SWNOVELS Chapter 271-280
Chapter 271
Richard, upon witnessing this, strode forward to stand opposite Baron as he gazed at him with a burning fury
“What’s the matter?” He roared. “My grandson wants to visit his fiancée, and you have a problem with that?! They are engaged, so it’s reasonable and legal.”
This damn old codger was always causing trouble for his precious grandson
He had even driven his grandson out of the Brooks Mansion, leaving Richard simmering with rage and resentment. Now he dared to challenge him again?
Now that Richard was around, how could he let this old curmudgeon have his way?
Baron let out a scoff “How old is Vivienne? The games of children do not count”
“Baron, my engagement to Vivienne was agreed upon by her mother and my grandfather Percival shot back. His thick eyebrows began to knit together in anger, and his voice became cold and unyielding
Baron had been giving him trouble for days, and now he wanted to deny his engagement to Vivienne?
Did the Brooks family really think they held a high place in Vivienne’s heart? Or did they believe he was courteous to them out of fear?
Baron was taken aback. He menacingly glared at Percival but remained silent
Scott then gestured to Richard Richard, would you please join us in the drawing room for some coffee and pastries? We can discuss this matter properly
tomorrow What do you say?”
Scott spoke eamestly, like a loving father trying to make amends
Richard grunted in response and then remained silent.
Percival glanced at him with profound eyes as the comers of his mouth curled into a cool and indifferent smile
Scott led them to the drawing room to be seated before rushing off with Baron to attend to more of their guests.
In the hallway outside the lounge, Eddy Miller was quietly lurking in a comer. He was watching a video on his phone that showed what was going on inside the
lounge
He saw Vivienne in a T–shirt and jeans, engrossed in her phone in front of her hung a dress specially designed for her by a renowned international designer This dress was specially commissioned for her by the Brooks family
The pastel–colored chiffon layers created a lavish skirt, which was adorned with diamonds. The top had a simple strapless design, accentuated with a matching belt that cinched her waist, which was topped off with a three–carat diamond embellishment. It was the epitome of luxury
Compared to the second–hand starry skirt Arabella wore at her reunion banquet, the Brooks family’s regard for Vivienne was evidently higher
However, Vivienne seemed uninterested. She showed no inclination to try on the dress.
Not only was she not wearing the dress, but she also sent away the makeup artist and hairstylist She sat in the lounge, barefaced and natural, refusing to doll herself up
“Why hasn’t that wench changed into her dress yet?” Eddy muttered as he began growing impatient
Eddy’s mother, Paula, installed a small camera in the lounge and tampered with the luxunous dress.
Paula had bought a colorless and odorless aphrodisiac from the black market that would cause anyone who came into contact with it to lose control and become lustful As soon as Vivienne wore the dress, she would lose her senses and seek a man to vent her desires
At that moment, the man he had arranged would stage a drama with Vivienne. This would be broadcast live through Stardust’s account, the streamer Paula met at the Pendleton Hospital, known for exposing the scandalous private lives of the wealthy
Vivienne had humiliated Eddy by live–streaming him doing a headstand while relieving himself. Now, it was his turn to give her a taste of her own medicine. He would let everyone see her in a lustful and promiscuous state, absolutely ruining her reputation forever.
Originally, he had wondered how to dismiss the makeup artist and hairstylist accompanying Vivienne. But Vivienne herself had sent them away, leaving her alone
in the lounge
However, what frustrated him was that Vivienne, despite not doing her makeup or styling her hair, did not even try on the dress. She didn’t even touch it.
in the surveillance footage, she remained motionless, barely moving an inch
“Is she even a woman?” Eddy grumbled impatiently it’s such a gorgeous and luxurious dress that even i, a man, am tempted to wear it. Yet she doesn’t want to ?”
“Oh? Why don’t you try it on?
A cold voice echoed in Eddy’s ear from behind him
He stiffened The Surveillance footage on his phone flickered, and Vivienne, who had been sitting on the sofa looking at her phone, disappeared from the lounge
In the banquet hall
Ashley wasn’t helping to entertain the guests as she did at Arabella’s reunion banquet in Havenwood
Given the attention the Brooks family was showering on Vivienne, her mother, Melissa, and grandmother Judith, were busy mingling with the quests, leaving no
room for her to assist
She was at ease and was leisurely enjoying food and drinks with a group of friends, casually discussing the recent interesting happenings in Riverwood
“Ashley, your newly recognized cousin seems to be more favored than the last one One of her friends teased. ) was at the Havenwood banquet as well and in tems of scale, arrangement, or the attitude of your family, Arabella’s banquet can’t compare to this one Vivienne is so favored, aren’t you jealous? Ashley just laughed off her friend’s sarcastic remark. Perhaps due to the guilt of initially recognizing the wrong person, the Brooks family was really doting on
Vivienne
But at least Vivienne didn’t play innocent to win favor or plot against her out of jealousy, like Arabella did.
11:45
Vivienne didn’t voice it out, she could tell from the way Vivienne usually treated the Hawthom clan that she seemed to have no regard for the be
of being a part of the Brooks family
Wow! Her dress is amazing” Another girl said as she showed a picture on her phone to the others. It was from the Instagram page of the designer who had created Vivienne’s gown
The Brooks really know how to splurge, don’t they? Not only did they manage to get such a high–end designer, but they also ensured that a dress that would normally take a month to create was made in just a few days”
Ashley glanced at the photo of the luxunous gown, feeling a twinge of envy. Among their generation, only Vivienne was treated this way. When the dress was delivered this morning, she couldn’t resist trying it on surreptitiously, only for Vivienne to catch her in the act.
Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment then, but to her surprise, Vivienne didn’t seem to mind. She even suggested that they should swap dresses
Whether Vivienne was sincere or not, Ashley couldn’t possibly do something so thoughtless Of course, she declined politely.
“Hey, isn’t that Percival? The girl admiring the gown suddenly nudged Ashley, pointing towards the buffet section where the pastries were
“I always thought he was rather handsome, even when he was in a wheelchair. Now that he’s up and about, he’s so dashing that it makes your knees weak!”
No kidding!
Chapter 272
Ashley looked up to see Percival, dressed in a black suit, standing beside a table laden with pastries. He was seemingly looking for something.
His tall stature, combined with his broad shoulders and narrow waist, was accentuated by the casual way he had his hand in his pocket. The half of his handsome face that was visible to her was uncharacteristically soft and had a hint of a smile. She wondered what he might be thinking.
Despite his unusually gentle demeanor right now, Ashley didn’t dare approach him
She remembered how Percival had humiliated Calista earlier. She also saw how Calista, upon entering the banquet hall, would occasionally glance Percival’s way without daning to strike up a conversation.
This man was cold to all women except Vivienne. She was certain that the reason he had a soft smile on his face right now was because he was thinking about Vivienne
She was right. Percival was indeed thinking about Vivienne
He was surveying the pastries on the table and found a piece of strawberry cake in the middle. Just as he was about to reach for it, another slender hand reached out and grabbed the plate. With one hand on each side of the plate, they both paused.
Percival looked up to find Aaron Miller, the handsome son of the Miller family’s patriarch, Mark. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t pay much attention to such a newcomer to the Rivenwood social circle
However, he had heard his cousin, Kenneth, talk about Aaron many times, and that had led him to remember the young man.
