Ch. 571..580
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 571
As she sat in her familiar surroundings with her ex-lover expressing his concern about her, Vivian started to feel like she had returned to her college days when Fabian used to be her confidant.
The memories seemed to affect Vivian more than she thought as she suddenly felt the unfamiliar urge of wanting to rely on someone.
“I got pregnant five years ago but Finnick suspected that the child didn’t belong to him. He forced me to get an abortion, but I didn’t want to. He sent people after me.”
Vivian told Fabian about how Finnick had sent people after her and forced her to get an abortion. Relieving old memories brought on the same pain she had felt all those years ago, causing her to tear up.
Fabian couldn’t help but frown at the sound of Vivian’s sorrow. He knew he was at risk of making Vivian feel worse, but he couldn’t help but ask, “Why did Finnick think the baby wasn’t his?”
Vivian remembered that Mark was involved in her kidnapping as well, so Vivian cut things short. “Evelyn kidnapped me and even tried to get someone to rape me, but Benedict arrived just in time and saved me from that. I don’t know what she said to Finnick, but he ended up believing that the child wasn’t his and refused to let me keep it.”
“That doesn’t mean he should force you to get an abortion. He went too far!” Fabian said angrily. Why did Vivian have to face something like that? She didn’t even do anything wrong!
Vivian felt even more detached from Finnick at the sound of Fabian’s rage on her behalf. Even Fabian could understand how she felt, how could Finnick, of all people have done that to her? She still couldn’t forgive him.
“W-what happened to the kid?” Fabian asked carefully, afraid of adding salt to Vivian’s wounds.
“Well…” Vivian hesitated. She decided not to tell Fabian the truth. The less people who knew about Larry, the better.
“Benedict rushed me to the hospital in time so I didn’t suffer too much, but there was no way we could keep the baby after something like that.”
Vivian choked up slightly. She may have been lying about what happened, but her sorrow was in no way a farce.
“I’m sorry, Vivian, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Fabian said tenderly at the sight of Vivian’s tears.
He wanted to help her dry her tears, but he was afraid that Vivian would think he was crossing his boundaries so he remained unmoving.
“It’s alright. It had nothing to do with you.” Vivian dried her tears with the back of her hand and tried her best to give him a smile.
At the sight of Vivian’s pained smile, Fabian started wishing she would just cry it out instead.
All he felt in the moment was his heart aching for Vivian. He had no idea what he could say to take her pain away. He settled on patting her on the shoulder softly, hoping it could give her some comfort.
The more he thought about what Vivian had told him, the weirder Fabian felt about everything.
He looked at Vivian who seemed to have calmed herself down. “Vivian, do you really think things are that simple?”
Fabian had never been on good terms with Finnick, but he knew his own nephew well enough. While Finnick could be quite an arrogant elitist, he wasn’t a bad person. Forcing someone to get an abortion didn’t sound like the kind of thing that he would do.
At the same time, he was a man after all. He more-or-less knew how forgiving another man could be for the woman he loved.
When Vivian got kidnapped by Ashley, Finnick had been willing to put his life on the line to save her. That clearly showed how important Vivian was to Finnick.
Why would Finnick force Vivian to get an abortion if that was the case? Besides, even if he didn’t look that closely at everything, he still felt like there was something off about what had happened.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 572
Vivian was surprised by what Fabian said. “What do you mean?”
Mark was Fabian’s father after all. Could it be he knew something I don’t?
“I’m not exactly sure, but I do know that Finnick isn’t someone who would do that,” Fabian said seriously. “Besides, think about it. Evelyn purposely took that video at the café to frame you. Could it be that Evelyn is secretly pulling some tricks so you and Finnick would misunderstand each other?”
He wasn’t exactly willing to speak up for Finnick, but since he had completely given up on getting together with Vivian again, he’d prefer for her to be happy rather than hold a grudge forever.
Vivian lowered her head as she thought about what Fabian said. Could it be that everything truly is Evelyn’s doing and that it has nothing to do with Finnick after all?
“Vivian, have you talked to Finnick about this after coming back? There might really be a misunderstanding going on here,” Fabian asked.
Vivian started doubting the situation even more after Fabian’s speculations.
After returning to the country, she couldn’t remember properly having a conversation with Finnick about what happened that year. Every time he tried to talk about it with her, she couldn’t hold her anger back and they never ended on good terms. She had never properly listened to what he had to say.
Could it really be because of Evelyn? Now that she thought about it, she had been assuming that everything was Finnick’s fault all along. She had never properly asked him about it.
