Ch. 401..410

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 401

Vivian, too, wanted to get to the bottom of this and followed Harvey voluntarily to his car. Fabian and Rachel also hurried after them.

Harvey and Vivian dashed to the registration counter as soon as they arrived at the hospital. The hospital was less crowded than usual and it would soon be their turn.

As the pair waited impatiently, Fabian and Rachel also arrived at the hospital.

“Vivian, Harvey, I—” Rachel opened her mouth but again, nothing material came out. She was still tearful and at a loss of what to say to both of them.

“Mom, can you please tell me what’s going on here? I’m all confused right now,” Vivian pleaded with her mother once more. She refused to believe what Emma said was true.

“Just stop asking questions, Vivian. This is all my fault. I’m so sorry.” Instead of providing an explanation, the weeping woman still chose to apologize for reasons no one seemed to know.

“So, what Emma said was true?” Vivian was insistent. Rachel had stopped talking altogether. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks and her body began trembling as blood drained from her face. Her mother now looked so frail Vivian could not bring herself to exert more pressure on her.

Vivian took a deep breath and felt that the last ounce of energy left her body as she slumped into a chair.

She was still trying to wrap her head around this unforeseen turn of events at her stepsister’s funeral.

Over the years, despite not getting any sort of fatherly love from Harvey, or how awfully he had been treating her, Vivian knew that she had a father.

But now, the father figure she thought she had might not be her biological father all of a sudden. This was such a complicated, yet inexplicable feeling for Vivian.

“I no longer need your answers now. I’ll see for myself soon enough,” Harvey scoffed coldly.

Soon after, Harvey and Vivian were led into a room for paternity test.

After their samples were taken, Harvey asked, “How long until the result is out?”

“Mr. Miller, the result won’t be out until a week later. We’ll give you a call as soon as the report is ready,” the nurse answered.

“I want to see the result by today!” Harvey was unwilling to take no for an answer.

“Mr. Miller, we can expedite the result for you at extra cost. But that’s still going to take about six hours. Are you sure you want to wait here?” The nurse replied politely, despite being startled by the man’s flustered demeanor.

“I don’t care how much it costs, as long as I get the result by today!”

“Sure, Mr. Miller. Please follow me to the counter.”

Harvey was back soon after and joined the rest of them at the corridor to wait for the report. In the meantime, Fabian saw to it that Vivian got the scratches on her arm tended to by the medical staff.

“Vivian, don’t you worry. I’m sure what Emma said is not true.” He tried to comfort her. But it did little to sooth Vivian’s jitters. If what Emma said was all nonsense, why didn’t Mom say one word about it?

Feeling restless, Vivian decided to give Finnick a call in hopes that he could come over to keep her company.

She tried calling a few times but was met with the same voicemail: The number you have dialled is unreachable. Please try again later.

Vivian then stopped calling when she recalled that Finnick had mentioned earlier that he was having a meeting with Evelyn today.

Meanwhile, the paternity test result was finally out just as Harvey’s patience was running thin. After frantically checking at the outcome of their DNA test, Harvey threw the report at Rachel and demanded furiously, “Care to explain to me what’s going on?”

Rachel was startled by the report flying her way and tears welled up in her eyes once more.

Vivian picked up the report lying on the floor and froze on the ground as she read the line that clearly stated that she had no blood relation with Harvey.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 402

“Mom, can you now tell me the truth, please?” Still in disbelief, Vivian was in tears as she begged her mom for an explanation.

All her life, the notion that Harvey might not be her father had never crossed Vivian’s mind. Even though Harvey might not have been a good father, and she might even hate him for being a jerk sometimes, she had never entertained the idea of being better off without him in her life.

She could not comprehend the situation she was landed in. If Harvey is not my father, then who is?

“Rachel William, how long are you planning on keeping this from me?” Harvey was now screaming at Rachel for an answer.

“I-I’m sorry, I…” Rachel only managed to utter a few words before finally overcome by the pressure and passed out on the spot.

Vivian was shocked by her mother’s sudden black-out and rushed to her side. “Mom, are you okay? Mom, wake up!”

A nurse saw what happened and summoned a few other medical staff to rush Rachel into the emergency room.

“Doctor, how’s my mom?” Seeing as Rachel was still unconscious, Vivian frantically asked the doctor.

“Your mom’s health has always been a perilous juggling between medical treatments and therapies. She was actually getting better until recently when the emotional upheaval has worsened her condition again. It’s important that she refrain from having further mood swings,” the doctor reminded carefully.

“I understand. Thanks, doctor. When will she wake up?” Vivian asked.

“Don’t worry. She should awake in the next three to four hours.”

“Okay. Thanks again,” Vivian said while sending off the doctor.

As for Harvey, after learning that Rachel had kept such a big secret from him for so many years, he harbored no more hopes or feelings for her and left right away.

