Ch. 711..720

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 711

Why does she keep giving me the side dishes? She should be getting Vivian to try the braised pork! If she doesn’t do that, my plan will be ruined.

“Evelyn, thank you for saving my life. When you were donating your bone marrow, you… you must have suffered. Does it hurt a lot?” As Rachel spoke, her eyes reddened, and her voice began to tremble.

“It’s fine.” Evelyn hurriedly took a piece of tissue and handed it to Rachel. “It doesn’t hurt at all. Moreover, I should save you. I’m glad that you’re much better now.”

“How can it not hurt?” Rachel muttered as she dabbed her tears away. “I’ve asked the doctor, and the doctor told me that the donor for bone marrow will have to rest well for a few months. However, you’ve been taking care of me this entire time. Are you tired?”

Beside them, a bitter smile emerged on Vivian’s face as she listened to Rachel’s words. Evelyn’s been taking care of her this entire time? Other than pretending to be pitiful, what has she done during her visits? I’ve been the one to wipe her body, buy her meals, and get water for her. Why is Evelyn suddenly the one who did the most work?

Meanwhile, Rachel continued, “Stay with me for a few days, Evelyn. I want to make sure that you’ll rest and recover well. You’re still young, and you can’t walk. It’ll be terrible if you’re in poor health.”

“I understand. I’ll pay attention to my body. You’ve just recovered, and you need someone to take care of you too. I’ll only be trouble if I say here,” Evelyn said with a smile, but in her mind, she was scoffing in disdain. Staying with her? Disgusting.

“What are you talking about? How can you be trouble to me?” Rachel uttered gravely. “You mustn’t think that way. I’m more than willing to take care of you. I—”

At Rachel’s adamant demeanor, Evelyn hastily changed the topic. “Vivian, why are you just eating the pasta? Why aren’t you having any of the side dishes? Ms. Rachel’s cooking is great.”

Upon hearing Evelyn’s words, Rachel turned toward Vivian. Only when she saw the apparent upset on Vivian’s face, then did Rachel realize she had neglected her.

“Vivian, it must have been difficult for you to take care of me in the hospital in the past few days. Look at you. You’re all skinny now. I’ve made your favorite braised pork, so have a try,” Rachel said as she gave some to Vivian.

When Vivian realized Rachel was finally focusing on her, she did not know if she should feel happy or sad. All she could do was lift her head and squeeze out a smile at Rachel. “Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me. Hurry on and eat,” Rachel answered, her frown relaxing.

“Evelyn, you too.” Knowing that the two young women liked braised pork, Rachel did not eat any. Instead, she kept putting more and more pieces into Evelyn’s plate. “Try it. Is it the same as what you had when you were a kid? It took me a long time to prepare this.”

“No need, but thank you, Ms. Rachel.” Evelyn quickly stopped her. “Ms. Rachel, have you forgotten that I withdrew my bone marrow a while ago? The doctor had told me to eat less oily food.”

“That’s right! How could I have forgotten it? How careless of me,” Rachel cried out in a remorseful tone. My daughter has suffered for me, but I don’t even know how to take care of her. ”Evelyn, have more of the vegetables then. I’ll take note of it the next time I cook.”

Turning around, Rachel put the piece of meat into Vivian’s plate instead. With a smile, she voiced, “Vivian, eat more, then.”

As Vivian took the piece of meat up, she wondered what words could describe what she was feeling at that moment.

Maybe to Rachel, I’ll always be second to Evelyn. But that doesn’t matter. I’ve decided not to visit Rachel anymore. It’s good that the two of them can get along. At the very least, she’ll have someone to take care of her in the future. Those were the only words Vivian could use to console herself.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 712

She gazed fixedly at the fork in Vivian’s hand, her eyes flickering with glee. Come on, hurry up and eat it! As long as Vivian swallowed those few pieces of braised pork, Evelyn’s plan would be halfway to completion.

Vivian’s fork was practically hovering next to her mouth. As she watched morsel after morsel of braised pork disappeared down her throat, Evelyn got so excited that she had to fight to keep a straight face.

You’re dead this time, Vivian! I’ll make sure no one will be able to rescue you!

After dinner, Vivian stood up and went to bid farewell to Rachel. At that moment, however, the loud ring of the doorbell pierced through the air. Is Finnick here? Vivian sucked in an anxious breath. Why had he arrived so early?

She walked over and opened the front door, feeling rather perplexed. To her surprise, however, it was Hunter who was standing by the doorway.

What the hell is he doing here?

“Hunter, what brings you here?” Vivian asked with an expression of shock on her face. How did he manage to find out Rachel’s address? I don’t recall ever telling him about it.

Noticing the commotion at the door, Evelyn wheeled herself over in her wheelchair. When she saw that it was Hunter, a pleasantly surprised smile appeared on her face. “Hunter, you’re here!”

“Vivian, I was the one who told Hunter to come over. He was supposed to have dinner with us, but he didn’t make it on time.” Evelyn turned to look sweetly at Hunter. “You missed out on a great meal! We just cleared everything away. Didn’t I tell you to come earlier?”