There was no way he could forget Kenneth and Aaron were both renowned E–sports players. They were both known as prodigal sons of the gaming world After Aaron turned pro at the age of fifteen, his team, under the guidance of a mysterious coach, won seven championships in a row, with Aaron himself being named the Most Valuable Player in each tournament.
In contrast, Kenneth, who also turned pro the same year, spent a year warming the bench before he became a starting player. Although his team eventually won two championships and he was named MVP twice, the compansons between him and Aaron never ceased, especially since Aaron’s team had a better record despite a string of defeats this season
People often said that Aaron was too loyal. He refused to transfer teams and was being held back by older players whose gaming skills were on the decline. If he were to join a better team, he could surely win another championship.
This was why Kenneth held a grudge against Aaron and would occasionally complain to Percival about him.
“It’s for my fiancee. She likes it Percival calmly told Aaron, not letting go of the plate.
He was getting slightly impatient with waiting in the banquet hall. He realized he hadn’t seen his precious Vivienne for over eighteen hours. Even though they had video chatted at noon, it wasn’t the same as seeing her in person
So, he was trying to distract himself, and remembering that his darling liked strawberry cake, he decided to find one for her
Aaron, hearing this, graciously let go of the plate and put his hands in his pockets
Percival nodded slightly and left with the last piece of strawberry cake.
As he passed Ashley and her group, he heard them discussing Aaron.
“That’s the illegitimate son the Millers just acknowledged, night? He’s quite good–looking, but why doesn’t he know how to dress properly? He’s wearing a T–shirt and jeans to a formal event Eddy Miller should really teach him some manners.”
That sounded familiar
Percival turned to look, and sure enough, Aaron was wearing a casual T–shirt and jeans. His hands were in his pockets, and he was trailing lazily behind Mark
The pose and the attitude were all too familiar.
“I remember you not liking sweets when you were a kid. When did you start liking strawberry cake?” Mark asked the boy trailing behind him.
“It’s a friend I haven’t seen in a while who likes it Aaron replied with a smile. If she likes it, then I like it too.”
Mark frowned slightly, not knowing what to do with his illegitimate son. He had brought Aaron to this event to introduce him to the circle of prominent families, but the boy didn’t leave him any dignity
Upon seeing Percival arrive with the strawberry cake, Isolde chuckled. “I bet this cake is for Vivienne.”
Fiona swept her gaze over isofde as a smirk played on her lips
After tonights banquet they, the third branch of the Ellington family, will probably change its tune. They might not want Vivienne as their daughter–in–law anymore, which would be a good thing for her Having someone who could cure the effects of the boar poison was a nuisance
“How long are we supposed to wait for Vivienne to appear? Paul sneered He was growing more impatient by the second. “Even my grandfather isn’t this pompous on his birthday”
Percivals gaze hardened, and he cast a chilling glance at Paul ‘Seems like I shouldn’t have helped you get your jaw back in place so quickly after the last time we
met ”
Paul cringed, and his mouth quickly snapped shut, but his eyes glittered with malicious intent
“Scott, I think most of the guests have arrived, don’t you think?” Mila had been hanging around Scott since they entered the banquet hall, playing the part of the hostess and helping him greet guests
Scott tried repeatedly to create distance between them, but she kept clinging on. Not wanting to make a scene, he let her be, but his brow furrowed deeply every time she spoke up
Nevertheless, he glanced at Baron and Judith
Baron nodded. “Yes, the guests have mostly arrived”
Scott signaled to the staff, and the music in the banquet hall immediately softened. Someone went to the lounge to notify Vivienne
was time for her grand
11:46
The banquet hall had a two–story design. Sooft holding a monophone stood on the marcase leading to the contains inunge in the attention of all the guests
“Ladies and gentlemen tonight
returned to our family Tonight
hosting a reunion banquet for my daughter Mvienna Susanna wan
formally intinduta her to you all
Many of the quests, ramamband that the daughter borti had front aran namat
But nobody would be impolite enough to pink aloud. Thay simply strat
debut of the mcks family t heirect. Thay wars að anger to lay dym yn adr
དན། །ཕ་མ་ཡུ་སྨན་པ་གཉེནཔ་མསོན། ། ཨོཾ་མོ་ཡུན། པྲ་ཏྲིད་བཙུད་པནྟིཏྟརཱཎཱ། ‘‘ནེཝིཏྟ ཨནྟཱ ‘‘ར
The banque
fall silent care for the and must: Brating in the
All eyen were glued to the staircase ai
But the seremuk ant than monjte, torkari sera, kad, kan man dan, v
Many started to
Chapter 273
Baron’s forehead was scrunched up in worry
He turned towards Scott, asking “What’s happening? Why hasn’t Vivienne shown up yet
Tm not sure Scott glanced towards the staircase “She should be not soon | att an
Percival with his deep set and icy eyes turned his gaze Towards the inunge at the top of the stairase 184 chen fara ass deed of
After a moment of silence he gave out a command to Thomas Tie chark në har
Thomas nodded. “Kinght
Just as Thomas was about to ascend the staircase, a shril voice tuddenly exclaim the Brooks family + little princess is being promiscunur? What the hat? lent the
Thomas halted in hit tracks furrowing his beat at the speaker
The speaker was Ashley’s Friend. Her eyes were widened in shock as the stared at hør
Upon hearing this everyone quickly pulled out their phones to watch the bue pream
The title holdly read “Shocking! The Brooks family v little princess caught in the act during i
In the blink of an eye the live stream was swarmed with viewart
‘s going on? (hardust ja Ove
i princess in du inunga?
banquet for more details
The host hadn’t shown the fare and the live stream wat pitch black. However the flirtatious voices of a
Even though the screen wat black the seductive voice of the woman bore a striking resemblance to Vivienne’s
my God” Achim, instinctively, scanned the mom. This can’t be my cousin
She didn’t dare finish her sentence. She was afraid of stirring up trouble and drawing atte
Although the hadn’t spoken much to Vinienne she could still recognize her vötőe
The voice wasn’t exactly like Vivienne’s but it was close enough to raise doubts
to herself
unediately
What was going on?
Wash? Vivienne supposed to be getting ready in the lounge”
How could the be doing such a thing?
And she was streaming (T
Ever since Vivienne returned to the Brooks family and received everyone’s adoration. Ashley had began feeling a bit uncomfortable Vivienne wouldn’t do such a thing
Coult this be Vreenne’s way of taking revenge against the family?
Was she seeking retaliation because Scoft had mistaken Arabella for her?
rider Ms. Vivienne has been refusing to come out She’s been too busy fooling around in the lounge
This Ms. Vivienne is quite something Normally people would do such things in secret, but she’s doing it out dom she despise her family”
“Maybe she’s just lonely heard that Ms. Vivienne
shammes: thung
The
up in the cou
busiging crowd the large NO in the hotel’s balroom suddenly
ted to Stardusts live atmamı
from The live simam achoed through the ballroom’s spes
fore he could say anything Calista
rung frum nearby
harfeng Hku pair was as sharp as a blade and 4
Regardless i
vals sis gaze ukifted awas Hum Labata re
Why did he subbaris en
It was ike he was ing
Percival adhden hot gi
1/2
nd Scot Barat, Kolk
1, of course, believe that the person in the live stream isn’t Vivienne.” Baron was somewhat shocked by Percival’s sudden display of authority and was momentarily at a loss for words.
