Ch. 481..490

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 481

Without pausing to probe for flaws in her own logic, Vivian kept searching for reasons to convince herself that he was not the one in the room. In the end, she still could not find the strength to walk through the doors and verify things for herself.

Instead, she hastily pulled out her own phone and dialed Finnick’s number. I trust that you would not do this to me, Finnick. Please pick up… Please…

As she prayed silently, she heard the ringtone from Finnick’s phone rang out from inside the room. That instantly deadened her heart, for she had no doubt this must be his.

It was the one she had idly selected for him just a couple of days back. There was no mistake about it. Could the man in the room really be him?

She continued to shake her head in denial of her own assumptions, and only hoped that he would pick up and tell her that he was not at home. If he was able to do so, she would choose to believe him.

It would appear that the heavens had ignored Vivian’s pleas as Evelyn’s moans ignited anew.

“Ah, don’t pick up that ugly bitch’s call now. You’re spoiling the mood… Ah… Finnick, you devil…”

Vivian did not hear Finnick’s response. However, her call was rejected as soon as Evelyn stopped talking.

“We’re sorry; the number you are calling is out of reach. Please call again later…” Vivian’s hand fell limp as she sat where she was. She felt completely drained.

She understood intimately what utter despair meant. It proved in the end how silly she was to try to make excuses for Finnick just because she herself would not accept the truth of his betrayal.

Vivian’s tears flowed ceaselessly. Finnick you assh*le! To be so blind as to not be able to recognize the man beneath the facade until now, she had only herself to blame.

But why? She could not understand why he appeared so affectionate and did not agree to a divorce when she first broached the subject a few days back.

A lengthy period had elapsed between the time Evelyn emerged and now. If Finnick only told her that he was still infatuated with Evelyn, she would not have persisted with this marriage in the mistaken belief that he was in love with herself.

If I no longer held a place in his heart, why would he not just tell me straight? Why wait until today and let me find out this way? Why?

These are the questions that kept circulating inside her head and threatened to drive her insane.

She thought that she knew him long enough to understand him. It was only this day that she found out she had no idea what was on his mind. She could not understand why he would not divorce her.

Is it for his public image? Vivian knew Finnick had been kept busy as the company was dealing with a major crisis recently. Could news of his divorce from me possibly tarnish his image and potentially compound the company’s woes?

The thought of that had her lips curled into a bitter smile. That was the only explanation she was able to come up with. So Finnick declined to divorce not because he loved her, but because he was afraid of how it might affect Finnor Group.

Is that why he changed his mind about the baby? Is that why he was so afraid that he asked me not to suggest divorcing ever again? Is he actually waiting for Finnor Group to leave its troubles behind before he kicked me to the curb?

That must be it.

Vivian was filled with agony as she struggled to reconcile with these facts. From the moment that she met him, he became the beacon of hope and happiness in her otherwise bleak existence.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 482

He married her to shield her from mockery; he had V.M. Fund set up in her honor; he erased the biggest stain on her character; he punished those who have wronged her… He had done so much and transformed her from a scorned Cinderella to the widely admired Mrs. Norton of the Finnor Group.

Yet, none of that seemed to have counted for anything, as the moment Evelyn reappeared, his heart was no longer with her. Perhaps it was as Evelyn had put it—she was only a brief fascination for whom Finnick would not stick with for long.

The biggest tragedy was how she still harbored a sliver of hope that all these might be untrue even in the face of the overwhelming evidence she had discovered.

Vivian wiped at her tears as she slowly got back on her feet. She told herself that she must be strong. Everything is going to be alright. Worse come to worst, we will just get a divorce. That was something she had mentally prepared herself for anyway.

Even if she was no longer wanted by Finnick, she would continue to raise the child on her own and make a good life for themselves together. She believed that she was capable of that.

If my mother could manage it, why not me?

Having sorted through her thoughts, Vivian turned and steadily made her way downstairs.

In the end, she chose not to enter the bedroom to expose Finnick and Evelyn. She could not bear to see the man she had once loved so deeply engaging the warmth of another woman. Just imagining it would be enough to drive her crazy.