“Are you sure you are okay by yourself? I can stay and keep you company.” Considering Vivian also just went through a traumatic experience herself, Fabian was worried for her wellbeing.

“I’m fine, really. My mind is in such a mess I feel like I need to be alone right now. Why don’t you go get some rest at home, and I’ll give you a call if something comes up?”

“Alright. But promise me you’ll give me a call if you need any help?” Since Vivian insisted she wanted to be alone, Fabian thought he should give her some space.

“Hmm.” Vivian nodded while giving him a grateful smile.

After sending Fabian away, Vivian sat down by Rachel’s bedside and stared out in a daze.

Rachel finally came to at dusk.

When she saw Vivian by her bedside, tears started trickling down her cheeks once more. “Vivian, I’m sorry. It’s my fault for hiding this from you for so many years. Please forgive me. I’m so sorry…”

“Mom, then can you—” Vivian really wanted her burning questions answered, but she stopped short of completing her sentence when she thought about what the doctor had advised her not long ago.

With great restraint, she swallowed her question and handed the tissue to her mother. “Mom, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter who my father is, as long as I have you as my mother.”

Vivian’s thoughtfulness only made Rachel’s heart grow heavier as tears welled up in her eyes again. “Vivian, I’m to blame for what’s happening to you. I’m so sorry…”

“It really is okay, Mom. Please, I’m okay.” Vivian could not stop herself from tearing up and before long, the pair locked in an embrace and cried their hearts out.

After a long while, Vivian finally gathered herself as she wiped away the tears from the corner of her mother’s eyes. “It’s alright, Mom. You’ve got to stop crying now. Doctor said that you can’t afford to get too emotional.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 403

Rachel finally stopped sobbing. She then grew drowsy from getting too worked up earlier and soon fell asleep.

After washing up in the toilet, Vivian asked for a clean towel from the nurse and fetched some hot water to clean Rachel’s face while the latter was fast asleep.

When she had done all that she sat down next to her mother to watch over her.

After watching Rachel sleep for a while, Vivian took out her phone and logged into her Twitter account to kill some time.

As she was browsing for random contents that piqued her interests, she came across a live broadcasting of a launch event for Finnick’s company.

She clicked into the broadcast link and saw that Finnick and Evelyn were currently being interviewed by the press.

Vivian’s first response was to shut her phone as rage mounted in her chest. Is she the reason why he didn’t answer his phone when I called earlier?

She, however, could not fight the curiosity in her and went back to the live broadcast. It turned out to be Finnor Group’s product launch for a new series of jewellery. The chief designer for this series was none other than Evelyn.

Evelyn was wearing a long, tube top white dress, paired with a shiny white pearl necklace that rested nicely on her collar bone.

Maybe due to the need of appearing on camera, Evelyn’s makeup was different from usual. She was wearing a nude-colored foundation with a vibrant blend of red lipstick that brought out her look. The makeup artist had done a good job bringing out Evelyn’s best features as she appeared refreshingly pleasant with just enough hint of sexiness in this attire.

Finnick was in his black suit as usual. However, his sharp-looking demeanor had brought life out of an otherwise boring suit.

Given the recent news of the two of them were still hot topics amongst the media outlets, some reporters took the opportunity to throw in a few questions on his personal life on top of the jewellery designs.

The press, however, did not get much out of Finnick, who only answered questions directly related to the launch event. Every question he deemed irrelevant was treated as though it was non-existent. All and all, his carried on with his usual style.

Evelyn, on the other hand, was a lot more at ease in front of the cameras. She took the reporters’ tricky questions and turned them around playfully that people actually found her to be an absolute delight to interview. Evelyn was instantly the darling to these reporters by being not only beautiful and smart, but also high in EQ.

The comment box was full of Twitter users’ compliments of Finnick and Evelyn.

Such a gorgeous pair it’s picture perfect!

Their attires are as perfectly matched as Prince Charming and Snow White.

Imagine what a beautiful baby these two will make!

I wish they will get together. They make such a perfect couple!

I’d love the character set of a domineering CEO and beautiful princess. That’s so cool!

Staring at the smiling Evelyn on her phone, Vivian shuddered as she recalled the sneering look on same woman’s face when Evelyn approached her the last time. This woman is a natural actress.

Toward the end of the session, the host addressed the press, “Alright, we now have time for one more question. This is your last chance to get your burning question answered.”

A reporter was quick to stand up and asked, “Ms. Morrison, we’ve pretty much covered everything regarding your latest design. For the last question, I’m wondering if I can ask you something more personal. You can choose not to answer if you don’t want to.”

Evelyn pretended to think about the question before she let out a cheeky smile and replied, “Of course.”

“There must be no short of suitors for someone as beautiful and talented as yourself. But just for the public benefit and something for them to work toward to, can you tell us more about what type of man you are into?