Then it clicked
Richard’s grandson, especially his most cherished one, couldn’t possibly be a nobody
“Someone check this out! Who dares to frame my daughter at her own banquet?! Scott suddenly commanded, “Once we find out who it is, there will be no mercy!” Scott was the head of the Brooks family, but he had handed over the business affairs to Ronald years ago
After retreating from the business world, he had lost his sharp edge
But right now, he exuded a truly threatening aura.
Upon hearing their responses, Percival nodded in satisfaction. He removed a hand from his pocket and casually adjusted his slightly creased sleeve cuff “Scott’s word is enough. There’s no need for you to investigate, I’ll handle it. If someone plans to sabotage my fiancée during her own banquet, they’re not getting off easy
He lifted his cold eyes, which were completely devoid of any warmth, to meet Scott’s “Wouldn’t you agree?”
Scott furrowed his brows. He pondered for a moment before finally speaking. Vivienne is my daughter. If anyone should defend her, it should be me Scott’s eyes met Percivals. His tone was neither cold nor warm You’re overstepping your bounds!”
He had no objections to Vivienne and Percival being together.
After all, the two were engaged, and as a father, he naturally had no objections
But it was not acceptable for Percival to always try to show off in front of him.
Percival locked eyes with him. The shifting glimmer in their eyes was like a clash of swords.
After a moment. Percival’s lips curved into a slight smirk Fine! I hope everyone is satisfied with the outcome you bring about.”
His voice was indifferent and devoid of warmth
But after saying this, he gave Thomas a look
Thomas immediately understood and began heading towards the lounge.
Scott retracted his gaze gave him a quick glance, and then turned to the crowd. “My daughter would never do such outrageous things. I will give everyone a satisfactory answer
Just then, the live broadcast on the public screen suddenly resumed
A dusky pink skirt flashed by The diamond on it was so dazzling that it was actually blinding
“Isn’t the situation clear yet? The lady of the Brooks family is nowhere to be seen, while the woman in the live broadcast is wearing a dress that was specially made for her Doesn’t Mr Brooks find this whole thing ludicrous?!”
“Is she not taking us seriously? Why is the distinguished daughter of the Brooks family publicly behaving this way?!”
Chapter 274
The room was buzzing with conversation. The scales were tipping dramatically against Vivienne
The people at this banquet were influential figures in Riverwood. They wem unaccustomed to such humiliation
Percival surveyed the room as a storm brewed in the depths of his eyes
Just as he was about to make a scena a calm voice achoad from, the staircase What evartly did | ) to deserve this dumped?
All eyes were drawn to Vivienne. She was chili in her camuni attire med migs, strolling nonchalantly into the spotlight
She glanced around the room. “Did I miss some sort of spectacle?
Her appearance was like a thunderbolt. The crowd was lah etunnad
She was cleark in the live video earlier yet hare she was acting as if nothing was amies, leaving everyone in a daze
Before anyone could voice their confusion, the video feed shifted again
The camera swung to the lounge when Eddy was dressed in a designer dress. He was flushed and nocherent white rested in a chair
Sudden someone hurst into the mom and grabbed Eddy leading him away
The crowd was utterly baffled
What was happening”
Was that s kidnapping”
Why would anyone kidnap Eddy?
He was a spoiled nich kit with no money and he certainly wasn’t his father. Mark’s favorite
Even if they wanted to ransom him to Mark, he probably wouldn’t pay
“War teen Eddy weaning Ms. Vivienne’s dressTM
Finally someone realized the anomaly and shouted it out
Only then did everyone recall that when Eddy was taken away he was wearing a dress
That dress had been showcased on the social media of the designer that the Brooks family had hired for this special occasion,
So, everyone immediately recognized that Eddy was wearing the same dress from the designer’s post
Everybody was dumbfounded and then someone finally shouted. “So the kidnappers were actually after Ms. Vivienne? Eddy
“is Vivienne cursed or something? How could Eddy come to a party and end up getting kidnapped?”
The Brooks family looked on as the faces tumed ashen as the murmuri continued
Suddenly a disgruntled varor broke through the noise
“What the hali dom Eddy getting kidnapped have to do with Vivienne? Are you people just bored
camryone turnert towards the soutor of the voice to see those girls and two boys all around eighteen
They gave the crowd a scathing look before heading towards. Vivien calling out in unison. “Ms. Vivenner
though! you weren coming
the Brooks family had allowed her to invite her friends
ing her students from Class Eighteen had al: performed
to come to the banquet
Senor the new school year was about to start the students would be in
ther finals.
Dasi Eights were tied up and couldnt make it
sunnur Banque Vineta PEA Lõsute we possibly not come? Fiet send the five of uns la langratulate yişi
a da hun ve krune af ta
teen, coming in though the door
Just then Doren Ba
Egbert was the her to B
nce tha Tarruly patru
ingdead he has the
Dolper, dreisand i
When they stopped in finding wour biologes
1/2
Impar speaking
Although the Churchill family wasn’t one of the four major families, they held significant influence in Rivenwood
Therefore, they had been invited to Vivienne’s banquet.
However, since their daughter, Faye, had also received an invitation from Vivienne and wanted to attend, they had to pick her up first. They ran into traffic on their way, which made them late.
“Thank you.” Vivienne replied with a polite smile.
Her smile was like a mynad of blossoms bursting into full bloom, stunning everyone present
Who was it that said Ms Vivienne was a country bumpkin? Did she look uncouth and clueless about etiquette?
Just from her casual conversation with Egbert and Doreen, one could see she was anything but
“Ms Vivienne cured my daughter Egbert adjusted his glasses as a smile played on his lips Tve been wanting to thank her in person but never found the right moment Maybe we could grab a burger sometime when you’re free?”
“Sure.”
After some light chit–chat. Vivienne excused herself to attend to some matters, telling them to make themselves at home.
Suddenly, Charlotte, her face turning icy, broke the friendly atmosphere. Who was it that said Eddy’s kidnapping had to do with Ms Vivienne? Stand if you have maggots or crap for brains”
Charlotte had been a troublemaker for years. Her sharp tongue was always ready to cut at someone’s dignity.
Faces around the room instantly darkened
me see
Unfazed by the crowd’s reaction, Charlotte continued coldly, That dressing room is Ms. Vivienne’s. Eddy, her cousin, not only intruded but also tried on her gown is he some sort of pervert who gets off by wearing women’s clothes? How did he even squeeze into it without ripping it?”
If he hadn’t intruded into Ms Vivienne’s room, would he have been kidnapped? Can’t you people even think straight?”
“Earlier, Ms Vivienne was falsely accused of misconduct on the live stream, and then Eddy showed up. Which of you half–wits came up with the idea that Ms. Vivienne kidnapped him? And what’s with calling her ‘cursed? The only ones cursed here are you lot! Can’t you tell right from wrong?”
Charlotte’s tirade stung, leaving many in the room visibly uncomfortable
Paul, standing at the back, bore the brunt of it. He was one of those with ill intentions. He was planning to kidnap Vivienne amid the chaos, only for Eddy to make a complete fool of himself
Worse still, his men had mistakenly kidnapped Eddy instead
The nerve of that guy!
