Ch. 91..100

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 91

Still glaring at Finnick, Vivian had no choice but to change into her clothes.

When she arrived last night, Molly had prepared some clothes for her to wear upon leaving.

Upon marrying Finnick, he had actually commanded his servants to prepare her lots of clothes, but as those outfits were too expensive, she dared not wear them too much for fear of appearing too high-profiled.

The clothes that Molly had prepared to go out were one of them. A seemingly ordinary spaghetti strap dress, it was actually made out of finely tailored exquisite materials, adorning its wearer with impeccable elegance when worn.

The only flaw with the dress was that since it was a strap-type, the hickey on her neck was in plain sight.

Since Vivian had not brought any makeup concealer, she made do with just some dabbing of her foundation to cover it. After doing all that she could, she forced herself to go downstairs with Finnick.

In the dining room, elder Mr. Norton was flanked on both sides by Mark and Fabian, as well as Ashley. All those present were in the midst of chowing down on their breakfast.

Seeing Finnick arrived late, Mark stared sternly and said, “Finnick, you’re late. How could you let your grandpa wait for you?”

Finnick retorted sarcastically, “Isn’t grandpa eating now?” As his wheelchair slowly slid to the table side, he continued coyly, “I was a little busy last night, hence I went to bed late.”

Hearing the phrase “a bit busy last night”, everyone on the table seemed to get the same idea. Almost simultaneously, they turned towards Vivian who was beside him.

From his angle on the side of his table, elder Mr. Norton saw the distinctive mark on Vivian’s neck. His eyes lit up immediately as he elatedly commanded Mr. Zane who was next to him, “Mr. Zane, help me get the bird’s nest that I brought back from overseas a while ago. brew it well and give Ms. William a bowl of it.”

Feeling flattered, Vivian quickly replied, “Thank you, grandpa.”

Seeing how elder Mr. Norton cared so much for Vivian, Mark showed a slight dissatisfaction. Perhaps the most obvious one would be Ashley. Jealousy was evident in her eyes as the flame of envy was burning brightly within her.

Fabian could not help but stare at Vivian as well. He too saw the obvious red mark on her neck.

That instant, his hands under the table were involuntarily squeezed tightly and his body tensed up.

Although he had long suspected that something must have happened between Finnick and Vivian, seeing both of them with his own eyes now made him felt unsettled. It was as if there was a monster within him that was roaring with rage.

Not only that, when he looked at Vivian’s blushing face and her content look, he could not stop himself from imagining what she could be doing with Finnick last night.

With that, the mealtime was spent surrounded by an awkward atmosphere.

Fabian was in a bad mood throughout. He and Ashley left the table right after eating.

Vivian obediently drank the specially-prepared bird’s nest soup before taking her leave alongside Finnick.

Elder Mr. Norton was in a jovial mood and announced that he would like to take a walk after the meal. As such, he accompanied them both to the main door.

Finnick’s wheelchair slid into the car. Turning to follow, Vivian suddenly felt a hand grabbing her shoulder.

“Ms. William.” Elder Mr. Norton had a mysterious look on his face as he hinted, “You did well yesterday. However, as an experienced person, allow me to point out that merely doing it once doesn’t amount to much. The chances are just too small. When you both get back, remember to work hard.”

Initially, Vivian was confused as to what elder Mr. Norton was referring to. As realization struck, her face turned beetroot red immediately.

Seriously! Both the grandfather and the grandson are so thick-skinned! Both are of the same Norton mold indeed!

Mumbling something incoherent, Vivian hurriedly got into the car.

The grand party hosted by the Norton family was finally over without a further hitch.

In the following days, with the printing deadline for the new issue of the magazine fast approaching, Vivian found herself incredibly busy working closely together with the entire office staff of her magazine company.

Even Fabian did not have the time to mind Vivian anymore, as he was too caught up with his work.

Since the failure of the previous cooperation with Q City, the magazine company had found itself short on capital to keep up. This was regarded as the biggest crisis since its establishment. Fortunately, the featured and much-anticipated second interview with Finnick helped boost its sales. In fact, that particular issue was selling like hotcakes, even setting a new sales record, thus bringing a much-needed relief to the staff.

That being said, the magazine company can’t very well keep relying on Finnick to boost their magazine’s sales. As such, the short-lasting relief was soon replaced with a headache about the content for the next publication.

Just when everybody was racking their tired brain, a blaze of hope came in the form of Shannon. Her motivation led her to personally interview and investigate an illegal food processing factory, leading to tons of secret photos and insider stories unknown to the public.