On top of that, she wished to retain her dignity. She reckoned that she might break down into a sobbing mess were she to bear witness to the scene which awaited her inside. She may very well end up spinelessly clamoring for Finnick. Should that happen, even she would come to despise herself.

The sound in the bedroom stopped the moment Vivian departed.

Evelyn was dressed in a bathrobe inside the room. She looked rather prim and proper seated in bed and did not appear as one who was deeply engaged in sexual intimacy. She was the only one in the room. Where was the man?

Placed on top of the nightstand next to her was a laptop playing the deep drawls of a man’s voice on loop.

She eyed Vivian’s exit between the slit of the door and ceased her own lascivious enunciations. Disdain swept across her face. “You think you could stand against me, Vivian William? In your dreams!”

Evelyn smirked when she retrieved Finnick’s phone off the bed. Her smug smile turned to rage when she saw Vivian’s photo displayed on the phone.

“Sooner or later, you’ll be completely mine, Finnick.” Evelyn snarled under her breath before she got up and walked out.

Her heart was filled with glee. Before this, she was quite worried about Vivian actually barging in, which would have ruined her entire plan.

She surprised even herself that Vivian did not have the guts to do so. She is useless!

And hopelessly vapid too, falling for her trickery way too easily.

The woman leisurely made her way down and picked up all the clothing left on the floor before she returned upstairs, as though she was in her own home.

After she got changed, Evelyn stood in front of the full-length mirror to adjust her belt. She noticed the wardrobe to her side and reached out to open it.

Inside was Vivian’s clothes placed alongside Finnick’s. That left her livid, and she started grabbing and throwing all of them out.

“You’re not deserving enough to marry Finnick, Vivian William!” She needed to yell that out loud to let off some steam.

Reluctantly, she proceeded to replace the clothing and had them arranged properly after she cooled down. She could ill-afford to leave tell-tale signs for Finnick to chance upon.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 483

Hmph. She swore to toss out every single thing related to Vivian from the villa the day she got together with Finnick.

Evelyn settled her own emotions before she made her way back downstairs.

Mrs. Filder approached the moment she saw Evelyn. “I’ve done exactly as you’ve asked, Ms. Morrison. Please do not forget what you’ve promised me.”

Evelyn looked askance at her. “Relax, I won’t.”

That’s the problem with these people. Just a simple request and all of them expect some kind of reward.Given as lowly as they are, they should feel honored that they were even called upon.

“You have to find a way to get me abroad, Ms. Morrison. I’m afraid to stay on as I don’t know if and when Mr. Norton will find out.”

Mrs. Filder was a nervous wreck. Mr. Norton has always been sharp. I don’t think he could be deceived so easily.

She was reluctant to even consider getting involved if not for the generous terms Evelyn was willing to offer, as she had been around Finnick long enough to know what he was capable of.

“Yeah, yeah,” Evelyn replied in mild annoyance. “One more thing. Stop saying such things. If neither of us breathed a word about it, how is he to ever find out? I’m warning you, should we be discovered, you’ll be dealing with me first.”

“Understood, Ms. Morrison. My lips are sealed.” Evelyn’s threat had the other woman on edge.

Evelyn then waved her away. “I’ll get you what you deserve as soon as possible. You may excuse yourself now.”

“Yes, of course,” The jittery Mrs. Filder responded with caution before she took her leave.

Just then, the phone in Evelyn’s hand rang.

“Come back here.” Evelyn recalled the housemaid. She dared not pick up. As this was Finnick’s phone, she might give things away if she did. “Answer it.”

Mrs. Filder appeared apprehensive as well when she turned to see the phone Evelyn extended toward her. She had butterflies in her stomach, unsure as to how she should respond if the call came from Finnick himself.

“Well, get on with it!” Evelyn shoved the phone directly into the woman’s hands when she saw that she was not responsive. “And watch what you say,” she cautioned.

Mrs. Filder swallowed hard before she swiped the call through.

“Hello, may I know…” she asked cautiously.

“It’s me, Mrs. Filder.” It was Finnick’s voice on the other end. “Did I leave my phone at home?”

