Ch. 341..350
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 341
“Why did you fake your disability then, Mr. Norton?” a journalist asked out of curiosity.
“We would like to know why too!”
“Has it got something to do with the fire ten years ago?”
The journalists could tell that there was a reason behind Finnick’s fake disability, and they were dying to know it.
Usually, no journalist would dare to take the initiative to speak during press conferences with Finnor Group, but the journalist who spoke first gave other journalists the courage to speak up as well.
Finnick seemed rather calm despite the onslaught of questions. “Yes, I am indeed healthy, but I have my own reasons for faking my disability. I do not wish to discuss this in public, and I hope you understand.”
The journalists nodded in acceptance, but as experienced reporters and writers, they knew perfectly well what the possible reasons were.
However, they also knew that they did not have the right to get themselves involved in the business of prominent families.
Finnick cleared his throat and continued his speech. “There’s another thing I would like to talk about. Those rumors from two years ago are all baseless, malicious claims. Ashley Miller was the one who made them up to ruin my wife’s reputation, and I’ve submitted the relevant evidence to the police. I’m sure justice will be served soon.”
He chuckled as something popped into his mind. “By the way, we’re doing well as husband and wife. The pregnancy rumors were untrue, but we’ve been trying nonetheless. Thank you for your concern and your presence today.”
With that, he stood up and bowed to the journalists before leaving without another word.
Meanwhile, Vivian was going to combust from the second-hand embarrassment.
“Oh, what did he say? ‘We’ve been trying nonetheless?’” Jenny teased as Vivian buried herself in her sheets.
“Jenny!” Vivian shouted, tossing a pillow at Jenny.
“We’re all adults anyway. What’s there to be embarrassed about?” someone said as the crowd chuckled in unison.
After the press conference, netizens began to flood the Internet with awestruck comments all over again.
Wow, he’s so protective of his wife!
I was going to lose hope in men, but he proved me wrong! Vivian William is so lucky!
I wish I could be his wife!
By the time Finnick returned to Vivian’s hospital room, she had already finished dinner and was getting ready to go to sleep.
Instead of sleeping on the cot beside her bed, Finnick decided to share a bed with her.
Vivian chuckled as she thought about his closing statement during the press conference. “Is Mark going to explode from anger because of what you said? Now everyone thinks he’s getting you into trouble just to get the inheritance. I heard from my colleagues that his company’s stocks plummeted after the press conference!”
“Of course,” Finnick said gently, though his eyes had a sharp glint in them. “Serves him right, though.”
“Do you really hate him that much?” Vivian asked out of curiosity. “He’s your brother, after all.”
“Of course I do. I’ll never forgive him for what he did to me a decade ago and for what he did to you.”
“What?” Vivian exclaimed. “What did he do to you a decade ago?”
Was he responsible for that fire ten years ago?
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 342
“I never figured out their motive behind the kidnapping ten years ago,” Finnick said with a frown. “They could have taken their leave after getting the money, but they chose to commit arson instead. What makes them think setting me on fire and letting the whole world know of the kidnapping would do them any good?”
He paused and looked at the ceiling. “I’ve been doing my own investigations over the years, and I can confirm that Mark was the mastermind behind all this. Those burglars were after my life rather than my money, and the ransom was just another one of Mark’s smoke screens. What he didn’t expect was to hear of my escape from the inferno.”
He clenched his fists in anger. Memories of his escape had plagued his mind for years, and he was determined to take revenge.
Vivian sighed as she racked her brains to think of a suitable response.
Even though it had been a decade since the fire, Finnick was still having trouble moving on from it. That in itself was an indication of just how severe the trauma was.
She pried open his fists and held on to his clammy hands in the hopes of helping him calm down.
Noticing her concern, Finnick took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. “Don’t worry, it’s all in the past. They won’t be able to hurt me now.”
Vivian grimaced. How could they?
How could you, Mark? You may not be on good terms with Finnick, but how dare you hurt him?
“So why did Mark…” she began, only to cut herself off as the answer to her question popped into her head. It’s for the money, of course. Why else would he do such a thing?
Finnick’s grandfather, Samuel doted on him, and Vivian could tell that he had intended for Finnick to be the heir to the Norton family’s assets. As for Mark, jealousy had gotten the better of him, and getting rid of Finnick was the sure-fire way to secure himself the position as head of the Norton family.
“Did you fake your disability to defend yourself against Mark?” Vivian asked.