Chapter 275
Charlotte shot a glance at everyone present and muttered even more curses under her breath.
She then turned to Vivienne “Vivienne, we Redwoods may not be a big name in Rivenwood, but I still have some standing here. If anyone dares to give you trouble, the Redwoods would be the first to take offenseTM
It wasn’t just Charlotte speaking.
She had long considered Vivienne as her closest confidante. Even if she wasn’t capable of much, she was willing to step forward for Vivienne whenever needed.
This was also a reminder of what her grandmother and parents had told her before they arrived in Rivenwood
Vivienne had done her family a great favor, and they were known to repay their debts.
Her parents were concerned about Vivienne’s situation with the Brooks family, so they asked her to speak up
They had arrived late and were unaware of the drama that had unfolded in the banquet hall
On the way, Logan caught a glimpse of a live stream claiming to show Vivienne. The moment they heard about it, they hurried over
Arriving at the entrance of the banquet hall, they heard someone blaming Vivienne for Eddy’s kidnapping Charlotte couldn’t hold back her anger
Bullying Vivienne?
They would have to face the repercussions from the forty–odd students of Class Eighteen.
Vivienne smiled “Alright.”
She accepted the kindness of those who offered it, and she would return it in kind.
This sudden interruption left many of the invited guests at the banquet and the Brooks family themselves taken aback
Scott was the first to regain his composure “Vivienne, what just happened? Eddy
Vivienne turned her gaze toward him as her expression slowly returned to its cold indifference. “Mr. Brooks, your nephew drugged my dress and prepared a man in advance
After she said this, another shocking scene appeared on the large screen
The image was clear Eddy’s face was covered in injuries, and he was engaged in a scandalous act with another man!
Screams of shock erupted from the younger girls in the room, who hastily covered their eyes.
The adults were visibly angry This is outrageous! How does the Miller family educate their children?! Doing such acts in publie is just disgraceful!”
“Before this, I heard rumors about Eddy’s secret preferences. I didn’t expect him to not only have peculiar tastes but also a wicked sense of humor Last time he live streamed himself doing a headstand while relieving himself, and now this. I’m speechless!
“Report this! What kind of person does something like this? It’s sick!”
Vivienne looked at the screen and was actually slightly shocked
She raised her curious eyes to look at Percival, wondering if all this was his doing
She had sensed the danger early on and had planned to let them take Eddy.
Draven was waiting outside for Eddy, and Eddy wouldn’t have a good time if he was taken.
But she hadn’t expected this to be live streamed again
Percival raised an eyebrow If they think they can harm you, they should be ready to face the consequences.
Vivienne was shockingly surprised by how swiftly he took revenge.
Alright then Her Mr. Wolf was indeed quite cool.
Suddenly, she felt that relying on Mr. Wolf wasn’t such a bad idea.
A shrek interrupted her thoughts.
Eddy”
Paula, who had been in a daze since seeing Vivienne come down from the upstairs and Eddy being taken away on the live stream, had finally snapped out of t She rushed towards Vivienne with eyes filled with resentment. It was you, wasn’t it? Why are you so heartless? He’s your cousin! You already shamed hum by forcing him to live stream before, and now you’re still not letting him off?”
Paula tried to grab Vivienne, but Vivienne sidestepped her, causing Paula to stumble
“Vivienne, I swear, I’ll make you pay” Paula angrily declared
She then turned to a servant brought by the Miller family “What are you standing them for? Go bring the young master out!”
The servant quickly ran upstairs
The sounds from the live stream became increasingly unbearable, making Paula both angry and anxious. “Tum & offi Tum oft í live stream/”
However, no one paid her any attention
Paula ran over to the large screen looking for the off button She tried to tum off the live stream, but no matter how hard she pressed, it wouldn’t tum off She had forgotten that the live stream was being broadcast by Stardust, who wasn’t even hare Even worse, the camera in the dressing room was hidden. Paula couldn’t help but breakdown in tears
She suddenly turned to Scott as her eyes filled with an all–encompassing hatred. “Scott Look at this it was your precious daughte you just going to stand there and watch? You caused me to lose Katara, and now your daughter is going to ruin my son too?
11 go wrong? I’ve always supported you in everything you wanted to do. But how have you treated me in return?
Do you see how much your daughter has embarrassed Eddy?! Do you know how many people have seen this? How is he supposed to face anyone now? How am supposed to face anyone?”
“Enough!”
Scott’s voice was akin to the low growl of a tired and angry Pitbull “You keep saying Vivienne set up Eddy, so let me ask you a question. Why was he in Vivienne’s dressing room? That room was for Vivienne’s makeup only, even Percival, her fiancé, hasn’t entered it, but Eddy, her cousin, has?”
Scott’s face was dark and frightening. “What was he doing in Vivienne’s dressing room? Where did the voice at the start of the live stream come from? Do you really think I’ve been so out of touch with our family affairs all these years that I now don’t have a brain?”
Baron and Judith stood to the side, watching Paula coldly without speaking
It was clear to anyone with eyes that Eddy had tried to get back at Vivienne and had ended up falling into a trap.
They brought this on themselves, and now Paula was trying to blame Scott?
“So, he can’t go into her dressing room? Eddy is her cousin! Why can’t he call her out of her room? Paula scoffed see how it is now. You’ve never cared about us.” Paula glared at Vivienne and spoke in an ice–cold tone. “You wretch‘ It’s all your fault! Why couldn’t you just stay in the countryside? Why did you come to Rivenwood? Why did you return to the Brooks family? You’re just a jinx! You re the reason why my Katara can’t come back!”
Her voice rose with each accusation She seemed to be teetering on the brink of hysteria.
Ashley, who was standing on the sidelines, finally couldn’t bear it any longer. ‘Paula, don’t you think you’re being a bit harsh?” She interjected Who doesn’t have your back in our family? Aren’t we always giving way to you? And besides, if, as a cousin, I feel awkward entering my cousin’s room, don’t you think it’s even more inappropriate for a man to do so? You’ve been picking on Vivienne from the start, and as for this incident, he got what was coming to him
And more than that, this is Vivienne’s home Why shouldn’t she be able to retum? When Katara went missing, it wasnt Vivienne’s fault, so why are you blaming her? Aren’t you being unfair?”
“Shut your mouth!” Paula snapped. Who asked for your opinion?!”
“I’m just speaking the truth! Besides, you say Vivienne set up our cousin, Eddy, but do you have any proof?” Ashley retorted defiantly
“You” Paula was momentarily speechless
Did she have any proof”
Of course not.
This was supposed to be her weapon against Vivienne.
Why would she leave any proof behind?
“You don’t have any proof! But I do!” Suddenly, Fiona, who had been silent all along spoke up
11:46
Everyone tumed to Fiona, looking dumbstruck.
What was going on?
Wasn’t Percival Fiona’s cousin?
Why was she siding with Paula against Vivienne?
Chapter 276
Richard’s face fell immediately. “Fiona, what nonsense are you talking about?”
Fiona gave them a slight smile, pulled out her phone, and played a recording
The conversation between Paula and Stardust was clearly audible in the hall
How Paula had bribed Stardust and planned to embarrass Vivienne at the family reunion was all revealed
Paula’s face turned pale She never would have thought that Fiona would record her conversation with Stardust.
