Ch. 681..690
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 681
Almost every inch of the island was covered in trees, and it took everyone some time to find a somewhat spacious and safe spot.
After consulting the guide and confirming that they were at the right spot, Vivian had everyone start setting up their camps.
The crowd complained away as they worked, but Vivian managed to keep everyone in line and everything went somewhat smoothly. Everyone was assigned a task.
Vivian wanted to distract herself and stop herself from thinking about what happened with Finnick, so she talked to Sarah about how they’d secure their camps in place.
“Chief Editor,” greeted Charlotte from behind just as the two ladies were talking. Vivian turned around and, as suspected, Charlotte had called out for her.
Vivian felt a little bad when she recalled how the young lady looked sorrowful by the cable car. I guess Finnick wasn’t nice or even polite to her…
“Charlotte, I am so sorry. Did Finnick bully you?” asked Vivian apologetically while walking toward Charlotte.
“Not at all. We hung out well,” replied Charlotte happily. Vivian didn’t expect that response. She definitely didn’t see it coming when Charlotte added, “At first, it felt like Mr. Norton is a little reluctant to hang out with me, but we later got along really well. Besides, I think Mr. Norton…”
Charlotte covered her lips and grinned shyly before continuing, “I think Mr. Norton really admires me. He probably feels a little awkward about getting too close to me since you’re around. That’s kinda why I want to talk to you. Can I ask a favor?”
“What is it?” asked Vivian, who suddenly felt inexplicably sad after hearing what Charlotte said. Vivian recalled how she previously saw Finnick and Charlotte chatting away happily. That convinced Vivian that Charlotte wasn’t lying.
Finnick Norton, that hypocritical bast*rd. Why pretend to be angry with me when he’s so happy being around the young, beautiful lady? Also, why bother saying those disgusting and corny words?
“Vivian, can you help me create another opportunity for Mr. Norton and me to have some alone time together again? I want to strike while the iron is hot, and maybe bring the two of us closer,” requested Charlotte. She deliberately acted like she was excited when she said those words.
Finnick had warned her earlier against trying anything funny again, and she truly was frightened at the time. However, she later thought about it and found that she wasn’t okay with it.
Charlotte thought that she was way better than Vivian. I am young, beautiful, and full of life, and I truly love Finnick. Why should I step aside and let this old woman have him?
Charlotte’s friends once told her that men were all animals and would instinctively be attracted to beautiful women. That would apply to any men, even the ones who seemed distant.
Charlotte’s past experiences of being courted by men reaffirmed her belief about what her friend said. She became certain that Finnick simply hadn’t had the chance to notice how beautiful she was. I will definitely have him at the palm of my hands if I just push more and be more proactive!
Naturally, Finnick wasn’t the only one Charlotte needed to work on. The most important bit was to make Vivian think that Finnick actually had a thing for Charlotte. That way, Vivian would work hard to stay away from Finnick, and that would give Charlotte a better shot.
Seeing how happy Charlotte looked made Vivian feel even worse.
The latter felt disgusted when she thought about how Finnick declared his love for her. He flirted with the young lady a second ago, then pretended to be a lovesick puppy with me a second later. My gosh, he is getting better at putting on an act.
Vivian never suspected a word Charlotte said because the former had always seen the latter as a quiet and reserved lady. She would never have said something like that if Finnick didn’t lead her on.
To add to that, Vivian had seen with her own eyes, that the two of them were close together in an ambiguous situation. It was clearly what Charlotte had described, that the two of them were happy together.
At that moment, Vivian saw Finnick as a playboy who pretended to be a gentleman. He really is the perfect example of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 682
Years ago, he got together with Evelyn. That time, we hadn’t even gotten a divorce yet, so I can see why he kept it a secret from me, but we aren’t together anymore. He can be with anyone he wants to be, and I won’t stop him anyway, so why is he still lying to me?
Thinking about that past prompted Vivian to scoff. Maybe he’s just used to lying. Ah, to think that his lies, which should’ve only worked on young, immature ladies, had touched me. That is so naive of me!
When Charlotte saw Vivian’s grouchy expression and noted how the latter never said a word, the former thought that the latter was going to deny the request. Charlotte stepped up and hugged Vivian’s arm to request coquettishly, “Come on, Vivian. Didn’t you say that you’re no longer interested in Mr. Norton? If so, why won’t you help me?”
Vivian turned to Charlotte and advised seriously, “Charlotte, I think you should just forget about him. Listen to me, he is not a good man, and you will just end up getting hurt.”
Hah! Is that so? Or are you just saying all that because you regret divorcing such an amazing man? Despite Charlotte’s thoughts, she continued wearing a sincere and hopeful expression.
