Ch. 351..360
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 351
Although she could already guess Evelyn must be a stunner from Benedict’s charming features, she was still struck by Evelin’s beauty in the video.
Vivian was not a stunner nor a talented person. In fact, she was an illegitimate child.
She was streets behind Evelyn in terms of their looks and family background. Everyone could tell that the latter and Finnick were a perfect match. Now even she became doubtful as well. Back then, what did Finnick even see in me?
To maintain a good working relationship, the other colleagues didn’t make any spiteful remarks. Still, Vivian seemed to have seen the scorn and mockery hidden beneath their eyes.
At that moment, she felt like a cheap imitation, unknowingly making a fool of herself.
She could take it no more, so she grabbed her purse and fled the office.
Soon she arrived home like a lost soul.
Finnick was still in the office while Mrs. Filder took a day off that day; she was the only one in the empty house.
She threw herself onto the couch and wrapped herself in a blanket. Staring blankly into space, she didn’t move for a long time.
After some time, she grabbed her phone and clicked on Twitter.
The first few trending topics all concerned Finnick, Evelyn, and her.
She found Finnick and Evelyn’s video and started playing it again and again. Their interaction made her heart ache, but she just couldn’t move her eyes away from the screen.
As her finger accidentally swiped the screen, the netizens’ comments came into sight.
“Is this young lady Finnick’s ex? She looks beautiful!”
“Wow! She’s way more beautiful than Finnick’s wife. His taste in women sure has changed a lot. Perhaps he’s sick of dating a goddess, and now he prefers an average woman?”
“Only a beauty like her makes a perfect match with Finnick. Vivian is only a gold-digger who married Finnick to climb the social ladder!”
“Vivian should leave Finnick! Click like if you agree with me.”
…
Almost all comments were negative comments about her, saying she was not good enough for Finnick.
It looks like to them, only the beautiful and smart Evelyn would be worthy of Finnick.
Unwilling to read more of those negative comments, Vivian decided to log out of Twitter. Just then, she suddenly caught sight of a familiar profile picture and username.
She quickly clicked into Twitter again to see that the poster of the video was “Back to the Past”.
Who is this account holder? Why does he have this video? From the viewpoint of the camera, this video is surely not secretly recorded. Could he be Finnick and Evelyn’s friend? But why is he targeting me?
With strings of questions in her mind, she sent a message to “Back to the Past”: Who are you? Why did you post this video?
Soon, “Back to the Past” replied: Things are just about to get started. It’s time to set things right.
Vivian was clueless as she sent another message: What do you mean? Who the hell are you?
“Back to the Past”: You’ll find out soon. Be patient.
With that, “Back to the Past” went offline. Vivian continued sending messages, yet she received no reply.
She threw her phone onto the couch in anger. At that moment, she felt like she was living under surveillance. That person knew everything about her, but she had no idea who that person was.
Restlessness crept onto her heart. It felt like she was about to lose something.
Right then, the sound of the door unlocking rang out.
She instantly knew it was Finnick. Instead of coming up to him to greet him as usual, she bit her lip while remaining seated on the couch, her entire body trembling.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 352
Finnick had the impression that no one was at home because the lights were off when he opened the door. As he switched on the lights and walked to the living room, he spotted Vivian on the sofa, sitting on her knees.
“What’s wrong?” He sensed that she seemed rather out of sorts.
Lowering her head, she ignored his question. Neither did she look at him nor give him an answer.
He thought that some problems at work had caused her to be feeling blue. When he was about to console her, he realized that she was still wearing the newly bought clothes from the day before.
Finnick frowned and did not utter any comforting words. Instead, he commented, “Why are you still wearing this kind of clothes? Don’t buy them ever again, the style doesn’t suit you at all.”
Upon hearing that, Vivian could no longer hold back the anger and grievances buried in her heart.
Big droplets of tears that she had been fighting back streamed down profusely from her cheeks, forming a puddle on the leather sofa.
Turning to Finnick, she stared daggers at him. Her eyes were filled with rage and an obstinate expression settled on her face.
“Does it not suit me?” Vivian said in a contemptuous tone, “Then, who do you think should be wearing this? Evelyn?”
