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Chapter_94
Vivienne lifted her head slowly, a hint of coldness in her eyes. She stared at Arabella for a moment, then suddenly smirked. “So what if I stole your thunder?” she replied, her voice sharp and unbothered.
Both Bertha and Doreen were taken aback. Since when did Vivienne become so blunt? It was clear that Vivienne was the one who had saved Faye, so why would she admit to “stealing” Arabella’s credit? Wasn’t she falling right into Arabella’s trap?
Arabella was equally surprised by Vivienne’s unexpected response. Deep down, she knew it was her treatment that had almost killed Faye. How Vivienne managed to save her, she couldn’t figure out—but the fact remained that Vivienne had, and that had turned the situation around in her favor.
Despite everything, Arabella still wasn’t about to back down. She turned to Vivienne with a mixture of anger and disdain. “Why would you do this? What good does it do you to harm me? You’re also a daughter of the Hawthorn family. Whatever happens to either of us, it’s not good for you—or for them.”
Vivienne casually put her hands in her pockets, looking down at Arabella with an amused expression. “Since when did I give a hoot about the Hawthorn family?” Her tone was cool, and her presence alone made Arabella feel smaller.
Arabella, rattled by Vivienne’s unflinching confidence, took a step back. Her voice trembled with rising frustration. “You may have cut ties with them, but your blood is still Hawthorn. Your father is the legitimate son of your grandmother—that’s an undeniable fact. Your wellbeing is tied to the Hawthorn family’s fate.”
Vivienne’s gaze remained steady, piercing. “Is that so? You seem to care more about the Hawthorn family than I do.”
Arabella continued, trying to regain control. “Also, I haven’t done anything wrong to you since your return. Last time, you made Mr. Ellington believe I stole your credit. Now you’re blatantly taking mine. That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
Vivienne flicked a stray strand of hair off her cheek, her lips curving into a wicked grin. “So what?”
Arabella’s patience snapped. “I just wanted an apology from you and an explanation to Ms. Doreen and the others. But if you’re going to act like this, don’t blame me for not being nice.”
Vivienne’s expression remained unchanged. “What are you gonna do?”
Arabella’s rage flared. She turned toward Doreen, her voice filled with frustration. “Mrs. Doreen, aren’t you going to explain this to me? Are you just going to stand there and let her get away with this?”
Doreen, already irritated, shot back, “I’m already being nice by not confronting you. And this is how the ‘talented lady’ of Havenwood behaves?”
Arabella, unfazed by the insult, sneered. “I see how you feel. But if anything happens in the future, don’t blame me for not considering our families’ relationship.”
With a dismissive glance, Arabella turned and walked away, leaving the room in tense silence.
Once Arabella had gone, Doreen turned to Vivienne, confusion clouding her face. “Ms. Hawthorn, why did you admit to stealing Arabella’s credit? You were the one who saved Faye. Aren’t you just making things harder for yourself by saying that?”
Vivienne smiled faintly, her eyes glinting with amusement. “What’s life without a little trouble?”
Doreen frowned, still unsure of Vivienne’s intentions. “What do you mean?”
Without offering an explanation, Vivienne replied, “I’ll attend to Ms. Faye’s acupuncture first.” She gave Doreen a knowing look. “Did everyone think I had become fragile? How amusing.”
After completing Faye’s treatment, Vivienne and Percival prepared to leave. As they stepped out of the Baker family home, Vivienne’s phone rang. It was Cordelia.
“Vivienne, don’t come home tonight. Find somewhere else to stay.” There was urgency in Cordelia’s voice.
Vivienne’s frown deepened. “What happened?”
Cordelia’s voice crackled with tension. “Arabella posted online that you and the Baker family ganged up on her. She claimed she was the one who cured the patient, but you took the credit. Because she’s an adopted daughter with no value to them, they abandoned her. Her post went viral in minutes. Some people are even throwing paint at our house. I’m worried you might run into them, so please lay low for a while. Your father and I will handle this.”
Vivienne’s eyes hardened as her grip on the phone tightened. “I’ll be right there.”
She immediately asked Percival to drive her back to Tranquil Estates. When they arrived, they were met with chaos. Hundreds of people had gathered at the community gate, and the security guards were struggling to keep them back. Some of the crowd even rushed forward as Percival’s car approached.
“That’s Percival’s car! Stop them!” someone shouted, recognizing the vehicle.
The crowd quickly surrounded the car, but Percival remained calm. He looked at Vivienne, his voice firm. “Stay in the car. I’ll handle this.”
Vivienne smirked, her eyes full of confidence. “Mr. Ellington, I may be young, but I can take care of myself.”
Before Percival could respond, Vivienne opened the car door and stepped out. As the crowd closed in, Percival followed quickly, shielding her with his body.
“Vivienne, you bitch! You seduced Arabella’s fiancé, ruined their marriage, and now you’re stealing her credit. Do you really think no one will stand up for her?” a voice yelled from the crowd.
“Arabella is being bullied by you guys, and you’re here playing lovebirds. Disgusting!” another voice joined in.
“Get out of Havenwood, we don’t want you here!” someone else shouted.
As one of them threw a water bottle at Vivienne, Percival was quicker, kicking it away before it hit her. He glared at the crowd, who jeered louder.
“Guys, get ‘em! Beat up this shameless couple!” someone yelled.
Percival moved with precision, quickly overpowering the first few attackers. Vivienne watched from behind him, a mix of admiration and warmth in her chest. She was used to handling everything on her own, but in Havenwood, it seemed like there was always someone by her side looking out for her.
After clearing the crowd, Percival made a phone call. “Send someone over to Tranquil Estates.”
Once the phone call ended, he took Vivienne’s hand firmly. They entered the neighborhood together, leaving the chaos behind. Their first priority was checking on Dorian and Cordelia. As they approached Vivienne’s house, the sight before them was chilling—paint splattered on the door and the words “Die Vivienne!” scrawled on the wall.
Vivienne’s eyes narrowed. A cold aura emanated from her.
Percival squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, I’m here with you.”
Vivienne met his gaze, her expression unreadable. After a brief pause, she allowed a small smile to form. “Okay.”
She hadn’t feared anything since her mother passed away, but for the first time in a long time, she found herself wanting to lean on Percival.
As they entered the house, Vivienne quickly saw that the code lock had been damaged by the paint. She took out her key to unlock the door. Inside, Cordelia was anxiously staring at her phone, clearly shaken.
“Where’s Dorian?” Vivienne asked, her voice steady despite the chaos.
Cordelia looked up, relieved yet still anxious. “He’s not back yet, but these people are completely mad. They might try to break in. What if you get hurt?”
Vivienne walked over to her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle this.”
Cordelia was about to protest, but Vivienne already had her phone out. She dialed a number, her voice cold when the call connected. “Get everyone moving. Put the full pressure on the Hawthorn family. I want to see them bankrupt within the hour.”
She paused for a moment before adding, “Remember, the entire Hawthorn family. Don’t let anyone connected to them off the hook.”