“Yes, Mr. Norton, you did.” She tried to steady her own voice. “Would you like for me to send it over to you?”

“Yes, sorry to trouble you.”

“It’s no problem,” Mrs. Filder replied.

“Okay.” Finnick ended the call with that. Mrs. Filder ran a hand over to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead.

Evelyn gave Mrs. Filder a look of approval when she took the phone back. She went on to erase all traces of the calls from Vivian.

Once this was done, she passed the phone back. “Run along and get this to Finnick before he gets suspicious. Remember to keep your cool around him,” she said.

“Okay.” Mrs. Filder nodded. With phone in hand, she put on her shoes and scurried out of the house.

All alone with the villa to herself, Evelyn surveyed the interiors.

“Such poor taste,” she said as she twitched her lips in disapproval. She started to think about how she would refurbish the place to her own liking when she moved in.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 484

A thought came to Evelyn’s mind as she studied the interior of the villa. She quickly dug through in her bag on the sofa for her phone. She made a call after she found it, shortly after the receiver picked up the call.

“I’ve already done as you’ve asked me to. Why didn’t you let my parents go?” Noah asked through gritted teeth from the other end of the phone.

Evelyn frowned and countered, “How dare you asked me that! You’re the one begging me right now. You do remember I hold your parents’ lives in my hand, so don’t piss me off!”

Noah clenched his fist in anger at Evelyn’s cruel remark. Despite his anger, he couldn’t refute her because his parents’ lives were in Evelyn’s hands, so he could only do as she says.

Noah kept his boiling anger in check and forced out a calm reply. “When will you let them go then?”

“Now, this is the correct attitude.” Evelyn grinned, “Don’t be hasty. After you promised to help me with another matter, then I’ll let them go.”

“Evelyn Morrison, you’ve gone too far!” Noah’s anger stirred up again when Evelyn didn’t keep her promise and threatened him to help her with something else again.

“We have already agreed that you’ll let my parents go once I brought Mrs. Norton to the hospital and lied to her that Mr. Norton was the one who wanted her to abort the child. I’ve already done as you’ve said, so what games are you playing now?”

“What you’re yelling for?” Evelyn raised her tone as she spoke, “That reminds me, why does Vivian still have her baby? What have you been doing?”

“Mrs. Norton had already misunderstood Mr. Norton, so why couldn’t you just let the baby live?” begged Noah.

Evelyn’s face turned dark with sinister. “I don’t care about all that. I want the dirty thing gone.”

“Evelyn Morrison, that dirty thing you’re referring to has a life. You will receive retribution for this! I won’t ever help you with such an evil deed!” Noah cursed, knowing Evelyn wouldn’t let the baby live.

“Really?” Evelyn leisurely sat on the sofa, unaffected by his curse, and sneered, “I’m not sure about receiving retribution. But I do know, if you don’t do as I asked, your parents will lose their lives.”

“You!” Noah was rendered speechless. She held his weakness in her hands, so he didn’t have any choice but to obey her to ensure his parents’ safety.

“Let’s stop this nonsense. I’ll give you three days. If Vivian still has her baby after three days, say goodbye to your parents.”

Evelyn gave Noah an ultimatum, not wanting to discuss further.

Noah turned frantic at Evelyn’s threat. “Evelyn, what are you going to do to my parents? I’m warning you not to do anything rash! If anything happens to them, I won’t ever forgive you! I will hunt you down till I exact my revenge!”

Compared to Noah’s agitation, Evelyn casually said, “Relax, they’re fine for now. They have food and drink. But…” She said in a chilling tone with venom dripping in her every word, “If you delay any further, I can’t guarantee anything.

“Alright.” Noah agreed helplessly. “But you have to ensure my parents’ safety.”

“That’s not an issue.” Evelyn smiled, “I’ll let your parents go once that baby is gone.”

“You’d better keep your promise!” Noah ended the call right after.

He stared sightlessly at his phone and thought about what he promised to do. He muttered with guilt, “Mr. and Mrs. Norton, I’m sorry, but I can’t let anything happen to my parents.”