“Yeah. I was too young and weak to do anything against him back then, so I had no choice but to resort to that,” Finnick answered. “Faking a disability made him drop lower his guard against me, and I used the disability as an excuse to go to A Nation and gather my forces. That’s the only way for me to find out about the truth and make him pay for it. Now that I’m strong enough to go against him, I figured that it’s time to reveal the truth. I won’t let him hurt me or my loved ones ever again.”
Vivian listened as he talked about his lonely struggles over the years, which was something that he never discussed openly, even when she asked about it.
He’s finally opening up to me, isn’t he?
After a while, both of them fell asleep, exhausted from their conversation.
Even though the hospital bed was way too small for both of them, they still managed to sleep through the night without incident.
The next day, Finnick left for work early in the morning while Vivian decided to give Rachel a call, since she did not get the chance to do so earlier.
She must be worried sick about me!
Rachel’s anxious voice came through the moment she picked up. “Are you alright, Vivian? Are you hurt? Why didn’t you call earlier? I was so worried for you!”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 343
To Vivian’s surprise, Rachel started to sob before she could even say anything to console her.
“Mom, don’t cry! I’m fine! I’m not hurt! Don’t worry!” she said frantically.
“Stop lying! You almost fell from a building, for goodness’ sake! How are you now?” Rachel asked, still sniffling.
“I’m fine, Mom… “
It took a while, but Rachel finally calmed down enough to talk. “Take care of yourself and don’t get hurt!” she said before hanging up.
Vivian put her phone away and looked up with a start when someone knocked on the door.
She got off the bed and opened the door, only to be shocked by the person standing behind it. Why is she here?
“How are you doing, Vivian?” Elaine asked with a worried expression.
“I’m fine. Why are you here?” Vivian asked, gesturing to the chair beside her bed.
She had not expected Elaine to visit her of all people, since they have only met once at the interview.
“I was so worried for you after reading the news! I’m just glad to see that you’re doing well, that’s all,” Elaine said as he handed Vivian a bouquet of flowers.
“Thank you. It’s beautiful,” Vivian said. However, she could not help but wonder why Elaine picked a bouquet of Blue Enchantresses.
Don’t people usually bring simpler flowers like lilies and daisies when visiting patients in a hospital? Why did she give me Blue Enchantresses?
Vivian shrugged. Maybe it’s just a personal preference?
“Where’s your husband, Vivian? Why are you alone?” Elaine asked.
“He’s busy right now,” Vivian replied with a smile.
“Don’t you know how lucky you are? You have such a handsome and capable husband, so you should take good care of him before someone snatches him away.”
“Huh? No way! We’re on really good terms, and I trust him wholeheartedly,” Vivian said, a little surprised.
“Oh, really?” Elaine asked, and Vivian could tell that there was another side to her words.
“Yeah,” she answered, nodding. “By the way, where did you get your dress from? It’s really pretty.”
She changed the subject to avoid talking about Finnick. After a while more bantering, Elaine stood up to take her leave. “I’ll come back and visit you when I have the time,” she said before walking out of the door.
That night, Finnick caught sight of the Blue Enchantresses on the bedside table when he returned to the hospital room, and his expression turned grim almost immediately.
“What’s wrong?” Vivian asked.
“Nothing. Who gave you those flowers?” Finnick asked.
“Elaine did. Do you remember her? The designer that I interviewed a few days back? She came to see me this morning, and… “
“Throw the flowers away.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t like it,” Finnick said before turning around and disappearing into the bathroom.
Vivian stared at him in confusion. Did he just tell me to throw them away? What’s wrong with him? Did something happen back in the office?
“Maybe he won’t be mad if I hid it… “she muttered to herself as she concealed the flowers behind the water dispenser. “It’s such a waste to throw them away!
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 344
After Finnick left for work the next day, yet another unexpected guest appeared in Vivian’s room.
He looked like he had not slept in days, and his clothes and hair were in a mess.
“Here. This is for you,” Fabian said, handing her a bouquet of lilies. He knew how much Vivian loved lilies.
“Thank you,” Vivian said as she set the flower down on the bedside table. “How’s Ashley’s funeral going?”
“We’re preparing for her wake as of now,” Fabian answered.
With her parents out of the picture and no close friends to help out, Fabian had to plan her wake and her funeral all by himself.
