Ch. 591..600

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 591

“Wait.” Mark rushed forward to stop her, his whole head dampened with sweat.

Refusing to budge an inch, Vivian said calmly, “Did you finally remember what you did to me? Or do I have to call the police to assist you with the process?”

“I’ll confess everything to Finnick, I swear,” he forced out through gritted teeth. “But how can I trust that you won’t blackmail me even after I’ve done what you asked me to?”

“Are you trying to negotiate with me?” She raised an eyebrow.

Mark held the file up in his hand. “I know that this isn’t the only copy you have. I want you to guarantee that you will destroy all traces of these documents after I tell Finnick the truth.”

“No promises.”

“You’re clearly trying to take advantage of me!” He flung the file onto the floor.

“I’m not, but you have no right to be negotiating anything with me,” Vivian pointed out, narrowing her eyes. “If you don’t agree to my terms, I will submit these documents as evidence. If you do agree, then only will I consider letting you off the hook.”

“I’m warning you, Vivian,” Mark growled out, a vein popping in the corner of his forehead. “I’ve kidnapped you once, and I can do it again. If I stop you from leaving the Norton Corporation building, then you won’t be able to expose me!”

“Do you think that I’m an idiot?” Scoffing, Vivian took a look at her watch. “If I do not exit this building within an hour from now on, all these documents will be published online. I’m only giving you one chance; take it or leave it.”

Mark’s hands clenched into fists by his sides.

Didn’t this woman use to be so dumb that Evelyn could easily play her like a fiddle? How and where did she learn to have backup plans like that?

Completely disregarding the glare that was burning into her, Vivian turned to level Mark with a bored expression. “I already told you: I’m now Vivian Morrison. I’m not the naïve, helpless Vivian William from before. You have no choice but to say ‘yes’.”

Being threatened by a young woman like this was the most humiliating thing Mark had had to suffer in all of his life. But he couldn’t not agree. It was just like Vivian said: he had no choice.

“Fine. I’ll go and confess to Finnick tomorrow. I hope you’ll carefully consider not publicizing this information, Ms. Morrison. Remember, even a harmless puppy will bite when it’s backed into a corner,” Mark spat out.

The few sentences seemed to drain all the energy out of the man. He secretly swore that one day, he would get back at her.

A puppy? Vivian wanted to laugh out loud. She didn’t think of Mark as a puppy at all. But she didn’t care even if he was a fierce tiger. She wasn’t scared. If anything, she would pluck out his fangs and claws one by one to ensure that he would never be able to hurt anyone else ever again.

“Please make sure to properly tell Finnick everything without leaving anything out,” Vivian reiterated as she moved out of Mark’s way, heading for the exit.

She stopped just before the door, glancing over her shoulder. “Remember, this is only the start. I will be seeking revenge for everything you did to me and my child.”

“Damn it!” Mark exploded as soon as she left the office, kicking over the desk in front of him. That proved insufficient to cool his frustration as he swept away everything in sight, sending them to crash onto the floor.

“What’s wrong, Mr. Norton?” The secretary ran in, having heard the commotion from inside the office. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the chaotic sight that greeted her.

“Get out!” roared Mark. “Leave me alone!”

“Yes, of course…”

The frightened secretary had never seen Mark in such a fit of rage before and immediately scurried out of the room. Even after she had fled a good distance away, she could still hear the loud sounds of objects being smashed onto the ground.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 592

I won’t lose my job, will I? The secretary thought, her face drained of blood and her legs shaking as she ran away.

The next day, in Finnick’s office.

The man was sitting at his desk reading through a document when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” he responded without looking up.

“You must be tired, Finnick. You should take a break; you can’t keep working like that.”

A familiar woman’s voice spoke, her tone gentle and affectionate.

Finnick furrowed his eyebrows at the sound of her voice.

I thought it was my assistant. Why is it Evelyn? What is she doing in my office?

“Why are you here?” Snapping the file shut, Finnick looked up at Evelyn coldly.

Still in a wheelchair, her appearance had changed drastically. Today, she wore a long, white dress and had draped a wool blanket across her lap. Her light, natural makeup and long black hair spilling over her shoulders helped her appear innocent and kind.

Upon hearing Finnick’s apathetic question, she bit her lower lip, eyes reddening slightly before pretending to gather her courage and lift her head. “I was worried that you might be tired from work, so I personally made your favorite braised short rib stew. Go on, try and have a taste.”

