she had lost more weight.

Samuel said, “Actually, I would love her even if she were a girl. I will train her up to be the heir of the Norton family as well. When she grows up, I will send her abroad to the top schools in the world. Don’t worry too much. It is not good for the baby.”

Vivian could not help but flinch slightly when she heard him.

She did not expect the elder Mr. Norton to place so much emphasis on their child. He was actually saying that he wanted this child to be the heir of the Norton family?

Moreover, there was more than one branch in the Norton family. At Mark’s branch, Fabian and Ashley were about to have their child too.

Even though she knew that the old man was definitely biased, she did not expect him to be that biased. Wouldn’t Mark be completely pissed to find out what the elder Mr. Norton was really thinking about?

Vivian frowned and could not help but ask quietly, “Grandpa, if you love Finnick so much, will Mark…”

The old man suddenly sighed at the mention of Norton family’s current situation. He said, “Mark… He is too defensive when it comes to Finnick, and behaves as if Finnick were his arch rival instead of his brother. He was like this as a child, but who knew that he would still be like this after he grew up? Sigh… This is such a family tragedy. Even though Finnick is now the glamourous Norton, and also the president of Finnor Group, he does not even hold any company shares. I am indeed guilty as his grandpa.”

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Vivian was shocked when she heard that.

Under Finnick’s leadership, the Finnor Group managed to achieve greater heights every year. Based on his capabilities alone, how could Finnick not hold any company shares to the Finnor Group?

Vivian asked grandpa, “How is that possible? Why? Finnick is part of the Norton family too, shouldn’t he have it?”

Samuel said, “Of course he should! Actually, I’ve been meaning to transfer some shares to Finnick. However, Mark has been giving a lot of pressure to the board of directors, causing them to not dare to take any rash actions. They have always acted according to Mark’s directions. Sigh, they are all a bunch of useless trash. As long as it is not approved by the board of directors, Finnick’s shares would always be up in the air.”

“Then wouldn’t that mean that Mark singlehandedly owns the Norton family shares?”

Samuel nodded and smirked, “That’s right. Luckily, you are pregnant. This time, Finnick will finally have a reason to receive the shares. Vivian, this is the reason why I have been wanting Finnick to get married early, and for you to get pregnant soon! The Norton family can do without Mark but we cannot be without Finnick!”

Vivian’s eyes twinkled.

Mark was probably so defensive when it came to Finnick because of the elder Mr. Norton’s obvious bias.

She could not say anything else apart from a whisper, “Grandpa, you are so nice to Finnick.”

To which he replied, “Finnick resembles me the most and I do love him a little more. Moreover he has a kind heart. Don’t judge him by his icy exterior as all these were because of something that had happened ten years ago. He used to be very friendly as a child, and was extremely talkative. Now that I am old, I can’t control everything, so I feel bad for him as well.”

His hidden meaning was clear. Not only did he like Finnick, but he also felt bad for this grandson.

When Vivian heard him say all that, she could not help but be curious.

Mark was indeed evil, cunning and extremely greedy. Despite having so many of the Norton family shares in his hand, he was still so fearful of Finnick that he went to the extent of kidnapping and even attempting to take Finnick out. This kind of brother was indeed frightening.

Vivian felt very bad for Finnick. Apart from his grandfather’s love, the rest of this family viewed him as their enemy.

Instead of getting the things he was entitled to, he had to support such a huge group by himself.

Not only must he be very hardworking, but he also had to pretend to be disabled in front of others. It was something very painful and tiring.

Samuel continued chatting about everyday matters with Vivian. After a while, he got up and said, “Alright, I should get going. I just wanted to drop by to see you. Now that I see that you are fine, I feel less worried too. Do take care of yourself.”

Vivian was about to put on her coat to see him out, but he stopped her and said, “It’s fine, I don’t need you to send me off.”

Shortly after he left, someone pressed the doorbell at Vivian’s home again. Vivian thought that the elder Mr. Norton had left something behind, and immediately went to open the door.

However, when she opened the door and saw who was outside, she could not help but ze again.

It was Ashley!

Ashley looked at Vivian triumphantly and said, “What’s up? Am I a monster? Look at how shocked you are! Why aren’t you welcoming me into your home yet?”

