Chapter 202: Don’t Test the Limits of My Patience

“Vivienne, I’ll shoulder all the blame. Every consequence, every responsibility—it falls on me alone. Natalie is innocent in all of this!” Warren declared, wrapping his arms protectively around Natalie’s trembling form.

Tears streamed down Natalie’s face as she gazed up at Warren. “Please, you don’t understand. These feelings, this situation—everything spiraled because of me. You shouldn’t suffer for my mistakes…”

A hollow smile played across Vivienne’s features, her eyes remaining cold and distant. “How tiresome. Must you both recite the same tired lines? Perhaps you could devise something more original?”

Scattered laughter rippled through the gathering crowd. Natalie’s complexion flushed crimson, her eyes darting nervously as humiliation and fury warred across her features.

“I’ll do anything—anything at all—if you could find it in your heart to forgive me,” Warren implored, his voice thick with desperation.

Vivienne’s lips curved into a cruel smile, mockery dancing in her gaze. “You think sincere apologies erase betrayal? We’re not children playing in a sandbox. Actions have consequences, and yours demand retribution. You conspired behind my back, shattered my trust, and now expect a simple ‘sorry’ to mend everything? How disappointingly naive. I’ve never been one to dismiss such treachery with a wave of my hand!”

Her words carried an unmistakable threat—today would mark the beginning of the Mitchell family’s disgrace. The onlookers remained silent, understanding that Vivienne’s ice-cold demeanor was justified. They were merely spectators to this unfolding drama, and the deep-seated animosity between Vivienne and the Mitchells remained beyond their concern. Their restraint in not openly celebrating this spectacle already demonstrated remarkable civility.

Besides, Warren and Natalie had made their bed. No one would shed tears if they had to lie in it.

“Please accept my deepest regrets for disrupting your engagement celebration,” Vivienne announced, her expression betraying nothing but contempt. “May your union be blessed with all the loyalty and honesty it deserves!”

She turned on her heel, moving purposefully toward the exit when Everett’s voice rang out. He approached slowly, supported by Harrison. “Consider the past, Vivienne. Remember when Warren risked everything to save you from those criminals? Surely that counts for something?”

A dangerous glint flickered in Vivienne’s narrowed eyes. The audacity of Everett attempting to manipulate her with past debts struck her as particularly desperate.

Everett withered under her glacial stare, his earlier confidence evaporating. “Three years of memories—they can’t all mean nothing, can they?”

“Indeed,” Melissa interjected eagerly. “Everyone deserves a second chance. The Mitchell family embraced you as our own. Couldn’t you find it in your heart to forgive?”

“Forgiveness?” A chilling smile spread across Vivienne’s features. “How convenient for the guilty to preach mercy. I take pleasure in watching karma unfold, in witnessing justice served. It brings me satisfaction to see betrayers reap what they’ve sown. Consider yourselves fortunate I’ve shown such restraint today. Don’t test the limits of my patience further!”

With those final cutting words, she strode purposefully toward the exit, leaving a wake of stunned silence behind her.