Evelyn didn’t mind Noah’s rudeness as long as he agreed to her condition. His parents were still in her hand, so she wasn’t worried about him playing games with her.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 485

“Vivian William, let’s see who will save you this time.” Evelyn scoffed with eyes full of jealous rage.

She stood and left after a while. At that point, it was a crucial moment. All her planning would be futile if Finnick suddenly returned and saw her here.

While changing her shoes at the entrance, she clenched her fist in hatred at the sight of Vivian’s and Finnick’s shoes placed together neatly on the shoe rack.

She swore that she would wipe away all traces left by Vivian from every corner of this house.

She swung her gaze away from the shoe rack and opened the door. There stood a person she never expected to see here.

“Ben, what…what’re you doing here?” stammered Evelyn. Her face turned guilty from the unexpected appearance of Benedict.

“That is what I should be asking you.” Benedict trained his sharp gaze on Evelyn. “What are you doing at Vivian’s and Finnick’s house?

“I…I…” Evelyn’s eyes darted everywhere but Benedict’s face. She couldn’t find a valid excuse for her being there.

Despite not knowing the reason for her being there at the very least, he knew she was up to no good seeing the guilty look on her face.

“Haven’t you done enough to Vivian? What else are you planning to do to her?” Benedict interrogated fiercely.

Evelyn trembled at Benedict’s sudden raised tone and replied unhappily, “Ben, you have scared me. Why are you acting all mean?”

Benedict pointed furiously at Evelyn. “Tell me now! What are you planning to do? I’m warning you now if you dare to harm Vivian again, I’ll be the first to punish you for it!”

“Ben!” Evelyn had never been treated by Benedict this way. He’d always spoiled her since young. Anger rushed through her as she was scolded and being pointed at by him.

“How could you talk to me this way? Why do you always protect Vivian? She’s an outsider, and I’m your sister. I can’t believe you’re mean to me because of her!”

Benedict laughed at Evelyn’s words. However, there was no joy in his eyes, and his laugh was so cold that it gave her chills.

Evelyn took a step back from Benedict’s chilling laughter. Her arrogant attitude from before was replaced with fear. “Ben… you… What are you laughing at?”

“Really?” Benedict stared deadly at Evelyn.

“What?” Benedict’s words came out of nowhere, so Evelyn didn’t know what he meant.

However, his next few words turned Evelyn’s face pale.

“Are you really my sister?”

Benedict had just gotten the investigation report from the private investigator that morning. It was as he had speculated. Evelyn Morrison was not his sister.

Benedict thought back on the happenings from that morning.

“Mr. Morrison, I’ve finished the investigation you asked of me. I’ve discovered that Ms. Rachel had just given birth when she found Ms. Evelyn. Her daughter was only a few days older than the latter. To ensure her daughter of a good life, she sent her own daughter to the Morrison family, but kept the child of the Morrison family by her side.”

“Are you sure of this?” Benedict couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Yes.” The private investigator who stood in front of him nodded. “Your DNA test with Ms. Evelyn proved that she had no blood ties to you.”

A few days ago, Benedict had snuck into Evelyn’s room to collect a few of her fallen hairs. He then passed them and his hair to the private detective for DNA testing. He just wanted to be sure of his relationship with Evelyn. He felt guilty towards Evelyn at that time, but he didn’t expect the result to turn out like that.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 486

“Also.” The private investigator continued, “To ensure the results were accurate, I snuck into Ms. Rachel’s hospital room to swipe a few of her hairs and sent those to the lab as well. The result showed that Ms. Rachel and Ms. Evelyn had 99.9% match of being mother-and-daughter.”

Benedict was stunned by the result. He finally understood the reason Vivian came to speak with Evelyn privately. The former must have known about the truth as well.

So the reason she came to the Morrison residence that day was to tell Evelyn about it. However, he didn’t hear anything from Evelyn about it.

“Alright, I understood. You may leave now. I’ll contact you if there’s anything else,” said Benedict.

“Sure.” The private investigator turned and left.