“Please give it your all, Fabian,” Vivian pleaded. “I may not like her, but she’s my sister after all. I can’t bear to see her leave this world without a proper funeral… “
She paused and sighed. “She really loved you.”
“I know. I would have done it anyway,” Fabian said. “By the way, Vivian, I’m here to tell you that… “
He hesitated and looked away.
“What’s wrong?” Vivian asked.
“Vivian, I just want to give you and Finnick my blessings,” Fabian said as he met her eyes again with much determination. “I used to think that the two of you chose each other out of necessity, and I used to believe that I was the one for you. However, when I saw how Finnick volunteered to take your place when you got kidnapped, I realized just how much he loved you. I asked myself if I would do the same, but I was too cowardly to say yes.”
He lowered his head shyly. “Vivian, I realized that I’ll never compare to Finnick. He’s the one you deserve, so I wish you all the best.”
With that, he looked into her eyes again and waited for her reply.
“Yeah, you too,” Vivian said quietly.
Finnick almost cried upon hearing those words. Even if Finnick was the one she deserved, she used to love Fabian with all her heart, and Fabian was delighted to hear her well wishes.
“Can I hug you?” Fabian asked before looking away sheepishly. “Actually, never mind… I just… “
Before he could finish his sentence, Vivian leaned forward and gave him a quick hug. “Promise me, Fabian. Take care of yourself and be happy.”
Fabian nodded with a smile. “I’ll take my leave now. I still have plenty of things to settle regarding the wake.”
“Alright, I’ll see you off,” Vivian said as he got up from his seat.
After Fabian left, Vivian returned to her room and got herself a cup of water from the dispenser beside her bed. She glanced at the bouquet of Blue Enchantresses she hid behind the dispenser the previous night, and she could not help but stroke the petals gently.
“Aren’t they beautiful? Why doesn’t he like them?” Vivian muttered to herself as she took out an empty vase and put the flowers in carefully.
Just as she set the vase down on her bedside table, someone knocked on the door.
Since when did I become so popular? Vivian wondered as she opened the door, only to ze in shock at the sight of her visitor.
Why do I have so many unexpected guests these days?
The person standing outside the door was Benedict Morrison, Evelyn Morrison’s brother.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 345
“Why are you here?” she asked.
Benedict answered smilingly, “Well, of course, I’m here to visit the patient.”
Noticing the confusion on Vivian’s face, he explained, “When I visited Ms. Rachel yesterday, I heard from her that you’re injured and were admitted to the hospital. She was very worried about you, but she can’t visit you in her current health condition. So, she asked me to come and check if you’re alright.”
“Is my mom alright?” Vivian couldn’t help feeling worried when Benedict mentioned Rachel’s health condition.
Benedict reassured her, “Yes, she’s fine. There’s no need to worry.” Then, he asked, “Are you alright?”
“Yes, thanks to Finnick,” replied Vivian.
Yet, Benedict’s face darkened upon the mention of Finnick.
“Huh,” he snorted, “I thought Finnick had lost both of his legs ten years ago, but it turns out he escaped unscathed. Evelyn was the only one who died in the fire.”
Hearing his sarcastic words, Vivian furrowed her brows. “Benedict, none of us know what happened at that time. I don’t believe Finnick would leave Evelyn for dead. I hope you won’t say things like this again before we even find out about the truth.”
Benedict paid no heed to Vivian’s words. To him, Vivian was only trying to defend Finnick.
Suddenly, he froze on the spot when something caught his attention.
Noticing his abnormality, Vivian followed his gaze and saw the Blue Enchantress, a gift from Elaine, on the nightstand.
Shifting her eyes back to Benedict, she asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
“That’s Evelyn’s favorite flower,” Benedict answered sorrowfully, fixing his eyes on the Blue Enchantress.
What? Blue Enchantress is Evelyn’s favorite flower?
Hearing that, Vivian recalled when Finnick seemed to be lost in his thoughts while staring at the flower yesterday. At that instant, conflicted emotions overwhelmed her heart. At that time, did the flowers remind him of Evelyn? Is it because of Evelyn that he asked me to throw away the flowers? Because he was afraid that it might bring back sad memories?
As for Benedict, he was disdainful of Finnick for pretending to be disabled. Now that he saw his sister’s most favorite flower, he couldn’t help feeling a little moody. Since he was not in the mood to stay any longer, he soon left the hospital after having a little chat with Vivian.