Especially since she had just assumed that Fiona was on her side
Everyone was stunned
“I can’t believe Paula would be this malicious After all Ms Vivienne is her niece. She even wanted to ruin her niece’s banquet
“Paula once drugged Mark to marry him, causing Mark to break up with his fiancée She has done such things before, so it’s not surprising that she would do it again
“I wonder what Scott is going to do On one hand is his sister, on the other is his daughter
Paula was both angry and anxious as she listened to the conversations around her.
She hurriedly defended herself. “It wasn’t me! That’s not my voice! Fiona is framing me”
“SMACK”
As soon as she finished speaking, Baron slapped her across the face. With such clear evidence, you’re still trying to deny if it seems you didn’t take my waming senously last time!”
For this banquet, they considered Vivienne’s feelings and prohibited Paula from attending.
But she had sneaked in anyway
With so many people present today, he didn’t want to make a scene because of Paula
But who would have thought that she would go as far as to drug Vivienne’s dress?
Baron used all his strength in that slap, so Paula’s face instantly swelled
She covered her face, angrily saying. “Dad‘ Why did you hit me? I’ve said it wasn’t me! It was obviously Vivienne harmed Eddy! You can’t blame me just because of Vivienne
Then, Paula glared at Fiona Fiona is probably in cahoots with Vivienne. Who knows? This might be Richard’s doing! The Ellington family wants to suppress us and the Miller families, so they made up this recording to frame me
Fiona laughed “I hadn’t even met Vivienne before this banquet. How could we conspire to frame you? Can you really say that? If you have doubts about this recording, you can inspect it. We the Ellington family, don’t need to bully an outsider like you.”
Richard’s face improved a lot after hearing the recording.
He was very satisfied with Fiona
Compared to his other grandchildren, apart from Percival, Fiona was the one who pleased him the most.
Members of the Ellington family should present a united front
Percival cast a deep gaze on Fiona
Paula was somewhat flustered How could she inspect it? That was obviously her in the recording
If she inspected it wouldn’t she be admitting her guilt?
At that moment Eddy was brought out from Vivienne’s dressing room by the Miller family’s servant, causing Stardust’s live stream to also shut down.
Seeing this. Paula humed over ‘Eddy, are you okay? Can you tell me what happened? Why were you in Vivienne’s dressing room? Did she kidnap you?
After saying this she gave Eddy a complete once–over
The effects of the drug had completely worn off after his encounter with the man
He was now clear headed, but every time he thought about what he had done with a man
Ugh!
He quickly ran to a comer found a tras can, and vomited violently
When he felt a little better. Eddy charged over with a face tha
With that, he charged at Vivienne
Vivienne stood still and looked at him indifferently with her hands in her pockets.
Percival quickly stepped in front of Vivienne
At the same time, Scott and Leopold rushed over
Leopold aimed a kick at Eddy, targeting his special place.
rienne You
of ground, Eddy let out a yell and hopped around clutching himself.
Boolt mand. Bastard!”
Scott’s fury startled Eddy He hadn’t seen his uncle be angry in a long time and was momentarily scared stiff
Scott’s eyes were filled with a burning rage as he glared at Eddy. I haven’t settled the score with you for framing Vivienne, and now you dare lay a hand on her in public? Do you really think I’m dead?”
“Uncle,
Eddy fell into a sudden panic. He was about to explain when Scott yelled, Tie him up and hand him over to the police! Tell the police that we do not accept any mediation!”
Vivienne, who had been watching coldly from the side, raised her eyes slightly, and her lips curled into an indifferent smile
She was laughing, but nothing about her smile was genuine.
“No” Paula shrieked ‘Brother, you can’t do this to Eddy! He’s your nephew! You caused me to lose Katara, so you can’t let me lose Eddy too!
“Shut up!” Scott commanded coldly, “Because of Katara. I have been tolerating you, but that’s not a reason for you to bully Vivienne again and again! You lost your daughter, so you take it out on mine? What kind of logic is that”
He felt quilty about and responsible for Katara’s loss.
Over the years, he had been secretly and openly supporting Paula, helping her resolve numerous issues. He figured that he had done enough.
“But you still owe me i don’t care! You once promised me a favor, and I want you to let Eddy go! Paula knew that the situation had escalated to a point where nobody would believe her innocence
The evidence was indisputable
If Scott were to dig deeper he would undoubtedly find her connection to Stardust.
Instead of framing Vivienne, she decided to prontize protecting Eddy
Scott furrowed his brows. He had completely forgotten about the promise he made to Paula years ago.
He paused for a moment and turned to glance at Vivienne
She was looking back at him Her face was an unreadable mixture of smiles and seriousness.
Those crystal–clear eyes seemed capable of seeing through everything. It pierced straight into his heart, revealing his true intentions.
“Vivienne, L.
Scott was about to speak when a few uniformed officers walked in
They flashed their badges and continued to professionally address why they had arrived. “Eddy, we need you to come with us. There have been reports of you streaming inappropriate content. Please come with us to assist in our investigation”
Chapter 277
As soon as Eddy heard this, he panicked. “No! I’m not going!”
Last time, he also ended up at the police station because of a scandalous live streaming incident. If he got arrested again, it would be his second round in the
slammer
Worse still, the last time he was arrested, his father brought back Aaron, his illegitimate half–brother
If he got arrested again, he feared his father would give up on him entirely and start grooming Aaron as his successor
How could Aaron deserve that?
The cops, however, weren’t about to let Eddy refuse so easily.
Before he knew it, they had grabbed him.
But somehow, Eddy managed to shake off the cops and, with eyes burning with fury, charged at Vivienne. “Bitch! It’s all your fault! If I’m going down, I’m taking you
with me!”
But as he lunged at her, Percival, who had been shielding Vivienne, swiftly stepped aside.
Vivienne raised her foot and kicked Eddy hard
Caught off guard, Eddy fell to the ground
The cops were about to subdue him when he spotted a fruit knife on a nearby table. in a flash, he lunged for it and thrust it at Vivienne
But Vivienne stood her ground, not moving an inch
Leopold, alarmed, was about to intervene when Percival stopped him. ‘Hold it!”
Before Leopold could react. Vivienne moved
In one swift motion, she launched a fast and powerful attack on Eddy
Her soft–looking fists carried a massive force
She launched blow after blow at Eddy, and Leopold, standing close, could clearly hear the sound of Eddy’s bones cracking.
Suddenly, he understood.
Vivienne kicked Eddy to the ground, casually wiped her hands with a wet wipe from the table, and looked at the cops. “Was I acting in self–defense?”
Everyone was stunned
They hadn’t expected Vivienne, such a beautiful woman, to be so skilled in combat.
The police taken aback for a moment, nodded. “Yes You were acting in self–defense.”
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A radiant smile spread across Vivienne’s face. “Then I’ll leave him to you. I’ll provide evidence of his and Paula’s attempt to drug me
Her face was expressionless as she said, I won’t accept a settlement.”
The police were puzzled Drugging?”
Their report only mentioned Eddy’s inappropriate behavior on a live stream. There was no mention of any drugging.
Vivienne’s lips curled up slightly as she glanced at Scott. Seems like you only got part of the report. Then please take Paula as well. I accuse her of drugging my dress and attempting to have me raped and sold.”