Benedict kept thinking about it even after the private investigator had left. He could understand Evelyn not telling him the truth, but why didn’t Vivian? Benedict couldn’t understand Vivian’s reason. But there was another matter which worries him.

Even when Vivian wasn’t in Evelyn’s way, the latter could orchestra the kidnapping and assault of Vivian. Now that she knew Vivian had threatened her position of being part of the Morrison family, who knew what she would do to Vivian.

Benedict had watched Evelyn grew up. Even though he spoiled her but he knew her better than anyone else. She definitely won’t just let Vivian go easily.

On that thought, he immediately gave Evelyn a call. Previously, he didn’t know Vivian was his sister, so he helped Evelyn hid her involvement in Vivian’s kidnapping. Once he knew about it, he wouldn’t allow Evelyn to harm Vivian anymore.

However, Evelyn didn’t pick up her phone. Benedict was anxious that Evelyn had implemented her plan to harm Vivian.

At that moment, he remembered the tracking device he planted on Evelyn’s phone to locate her whereabouts so that he could stop her from causing another incident like the kidnapping. When he planted the tracking device, he didn’t expect to have to use it so quickly.

Benedict urgently launched the tracking application on his phone and located Evelyn’s whereabouts. As he expected, Evelyn was around Finnick’s house.

Worried that Vivian would be harmed, Benedict drove like a madman to Finnick’s and Vivian’s house.

Just as he reached the entrance, he saw Evelyn leaving. It seemed that both Finnick and Vivian were not at home, so what was Evelyn doing there?

“Ben, what are you saying?” Evelyn felt a sense of guilt as she never thought that Benedict would be suspicious of her identity. Despite not having done any DNA testing, she was sure that she was not Benedict’s sister.

But how did Benedict know about it? Evelyn was really curiously. She suspected that Vivian went behind her back and told Benedict. Evelyn hated Vivian even more as her thoughts went wild.

Evelyn tried to mask her expression so as not to let Benedict know about her plan. She tugged on Benedict’s arm and said, “Don’t listen to the nonsense Vivian sprouted. Everything she said was to instigate a fight between us. How in the world am I not your sister?”

As he heard Evelyn mentioning Vivian, Benedict was certain that Evelyn had known about it beforehand.

“You knew that you’re not my sister?” asked Benedict.

Evelyn’s heart raced, her eyes started to dart about, avoiding eye contact with him. Despite being nervous, she forced calmness into her tone. “Ben, how could you suspect me? I grew up with you, so how could I not be your sister?”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 487

Benedict noticed her guilty tells, so he knew that she was lying.

“Evelyn, you said so yourself that you grew up under my watch, so do you think that I wouldn’t know when you’re lying to me. Even though you’re a good liar, I can still see through them. Never mind that, tell me what you’re doing here?”

“I…” Evelyn wanted to explain, but she saw someone in the corner of her eyes, and a flash of panic showed on her face. She thought about what bad timing that she returned at that moment.

Curious about Evelyn’s change, Benedict followed her line of sight and saw a middle-aged woman standing hesitantly not far away. She was apprehensive about approaching them.

Benedict recognized that it was Mrs. Filder. Why would she hesitate to enter the house? Also, why is Evelyn nervous about her showing up? His instinct told him that there was something fishy about the both of them. And so he approached Mrs. Filder.

“Ben, listen to me…” Evelyn wanted to stop Benedict, but he pushed her away.

Seeing her reaction, he was certain of his suspicion. Evelyn had definitely bribed Mrs. Filder to harm Vivian!

Mrs. Filder felt her legs trembling as she saw Benedict walking towards her. She didn’t know who he was. Would he tell Mr. Norton about what she and Evelyn had done?

“What have you and Evelyn done? If you remain silent, I’ll tell Finnick immediately!” Benedict interrogated.

Fear filled Mrs. Filder as she realized Benedict was about to reveal the truth to Finnick. “Mister, I don’t have anything to do with it! Ms. Morrison was the one who had instructed me to do everything. Please don’t tell Mr. Norton about it.”

Anger poured through Benedict once he knew that Evelyn had done something evil. “Tell me! What have you done!”