Vivian felt a little tired after dealing with both Fabian and Benedict. She was now lying in bed, trying to get some rest. Yet, she was bothered by the thought that Finnick was acting strangely yesterday because of Evelyn. She was perturbed, and couldn’t seem to sleep.
After much tossing and turning in bed, being overwhelmed by fatigue, Vivian eventually fell asleep.
It was past three in the afternoon when she woke up. While making her bed, she heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the ward. Then, a resounding voice rang out, “Which ward is it? Are we not there yet?”
It’s Grandpa! Vivian recognized it was Samuel upon hearing his familiar voice.
She quickly put on her coat and then opened the door to see Samuel standing outside in the corridor with a group of doctors behind him.
“Grandpa, I’m here,” she called out.
Upon seeing Vivian, Samuel admonished, “Stay there! Don’t move! Didn’t they say you’re injured? Why aren’t you resting? You should rest in bed!”
Vivian shook her head in amusement at Samuel’s overreaction. “Oh, Grandpa, they’re exaggerating it. I’m fine,” Vivian reassured Samuel while helping him into the ward to sit on the couch.
“Really?” Samuel asked as he couldn’t seem to cast his worries away.
Vivian answered helplessly, “Really. As you can see, I’m fine.” What did they say about my injury? Why is everyone visiting me all of a sudden?
Benedict scrutinized her from head to toe, making sure she was alright before he could put his mind at ease.
“I think it’s better you do a full-body check-up in case there’s any sequela. You might as well ask the doctor to check your fertility. Oh, I can’t wait to meet my grandchild.”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 346
Vivian’s face flushed scarlet. She felt a little awkward when Samuel said that in front of the doctors.
At the same time, she was doubtful as well. Since she and Finnick were long married, she should’ve gotten pregnant by now.
Actually, she had always wanted to have a baby with Finnick. To her, they would only be complete as a family with a child’s presence. Thus, she readily agreed with Samuel’s suggestion.
Half an hour later, Vivian was done with the check-up with the assistance of three doctors.
One of the doctors told them, “The result will only come out a few days later. Please give us a moment.” He bowed at Samuel before leading the rest of the doctors out of the ward.
Seeing that there were only the two of them left, Vivian spoke up, “Grandpa, I need you to do me a favor.”
“Oh? What is it that you want me to help you with? Just say it, I will do anything for you,” Samuel agreed to her request without any hesitation.
“Thank you, Grandpa. Actually, I wanted to ask you to look into the kidnapping incident that happened ten years ago. I think there must be something we don’t know about it.”
Samuel’s face turned grim. “Why do you say so?” he asked seriously.
“Grandpa, you’re the one who raised Finnick; you know him better than anyone else. Do you think he is someone who would abandon Evelyn, leaving her to die? I don’t believe it. That’s why I hope you can investigate the incident. I don’t want Finnick to live his life with guilt, and I wish to help him to let go of his past.”
Hearing that, Samuel was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. “You’re right. Finnick hasn’t moved on after all these years. Don’t worry, leave it to me. I’ll get to the bottom of it.”
…
Vivian stayed in the hospital for two more days. After receiving positive check-up results, Samuel finally agreed with her discharging herself from the hospital.
Vivian was bored to death during her stay in the hospital. It was a great pleasure to be outdoors under the sun, breathing fresh air.
She was in such a good mood that everything around her seemed to look livelier. With a light heart, she posted a tweet: Finally, I escaped from the hospital and got a taste of dom!
It wasn’t long after she posted the tweet when she received a call from Elaine. Why is she calling me?
“Hello, Elaine? What’s up?” she asked.
“It’s nothing, actually. I saw your tweet just now, and I’m thinking of asking you to go shopping. Are you ?” Elaine invited her over the phone.
“Yes. Actually, I’m thinking of going shopping as well. Where do we meet up?” Vivian accepted Elaine’s invitation as that was exactly what she had in mind.
In no time, the two agreed on the meeting time and venue. Soon, they arrived at the largest mall in the city.
“Vivian, do you like this dress?” asked Elaine, showing Vivian a white dress. “I think it suits you a lot.”
Vivian turned to look at the dress Elaine was holding. Its cut was simple and elegant, matched with a vintage cinch belt. Overall, the dress looked fashionable. However, there was a deep-V at the back of the dress. Isn’t this low-back dress a little too revealing?
“I don’t usually wear this type of dress. I think it won’t look good on me.” Vivian had never worn this type of princessy white dress before; she tended to wear a more conservative type of clothing.
