Chapter 228: Sacrificing My Dignity for Your Comfort

Warren lowered his gaze, his voice barely a whisper. “I’m sorry…”

The words had barely left his lips when Vivienne’s hand struck his cheek with a resounding crack.

“Your apologies mean nothing!” Vivienne’s voice trembled with years of pent-up fury. “I devoted three years of my life to the Mitchell family, and this is how you repay me?”

Her eyes blazed with unbridled anger. “Now that scandal threatens your precious reputation, you sacrifice me as your scapegoat, leaking my personal information to the vultures. Have you forgotten your roots? The Mitchell family’s rise to prominence in Lyhaton rests on my shoulders. Your current glory? That was my doing—Vivienne Hayes’s legacy. What would you be without me?”

Warren’s jaw clenched at her accusations, his words emerging through gritted teeth. “I’m sorry…”

“Silence!” Vivienne’s hand whipped through the air again, landing another stinging blow.

Warren’s head snapped to the side, a crimson handprint blooming on his cheek, yet he remained motionless.

“Let me remind you—I never sought the Mitchell family’s wealth or the empty title of Mrs. Mitchell. Yet you persist in tormenting me. Now you stoop to framing me, hiding behind Diana’s supposed naivety. Tell me, Warren, why does Diana Mitchell still act like a child well into her twenties? Is that why you so confidently use her age as a shield?”

A shadow crossed Warren’s features as he caught her implication, darkness seeping into his gaze.

“This falls on the Mitchell family, Vivienne. I’ll make whatever amends I can. Show some mercy—don’t hold this against Diana. If this escalates, we’ll both face public humiliation. Surely you see that?”

A bitter laugh escaped Vivienne’s lips. “Ah, so when sweet words fail, you resort to threats?”

“That’s not what I meant…” Warren’s voice withered under her fierce interruption.

“Then enlighten me.” Vivienne’s voice cut like steel. “Should I be appeased by a bank card? Or perhaps I should graciously forgive these despicable actions because you muttered an apology? Was this entire online charade orchestrated to force me into submission, to bend to the Mitchell family’s whims?”

Warren stared at the formidable woman before him, his patience evaporating. “Vivienne, for once, listen reasonably. Why can’t you show understanding like Natalie?”

“Understanding? You mean sacrificing my dignity for your comfort?” Contempt dripped from her words. “I’m not that person, Warren. I’ve never let an insult go unanswered. Yes, I helped elevate the Mitchell family, giving you the audacity to test my limits repeatedly. But that ends now. Watch closely as I dedicate myself to returning the Mitchell family to their humble beginnings.”

Her words hammered against Warren’s consciousness, his pupils dilating with turbulent emotions as he regarded her.

Vivienne, unmoved, tucked her phone into her handbag and turned toward her car. At the last moment, she paused, as if struck by a thought. She half-turned, her voice carrying an ominous chill. “Warren, have you ever visited Forestvale?”