Evelyn carefully opened the lunchbox she’d brought as she spoke, a fragrant aroma instantly filling the office. She nodded with satisfaction when she saw the succulent cut of ribs paired with the fresh, decorative vegetables in the lunchbox. It truly looked like a five-star meal.

Of course, she didn’t have the skills nor the patience to cook this; it had been prepared by her housemaid.

But Finnick didn’t need to know about that.

All he needed to know was that she cared for him, and that was it.

Evelyn scooped some of the contents up in a spoon and held it up in front of him, coaxing softly, “It’s really delicious.”

“Leave it there. I’m not hungry.” Finnick ignored her outstretched hand, leaving her to awkwardly ze mid-air for a while before she regained her composure.

“Come on, Finnick. I poured so much effort into making this for you, the least you could do is try it,” pouted Evelyn, using her sweet tone of voice that usually never failed to melt any man who heard it. She made another attempt, leaning in close to Finnick as she held the spoon up.

“I said, I’m not hungry.” Finnick turned his face away from her. “Next time, don’t randomly come to my office without reason. And you don’t need to deliver food to me either.”

“Why?” Feeling indignant, Evelyn was a bit cross with him. “What did I do wrong? Why are you treating me like this?”

“I already told you before: I’m only taking care of you because I feel guilty. I do not harbor any other feelings towards you. Don’t you feel that your actions have crossed the line? We’re not dating anymore!”

Finnick’s patience had reached its limit, and he gave her an unfiltered piece of his mind.

“I don’t believe you! How could you not feel anything for me after all these years?” The cruel statement shocked Evelyn, causing her eyes to instantly fill with tears. “Was it Vivian? Did she bewitch you or something?”

“What does any of this have to do with her?” Finnick sighed, fed up with her nonsense.

“It has everything to do with her! If it weren’t for her, we would have gotten together a long time ago!”

“Stop lying to yourself. I’m going to clear things up right now: I’m not dating you because I don’t like you, not because of Vivian. Even if Vivian wasn’t in the picture, I still wouldn’t date you!”

Evelyn started sobbing even harder. How could that be? There’s no way! She had devoted herself to him for so many years and even sacrificed her legs for him! How was it possible that he hadn’t fallen in love with her?

Finnick grew irritated at the sound of Evelyn’s crying. He was glad to have cleared up any possible misunderstandings. That way, she would stop hoping for anything to happen between them, and he was now able to set his own boundaries.

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At that moment, the phone on Finnick’s desk started ringing.

The receptionist’s voice rang out after he’d impatiently pressed the “answer” button. “Mr. Norton, Mr. Mark Norton is here to see you. Should I send him up?”

“No.” Finnick hung up the call.

Seeing Mark now would only add to his growing headache. One Evelyn was enough to deal with; he didn’t have the energy to deal with Mark as well.

“Evelyn, we…”

Ring…

Finnick, about to clarify to Evelyn exactly what their relationship was, was interrupted by the phone ringing once more.

“What is it now?” Finnick’s eyebrows knitted together as he picked up the phone.

“Mr. Mark Norton insists on meeting you, sir. He said that he has something important regarding Vivian to tell you.” The receptionist’s voice tremored slightly as she passed on the information. Her boss sounded like he was in a bad mood, and she prayed with all her heart that he wouldn’t unleash his anger on her.

Finnick hesitated upon the mention of Vivian’s name, curious as to why Mark would want to talk to him about her.

“Send him up.”

Evelyn’s crying had subsided as she listened in on the call, her face falling slightly. She had a bad feeling about this.

What does Mark want to talk to Finnick about?

Soon, Finnick’s assistant led Mark into the office, who felt a slight twinge of guilt when he saw that Evelyn was here as well.

When he had first agreed to help Evelyn kidnap Vivian, they had each harbored separate motives and reasons for doing so. And Evelyn had indeed kept her promise to him, helping him gain information that he used to blackmail the Finnor Group and caused them to suffer a great loss. If he confessed now, he would be throwing her under the bus.

But he had no choice. If Vivian publicized the documents she had on hand, his career, future, and entire life would be ruined.

“What about Vivian did you want to tell me?” Finnick cut to the chase, not bothering to get up or say any greetings. He only cared about what Mark had to say.

If this was the old Mark, he would definitely point at Finnick and get all up in his face, screaming about how he should respect his elders, even though Mark himself was not exactly a perfect role model of a brother that deserved respect.

The present Mark didn’t care about any of that. All he could think about was whether or not he should confess to his wrongdoings in front of Evelyn.