“Vivian, I truly love Finnick. I love him so, so much that I don’t care if I get hurt in the future. Please, just help me out once more and let us have some time together. I’m begging you, Vivian. Please help me. I will regret it for the rest of my life if I don’t go all out.”
Love him so, so much, huh? thought Vivian. Bitterness spread across her heart.
She used to love Finnick that much as well and thought that meeting Finnick was the luckiest feat in her life. But look at how everything ended. The so-called luckiest feat is nothing but the biggest heartache of my life.
Unfortunately, Charlotte had lowered her stance to the point where Vivian didn’t feel right to keep turning down her request, so Vivian promised, “Okay, I will help you out later if I have the chance.”
Everyone has the right to choose their own destiny. If she is so stubborn about being with Finnick, then who am I to stop her? Besides, she might put all the blame on me if I refuse to help her.
“Really?” blurted Charlotte, who couldn’t hide her excitement, “Thank you, Vivian. Thank you so much. If I end up being a couple with Mr. Norton, you will be the matchmaker that made everything possible. I will definitely give you a great gift then.”
Hearing Charlotte’s words made Vivian feel a little weird. All the latter could do was force a grin on her face. Dang, even I can tell that my grin has got to be ridiculously ugly now.
Naturally, Charlotte noticed how forced Vivian’s grin was, but the former was too happy to care about how Vivian felt.
“I’ll be counting on you later, Vivian. I better return to my camp and touch up my make-up so that I am on my best look when I hang out with Finnick. Please remember to help give us some alone time!”
“Sure,” replied Vivian exasperatedly while nodding. After that, Vivian watched as Charlotte left happily.
Seeing how gleeful the young lady was got Vivian to feel blue. Problem was, she had no idea where that feeling stemmed from.
Is it because of Finnick? Am I upset because he is hanging out with a young lady? Vivian shook her head quickly and denied those thoughts immediately.
Perverts who love anyone they come across are not worthy of my time or my feelings. I will not allow myself to be sad!
Everyone was hungry after the camps were set up, so they started preparing for barbeque. Soon, the barbeque grill was set up, and a fire was lit. Someone suggested that they send two representatives to go get some clean water so that they could wash the utensils.
“Are there even any clean water sources on the island? We’re not going to get the water from the spring, are we?” asked someone suspiciously.
The tour guide answered, “This island was renovated to accommodate campers and travelers, so there is a designated place for getting clean water. You will find the place if you keep walking down this route.”
As the tour guide spoke, he pointed down a road.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 683
The tour guide had just finished speaking when Charlotte volunteered, “I’ll go get some water for everyone. I don’t have anything to do at the moment, anyway.”
Charlotte then turned to Vivian and secretly winked. It was impossible for Vivian to miss what Charlotte was suggesting after their previous conversation.
Vivian was reluctant, but she had already promised to help Charlotte out, so the former said, “It’s not safe for a young lady to go on her own. Besides, you’re not strong enough to carry that much water. I think it’s better if Mr. Norton goes with you. I’d feel more at ease that way.”
Vivian immediately turned to face Finnick and added, “Please help Charlotte get some water for everyone, Mr. Norton. Thank you in advance for your help.”
She’s not giving up! Finnick was infuriated once again, even though it had just dissipated. Unfortunately, he couldn’t lose his temper in front of everyone else, nor could he drag Vivian away again. Hence, he was left with no other option but to suppress his fury.
He glared evilly at Vivian. In addition to being angry, he was also heartbroken. Does she really not love me at all right now? To her, am I just a belonging that can be handed out to anyone?
“Thank you, Mr. Norton,” said Charlotte shyly, “Let’s head over right now, so we can get back soon. That way, everyone can have their meals earlier.”
Finnick didn’t reply. He was still looking at Vivian and hoping that she would ask for him to stay, but she had already turned her back to him. She was avoiding his gaze by pretending to work on something else.
“Mr. Norton, let’s hurry over,” urged Charlotte. She was worried that she would lose the opportunity she worked so hard to get.
Finnick was utterly disappointed to see that Vivian wouldn’t even look at him. He hid his sorrowful gaze and turned to the path where the tour guide pointed at earlier. It seemed that Finnick was deliberately acting up.
She wants to matchmake me with some other woman, huh? Fine, I will play along then. I’d like to see if she really cares that little about me. Will she truly be happy to see me with someone else?
Charlotte was ecstatic to see that Finnick was willing to go get water with her. She had to jog a little to catch up with him, and she still secretly vowed that she would seize that opportunity to get together with Finnick.