But Noah had been the one who dragged her to get the abortion. If Finnick wasn’t behind it, then why would Noah do something like that? Noah was Finnick’s right-hand man after all. She could imagine anyone but Noah betraying Finnick.
She felt more confused than ever. Vivian was starting to get a headache. What exactly happened that year? It seemed like she would really have to talk things out with Finnick after all. If it was really nothing more than just a huge misunderstanding, she couldn’t bear to imagine what she had missed out on all these years.
“I got it. I’ll find time to talk to him. Thank you, Fabian,” Vivian thanked Fabian sincerely. She could tell that Fabian was different from Mark. He actually cared for Vivian’s wellbeing and was genuinely looking out for her.
“There’s no need to thank me,” Fabian said with a smile. Suddenly, his smile disappeared and was replaced by a solemn look. “Vivian, there’s something that I think I should let you know.”
“What is it?” Vivian asked in surprise. Is there something I actually don’t know about?
Fabian thought it over and weighed the pros and cons of telling her. It had to do with his own father after all, but Vivian had all the right to know.
He gritted his teeth before saying, “Five years ago, just before you left the country, I caught my dad on a call with someone. It seemed suspicious and he brought up your name too. I wasn’t paying attention, so I didn’t think of telling you. Now that I thought about it, it does match up with the time that your situation took place. Could my father be in cahoots with Evelyn and tried to destroy your relationship with Finnick?”
He wasn’t willing to think of his father that way. Mark was his father, but that was also the reason why Fabian knew him better than anyone.
Mark was completely capable of doing something like that. He had worked together with Ashley to hurt Vivian before, so it wasn’t impossible for him to work together with Evelyn this time.
Vivian’s expression darkened at Fabian’s speculations and she stayed silent.
She didn’t doubt him of course. Since Mark could work with Evelyn to kidnap her, it was highly likely that he was willing to do other things to hurt her. She just couldn’t understand why they wanted to hurt her so badly. She had never even done anything wrong to them.
“Vivian, if this really has something to do with my father, I’d like to apologize on his behalf. I’m sorry for what he did,” Fabian said, extremely embarrassed.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 573
Vivian cut him off before he could finish. “Fabian, you don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault. Your dad and you are two separate entities. Our friendship has nothing to do with all that. Also, I want to thank you for telling me all this.”
Vivian looked at him in gratitude. Fabian must genuinely care about her for him to willingly spill all this dirt about his own father.
“Fabian, if I remember correctly, you’ve never been on the best terms with Finnick. Why are you suddenly helping him?” Vivian asked curiously.
“I’m not helping him, I’m trying to help you,” Fabian said sincerely. “I just want you to be happy.”
That was enough to touch Vivian’s heart. She knew there was no way anything would happen between her and Fabian again, but she was glad she hadn’t given her heart to the wrong person all those years ago.
At least her first love had been someone decent.
The two of them sat in silence that was no longer awkward. Vivian could almost sense the warmth that encompassed them.
Being able to go back to being friends with someone you once loved and hated is probably for the best.
What happened to her and Finnick was probably the worst-case scenario: once lovers, now enemies.
The sky had begun to darken for a while now and the two of them decided to return to the hotel so they could join dinner with everyone else.
Vivian didn’t expect to see an extremely familiar car parked in front of the hotel entrance when they returned.
At the sight of that dreadfully familiar car, Vivian felt as if all the blood in her body had turned to ice. She stopped in her tracks.
That was Finnick’s car.
What a coincidence, Vivian couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. I can’t believe we’re bumping into each other even at my classmates’ gathering. What sort of twisted fate is this?
Vivian was planning on just walking off and pretending like she hadn’t seen anything, but she remembered what Fabian said. What if we really did misunderstand each other?
There’s no time like the present. She decided to confront Finnick today and ask him once and for all if he was the one who made Noah take her to the hospital for the abortion.
No matter what the answer was, she was willing to hear it personally from Finnick himself. Besides, she was already completely prepared for whatever he might say.
She stayed where she was. She knew that if the car had just reached, then Finnick would still be inside. He would be able to see her the moment he got off the car.
What’s the truth? Did I actually misunderstand him? She would know the answer soon enough.
Vivian suddenly felt slightly nervous.
Fabian also recognized Finnick’s car and stopped walking when he saw Vivian stopped in her tracks.
The door opened and Finnick saw Vivian standing right in front of him. A smile immediately appeared but froze halfway once he saw the person who was standing next to Vivian.
Fabian!
Why is she with Fabian? What are they doing in front of a hotel?
When Finnick saw how Vivian was standing still rather than turning to leave like she had before, he felt even angrier.