“Hmm…” Evelyn tilted her head in the direction of Finnick before she smiled sweetly and said, “I choose not to answer this question.”

“Ms. Morrison, are you still into Mr. Norton?” the reporter persisted.

As Evelyn continued to reply with a smile, the host was quick to round up the session. “Alright, I’m sorry but we did say that only one more question. Thanks, Mr. Norton and Ms. Morrison for joining us today. And also thanks to all the media friends for your presence. See you all!”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 404

Although Evelyn did not answer, the directional glance towards Finnick had been obvious. Rumors about the love affair between Evelyn and Finnick would probably be all over the news the next day.

After the launch event ended, Finnick headed backstage in a grouchy mood. Those reporters were so lame. It was supposed to be a launch event about their jewellery, but they were all asking about the latest gossip.

Pulling out his phone, Finnick noticed he had several missed calls. He tapped on them to find that they were all from Vivian. Worried that she had urgent business to discuss with him, Finnick called her back as soon as he saw the list of missed calls.

A depressed Vivian put down her phone after watching the launch event. Those people clearly knew that Finnick was a married man, but they went ahead and paired him up with Evelyn anyway. Have they ever considered my feelings if I see that? Or am I really that different from Evelyn in the eyes of the public?

At the same time, Vivian also had some complaints to make about Finnick. While she was waiting for the test results, she desperately needed him by her side, but he chose that time to be with Evelyn.

Just when Vivian was ruminating over all that had happened at the launch event, the phone in her hand buzzed and vibrated. She picked it up and saw that Finnick’s name appeared on the caller ID.

She did not feel like answering his call right then. Thus, she muted her phone and tossed it aside, ignoring it.

“Sorry, the person you’ve dialed is unavailable. Please try again later. Sorry…” Finnick’s brows furrowed when he was confronted by the automated message from the phone. Perhaps Vivian doesn’t have her phone with her?

Still worried about Vivian, Finnick made another call. Vivian was still angry with him. So, if nothing had happened, she probably would not have tried to call him so many times.

Seeing the phone screen lit up again, Vivian hesitated. Eventually, she grabbed the phone and headed to the corridor outside the ward to answer the call.

“Hey, what’s up?” Vivian spoke on the phone in low spirits.

“Why didn’t you pick up just now?” Because he had been worried, Finnick blurted the question in a harsh tone. Vivian only felt more upset when she heard him.

“I left my phone on silent mode. I didn’t hear it ringing.”

“Oh, I see.” Finnick heaved a sigh of relief. As long as you’re alright. “You called me just now. Is anything the matter?”

“Nothing.” Suddenly, Vivian did not want to talk to Finnick about that thing between Harvey and herself. “I just wanted to ask where you were. You didn’t answer the phone, so I called a few more times.”

“Oh, the launch event just ended. I’m heading back to the company as we speak,” Finnick explained why he had not picked up the phone.

“Fine, you go ahead. I won’t bother you.” With that, Vivian quickly hung up the phone without waiting for Finnick’s response.

With that out of the way, Vivian leaned weakly against the wall. She felt that dealing with Finnick had somehow become quite tiring and bothersome.

Finnick said that the launch event had just ended, so he should still be with Evelyn.

His surroundings had been buzzing with noise just now. Among them, she thought she recognized Evelyn’s voice too. Shaking her head vigorously, Vivian told herself not to think too much about it.

Finnick had reason to believe that Vivian had been speaking in a strange tone before she hung up on him. She can’t be hiding anything from me, can she?

“Finnick,” Evelyn called out to him, interrupting his thoughts. “Mind if I carpool with you to the celebration party later? I didn’t drive here today.”

Since the series of jewellery designs this time had gotten quite popular as soon as they went on the market, in addition to the success of the launch event, Finnor Group had decided to throw the design team a special celebration party at a five-star hotel.

But Finnick had no plans to attend the party that would take place later. “I have some business to take care of at the company. Besides, everyone might not be able to enjoy themselves to the fullest if I go. Why don’t you ride with them?”

“All right,” Evelyn replied. She was somewhat disappointed when she learned that Finnick would not be going, but she also did not want him to think that she was tactless. “Drive safe, will you?”

“Yeah,” Finnick responded to her. After saying goodbye to his other colleagues, he drove back to the office.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 405

When Finnick arrived at the office, the secretary at the door stood up. “Mr. Norton, Mr. Fabian is waiting for you in your office,” she reported.

“Thank you.” That said, perplexity came over him. He was unsure why Fabian would want to see him. He knew for a fact that his nephew had always disliked him.

Fabian was sitting on the sofa in Finnick’s office, waiting for his return. He came looking for Finnick that day because he wanted to talk to his uncle about Vivian.