Everyone turned to one another when they saw all the drama being played out in front of them. They had no idea what was going on.
“What is the Chief Editor doing? Why did she make Charlotte and Mr. Norton go over together?”
“Right? Charlotte is so beautiful. Shouldn’t the Chief Editor be worried that Mr. Norton would fall for Charlotte?”
“I thought Mr. Norton is trying to get the Chief Editor back. What is going on now? Does the Chief Editor not want to reconcile with Mr. Norton? Is that why she had them go collect the water together?”
“Maybe. I mean, thinking back, I didn’t actually see the Chief Editor being all lovey-dovey toward Mr. Norton. She probably doesn’t like him.”
“Why not? He is such an incredible guy. Isn’t it a waste to let someone like him go?”
“The Chief Editor isn’t so bad herself. She is beautiful and talented, and she is a member of the Morrison family. To her, Finnick probably isn’t all that incredible at all.”
“Then Charlotte really got lucky….”
Sarah was upset to hear what everyone was saying, but she was also confused.
Just earlier, she caught Vivian being sad about Finnick and Charlotte hanging out together. So what’s going on now? Why is Vivian actively helping the two of them get together?
Sarah simply couldn’t figure it out, so she didn’t waste any more time dwelling on it. She walked directly to Vivian and interrogated, “Why did you do that, Vivian? What if Finnick actually falls for Charlotte?”
Vivian was still holding the barbecue sticks at the time, and she paused for a moment. Her expression turned grim, but she never answered Sarah’s question. Vivian simply continued applying the sauce.
Seeing that expression, Sarah knew how terrible Vivian felt. Why did she do all that if it’s just going to make herself sad?
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 684
“Vivian, will you really not consider getting back together with Mr. Norton? I can tell that he still cares about you, and you…” said Sarah. She hesitated for a moment, but she ultimately voiced out, “And you seem like you’re still in love with him, too. Why can’t the two of you get back together?”
“I no longer care about him!” roared Vivian instinctively upon hearing Sarah’s words. The former was uncharacteristically mean at that moment.
Sarah opened her mouth. It was as if she had more to say, but Vivian’s expression forced all those words back down her throat.
Only then did Vivian realize that she was acting a little out of line. Sarah only spoke up because she cares about me. How can I be so rude to someone so kind?
Vivian held Sarah’s hand and apologized, “I’m sorry, Sarah. I didn’t mean to yell at you. I know that you have my best interest at heart, but I really don’t want to hear that man’s name again.”
“I understand. I won’t talk about him anymore. No matter what, I just want you to be happy,” replied Sarah as she held Vivian’s hand. Sarah’s eyes shone with love and concern when she uttered those words.
“Thank you, Sarah. Thank you for your concern all this while,” replied Vivian, who was touched by those words. It had been a while since anyone cared about Vivian sincerely.
“It’s nothing compared to how you’ve always been kind to me,” said Sarah while grinning. She then added, “You keep applying the sauce here. I’ll go collect some firewood.”
“Okay,” replied Vivian with a smile. She watched as Sarah walked away.
Vivian was actually stunned in place. She kept recalling what Sarah said earlier. And you seem like you’re still in love with him, too. Why can’t the two of you get back together?
Do I still love him? To the extent that even Sarah could sense it?
No, that will not do! Vivian was shaking her head profusely in her mind. She would not allow herself to fall for him because she refused to go through the desperation she endured five years ago.
She closed her eyes to calm herself down before she opened them again and continued working on the sauce. After that, she called out to get everyone to get ready.
Everyone was famished, so naturally, they cheered and went to start barbecuing everything. They were in the midst of barbecuing, but Sarah, Finnick, and Charlotte were still nowhere to be seen.
“What’s wrong? Why aren’t they back yet?” ”They didn’t get into any trouble, did they?” Everyone was understandably worried when they noted that all three of them weren’t back yet.
At that moment, Vivian was fidgeting with worry as well, but in addition to that, she was also a little upset.
The island had already been developed, so the chances of them getting into trouble were virtually zero. Sarah may be late because she can’t find any useable wood, but Finnick and Charlotte left ages ago. Are they deliberately staying out longer because they are having too much fun and don’t want to come back?
“No one else is on this island, so what danger could they be in? I bet Charlotte and Finnick are just glad to finally have some alone time together and are having so much fun that they are unwilling to return,” said Shannon.
Her tone was a little strange when she said those words, and she would shift her gaze to Vivian now and then. It was obvious that she only said those words to annoy Vivian.
Vivian knew Shannon’s ulterior motives, but she still couldn’t help feeling upset because Shannon’s words matched what Vivian thought.