In the end, he decided to prioritize his own well-being and his own greed, squirming as he opened his mouth to say, “I… I came today to tell you the truth about Vivian’s kidnapping all those years ago.”

Evelyn’s face instantly fell. What the hell does he think he’s doing? He, too, had been involved in her kidnapping back then!

“Let the past stay in the past. What Vivian went through was truly pitiful, and it won’t do her any favors to bring it up again. Why don’t we just pretend that nothing ever happened?”

Afraid that Mark was going to say something out of line, Evelyn interrupted him hurriedly. Her panic only served to pique Finnick’s suspicions.

Back then, Mark had been the one who threatened him with the video clip of Vivian. Everything had went Mark’s way, and logically, Finnick had thought that Mark would never bring this topic up again.

Besides that, Evelyn had reacted so strongly at the mention of Vivian’s kidnapping incident. Was there something she knew that he didn’t?

“And what about Vivian’s kidnapping?” Finnick focused solely on Mark. His sharp, icy stare made Mark feel as though his younger brother was trying to read his mind.

“Finnick, it’s all in the past. Let’s stop talking about this.” Evelyn wheeled herself to stop right in front of Finnick, forcing a smile. “I’m sure Vivian wouldn’t want us to discuss this either.”

Finnick ignored her completely, only looking right at Mark. If Mark had come all the way here to say his piece, it was unlikely that he would stop halfway.

Mark knew that there was no way back for him anymore. Turning to Evelyn, Mark declared, “Evelyn had plotted with me to kidnap Vivian, and Evelyn was the one who filmed the video clip of Vivian!”

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“You’re lying!” Evelyn screeched, her face paling as she looked at Finnick. “Finnick, you can’t trust him! He’s trying to frame me! Vivian’s kidnapping had nothing to do with me, I swear!”

“Shut up.” There was no outburst of anger, nor any loud roar of discontent. Finnick just calmly directed that simple phrase towards Evelyn before turning back to Mark. “Continue.”

His voice sounded calm, but his slightly trembling body and tightly clenched fists betrayed the fury inside of him. What is all this?

“Back then, Evelyn wanted to break you and Vivian up, so she contacted me to plan Vivian’s kidnapping together. Evelyn also promised me that if the plan succeeded, she would help me obtain your share in the Norton Corporation.”

“Liar! I said no such thing!” Evelyn was at a loss for what to do, resorting to continuously interrupting Mark loudly and trying to signal him to stop in a way that Finnick couldn’t see.

But when Mark remembered how Vivian had threatened him yesterday, he could only go on.

“I agreed and also helped transport Vivian to the warehouse. Evelyn hired four random men to rape Vivian, but Benedict came to Vivian’s rescue right before it could happen.”

“I never did that! Stop lying!” Evelyn tried to lunge forward to physically stop Mark from talking any further, but Finnick reached out and gripped the handles of her wheelchair tightly.

“Continue,” Finnick growled out. There was a ticking time bomb inside of him, ready to explode at any moment.

A little intimidated by Finnick’s hostile aura, Mark swallowed the lump in his throat. “Later, Evelyn misled you to think that Vivian had been raped in order to drive a wedge between you two. She also paid off the doctor that had examined Vivian to lie to you about the results.

“She told me that as long as you believed that Vivian was no longer pure, you would hold that grudge against her forever and that regardless of whatever Vivian did, you two would eventually break up because of a lack of trust.”

In an attempt to decrease Finnick’s anger towards him, Mark made sure to tell him exactly what Evelyn had said, word for word.

“No! That’s not true!” Evelyn whipped around, tugging on Finnick’s arm to get his attention.

“Don’t believe him, Finnick! He’s lying! How could I ever do such a thing to you? You know that he dislikes you; he must have spun this huge web of lies to break us up and ruin our relationship! You can’t believe him! He’s talking rubbish!”

Finnick didn’t push her away, instead choosing to stare into her eyes as if searching her soul.

Is this the same girl I was in love with when I was younger? Is this the person I’ve been taking care of out of guilt for five years? How could she do such a thing to Vivian?

“I’ve brought the doctor who examined Vivian as well. He’s waiting outside. You’ll know whether or not I’m ‘talking rubbish’ if you ask him.”

Worried that Finnick might not believe him, Mark really had gone to the hospital yesterday to search for the doctor from five years ago. At first, the doctor refused to bear witness to the incident, but Mark threatened to spread the story of how he had accepted a bribe to lie about a patient’s condition to the patient’s friends and family.