The police immediately became serious Human trafficking was something they had to seriously deal with.
The lead officer approached Paula Miss Paula, please come with us.”
Before Paula could react, she was taken away by the police
The room fell silent as Eddy and Paula were led out.
They looked at Vivienne with new respect
The lady of the Brooks family was not to be underestimated
She was certainly more formidable than Arabella
Mark felt humiliated His wife and son had been arrested for attempting to harm Vivienne
Tomorrow’s headlines would certainly be interesting
He had no idea how to explain this to the elders of the Miller family
Mark looked at the young woman standing nearby
She stood among the crowd, radiating an aura of strength and power One glance at her was enough to draw anybody’s attention
He didn’t know why the young master of the Nine Mystics Society had become the lady of the Brooks family But he knew that he needed to provide her with a satisfactory answer
Otherwise, the Miller family was in danger
-Paula’s drama had ruined the party atmosphere
Mila surveyed the room, then walked over to Scott. Let me play a piece on the piano to lighten the mood”
Dressed in a custom–made gown, she exuded a refined elegance
She was the one who was least amused. She needed to do something before Vivienne stole all the limelight.
Renowned pianist Debra was also invited to the banquet
quests were pleno enthusiasts, so Mila’s offer to play the piano attracted a lot of interest.
As Mila took the stage, Scott approached Vivienne. “I’m sorry, Vivienne. I didn’t expect your cousin to do something like this. Don’t worry, my father won’t let him go
this time”
Vivienne looked at Scott for a long time before finally saying, with a slight a smile, ‘Overconfidence can be dangerous, Mr. Brooks. I’m not Arabella. Play with fire, and the entire Brooks family might get burned”
Scott froze as his eyes locked with Vivienne’s. Those icy, penetrating eyes were just like the ones he used to know. They saw right through him, just like Karen’s did.
She was so much like Karen.
Her intelligence and her aloofness were all so reminiscent of Karen
“I promise you, Vivienne, this won’t ever happen again” Scott said, averting his gaze.
Vivienne scoffed How many times have you made that promise, Mr. Brooks? Your word is worthless!”
With that, she ignored him
Scott’s expression stiffened. “Why don’t you find a place to sit down for a bit? I need to entertain the guests After that, I’ll introduce you to some esteemed guests.”
Without waiting for Vivienne’s response, he hurried off.
Percival moved to Vivienne’s side, taking her hand in his Despite the warm August weather, her hand was as cool as a spring. He wrapped his other arm around her slender waist and murmured into her ear, “You let Eddy off too easily.”
Vivienne glanced back at him as her eyes narrowed slightly with a mischievous glint in their depths. “Did 17”
Vivienne glanced meaningfully towards the entrance.
Chapter 278
Percival smirked “Even breaking his arms and legs won’t be enough”
Eddy lunged at Vivienne, but Percival held back. He watched as Vivienne’s silver needle plunged into Eddy’s flesh
He wasn’t a doctor, so he didn’t know where the needle had hit, but after watching the man go mad, he had to admit that Vivienne had quite the skill.
In front of everyone, Scott decided to hand Eddy over to the police
To outsiders, he appeared to be a righteous man who was willing to turn against his own family for the sake of his daughter. But Percival saw through it. Scott wanted to save Eddy
Once Eddy was in police custody, his life would be spared
Vivienne must have seen it too, that was why she decided to take matters into her own hands
Having been with Vivienne for so long, he knew she didn’t want blood on her hands, which was why she only crippled Eddy
But this punishment was far too lenient
Vivienne looked up at him as a smile suddenly spread across her face. You only saw me breaking his arms and legs, but did you not notice that I fed him my specially prepared poison?”
Percival froze. He hadn’t noticed
Vivienne chuckled but said nothing more
She had fed Eddy her special poison, shadowfall, when she attacked him.
This poison was refined from a hundred different toxic herbs. It was colorless and tasteless
Shadowfall wouldn’t instantly kill a person Instead, it would slowly take over their body. It would feel like a million bugs were gnawing away at them, ultimately affecting their brain and slowly turning them into a lunatic
Moreover, no medical method could detect the presence of this poison
At that moment, Percival handed her a piece of strawberry cake. She took a bite and said nonchalantly. “Soon, he’d be wishing for death
The hard part was wanting to die but not being able to
At the moment, the sound of a piano started to fill the room.
Mila had chosen a rather cheerful piece for the evening.
Perhaps because of the incident that had just transpired, she decided to lighten up the atmosphere with her music.
Mila was indeed a skilled pianist. However, to a connoisseur, something was missing in her performance, especially in comparison to Debra’s
“Mila sure knows how to play the piano She’s a famous pianist, after all. Not to mention, she’s incredibly talented and beautiful. When she stood with Scott earlier they looked like the perfect couple. Someone in the crowd commented
Most of them could only appreciate the beauty of the music but couldn’t discern its imperfections.
“Isn’t it? I heard that she hasn’t remarried since her divorce from William Pendleton The only man she’s been close to is Scott. Don’t you think she’s into him?”
“You didn’t know? It’s not exactly a secret that she’s into Scott. It’s just that Scott hasn’t made any moves.”
“In my opinion, since Scott is still single and Mila is clearly into him, he might as well marry her Especially since a beautiful and talented woman like Mila is hard to come by Plus, she just helped save this banquet. She really does fit the part of the lady of the house.”
“Wouldn’t that mean that Vivienne will have a new mom soon?”
The whispers from the crowd grew louder Mila, who was playing the piano, couldn’t help but smile at the comments. She was rather pleased with herself, so she didn’t even notice a few wrong notes
Calista, standing by the side, looked at Vivienne with a hint of malice and resentment in her eyes.
So, what if she was Mr. Percy’s fiancée?
So, what if she was the Brooks family’s young miss?
As long as her mother married Scott, shed be the lady of the house, and Vivienne would have to live by her rules.
It was a known fact that stepmothers were hard to deal with, and being a stepdaughter was even harder. Especially when you have to live under the thumb of your stepmother
Vivienne heard the whispers and lifted her cool eyes to look at the confident Mila on the stage
–
She wanted to be her mother?
She’d have to see if she was even qualified to have such a thought
Aside from her own mother, only Cordelia Wilson had the right to be called her mother
Mila?
Who did she think she was?
Vivienne put down her cake and headed towards the stage.
She pulled up a chair and sat next to Mila
Mila was taken aback since she was still playing. She almost stopped when she saw Vivienne
Her brows furrowed as she wondered what Vivienne was up to
11:46
Was she planning to play with her?
Could this country girl even play the piano?
Did she even understand music?
She hoped she wasn’t planning on ruining her performance
With these thoughts in mind, Mila abruptly stopped playing and looked at Vivienne “Vivienne, what do you think you’re doing?”
Vivienne gave her a glance “Ms Mila, playing by yourself seems a bit monotonous, how about I join you?”
The Brooks family was taken aback
They knew Vivienne was a good pianist. She was, at the very least, better than Mila.
But why was she suddenly in the mood to play with Mila?
On the other side, Cecilia knew of Vivienne’s talent, but the rest of the Ellington family didn’t. Some were gleeful, hoping to see Vivienne make a fool of herself, while
others were womed.
Mila frowned. “Vivienne, even though you’re Scott’s daughter, there’s a time and place for everything. Your family just went through a scandal, and I’m trying to save your banquet What do you think you’re doing?”