It just so happened that recently, the domestic issue of food safety had attracted much public attention. Everyone in the office agreed that this was a worthwhile scoop that would sensationally shake the journalism world. Therefore, everyone was united and rushed to work overnight to leave no stones unturned about the illegal food factory. They were hell-bent on producing the best exposé ever written.

Even Vivian, who was not in charge of the report, was also working overtime.

As the clock struck twelve midnight, Vivian was still in the office typesetting. Shannon suddenly appeared out of nowhere and with an air of arrogance, chucked a file of documents on Vivian’s desk and said, “This is a list of workers in the illegal factory that I’ve recorded. Many of them did not even possess legal qualifications nor proper documentations. I want you to organize the details in the file.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 92

Vivian was already busy with typesetting. Seeing Shannon’s file, she frowned and remarked, “Shannon, I’m really busy right now. I’ve been trying to catch up with my work. Can’t you do it on your own?”

“What did you just say?” Shannon widened her eyes in disbelief as if she had just heard a blatantly bad joke. “Do you know how busy I am? For your information, I did this investigative interview all by myself! I still have to sort out all the interview transcripts. Yet you expect me to do these chores by myself?”

Vivian frowned deeper, “But I’m really busy here as well. Why don’t you…”

Before she could finish her words, Shannon interrupted impatiently, “Vivian, I know you’re just a back-line staff. You’re not as busy as us front-liners. Cut down some of your arrogance, will you? Or do you plan to ask the Chief Editor to help you with your job so you can sit back, do nothing, and get paid?”

Shannon’s voice was sharp, for she had deliberately raised her tone as she spoke. That sudden outburst caught the attention of most people in the magazine company.

Feeling tired of the drama, Vivian’s face turned cold and unflinching.

She took a deep breath, nonchalantly grabbed the documents Shannon had put on her desk, and said indifferently, “Okay, I’ll help you organize it.”

A smug expression of victory appeared on Shannon’s face. Just as she was about to come up with a witty retort, Vivian spoke again coolly.

“However, please do not think of yourself as the benefactor of this magazine company after just one successful interview. Get off from your high horse and realize that this is the first time, after being in this company for two whole years, that you are responsible for your first-ever manuscript.”

Although Vivian’s words sounded mean and hurtful, they were also the truth.

She had joined the magazine company with Shannon at the same time. She was promoted to personally take charge of a separate magazine section starting just last year, whereas Shannon had been stuck with the same chores such as proofreading.

“You…” Shannon had not anticipated Vivian to turn against her suddenly. Her face turned pale as she also overheard many chuckles from colleagues around her. Reeling with anger, she swiftly gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She then turned to leave, helpless to retaliate.

After Shannon stormed off, Sarah slid her chair over and gave Vivian a thumbs-up. “Vivian, well done! What a splendid display to knock that pompous lady down a few pegs! I’ve been annoyed with Shannon these few days. It was just an interview, and yet she was already putting on airs and acting in such a high-and-mighty way.”

Vivian smiled silently, refusing to comment further. She started to sort out the documents left by Shannon on her desk.

Scrutinizing the documents in her hand, she could not help but frown deeply.

The factory mentioned was really evil-hearted. The employees hired were all from the countryside. They were merely simple people who did not know much, tricked into becoming obedient work slaves to the factory.

Looking at the documents, she hesitated and could not help but mumbled, “If the factory was exposed, what would happen to those poor workers?”

“All of them would be unemployed,” chipped in Sarah as she shrugged, “I’m responsible for investigating the capital flow of this factory. Recently, they’ve received a lot of large orders. However, they were unable to keep up financially. Seems like the worker wages had been in arrears for a long time. If we go ahead and expose this factory, all its assets would be frozen. Needless to say, the workers would definitely be affected.”

Vivian could not bear to hear such cruel reality. Nonetheless, she knew that action must be taken. After all, to continue allowing the food produced by such an irresponsible factory to circulate in the market would burden the consumers as well. It may be a tough topic to side with, but all she could do now was to continue organizing the information on hand.

As the clock struck eleven o’clock in the morning, Vivian felt a slight cramp in her stomach.

She rubbed and massaged her tummy with a frown on her face.

She had a weak stomach, and it would start to hurt the moment she felt even a little hungry. To prepare for overtime, she had munched on a few biscuits beforehand. But time seemed to fly by without her realizing it, and now she could not hold it anymore.