Seeing Evelyn’s desperate attempts to seem chummy with him, Hunter’s face clouded over ominously. He gazed at her without saying a word.

He finally tore his eyes away from her and turned to look at Vivian with concern. He scanned her up and down, looking slightly afraid that something might have happened to her.

Vivian seemed a little confused. “What’s going on, Hunter? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Upon realizing that Vivian seemed perfectly alright, Hunter let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Have you eaten yet? Why don’t I send you home?”

Since she had already made plans with Finnick, however, Vivian waved his suggestion off. “That’s alright. I’ll make my way back by myself later. Do you want to come in for a bite?”

Before Hunter could reply, Evelyn jumped in and said, “Vivian, why don’t you let Hunter send you home? It isn’t safe for a girl to be out and about alone. Who knows what sort of trouble you might meet on the road?”

With that, Evelyn wheeled around in her wheelchair and went to fetch Vivian’s handbag from the living room. She returned to the door and practically shoved the bag into Vivian’s hands. “Don’t worry, Vivian, I’ll do my best to help Ms. Rachel. You should return home with Hunter first.”

Vivian didn’t sense anything wrong with Evelyn’s overwhelming enthusiasm. She thought Evelyn was only trying to make a match of her and Hunter again like she always did.

She didn’t feel like arguing with Evelyn. Besides, Vivian wanted to leave anyway. Hence, she took her handbag from Evelyn and turned to Hunter. “Wait here for a bit. Let’s go back together.”

Hunter nodded silently, and Vivian left for the kitchen to say goodbye to Rachel. After all, this could be the last time they ever saw each other.

She stood in the doorway of the kitchen, hesitatingly slightly. In the end, Vivian finally mustered up the courage to address Rachel by a title she hadn’t called her in a long time. “Mom,” she said, “a friend is here to pick me up. I’ll get going first.”

Hearing that, Rachel turned around and wiped her hands on her apron. She walked over to Vivian, her face full of worry. Vivian had a distinct feeling that Rachel had something to say to her.

“What’s wrong?” The look in Rachel’s eyes seemed familiar—it was the same look Hunter had in his eyes when he looked at her just now. Vivian felt a little perplexed. Why was everyone behaving so suspiciously around me today?

Rachel opened her mouth as though to say something but closed it again in the end. “It’s nothing,” she muttered. After a pause, she added, “Be careful on the way home.”

Now, Vivian knew for certain that Rachel was hiding something from her. Since the older woman seemed reluctant to tell her, however, Vivian didn’t see a point in pressing her for details. “Take care of your health, then. I’ll… I’ll get going first.”

Vivian choked up slightly while speaking. Unable to hold herself back, she threw herself forward and enveloped Rachel in a big hug.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 713

Farewell, Mom.

As she watched Vivian walk into the kitchen, Evelyn shot Hunter a dark and meaningful look across the doorway.

Seeing the shady smile on her face, Hunter had an ominous feeling in his heart. “What do you mean by calling me over here?” he hissed, sounding very wary indeed.

Evelyn shrugged, looking rather nonplussed. She wheeled herself back to the living room and replied blandly, “I called you here to pick Vivian up, of course. You have a crush on her, don’t you? Since we’ve been friends for so many years, I decided to lend you a hand and create an opportunity for the two of you to get together. No need to thank me!”

Hearing that, Hunter felt even more suspicious. There was no way Evelyn could be so kind-hearted. He stalked towards her, intending to ask more questions, but Vivian chose to come out of the kitchen at that very moment.

“Hunter, let’s go,” she said. She didn’t seem to notice the tense atmosphere that was hanging over the two of them.

Hunter shot one last look of consternation at Evelyn before he turned and left with Vivian without another word.

As she watched them leave, Evelyn’s eyes were dancing with amusement. Hunter, you’ll have to thank me this time! I’ve delivered the most amazing present right to your doorstep.

As they got into Hunter’s car, Vivian suddenly realized that Finnick might come over later and find that she was gone. Hence, she sent him a text message and told him to wait for her at the Morrison residence.

She put her phone away and turned to Hunter. In a curious voice, she asked, “Hunter, did Evelyn really call you over to have lunch with us today?” She couldn’t help but feel that Hunter was hiding something from her.

“Yes,” Hunter said, nodding. “She sent me the address just now, told me that she was having lunch with you, and asked if I wanted to join. But you know how we got into that horrible fight the other day, right? I wanted to ignore her, but I was afraid that she might have done something horrible to you. I was so worried that I decided to drop by in the end.”

Then, he shot a look of concern at Vivian. “You’re feeling alright, aren’t you? Did she do anything to you?”

Hearing that, Vivian felt a little warier. However, as she thought back on the events of the evening, she couldn’t find anything suspicious about it.

“I’m alright. Honestly, Evelyn seemed pretty normal today. She’s probably just persisting in trying to make a couple out of us again,” Vivian said.