Calista’s face had darkened as well. She immediately chimed in. “Vivienne, playing the piano isn’t as easy as you think. It’s not about hitting a few random keys Please step aside and stop disturbing my mother
Vivienne’s icy gaze swept over Mila and Calista. She didn’t bother to respond, instead, she placed her hands on the piano keys as her fingers slowly and gracefully tapped out a melody
She continued with the song that Mila had left unfinished
But her tone and rhythm were far superior to Mila’s
Her speed was even faster, making the song sound more upbeat and uplifting.
The melodious tune filled the hall, and everyone felt their minds cleaning and their moods improving slightly.
Mila and Calista were completely stunned
What was happening?
How could this country bumpkin play the piano?
Vivienne turned her head and saw Mila’s dumbfounded expression. “Aren’t you going to play?” She indifferently asked.
Vivienne’s question brought Mila out of her daze. After hearing Vivienne’s rendition, a sense of panic unexpectedly rose in her heart
Vivienne was just too good
She felt that her own skills were nowhere near comparable
But with everyone watching her, if she didn’t play, her reputation as a pianist would be tarnished.
Mila hesitated for a moment, then plucked up the courage to play alongside Vivienne.
But the first note she played was wrong
Her mistake was glaringly obvious, and it clashed horribly with Vivienne’s harmonious piano playing.
Chapter 279
Mila’s face had darkened with shame. The confident look on her face was shattered
She couldn’t keep up with Vivienne?!
How could that be possible?
Meanwhile, down in the audience, the people who had been engrossed in Vivienne’s performance all simultaneously furrowed their brows.
They looked at Mila with very annoyed, even sort of disgusted, expressions
“What the heck is Mila playing?! Couldn’t she even get the first note right?”
“She’s a renowned pianist, and she can’t even outshine Vivienne, a country girl? What’s the point of her playing at all? She should just go home, get married, and become a housewife”
“Hurry up and get off the stage! We want to hear Vivienne!”
Everyone chattered as Mila’s face slowly turned a ghastly pale
No! She couldn’t lose to Vivienne!
If she lost, how could she ever become the matriarch of the Brooks family?
How could she handle Vivienne?
She took a deep breath, tried to regain her composure, and lifted her hand to catch up with Vivienne’s rhythm.
However, although she managed to keep up with the first note, she struggled a lot with everything else.
Vivienne seemed to be pressing her down, and she felt weaker and weaker as she played. She even made another mistake in the middle of the piece
When the piece ended, Mila felt as if she were soaked in sweat
She didn’t even have a bit of strength left
Vivienne stood up and looked down at her from a superior position “Mila, your piano skills need more practice. As for becoming the matriarch, you might as well forget that You’d need to practice for a hundred years just to be considered
Mila felt even more shame now.
Although everyone knew she wanted to marry Scott, no one had ever spoken about it openly.
Vivienne not only brought it up in public but also used her piano skills to make her lose dignity.
Was she telling her not to dream of becoming the matriarch of the Brooks family?
Ridiculous!
Who was she to decide that she could not become Scott’s wife?
Vivienne had no right to even speak on this!
The audience gasped in shock
They had already seen that Vivienne was not to be messed with
Now, they realized that not only was Vivienne intimidating, but she also had a bad temper
She was someone who could shame you in public without a hint of remorse.
Just because she didn’t want Mila to be her stepmother, she openly shamed Mila in front of all the prestigious guests.
Mila probably wanted to crawl into a hole and die night now
As for the Brooks family, Baron and Scott watched the scene as their thoughts raced
Scott naturally never thought of marrying Mila, but he never expected Vivienne to have such a strong reaction to the matter of Mila wanting to marry him.
“Humph” Carl suddenly snorted coldly. “She’s just a nobody who’s trying to act important. A newly found daughter wanting to control her own father’s love life?
He had been brooding over the fact that he had been tricked by Vivienne into bidding 12 million dollars for a worthless gemstone
Vivienne was just as annoying as Arabella, especially in his eyes
Moreover, he hoped that his uncle, Scott, could find a wife and start his life anew.
In terms of talent and appearance, he thought Mila was perfectly suitable
Most importantly, Calista was excellent
He liked to interact with excellent people, not with barbaric creatures like Vivienne
While everyone’s thoughts were drifting, Vivienne turned her head and looked at all the quests at her banquet
“Today is my family reunion banquet To thank the Brooks family, I plan to play a solo” She declared
Without giving anyone a chance to refuse, she sat down again and started playing.
Mila had no dignity to stay seated and quickly stood up
She walked over to Calista and glared at Vivienne on stage with a blazing fury
Virienne was wearing jeans and a T–shirt. So, in truth, she looked a bit out of place while sitting in front of the piano
But as she began playing the piano, everyone’s emotions were stirred, and they were drawn into her dream–like piano world.
Her melody was initially gentle and clear. It created a fairyland, leading everyone into a beautiful picture.
*
11:46
her tempo gradually became aggressive, as if a storm were rising. The dream–like scenery shifted, as if everyone in the fairyland had been dragged They were helpless and terrified, and they couldn’t help but scream as numerous emotions bombarded their hearts.
Soon, they felt like something was tightly choking their necks, making it hard for them to breathe. It was like death had arrived and was standing right before them, leaving them completely terrified.
They wanted to break free but found that no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t escape death’s grip
Despair!
Everyone fell into unprecedented despair
Tears of regret streamed down everyone’s face.
Percival, from the audience, looked at Vivienne on stage as a flash of surprise crossed his deep and alluring eyes.
This was the world–renowned piece called “One Step to Heaven, One Step to Hell”
The sounds of the piano struck his heart, suddenly squeezing it with a tight grip
What had she experienced all these years to be able to play such a mournful and harrowing melody?
He abruptly stepped forward and walked towards Vivienne
He wanted to play with her and soothe her sadness.
At this moment, Debra, who had been in the resting room, suddenly rushed out and looked at Vivienne in disbelief
She was playing the piano again
He hadn’t heard her play for a long time.
He suddenly felt inspired.
He quickly rushed towards Vivienne, and before Percival could, he sat next to her as his fingers began dancing on the piano key’s
Percival stopped His deep eyes narrowed, and a chilling frost appeared on his austere face
How dare he sit next to his Vivienne?
He was about to step forward and pull Debra off when Debra’s playing suddenly began, seamlessly blending with Vivienne’s.
After Debra’s relatively soft melody joined her sorrowful and desperate sound, the style of the song slowly changed. It began to feel like a slowly flowing stream.
Percival was upset, but in the end, he didn’t step forward.
With Debra joining in, everyone felt as if they had been pulled back from despair. They now found themselves back in the dream–like fairyland.
When the piece ended, it took a long time for everyone to slowly come back to their senses
Everyone looked at Vivienne, seemingly forgetting how to speak
Mila, Calista, and the others were completely dumbfounded
They never thought that Vivienne could be this talented at playing the piano.
At this moment, someone suddenly shouted, “Moonlight! Shes Master Moonlight!”
“Absolutely! It’s Moonlight! This piece is Moonlight’s ‘One Step to Heaven, One Step to Hell. It tells the story of her blissful past when her mother was still with her and her despair during the dark times after she passed My God! Moonlight hasn’t released any new music in years, I didn’t expect to hear this today.”