Realizing that the shop downstairs must have closed at this point, she had no choice but to walk to the pantry to see what was in the refrigerator.

Since there were too many people working overtime, the snacks in the fridge had long been gone. Left with no choice, Vivian decided to warm up some milk to fill her tummy.

Just as she was sipping her hot piping milk, she heard footsteps approaching behind her suddenly.

She turned her head in time to see someone she had no intention of ever meeting nor hoped to bump into.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 93

Fabian took his lunchbox to the pantry to heat it up. However, he did not expect to bump right into Vivian and was stumped.

Vivian’s face turned impassive. She turned around to leave but Fabian called out to her.

“Vivian!”

Vivian did not stop in her tracks and continued to head outside. She felt Fabian clutching her wrist, and she had to halt her steps. Vivian turned around and was greeted by Fabian’s exasperated look.

“Vivian.” Fabian’s face sank. “I was calling you. Didn’t you hear me?”

“I did.” Her tone was cold. “I just didn’t want to answer you.”

Vivian’s indifference pained Fabian. He unconsciously tightened his grip on her.

“Are you still mad about the thing that happened at the party?” Fabian tried to suppress his frustration. “I’m really sorry about that. I really have no idea about the photos. You have to trust me. I won’t resort to such despicable acts.”

Vivian did not want to take heed of him. However, when she heard him say “you have to trust me,” derision fleeted across her face. “Trust you? Trust you how? Trust that you will destroy my reputation? Or trust that you will stop at nothing to torment me?”

Fabian paled at her lashing out at him. Furious, he demanded, “Vivian, don’t you know what kind of person I am, given that we’ve known each other for so long? I wouldn’t resort to such deplorable acts even if I hate you!”

Fabian’s words made her snicker.

Her mocking smile had a hint of helplessness. “Fabian, you asked me to trust you. But have you ever trusted me?”

Fabian was stumped. He did not expect her to say that.

“We’ve known each other for such a long time. And we’ve been together for three whole years. Don’t you know what kind of person I am?” Vivian was parroting his words back at him. Her eyes went red as she continued, “In spite of it all, you chose to forget who I am with just a few photos and some baseless rumors back then. You have always chosen to trust others.”

Fabian was shook.

What is she saying?

Is she accusing me of not trusting her back then?

“These are two unrelated matters!” Fabian got inexplicably irritated. “Fine, let’s assume that I’ve misunderstood you in the past. Then would you mind explaining how you—a menial reporter—married my uncle? Isn’t that the best evidence that you would stop at nothing to marry into a rich family? Besides, I’ve seen how you’re all meek in front of Mr. Hark the other day. I just didn’t want to mention this to uncle. I’m afraid that he has no idea what kind of woman you are out there!”

Vivian came to a startling realization when she looked at Fabian. I just wasted my time and energy talking to this jerk.

I am a slut in his eyes. Why should I bother discussing trust with him?

Hah. I’m an idiot.

Fabian thought Vivian had lost her words when she kept mum. He glanced at the red marks still apparent on her neck. The monster in him awakened at the sight.

“You say that I should have known better, but I don’t think that I’ve seen the true Vivian over the three years that we’ve been together!” Fabian growled at her, “The Vivian William that I knew would blush even when I’m holding her hands, but what about the true Vivian William? You could still parade around with those red marks on your neck. Have you no shame, Vivian?”

Fabian knew his words were harsh. Going back to a few years back, he wouldn’t have believed that he could utter words that cut so deep.

However, he felt himself going mad in the face of Vivian. He did not feel like himself anymore.

Vivian was oddly calm when Fabian threw insults at her. She did not even feel the urge to refute him. Her gaze went icy cold.

“Fabian Norton,” Vivian muttered softly, her tone impassive. “One day, when you realize that all these are just your assumptions, I will never forgive you even if you come begging at me.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 94

Vivian shrugged Fabian off after she was done talking. She did not cast a second glance at him and turned around to leave.

She only realized that she was gasping for air after she was out of the pantry.

Her phone rang at this moment.

She was stumped for a moment when she saw the caller ID. The next moment, she answered the call right away, as if her life depended on it.

“Finnick…” She spoke first.

Finnick’s deep voice could be heard on the other end. “Vivian, where are you?”

“I’m at the office.” Vivian tried her best to reply calmly. “I’m doing overtime, and I’ve sent you a text telling you to have dinner without me.”

“I know.” Finnick’s voice was placid as usual. Having said that, Vivian held on to it like it was a tranquilizer. “Come down.”