Everyone else chimed in to ease the tension when they saw how terrible the Chief Editor looked upon hearing Shannon’s words. “There is no guarantee that the island is definitely safe, either. Let’s spread out and look for them,” said a colleague.
Their aim for traveling over was to have some fun. If Shannon actually got into a fight with Vivian, no one would be happy during the entire trip, and it would just be a waste.
That person’s words inspired everyone to work together. “You’re right. It’s safer if we go look for them. We can’t wait forever, after all. What if something actually happened?”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 685
“It has been a while since they left, and it is a little worrisome. We should spread out and look for them.”
Hearing everybody’s thoughts and comments got Vivian to worry. “It is dangerous for a woman like Sarah to go collect firewood on her own. Let’s spread out and look for her, but make sure that there are at least three people in your team at all times. Don’t stray from each other and remember, safety first.”
“Okay,” replied the others before they teamed up and ventured into the woods.
Shannon walked with two colleagues. One of them turned to Shannon and spoke up when they got further away from the others.
“Shannon, why did you say all that in front of the Chief Editor? What if she makes things difficult for you at work?” said one colleague.
“I was just telling the truth. Charlotte is young and beautiful, whereas Finnick is single. Who’s to say that they won’t get together?” said Shannon nonchalantly.
“That may be true, but you know what happened between Finnick and the Chief Editor. It’s extremely likely that Finnick only came on this trip to try to get back together with the Chief Editor. Why do you insist on upsetting her? She is our boss, and going against her won’t benefit you at all,” reminded the other colleague kindly.
“She would never have gotten that job or be our boss if it wasn’t for her connection to the Morrison family! I was the one who was supposed to be promoted,” growled Shannon, who only became more furious after hearing what the guy said.
“That’s not true. The Chief Editor does have the skills to do the job well. Our sales have been rising ever since she took over, and we were ranked number one for two continuous issues,” refuted the guy.
He then added, “We have never accomplished anything like that before, and that could not have happened if all she can do is tap into her connection to the Morrisons. Honestly, we should thank her. If she hadn’t helped us achieve all that, the head office would never have rewarded us with a trip here.”
What an idiot, he’s acting like Vivian is an angel from heaven or something. Shannon couldn’t stand hearing her colleague compliment Vivian anymore. “Hah, I bet you’re only talking her up like that because she’s beautiful, and you have your eyes on her. You should forget about it. She may be a divorcee, but she is still the daughter of the Morrison family, and she will never be into you,” insulted Shannon.
“What is that supposed to mean?” demanded the colleague, who was infuriated. He shouted, “I was being kind and trying to help you. How can you make up sh*ts like that? When have you ever seen me acting like I’m interested in the Chief Editor?”
“Like hell that is bullsh*t! Stop hiding it,” accused Shannon. She was too angry to care about how others were feeling. She just wanted to vent her anger and frustration somewhere. After yelling at her colleague, Shannon turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
The third party who was with them, the female colleague, quickly stopped Shannon. She reminded, “Shannon, the Chief Editor has made it clear. We should travel in groups of three and above. Don’t leave on your own. What if you get into trouble?”
“Chief Editor this, Chief Editor that. Who are the two of you? Vivian’s slaves? Is that why you have to obey her commands like a lapdog?” roared Shannon angrily. She flung the lady’s hand away as she spoke in a deranged tone.
The colleague was so angry that she was trembling a little when she saw how Shannon ignored her good intentions and hurled such lunatic insults.
At that point, she no longer cared about Shannon’s safety and didn’t want to say anything anymore. She and the other colleague Shannon accused earlier ignored her and left. Women like those are downright unreasonable! Why did I bother stopping her? It did nothing but make me feel miserable.
Shannon felt wronged and abandoned as she watched her two colleagues walked away. More than that, though, she was overwhelmed with intense hatred and jealousy.
This is all your fault, Vivian William! You stole my job and caused a rift between my colleagues and me. Everything happened because of you. I hate you.
Shannon clenched her fist tightly as an evil aura slowly seeped out of her. “Just you wait, Vivian William. I’ll definitely get back at you for this and show you that I am not someone you can bully!” announced Shannon.
“Sarah, Sarah!” shouted Vivian and Caroline. Unfortunately, they didn’t hear any response.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 686
“Vivian, we’ve been searching for hours, but Sarah is still nowhere to be seen. You don’t think she’s in trouble, do you?” said Caroline, who was a little scared at that moment.