Finnick’s eyes flickered a little when he heard Evelyn’s name. Instead of answering her question, he asked while wiping off the tears from her face, “What’s wrong with you today?”
“Those are the clothes that Evelyn likes, right?” Vivian pushed his hand away and stood up from the sofa abruptly. “That’s why you said they don’t suit me.”
“What on earth is going on?” Annoyed and completely baffled as to why Vivian reacted that way, Finnick raised his voice.
“You still like Evelyn, don’t you?” She looked at him straight in the eyes.
Upon being questioned, Finnick’s expression dimmed. He fell silent for a moment and then locked eyes with Vivian. “That was in the past. The person that I like right now is you.”
“Why don’t you like me wearing this outfit? Wasn’t it because I look somewhat like her when I put it on?”
So, it’s about the clothes. He pacified her patiently, “If you like that kind of fashion, I won’t comment on it anymore. I’m sorry, okay?”
Ironically, Vivian did not accept his apology but was further enraged by it. “Finnick, do you really think that it’s just about the outfit? You’ve never forgotten about Evelyn and always left a place for her in your heart. Am I right?”
Seeing that she was not going to drop the topic easily, he looked at her, pressed his lips, and kept quiet.
Finnick had never seen Vivian being so unreasonable before and had no clue how to respond to the situation. In his mind, she was always a gentle and thoughtful girl.
It was Finnick’s first experience to have someone pointing fingers at him and putting words in his mouth for no apparent reason. As an exceptionally proud man with high self-esteem, he felt wronged but subconsciously would not humble himself to stoop any lower.
Following his lack of response, the room plunged into a pin-drop silence as the tension grew thicker.
Buzz! Buzz!
The sound of a cell phone vibrating broke the stillness in the air. After taking a glance at his phone, Finnick answered Noah’s call in an extremely low voice, “What is it?”
“Mr. Norton, it’s been reported that someone with ill-intentions is trying to acquire the overseas branch. The manager would like you to make a trip there and discuss countermeasures.” Noah sounded rather anxious and did not notice Finnick was in a bad mood.
Moments later, he replied, “All right, you can come pick me up now.”
Perhaps it’s best to separate for the time being and let each other cool down.
Hanging up the phone, Finnick saw that Vivian was still glaring at him. He faltered and then said, “The branch overseas is facing a problem which needs my immediate attention.”
Minutes passed, yet, she did not give him any response.
He opened his mouth and wanted to say something but changed his mind at the end. He headed to the bedroom and packed his luggage.
Subsequently, he went downstairs, grabbed his jacket and strode to the door.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 353
Putting on his shoes as he got ready to leave, Finnick turned to Vivian with a heavy heart.
“Vivian, Evelyn is already dead.” He left after leaving her with those words.
I have only you by my side to walk with me for the rest of my life. Evelyn was my past but you’re my present and future. Don’t you understand all these, Vivian?
He did not express it explicitly to her.
Thereafter, Vivian collapsed onto the floor, crumbled on her knees and wailed her heart out.
That’s true. Evelyn’s dead. Why am I making her my imaginary rival?
She realized that she was being ridiculous. Finnick had never hidden anything from his past from her. Moreover, Evelyn lost her life due to Finnick, so she should not have behaved the way she did.
However, all of the things relating to Evelyn kept creeping up in her life. From her favorite perfume, flower, fashion, to the news all over the Internet, the frequency of Evelyn appearing in Vivian’s life was too high. She was going insane thinking about all these, especially Finnick’s attitude toward the matter.
She frantically removed the clothes and chucked them into the trash can. She darted into the bathroom and scrubbed herself harshly under the running shower. Hot or cold matter felt nothing to her. All she wanted was to wash herself thoroughly clean from her tears along with any possible traces of the impact Evelyn had on her.
Vivian came out after an hour. Dressed in her pajamas, she curled herself into a fetal position. Scanning the spacious but empty room, she buried her head in between her knees and broke down, wailing uncontrollably.
Not knowing how she fell asleep the night before, she was awoken by a series of phone calls the next morning. None of it had a caller ID shown.
She picked it up and answered in a coarse voice, “Hello…”
“Vivian, is that you?” the other party tried to confirm her identity.