If Vivian was the only person in front of him, he would have been overjoyed. But now that he saw Fabian with her, he started wondering what her true intentions were.
Is Vivian trying to show me that she’s still getting the attention she deserves? First Hunter, now Fabian. Who’s next? How many men is she involved with?
If it was before, Finnick would immediately trust Vivian. But after having gone through so many years without seeing her, his possessiveness seemed to take a turn for the worse.
He couldn’t control his rage and started walking toward Vivian. She’s mine. I won’t let any other man stand close to her!
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 574
Vivian’s heart started beating faster when Finnick started walking toward her. She was terrified about the fact that they really had misunderstood each other. She was afraid of being unprepared to meet him and that she wouldn’t be able to handle the truth.
But no matter how afraid she was, Vivian stayed where she was and watched Finnick approach her rapidly.
“I have something to ask-” she started in a rare, gentle voice.
She hadn’t even finished her sentence when she felt a tight grip around her wrist that pulled her a couple of steps away.
Vivian hadn’t realized what was going on, but Fabian automatically reached out and grabbed her other wrist as if he was trying to ‘save’ her from Finnick.
Vivian felt like a paper doll being tugged from both sides, about to rip in half.
“Let go of her!” Finnick warned in a cold voice that contrasted against the fiery rage in his eyes. Is Fabian trying to win her back or something after so long? As if! Is Vivian really okay with dating any men as long as they aren’t me?
“You’re the one who should let her go!” Fabian said just as firmly. He was starting to regret speaking up for Finnick just now. Why’d I bothered to help at all when he’s treating Vivian this violently?
The two men stayed put, neither willing to let go. It was as if they forgot they were holding onto Vivian.
“Let go of me, both of you!” Vivian yelled. Her wrists were starting to become numb from their strong grasp. “Let go! It hurts!”
Fabian quickly let go of Vivian’s wrist. Finnick, on the other hand, only relaxed his grip slightly.
Vivian immediately swung Finnick’s hand away. “What the hell? What’s your problem?”
“What’s my problem? Why are you and Fabian at a hotel alone?” Finnick asked Vivian angrily, no longer able to hold back.
Fabian quickly tried to explain to Finnick, “Finnick, it’s not what it looks like. Vivian and I-”
“Shut up!” Finnick glared at Fabian frostily. “Have you forgotten that I’m your uncle? How could you do such things to your own aunt?”
Fabian’s expression darkened at Finnick’s words and he was about to explain further when Vivian’s frustrated, embarrassed voice drowned him out.
“Finnick, what are you talking about? Also, I’m not his aunt anymore! The two of us are divorced, remember?”
“Are you that desperate to cut ties with me?” Finnick scoffed coldly. “I guess you really have changed. First Hunter and now Fabian. You’ve grown much better at seducing other men.”
“Jerk! Stop slandering me!” Vivian’s face was bright red from anger or embarrassment.
“You know better. Why are you and Fabian at a hotel alone?”
“That’s none of your business!” Vivian no longer felt like explaining. She was already furious enough to blurt out whatever she was thinking. “I’m not your wife anymore. I can go wherever I want with whoever I want. Who are you to judge?”
She couldn’t believe that she was willing to give Finnick the benefit of the doubt just now. She had even waited for him so she could ask about what happened that year, but now all of that seemed unnecessary.
Vivian couldn’t help but slap herself inwardly. Did I actually feel a glimmer of hope when I saw him just now? What a joke. What did I expect? He already showed his true colors five years ago.
If he’s willing to slander me at the mere sight of Fabian standing next to me, then it’s entirely plausible that he was willing to go to that extreme to get rid of a child that he thought wasn’t his own!
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 575
“Finnick, this is my last warning. I’m not your wife anymore so mind your own business!” After yelling at Finnick, Vivian turned to walk into the hotel.
Fabian followed Vivian into the hotel. He wasn’t feeling very good either. After all, Finnick had just yelled at him for no reason.
Finnick felt his heart ache at the sight of Vivian walking away from him.
Her words had struck him hard. So I’m just a complete stranger to her now, huh? She was even willing to argue with me in public for Fabian’s sake!
Fine. Very well! Finnick’s rage grew with each passing moment.
Not far behind, Noah was watching Finnick and Vivian’s quarrel with regretful eyes.
Mr. and Mrs. Norton had been so in love with each other that Noah had never gotten the chance to see them argue this way.
Everything is my fault, he thought. If I didn’t do what I did all those years ago, they wouldn’t have become practically enemies and fight whenever they met.