If the news broke, it would ruin his career. So, the doctor had no choice but to agree to accompany Mark to Finnick’s office.

Evelyn nearly had a panic attack when she heard about the doctor, sobbing, “I don’t know any doctor! He must have paid someone off to frame me! Finnick, please don’t believe them! This is a trap!”

She tried to cling onto his arm, but Finnick pushed it away violently. “Let the doctor in. I want to hear what he has to say,” he ordered, his tone of voice cold enough to ze hell over.

Mark quickly pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Not long after, a middle-aged doctor with a beer belly knocked on the door and entered the office.

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“Tell me whether or not my wife was sexually assaulted five years ago,” Finnick demanded, his fists clenching as he leveled the man in front of him with a steely gaze.

Although the doctor had grown quite plump, Finnick still immediately recognized him as the same doctor who had told him that Vivian had, indeed, been assaulted.

“No, no. Your wife hadn’t been raped, sir,” the doctor affirmed quickly, clearly intimidated by Finnick. After all these years, this Mr. Norton guy had somehow grown even more terrifying than when they had last met. His knees nearly went weak just from the force of Finnick’s glare.

Wiping away the sweat on his forehead, the doctor gestured to Evelyn. “It’s all this lady’s work. She asked me to lie to you and gave me a huge amount of money. I only agreed because I wanted the money, so please have some mercy on me. I have a large family to provide for; I can’t lose my job at the hospital.”

“N-No! You’re lying!” Evelyn shrieked at the top of her lungs, nearly on the verge of pulling her hair out. “I don’t even know who you are! This is all nonsense!”

“Don’t try to push the blame onto me, young lady,” the doctor protested. “You gave me a sum of money to lie to this man here that his wife had been raped. So as to not make him suspicious, you even made me tell him that his wife had developed selective amnesia as a result of the stress she had gone through, as well as made me tell everyone that it was best not to ask her about what happened in case it would trigger her trauma.

“I did everything exactly as you said, so how could you accuse me of lying now? I’m not going to take the fall for you.”

“No, no… You’re lying, you’re all lying…” Evelyn was at a loss for words, only able to repeat that sentence over and over. All of her plans and efforts to make Finnick love her had come crashing down in a mere matter of minutes.

How did things turn out this way? Why is Mark suddenly confessing to Finnick? What the hell is going on here?

Watching Evelyn’s reaction, Finnick was now fully convinced that Mark and the doctor were telling the truth.

But how was this possible? Why did the truth turn out to be this, of all things? For the first time in his life, Finnick didn’t know what to do.

If Vivian hadn’t been raped, then this meant that the child in her stomach… was mine! Finnick wanted nothing more than to slap himself across the face, right then and there.

All the memories suddenly came flooding back to him. He remembered when Vivian happily broke the news that she was pregnant; he remembered her pained, disappointed eyes when he’d told her that he didn’t want the child; he remembered how she had desperately pleaded for him to believe her, to believe that the child was his; he remembered how she’d tried to convince him that Evelyn had framed her…

In response, not only did he choose to not believe her and do all he could to protect her and her child, he had badgered her over and over again to abort the baby.

It’s all my fault! If he hadn’t put her through that torture, the baby that he and Vivian had so eagerly anticipated would not have died. Her miscarriage would have never happened.

God, their first child together had died in their mother’s womb because of his mistake. The baby didn’t even get a chance to open their eyes and take a look at the world around them…

“Finnick, I came here today to explain everything that happened. You believe me, right? And…”

Finnick’s furious roar interrupted Mark.

“Get out!” He had finally blown his top off, grabbing the phone on his desk and hurling it at Mark. “Get out of my sight! I’ll deal with you later!”

Mark looked displeased at getting hit by the telephone.

No one had ever thrown something at him like that before. Even when his grandpa had gotten mad at him as a child, he had only ever scolded him verbally. Who did Finnick think he was to treat him this way?

Mark wished he could go up and punch Finnick right in the face, but today’s situation was a special one. He had dug himself into this hole, and Vivian still had proof of his bribery case.

Fine. Mark’s hands balled into fists. There would be other chances to get back at Finnick. The most important thing for him to do now was to find Vivian and tell her that he’d done as she’d told him to. Hopefully, she wouldn’t publicize the documents. If she did, he would make sure to drag her down to hell with him.

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Shooting daggers at Finnick, Mark suppressed his roiling anger and left.