Vivian could not discern Ashley’s intention at all. She was actually bold enough to come to her! For Ashley to turn up uninvited, something bad must be about to happen.

Vivian asked her, “What are you doing here?”

“Why can’t I be here? I am here to see my lovely sister!”

Ashley pushed the door on her own and walked into the house herself. She sat on the sofa and noticed the cups and plates on the coffee table, which indicated that someone had just been here.

Behaving like the mistress of the house, Ashley said to Vivian, “Can’t you even pour a cup of tea for your guest? Where are your manners, you uncouth peasant?”

Vivian had no choice but to shut the door and asked Ashley, “Just say it. Why are you looking for me?”

Ashley suddenly sniggered, “Who is looking for you? I am looking for Mr. Norton. You better keep your nose out of our business! Pour the tea!”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 299

Indeed, Ashley was here for Finnick. Otherwise, she would never have this courage to do so.

Vivian replied impatiently, “You better leave. Finnick is not here.”

“Not here?” Ashley saw that the house seemed very quiet, and that Finnick should not be there. However, she did not look like she was about to leave. “If he is not here, I’ll just wait for him then.”

With that, she sat on the sofa, ran her fingers across the leather and said sarcastically, “Oh, your sofa is not bad, isn’t it? Handmade Italian leather? Vivian, you’ve indeed made it for yourself.”

Vivian was about to throw her out, but she was reminded that Ashley was Finnick’s savior. So, it wouldn’t do to just chase her out. Vivian had no choice but to remain quiet.

Ashley walked around their house.

This house may not be as big as the Miller Residence, but it was done up in a luxurious manner. Every single bead of the chandelier in the living room was made out of real crystals. She could tell from one glance based on its shine.

She could barely hide her jealousy by now.

Who did Vivian, the illegitimate daughter think she was to live in such a nice place?

At the same time, Vivian brewed another pot of hot tea and poured a cup for Ashley.

Ashley shot her a glance and held her head high. “Look at the way you are pouring tea. You do look like a housemaid’s child. So professional. Hahaha!”

“Please help yourself.”

Vivian could not be bothered to argue further with her. She continued to host her politely and served Ashley some snacks that were nutritious for pregnant women. Finnick had his people buy that for her.

Actually, Vivian pitied Ashley. Her mother was forced to suffer overseas and she was not able to win over Fabian. Therefore, Ashley could only become crazier and torture Vivian more, because the former was already left with nothing.

Ashley stared at Vivian’s stomach and jeered at her, “I heard that you are pregnant too? Is it really Finnick’s? Or some random guy?”

“Ashley, can’t you just shut it?” Vivian could barely hold it anymore. “You have no reason to talk about the child in my stomach. Go and be concerned about your own child.”

“Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?” Ashley continued sneering. “Yes, you are pregnant—you are really pregnant. Just that I do hope that you are able to keep the pregnancy.”

Vivian’s face completely changed.

Ashley had crossed the line!

The more she retreated, the more Ashley attacked her. Now, she was cursing her unborn child right in front of her!

Vivian lashed out angrily, “Ashley, stop being so proud! How dare you curse my child? Are you not going to let go of a little life?”

“Why are you losing your temper for?” Ashley was not going down easily. “I can say anything I want! Back then, Rachel should never have given birth to you the bastard! In the end, not only did you fight for Dad with me, but you also fought with me for my man as well. I hate you!”

As a fellow pregnant woman, Ashley’s words were really too much! Vivian was very angry but she knew that it was not good to be angered while she was pregnant, hence she decided to ignore her.

Vivian remembered when she was little and first laid eyes on Ashley, she felt that her biological sister looked very beautiful and adorable. In her expensive and exquisite clothing, she looked just like a little princess.

Vivian really liked her sister from the beginning, and was happy that she finally had a little sister.

However, who would have expected that it was this sister that hated her the most. She has done so many cruel things to land her into trouble—she was completely unforgivable!