Noah felt like his heart was being chewed up and stepped on. He knew that if only he spoke up, the two of them might get back together like before. But he didn’t have the guts to tell Finnick the truth about what happened then.
It was as if Evelyn’s words had been branded into his mind with a red-hot iron. His job, his future, his reputation, and his parents were all among the reasons stopping him from telling them the truth.
I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. He apologized over and over inwardly. That was all he could do. Deep down, he knew no one would ever forgive him. After all, he couldn’t even forgive himself.
Vivian no longer felt like interacting with anyone after the squabble she had with Finnick. Once she walked in, she immediately told Peggy and Fabian that she wanted to call it a night and go home early.
“Why are you going home so early? The party’s just started,” Peggy said with a pout.
After all, Peggy had bent over backward to convince Vivian to show up. She hadn’t even managed to talk to Vivian that much and yet Vivian was already leaving?
“Peggy, to be honest, I feel terrible right now. Let’s meet up another day, alright?”
“What happened? You were fine just now before going outside with Fabian.” Peggy’s eyes betrayed her anxiousness. “Did Fabian say something to you? If he dared to mess with you, he’s going to have to deal with me!”
“No, this has nothing to do with him.” Vivian quickly held Peggy back, who was already walking toward Fabian. “I don’t feel like talking about it right now, so please stop asking, alright?”
Peggy felt her heart ache for her friend when she saw the pain on Vivian’s face. “Okay, I’ll stop asking.”
Vivian nodded gratefully and rushed back to the Morrison residence.
Larry was already asleep by now. She collapsed on her bed the moment she stepped into her room. Her memories of her argument with Finnick only served to hurt her further.
You’ve grown much better at seducing other men. Vivian scoffed coldly. So that was all she was to Finnick now: a desperate, flirtatious harlequin.
Right as she was wallowing in her sorrow, someone knocked on her door. “Vivian, is that you? I want to talk to you about something.”
It was Benedict’s voice. Vivian quickly dabbed at her eyes and opened the door.
“What’s up, Ben? I thought you were at work,” Vivian said.
“You’ve been crying. What happened?” Benedict asked slightly angrily, having noticed Vivian’s reddened eyes immediately.
“Nothing. I was just looking through Larry’s old pictures and old memories kind of washed over me. I’m fine, Ben.”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 576
Vivian forced herself to put on a bright smile in order to convince Benedict after explaining casually to him a valid reason. She did not wish to see him being troubled and distracted by her problems again. He was tensed and emotionally exhausted after trying to get things resolved for her all this while.
“Don’t spend your time dwelling on the past. Try to let go of everything,” Benedict patted Vivian’s shoulder and motivated her. He did not sense that she was actually telling white lies. His grim face softened as his frustration was gradually replaced by a sense of sympathy.
Vivian squeezed a smile as she nodded and asked curiously, “Ben, are you looking for me? Anything up?”
“It’s a piece of great news regarding your job application. I’ve just received a call from the person in charge of your former magazine company. They requested you to report to work tomorrow.”
“Really?” Vivian asked in disbelief. Her face lit up as her lips lifted into a cheerful smile.
She never let go of any chance to be back to her favorite journalism throughout these years. When she was overseas, she grabbed the opportunity to further her studies in the relevant field. After graduation, she even had her internship in a reputable press agency which appeared to be quite popular in A Nation.
Earlier on, she told Benedict that she was not keen on working in Morrison Group. She was actually looking forward to being back at her former magazine company if there was any chance.
To her surprise, Benedict was very supportive of her decision. According to him, the operation of Morrison Group was running smoothly all this while under his supervision, so it did not matter if she was unable to join the group. Apart from that, he hoped that she could continue to have career advancement in the field she had passion in. He even offered to help her submit her resume to her former magazine company.
“Of course! I’ve told you previously that you possess high qualifications and are experienced in this field. It would be a great loss for them if they don’t hire you.” Benedict sounded really proud of her. “This round, instead of being a normal employee there, you’ll be holding the post of Chief Editor.”
Vivian was dumbfounded and started to stammer, “C-chief Editor! Ben, h-how did it happen? How can I be assigned to hold the post of Chief Editor?” She totally had no clue about the current circumstance.
“Yeah, I submitted your resume for the position of Chief Editor. Based on your qualifications and capabilities, you are actually qualified to hold a higher position than this!” Benedict had put the effort into planning this great surprise for Vivian. He was delighted that her beloved sister was able to continue pursuing her dream again in her favorite field.