Unable to withstand Benedict’s interrogation, Mrs. Filder revealed everything that Evelyn had done.

Benedict turned to look at Evelyn with a look of disbelief after hearing everything from Mrs. Filder. This person was the sister that he had protected all his life. Unable to believe that she didn’t learn her lesson from the previous incident but had gotten worse.

Evelyn guiltily hung her head, avoiding eye contact with Benedict. “Ben, you can’t blame me for this entirely. Vivian, she…”

“Shut up!” Benedict cut Evelyn off with a yell. “I don’t have a sister like you. I’ve already run a DNA test, and it showed that you’re not my sister!”

“What?” Evelyn stared at Benedict in shock. She never thought that he would suspect her identity, so for him to have done a DNA test behind her back was a shocking revelation to her.

Benedict felt immense heartache and disappointment looking at Evelyn. “Initially, I thought it’s fine even if we had no blood relation since we were siblings for years. But now I’ve realized that I’m wrong. An evil woman like you doesn’t deserve to be my sister. You don’t deserve to be a part of the Morrison family!”

Benedict turned and left. As he was deeply disappointed by Evelyn, he didn’t want to look at her anymore. It pained him to see the person he treated with love for so many years grew up to be so evil.

Evelyn didn’t chase after Benedict as he left. She was rooted in place after being stunned by Benedict’s words.

Ben doesn’t want me anymore? That’s impossible! This couldn’t happen! Ben spoiled me the most since I was young, so how could he not want me anymore? No way! This can’t be!

As she shook her head in disbelief, tears welled up in her eyes and fell along her face. She was about to chase Vivian away from Finnick’s side permanently. But how did things turned out like this? How did she lose her dear brother, Ben?

More importantly, without her status of being a part of the Morrison family, how was she going to live? Was she supposed to dress and eat like those poor people? No! I don’t want that kind of life!

Vivian William! Evelyn gritted her teeth in anger! This was all because of you! It’s your fault! I will never forgive you!

After Benedict left the Norton family villa, he called Vivian urgently, afraid that something would happen to her. But Vivian’s phone was turned off.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 488

No matter how antsy Benedict felt, he knew that there was nothing he could do. So, he resorted to driving in the area around Norton Residence in endless circles.

If what the housemaid said about Vivian having left on foot was true, then she couldn’t have gone very far. God, please help me find her.

He had failed his little sister by not taking care of her for years, and he had even helped Evelyn to frame her recently.

Benedict felt more and more guilt building up inside him as he lost himself in his thoughts. When I find Vivian, I’ll take good care of her. I’ll spoil her rotten to make up for all the years of absence. I’m never letting anyone harm her. She is the only family I have now.

At that same moment, Vivian was absentmindedly walking by the roadside. She had been so determined to live by herself, but the realization that she had nowhere else to go hit her only after she left the house.

She couldn’t go back to the Norton family residence. She couldn’t stay at her mom’s place; her mom was already sick, and Vivian didn’t want to burden her further.

What about the Morrison family? Could I turn to Benedict? Could she tell her brother about everything that had happened? But what if Benedict chooses to believe Evelyn instead of me, just like Finnick had? What then?

While mulling over her options, she noticed that a car had stopped right next to her. Before she could react, the car doors opened, several bodyguards rushing out and grabbing ahold of her arms.

Vivian nearly jumped out of her skin, digging her heels into the ground and refusing to budge an inch. Who are these people? Is this a kidnapping or a robbery? But then someone else exited the car, and her eyes widened as alarm bells went off in her mind.

Noah Lotte was walking towards her. And she was almost certain that he was here to take her to the hospital as per Finnick’s orders.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake off the bodyguards’ vice grips on her arms.

Struggling against them, she yelled at Noah, “What do you want? Make them let go of me, Noah!”

Noah’s head was lowered, too scared to meet Vivian’s stare as he mumbled, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Norton. I have no choice.”

“Noah, please, I’m begging you,” Vivian sobbed. She couldn’t go to the hospital; she needed to protect her child. “Let me go, please?”