“Who cares what her motive is? It’s enough that she hasn’t done anything to you.” Seeing that Vivian was fine, Hunter let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Vivian looked gratefully at Hunter. At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a little sorry towards him. He was truly concerned for her well-being, but she couldn’t find it in herself to reciprocate his feelings.

“Thanks, Hunter,” Vivian said in a very serious voice. “I’m very grateful that you’re so concerned about me, but I’m afraid that I…”

“Well, you can at least see me as your friend, can’t you?” Knowing what Vivian was about to say, Hunter cut her off immediately. He glanced at her and smiled. “Vivian, can’t we stay friends, at least?”

“Oh, of course!” Vivian exclaimed immediately, feeling a little harried. “It’s my honor to have you as my good friend.”

“Then there’s no need to say anything else. I already understand your intentions.” A bittersweet smile appeared on Hunter’s face—Vivian didn’t reciprocate his romantic feelings, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He turned his head to concentrate on the road again. Vivian didn’t know what to say to fill the awkward silence, so the atmosphere in the car became a little tense again.

As they sped along the road, Vivian suddenly felt her entire body heating up. Her throat felt a little parched, as though she hadn’t drunk any water the entire day. At first, she didn’t think much of it—perhaps the interior of the car was just a little stuffy, that’s all.

As time passed, however, her body temperature soared to alarming degrees. She felt as though she had been placed in a slow-cooker.

Unable to bear it anymore, Vivian tugged irritably at her collar and frowned. What is going on? Had my past two days of exhaustion culminated in a fever?

Back at Rachel’s house, Evelyn felt that there was no point in her staying anymore since Vivian had left.

She took out her phone and gave a call to her housemaid, ordering her to come to fetch her home this very minute.

Hearing that Vivian was going to go home soon, Rachel felt a little sorry. “Evelyn, you’ve been in poor health recently. Why don’t you stay at my place for some time? I feel a little worried when I think about you living in that house alone.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 714

Now that Vivian and Finnick weren’t here anymore, Evelyn felt that it was time to drop her affectionate act with Rachel. With an impatient look on her face, she snapped, “I’ll take care of my health by myself, thanks. Stop hovering over me like a fly all the time.”

“Evelyn, how could you say that?” Hearing Evelyn’s scathing words, Rachel felt rather shocked. Just a few moments ago, Evelyn had been addressing her as Ms. Rachel in such an affectionate way. Why had her attitude towards her changed so suddenly?

Seeing the shocked expression on Rachel’s face, a contemptuous smile appeared on Evelyn’s face. Did this woman really think of herself as my mother? What a joke! Who does she think she is?

“Alright, that’s enough. I have something on later, so I’m going to leave now.” Evelyn was tired of looking at this annoying old hag. After spitting out that sentence cold, she wheeled herself around and tried to leave.

However, Rachel stuck out a hand to stop her. She walked in front of Evelyn and faced her with an apprehensive look on her face. She opened her mouth as though to say something, but she seemed to not know how to begin. The expression on her face looked rather uneasy.

“What do you want?” Evelyn asked impatiently, throwing a dirty look at her. Why does this woman have so many problems?

After hesitating for a long while, Rachel asked in a shaky voice, “Evelyn, what—what have you done to Vivian?”

She had kept an eye on Evelyn at the dinner table just now. When Vivian was eating the braised pork, Evelyn’s eyes had been shining with glee and self-satisfaction. Afterward, she had seemed more cheerful as well.

But why would she be so happy over Vivian eating a few slices of braised pork? Rachel couldn’t help but suspect that there was more to the matter than met the eye.

Besides, Evelyn had volunteered to help her make dinner that evening. An ominous feeling swept over Rachel. She prayed fervently that her worst fears wouldn’t come true.

Hearing that, Evelyn felt a little stunned. She hadn’t expected the woman to be so observant. Evelyn had done everything she could to make sure nobody would find out about her plan, but Rachel had uncovered her schemes in the end.

Evelyn fought to keep a straight face and said, “What the hell are you talking about? We were just having a nice meal together. How could you accuse me of doing something to her?”

“When Vivian was eating the braised pork, why did you look at her like that?” Rachel squatted down before Evelyn’s wheelchair and said urgently, “Evelyn, tell me the truth, please. Did you drug Vivian’s food? What are you trying to do to her?”

So that was when Rachel had begun suspecting me! Evelyn’s eyes narrowed with rancor as she gave up all pretense at once. “Yes, I did! I drugged her food. What, do you feel bad for that precious daughter of yours? Are you going to expose me because of her? Of course, you would—you raised her since she was a child! You’re still biased towards her even now, aren’t you? Are you going to harm me because of her?”

Hearing Evelyn’s confirmation, Rachel felt as though her heart had been ripped into shreds. How could Evelyn do something like this to Vivian again? ”Evelyn, how could you say that? You’re my biological daughter. How could I harm you?”