After the video of Vivian and Evelyn hanging out in the café went viral on the Internet, Finnick had chosen to believe Evelyn. Ever since then, Fabian thought that perhaps Finnick still harbored feelings for Evelyn. After all, Finnick had a heavy crush on the woman before.

Now that Vivian was going through such a major turmoil, yet Finnick chose not to stay by her side, Fabian became more confident in his own judgment. Since Finnick had someone else in mind, he should not be claiming Vivian for himself anymore.

As soon as Finnick entered the door, he saw Fabian with an awfully serious look on his face as the man got lost in his own thoughts. Nevertheless, Finnick paid little attention to his nephew as he wiggled out of his jacket and hung it on the hanger next to him. He then sat down at his desk before speaking to Fabian, “Now, what can I do for you?”

“Since you don’t love Vivian, you should just let her go,” Fabian got straight to the point.

Eyes narrowed, Finnick eyed Fabian dangerously, his voice icy cold as he spoke, “What did you say?”

Fabian levelled his gaze at Finnick without fear. “She’s currently in the hospital, but apparently you still have the peace of mind to hang around in the office. Isn’t that enough to explain the problem? Fabian, since you-”

“Why is she in the hospital?” Finnick, immediately anxious when he got wind that Vivian was taken to the hospital, interrupted Fabian.

“Don’t you know?” Fabian got a little confused by Finnick’s question. “When I was there, I saw Vivian calling you so many times. Didn’t she tell you what happened today?” Fabian was not sure if Finnick truly knew nothing about it or if he was playing the fool.

It then struck Finnick. That explains it. That was why Vivian sounded strange on the phone just now. She’s really hiding something!

“Tell me, what exactly happened today?” Finnick snapped, staring at Fabian.

Fabian decided that the anxious look on Finnick’s face did not seem to be a product of pretense, so he gave in and informed his uncle about the incident that had just occurred.

“This morning, Emma gate-crashed Ashley’s funeral. Not only did she harm Vivian, but she also announced that Vivian isn’t Harvey’s biological daughter. They went do a paternity test after that and found out that Vivian is, indeed, not Harvey’s daughter, after all. Ms. Rachel fainted from the overwhelming stress, and now Vivian’s taking care of her in the hospital.”

Following that, Finnick asked for the hospital’s address, put on his jacket right away, and sprinted towards the door.

At the doorway, Finnick paused. He whipped his head and, to his rival, he announced, “I love Vivian, so don’t you get any ideas. Besides, you don’t stand a chance!” After that, Finnick left the office.

Fabian clenched his fists when he heard that. Something felt off about the situation. He had come here to declare war, so why did it feel like he had merely fulfilled the role of the messenger?

On the way to the hospital, Finnick was filled with thoughts about what Fabian had just told him. So many things happened that day. Thus, Vivian must be under a lot of pressure now, and he ought to be by her side.

So why didn’t she tell me any of these things on the phone just now? Why do I have to find out from Fabian, of all people? As he thought about it, apart from worrying about Vivian, there was also a hint of frustration. Is it possible that Vivian sees me as inferior to Fabian now?

Finnick sped all the way to the hospital. When he reached the place, he asked a nurse for directions to Rachel’s room and got there soon after.

Initially, Finnick intended to have a good talk with Vivian and get to the bottom of this. However, after opening the door, he stopped in his tracks when he realized what was happening in the ward.

At that moment, Vivian had fallen asleep at Rachel’s bedside.

Finnick then tiptoed over and crouched down front of Vivian. He had been angry at her a moment ago, but when he saw the exhaustion on her face, all his anger dissipated, leaving only concern for her wellbeing. You’ve been through so much today. You must be really tired, Vivian.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 406

When Finnick saw the part of Vivian’s exposed arm still wrapped in gauze, his face fell sullen. Vivian had pleaded on Emma’s behalf. That was the reason Finnick allowed her to return from abroad in the first place. Unfortunately, Emma showed no sign of repentance at all!

Her brows were still frowning, even in sleep, as though she could not get any peace even when she was not awake. Finnick’s heart ached for her as he stroked her cheek.

Right then, Vivian stirred from her sleep when she felt a chill on her face. She opened her eyes to see Finnick in front of her.

Having just woken up from a short nap, it took a while for Vivian to snap out of her daze. Then, she remembered that she was currently in the hospital.

“Why are you here?” Vivian said, a little surprised by Finnick’s presence.

Finnick pointing at Rachel, the patient who was sleeping on the bed. He hooked an arm around Vivian’s uninjured arm and accompanied her out of the ward.

“Vivian, why didn’t you tell me over the phone that something like this had happened?” Finnick gently asked Vivian after they exited the ward.

Vivian deflected the question with one of her own. “Weren’t you at the launch event? Why are you here?”