“Down? Where?” Vivian was puzzled.

“Downstairs. I’m at your office.”

Vivian regained her composure and ran toward the elevator despite having heels on.

Her heart was thumping in the elevator. She was counting down the numbers along with the display in the elevator to herself.

Faster, faster…

This was the first time that she wished she could see Finnick as soon as possible.

Ding.

The elevator stopped at the first floor, and Vivian hurriedly stepped outside.

She ran toward the entrance, and there was the familiar black Bentley.

Vivian straightened out her slightly disoriented clothes before heading toward the entrance. At this moment, she was not afraid of being seen by the others in the office anymore.

In the car, Finnick took in her every move through the window. A flicker of smile fleeted across his deep-set eyes. The door was open for Vivian to enter.

She climbed into the car straight away.

“Why are you here?” She looked at the man before her. He was dressed in an emerald, green knitted top, complementing his handsome features.

“To bring food to you,” Finnick replied impassively as he passed the lunch box in his hand to her.

Vivian was taken aback. She opened the lunch box, and it was full of Molly’s thoughtfully prepared dishes.

Vivian lifted her head and stared at Finnick blankly. “You came all the way just to bring me some food?”

Finnick averted his gaze, uncomfortable at Vivian’s puzzled expression. He coughed slightly. “No, I’m heading for a meeting at the office, and so I thought I’d pop over to hand you lunch on the way.”

Vivian chuckled.

As smart as Finnick is, he still makes mistakes…

Her office was at the west, their house was at the east. Finnick’s office was right at the center. How is this “on the way?”

However, Vivian knew he was too full of pride to admit it. Hence, she let it slide. Taking over the lunch box, she muttered, “Thank you, Finnick.”

Finnick had only glanced at her then. His deep-set gaze glimmered in the dimly lit car.

“You’re most welcome,” he said in a low voice. There was a hint of tenderness which even himself did not expect when he spoke. “You may eat it upstairs. I don’t suppose you could be away for a long period of time during overtime hours?”

Vivian nodded and was about to leave the car.

She suddenly hoped that she could pause the time.

Vivian turned around to look at Finnick.

Noticing her hesitation to get off the car, Finnick frowned. “What’s the matter?”

Looking at the picturesque man before her, Vivian felt herself going weak. She whispered, without an inkling of thought, “Finnick, can I hug you?”

Finnick was stumped. It was the last thing that he would expect her to say.

Silence stretched between the two. Vivian realized that she had gone over the line. She blushed crimson red as her lips curved into a thin smile. “I was just joking. I’ll get going then.”

She hurriedly got off the car.

Her wrist was grabbed by Finnick before she could leave.

The next moment, she was pulled into a warm embrace.

There was a light hint of cigar emanating from Finnick. His masculinity enveloped her, making her feel safe and sound in his embrace.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 95

“Thank you,” Vivian said softly. Her eyes gleamed with delight as she lifted her head to see Finnick in the eyes. “I’ll go back to work now.”

Finnick’s lips curved into a smile as he felt her relaxing in his arms. “Okay, I’ll wait for you at home.”

Vivian nodded and got off the car.

She did not rush back upstairs after getting off the car. Instead, she saw them off before going back upstairs.

Vivian clutched the lunch box close to her body, its warmth spread from her clothes, and into her heart.

Just like… Finnick’s hug.

She could still detect Finnick’s scent from the hug just now, and her cheeks went red.

Okay, I should stop.

Vivian tapped on her cheeks and went back upstairs.

Her bad mood caused by Fabian earlier had disappeared into thin air because of Finnick.

After working overtime for the whole day, the final draft of the magazine was finally sent on time to the printing company.

When Vivian got home that day, she was utterly exhausted that she spent two nights in bed. The magazine had already been published when she woke up.

She had to admit that their effort was well worth it. They exposed a sweatshop factory and managed to garner a lot of attention from the public. Even though the sales did not break Finnick’s previous record, the publicity had managed to attract a number of advertisers.

The magazine company could finally overcome its crisis this time.

Vivian was glad that the magazine company could make it through. She had formed a certain emotional attachment to the company, especially since she had been working here for two years.

There was only one downside to all of this. They would have to suffer Shannon’s obnoxious attitude.

In spite of it all, they were still overjoyed. Even Fabian, who was usually standoffish, announced that he would treat everyone to a meal that day.

They cheered at the announcement and vowed to eat to their heart’s content.

Sarah approached Vivian excitedly. “Vivian, you’re going too, right?”