“Shut up! You aren’t my mother at all!” Evelyn screamed, feeling even more agitated now. “If it wasn’t because of you, do you think I would be like this today? Since you already decided to give me away to another person, why did you have to tell Vivian about it? Couldn’t you have taken that secret to your grave, you stupid woman?”

Hearing Evelyn’s harsh words, Rachel collapsed immediately. Tears rolled down her cheeks like a string of broken pearls.

“Evelyn, everything was my fault, alright? If you think it was unfair, you can take out your anger on me. But Vivian did nothing wrong. She’s just a pitiful child like you—you can’t take out your anger on her!”

“You still think she’s faultless, don’t you? She stole my beloved brother Ben away from me, not to mention Finnick, and the title of Ms. Morrison! She took everything from me, and I hate her for it! I hate her, do you understand me?” Evelyn screamed. “I want to take revenge on her. I want her to pay for what she did all those years ago. I want to let her know what happens to b*tches who steal from me!”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 715

“Evelyn, even if you have any grievances, please take them out on me! Please let Vivian go, she hasn’t done anything wrong.” Rachel grabbed hold of Evelyn’s hand and begged her fervently.

“Let her off? Fat chance!” Evelyn gave Rachel a hard push, sending her sprawling onto the ground. Her eyes were glazed over with madness. “You can expose me for this if you want. I will never see you again in this life.”

After shooting one last look of rancor at Rachel, she opened the door and left.

Rachel had just undergone an operation, and her body was still very weak. How could she recover from that shove by Evelyn? She lay sprawled on the ground, watching helplessly as Evelyn left.

“Oh, it’s my fault, it’s all my fault! God, I was the one who made those mistakes all those years ago. Why did you have to do this to the two children? You should’ve punished me instead!” As she watched Evelyn’s figure recede into the distance, Rachel cried on the ground.

As she cried, Rachel suddenly remembered something important. Vivian! I have to get to Vivian before something bad happened! Quickly, she sat up from the ground painfully and inched her way towards the telephone.

What sort of drugs had Evelyn put into Vivian’s food? Is she alright now? Rachel couldn’t help but blame herself—she should have told Vivian about her suspicions before she even stepped out of the front door.

She quickly found Vivian’s number and gave her a call, waiting anxiously for her to pick up. This child should’ve enjoyed a life of wealth and privilege, but Rachel had swapped her with Evelyn at birth. Vivian had suffered an impoverished childhood at Rachel’s side instead. If something had happened to her, Rachel would never be able to forgive herself.

“Pick up the phone, come on!” However, she only heard the deep hum of static followed by, “The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later.”

Vivian wasn’t picking up the phone at all. Had something really happened to her?

Here, Rachel was so anxious that she dissolved into another fit of tears. Hugging the telephone, she cried, “I’m sorry, Vivian, it’s all my fault! I brought all of this upon you. Nothing must happen to you, alright? I’m sorry, this is my fault, this is payback for my horrible sin all those years ago!”

In the car, Vivian continued to tug at her collar. Eventually, Hunter realized that something was wrong. “Vivian, is something wrong? Do you feel very hot?”

“Yes, I do.” Vivian nodded her head, her mind feeling a little foggy. The burning sensation within her was getting worse and clouding her judgment bit by bit. “I think I have a fever. My body is heating up quite alarmingly.”

Hearing that, Hunter, who was going to turn up the air-conditioner, stopped himself immediately. If Vivian was having a fever, she couldn’t be in an air-conditioned environment.

With one hand on the steering wheel, Hunter stretched out another hand towards Vivian’s forehead. Feeling the heat on her forehead, he felt a little shocked.

“Vivian, you’re burning up. Try and endure it for a while more, okay? I’ll find you a doctor immediately.” With that, Hunter stepped down on the accelerator and sped off towards the Morrison residence.

When Hunter rested his hand on her forehead, Vivian felt a rush of coolness where he had touched her skin. The horrible sensation in her body practically vanished, and she felt so relieved that she nearly moaned. She wanted him to continue touching her and take away that uncomfortable feeling in her body.

Realizing how insane her thoughts were, Vivian held herself back immediately. No, I can’t do that! How can I even think about something like that?

She tried to shake Hunter’s hand off her forehead, but she discovered to her horror that there was no energy left in her body. Thankfully, Hunter removed his hand almost immediately.

However, as the cooling feeling disappeared from her body, the burning sensation returned with renewed vigor. She wanted to… Well, she didn’t know what she wanted exactly, but she knew that she was feeling extremely uncomfortable. She wanted to let out a moan and wrap her arms around something… Anything…

She was hanging on to her sanity by a thread now. Biting down hard on her lips, she tried to prevent herself from making a single sound. Hunter was still around—she couldn’t lose her composure around him. But what exactly is happening to me? I don’t recall feeling like this the last time I had a fever.

The car finally screeched to a halt in front of the Morrison residence. Hunter let out a sigh of relief. “Vivian, we’re home. I’ll get a doctor for you immediately.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 716

As he spoke, Hunter turned around to help Vivian out of the car. When he finally laid eyes on her, however, he got the shock of his life. He hadn’t managed to get a good look at her before, but she looked so ghastly now that he couldn’t help but feel stunned.