He swore to seek revenge for today’s humiliation.

Be it Finnick or Vivian, none of them will escape unscathed! I’ll make them pay for what they did!

The doctor made a hasty exit after Mark, too scared to be in the same space as Finnick.

Is the whole ordeal over? Nothing will happen to my career, will it? Can’t the two gentlemen just disregard my presence and pretend I didn’t exist?

Immense regret swelled within him. He should have never agreed to participate in the first place. Karma did not let him off easy—it just was not his time yet. For the past five years, the incident had been buried so well that it faded from his memory. Who would have thought that it would be unearthed at a time as such?

Only Finnick and Evelyn were left in the office, but the atmosphere was a world’s difference from before.

Finnick remained quiet ever since his sudden outburst. In fact, he did not even spare Evelyn a glance. He sat in silence with his head bowed. It was impossible to tell what was running through his mind.

This side of Finnick was even more frightening to Evelyn. She had grown up with Finnick and spent the past five years with him, so she understood him to a certain degree.

If he yelled at her, it meant that somewhere deep down in him, he still yearned to trust her. But now? Now, he refused to speak or even acknowledge her presence. Is he convinced that I’m the perpetrator? Is this the calm before the storm? What will he do to me?

No, I can’t lose Finnick! She was no longer the princess of the Morrison family. She had thrown away everything she had for Finnick—her ability to walk, her identity, and her luxurious lifestyle!

She would have nothing left if she lost Finnick’s protection and her status as Mrs. Norton. How will I push through the rest of my life?

Fear shook her body as her mind swam with intrusive thoughts. She rolled her wheelchair towards Finnick and implored, “Finnick, you have to trust me. I didn’t do any of this! We grew up together. You know me. You understand me best! You know that I’m not capable of something so foul. Please believe me; you’ve always believed me! Please trust me again this time.”

“It must have been Vivian! She must have bribed Mark and that doctor to sabotage me! She wants you back, which is why she’s framing me! Finnick, you can’t fall for her lies! Don’t get tricked!”

“Did you forget how she slashed my face because of envy? You saw the video with your own eyes. You have to believe that it’s real. She was never a good person. She purposely—”

“Shut up!” Finnick bellowed, cutting Evelyn off. He was positively livid. The truth had surfaced, and yet Evelyn still had the audacity to vilify Vivian. Does she take me for a fool?

All he could feel now was agonizing heartache.

It had taken him five years to finally see the true colors of his so-called first love, the woman he had grown up with and vowed to cherish for the rest of his life!

It was too late now.

The belated apprehension did him no good, for the despicable woman before him had hurt the love of his life!

It was only at this moment that he finally realized how greatly Vivian had suffered because of Evelyn.

See with my own eyes?

Indeed, he had watched the video clip sent by Mark with his own eyes, but look at how things ended—he put too much trust in what he saw and wrongly accused Vivian!

And what about last time?

What Evelyn claimed happened at the café—was that also a misunderstanding on my part? Could it be that the gash was not inflicted upon her by Vivian but rather a product of Evelyn’s own doing so she could frame Vivian?

Finnick drowned in resentment for himself as fragments of memories began to resurface.

How did I react that time? Vivian had begged him to trust her, sobbing inconsolably as she explained that Evelyn had tripped on purpose to frame her, but he refused to believe her. Instead, he launched into an angry tirade, saying that she had been blinded by jealousy. After that…

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 597

to believe that the child she carried was his. He persuaded her over and over again to abort it. She must have been frightened back then. She must have hoped fervently that I would trust her, that I would protect her and our child.

But I was a b*stard. I never accepted that child as my own. Even after I conceded for Vivian’s sake, I never loved the child. That was his biological child, his firstborn. Yet, Finnick had abhorred the innocent child, loathing that the child had lived.

Afterward, his prayers came true—the child ceased to exist before it had the chance to see the world. Finnick would never know how that unborn child would grow up to look like. He wondered if it was a boy or a girl.

Finally, Vivian was disappointed in him. She left him and the country altogether, heading to a foreign country to start afresh.

When she came back years later, she was no longer the Vivian William he knew. The woman who returned was Vivian Morrison. Gone was the gentle, sweet woman, and in her place was a stranger who regarded him with indifference.

It is what it is. Finnick chuckled ruefully. I was the one who drove her away from me. It was me; it has always been me!

He recalled an incident where he reproached her because of Fabian. “A trick to seduce men,” he had lashed out. He couldn’t believe that he had said such degrading words to her.