Vivian shook her head as she glanced at Fabian amongst the crowd. “No, I have to rush home. Have fun!”

Disappointment was apparent in Sarah’s eyes. However, she knew things were kind of awkward between Vivian and Fabian. So, she nodded in response.

Vivian followed them all to the lobby. When they were discussing where to head for dinner tonight, Vivian announced, “Mr. Norton, I won’t be joining you guys because I have some things to settle at home. So, I’ll get going first.”

Fabian’s eyes flickered at her announcement. However, he merely nodded in response.

All eyes were on Fabian and Vivian’s interaction. However, they kept quiet since Fabian was still here.

Vivian ignored their curious glances and turned around to leave.

When she was about to exit the entrance, Vivian bumped into someone.

“Ouch.” She retracted a few steps back. She lifted her head and saw that she bumped into a dirty man in his thirties. His skin was rough and dark.

Vivian was taken aback.

He did not seem like a staff working in her building. Not only that, her instincts as a told her that this man had his guards up and was acting nervously. He did not stop to apologize even after bumping into her and rushed to leave instead.

Vivian felt a premonition looming and turned around to trace the man. She noticed that the man fished out a shiny object.

Her face paled at the sight of the shiny object.

It’s a knife!

Vivian wanted to call the security right away. However, she noticed the man was approaching Fabian amongst the crowd.

She unconsciously rushed toward the man and shouted, “Fabian, watch out!”

Everything happened in an instance, and she subconsciously called his name.

Fabian was stumped to hear Vivian and turned around. Then, he noticed a gruesome-looking man rushing toward him with a knife in his hands.

“Ah!”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 96

The others from the magazine company had also noticed the man and shrieked as they dispersed.

The man was clearly aiming for Fabian. He accelerated as the crowd dispersed in fear. The man uttered, “Fabian Norton! You bastard! You caused me to lose my job! Die!”

Fabian was born with a silver spoon, and he had never experienced anything like this before. He was frozen on the ground, completely stunned as the knife was edging closer to him.

Vivian rushed over to the man without hesitation.

She clutched at the man’s arm in an attempt to stop him from harming Fabian.

The man did not expect that he was going to be stopped by Vivian, and retracted a few steps back. He turned around to face Vivian as he grimaced. “B*tch! How dare you stop me? I’m going to kill you first!”

Then, he aimed his knife at Vivian.

Vivian was grabbing on the man’s arm. As he turned around, she fell a few steps back. Before she could steady herself, the knife was already aiming for her.

All colors drained from her face, and there was no time for her to escape.

Fabian finally regained composure after seeing that the man went for Vivian instead.

“Vivian!” He shouted as he rushed to her side.

However, it was too late.

The knife had stabbed right into Vivian’s arms.

“Ah…”

A searing pain coursed through her body. She shivered from the pain and fell to the ground.

At the same time, Fabian rushed toward the man and punched him in the face.

His grandfather, Mr. Norton, was an ex-army. Hence, he had high regard for his offspring in this matter. Fabian had learned the art of self-defense and karate from a young age. He was just stunned from the man’s sudden attack. However, this time, he sent the man rolling on the floor with just a punch.

“Vivian!” Fabian did not give a damn about the man on the floor. He rushed toward Vivian and helped her up.

His heart sank at the sight of her pale face, and her bloodstained shirt.

The next moment, he growled at the befuddled crowd. “What are you guys waiting for? Call the ambulance!”

They finally snapped out of it and hurriedly called for an ambulance.

Vivian was uncomfortable from him getting so close to her and said in a soft voice, “Don’t worry. It’s just my arms. Let me go. Everyone is watching.”

Fabian was oblivious to her words and gripped tightly on her bleeding wound. He scowled at her, with a somehow shaky voice, “Vivian William! Are you an idiot? Did you know how dangerous it was just now? Why did you rush to my side?”

He seemed to have forgotten that people from the magazine company were watching them and had forgotten the fact that he was detesting Vivian just a few days ago. Fabian also threw Vivian’s betrayal two years ago to the back of his mind.

Vivian’s pale face and bleeding wound were all that he could see.

He kept replaying Vivian calling out to him just now in his mind.

Vivian’s mind went blank as she looked at Fabian.

She felt as if Fabian was again the Fabian whom she used to know.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 97

Vivian felt like she had gone back in time. Before her was not the Fabian in suits, nor the Fabian who mocked her. It was the Fabian who was in a white T-shirt and jeans; the Fabian who rode around the campus and smiled like a boy at her.