“Try it on. I believe you’ll look beautiful in it.” With that, Elaine pushed her toward the fitting room.
Having no choice, Vivian gave in and took the dress from Elaine. “Fine. I’ll try it on.”
When she came out of the fitting room in the dress, Elaine exclaimed in awe, “Vivian, this dress suits you perfectly! It’s like it’s custom-tailored for you. You must buy it, or I won’t let you leave the shop.”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 347
“Really?” Standing in front of the cheval mirror, Vivian felt weird to see herself in the dress. The style of the dress didn’t suit her temperament at all. She felt like a weirdo in it.
“Of course! Don’t forget I’m a professional designer. Don’t you trust my opinion? I’ve picked a few more dresses for you just now. Go and try them on!”
Elaine shoved a few dresses, in which their styles were similar to the one she was wearing, into her arms.
Unwilling to dampen her spirits, Vivian agreed, “A-Alright.”
Elaine’s eyes followed Vivian as the latter entered the fitting room. At that instant, she curled her lips into a mysterious smile while the mirth in her eyes disappeared.
Vivian tried the dresses one by one. Elaine commented that all of them looked nice on her and asked her to purchase them, or she would buy them as gifts for her.
In the end, under Elaine’s persuasion, Vivian bought all the dresses that she tried on earlier.
After that, Elaine led her to the cosmetics store to shop for cosmetics.
She halted Elaine and said, “Elaine, I don’t need that many products. Usually, I only apply light makeup.”
Elaine continued to pull her forward, disregarding her reluctance. “Oh, Vivian, it’s woman’s nature to pursue beauty. How could you not spruce yourself up? “Besides, you’re Finnick’s wife! Do you know how many young and beautiful ladies out there are throwing themselves at your husband? You need to have some sense of awareness!”
Vivian shook her head in amusement. If Finnick only cared about looks, he wouldn’t even marry her in the first place. Nevertheless, she was tempted by Elaine’s words. Every woman would want to look their best for the man they loved; Vivian was no exception.
Under Elaine’s recommendation, she bought many cosmetic products that she wouldn’t even consider buying in the past. Elaine even personally helped apply makeup for her.
Looking at Vivian’s reflection in the mirror, Elaine commented, “Vivian, you’re beautiful. I was right; this makeup really suits you a lot. In the future, you can spruce yourself up like how I taught you today. I guarantee Finnick will be stunned, and he’ll love you even more.”
The sales advisor concurred, “That’s true. Miss, your features are beautiful, and the makeup has further accentuated your beauty.”
After shopping for the whole afternoon, Vivian bade Elaine goodbye and went home with a handful of shopping bags.
Finnick hadn’t gotten off work when she arrived home. In the bedroom, she thought for a while and decided to put on the white dress.
The belt was loosely tied around her waist, highlighting her slim waistline. One could catch a glimpse or two of her back through her hair that cascaded down around her shoulder. She looked innocent yet sexy. The exquisite makeup that Elaine helped apply on her face matched perfectly with the dress.
The woman in the mirror looked so different from her usual self. Yet, Vivian must admit that she looked gorgeous.
She couldn’t help taking another glance at herself in the mirror, her face flushed. Letting out a deep breath, she went downstairs in cheerful steps.
As the clock pointed at half-past six, Vivian was growing anxious. Finnick usually comes home before six. Why is he not back yet?
Just as she was about to give him a call, she heard the sound of the door unlocking.
“You’re back! Why are you so late today?” she asked.
Finnick, who was changing into slippers, let out a chuckle. “There’s a last-minute meeting today. Why? Did you miss me?” he teased.
She retorted smilingly, “You wish!” Then, she approached the man to take his suit from him.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 348
As Finnick looked up, he was dazed upon seeing her look. His smile disappeared as he pursed his lips, his eyes full of disbelief.
“What’s wrong?” Vivian was confused by his reaction.
Finnick soon came back to his senses. He asked faintly, “You’ve bought new clothes today?”
“Yes.” Inexplicably, Vivian felt nervous when the man asked her about the dress. “I went shopping with Elaine today, and I bought it since it suits me. Does it not look nice?”
Finnick paused for a while before he answered, “The style of the dress doesn’t suit you. Listen to me, go get changed.”
Hearing that, Vivian uttered a response before she went upstairs, downhearted.