“Ben, thank you so much!” Vivian was overjoyed and embraced Benedict gratefully. However, a question flashed across her mind at the same time. “Ben, if I’m not mistaken, Fabian is the Chief Editor for that magazine company, right? Why did they have recruitment for Chief Editor again?”
“When I submitted your resume, I happened to know that the Chief Editor of this magazine company had resigned. Therefore, I gave it a try and help you apply for this post. You must be confident in yourself. You manage to grab this post due to your own qualifications, and I did not pull strings for you at all. Moreover, the person in charge of the magazine company knew that you’re their former employee, and your previous work performance was quite satisfying. That’s why they asked you to report to work directly without an interview session,” Benedict explained to her with a loving look on his face.
In his eyes, his sister was definitely the best!
Even though Vivian could not help wondering why Fabian had resigned out of a sudden, her heart leaped with joy at the thought of being able to work in the magazine company again. Thinking of Jenny, Sarah, and the other former colleagues in the magazine company, she could barely wait to report to work the next day.
She decided to have an impressive debut as their Chief Editor the next day. In the afternoon, she headed for the mall excitedly, dragging Benedict along as well.
After selecting a few sets of formal wears, Vivian tried them on one by one and requested Benedict to give his opinion. Benedict was nodding admiringly all the time as he gazed at Vivian with his smiling eyes.
For having stayed under the same roof with Vivian for almost five years, this was the first time she dragged him out excitedly to shop for clothes. She was apparently on cloud nine ever since she knew that she was able to be back to the magazine company again. It seemed he had made a wise decision by supporting her to do so. No matter what, her happiness was the top priority.
After choosing the clothes for herself, Vivian was still in high spirits. She selected a few shirts for Benedict as well and urged him to try them on. Benedict was being cooperative and put on the shirts chosen by Vivian one by one, so as not to disappoint her.
Mesmerized by Benedict’s stunning look, Vivian felt as if she was watching a fashion show.
How can my brother look exceptionally charming even when he is only wearing such an ordinary white shirt? He is undoubtedly looking more striking than any other male model! Even the sales assistant beside them was already having flushed cheeks as Benedict’s charm overwhelmed her.
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Vivian’s mind sank into contemplation. She really wondered why such a charming man like his brother was still single. She could not help wondering what type of woman would manage to catch Benedict’s eye. Throughout these few years, she had never seen him in a relationship with any woman. Hence, she decided to look for an ideal woman who could match her gorgeous brother.
Since the white shirt perfectly matched Benedict’s elegant vibes, Vivian decided to buy it as well. Needless to say, Benedict was the one to foot the bill for all the clothes chosen by Vivian. He insisted to do so as a token of congratulation to Vivian as she embarked on a new journey as a Chief Editor.
The following morning, Vivian was looking smart in an eye-catching black and white ladies’ suit, giving off the vibe of feminine demureness at the same time.
While she was heading for the magazine company cheerfully, the whole company was in rowdiness as a result of the announcement that their new Chief Editor would report to work on that day.
All of them huddled around and were gossiping inquisitively about their new Chief Editor who would report to work soon.
“I heard that our new Chief Editor is an attractive lady, but I’m not sure about her temperament. Hopefully, she’s not hot-tempered,” one of the male staff commented tactfully.
“I heard that she’s just back from A Nation, and she was from one of the most popular press agencies there! She’s apparently no ordinary person!”
“Yeah, I bet she must be from a prominent family. That explains why she’s able to hold the post of Chief Editor upon joining our company!”
“Anyway, she could be making up the story on her exposure overseas and is exaggerating on her own capabilities. Don’t judge a book by its cover. We’re still not sure if she’s really qualified for the position.” Shannon hinted in a sour tone.
When Fabian resigned previously, she thought that she would have the opportunity to be promoted. Hence, she had applied for the post of Chief Editor as well. In her opinion, the post was undoubtedly something in her hands. She was waiting eagerly for the moment when the company announced her as the new Chief Editor. It never crossed her mind that another person would emerge and seize the post from her.
Nobody dared to comment further on her words, fearing that the new Chief Editor was a hot-tempered woman and that she would be infuriated upon knowing how Shannon judged her. They were trying their best to zip their mouths so they would not offend their new Chief Editor.
Shannon scoffed silently in her heart as none of them dared to express their opinions.
“It doesn’t matter who will become our Chief Editor, as long as we are diligent with our work.” Sarah did not join the others gossiping about the new Chief Editor as it made no difference to her.
“I actually see it differently. It’s important to have a leader who has a fair judgment. No doubt we have to try our best to carry out our work conscientiously. Yet our future depends a lot on our leader’s temperament as well, isn’t it? We’ll surely have a better career advancement under the leadership of a considerate Chief Editor!” Jenny who was sitting next to Sarah commented fairly.