She propped herself up and cleared her throat before answering. “Oh yes, it’s me, Grandpa. Anything?”
“Did you fall sick? You sound terrible.” Mr. Norton was worried.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, Grandpa.”
“Good to know that you’re fine. Young people must always take good care of yourself, all right?” reminded Mr. Norton.
“I have some answers to what you wanted me to investigate. It’s hard to talk over the phone. Why don’t you come over to my place so that I can tell you everything in person?” Mr. Norton said in a serious tone.
Vivian was anxious to learn that more information about the kidnapping case had been discovered. “Sure, Grandpa, I’ll be there in a jiffy.”
Hanging up the phone, Vivian pulled herself together, washed up, and rushed to the Norton residence.
At the study room, Mr. Norton passed an envelope to her. “Have a seat and take a look at this.”
She hurriedly emptied the envelope and scrutinized the information.
To her disbelief, she found out that there was evidence to show another person leaving the fire scene besides Finnick.
However, there were only two of them at the scene. If Evelyn was dead whereas Finnick made it out in time, then who was the other person?
“Grandpa, what’s going on?” She looked at Mr. Norton in confusion. “Why was there a third person?”
He looked at Vivian and said, “Actually, the fire caused an explosion at that time and Evelyn’s body was completely destroyed beyond recognition. It was also challenging to verify via DNA testing. In the end, they confirmed that it was her from some remaining hairs found at the scene.
“Therefore, it’s likely that it wasn’t Evelyn’s corpse that was found.”
His stare became sharp and resolute. If that’s the case, then it wasn’t just a clear-cut kidnapping case ten years ago. There must have been more to it. I’ll find out who wanted to harm my grandson deliberately and make them pay for it.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 354
Vivian was shocked to the bone when she heard Mr. Norton’s suspicions. She wanted to say something but did not know what to respond exactly. It was very hard for her to digest his meaning.
Could it be that Evelyn is still alive? That’s impossible. If so, why did she disappear for so long, allowing everyone to believe that she died in the fire?
But… what if she’s not dead? Will she return to Finnick if she’s still alive? When that happens, what will Finnick do? What should I do? Multiple possibilities ran through Vivian’s head.
“It’s still under investigation. These are just speculations.” Seeing her lost in a daze, Mr. Norton could roughly guess what was on her mind. “Don’t think too much. I’ll make them dig deeper…”
Vivian was so distracted in her own thoughts that she did not hear what Mr. Norton had said. When she regained her senses, she had already left the Norton residence.
On her way home, she felt so disturbed and wanted to call Finnick.
She took out her phone and scrolled to Finnick’s number but hesitated to dial him due to the fact that they just had an argument the day before. She contemplated for a long while before deciding to just switch off her phone.
Moments later, she switched it back on again and made a call. I can’t think of anyone else to discuss this besides him.
“Vivian William? What’s up?” Benedict was surprised to receive her call.
“Where are you now? I’ve got something to tell you.”
“I’m at the company. What is it about? Very important?” He could sense the seriousness and urgency in her tone.
“I’ll tell you when I see you. I’ll go look for you now.”
“Do you know the place or should I go pick you up?”
“It’s ok, I know the location. You can wait for me at the café downstairs. See you in a bit.”
As soon as she hung up, she set off to Benedict’s company. When she arrived, she found him waiting for her at the café.
He smiled as she took her seat. “I don’t know what’s your regular coffee choice, so I ordered Blue Mountain. Is that ok?”
“It’s fine, thanks.” She returned him with a smile.
She felt better after taking a sip. The bitter aftertaste calmed her uneasy heart and helped her hold herself together.
“What’s the matter?” Benedict knew that Vivian would not call him up for nothing.
After a short moment of silence, she told him everything that she had heard from Mr. Norton.
Benedict was rendered speechless to learn the unbelievable news.
“Could it be that your sister escaped the fire and managed to save herself?” Vivian struggled to ask that question.
“If she’s still alive, why didn’t she look for me all these years? After all, I’m her one and only family member in this world.” Benedict was dumbfounded. Why didn’t she return to me?
Vivian could not figure that out either. Both of them sunk into deep thought and did not utter another word.