Somehow, Finnick could understand where she was coming from. The launch event was broadcasted live online, so she’s probably watched it on her phone. Besides, she didn’t tell me what happened this morning, so I think she’s angry at me…

“Vivian, Evelyn and I attended the launch event together because that’s part of our job. Don’t overthink it, okay?” Finnick explained in a gentle tone, comforting her.

“I know,” Vivian replied curtly. She was aware that she had no reason to be angry. Ultimately, she could not possibly ban Finnick from seeing that woman.

Finnick assumed Vivian had finally thought things through, so he changed the subject. “Your arm… does it still hurt?”

“It’s getting better,” Vivian said. She felt slightly better when she noticed the pressing concern on Finnick’s face. Then, she gave him a detailed account of everything that happened that day.

Over at Norton Corporation, at Mark’s office.

Sitting in front of the computer, Mark could only watch as the company’s stocks continued to drop. Furious, he dropped the pen which he had been holding onto the ground.

Finnor Group had become increasingly popular recently, with its range of products getting wider and wider, so much so that it had managed to overlap with Norton Corporation in many business sectors, which indirectly caused Norton Corporation to lose profits.

Is Finnick deliberately challenging me now? Damn it. I shouldn’t have been so merciful to him in the past! Knock. Knock. Knock.

Came a series of cautious knocks on the door.

“What now!” he roared.

His assistant did not dare to walk into his office upon hearing Mark’s angry tone and instead chose to stand by the doorway to convey a message. “Mr. Norton, you have a visitor.”

“Not now! Tell them I’m busy!” Mark was not in the mood to see anyone at the moment, not even if the president of the country had come knocking.

“Mr. Norton, there’s a beautiful lady who wants to have a word with you. She says her name is-”

“I said not now! Do you hear me?” Mark rudely interrupted his assistant. Who cares how she looks like! Do I have to meet the woman just because she’s pretty? Does Harry want to lose his job?

“I didn’t think you’re so busy, Mr. Norton.” It was a woman’s voice, taunting him from outside the door. “Are you sure you don’t even have time to see me?” As she said that, the woman strode into Mark’s office, ignoring Harry’s objection.

Mark’s eyes widened when he realized who she was. He shot up from his desk. “How did you come back?”

“Why, Mr. Norton. Am I not welcomed here?” Unlike Mark, who was obviously panicking, the woman who entered his office was calm and confident. She sat down on his sofa, making herself comfortable.

“What are you-” Mark stopped mid-sentence when he realized his assistant was still hanging around. He turned to give his order, “You can get back to work now.”

The assistant, Harry, had been curious to know the beautiful visitor’s identity, particularly why Mark seemed so surprised when she saw her. She could be Mr. Norton’s mistress, he thought. But he had been working under Mark for too long not to know when he was not wanted and what he should not meddle in, especially when Mark was threatening to blow a fuse.

Upon receiving the order, Harry blurted out, “Yes, sir!” Then, he swiftly left the scene.

Mark waited until Harry was gone before he rushed to the door. He looked around, ensuring that there were no eavesdroppers before he quickly shut the door. And then, nervously, he approached the woman. “Evelyn, when did you come back?”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 407

He knew that except for Evelyn, no other woman would be so daring to walk right in and sat there at his sofa.

She was wearing a white dress, one that outlined her slender figure. A pair of sunglasses with large lenses perched on her delicate features, covering most of her face. If Mark had not looked closely, he might not have recognized her at first glance.

“A while ago,” Evelyn replied. “Don’t you watch the news, Mr. Norton?”

“What news?” Mark had been so busy dealing with company matters lately, he literally had no time to catch up on the news.

Evelyn eyed Mark in disbelief before shaking her head, chuckling to herself. Such a major uproar has occurred, and you know nothing about it. You’re lagging behind the times, old man, if you keep refusing to stay in the loop. No wonder you’re no match for Finnick.

He might be a useless old fool, but… to her, he was an indispensable pawn in her plot.

Without answering Mark’s question, Evelyn rose from the sofa and surveyed his office. “I say, Mr. Norton, what a great office you’re got here. Despite the thrills and risks involved in the previous incident, you seemed to have gotten what you wanted.”

When Mark heard Evelyn mention the past, panic flashed across his face. Not wanting Evelyn to beat around the bush, he cut to the chase, “Why did you come back? Didn’t you promise me that you’ll never return?”

Evelyn sneered when she detected the nervousness and fear that had crossed the man’s face. “You’re the mole of the national soccer team, aren’t you? What are you afraid of? Are you finally feeling guilty now?”

“Evelyn, I’m warning you. Don’t forget that you’re also involved in that case. If this were to leak out to the public, both of us are done for,” Mark snapped at her. He did not like that Evelyn was able to remain composed while he felt the complete opposite.

He had a bad feeling about this. Compared to Evelyn as a young girl, Evelyn as an adult was craftier and more mature. She had evolved into a woman beyond his control and manipulation.