“I don’t think so. You shouldn’t assume the worse,” replied Vivian. Truth was, Vivian was just as nervous about the situation, but she knew that she couldn’t freak out. “Let’s head back. Maybe the others have already found Sarah and they’re back at the camp now. That’s probably why she can’t hear us calling out for her.”
“You’re right. Sarah must’ve returned to the campsite. She is definitely safe,” said Caroline. She felt a lot calmer after hearing what Vivian said.
Vivian and Caroline turned around and went back to their camp. That was when they realized that almost everyone else had returned as well.
“How did it go? Did anyone find Sarah?” asked Vivian hurriedly.
“No.”
“Sarah is nowhere to be seen, and Mr. Norton and Charlotte aren’t back yet either.”
Vivian got even more anxious to hear everyone’s response. How am I going to face her family if something happened to Sarah?
“Calm down, Chief Editor. Some teams haven’t returned yet. Maybe they’ve found Sarah,” said a guy to comfort her after he saw how she was getting jumpy. He then added, “I’ll go look for her again. This isn’t an abandoned island, so it’s unlikely that she’s in trouble. I bet Sarah just lost her way.”
“What about Mr. Norton and Charlotte? The place to get the water isn’t far and they would’ve found the place so long as they travel down the main road. Why aren’t they back yet?” complained another colleague. He couldn’t help feeling angry because he was getting too worried. What is wrong with these people? They’re not kids, anymore. Why must they make us worry?
For some unknown reason, hearing those words prompted Vivian to picture Finnick flirting with Charlotte. They were happy and smiling brightly at each other in Vivian’s mind.
She couldn’t stop jealousy from swelling up inside her mind, so she shook her head to prevent herself from thinking too much about it.
“Let’s just wait for everyone else to return. I don’t want to risk anyone else getting lost in our quest to search for Sarah,” instructed Vivian. She was worried that the others would get into trouble as well, so she had them wait there.
More time passed, but no one returned. Vivian couldn’t bear with the anxiety anymore and wanted to head out to look for the others again. Just then, Shannon rushed over while looking frightened.
“What’s wrong? Did you find them?” asked one colleague hurriedly.
“No, but I think I heard Sarah calling out for help over there,” informed Shannon. She looked absolutely horrified.
Vivian’s heart instantly jumped when she heard what Shannon said. Sarah’s in trouble? Vivian quickly ran over to Shannon and asked, “Where did you hear that call for help? Are you sure it was Sarah?”
“I can’t be certain. I somewhat make out a call for help, and that person sounded like Sarah, but I was alone and was too scared to forge ahead. That’s why I came back to get help.”
“Why were you alone?” asked Vivian. The two of them weren’t on good terms, after all, so Vivian had her guard up around Shannon.
“I was supposed to be with Ken and Melinda, but we later got into an argument and went our own ways,” replied Shannon hurriedly, “Honestly, Vivian, now is not the time to look into this matter. Hurry over with me. I’m really worried about Sarah now.”
Given how nervous Shannon looked, it was unlikely that she was lying. Vivian’s judgment was also clouded because she was worried about Sarah, who hadn’t returned yet.
“Okay, hang on a second. I have to go get something from my camp,” replied Vivian before she rushed to her camp.
Before leaving the country, Vivian thought about how most employees the magazine hired were women. She was worried about everyone’s safety, so she brought pepper spray along. I didn’t think that I’d actually need to use it.
“Let’s go look for Sarah now, Shannon,” urged Vivian after she retrieved the so-called weapon she brought with her. We have to hurry. The longer we wait, the more danger Sarah might be in.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 687
“Chief Editor, it’s not that much safer for two women to go over on their own. Let the boys and I come with you,” suggested a male colleague in a worried tone.
“No, there’s no need for that. We only have a few men around, and most of us are already at camp. You boys should stay guard over here, just in case. The girls would be defenseless if something happens while you’re gone,” instructed Vivian sternly.
Everyone tagged along happily to go on a vacation with Vivian, so she had to make sure that everyone was safe and would go home in one piece.
“But then, who would protect the two of you?” pointed out a guy. Vivian’s words made sense to him, but he was still worried about letting two women leaving on their own.
“Gah, stop wasting time and talking bullsh*t. Sarah is still waiting for rescue,” said Shannon before Vivian could even speak up. She later added, “The Chief Editor is armed with pepper spray, so we should be fine. Stop worrying needlessly, will you? Besides, she is right. The most important thing is to make sure that everyone is safe.”
After that, Shannon turned to Vivian and continued, “Vivian, let’s hurry over. Sarah and I aren’t on good terms, but we have been colleagues for years. If anything were to happen to her, I-I’d feel terrible.”