After what felt like forever, Vivian broke the silence with a mumble, “Evelyn’s death anniversary is just around the corner…”
She lifted her head to look at him, only to find him engulfed in great sorrow. She felt like he could really use a hug.
No words were exchanged. Then, Vivian left.
Returning to an empty villa made her feel miserable.
She sat on the sofa for a while and then went upstairs to look for a small suitcase to pack some clothes. She had decided to move to her mother’s small apartment.
Upon arriving, she pressed the bell. Mrs. Filder, who had been taking care of her mother, answered the door.
“Vivian, why are you here?” Mrs. Filder was astounded to see her suitcase. “This is…”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 355
“I’m here to see Mom.” Vivian answered as she lugged her suitcase into the house.
“Let me get it.” Mrs. Filder took it from her. Vivian thanked her with a smile.
Scanning the room, she did not see her mother in the living room. Mrs. Filder pointed in the direction of the bedroom.
Vivian acknowledged with a nod. She took a peep through the aperture and found her mother resting in the room.
“Mrs. Filder, how’s Mom lately?” she asked under her breath.
Mrs. Filder shook her head and sighed.
Vivian grew anxious. “What’s happened? Is there anything wrong with Mom? Is she suffering from any health problems?”
“These days, she’s always spacing out and doesn’t sleep well. Last night, she sat on the sofa till midnight. I asked her for a reason but she didn’t say anything.
“Also, she doesn’t seem to have any appetite lately. I made her some soup this morning but she refused to drink it. She just rested not too long ago.”
Worried, Vivian looked at the bedroom door.
Rachel finally woke up around four o’clock in the afternoon. She was startled to see Vivian and perplexed to learn that she had moved back to her house. “If you stay here, then what about Finnick?”
“He’s on a business trip, so I’m back to keep you company,” Vivian said briefly as she was reluctant to come clean to her mother about what happened between them. “How are you recently, Mom? I heard from Mrs. Filder that you didn’t eat much these few days.”
“I know my own body. I’m good. Nothing’s wrong.” Rachel stroked Vivian’s hair. “It’s good that you’re here as I miss you so much. Stay longer with me.”
“Sure.” Vivian gave her mother a tight hug, wishing she could just bawl her eyes out to express her frustration and grievances. However, she could not bring herself to do so and make Rachel upset.
“I miss you too, Mom.”
“My silly girl.” Rachel teased her. Suddenly, she recalled something and got entangled in her own thoughts.
A few days into spending quality time with her mother in the small apartment, Vivian noticed that she became more joyful.
One night, she was contemplating if she should send a text message or call Finnick to check in on him.
It wasn’t my fault. Why should I contact him when he didn’t even call me up? She felt as if she was making a loss.
As she pondered over it, she realized he did not do anything wrong either.
While she was still dwelling in her dilemma, she heard a loud thud coming from the bathroom.
Tossing her phone aside, she quickly ran to the bathroom. When she opened the door, she saw Rachel lying on the floor in agony. She had one hand on her head and blood was gushing out from the gaps between her fingers.
There were some blood stains on the sink. Seemingly, Rachel accidentally knocked her head on the sink when she was trying to get up from the toilet seat.
“Oh my, Mom, are you okay?” Vivian sobbed while trying to assist Rachel.
Rachel’s face was twisted in a grimace of pain. She could not speak a word.
Vivian felt so helpless seeing her mother suffering from excruciating pain. Panicked, she covered her wound with a towel and then dialled 911 for help.
In the ambulance, she held her mother’s hand in trepidation.
She was desperate to get help from her circle of friends to make arrangements for the best doctor to treat her mother. Unfortunately, she did not have many influential contacts in her midst. The first person who appeared on her list was Finnick.
She dialed his number and waited nervously for it to be connected.
“The number you’ve dialed is currently unavailable. Please call again later.” She tried multiple times but to no avail.
I can’t get through to Finnick and there’s no one that I know in this hospital. What should I do now?
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 356
Benedict, that’s right! With his identity and status, he would surely know someone from the hospital.
Although Vivian did not want to bother Benedict, she had no choice given the current circumstance.
“Hello, Vivian. What happened that you’re calling so late at night?” Benedict’s voice gave her some comfort and made her feel safe.