Fabian did not notice the slight change in her gaze. He was still scowling at her, “Vivian, you’re a girl. Why are you pretending like you’re a hero?”

Vivian was stumped for a moment. Then, she burst into a chuckle.

Her lips curved into a bittersweet smile.

She still remembered that this was the very line that Fabian used to say to her when they were studying together.

He would say this to her whenever she was pulling all-nighters for her scholarship; whenever she spoke up for fellow female classmates; whenever she would register for a marathon when she was on her period…

He would hold her in his embrace and sulk. “Vivian, have you forgotten that you’re a girl?”

Then, the sirens of the ambulance could be heard. Fabian picked her up and took no heed of the crowd’s curious glances. He rushed toward the ambulance.

Vivian was in a turmoil of emotions as she laid in Fabian’s arms. It felt so familiar, yet so distant.

She took a trail down the memory lane again. Three years ago, she had registered for run even thought she was on her period. She fainted from the pain at the finish line. Fabian also picked her up and dashed toward the clinic…

She was afraid of reliving those moments again.

The past is a nice place to visit, but not the right place to stay.

Vivian reached the hospital in no time. She wanted to leave right after tending to her wounds. However, Fabian made a mountain out of a molehill and used his identity to secure her a private ward. Vivian’s protests fell to deaf ears.

Vivian laid on the hospital bed while Fabian headed out to settle the bill. When she was coming up with an escape plan, her phone rang.

She shivered at the sight of the caller ID.

It was Finnick.

She did not dare to tell him about herself getting hurt. However, it was not an option to ignore his call too. So, she could only begrudgingly answer the call.

“Hello…”

“Vivian, where are you?” Finnick asked.

“I…” Her voice went weak. “I’m at the hospital.”

“The hospital? What are you doing at the hospital?” Finnick’s voice sank.

“I-I hurt myself earlier.” Vivian did not want to lie to him, and the bandage would be a dead giveaway anyway. So, she could only tell him the truth.

“You’re hurt?” There was a hint of anxiety in his voice. “Which hospital are you at?”

“First Hospital.”

Finnick’s wheelchair appeared at Vivian’s ward just ten minutes after their phone call. He must have rushed here. Vivian was even worried that he might have run all the way here instead.

Finnick’s face sank when he saw the bandage wrapped around Vivian’s arms.

He hurriedly wheeled to her side and said coolly, “Vivian, you consider this minor?”

She recoiled a little and looked at him warily. “Are you mad at me?”

Finnick was angry.

He was angry at this woman for not taking good care of herself!

However, he felt for her when he saw her petite pale face.

“Forget it.” Finnick’s tone warmed up. “How did you get hurt?”

Vivian tensed up. She was at a loss for words.

It’s not like I could say that I took the knife for Fabian, right?

I think he’s going to explode if I tell him the truth.

When she was coming up with a viable explanation, the ward’s door was pushed open and Fabian entered. It was obvious that he was still worried about Vivian, so he did not notice Finnick at the side and said, “Vivian, I’ve done all the hospitalization paperwork for you. The man who attacked me has been remanded by the police. You should…”

Halfway through, he finally noticed Finnick at the side. Stumped, he bit his tongue.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 98

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense.

“Fabian?” Finnick arched his brows at the sight of him. “What are you doing here?”

Fabian was not as skilled as Finnick in concealing his feelings. When he saw Finnick, he flinched and replied, “A thug tried to attack me at the magazine company. Vivian was hurt because she tried to protect me. So I sent her here.”

Vivian’s heart sank.

Is he doing it on purpose? Why did he have to detail everything out? Isn’t he afraid of Finnick misunderstanding things?

Vivian cast a nervous glance at Finnick as she tried to observe his reaction. However, Finnick’s deep-set gaze did not give anything away. Her attempt to read him was in vain.

Vivian…

Tried to protect me…

Finnick’s breathing became rapid as he replayed Fabian’s words in his head.

Fabian seemed like he was showing off. Usually, Finnick paid no heed to such provocation. However, even Finnick had to admit that Fabian’s words had hit the bull’s eye.

The wound on Vivian’s arms seemed especially jarring at this moment. He took in a few deep breaths to suppress his anger.

“Is it?” When he spoke again, his tone was already calm and composed. “Vivian is your aunt after all. It’s only normal that she saved you.”

Fabian paled at Finnick’s remark.

“However,” Finnick parted his lips to speak again, glancing at Vivian who was all jittery. “I hope that she would not be so rash again in the future.”