Vivian’s sincere, desperate pleas tugged at Noah’s heartstrings, the usually unyielding and firm man almost moved to tears. But when he remembered his own parents, he regained his composure and waved a hand, signaling to the bodyguards to take her away.

They nodded and shoved Vivian into the car.

“Let go of me!” Vivian screamed, trying to twist her way out of the bodyguards’ clutches. Unfortunately, a woman’s strength was no match for several burly, well-built men.

Then, one bodyguard sat on each side of her, holding her in place as the car headed for the hospital.

Upon arrival, they proceeded to drag her out of the car.

“No! I’m not going! Noah, please… I’m begging you, I can’t lose my baby, please let me go…” Vivian screamed out, her throat hoarse as she held onto the armrest for dear life.

The sight made Noah want to punch himself in the face. Glancing away from Vivian, Noah forced out the words, “Get her out.”

Upon hearing that, the bodyguards pried Vivian’s hands away from the armrest, viciously pulling her out of the car.

“No… I don’t want to go…” Vivian tried to resist as much as possible, a shoe dropping off of her foot. One of her exposed heels was blistered and bloody as her feet scraped against the pavement.

She vaguely registered a flash of pain coming from her feet, but she was too busy trying to escape to care. She had sworn to herself that she would protect this child. She had already lost her husband; she couldn’t afford to lose her baby too.

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“Mrs. Norton, please don’t try to put up a fight. Let us bring you to the hospital, alright?” Noah advised ruefully.

“Noah, please call Finnick and let me talk to him! There’s no way that he could be this cruel!” Vivian shouted through her tears. “Noah, please! Noah!”

Upon hearing her plea, Noah turned a sickly shade of green.

Vivian was right. Finnick loved her so much that he was willing to give up his career and future for her. He isn’t this heartless—but Evelyn is!

Rage flared up within Noah at the thought of Evelyn, his hands clenching into fists. But he had no choice other than becoming Evelyn’s partner-in-crime.

Fighting back tears, Noah’s voice was hoarse as he ordered the bodyguards, “Take Mrs. Norton in.” He turned around as soon as the words left his mouth.

There was no doubt that if he continued to watch Vivian cry and beg, he would give in to her plea. But he couldn’t. Not when his parents were still at Evelyn’s mercy.

Thus, Vivian was strapped onto a gurney and instantly wheeled into an operating room where a team of surgeons was already waiting for her.

Her eyes were full of fear and agony as she helplessly watched the surgeons prepare their medical instruments. The sight drained her of all emotion, leaving her with no more tears left to cry.

A surgeon walked towards her, holding a speculum that glinted in the light. For some reason, the image of Finnick and Evelyn fooling around in their bedroom suddenly surfaced in her mind.

Why? How could Finnick disregard all the memories and love that we shared? How could he be so cruel?

Thinking of how Finnick was probably having fun with another woman as she lay here about to lose her first child, resentment sprouted within Vivian’s heart.

From now on, however much I love you I have for you will be equal to the hatred I have for you.

She could nearly feel the coldness emanating off of the speculum as the surgeon prepared to insert it into her body. Hopelessly, she closed her eyes, she wished for nothing more than to die right there and then.

I’m so useless. I can’t even protect my own child. Is there any meaning to life anymore? Just let me die alongside my baby…

Just as Vivian had given up on all hope, a loud “bang” echoed throughout the operating room. Everyone turned to look for the source of the noise, and Vivian’s eyes widened.

She was clearly mistaken when she’d thought that she was incapable of crying anymore, because she instantly burst into tears when she saw who the intruder was.

It’s Benedict! Benedict was here to save her, just like the time she was kidnapped by Evelyn!

“Don’t touch her!” Benedict shoved the surgeons out of his way, kicking away the various bodyguards that were holding Vivian down. In the blink of an eye, he had pulled Vivian up and onto her feet, standing protectively in front of her.

“Everyone, leave!” His eyes were bloodshot as he shouted, his mind clouded with fear and worry for his sister.

Fortunately for Vivian, he had been driving around the area when he spotted her getting dragged into the hospital. He didn’t want to imagine what horrors she might have suffered if he had arrived even a minute later.