As she felt slightly relieved, she burst out crying. “Benedict, my mom… she fell down and accidentally knocked herself on the head. She’s losing a lot of blood. Can you help me to contact the hospital…”
She wept and wept.
When Benedict learned what happened, he jumped up from his bed, put on his clothes hastily and sped off. “Don’t be too anxious. Where are you now? I’ll go over right away.”
Without further delay, Vivian reported her location, “We’re on our way to the Pinnacle Hospital. We’re almost there.”
“All right, don’t panic. Take good care of your mother. I’m going to call the hospital now and make the necessary arrangements.” Benedict rushed to his garage.
“Thank you, Benedict.” She hung up after expressing her gratitude.
Holding on to Rachel’s hand, Vivian prayed hard. Mom, please be okay.
When they arrived at the hospital, there were doctors waiting at the entrance. Subsequently, Rachel was sent to the emergency ward. Not long after, Benedict showed up.
“How… how’s your mother?” Benedict panted for breath.
Shaking her head, Vivian could not control herself and started crying. “I don’t know, I…”
“Rest assured that everything will be fine,” Benedict comforted her and patted her back.
She nodded.
The indicator at the operating room remained lit. Vivian felt so restless as she stared at the tightly shut door.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open and a nurse walked out in a haste. Urgently, she asked, “Who’s related to the patient?”
“Me! I’m her daughter!” Vivian presented herself.
“The patient’s condition is quite critical and she needs a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, we don’t have sufficient quantity in the blood bank. Which of you has the same blood type as the patient?”
“You can use mine! I’m her daughter.” Vivian rolled up her sleeve.
“Do you know what’s your blood type?”
“I don’t…” Vivian had never hated herself so much at that point for not knowing her own blood type.
“Okay, please follow me to get yourself prepared.” The nurse quickened her footsteps and led Vivian to the lab. Benedict followed suit.
To her dismay, she was told that her type was A whereas Rachel’s was O. Their blood types were not compatible to each other’s and therefore, Vivian could not donate hers.
She was stupefied. How could this be? Why am I type A? I remember both Mom and Dad were type O? Why then, is mine A?
There was no time for her to pick on these details. She thought maybe she remembered it wrongly.
“What else can I do?” She was troubled by the newly learned fact and lost her objectivity.
“I’m a Type O”. Benedict was delighted to find out that his blood type matched Rachel’s. “I can donate to her.”
A genuine smile appeared on Vivian’s face. She looked at him thankfully. “Oh really? That’s great. Thank you so much, Benedict.”
He patted her shoulders and then followed the nurse to get ready for the blood transfusion process.
After two unbearable hours, the indicator on the operating room was finally switched off. As soon as the doors flung open, Vivian ran to the doctor and asked about Rachel’s condition.
Looking quite tired, the doctor removed his surgical mask and informed Vivian, “The operation was very successful. The patient is fine now and will be out soon.”
“Thanks doctor. Thank you so much…” she could not stop thanking the doctor. At last, Vivian felt relieved.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 357
Rachel woke up the next morning.
“Mom, you finally woke up.” Vivian was happy and worried at the same time. “How are you feeling? Does the wound still hurt?”
“I’m fine. Sorry for causing you so much worry.” The feeble Rachel sounded very breathy.
She felt bad at the sight of Vivian’s concerned face and struggled with all her might to pat her hand. I’ve never contributed much to her life but keep on troubling her and making her feel so unsettled to the extent of sacrificing her blissful marriage.
Actually, Rachel could see through Vivian. Although Vivian did not mention Finnick, she always brushed the topic off whenever Rachel brought it up. The way she changed the subject immediately gave her away. Rachel suspected she had fought with Finnick.
As she thought about the reason behind Vivian and Finnick’s marriage, Rachel felt that she had owed her daughter too much.
Vivian stayed back at the hospital to take care of her mother for the next couple of days.
Rachel realized that Vivian was not being herself ever since she regained consciousness after the surgery. Whenever Rachel inquired, Vivian would answer that nothing was bothering her. It made Rachel even more ill at ease.
When Benedict came to the ward for a visit, he noticed that Rachel would take a peek at him from time to time. Her eyes conveyed grief and sadness. She looked as if she wanted to say something but faltered each time she opened her mouth.