In the bedroom, she had changed into her usual clothes. She was now staring at the white dress that was lying on the bed.
Her eyes prickled with tears when she recalled how she dressed up for him, waiting for his return anticipatingly. She felt suffocated, feeling like her heart was being tied into a knot.
Vivian William, don’t weep like a baby! She took a few deep breaths and fanned her eyes, blinking back her tears.
At night, Vivian got up to use the bathroom. When she climbed back into the bed, she suddenly heard Finnich calling the name “Evelyn”.
She turned around to face Finnick. In his sleep, the man’s brows knitted, and the veins on his temple throbbed as if he was having a bad dream.
Evelyn? Is it Evelyn Morrison? Finnick is dreaming about her? Tears rolled down her cheeks at the thought of her husband calling another woman’s name in his dream, especially when she recalled him saying coldly that the dress didn’t suit her.
She turned her back to him. Biting her finger, she let her tears surge out, wetting the pillowcase.
…
In the morning, the other side of the bed was already empty when Vivian woke up.
While washing up, she was frustrated at the sight of her puffy eyes in the mirror. “How am I going to meet other people with these eyes?”
In the end, she resorted to massaging her eyes with an ice pack to help with the swelling.
As she opened her wardrobe to get changed into working attire, the dresses she bought the other day came into sight.
The style of the dress doesn’t suit you. At that moment, Finnick’s words rang out in her mind again.
Just because he said it doesn’t suit me doesn’t mean I can’t wear it. I didn’t buy the dress because of him. With that in mind, she put on the dress she bought and applied makeup similar to the one yesterday.
After that, she went to work.
Her job that day was to interview at an auction with Sarah and Ken from the magazine company.
Since she got married, she had accompanied Finnick and attended many auctions. Therefore, she was familiar with the whole auctioning process.
In no time, they had taken pictures of the auctioning venue’s interior, noted down the information of a few relatively eye-catching auction items, and interviewed some successful bidders.
Just as they were about to leave, Vivian caught sight of a familiar figure. She hesitated for a while and then told Sarah and Ken, “You guys go back first. I saw a friend just now, and I’m going to say hi.”
“Alright, we’ll leave you then.” With that, Sarah and Ken left.
“Benedict!”
Meanwhile, Benedict heard someone calling his name. He turned around to find Vivian standing behind him.
He was a little stunned by her appearance.
Vivian felt rather self-conscious when Benedict stared at her, not saying a word. “What’s wrong?” she asked meekly.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 349
Benedict soon realized it was rude of him to keep staring at someone. With a smile, he said, “Nothing. It’s just that I think your dress looks beautiful. I never seen you wear this kind of dress before.”
“Well, I’m trying out a new style lately.” Vivian randomly came up with a topic, “Are you here for any auction item?”
“Well, that’s one of the reasons. Mainly, I’m here to get acquainted with those from the business industry since they are all potential business partners. Are you here doing an interview?” That was the only purpose for Vivian to come to the auction he could think of.
“Yes. I need to go back and write my script, so I should get going now. Bye!”
Benedict nodded. “Goodbye.”
His eyes followed Vivian as she left, the sorrowful emotions in them were barely veiled. “Evelyn…” he muttered under his breath.
…
Vivian head back to the magazine company after parting ways with Benedict.
“Vivian, you’re back!” Sarah greeted her. “I thought you’re going to stay a little longer with your friend.”
“It’s just an acquaintance of mine,” said Vivian.
Just then, she noticed Sarah kept staring at her. “What’s wrong? Do I have something on my face? You’ve been staring at me all the time at the auction.”
Hearing that, Sarah flashed her a sheepish grin. “Vivian, you actually noticed it! I thought I was careful enough. It’s just that you look different today, much prettier than before. That’s why I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”
Jenny chimed in, “That’s true. Vivian, your dressing style and makeup sure look different today. You look gorgeous. Well, that tells us that as women, we do need to spruce ourselves up.”
“Really?” Vivian asked dubiously. She was unsure whether it was sincere praise or a mere pleasantry after having received the negative comment from Finnick.
“Trust me, Vivian. You look absolutely stunning!” Sarah nodded firmly, reassuring her that it was not sweet talk.
Vivian replied smilingly, “I got it. Thank you for your praise.” She was happy to receive the compliment from Sarah. After all, who wouldn’t want to look beautiful in the eyes of others?
“Big news, everyone! Check Twitter!” Charlie, the new employee, came rushing into the office, yelling. He then reached his desk and turned on his computer.