The bodyguards and surgeons were stunned at Benedict’s sudden appearance, unsure if they should try to proceed with the operation or leave the room.

Seeing red, Benedict picked up a bench near him and threw it in their direction before dashing forward to beat up as many people as he could.

The surgeons and bodyguards, intimidated by Benedict’s hostility, decided to not engage with him and fled the scene. Benedict was about to chase after them and make them pay for what they did to Vivian when her voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Benedict!” Vivian had called out his name in a panic upon seeing that he was about to leave her alone in the room. Still suffering from shock, she felt safer with Benedict by her side and wanted him to stay with her.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 490

Benedict instantly whipped around to look at Vivian.

Her hair spilled messily over her shoulders, and there were dried tear tracks on her face. Her gaze was full of fear and uncertainty. Her clothes were rumpled and he spotted bruises all over her body, she looked worse than when she was kidnapped the last time.

The pitiful sight made Benedict’s heart clench painfully within his chest. It felt as if someone was ripping his heart and it hurt so much to the point that he could not breathe.

He rushed forward to envelop her in his embrace, holding back his own tears as he patted her back in a reassuring manner. “I’m so sorry that I am late, Vivian… I’m so sorry that you had to go through that…” he muttered, voice full of guilt and regret.

Within Benedict’s hug, Vivian finally felt safe and relieved. As soon as she let her guard down, the dam of emotions she had been trying to hold back burst wide open.

Clutching onto Benedict’s clothes, she sobbed uncontrollably. If he had arrived a minute later, she might have already lost her child by now.

Benedict only felt worse listening to his sister’s heart-breaking cries, choking up as he told her, “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault… I failed to protect you…”

That jolted Vivian from her misery. She raised her head and looked at him. Eyes still watery, she stuttered out, “Have you… you found out?”

“Yes, I have. I know that you’re my biological sister now.” Benedict wiped away her tears, looking down at her sympathetically. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth before?”

“I was afraid that you wouldn’t believe me,” Vivian sniffled. “I was scared that… you would prefer Evelyn over me… and that you would refuse to recognize me as your sister.”

“You idiot.” Benedict pulled her back into his arms. “You’re the only living family I have left. How could I ever abandon you?”

It was as if a burden was lifted off of her shoulders when she clearly sensed the affection and adoration in Benedict’s tone. Benedict didn’t hate her. He didn’t not want her as a sister. She finally had a family member that she could rely on.

With that, Vivian hugged Benedict tighter.

After a long while of crying, a question came to her mind. Staring up at him in confusion, she asked, “How did you find out that we’re related?”

With one hand stroking Vivian’s hair, Benedict started to explain everything to her.

“When you invited me to the café last time and tried to indirectly ask about Evelyn’s kidnapping, I sensed that something was off. You were acting really weird. You didn’t seem curious, but it felt more like you were testing something.

“Then, I grew even more suspicious when you called to ask about Evelyn’s birthmark. So I had someone investigate, and not only did they discover that Rachel have leukemia, but they also found out that you’re not her biological daughter.

“At that point, I was already questioning both yours and Evelyn’s true identities, and I had someone use Rachel and Evelyn’s hair to undergo a DNA test. As I’d expected, the results proved that Evelyn is Rachel’s biological daughter, and thus has no familial relation to me.”

“I see… So you’d had doubts since the very beginning.” Vivian was regretting her decision for having hidden her identity from Benedict all along. If she had told him the truth earlier, then all these unfortunate occurrences wouldn’t have happened.

“Don’t worry, Vivian. I’ll protect you from now on. No one will ever harm you or your baby as long as I’m around. I’m never letting anything like this happen again.”

Benedict’s stare was steely with determination. This was not just a promise that he was making to Vivian, but it was also a promise that he was making to himself.

Vivian’s eyes welled with tears again, and she buried her face into Benedict’s chest to sob. I’m not alone anymore. This is what it feels like to be loved and protected by a family member.

Although Rachel loved her as well, she obviously preferred Evelyn because she was her biological daughter. As a result, there were countless times when Rachel forgot to care about Vivian’s feelings.