Shannon’s voice was thick with tears when she said those words, and sorrow donned her face. No one would suspect her words under those circumstances.
“It’s fine, Lionel. Stay here with the others and keep everyone safe. Shannon and I will go look for Sarah,” instructed Vivian quickly to the guy at her side. Then, she dragged Shannon towards the path Shannon came from earlier.
“Shannon, where did you hear Sarah’s call for help? Why haven’t we heard anything, even though we’ve gone so far?” asked Vivian. She was getting worried because they were venturing further away from camp.
At first, Vivian assumed that they wouldn’t be traveling that far from camp, but they had since gotten to the deeper parts of the wood. Despite that, they still hadn’t reached the place Shannon was talking about.
“We’re almost there. I heard Sarah’s call for help somewhere nearby. I’m guessing we’ll find her soon,” replied Shannon. For some unknown reason, Shannon seemed a little off when she spoke. It was as if she was worried about Vivian discovering something.
Shannon obviously didn’t need to worry at all, though. Vivian was too worried about Sarah to notice anything.
Vivian didn’t suspect a thing and forged ahead when she heard Shannon saying that Sarah was nearby. As Vivian walked, she called out Sarah’s name.
Shannon was secretly relieved to see that Vivian had bought the lie. The former grinned evilly as she walked behind the latter.
Shannon observed her surroundings while following closely behind Vivian. After traveling a little further, Shannon saw the mark she made earlier.
Glee flashed past her eyes. Shannon shouted in a nervous tone, “Chief Editor, quick. Over here!”
“What is it?” asked Vivian, who turned around quickly and headed towards Shannon. The former asked, “Did you find any clue? Is Sarah around here somewhere?”
Vivian walked to Shannon and looked in the direction that Shannon was pointing at. The former bent down to take a closer look, and that was when she felt a force pushing her harshly from her back.
“Ah,” yelped Vivian. She flew uncontrollably downward and saw that she was getting closer and closer to the ground. At first, she thought that she would fall hard, but as she fell, she realized there was a trap right underneath her.
Thump! A loud noise echoed when Vivian fell into the pit. She felt as if her organs were all crushed, and she kept her eyes closed for a long time before she got herself accustomed to the pain.
Upon opening her eyes, Vivian realized that the pit was extremely deep. It was likely that hunters set the trap up to catch dangerous animals. Vivian shifted her gaze upward and saw that Shannon was grinning evilly over.
Seeing Shannon’s taunting expression, Vivian realized that Shannon had pushed her in. Why the hell did Shannon bring me over?
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 688
“Shannon, didn’t you say that Sarah is somewhere nearby? Why did you push me in?” demanded Vivian angrily.
“You actually bought that? My gosh, Vivian William, looks like you haven’t gotten any smarter in the past five years. You are still that idiot who is, oh so easy, to con,” replied Shannon while crouching down and looking right at Vivian.
“What is the meaning of this? Did you trick me over? Why would you do that? Where is Sarah?” demanded Vivian, who was furious at herself when she finally grasped what was going on. I knew it. I shouldn’t have trusted that woman!
“That brat is as annoying as you are. How would I know where she is? To tell you the truth, I never heard her calling for help. I only told you that to con you into coming over, and as for my intention of bringing you over…”
Shannon trailed off and paused for a moment before she glared evilly and answered, “Well, it’s to teach you a f*cking lesson, of course.”
“Shannon Ulrich, I will freaking fire you!” roared Vivian. Resentment and regret filled her heart when she heard what Shannon said.
Shannon had always gone against Vivian at work, and Vivian would’ve fired the girl if she wasn’t a senior in the office who had contributed years to the company. Not only is she not thankful for it, she’s trying to hurt me!
“Awh, how intimidating,” said Shannon sarcastically before she added, “You’d have to actually get out of there to threaten my job.”
“I’m warning you, Shannon. You won’t get away with it. I came over to look for Sarah with you, and everyone saw us leaving together. You’d be the first one they turn to if they can’t find me,” reminded Vivian, who was performing pretty well under duress.
She added, “You will be the primary suspect, so you better find a way to get me out of here before the situation spiral out of control.”
“Really? Aw, you’re scaring me, Chief Editor,” said Shannon sarcastically before she laughed aloud and added, “Vivian William, do you really think that you can frighten me just like that? I can tell them that we parted ways to look for Sarah, and that is why I have no idea where you are.”
Shannon reminded, “Tons of people get into trouble while on camping trips, and there is no evidence to prove my guilt. No one can pin this on me, so you can rot here for all I care! Don’t worry, though. If anything were to happen to you, I will take over your position as the Chief Editor and will manage the magazine perfectly in your place.” After saying her piece, Shannon turned around and left while laughing aloud.