Bemused by her expressions, he took the initiative to test waters. “Ms. Rachel, you… have something you want to tell me?”
Faced with the unexpected question, Rachel kept quiet. She took a glance at Vivian, doubting her decision to speak.
Vivian sensed Rachel’s strange gaze. What’s wrong with Mom? Does she want to say something to Benedict but felt awkward because I’m around?
After much contemplation and struggle, Rachel got it out of her chest. “Eve… Evelyn’s death anniversary is approaching, right?”
Benedict lowered his eyes. “Yes, it’s the day after tomorrow.”
There was nothing on his face but misery.
“I’d like to visit her. May I?” Rachel asked carefully in a very meek tone.
Vivian was stunned. Why does Mom remember Evelyn’s death anniversary? Oh right, she’s served as a helper at the Morrisons. Perhaps she used to take care of Evelyn.
Benedict was moved when he heard Rachel’s request. “Of course, you may, Ms. Rachel. Evelyn would be delighted if she knew you wanted to visit her.”
It seems like there’s another person in the world who misses Evelyn besides myself.
Then, he recalled she had just undergone a surgery. “Ms. Rachel, can your body cope considering you’re still recuperating from the operation? Don’t strain yourself.”
“No problem, I can make it.” Rachel replied instantly in fear that Benedict would reject her wish.
Cough… cough… cough..
She spoke too fast and choked herself, which triggered a series of coughs. Vivian quickly patted her back to soothe her.
Seeing that her coughs persisted, Vivian advised, “Mom, you haven’t fully recovered. Shall we cancel the plan? In case…”
Rachel interrupted her before she could finish her sentence, “I’m really fine! Hack… hack… hack…” Her throat was irritated and her cough turned severe.
Vivian dared not say anything further, with the hopes that her mother would stop coughing and not affect her wound.
Vivian’s heart wrenched after seeing how Rachel was so eager to attend Evelyn’s death anniversary albeit her current health condition. That explains why Mom has been dazing off so much lately.
Mom didn’t visit me when I was hospitalized after being kidnapped by Ashley, even though I did I tell her not to trouble herself. Vivian was rather jealous and felt a surge of emotional imbalance that her mother was more concerned for Evelyn.
If anyone who has just taken care of Evelyn would like the girl so much, one can imagine what a pleasant girl she was.
Post navigation.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 358
At that moment, an image surfaced in Vivian’s mind. It was a scene she had seen from a video; a grinning Evelyn closing her eyes and making a wish.
Indeed, who wouldn’t like such an angelic girl? What more for the guy who grew up with her, Finnick. He probably will never forget her…
Vivian felt bitter that Rachel insisted on going to the grave, but she caved into her anyway. “All right, I’ll go with you. I can’t leave you to go on your own.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll arrange for a doctor to go along.” Benedict was surprised that Rachel cared so much for Evelyn.
Hearing that they both agreed to her request, a smile appeared on Rachel’s face. Vivan urged her to rest more.
Two days later, Vivian accompanied her mother to Evelyn’s grave. Benedict picked them up from the hospital early in the morning and set off together.
Nestled in lushes of green where birds’ chirping was heard all day long, the cemetery was nothing but a tranquil place. Yet, it did not make the undead feel relaxed, but heavy hearted.
Evelyn’s grave was at the very end of the cemetery. The group walked for quite a bit before arriving at hers.
Vivian placed the white roses on in front of the tombstone. A beautiful photo of Evelyn caught her attention.
Stepping backward, she found Rachel sobbing non-stop.
She attempted to wipe Rachel’s tears with a handkerchief. Within a split second, it was soaking wet.
Looking at the weeping Rachel, Vivian had no idea how to console her. She could only stood by her side and accompany her.
When Vivian was in a daze looking at Evelyn’s photo, a group of reporters came from nowhere and surrounded her. Each of them pointed a long microphone at her.
“Mrs. Norton, why are you here at Evelyn Morrison’s grave? Does Mr. Norton know that you’re here?”
“Please tell us if the viral video has affected the relationship between you and your husband.”
“Mrs. Norton, could you share with us your impression of Evelyn?”
“Mrs. Norton, how do you feel right now? Are you jealous that Finnick and Evelyn were a couple?”