Every inch of Vivian’s skin was covered with a strange shade of red, and her forehead was practically dripping with sweat. Her eyes were glazed over, and it was obvious that she was about to collapse soon.

He got off the car immediately and opened the door on her side. As he half-carried her off the car, he asked, “Vivian, are you alright? How do you feel right now?”

Vivian could hear a small buzz in her ear, as though someone was talking to her. However, try as she might, she couldn’t make out a single word he was saying to her.

Vivian forced her eyes open, trying to see who was standing in front of her. However, she could only see a blurry, faceless figure hovering before her. His body felt so comfortable against her own…

As Vivian continued to gape blankly at him, her legs giving out beneath her slowly, Hunter wondered if she had heard a single word he said.

However, he didn’t have time to think about this sort of trivial matter now. It was more important for him to go and fetch a doctor for her. She was burning up quite severely, and he was afraid that she might suffer some form of brain damage.

He carried her in his arms and flew towards the front door of the Morrison residence. “Is anyone in? Open the door quickly! Is anyone in?”

Hearing Hunter’s loud voice, a maid hurried to open the front door immediately. Seeing how ghastly Vivian looked, the maid looked rather stunned. “What—what’s wrong with Ms. Morrison?”

“She’s having a very high fever, and I’m afraid she’s going to collapse soon. I’ll send her to her room first. Go and give the doctors a call immediately!” Hunter ordered the maid immediately.

“Sir, may I know your name?” Despite the urgency in Hunter’s voice, the maid didn’t leave straight away. After all, she didn’t know who this guy was, and it might be dangerous for her to leave him alone with Vivian.

“I’m a friend of Vivian’s. Don’t worry. I won’t harm her or anything. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have sent her back to her house, would I?” Hunter explained hurriedly. “Go and find a doctor, quick! I’m afraid the fever might cause some damage to her brain.”

His words did make some sense. Hearing this, the maid let down her guard and said, “Alright, I’ll go fetch a doctor immediately. Go upstairs to the second floor and turn left into the second room you see. That’s Ms. Morrison’s room. Please take good care of her, Sir. I’ll be right back.”

“Be quick, be very quick!” After shooting one last reminder to the maid, Hunter carried Vivian upstairs to her room immediately.

This feels so comfortable. In her drug-induced haze, Vivian rubbed her face against Hunter’s neck, and a satisfied expression appeared on her face. This feels so cooling. Why does this person feel so cool?

He kicked the door open and set Vivian down on the bed gently. “Vivian, wait a while, alright? I’ll fetch some cold towels for you.”

Just as he turned to leave, Vivian enveloped him in a hug. “It’s hot… It’s so hot… Don’t go… If you go, I’ll feel so uncomfortable…”

As she spoke, Vivian’s hand crept slowly around his body. She had already lost every last ounce of logic—all she knew was that this person felt so cooling to the touch and that touching him made the burning sensation in her disappear…

Seeing the lust-filled expression on Vivian’s face, Hunter finally realized that something was wrong. She didn’t have a fever—she had been drugged!

This was definitely Evelyn’s doing. Hunter balled his hands into fists. He was sure Evelyn had something to do with this. No wonder she had asked him to come and pick her up just now—this had been her plan all along!

“Vivian, can you hear me?” He took hold of her hands and shouted next to her ear. “Hold on for a while more. The doctor is on his way!”

“Hot… This feels weird… I want…” Vivian tried desperately to herself from Hunter’s grip, sounding as though she was about to burst into tears. She started shivering horribly, wanting to experience that relieving coolness again.

Since her arms had been restrained by Hunter, she could only press her face against his cheeks to seek relief. “It’s so cold… So comfortable… Give it to me right now…”

She continued rubbing her body against his, growing increasingly more aggressive. As her hot breath reached his ears, Hunter felt a shiver run down his spine.

Swallowing desperately, Hunter tried to dispel the troubling thoughts in his mind. The woman he had a crush on was right next to him—if he reached out his hands, he could have her right now.

Seeing the disconcerted look on Vivian’s face, Hunter felt a little conflicted. They were the only two people in the house now—if he wanted to, he could have the woman he loved immediately. This might be his only chance.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 717

Just as those complicated emotions were swirling around Hunter’s mind, he heard the doorbell ring. Had the doctor arrived? Then, he finally snapped out of his daze.

When he did, he felt like giving himself a slap across the face. What was I even thinking? How could I have entertained such despicable thoughts?

Immediately, he tore himself away from Vivian and ran downstairs to open the door. When he recalled Vivian’s tearful expression and pitiful groans when he left, he felt his heart ache for her. Now, only the doctors could save her.

When he opened the door, however, he found himself staring at Finnick instead of the doctor.