Vivian fidgeted under his scrutinizing gaze. She did not contemplate the meaning behind his words and nodded right away.

Fabian’s face sank further.

“Okay.” Finnick broke the silence stretching between the three of them. “Fabian, thank you for sending Vivian to the hospital. I will ask Noah to settle the bills with you.”

Fabian gritted his teeth. “Uncle Finnick, there’s no need to pay me back.”

“This won’t do. Our Vivian here does not like to feel indebted to outsiders.”

Our Vivian…

Outsiders…

Fabian felt the monster in him bellowing at Finnick’s words.

However, he held himself in because of Vivian. She’s still looking very weak.

On the other hand, Vivian was visibly relaxed after hearing Finnick.

Actually, she had been in a dilemma just now when Fabian went to settle the hospital bill. Fabian was the last person that she would want to be indebted to.

She would much rather for Finnick to help her settle the hospital bill. After all, she was already indebted to Finnick.

“Very well.” Fabian took in a deep breath. “Then I shall not disturb Uncle Finnick and Aunt Vivian further.”

Finnick was pleased with Fabian’s sense. He nodded and saw Fabian off.

Vivian breathed a sigh of relief after Fabian left.

However, Finnick turned around to face her in no time with a cold, hard face. He said in a low voice, “Vivian William, do you think you owe me an explanation?”

Vivian felt goosebumps on her back.

“I… My arm hurts…” Vivian just did not have the courage to face him so she resorted to such a terrible excuse. She complemented her acting with a pitiful face.

Initially, Vivian thought Finnick would see right through her. However, he furrowed his brows and wheeled closer to her. He reached out to lightly touch the bandage around her arms and asked softly, “Does your wound hurt? Is it infected? Do you want me to call the doctor to have a look?”

Finnick’s voice was still calm and composed. However, he was obviously concerned.

Vivian did not expect him to take her so seriously and was contrite over her acting. She chuckled nervously. “Actually, I’m fine… It’s hurting a little. I guess this is quite normal.”

Finnick lifted his head. The two of them were in close proximity when Finnick was inspecting her wound. Vivian could even see her flustered face reflected in his deep-set gaze.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 99

Deafening silence ensued. Finnick parted his lips, and Vivian thought he was about to question her again. She was fumbling for an explanation in her head. However, he merely said, “Take a good rest. I’ll ask Molly to send over some chicken soup.”

Vivian was stumped. She lifted her head to look at Finnick. Just when she was perplexed about Finnick letting her off the hook, he covered her eyes with his palms.

“Sleep. We’ll talk when you wake up.”

Finnick’s voice was deep, and it brushed past her ears like a feather.

Vivian just took some painkillers, and it made her feel quite drowsy. She nodded and dozed off into sleep.

Strangely, she found that it was much easier to fall asleep with Finnick by her side.

When Vivian was about to fall asleep, she felt a soft touch on her forehead.

Then, she heard a low sigh.

“Vivian William, what am I going to do with you?”

…

Noah reached the hospital after Vivian had fallen asleep. He brought along Molly’s chicken soup as well.

“Mr. Norton, this is…” Noah spoke as he entered the ward and was shushed by Finnick.

Clueless, he turned around and noticed that Vivian was fast asleep. He shut his mouth instantly and followed Finnick out of the ward.

“Okay, speak,” Finnick spoke after they were in the corridor. “Have you investigated how Vivian got hurt?”

“Yes, I’ve asked the security guard. A lot of people saw it too.”

“So, what happened?”

“Their magazine company just did a piece to expose a food processing factory. The factory went bankrupt and did not pay the wages of their workers. A derailed worker sought revenge from Fabian. And then…” Noah paused, unsure whether if he should continue.

Finnick’s gaze darkened. “Continue.”

“The man was actually going after Fabian, but Mrs. Norton dashed over to protect Fabian. The derailed worker was enraged and stabbed Mrs. Norton.”

Noah was carefully observing Finnick’s every expression when he was reporting.

However, Finnick seemed quite calm.

Noah was stymied.

He thought Mr. Norton cared a lot about Mrs. Norton. Am I mistaken about it?

“What else?” Finnick said.

“Um… Onlookers mentioned that Fabian was especially nervous about Mrs. Norton getting hurt,” Noah added. “He hugged Mrs. Norton all the way here to the hospital…”

Finnick’s deep-set gaze darkened further.

“Okay, you may go,” Finnick seemed unfazed by Noah’s report.