“Come back here, Shannon. Get me out of here,” roared Vivian loudly from the bottom of the pit. All she got in response was Shannon’s laughter getting softer until it was completely gone.
What do I do now? Am I really going to die here? Vivian struggled to come up with ways to get out of that trap.
On the other side, Finnick and Charlotte had gone to get some water. Charlotte kept trying to strike up a conversation with Finnick the entire way. “Mr. Norton, isn’t the scenery on this island amazing?”
Finnick ignored Charlotte. He continued filling up the buckets and collecting the water. He never even looked in the general direction of where Charlotte was standing.
After her experience in the cable car, Charlotte had already gotten used to how distant Finnick acted toward her. Hence, she remained smiling and asked, “Mr. Norton, I remember that you were down with a cold just before the trip. Are you feeling better now?”
Finnick had finished filling one bucket up, so he got another empty bucket and started filling that up, too. He acted as if there was no one around him.
Seeing how Finnick ignored her prompted Charlotte to bite her lip a little. She had always had admirers coming after her, even when she saw a kid. No one had ever made her look so bad before.
No, I can’t give up so easily. It took me forever to find a rich guy that I quite like. No matter what, I must make him fall for me!
After filling both buckets up, Finnick picked up the buckets in each hand and turned to leave. Charlotte quickly stepped up to act like she was going after the bucket he was holding. She said, “Mr. Norton, you can’t carry both buckets on your own. That is too heavy. Let’s carry one each.”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 689
Finnick frowned when he saw that Charlotte’s hand was about to touch his. He put one bucket on the floor before walking around Charlotte and continued forging ahead.
Charlotte was instantly dumbstruck. She didn’t expect Finnick to do that. In fact, she thought that he would act like a gentleman and insist on carrying the bucket so that Charlotte wouldn’t be worn out. I can’t believe he’s actually making me carry a bucket that heavy.
Charlotte gritted her teeth as she watched Finnick walking further away. She spent all her effort picking up the bucket before she stumbled behind him.
“Mr. Norton, p-please slow down. I… whew, I can’t keep up,” said Charlotte soon after. She was so tired that she was panting at that moment.
Finnick hesitated when he heard the pants behind him. He ultimately slowed down. She may be annoying, but she’s still just a young lady, after all.
Charlotte could help feeling delighted when she saw Finnick slowing down for her. I knew it! He does care about me.
Charlotte suddenly felt energy surging through her veins. She picked up the bucket and rushed to Finnick’s side before she put on a shy expression and said, “Thank you, Mr. Norton.”
Finnick’s eyes glowed with distaste when he heard the woman making that superficial noise. He didn’t look at her or respond to her words. Instead, he kept moving forward.
At this rate, we would reach the camp soon. That thought got Charlotte nervous.
No, I fought so hard to get some alone time with him. I will not go back just like that!
Her mind spun, and she tripped herself.
“Ah!” Finnick heard a loud shriek behind him. When he turned around, he saw that Charlotte had fallen, and the bucket was tossed to the side. Water spilled everywhere.
Annoyance flashed past Finnick’s face, but he turned around and walked to Charlotte, anyway. “Are you hurt? Can you walk?” asked Finnick.
Finnick’s tone was cold, but his words were spoken out of concern, after all, so Charlotte couldn’t help feeling gleeful.
She put on a pitiful expression and pressed on her ankle. Her voice seemed thick with tears when she said, “I think I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much.”
Finnick scanned the surroundings and noted that there was absolutely no one else around to help. He secretly sighed exasperatedly because he had no choice but to help Charlotte up.
Charlotte’s eyes shone with happiness when she saw Finnick helping her up like that. She deliberately acted like she couldn’t stand on her own and flung herself into Finnick’s arms.
“I am so sorry, Mr. Norton,” said Charlotte, but her body never moved away from Finnick. She even tugged her collar a little and rubbed her soft chest on Finnick.
Finnick was instantly infuriated when he saw that Charlotte was obviously trying to seduce him. How dare she still hold such vile thoughts towards me? He didn’t have much time to think before he pushed Charlotte away.
Charlotte instinctively stepped backward and steadied herself when Finnick pushed her away without any prior warning. She didn’t notice what was wrong until she was already standing firmly. At that moment, she was tempted to slap herself across her face.
Finnick couldn’t suppress his anger when he saw that Charlotte wasn’t hurt at all. His tone was zing when he roared, “I warned you earlier that I will chase you out of Sunshine City if you try anything to get to me again. Looks like you didn’t heed my warning. Pack your things and leave the city on your own accord once this trip is over. Don’t force me to resort to extreme measures.”