“You have got a point.” Sarah nodded and added again, “I really hope that the new Chief Editor is a nice lady who is both fair and considerate.”
Standing outside the magazine company, Vivian was feeling unusually anxious.
The whole city looked different due to the tremendous development within the past five years. To her surprise, there was no significant change to the building of the magazine company. Vivian’s heart skipped a beat as she felt a sense of familiarity at the sight of the building.
Letting out a deep breath, she strode into the magazine company. At the same time, she was wondering if all her former colleagues were still working there. I wonder how is everyone now!
“V-Vivian!” Sarah stuttered and stood up instinctively the moment she saw Vivian’s figure outside the main entrance of the magazine company. There was visible joy on her face.
“Vivian, is that you?” Sarah dashed toward Vivian but hesitated whether it was appropriate for her to embrace Vivian. Is she really Vivian? She looks really stunning now!
“It’s me!” Vivian replied with a smile. Next, she wrapped her arms around Sarah excitedly. “Sarah, I’m back. How are you all this while?”
“Vivian, it’s really you! Why did you leave without a word at that time? I really miss you so much these few years!”
Sarah finally could not hold back her emotions any longer and burst into tears. Vivian was stunned and tried to coax her at once.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 578
At the sight of Vivian and Sarah who were hugging each other, all the senior employees of the magazine company who were colleagues with Vivian before were overwhelmed.
Those who were still new and had not seen Vivian before were watching quizzically.
“Vivian, are you our new Chief Editor?” one of the senior employees finally recollected himself and asked Vivian.
Upon hearing his questions, everyone was in silence as they were waiting for Vivian’s reply. Is it possible? A junior employee years ago has become their superior now?
“Yeah.” Vivian smiled and nodded. “I look forward to working together with all of you again.”
Everyone exchanged looks, apparently still in a daze.
Their eyes widened in disbelief. It’s really unbelievable that a former junior employee turns into a Chief Editor in just five years!
She was definitely at a different level now! It was as if she was going from rags to riches!
In a split second, everyone was reacting differently to her words. Those who had worked together with Vivian before tried to recall if they had ever offended her. They wished that she would be generous enough to let go of the past grudges.
Vivian would never dream about what they were thinking right then. Considering that some of the employees had never seen her before, she gave a brief self-introduction.
Apart from the common self introductory phrases, she emphasized her name with her current family name.
She was Vivian Morrison at the moment, no more carrying the family name of the Williams. Therefore, she really hoped that everyone could bear that in mind.
It was natural for the staff of the magazine company to be observant of the changes in her family name. Instantaneously, they recalled how the whole Sunshine City was in an uproar previously by the news on Vivian’s true identity as the young heiress of Morrison Group.
In a blink of an eye, everyone was gazing at Vivian with indescribable complex emotions. There was even a sense of respect in their eyes. From that moment onward, they were not standing on the same ground anymore. Vivian was definitely at a higher ranking than them in terms of social status.
Shannon’s heart was filled with hatred and jealousy, yet she did not dare to express her feelings at the moment. Putting on a pretentious smile, she approached Vivian and said, “Vivian, welcome back. You looked prettier.”
Sensing that Shannon was not being sincere, Vivian still shook hands with her and replied, “Thank you. I really hope that we’ll get along well later.”
All the senior employees were shocked to see both of them shook hands with each other. At that very moment, they realized that Vivian was obviously not her old self anymore. She would never be bothered to be pretentious and socialize with anyone she disliked previously.
They were not sure if the change was a good or a bad thing. Almost all of them were overcome by a sense of uneasiness and uncertainty.
Vivian was apparently adapting to everything well after one week later; her work started to get on track. She came up with a plan to work on a series of exclusive interviews for the public figures, hoping to boost the sales of the magazine company with this method.
It was a brilliant idea theoretically, yet certain levels of difficulty could not be avoided when it came to implementation. If they were to invite artistes for their exclusive interviews, the costs would surely be over the budget allocated by the magazine company. Nonetheless, the sales rate of their magazines would definitely not be satisfactory if the invited interviewees were not among those who had gained a certain level of popularity.
After having a meeting with her subordinates, Vivian decided to shortlist the interviewees among the reputable personnel from the corporate world of Sunshine City.
Using “business elite” as headlines would surely capture people’s attention. What’s more, the selected candidates happened to be the business elites who were well-known in Sunshine City. The exclusive interviews for them would surely trigger the readers’ interest and curiosity.