“May I ask…”
They continued to bombard her with a list of questions while shining bright lights at her face. Not knowing what to do, Vivian felt so helpless. Why are there so many paparazzi here today?
“I…” She had no idea what to say. Although she had always been interviewing people, it was her first time being ambushed by the reporters. Her mind went blank and her heart raced rapidly; her body even trembled a little.
The reporters had no intention to let her go, seeing that she remained silent.
They knew it was Evelyn’s death anniversary and had been scouting at the cemetery since morning. At first, they only wanted to take a few photos of the tombstone to satisfy the curious netizens who were still following on the news about the viral video. In a way, that could help boost the sales of their magazines.
Unexpectedly, they got what they bargained for when Vivian showed up! With news and photos of Vivian, the sales of their magazines would definitely increase multiple folds.
Consequently, these reporters would receive credits in terms of a promotion or a raise.
In fact, they had already come up with various catchy headlines!
What’s Finnick’s Wife Ulterior Motive For Visiting His Former Girlfriend’s Grave?
A Love Battle Between The Living And The Dead.
Finnick Misses Ex-girlfriend. Wife Sends A Challenge At The Grave!
The stories continued..
In conclusion, it was all marketing gimmicks to attract readers’ attention. Whether Vivian said anything, regardless of what she said, and even if she merely opened her mouth, the reporters had their means to create a selling point and lead the readers on.
“Mrs. Norton, could you respond to our questions please?”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 359
“Say something, Mrs. Norton. Everyone is so curious.”
“That’s right. Mrs. Norton, what are your comments on the video which went viral?”
The reporters approached her closer and closer, causing Vivian to take a wrong step and lost her balance. The people continued to squeeze in and pushed her around, resulting in her dishevelled look. Vivian’s nicely tied up hair turned messy and she lost one side of her heels. Her feet were stepped on umpteen times…
“Move aside!” Benedict yelled as he pushed the crowd away and got himself next to Vivian.
Protecting her in his arms, Benedict shot an angry stare at the paparazzi. “Today’s Evelyn’s death anniversary. Vivian is here for a visit with no other agenda. I’ve agreed to her visit.”
“Mr. Morrison, why would you agree to allow your sister’s former boyfriend’s wife to visit her grave?” Benedict’s response piqued the interest of a reporter and he directed a microphone in front of Benedict with much excitement. “Don’t you think that Ms. Morrison would be upset since they are rivals?”
The rest of the reporters followed and moved their microphones to Benedict, waiting patiently for his answer.
“Which magazine company are you from?” Benedict turned hostile. “Should I pay your company a visit too?”
Catching the hint, the noisy group gradually quiet down and stopped asking any more provocative questions.
Though the Morrisons were no longer as influential as they were in the past, they were still more than capable to destroy a small magazine company.
“Today is my sister’s death anniversary.” In an infuriating voice, Benedict scanned the people’s faces from left to right. “I don’t want her to be disturbed. Please leave this place immediately.”
Although they did not achieve their sole objective, the reporters did not want to bring troubles upon themselves either. As much as they were reluctant to give up the golden opportunity to create juicy news in exchange of attractive rewards, they would rather leave than to lose their jobs.
“Are you all right?” Benedict was concerned about Vivian.
The woman standing in front of him looked rather pitiful. Her hair was tousled whereas her clothes were so crumpled. Her bare foot was trampled on and bleeding slightly. There were black footprints mixed with blood and dust…
She shook her head and plastered a smile on her face. “Thank you.”
Right when both of them heaved a sigh of relief, a reporter on his way to the exit shouted, “It’s Finnick Norton!”
Vivian lifted her head and look toward the direction where the familiar name was uttered. She could hardly believe whom she saw. The welled-up tears in her eyes started to roll down her cheeks.
Afar stood a slender yet upright figure who was dressed in a full grey suit and a black trench coat. Although he looked tired, the prominent facial features were still as captivating as ever. His presence demanded everyone’s attention. He was none other than Finnick.
Seeing him from afar, Vivian felt her a tinge of heartache and an urge to cry out loud.