His excitement successfully piqued everyone’s interest. They gathered around his desk, fixing their eyes on the computer screen. “What is the big news about?”
“Someone posted a video about Finnor Group’s president and his ex-girlfriend. The video went viral on the Internet,” explained Charlie while he clicked on the video.
Everyone was intrigued when they heard the news concerned Finnick. Unanimously, they stopped asking further questions and directed their attention to the screen.
As for Vivian, she was unhappy to hear that the video featured both Finnick and Evelyn. Yet, she succumbed to her curiosity and gathered around Charlie’s desk.
It was a video about Finnick celebrating Evelyn’s birthday with her.
As the video started playing, they saw a young lady standing behind a three-tier birthday cake, making a wish. Sitting on top of the cake were two cake toppers that were holding hands and kissing.
The young lady was wearing a white strapless dress. The diamonds on the dress glittered under the candlelight. She seemed to emanate a radiant glow in the sparkling dress, with her hair draped around her shoulder and enhancing her beautiful collarbones.
Her flawless skin was shimmering, like ivory. She had arched eyebrows, celestial nose, and rosy lips that curled into a smile. When she closed her eyes to make a wish, the young lady looked remarkably beautiful and angelic.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 350
The young man standing next to her was none other than Finnick.
In the video, he looked much younger and livelier. The smile never left his face when he sang the birthday song for Evelyn. His affection for the young lady was barely veiled in his eyes as he watched her make her wish.
After the wish-making, Evelyn blew the candles and then cast her eyes at Finnick. The latter caressed her hair as he wished her a happy birthday.
Just then, Evelyn tiptoed and kissed his forehead. Feeling shy, she immediately lowered her head, not daring to look at him.
In his daze, Finnick stood rooted to his spot as if he never expected she would kiss him. The others started cheering him on, “Kiss her! Kiss her!”
Finnick was embarrassed and perhaps a little shy. Yet, he held Evelyn’s shoulder and placed a kiss on her forehead.
At that instant, the others cheering grew louder.
Although it was only a minute-long video, everyone watching it could feel the two’s happiness and affection for each other.
As for Vivian, her heart was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. Although Finnick never hid his past with Evelyn from her, it was still too much for her to watch him being so intimate with another girl.
One of the employees, a young lady, commented, “Wow! Finnick’s ex-girlfriend is beautiful. If it wasn’t for the kidnapping incident, the two of them would make a lovely couple.”
Hearing that, the person next to her quickly gave her a nudge and sneaked a glance in Vivian’s direction.
The young lady soon realized she had said the wrong thing. Oh, crap! How could I say something like that in front of Finnick’s wife!
With her face flushed, she apologized, “I’m sorry, Vivian. That’s not what I mean. I was just… I was just trying to say that…”
The young lady stuttered, not knowing how to explain to Vivian that she had no ill will.
Vivian forced a smile and said, “It’s alright. It’s his past, and I won’t mind.”
Just then, she heard Shannon’s voice with a sarcastic tone from behind, “Really? Vivian, do you really won’t mind?”
Sarah retorted, “Shannon, that’s just Finnick’s ex. What does it have to do with Vivian? It’s normal to have an ex, so there is no need for you to be sarcastic.”
She had always disliked Shannon. To her, Shannon was nothing but a snobbish and gossipy woman.
“Huh,” Shannon snorted, eyeing Vivian up and down. “If she really doesn’t mind, then why is she imitating Evelyn’s dressing style?”
Hearing that, everyone shifted their gaze to Vivian.
Indeed, Vivian’s look today was different from usual. Her dressing style and even her makeup were similar to Evelyn’s in the video.
Could she be imitating Evelyn? As Finnick’s wife, she’s imitating his ex-girlfriend’s dressing style. That means to say that… At that instant, they seemed to have understood something.
Shannon was unrelenting. “Vivian, you must be feeling self-conscious to see Finnick having such a beautiful ex-girlfriend. Are you worried that Finnick might abandon you? That’s why you imitate Evelyn. You’re doing this to have a better grip on his heart, aren’t you? I thought Finnick liked you a lot, but now it seems… Tsk tsk tsk.”
She shook her head, casting her taunting gaze at Vivian.
Vivian felt embarrassed at Shannon’s mocking, yet she couldn’t rebuke her; even she couldn’t deny that her look today was similar to Evelyn’s.