Furthermore, it was indeed a win-win situation for both the interviewer and interviewee. In order to boost the popularity and reputation of their corporate, the business elite would surely be more than willing to be interviewed. In other words, it should be less challenging to interview them as compared to celebrities.
“Since we have set the field, let’s have a brainstorming session on the potential interviewees so the candidates can be finalized,” Vivian announced.
Upon hearing her words, everyone started to ponder about the ideal person to be interviewed.
A young girl who had just joined the magazine company raised her hand and suggested eagerly, “Ms. Morrison, someone came into my mind!”
Vivian smiled and encouraged her, “Who’s that?”
“I suggest that we can interview Mark Norton. I’m sure everyone knows that he is in the midst of developing a piece of land. If I’m not mistaken, he intends to build the largest hotel in Sunshine City. The news about his plan has gone viral on social media and is widely discussed. Hence, I feel that he’s an ideal candidate who meets our requirements for the interviewee,” the young girl elaborated excitedly.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 579
The newbie was getting more excited as she was pretty sure that she had come up with the name for one of the most ideal people.
Unexpectedly, there was a pin-drop silence right after she had finished elaborating on her points. Some of the senior employees even gave her a look of sympathy. Mark Norton was undoubtedly an ideal candidate who fulfilled the requirements for the interviewee, yet none of them dared to mention his name. Anyone would have thought about this name effortlessly and suggested to Ms. Morrison, if not for the incidents that occurred a few years ago.
It’s impossible that she would approve it since she has been holding a grudge against him all this while. Let’s keep our fingers crossed so our innocent young newbie would not be reprimanded by her!
Vivian’s body stiffened the moment she heard the man’s name. Her fingernails sank deep into her palm, yet she did not feel the pain at all as her senses were overpowered by the abhorrence that was creeping into her heart. I wouldn’t have ended up enduring for five years overseas if he didn’t collude with Evelyn to set me up at that time! I almost lost my dear Larry because of them!
I must avenge their ruthless act and teach them a lesson!
As a plan gradually formed in her mind, she snickered silently. I must grab the opportunity this round to let the despicable man pay for what he has done!
Suppressing her exasperation and abhorrence toward Mark, Vivian tried to reply placidly, “Yeah, good idea. We can consider that.”
Everyone was stunned by Vivian’s approval. It’s unbelievable that she just agreed with it so sportingly! The newbie was not reprimanded by her as expected! Not the least bit of frustration could be sensed from her face too!
Vivian smiled and added, “I will interview him myself.”
Everyone was dumbfounded and at a loss for words again.
Vivian smiled bitterly at the sight of their quizzical and stunned expressions.
She was not surprised by that. It was undeniable that she was actually related to Mark in a complicated way.
The fact that she was Finnick’s wife years ago could not be erased from everyone’s mind even after their divorce. Meanwhile, as Finnick’s elder brother, Mark used to be her brother-in-law at that time.
Almost the same question popped up in everyone’s mind. She is not feeling awkward to interview Mark by herself now?
Vivian knew the reason why everyone could not resist whispering among themselves about her decision. Anyway, she could not stop everyone from wondering and gossiping about that too. After all that had happened in the past years, nothing appeared to be unbearable for her. Their reaction and gossips were nothing to her.
“Vivian, how about I go and interview Mark? I promise that I’ll get the mission accomplished,” Sarah volunteered with a concerned look.
She was not trying to get the credit, but it was solely because she was worried that Mark would trigger Vivian’s sad memory, causing her to dwell on her miserable past.
“Don’t worry. I can get it done.” Vivian smiled at her with gratitude.
Knocking lightly on the desk to silence everyone, Vivian raised her voice, “Silence please, I’ve decided on this. I’ll be the one to interview Mark Norton, but I need everyone’s help to carry out an investigation for me before that. The findings obtained via the investigation are really important for the interview session this round.”
Everyone exchanged their puzzled looks with each other again.
With a stern look, Vivian added, “Before the interview session, we need to have an investigation on the project that Mark Norton is currently working on. This is to double-check if there is any hidden plot behind the project. If we are able to detect anything amiss beyond others’ knowledge, that will be our greatest selling point to draw the readers’ attention.”
Everyone nodded in agreement upon hearing Vivian’s words. That was exactly how they should work in order to capture the most interesting part and turn the exclusive interview into a great success.
After that, they continued to brainstorm on a few other candidates to be interviewed. After finalizing the names, Vivian adjourned the meeting. Nevertheless, Sarah, Jenny, and a few other more trustworthy subordinates stayed back as instructed by Vivian. She assigned them the task to investigate the project that Mark was currently working on, and advised them to monitor him closely.