What? Charlotte was momentarily stunned after hearing Finnick’s words. Her emotions ran wild when she finally registered what was going on. I worked so hard to create a stable life here in Sunshine City. Am I going to be chased out just like that?
For a moment there, Charlotte couldn’t accept the reality. She couldn’t believe that Finnick would actually do something so cruel to her. She couldn’t control her tears, and as she wept, she demanded, “Why? I am younger and prettier than that old hag, Vivian William. Why must you treat me so cruelly for her sake?”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 690
Rotting disgust and indifference filled in Charlotte’s eyes. Seeing this, Finnick uttered without a trace of emotion, “You’re not worthy of being compared with Vivian. You’ll never match up to her. Not a single part of you stands a chance of beating her.”
Then Finnick picked up his bucket. He returned to the well and fetched another bucket of water before heading back. He did all of this without sparing a single glance at Charlotte.
Seeing Finnick leave without any concern for her, Charlotte’s knees gave in. She fell into a squat and bawled. Her shoulders trembled rapidly as angry tears slashed down her face.
Her appalled thoughts questioned Finnick’s audacity. How can he say that I’m not good enough? I won’t accept this defeat. It’s not fair! Plus, do I really have to leave Sunshine City once we get back?
A shudder rattled in her chest as she thought back to when Finnick threatened, “Don’t force me to take extreme measures”. There was no doubt that Finnick’s intervention could easily remove Charlotte from Sunshine City. Plus, he could get the entire media industry to boycott her.
At the thought of this, Charlotte sobbed harder. She was only trying to secure her ideal husband; how did it lead to such a pitiful ending?
Finnick returned to the campsite with a hardened expression. He ignored her cries that howled from behind him.
From afar, the others caught sight of his return and sighed in relief. They rushed towards him and asked, “Mr. Norton. Why did you take so long to fetch the water? And where’s Charlotte?”
“Yeah, Mr. Norton. You’ve been gone for a long time and everyone was starting to wonder if something happened to you guys. We even went out in groups of search parties but couldn’t find you guys at all. It was driving everyone crazy.”
…
Finnick felt a pang of guilt after being surrounded by everyone’s worried faces. “The water spilled on our way back, so it took longer than planned. I apologize for the delay and for making everyone worry.’
“The important thing is that you’re alright.” Comforting smiles bloomed on everyone’s faces as they frantically waved at him. They felt flattered after seeing their boss explain so apologetically. “Speaking of which, where’s Charlotte? Didn’t she accompany you earlier? Why didn’t she return with you?”
Finnick’s features darkened at the mention of Charlotte. He responded coldly, “She’s on her way. She’ll be here soon.”
Noticing this stark change in Finnick’s expression, everyone pondered quizzically. Did they get into an argument? But why would there be conflict between them? That’s just not possible.
Although they thought so in unison, no one dared to ask Finnick what happened. After all, he was their superior.
“Where’s Ms. Morrison?” Finnick asked. He had glanced around but couldn’t find Vivian in the crowd.
“After you guys left, Sarah went by herself to collect firewood and hasn’t returned till now. We also tried searching for her earlier but failed. Then Vivian got worried for Sarah’s safety since there’s no telling what dangers could happen to an unattended girl. So she and Shannon set off to find her again.”
“Just the two of them?” Finnick’s face was anxiety-ridden.
“Yeah,” Caroline nodded. “Vivian was afraid that we’d encounter more danger if we all went, so she told us to stay here. Then she left with Shannon.”
Hearing this, annoyance blew up in Finnick. Always so concerned for others being in danger… why can’t she look out for herself! Must she worry me all the time?
Finnick grew more anxious as he waited for almost ten minutes. Seeing that Vivian still hadn’t returned, he couldn’t wait any longer. Before he could gather everyone to form search parties, he saw Caroline emotionally racing off somewhere.
“Sarah, where have you been? Why did you take so long to get back?” Caroline asked. She sprinted over to Sarah’s side with a face full of concern and self-blame. Sarah’s disappearance must have really worried her.
“I thought I’d pick up some firewood nearby, but I accidentally got lost. I just couldn’t find my way back. I took a couple of wrong turns, then started wandering further away. Took me a lot of effort but I made it back eventually,” Sarah explained as she lugged some firewood in her arms.
Earlier, Shannon had mentioned hearing Sarah’s cries for help. This made Caroline worry. She checked Sarah from top to bottom for injuries. “Did you get into any trouble? Did you get hurt?”