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Chapter_75
Vivienne’s lips quirked into a slight smile, her thoughts swirling with irony. What a tangled web we weave, she mused internally. She hadn’t meant to get involved with the Redwoods, yet here she was, in the middle of their family drama after having unknowingly saved their grandmother.
Charlotte looked at Mrs. Redwood in confusion, clearly baffled by the situation. “Mom, what’s going on here?”
Mrs. Redwood, sensing the growing tension, took a deep breath and began explaining. “We only arrived today. Your grandmother wanted to buy some pastries from Crystal Bakery, but parking there is a nightmare. Your father and the driver waited in the car while I went with her. After we bought the pastries, your grandmother suddenly fainted. We didn’t have our phones with us—just a little cash—and I was panicking. But this lady here helped us. Thanks to Vivienne, your grandmother’s fine now.”
Charlotte’s eyes filled with gratitude as she turned to Vivienne. “Vivienne, you’re our family’s savior! How can I thank you? Should I offer myself to you?” she joked playfully, trying to lighten the mood.
Vivienne raised an eyebrow and replied, dryly, “I’m not into women.”
Charlotte burst out laughing and then, with a mischievous grin, wrapped an arm around Vivienne’s neck. “Neither am I, but I’m into you. How about you consider marrying me?”
Vivienne smacked her forehead, shaking her head in disbelief. “My mom would rise from her grave to scold me for this!”
Charlotte chuckled, letting go of her playful joke. Vivienne, ever the professional, quickly turned back to the matter at hand. “So, who do you need me to treat?” she asked, shifting her focus.
“My grandma,” Charlotte answered earnestly.
Vivienne froze for a moment, a bit stunned. “After I treated your grandma with acupuncture, she was fine. She just needs a full-body check-up, and if there’s any issue, we can just prescribe medication.”
Charlotte shook her head, frustrated. “You don’t understand. After you saved my grandma, my parents immediately took her to the hospital. It was the closest one, a private facility. As soon as we arrived, they arranged for her to be admitted and did a bunch of tests. It’s been hours, and they’ve scheduled more tests for the day after tomorrow.”
Charlotte’s voice was tinged with anger. “Spending money isn’t the issue. The problem is, the doctor said my grandma’s condition was really serious. It scared us half to death! We’re hesitant to transfer her to another hospital, and that’s why I thought of you, Vivienne. Can you please check on her? Make sure she’s really okay?”
Vivienne felt a pang of disbelief. Unethical doctors who perform admissions without any real examination? she thought, shaking her head in disbelief. How money-hungry can they be?
“Fine,” Vivienne said, finally relenting. “I’ll take a look.”
They led her to the ward, where Clara was sitting up in bed, looking surprisingly lively.
Upon seeing Vivienne, Clara attempted to stand. “Isn’t this the young lady who saved me? Quick, help me up. I owe you a big thank you.”
Mrs. Redwood hurried to support her, but Vivienne calmly motioned for Clara to lie back down. “There’s no need for formalities. Lie down first; let me check you over.”
Clara obeyed without protest, lying back down.
Vivienne performed a quick examination, her fingers deftly pressing and prodding. After a moment, she spoke with calm certainty. “Your previous episode was treated with my acupuncture. It won’t recur. But you’re older now, and there are some minor health issues. It’s nothing serious, but you don’t need to stay hospitalized for it.”
“I knew it!” Clara grumbled, clearly upset. “Those doctors are just swindlers! All they want is to con people out of their money.”
Vivienne didn’t comment on that but reached into her pocket, pulling out two small pills. “Take these. They’ll help with the minor issues, and you won’t have to worry about them anymore.”
Clara eyed the pills, suspicious but hopeful. “These must be expensive, right?” She had lived a long life and encountered many different kinds of people. Vivienne’s acupuncture skills were already beyond many famous doctors, and with that level of skill, these pills surely couldn’t be cheap. Clara wondered if Vivienne planned to give them to her for free.
“It’s not expensive,” Vivienne replied with a smile, which only enhanced her charm.
Clara and Mrs. Redwood exchanged a glance, then smiled in unison. “Alright, we’ll buy them.”
“Alright,” Vivienne said, handing them over.
At that moment, the door swung open, and a man in his forties entered, dressed in a sharp suit. It was Charlotte’s father, Anthony Redwood, the chairman of Redwood Group.
As soon as Anthony walked in, Mrs. Redwood greeted him warmly. “Anthony, this is Ms. Vivienne, the one who saved our mother. Can you believe she’s the Vivienne that Charlotte’s always talking about?”
Mrs. Redwood quickly recounted the whole story, and Anthony chuckled. “I never thought our daughter would start learning on her own without our teaching. And I hear it’s all thanks to you. I’ve been wanting to thank you personally. If you’re free, maybe we could treat you to a meal? What do you say?”
Vivienne, polite but firm, declined. “I appreciate the offer, but I have something else to attend to today. I’ll come by and visit you another time.”
She stayed just long enough to check on Clara and ensure she was fine before leaving.
Once outside the hospital, Vivienne’s phone buzzed with a call from Percival.
He asked if she was done and if she wanted to join him and the others for dinner. Vivienne asked for the location and made her way there. The restaurant was not far from Tranquil Estates, and after dinner, Thaddeus and Isolde fell asleep from exhaustion, having played all day. Vivienne drove them back to Tranquil Estates.
Earlier, Percival had mentioned that he wanted Isolde to stay there, but some things hadn’t been arranged yet. Today seemed like a good opportunity, so Isolde stayed the night.
The following day, Vivienne drove to Emerald Mountain, informing Dorian and Cordelia that she had some important matters to attend to for the next two days but would return before the engagement.
On the third day, Vivienne and Percival’s engagement party caused quite a stir throughout the city.
The news that the legitimate daughter of the Hawthorn family and Percival, a key figure in the Ellington family, were getting engaged sent shockwaves through the media.
The engagement party was held at the Azure Hotel—a mid-tier venue. Dorian and Cordelia did their best to make the event elegant, but the choice of location left many unimpressed.
Michael Hawthorn scowled as he surveyed the venue. “When Mom suggested handling the engagement party, you insisted on taking the reins. Look at the kind of hotel you’ve picked!” He frowned. “Are you aware of the Ellington family’s status? This hotel is beneath us! It’s an insult to our dignity. And what on earth are you wearing? Can’t you even afford decent clothes? You’re making a spectacle of us on such an important occasion!”