When he saw Hunter, an expression of shock appeared on Finnick’s face. “What are you doing in Vivian’s house?” Vivian had just asked him to meet her at the Morrison residence. What was Hunter doing here?

Before Hunter could reply, there was the sound of shattering glass from upstairs, accompanied by the pained mewls of a woman. It was Vivian!

Finnick pushed Hunter aside immediately and ran upstairs. What was Hunter doing here with Vivian when there was nobody else in the house right now? Was he trying to do something to her?

Here, Finnick picked up his pace. When he arrived at Vivian’s room, the sight before him made him widen his eyes in shock.

Vivian was rolling around in bed with an expression of pain on her face. She kept crying repeatedly, “I want it… It’s so uncomfortable… It’s so hot… Hurry… Hot… I can’t stand it anymore…”

“Finnick, Vivian’s…” Hunter rushed up behind Finnick. When he saw Vivian, he turned to Finnick and tried to explain the situation to him.

However, Finnick was so enraged by the scene before him that he could hardly speak. Thinking that this was Hunter’s doing, his hands moved faster than his brain.

“You disgusting bastard!” He threw a punch at Hunter, his eyes red with anger. He gave him a hard kick in the shin. “How dare you do something like that to Vivian? What sort of uncivilized monster are you?”

“This is a misunderstanding! Can you listen to me? This isn’t what you think it is…” Before he could finish speaking, Finnick had thrown another punch across his face, this time aiming for his left cheek.

“What’s there to explain?” Finnick demanded, his eyes dancing with flames. He grabbed hold of Hunter’s collar and growled, “Tell me honestly, what did you do to Vivian?”

One look at Vivian told him all he needed to know. His worst fears had come true—this bastard had tried to do something to her!

Hunter was finding it more difficult to breathe. As his face turned red, he tried to himself from Finnick’s grip. He croaked, “She’s been drugged by…”

Thinking that Hunter had drugged her, Finnick lost every last ounce of his rationality. Dragging Hunter up from the ground, he pushed him against the wall. Holding him up with his arm, Finnick brought his knee up against Hunter’s stomach.

“You scumbag! How dare you drug her? Do you even consider yourself a man?” Finnick was debating whether he should just end Hunter off right now.

Hunter was getting more frustrated by the minute. Finnick had beaten him up without giving him a chance to explain himself. Furious, Hunter exerted some force in his arm and shoved Finnick away from him.

“Fuck! For goodness’s sake, you bastard! Can you let me finish explaining first? It wasn’t me who did it—it was Evelyn who drugged her and made me go and pick her up! I just realized that she had been drugged and sent the maid to fetch a doctor for her.”

He finished explaining everything in one breath and pointed at Vivian urgently. “Right now, we should focus our energy on finding the antidote for her. Can’t you see how much she’s suffering?”

Hearing that, Finnick felt a little stunned. However, he snapped out of his daze almost immediately.

Evelyn again? Hadn’t I taught her enough of a lesson before this? How dare she try to harm Vivian again?

He balled his hands into fists. He had a principle against hitting women, but he was willing to make Evelyn an exception. If she was in front of him right now, he would beat her up violently.

He quickly ran into the room, only to see Vivian curled up in a ball with her arms wrapped around the blanket. Her face was completely covered with tears. In a hoarse voice, she cried, “Uncomfortable… I feel so uncomfortable… It hurts…”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 718

Seeing the tortured expression on the face of the woman he loved, Finnick’s heart hurt so much that he could barely breathe. He swept her up in his arms and ran towards the front door.

As he ran, he said, “Vivian, it’s Finnick. Can you hear me? I’m Finnick. Try to endure it for a while longer. I’ll bring you to the doctor immediately.”

Behind him, Hunter yelled urgently, “I already told the maid to fetch the doctor, and they’re about to come back very soon! Where are you bringing her?”

However, Finnick continued to make his way out of the front door. Vivian was in so much pain that he couldn’t just sit around and wait for the doctor to arrive anymore. He had to get her to the nearest hospital as soon as possible.

He bundled Vivian into the car and jumped into the driver’s seat. With a loud screech of tires, the car made an emergency turn and flew in the direction of the hospital.

However, Vivian had no idea where she was. All she knew was that her body was about to explode because of the heat. She waved her arms about, brushing against something cooling all of a sudden. She made a wild grab at it, as though it was a lifebuoy and she was drowning. Unable to stop herself, she brought her entire body against that patch of cold.

Finnick turned to see Vivian half-hanging off his body. Her blouse was half-open, revealing some of her skin. Finnick felt a loud buzz in his ears as though something was about to explode any minute. Immediately, the images of their past intimate experiences together flashed through his mind.

He slapped himself on the face aggressively, trying to make himself calm down. He couldn’t afford to think this sort of rubbish right now—he had promised to protect her for the rest of her life, and he couldn’t do something so dastardly to her while she was essentially passed out.

With one hand on the steering wheel, Finnick forced Vivian against his chest with the other to prevent her from thrashing about anymore. He wasn’t a priest—he would do his best, but the allure of the woman he loved could be too much at times.