“Don’t get mad, Mr. Norton. Relax. No one will find out anything about what happened last time.” Evelyn moved closer to Mark bearing a charming smile, but her tone signified impending danger. “Moreover, I come to you today hoping that we could work together again.”

“Work together?” Mark stared dubiously at Evelyn as he slipped into a defensive mode. “What do you mean by that?”

“I, for one, know that while you’re in charge of Norton Corporation now, you have reason to believe that this position lacks security. I also happen to know that Finnick had withdrawn some of the shares lately. I can help you get all of Norton Corporation’s shares back so that you’ll have absolute control over them. What do you think?”

“And why would you be so kind to do that?” Mark might have been tempted after hearing Evelyn’s proposal, but he had not completely lost his mind. He was sceptical about her and would not easily buy into her kindness. “Moreover, what can you do to help me get my shares back?”

“Of course, I’m not helping you for .” A sly smile appeared on Evelyn’s face. “What you want is Norton Corporation’s shares, and what I want – is Vivian’s life! As for my methods, you’ll find out when the time comes.”

“You want to kill off Vivian?” Mark narrowed his eyes at her, his wits quickly catching on to the underlying message. He added, albeit vaguely, “It’s too risky. I’m not doing it.”

“Hey… nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Evelyn persuaded Mark. “Besides, I don’t really want her dead. I just want to teach her a little lesson. Since she had the audacity to compete with me for what’s mine, I’ll let her know that there’s always a price to pay.”

“Really?” Mark had witnessed Evelyn’s ruthlessness back then. At that moment, he still had reservations about her.

“Of course, I just want to get back what’s supposed to be mine. If anything happens that arouses the police, what good will I gain from that?”

After considering Evelyn’s offer and taking Finnor Group’s recent suppression of Norton Corporation into account, Mark nodded, agreeing to her terms. “Alright, what do you want me to do?”

Evelyn smiled triumphantly, now that Mark had taken her up on her offer.

“You see, all you need to do is…” Evelyn whispered in Mark’s ear. A plot to sabotage Finnick and Vivian had begun to take shape.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 408

Lately, the relationship between Vivian and Finnick had eased a lot. The two of them were no longer as awkward as before. However, just thinking about Finnick and Evelyn having to work together, and often, still managed to wreck Vivian’s nerves. Whenever she interacted with Finnick, it always seemed like there was some kind of barrier between the two, preventing them from becoming as close as they used to.

Vivian told herself that everything would be back to normal after Finnick’s current project was done and dusted. Then, she would work hard to get their life back on track.

On that particular day, Vivian headed to the subway station as usual after getting off work. While waiting for the subway, she received a text message from Noah out of the blue. According to him, Finnick wanted to talk to her. Noah asked her to wait at the entrance of the alley next to the subway station, where he would pick her up soon.

Upon reading the text message, Vivian had some doubts. Noah would usually call her if he had anything to say, and rarely would he send text messages. Furthermore, when she was having breakfast with Finnick that morning, he did not mention that he had anything to tell her.

She checked the text message again. After confirming that the phone number belonged to Noah, she thought nothing of it and made her way to the alley. Perhaps there was an urgent matter that Finnick badly needed to discuss with her.

Vivian eventually reached the alley, but Noah’s car was nowhere in sight. Then she waited patiently for fifteen minutes, but still, Noah did not show up. Feeling that something was amiss, Vivian took out her phone, intending to call Finnick.

As soon as she opened her bag to fish for her phone, someone attacked her from behind. The perpetrator covered her nose and mouth, and all she detected was a strange scent before her eyes weakly fell shut, and she soon lost consciousness.

After Vivian fainted, two masked men in black suits quickly carried her into a car and fled the alley.

By the time she woke up, Vivian felt like she was experiencing a sense of déjà vu. It was the same kind of feeling she had when she was kidnapped by Evelyn last time. The difference being, she woke up with a terrible headache then, but this time her whole head felt groggy, and her whole body had gone limp.

Damn it. Have I been kidnapped again? That was the first thought that came up to her after she regained consciousness. She tried moving her limbs. Sure enough, she was completely tied up.

Vivian secretly cursed herself for being her own jinx. She struggled to get up, wanting to get a view of her location.

After some effort, she managed to get herself into a sitting position. She realized that she was currently in a shabby-looking warehouse, one that probably had not been in use for many years.

However, Vivian did not have the time to linger on those thoughts. Focusing on a plan to escape, she strenuously rubbed both of her hands together in an effort to loosen the ropes that bound her.

“Don’t waste your energy,” said a familiar voice from the back of the warehouse. Vivian immediately whipped her head around, only to find Evelyn advancing towards her.

“Why are you here?” Vivian certainly did not expect to see Evelyn in such a place, but she quickly put two and two together. “You did this?”