Seeing that Vivian did not refute her, Ashley’s words fell flat. However, when her eyes landed on Vivian’s stomach, a glint went through her eyes and she laughed sarcastically, “Vivian, don’t assume that you are so important with this pregnancy of yours. Remember that the higher your climb, the harder you will fall. Let me tell you, I am still the final winner! I am Finnick’s savior, and your family’s honored guest. If you mistreat me, I will tell Finnick. He will listen to me.”

Vivian thought of how Finnick obeyed Ashley in every way, and she did not feel good inside.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 300

Ashley did not stop there. “Vivian, let me advise you to not be too arrogant. Don’t think that your status has elevated in the Norton family just because you are carrying a child. Let me tell you, the more you hope, the more disappointed you will be!”

Vivian felt that there was a hidden meaning in Ashley’s words, and it unsettled her. She could not help but frown, “Ashley, you are pregnant too. Aren’t you worried about retribution when you say things like these? Why should the next generation bear the burden of our grudges?”

“Grudges?” Ashley’s voice became shrill instantly. “Vivian William, listen carefully. You and I have grudges from the past life to this, and you can never run away from it. My mother is overseas and can’t do anything to you, but I will make you pay back in double and more! Also, did you know how much your mother Rachel made my mother cry? Therefore, I hate you. I hate you so much I want all of you to die, including your child!”

“Ashley!” Vivian just wanted to throw her out of the door. “If you are here just to insult me, please leave immediately. This is my home!”

“Well, I’m not leaving! I’m not leaving!” Ashley shouted angrily with a stubborn and indignant look on her face. “I tell you, I want to see Finnick, not you! I’m not leaving! If I leave, Finnick will ask me to come back and he will blame you for it! I am his savior, you hear that? I am his savior!”

Vivian suddenly felt a bout of dizziness attack her brain. If she continued like this with Ashley, she could affect her pregnancy.

If Ashley wanted to throw a tantrum, she was welcome to do so.

“In that case, you can sit here and wait. I won’t be here with you.” Vivian left the living room and returned to her bedroom.

“Hey Vivian, what kind of attitude is this? Is this how you treat your savior? Let me tell you, Vivian, I can guarantee worse days are ahead of you!”

Ashley’s voice rose behind Vivian. For some reason, Ashley looked a little triumphant, which seemed rather foreboding to Vivian, as if something were about to happen.

However, what could Ashley do now, even with Finnick’s repayment?

The sight of Vivian hiding back in her room made Ashley feel triumphant. However, it wasn’t the height of victory and she was not completely satisfied yet.

As Finnick’s savior, Ashley walked around ly in Vivian’s house.

She saw that their furnishings consisted of expensive rare items, and could not help but feel jealous again. A look into the rest of the house also showed the latest designs by the current top designers.

There was every kind of household electrical item in the house. They were all the latest products with many smart household items amongst them as well. It seemed like they were living at the tip of modernity in absolute comfort.

Who did Vivian the illegitimate daughter think she was to enjoy such luxury and to bask in the love from a man like Finnick?

Sadly, she was now in my hands. This will be the end for her! She won’t be enjoying this lifestyle for much longer. I will definitely make her lose every single thing!

Ashley purposely feigned thirst and shouted, “Oh no, I’m really thirsty. Vivian, get me some tea.”

“Didn’t you just have tea?” Vivian replied from her bedroom. “How can you be thirsty again so soon?”

Ashley shouted, “You are pregnant as well. Don’t you know that pregnant women are always thirsty?”

Yes, I’d changed the green tea to fruit tea because I knew that she is pregnant. In the end, there is no gratitude from Ashley at all. Vivian was completely disappointed in Ashley.

She walked out of her bedroom and poured tea for Ashley once again.

Ashley picked up her cup. Suddenly, her hand shook and she spilled the hot tea on the floor, nearly splattering the tea on Vivian as well!

“You!” Vivian covered her stomach subconsciously.

Ashley spoke vehemently, “You nearly scalded me! Vivian, how evil of you! You are trying to harm my baby, aren’t you? You are jealous that I am carrying Fabian’s child, and you are jealous that Finnick had forgiven me and accompanied me for a whole day in the hospital. And for that, you tried to scald me with hot tea? You are such a scheming person! Let me tell you, if anything happens to my baby, you will be the first one to suffer for it!