They promised that they would have the mission accomplished by all means.
Vivian was really occupied in the following week. She could not even allocate time to send Larry to school and fetch him after class. When they were having breakfast that morning, Larry even grumbled that it had been a long time since Vivian last accompanied him to have some fun.
As a sense of guilt surged within her, she could only try to please her son by embracing him affectionately, promising him that she would definitely bring him out again after settling her matter.
Larry could only agree with pouted lips, causing Vivian to feel sorry for him.
Nevertheless, she could not be distracted from the secret investigation on Mark. In order for their mission to be accomplished earlier, they could only gear up their effort on the investigation.
Two days had elapsed, yet there was still no news on the investigation. Vivian was becoming impatient and frustrated because of that. She did not believe that such a cunning person like Mark would ever run anything non-for-profit, yet she could not understand why nothing could be traced this round.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 580
When Vivian was about to give up investigating him, Sarah gave her a call and updated her on something inspiring.
The moment she answered the call, Sarah reported to her in a pleasant voice, “Vivian, I’ve great news for you! We’ve finally detected some clues from our investigation!”
“Really?” Vivian asked excitedly as her eyes lit up. “What clue did you manage to trace? Send to me now!”
Ding Dong! Within seconds, there was a document icon displayed on her phone, indicating that a document was sent to her.
Her hand trembled with excitement as she clicked on the document to view it. Mark Norton, I’ve finally unveiled your mask for your true colors to be revealed!
“Vivian, even though we have managed to trace some clues, we did not manage to obtain concrete proof for it. Therefore, we’re still unable to charge him with anything.”
Sarah obviously sounded distressed as she lowered her voice. It’s really discouraging! We’re pretty sure that he has committed something illegal, yet there’s no way for us to charge him with that!
“What are we supposed to do now? Do you think you’re able to obtain the relevant proof?” There was profound anxiety in Vivian’s tone.
“The major challenge which we are facing now is we don’t know any attorneys or legal professionals whom we can consult for further actions to be taken. If anyone from the legal sector can guide us or assist us in collecting the related evidence, I’m sure things will be a lot easier for us,” Sarah explained patiently.
“Alright, I’ll try my best to contact any reliable attorneys to consult them on this. Don’t let your guard down and continue to monitor him closely. Try your best to see if you can detect any other awry things from him,” Vivian instructed her.
“Sure, Vivian. Don’t worry, we’ll try our best and won’t let you down!” Sarah answered confidently.
Nonetheless, Vivian could not help feeling insecure and advised her again, “Bear in mind that your safety is always the top priority. If you encounter any dangers, just put aside everything and retreat at once. Don’t put yourself at risk.”
“Don’t worry, Vivian. We’ll stay alert all the time. I’m sure there won’t be any problems.”
Vivian spent some time advising Sarah again before she finally ended the conversation and hung up the phone.
Attorney, attorney… I never known any, not to mention trustworthy ones! After all, Mark Norton is still considered public fame. How can I disclose anything to any attorneys? What am I supposed to do now?
A name suddenly flashed across her mind when she caught a glimpse of her phone. Ah! I can look for Hunter Yates! Perhaps he is able to help me!
She suddenly recalled that Hunter had ever told her he was an attorney who was quite reputed in the field. She did not really pay much attention to him at that time, yet it turned out to be something helpful just in time.
Vivian was in a dilemma as she was not sure if she should trust Hunter. Furthermore, he was Evelyn’s ex-classmate and had actually approached her earlier because of Evelyn. In that case, can I trust him and disclose everything to him?
Nevertheless, she did not have any other choices at the moment, other than giving Hunter a try.
Thinking of Hunter’s sincerity when he offered to be her friend that day, she finally made up her mind that she would trust him.
Since she had made the decision, she gave Hunter a call at once, asking him out for a meal.
On the other hand, Hunter thought that he was dreaming the moment he received Vivian’s call. It never crossed his mind that she would call him and even ask him out for a meal! On the instant, he was over the moon.
Initially, he thought of putting on a show by pretending that he was occupied at the moment and could not make it. He tried not to let Vivian sense how desperate he was by accepting her invitation immediately.
However, he changed his mind after thinking about the possibility that Vivian might not be contacting him again in the near future if he rejected her this round.
He presumed that there must be a reason why Vivian took the initiative to call him first. Considering that she might have an important matter to discuss with him, he decided not to drag her time.
Therefore, he gladly accepted her invitation. After hanging up the phone, he hopped into his car and sped off to meet her.