Skip to content
Novel Catalog
Chapter_77
Vivienne stood in North Shire, frustration radiating from her as she glared at the old lady in front of her. “Quit tailing me, please,” she snapped coldly.
The old woman’s expression softened with sorrow. “Missy, could you lend me a hand? I’m broke, I lost my phone, and I can’t get in touch with my family.”
Vivienne’s frustration deepened. “I’m not a saint,” she retorted, her voice sharp. She had made the mistake of helping the old lady earlier, thinking it would be a simple favor. That was before everything spiraled out of control.
She had started her journey down from Emerald Mountain early this morning, planning to catch the first flight to Havenwood. But, shortly after descending, she had found the old lady being harassed by a group of thugs demanding money. Seeing the old woman’s pitiable state, Vivienne had intervened, taking care of the situation with ease. But it didn’t end there. The old lady had stuck to her like glue.
When Vivienne learned the old woman was from Rivenwood, she figured it wouldn’t be too much trouble to help her get to the airport since that was where she was headed anyway. However, things only grew more complicated as they tried to make their way there. They were cut off multiple times by different groups of people, none of them connected to the previous thugs. It wasn’t until she had taken out each group that Vivienne realized she had missed her flight to Havenwood.
Frustrated, Vivienne had decided to ditch the old lady and continue alone, but no matter where she went, the woman followed her. Eventually, Vivienne relented and decided to take the old lady with her to the airport. She had initially planned to ask Matthew for a car, but she was concerned about the woman’s odd behavior. Instead, she hired a cab, only to have it abandoned halfway by a terrified driver when more people appeared chasing the old lady.
Now, Vivienne was walking alone, trying to make her way to Havenwood, but the woman followed at a distance, too afraid to speak. Finally, things escalated further when the people after the old lady turned their attention to Vivienne. They were no longer chasing the old woman but targeting her instead.
Out of options, Vivienne fought off the attackers without the help of her usual knockout drugs. She was livid. The whole situation was turning into a nightmare.
The old lady, noticing Vivienne’s irritation, sighed deeply. “You’re a good egg,” she said sincerely. “I know I’ve been a pain in the neck, but once I find my family, I’ll make it up to you. Please, just get me to the airport.”
Vivienne took a deep breath, trying to suppress the mounting tension. “I’ll say this one last time. Stop following me.”
But the old lady quickly caught up with her. “Could you lend me some money then? I’m sure they won’t chase me anymore now that we’re in Havenwood. I’ll just take a cab to the airport.”
Vivienne rubbed her temples in frustration. “I don’t carry cash. Everything I have is in my mobile banking app. You lost your phone, so how am I supposed to give you money?”
The old lady was on the verge of tears. “Could you just take me with you? My son and I came up to Emerald Mountain to find Finnian, but I got separated from him during all this chaos. I wouldn’t bother you if I had any other option.”
Vivienne’s eyes narrowed. “Finnian? You know him?”
The old woman nodded eagerly. “Yes! We heard Finnian was on Emerald Mountain. We needed to speak with him, but the mountain’s too complicated, and we got lost. You know him, don’t you?”
Vivienne stared at her for a long time, processing the information. Finally, she asked, “What’s your connection to Finnian?”
The old lady hesitated, as if trying to choose her words carefully. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. I swear, I’m not a bad person. It’s those other people who are causing all the trouble.”
Vivienne, unimpressed, shot back, “Do bad people have ‘I’m a bad egg’ written on their faces?”
“I assure you, I’m not a bad person,” the old lady said with sincerity, though it sounded somewhat rehearsed.
Vivienne didn’t respond to that comment. She had heard enough. After a brief silence, she said, “I’ll take you to the airport. But remember, if anything else happens, you’re on your own.”
The old lady nodded eagerly. “Okay, I promise this is the last time I ask for help. If anyone comes after me again, it’s just my bad luck.”
Vivienne didn’t say anything more, choosing to continue walking with the old lady. They had only made it a little further when a car suddenly appeared.
Vivienne looked up in surprise. It was Percival’s car. He had arrived, but she was momentarily taken aback.
The car pulled up, and Percival stepped out, looking far more capable than she expected. His usual wheelchair was nowhere to be seen.
“Vivienne, what happened?” Percival asked, his tone both concerned and relieved.
Vivienne’s mouth fell open slightly as she took in the sight of him standing there, fully mobile. “You?”
Percival smiled at her surprised expression. “Yes, me. It’s time for my ‘disability’ to be retired.”
Vivienne’s jaw dropped. “Wait, so you were pretending this whole time?”
Percival chuckled, his grin widening. “Not exactly pretending, more like playing the part. I needed to understand how people would treat me, and I learned more than I expected. But honestly, I’m tired of it. Let’s focus on getting you back on track.”
Leopold, who had been quietly observing, added with a smirk, “Yeah, it’s time to end the charade. Percival’s been doing a lot more than you think, Vivienne. Sometimes, you need people to underestimate you to see what they’re really like.”
Vivienne blinked, still trying to process this revelation. “So, what now? Are you done playing games?”
Percival’s expression softened. “It’s not about games. It’s about control. Sometimes, it’s better to let people believe what they want, so you can work behind the scenes. But now? Now I just want to make sure you’re safe and the engagement goes smoothly.”
Vivienne took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his words. “I don’t know which is worse—being stuck with that old lady or dealing with this family drama.”
Leopold laughed softly. “Welcome to the world of the Ellingtons. It’s never simple.”
As the car doors opened and they made their way inside, Vivienne couldn’t shake the sense that things were getting more complicated by the second. The engagement wasn’t just a simple party anymore—it was turning into something much bigger, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for it.
“Ready?” Percival asked, looking at her with a smile.
Vivienne hesitated, but then nodded. “Ready. Let’s go finish this.”
They all got into the car, and as it headed for the hotel, Vivienne couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of gratitude and trepidation. The engagement party was far from over, but what awaited them was going to change everything.