Hearing the pitiful moans from Vivian again, Finnick felt his chest tighten. He floored the accelerator, praying that they would get to the hospital soon.

As he gazed at Vivian on the hospital bed, Finnick felt his heart ache. Turning to Hunter, who arrived just after they did, he asked in an icy tone, “You said Evelyn drugged her, didn’t you? What happened?”

Looking at Finnick worriedly, Hunter explained everything to him. “Today, Evelyn sent me a text message with an address. She told me that she was having dinner with Vivian and asked me to go and join them and drive Vivian home afterward.”

“Afraid that Evelyn might do something to her, I went and joined them for dinner. When I arrived, however, they had already finished eating, so I drove Vivian home instead.”

“While we were on our way back, Vivian complained that she felt a little uncomfortable. I thought she was having a fever at first, but when I got home, her behavior started to get a little strange. That’s when I realized she might have been drugged.”

Hearing that, Finnick looked suspiciously at Hunter. “Why did Evelyn get you to send Vivian home after drugging her? What’s your relationship with Vivian?”

“Don’t look at me with that expression,” Hunter said, matching Finnick’s gaze defiantly. “I can’t explain everything clearly to you. It’s enough that Vivian knows I don’t harbor any ill intentions towards her.”

Finnick’s eyes darkened a little. What did he mean by that? Why couldn’t Hunter explain his relationship with Vivian clearly?

He turned to look at Vivian again and didn’t say anything else. He would question her again when she woke up.

When she finally did, Vivian found herself to be in a white, sterile room. Feeling rather dazed, she mumbled, “Where… Where the hell am I?”

“Vivian, you’re awake!”

“Vivian, you’ve finally woken up!”

Finnick and Hunter, who had remained by her bedside all this while, quickly hovered over her anxiously. “How do you feel now? Do you still feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

Seeing the two of them in front of her, memories of that evening flooded into her mind. After having dinner at Rachel’s house, Hunter had arrived to drive her home. What happened after that? I can’t seem to recall anything. And why am I at the hospital?

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 719

As she tried to recall what had happened, fragments of memories and images flashed across Vivian’s mind. She could remember the blistering heat and pain within her, and how Hunter was holding her. She could even see Finnick at the end…

Vivian’s expression turned more and more distorted. I was… I was drugged!

Seeing Vivian’s unusually pale countenance, Finnick asked again anxiously, “Vivian, how do you feel? Does it… still hurt?”

Catching the rather peculiar pause in Finnick’s utterances, Vivian’s face turned even more colorless. “What happened to me? Why am I in the hospital?”

Holding her hand tightly, Finnick answered, “You asked me to meet you at your house, remember? So I went and saw you… You weren’t in a sound condition. Hunter said you were drugged by Evelyn so I sent you to the hospital.”

As expected, I was drugged indeed! Vivian clenched her fist so tightly her nails dug into her palm. She remembered Evelyn went to help in the kitchen when Rachel was preparing dinner. Sure enough, she was up to no good!

With a wrathful glint in her eyes, Vivian looked up at Hunter. “So that was the reason she has asked you to pick me up. Her purpose was for us to…”

Hunter nodded with an extremely somber expression. “That’s probably true.”

Biting hard on her lip, Vivian was feeling overwhelmed by outrage. I still have an old score from five years ago to settle with her and yet this Evelyn is coming against me again!

Finnick placed his hand on Vivian’s lips out of fear that she would hurt herself from the biting. “Don’t worry, Vivian. I’ll definitely avenge you and not let Evelyn off the hook so easily this time!”

Seeing Finnick’s hand on Vivian’s lips kindled a bitter glow in Hunter’s eyes. Vivian didn’t avoid such an intimate gesture at all. Does it mean that she really wants to reconcile with Finnick?

Even though he was green with envy within himself, Hunter added following what Finnick said, “Vivian, just get yourself a good rest with peace of mind. Leave Evelyn to me. I have tons of ways to handle her.”

“There’s no need.” Seeing as both these men wanted to avenge her, Vivian refused as an icy air slowly emanated from her body. “I don’t need the two of you to do it for me. Let me take care of it myself, but do lend me a hand.”

Looking at each other, Finnick and Hunter nodded in unison. It was indeed better to let her settle the score herself as it would also be a good way for her to vent her hatred.

Looking into Vivian’s eyes, Finnick asked in a solemn manner, “Vivian, how do you want us to help?”

A smirk crept up on Vivian’s face. The feeling of aggression within her was so great that it threatened to engulf her. Evelyn, you brought this upon yourself. This time, I’ll let you have a taste of your own medicine!

Meanwhile, Evelyn was anxiously waiting for the outcome of her scheme. Even though Hunter had expressed his feelings for Vivian and would most probably yield to such a temptation, she couldn’t help worrying about the chance of failure to her plan.

Evelyn thought it was about time and she couldn’t wait any longer either so she made a call to Hunter.