“Vivian, Vivian… Still dumb, I see. Why do you always ask stupid questions?” Evelyn said with an air of contempt.

“Why have you brought me here? Evelyn, I’m telling you. Kidnapping is against the law. Aren’t you afraid you’ll go to jail?” Vivian confronted Evelyn angrily. She could not believe that the other woman could even resort to abduction.

“Of course I am, but you’ll have to be alive in order to call the police,” Evelyn mocked Vivian with a look of disdain as she squatted down to look at her victim.

Realizing the danger hidden between the lines, instincts told Vivian that she was trapped in a bad situation. “What are you planning to do? Let me go at once!”

“You want to know what I plan to do with you?” A loud, sinister cackle escaped Evelyn. She then stepped forward and pinched Vivian hard on the chin as she stared viciously into the captured woman’s eyes. “I want to destroy you, of course.”

“Vivian William, just who do you think you are? You have neither talent nor good looks. Your social background isn’t even worth noticing. So, what makes you think you can compete with me for my man!”

Evelyn squeezed her chin with so much force that Vivian kept shaking her head, trying hard to break . However, her attempts only managed to fan the flames as Evelyn tightened her grip, her nails digging into Vivian’s flesh. It was so terribly painful that Vivian could hardly feel her chin anymore.

Vivian soon realized she could not beat Evelyn as she could not break of the devious woman’s shackles. With great difficulty, she uttered, “I’ve never fought over Finnick with you. When I met him, I… I didn’t even know that you were still alive.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 409

“Well, I’m back now, so why are you still sticking around, refusing to leave?” Evelyn screeched. Her eyes were full of hatred, as though soaked with venom, as they bore into Vivian. Her once delicate facial features twisted and turned into something much more hideous.

When Vivian heard Evelyn say that, she knew that her captor had crossed the line of reason. So, what she means is, even though I was in a relationship with Finnick, I should have split up with him once she came back and then return her rightful place to her. Is that right?

“Finnick doesn’t like you anymore. Whatever happened between the two of you is all in the past. Plus, we’re already married.” Shocked by Evelyn’s thirst for dominance, Vivian hoped to make her see sense.

Evelyn gave Vivian’s chin another tight squeeze and flicked her head aside. Fuelled by rage, she barked, “If he doesn’t like me, then who does he like? You? Oh, Vivian, you think too highly of yourself. Do you really think you’re a good match for him?”

“Why would you think so? He said it himself – that the two of you are nothing more than business partners now. He doesn’t like you anymore.”

Although Vivian knew that phrasing it that way might irritate Evelyn even more, thus further jeopardizing her own situation, she still chose to go head-to-head with her.

She had had enough. Why does everyone think that I don’t deserve Finnick? Everyone seems to think that only Evelyn has the right to develop a relationship with him. Is it because she has a pretty face… and I don’t?

“Really?” Evelyn smirked with disdain. “So, let’s say – if Finnick finds out that you’re tainted by other men, do you think he’ll still stay with you?”

“What do you mean? Evelyn, what are you trying to do?” Vivian panicked upon hearing the other woman’s words. In order to frame Vivian last time, Evelyn had even been willing to disfigure her own face. She could be that cruel to herself, let alone to other people.

“I’m not doing anything.” Evelyn rose and clapped her hands. With a wicked grin, she revealed her plan to Vivian, who had now fallen onto the ground.

“Imagine. Tomorrow, news of your… involvement with gangsters will be all over the papers and the Internet. All kinds of shameful and scandalous photos of your incident will be exposed to the world. I wonder, if Finnick sees those, do you think he’ll still have feelings for you like you say he does?”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Evelyn’s scheme frightened Vivian to the core. She feared that the madwoman really had the gall to commit such a deed. “If you do this, Finnick won’t forgive you. I’ll tell him everything! You had better let me go this instant!”

“Oh dear, I’m so afraid. Haha!” Evelyn released an evil laugh in response to Vivian’s statement. “Vivian, you pitiful girl. You haven’t learned your lesson, have you? You said the same thing at the café the last time we met. Like I said, everyone will only believe me, not you. That was the case last time, and it will be the same this time too.”

“Don’t believe me? Hmph!” Evelyn shot a glance at Vivian before she shouted to whoever was outside the warehouse, “Come in now, all of you.”

Right after Vivian gave her command, Vivian saw four filthy and hideous men enter the warehouse, all of whom were likely in their forties or fifties.

They were all dressed in rags, their hair dishevelled as though they had not been trimmed in decades. They were also covered in dirt and grime from head to toe. It must have been ages since they last took a shower. Vivian could detect a foul smell coming from the four of them even though they were standing far away.

As soon as the four disgusting men stepped into the warehouse and came face to face with the two beautiful women inside, they began drooling all over. Several pairs of lustful eyes sized up Vivian and Evelyn, enough to make anyone shudder at the sight.