Did I let my eyes blind my judgement? Was that yet another incident where I let my assumptions overshadow the truth? Is that why she was so enraged?

Finnick wished he could punch himself in the face. I am an a**hole, the scum of the earth!

He leveled a stare at Evelyn, his eyes so cold that it turned her blood to frost. “I’ll ask you one last time—what exactly happened? Think it through before you reply. This is your last chance to redeem yourself.”

When Evelyn noticed the rage blazing in Finnick’s eyes, she finally came to terms that nothing she said would save her. Finnick had lost all faith in her. He would only detest her more if she continued to deny it.

“Yes, I did all of it,” she broke down and admitted. Tears streamed down her face as she wept in anguish. “But I did it all for you, Finnick. It’s because I love you so much. I was so scared that I would lose you that I resorted to such petty methods. Can you forgive me this once?”

“Love me?” Finnick repeated cynically. “How dare you claim to love me!”

“There’s nothing I don’t dare to say! I love you, and that’s the truth. I’ve only ever loved you for all these years.” Evelyn’s eyes were crazed as she rasped, “I knew you first, and I loved you first! What right does Vivian have to be with you? How is she better than me? Nothing about her is worthy of being with you!”

“Even if that were true, you shouldn’t have done something so horrendous. Are you even the Evelyn I know? Since when you became this vile?” Disappointment seeped through his fierce tone.

Fear gripped Evelyn’s throat when she heard Finnick’s harsh description of her.

She could not let Finnick view her as conniving. Her life would be over once she was labeled as such.

“That’s not true! Finnick, you can’t say that about me. I’m not a horrible person; I was just overwhelmed by jealousy. I know now that what I did was wrong. Please forgive me, won’t you?” Evelyn reached out to grasp Finnick’s hand, but he flung her outstretched hand away.

“Finnick, I can’t live without you. I’m nothing without you. I’ve already lost my legs; I can’t lose you as well.”

“Finnick, you are the reason I can’t walk now! You can’t abandon me! You promised me. You swore that you would be by my side forever. You can’t go back on your words so easily!”

Obstinate as she was, she made another attempt to sway Finnick, tugging on his arm as she beseeched him to give her another chance.

Fueled with contempt for Evelyn, Finnick pried his arm of her death grip. Perhaps the Evelyn he knew had died. He could not recognize the woman before him, and he had no intention to know her.

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A pang of pity stabbed Finnick when he glimpsed Evelyn’s legs, which had shriveled up over time. When he got to the bottom of it, it was undeniable that his mistake had resulted in her paraplegia. He was the reason Evelyn had to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.

“Your disability is a punishment for all your wrongdoings. I won’t hound you for what happened that year. From now on, we’re even. I don’t owe you anything, and neither do you, I. I have nothing to do with you starting today.”

Having said his piece, Finnick promptly turned to leave. Now that he had made things clear, he did not want to spend another second with the woman.

“You can’t do this to me! Finnick, you can’t abandon me!” Evelyn screeched. She lunged forward to grab Finnick, but his strides were so wide that he became out of her reach. The sudden momentum caused her to lose her balance, and she toppled out of her wheelchair.

Refusing to give up, Evelyn crawled forward on her arms, her limp legs dragging behind her like dead weight. She clung to the hem of Finnick’s trousers, crying, “Finnick, you can’t treat me this way! I have nothing without you. You’re all I have now. I’m begging you, don’t leave me. You can’t leave me. I lost my legs because of you. You’re the reason I’m in this pathetic state! You can’t just say that you’re done with me. How am I supposed to get through the rest of my life? How will I live…”

Weighed down by Evelyn, Finnick’s footsteps came to a halt. Although sympathy flashed across his face, his conviction stood firm. He could not let such a venomous woman stay by his side.

“Evelyn Morrison, I’ve given you five years of care, separation from Vivian, and my firstborn. These are the punishments I have to bear for my mistakes. You can’t guilt-trip with your disability. I’ve already paid my price. I don’t owe you anything anymore.”

Finnick took a strong step forward and left the office without a backward glance.

Evelyn bawled as Finnick disappear from her line of sight, her pain and heartbreak pouring out in wails.

All my years of hard work, gone in seconds. Indignance rose within her. This is not the end!

Evelyn’s cries penetrated the office walls and invaded Finnick’s ears. Irritated, he pulled out his phone and made a call to Noah.

“Evelyn’s in my office now. Do whatever it takes to make her leave. I don’t want to see her in the office when I return.”