“Moonlight’s piano pieces are truly extraordinary I felt as if I were right there experiencing her despair”
“Who said that Ms. Vivienne is a country bumpkin who doesn’t understand anything? This is Moonlight’s music, for heaven’s sake! Her compositions are out of this world! How can you say she doesn’t understand anything?”
There might be people here who don’t understand the piano, but there was absolutely no one who hadn’t heard of Moonlight.
She was a legend in the world of music, and every one of her compositions had won international acclaim.
Unfortunately, Moonlight kept a low profile and didn’t attend any events, so no one knew what she looked like.
Those who previously looked down on Vivienne were completely taken aback
No one would have guessed that Vivienne was none other than the masterful Moonlight
Especially Carl. He was utterly dumbfounded
Scott looked at Vivienne like he was in a daze. So many things were running through his mind
Chapter 280
The room was buzzing with excitement. All the quests were completely captivated by Vivienne’s piano performance
Mila was left speechless. She initially wanted to dominate the room with her status and show that she was destined to become the Brooks family’s matriarch, but Vivienne stole the show.
Debra, who had performed with her, stood up as a rare smile crossed his lips I never thought I’d have the chance to perform with you”
He reached out to shake Vivienne’s hand, but before he could even touch her, Percival, standing next to her with a cold face, blocked him
Percival raised his eyebrows slightly and exuded a menacing aura This alone was enough for Debra to get the message, but he added, “Watch your tone. Don’t touch my fiancée.”
The word ‘fiancee was stressed heavily
Even if one lacked perception, they could hear his strong possessiveness toward Vivienne from his unfriendly tone.
Leopold clicked his tongue twice
Percival was jealous
But Vivienne was the one who was impressive
Vivienne glanced at Percival and calmly explained, “He’s my friend”
Percival kept his brows furrowed and remained silent
However he felt like their relationship wasn’t as simple as that.
This was the Brooks family’s territory and Debra didn’t want to overstay his welcome
After taking notice of Percival’s strong stance, he nodded at Vivienne We’ll catch up when we have time.”
He left for backstage after saying this, leaving Percival pondering the meaning of ‘catch up
Vivienne’s impromptu piano performance on stage had captured everyone’s attention, successfully diverting attention from the previous drama
The banquet continued, with people constantly coming over to engage her in conversation.
“Vivienne, I never thought I’d have the privilege to hear a performance from the master Moonlight. Your performance was truly mesmerizing.”
“Here’s my card Could I invite you for a drink sometime?”
Vivienne declined all of these invitations
She just wanted to show Mila that she wasn’t fit to be her stepmother
She didn’t care for their flattery.
“Vivienne” While she was busy handling the crowd, Fiona approached her with a glass of champagne “Hi, I’m Percival’s cousin, Fiona.”
Vivienne looked up at her as her cold eyes suddenly filled with a strange curiosity.
Was it her imagination?
She felt a sense of familianty with this person, as if she had seen her somewhere before
“Cousin“” Vivienne retracted her gaze and politely greeted her
Fiona nodded. ‘I’m glad that you weren’t affected by the previous incident. Otherwise, I would feel guilty”
Vivienne’s eyes lowered, and her face remained expressionless
She could have handled the previous drama herself
Fiona had provided a recording as evidence, which only added fuel to the fire, leaving Paula with no room to argue
However, how genuine was Fiona’s recording? That was hard to say
If Fiona really wanted to help her, she wouldn’t have waited until Paula had caused such a commotion before revealing the recording.
Vivienne didn’t show any doubt on her face she simply said. “Thank you for your help just now
“It was a small matter just happened to overhear their conversation and recorded it in case it would be harmful to you. I didn’t expect it to come in hands. Fiona i act was flawless
Vivienne’s deep eye slightly narrowed and the comers of her lips slowly lifted, but still her expression remained unreadable.
She just happened to overhear and record it for her benefit?
Ha! What a joke!
Suddenly!
She remembered why Fiona felt familiar
It was her voice
Fiona’s voice was similar to that of the woman who had asked for the boar poison that day
Back then, Isolde had been poisoned in Percival’s place, but who had intended to poison him in the first place was never mentioned. She didn’t know if it was because he couldn’t find out or if he had intentionally let it go
She suddenly remembered that Percival had announced at the engagement party that he had recovered from his disability
At that time, many people from the Ellington family had come so almost all the members of the four branches of the Ellington famdy
Thus, the person who poisoned Percival was from the Ellington family
motion began to well up in her gut as Vivienne’s gazed at Fiona
her exchanging a few more pleasantries, Percival came over
Upon seeing Fiona chatting with Vivienne, a dark light flashed in his ink–colored pupils, and his lips slightly curled into a subtle smirk. He nodded towards her, “Sis.” Fiona was the eldest girl of the Ellington family’s grandchildren. Other than Paul, everyone else called her ‘sis.”
Fiona smiled “Percival, you’re here? Vivienne just came to Rivenwood, so there might be a lot of things she’s not used to. You should accompany her more. After finish handling my studio work in the next couple of days. I’ll invite you two over for dinner”
Percival nodded. “Alright”
After that, Fiona excused herself to meet a friend and left.
After she left, Vivienne looked up at Percival and suddenly said, “Cunning fox”
Percival lightly pinched her nose. “If I’m a cunning fox, you’re a little vixen. We make a perfect pair”
Vivienne smiled and didn’t say anything else
Some things didn’t need to be said. They understood each other.
“Vivienne!‘
At this moment, a handsome young man in casual attire came running over excitedly and began sticking close to Vivienne. It was Aaron
The reason he came here with Mark was all because of Vivienne. Otherwise, even if Mark begged, he wouldn’t have agreed
Now that he finally saw Vivienne he naturally stuck to her like glue, just like he used to before.
Vivienne recognized the person and raised her eyebrows slightly. “When did you get here?”
She was so busy dealing with Eddy that she didn’t notice Aaron’s arrival.
It had been a while since she last saw Aaron, but she remembered him well. After all, he had once participated in tournaments under her guidance. He was a promising player in her eyes
I’ve been here for a bit. I saw you were busy, so I didn’t want to disturb you” Aaron replied
Eddy and Paula were ganging up on Vivienne. He wanted to intervene, but when he saw that Vivienne had everything under control, he decided to stay back
“Mmm” Vivienne nodded in understanding.
“Vivienne Aaron, deviating from his usual calm demeanor, called out to her sweetly. “You have to come back to our team this time and lead us in the tournaments
again”
He couldn’t forget the times when he and Vivienne had fought side by side, guiding their team to a seven–championship winning streak.
Unfortunately, Vivienne left early. Since then, their team had aged Their reaction times had slowed, and their performance had declined
If it weren’t for the new ruling that E–sports players had to be at least eighteen to participate in tournaments, they would have been clobbered by the younger generation
“We’ll talk about it later Vivienne said as her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Aaron was a promising player, but a good player needed a good team for guidance. The current members of his team were no longer suitable partners for him. They served only as a hindrance to him.
However, it wasn’t surprising that Aaron, out of loyalty, chose to stay with his team.
But she didn’t want to lead a team again.
After seeing Aaron’s eager face, she knew that if she refused him directly, he would likely keep pestering her