It was picked up in an instance. Suppressing her perturbation, Evelyn spoke very slowly, “How’s it? Are you satisfied with the gift I presented you?”

“You mean how you drugged Vivian?” Knowingly, Hunter feigned surprise and asked in return.

“I did all that for you.” Listening to Hunter’s tone, Evelyn wasn’t very certain if he had done according to her plan and if it worked well. “Don’t you like her? If I don’t do this, it’ll take ages for you to pursue her with Vivian’s temper.”

“Ah, that’s why. I should really…” Hunter deliberately paused for a while which made Evelyn felt like her heart was in her throat.

“Thank you.” Hunter’s tone turned a little flippant. “You’re indeed an old friend of mine for many years. You know me the best. I’m very impressed by this gift.”

Upon listening to that, the bothered expression on Evelyn’s face totally vanished. Ha! It happened exactly like what I’ve anticipated. All these years, there wasn’t anyone who knew Hunter better than she did. How could he bear to refuse it when a pretty woman threw herself at him?

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 720

“But…” Hunter added, but again, he stopped halfway through his sentence.

“What is it?” Feeling tensed again, Evelyn quickly asked in response. Did something go wrong?

“But now it suddenly occurred to me that I don’t like Vivian that much anymore. She doesn’t feel as interesting to me after we’ve slept together. Huh. I thought she’s the one this time but I didn’t expect that she’ll become an eyesore to me after getting what I wanted from her.” Hunter feigned disappointment over the phone.

“Now that I think about it, remarks like ‘I’m fond of her’ which I’ve made to you previously sounded really naive. I guess it was because I haven’t tasted what I wanted then. Please don’t take those awful words that I’ve said seriously. Allow me to extend my apology to you here.”

Evelyn was ecstatic at what Hunter said to her over the phone. Didn’t I say that Vivian is just a cheap tart? Hunter would never fall for her.

“It’s okay.” Evelyn laughed as she replied, “Don’t worry about it. We’ve been friends for so many years. I won’t take it personally.”

“I’m glad that you’re not mad. Anyway, I met Finnick when I came out of Vivian’s room yesterday.” All of a sudden, Hunter shifted the topic.

“How come Finnick was at the Morrison residence?” Once again, Evelyn was on edge.

“I had no idea. But when he saw that I was with Vivian, he was exasperated and even got into a brawl with me. I could feel that Vivian still has a special place in his heart. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be jealous.”

“Then, did he know that Vivian was drugged?” Promptly, Evelyn demanded an answer to the question she was most concerned about.

“He probably doesn’t know,” Hunter responded in denial. “Vivian was still asleep in her room then. He might have thought that we slept together voluntarily and he left after the fight.”

It was then that Evelyn heaved a long breath of relief. It’s fine as long as Finnick doesn’t know about the truth. However, her relief was followed immediately by an outburst of jealousy. What is so good about that tr*mp, Vivian, that Finnick just can’t seem to let go of her?

“Hunter, come and pick me up now. I’ll send the address to you later. I want to see Finnick right away.” Very soon, Evelyn came up with another idea. Since Finnick misunderstood that Vivian had slept with Hunter voluntarily, I have to convince him and make him believe this wrong idea completely.

Not knowing what Evelyn had come up with in her mind again, Hunter could only say yes to her request. “Alright, I’ll come to your house now.”

Soon, Hunter arrived at her place after receiving the address she had sent him. Then, following her directions, they departed to Finnick’s house.

When they reached the door, Evelyn drew in a long breath and put on an agitated expression on her face. Resolutely, she had come to quash Finnick’s impression of Vivian entirely.

Upon hearing the doorbell, Finnick curled his lips into a smirk. Finally, here she comes.

Soon after Evelyn asked Hunter to pick her up, Hunter called and relayed the matter to Finnick. Hence, Finnick had come home early just to wait for Evelyn’s arrival.

Let me see what other tricks this woman can pull!

Walking over and pulling the door open, he wore an irritated expression as soon as he saw Evelyn. With an icy tone, he asked, “Didn’t I tell you not to come here again? What are you doing here?” With that, Finnick pretended to close the door.

“Finnick, I have something to tell you. I’m afraid that you’ll be deceived by Vivian.” Evelyn quickly tugged at Finnick’s sleeves to stop him from closing the door.

Shaking Evelyn’s hand off, Finnick replied with a serious face, “What do you mean by that? Haven’t you hurt Vivian badly enough previously? What are you trying to do now?”

Taking the chance and wheeling herself into Finnick’s house through the door, Evelyn looked at Finnick with an aggrieved face. “Finnick, what happened back then was my fault. I have realized my mistake but what I’m telling you now is the truth. You must not be fooled by Vivian.”

“How has Vivian fooled me?” Clenching his fist tightly, Finnick asked with a fiery glint in his eyes.

“She’s two-timing!” Evelyn answered swiftly. “She has been together with Hunter and yet she is deceitfully tangling with you relentlessly. She’s just treating you as a rebound guy. You must not be deluded by her.”