With that, Finnick hung up and strode out of the building.

There was something else that demanded his attention. Mark’s behavior today was far too peculiar. He was not one to come clean about his wrongdoings without prompt, which meant that there was a deadlier secret lurking in the dark, and Finnick had to expose it quickly.

As things were today, he would die before he let anything harm Vivian.

Noah immediately understood the situation after receiving Finnick’s call. Only Evelyn’s heinous actions could spur such intense emotion from Finnick, which meant he had uncovered her secrets.

The juxtaposition of elation and distress caused unease to settle in Noah’s stomach. He was glad that Finnick finally saw through Evelyn’s facade, but at the same time, worry that Finnick knew about his involvement plague Noah.

He didn’t find out, did he? He wouldn’t have instructed me to deal with Evelyn if he did.

Reassured by his own rationale, Noah rushed to Finnick’s office, hoping to get to the bottom of things.

The first thing Noah noticed when he entered the office was Evelyn’s prostrate form on the floor. Her shoulder shook as she wept, overtaken by misery. The scene should have been one that garnered empathy, but satisfaction filled Noah instead.

Women like her deserve to be punished!

Evelyn could sense another presence in the room. She eagerly lifted her head, thinking that Finnick had come back for her. I knew that he isn’t so cold-hearted! I knew he would never abandon me.

The disappointment was a great fall from her high hopes. Dismay turned into fury when she realized that the person before her was Noah. “What are you doing here? Where’s Finnick? Bring him here! I want to see him!” she shrieked.

Disgust brimming in his eyes, Noah coldly relayed Finnick’s message, “Mr. Norton said that he never wants to see you again. I suggest you leave immediately.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 599

“Impossible! Why would Finnick refuse to see me? He loves me! He cares for me, or he wouldn’t have taken care of me all these years. Liars, you’re all liars!” Evelyn was losing her grip on her sanity.

“A nightmare—this must be a nightmare!” A delusional smile spread across Evelyn’s face as she struck her head with clenched fists. “Wake up! Stop dreaming! I hate this dream!”

Pain surged through Evelyn, confirming that she was wide awake. She crumpled on the ground in sorrow. “How did it turn out like this? Why does it hurt? This is a dream; I shouldn’t feel pain.”

Evelyn’s manic behaviour left Noah stunned.

“What happened? What did Mr. Norton find out?” Noah’s own voice snapped him back to reality. He was in such a daze that he did not realize he had voiced his concern until the words hung in the air.

The careless question had lit a fuse, igniting Evelyn.

“’What happened’? How dare you ask me what happened? Mark exposed the fact that I was the one who hired men to assault Vivian, and it’s all because of your negligence! Why didn’t you find out sooner? Why did you let him in?” Her incensed screeches pierced the air.

“Why would he suddenly bring this up? Be honest, did you seek him out? Traitors! You’re a bunch of traitors who betrayed me!”

Evelyn loathed anyone she could blame. In her mind, their incompetence had soiled her plans, and by association, ruined her life.

“You were the one who set up Mrs. Norton’s assault?” Noah exclaimed, floored by her confession. He knew that the kidnapping was related to Mark, but he never made the connection to Evelyn.

So she has been mistreating Mrs. Norton since then! This woman is unforgivable and rotten to the core! How could she commit such a horrendous crime toward another woman?

“What do you mean ‘Mrs. Norton’? Didn’t I warn you to stop addressing her that way when you’re talking to me?” Evelyn growled, on the brink of going mad. “That wh*re is unworthy of that title. She should have been defiled by those beggars back then and wallow in agony for the rest of her life! No, I take that back; she shouldn’t live at all! She deserves to die!”

Noah’s chest heaved with vexation when he heard Evelyn cursing Vivian. He chuckled humorlessly and rubbed salt into her wound, “You’ve had it coming for you ever since you committed those inhumane crimes. Now that Mr. Norton refuses to see you, you have no one to blame but yourself.”

“I’ve had it coming?” Evelyn burst into deranged laughter, her voice shrill. “You must think that you’re so high and mighty. What right do you have to mock me? Don’t forget that you threatened Vivian into aborting the fetus. Do you think that you’ll be in a better position than me when Finnick finds out?”

Noah’s expression darkened. She’s right. Who am I to ridicule her when I had inflicted harm upon Vivian as well?

At the same time, he felt his anxiety dissipate marginally. Based on Evelyn’s words, Noah figured that Finnick was still unaware of his involvement.