Evelyn seemed repulsed by the four brutes as well. When they walked in, her face showed utter disgust, and, covering her nose with her fingers, she backed away.

“Evelyn, who are they? Why have you called them?” Vivian screamed at the top of her lungs, shaking involuntarily. She fell into emotional collapse the instant she saw those strangers coming in.

Although she had pictured this in her mind before, she did not expect that Evelyn would really do such a thing. She did not think that Evelyn would go to such great lengths to sully her reputation, and those creepy men were the ones she had picked to do her bidding.

Seeing Vivian breaking down and wailing on the ground just two steps away, Evelyn slowly approached her victim. The corners of her lips could not help but curl upwards to match her cruel intentions, distorting her beautiful face. “Hmm, what was it I want them to do? I thought I’ve made it very clear to you just now. Vivian, I’ve carefully selected these four gentlemen here just for you. What do you think? Are you satisfied with them?”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 410

“I’m warning you, Evelyn. Don’t do this!” Vivian was so shaken up that her voice was trembling. “Tell them to leave!”

“Now, now. I’ve gone through a lot of trouble to hire them. They haven’t even started yet, so I can’t possibly let them go, can I?” Evelyn, eyes filled with malice and viciousness, glared daggers at Vivian. “Everything I’ve done to you just now, do you think it’s all a scare? You said Finnick likes you, is that right? Then we’ll see, Vivian, if Finnick still likes you even after you lose both your reputation and innocence!”

“How dare you do such a thing? Let me go at once!” Vivian shouted in panic when she spotted the cruel look that fell on Evelyn’s face. “Evelyn, Finnick will never forgive you when he finds out about this!”

“Why won’t I dare to?” Evelyn could not care less about Vivian’s threat. She took out a camera from her bag and paraded the item in front of Vivian. “Not only do I dare to do it to a good-for-nothing like you, but I’ll also be taking photos of the whole process and upload them online later. When that happens, I wonder if you’ll still have the will to live or the nerve to stay with Finnick!

“Enjoy while it lasts. Rest assured, I’ll be in charge of recording everything for you.” After Evelyn said that, she decided she had had enough talk. She stepped back and waved her hand at the four beggars, giving them the signal. “She’s all yours for today. Don’t let me down.”

When the beggars first laid eyes on Vivian, they could not bear it much longer. Initially, they had thought their prey would not be much of a looker, but she turned out to be quite a beauty.

What a pleasant surprise! Not only do we get paid, but we also get a beautiful girl at our disposal. Fate is really kind to us today.

The four beggars rubbed their hands together and sniggered amongst themselves as they made their way towards Vivian.

They approached Vivian with lewd grins on their faces, revealing their yellowish teeth. Vivian shifted backward, fear taking over her. “Leave me alone! Don’t you come close! Stay away!”

At the same time, Evelyn turned on the camera and aimed at the five of them. She said to the beggars, “If I like what I see today, I’ll double your pay. I promise that all of you will be set for life, and you’ll never have to beg on the streets again.”

The four only got more excited, motivated by Evelyn’s instruction. They stepped forward and surrounded Vivian at once. One began touching Vivian’s face, and the feeling thrilled him even more that he almost drooled. “Oh gosh, her skin is so fine! I’m telling ya, we’re in luck today!”

“Haha, who’s going first? Or shall we do it together?” One suggested sinisterly.

“We’ll all go for it. We have been through so much together, so of course, we have to share the reward,” another one proposed.

“Just look at her. She’s crying so much, and now she’s got me itching!” the third member echoed.

“Guess that means it’s about time.” One man grabbed hold of Vivian’s arms aggressively as he reached over to remove her jacket.

Since one of them had made a move, the other three also hurled themselves at Vivian, tugging at her clothes.

“No! Get away from me!” Vivian shrieked in agony. The four pairs of arms clinging onto her were utterly repulsive, making her feel nauseous. She could not stop retching. “Get lost! Don’t touch me!”

“Evelyn, I hate you! You tell them to stay away! Get off of me!” Vivian yelled in despair, her voice rough from all the straining. She tried to defend herself with everything she could muster, but it was all in vain.

“Hoho.” Ignoring Vivian’s calls for help, the beggars kept clawing at her clothes. Keep screaming, little missy. We haven’t felt a woman in years! You’re only gonna make it so much better for us! What fun! We’ll enjoy this!

“Get off me, you scumbags! Don’t touch me!” Vivian struggled, trying to fight them off, but with her hands and feet tied up, she was no match for the four men at all. Very soon, her jacket was taken off.

The removal of the jacket revealed Vivian’s exquisite figure in a sleeveless top. The eyes that could not stop staring became even more frantic as the men swallowed hard.

“Pretty missy, it’s no use shouting. You’re in the middle of nowhere. No one will hear you,” one of them said and then reached a hand out to caress her skin.