He wasn’t here when I was feeling aggrieved and jealous. I had to hide under the sheets and cry myself to sleep. He wasn’t here too when I heard that Evelyn might still be alive and needed someone to discuss the matter. Neither was he here when Mom hurt herself and was hospitalized. He wasn’t present when I felt so helpless.
Now, the travel-worn Finnick rushed back on the day of Evelyn’s death anniversary. This goes to show who’s his priority.
Vivian mocked herself. Is there anything that I could compete with Evelyn?
Finnick almost blew a fuse when he saw the hand on Vivian’s waist. He clenched his fist and cast a furious look at both Benedict and Vivian.
Considering the injury on Vivian’s foot and how she was harshly pushed around by the reporters, Benedict wanted to protect her. So, he remained his position which appeared to be hugging Vivian sideways, with his hand resting on her waist.
Anger rose in Benedict’s heart instantly the moment he saw Finnick.
How dare he steps foot onto Evelyn’s grave! She wouldn’t have lost her precious life in her prime years if it wasn’t for Finnick.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 360
Although the reporters witnessed the two men staring down at each other, no one dared to step forward and raise a question. If they did, it would have fetched them a ton of juicy tabloids.
In addition to his icy and intimidating appearance, his identity as a young Norton, coupled with the title President of Finnor Group would make anyone avoid him like the plague.
Unlike Benedict who was barely maintaining the status of the Morrison family, Finnick was a class above all. Even if they had the courage, they would choose to revere him instead.
The men had their eyes blazing with anger; Vivian was biting her lips while looking at Finnick with glistened eyes. On the other side, none of the reporters had mulled up any courage to step forward. Time stood still as the entire place sank into a tensed and awkward atmosphere.
Suddenly, a lady appeared in front of everyone.
“Oh my heart!” All those who saw her could not help but gasped with amazement.
Her knee-length white tulle dress perfectly completed her curvy figure. Pairing it with a pair of pink heels, a small segment of her exposed calf looked very attractive. She held a silver palm-sized clutch in her hand. Her short and silky hair brushed through both sides of her cheeks.
She was wearing a thin diamond necklace, which was so dazzling. It enhanced the beauty of her neck and made her look exceptionally elegant.
Her features were so well-defined as if they were perfectly chiseled by hand. Even without any make-up on, her brows looked nicely embroidered and her lips were crimson red. It was a face that no one would ever forget.
Some reporters started photographing her beauty to record each of her action and smile.
More joined in and suddenly the place was filled with camera flashes flickering continuously as if a famous celebrity was present on site.
The lady remained composed and continued to walk forward with a steady smile on her face.
Vivian removed her gaze from Finnick after noticing that the reporters were sent into a frenzy again. She wanted to see what was going on.
Elaine? Why is she here? Vivian was perplexed. Also, Vivian realized that Elaine looked completely different from any other day.
Usually, she’s always dressed in professional attire, complemented by an exquisite make-up and a sleek hairstyle, giving the impression of a capable working lady.
Today, Elaine is carrying a teenage girl look. It was very similar to the clothes she has picked out for me at the mall. In addition, she’s only put on very light make-up and portraying herself as an adolescent.
Vivian could hardly recognize her!
Even in two different looks, one can’t deny Elaine’s charm and beauty. Vivian felt that her new look suited her more, depicting a simple and clean personality.
Vivian looked at Elaine who was walking toward her. She had a deja vu and felt that Elaine gave her a familiar feeling, but she could not tell who did Elaine look like.
As Benedict released her hand behind Vivian’s back, she felt a bit unsteady and lost her balance. In order not to fall, she quickly exerted force onto the injured foot to stabilize herself.
“Ouch!” A streak of pain coursed through her veins as she inhaled sharply.
She turned to Benedict, only to find him looking blankly at Elaine with his jaw dropped. He was downright stunned with a mixed expression settling on his face.
She then turned to Finnick and noticed that he too, had his eyes widened and staring at Elaine with disbelief. The indifferent expression which he usually wore on his face was replaced with a rare shocking look.
Rachel rubbed her swollen eyes as she mumbled to herself. Faintly, Vivian could hear her say phrases like ‘that’s impossible’ and ‘how could it be’.
Vivian was totally mystified by their expressions and reactions. Elaine is indeed gorgeous but why are their responses so weird?