The conflicting emotions churned within Noah. He no longer wanted to be under Evelyn’s thumb. Her blackmail hung over his head, ready to fall and crush him at any given moment. However, he was also not ready for Finnick to discover that he had caused Vivian so much pain. He was in a huge dilemma, his conflicting thoughts tearing him apart. He was at a loss as to what he should do next.

Evelyn relished at the sight of Noah’s anguished expression and began to calm down. It was almost as if her pain would only diminish if she saw another person suffering.

She channeled all her hurt into resentment for Vivian. It’s all her fault! Right from the start, Vivian has been the only impediment between me and Finnick! I can’t believe that someone as infuriating as she exists!

Rachel should have strangled Vivian to death at birth. Why did she let the wh*re live? Now she’s after my status as the Morrisons’ most precious daughter and Finnick as well!

Evelyn was emptied of all emotion but hate for Rachel and Vivian. They should die a painful death and suffer in hell!

It was the only way she could feel relief. Only after they perish would she be able to lead a happy life.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 600

‘You must feel relieved that Finnick has no idea about what you did,” Evelyn taunted Noah after composing herself.

“I’m warning you—don’t even think about keeping yourself clean. If you want to hide it from Finnick, your only option is to help me. If not, I’ll go to Finnick right now and spill all of your dirty secrets. I can’t wait to see how he would treat his most trusted right-hand man.”

Panic shot through Noah when he heard her threats. “W-What do you want?” he stammered. He knew that this woman was not above getting blood on her hands now that she had been sent over the edge.

Evelyn gave Noah a side-eye and sneered at his cowardice. “The game is not over yet. They still have a long way to go before winning me!”

After leaving the company building, Finnick rang up a private investigator he knew personally and asked him to investigate if anything unusual had happened to Mark recently.

“I also need your help with sourcing something. It concerns…”

Finnick’s eyes glinted with menace after ending the call. He would not let Mark off easy this time round. It was about time Mark bore the consequences of his foolish decisions.

Finnick pulled out of the parking lot and roamed around with no destination in mind.

He slowly drove past numerous shops. Whenever he passed a familiar shop, a flashback related to Vivian would pop up involuntarily.

Vivian used to love the pork ribs from this restaurant. She once mentioned that she liked the aesthetic of this studio because it gives of the retro vibes of the eighties. I remember that there’s a market somewhere here; we bought our groceries there before. None of us are good cooks, but we enjoyed the meal nonetheless…

Finnick pulled to a stop in front of a shop—Cindy’s Baby Store.

He remembered distinctly that they had shopped at this baby store when they mistakenly thought Vivian to be pregnant. They had been happy then.

Both of them had their eyes on a pair of shoes. At that time, they did not know the gender of the unborn child and bickered over whether blue or pink would be the better choice.

How did I settle the argument? Finnick’s lips curved into a gentle smile at the fond memory—he had bought both pairs.

In fact, he bought two of everything they fancied. Vivian reprimanded him, albeit good-naturedly, for wasting money. He then jokingly replied that he was making preparations in case she was carrying fraternal twins.

After learning that Vivian was not pregnant, Finnick was worried that seeing the tiny clothes and shoes would upset Vivian, so he stowed them away in the storeroom.

The bitter irony was that when Vivian actually got pregnant, Finnick never got the chance to shop for the baby with her.

Finnick’s eyelids slid shut. He pressed on the corners of his eyes with his fingers, forcing his tears back. She must have felt helpless when I insisted on aborting the baby.

Coincidentally, Rachel had been diagnosed with leukemia at that time. Knowing how filial Vivian was, Finnick was certain that she had kept the baby a secret from Rachel. Fighting a lonely battle must have been wearying and devastating.

Finnick could not bear to imagine how Vivian had endured such torment. He slammed a fist into the steering wheel to vent his debilitating remorse. Why? Why did I choose to trust Evelyn instead of Vivian? How big of an idiot am I?

At this moment, Finnick’s phone buzzed, bringing him back to his senses. He collected himself before picking up. It was Noah on the other end.

“What is it?”

“Mr. Norton, Evelyn has left your office,” Noah reported.

“Noted. I’m going back now.”

With that, Finnick hung up and headed back to the company. There were some things that had to be dealt with quickly or he would not have the courage to face Vivian.

Finnick found Noah waiting for him when he arrived at his office.

“You’ll be in charge of anything regarding Evelyn in the future. Don’t let me see her,” Finnick instructed impassively as he took a seat.