Noah wiped his nervous sweat. He nodded and prepared to leave. He accidentally caught a glance at Finnick’s wheelchair handle.

Finnick was clutching on his wheelchair handle previously, and now he had relaxed his grip. To Noah’s surprise, the rubber grip had actually sunken in from Finnick’s tight grip.

When Vivian woke up, Finnick was still staying by her side. He poured some chicken soup from the thermal flask beside the hospital bed. “Drink this.”

Vivian supported herself with one hand and got up. Her right hand was hurt. So, she tried to take the chicken soup with her left hand. She was quite clumsy since she was right-handed. Finnick noticed it and furrowed his brows slightly. Then, he took over the spoon in her hands. “Allow me to help.”

He took a spoonful and lightly blew on it to cool it down before edging it close to her mouth.

Vivian was taken aback.

Is he feeding me?

She did not expect that she would be able to enjoy this kind of treatment. However, she parted her lips and drank it meekly.

She was inexplicably nervous as she stole glances at Finnick.

It was hard to read Finnick since he always seemed impassive. She was not sure if he was still mad at her.

When she was contemplating whether to talk about how she got hurt, Finnick broke the silence. “Do you have something you want to tell me?”

Vivian smiled awkwardly.

I can’t hide anything from this man.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 100

“I was just thinking if you were unhappy,” Vivian replied honestly.

“Unhappy about what?”

She hesitated for a moment. “Unhappy because I got hurt from saving Fabian.”

Vivian deliberately replied in a soft voice. It was akin to a fluttering feather on his heart.

“Yes, I am mad.” Finnick’s deep-set gaze warmed up at her admission of guilt.

Vivian did not expect Finnick to be so straightforward. She lifted her head and met his gaze.

He titled his brows slightly at the woman’s adorably puzzled expression. “Aren’t you going to ask why I’m mad?”

“I-I think I know why you’re mad,” Vivian stuttered.

“Enlighten me.”

“Because I’m your wife.” Vivian blinked her eyes. “I don’t think any man could bear with the fact that his wife got hurt because of an ex-boyfriend…”

The dim in Finnick’s gaze was undetectable to unheeding eyes.

He did not know whether to feel angry or helpless at her reply.

Does this stupid woman still think that I’m only feeling possessive over her?

How obtuse could she get?

“Finnick?” Vivian broke the silence when she noticed that he wasn’t answering her. “I’m sorry. I was inconsiderate of your feelings this time. I will be extra careful next time.”

Finnick put down the chicken soup in his hand. The sound of the spoon touching the bowl was crisp amidst the pin-drop silence between them. Vivian was taken aback by the sudden move.

“Vivian, so this is why you think I’m mad?” Finnick looked at her in the eyes. She nodded in response blankly. In return, his gaze darkened further. “What if I say I’m mad not only because you’re my wife?”

Vivian was stumped.

Not only because I’m his wife?

What else could it be? Our marriage is contractual after all.

Is he… jealous of Fabian?

The thought fleeted across her mind for only a fraction of a second before she dismissed it. A bitter smile crept her face as she shook her head to clear her head.

That’s impossible. Finnick is no ordinary man. If I were not his wife, he wouldn’t have bothered himself with me. It’s ridiculous to think that he’s jealous.

I’m being delusional.

“I don’t know.” She looked at Fabian helplessly. Baffled, she asked, “Why are you mad then?”

Finnick’s eyes flashed with fury at her question.

The next moment, he grabbed her chin and brought her face close to his own. He said in a low voice, almost like a threat, “Vivian, are you really unaware of it? Or are you playing games with me?”

She was a little shocked, especially because he inched himself close to her.

The hint of fear in her eyes did not go unnoticed.

It prompted him to be cool-headed right then and there.

He let go of the woman when he noticed that she was getting frightened.

“I’m sorry for losing my cool,” Finnick said as he set his back straight on his wheelchair.

“It’s alright.” Vivian felt like something was off with Finnick today. However, she did not divulge further since he was still mad at her.

Finnick’s gaze darkened as he regarded Vivian.

When is this stupid woman going to realize that my feelings toward her are not just the possessiveness of a contractual husband toward his wife?

Finnick did not have much experience in this matter. Besides, women were always flocking to him. He had not actually pursued a woman before. Hence, he did not know how to express his feelings.

He suppressed the boiling anger and frustration inside himself after looking at her pale face and the wound on her arm. He was back to his usual calm self. “Vivian, why did you save Fabian?”

Even though the woman did not understand his feelings, he still felt the need to make certain things clear.