Chapter 280: It Lasted the Entire Day

After his visit to Everett, Harrison bumped into Warren, who had just arrived. “You’ve returned, Warren.”

Warren nodded. “Grandpa is asleep, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is,” Harrison responded. “He’s getting older, and his health is declining. It’s natural for him to struggle sometimes.”

The Mitchell family seemed cursed with bad luck ever since Vivienne’s departure.

Warren tightened his lips. “Calan’s wife is hosting a charity event soon. I’ll make sure to ease his concerns so that Grandpa doesn’t have to fret.”

“You have our full support,” Harrison said, patting him on the shoulder. “Your grandfather sees great potential in you. That’s why he entrusted you with our family’s legacy, right?”

Warren responded with a distracted nod.

Noticing his son’s weariness, Harrison suggested, “It’s late. Why don’t you get some sleep?”

“Okay,” Warren replied.

As Harrison walked away, Warren hesitated before calling out, “Dad, has Grandpa said anything about Vivienne recently?”

Harrison was visibly surprised. “Vivienne? Is there something I should know?”

Harrison clearly remembered the last time Vivienne made an outrageous demand, leaving a bad impression. Just hearing her name now made him uneasy.

Warren offered a strained smile. “Nothing important. I’m just tired. Good night, Dad.”

He then made his way upstairs. Warren had once believed he could easily manage Vivienne. Yet, the evening’s events had deeply unsettled him. Leaning against the window, he smoked in silence for a long time before calling a private investigator. “I need details on Vivienne Hayes. The more thorough, the better.”

Vivienne arrived back at her apartment and quickly took a shower, planning to speak with Derek. He initiated the call before she could.

Derek’s face, both captivating and commanding, held a striking charm with its sharp features and deep, mysterious eyes that seemed to hide countless secrets. His smile, radiant like moonlight reflecting on water, was effortlessly charming. Yet, when his smile faded, his face took on a distant, starlike quality, both remote and intriguing. It was a face that could easily make someone fall in love at first sight.

“Still up?” they both asked at the same moment.

A brief pause ensued, during which Vivienne found herself smiling unwittingly. Then, after a moment of quiet, Derek’s voice, warm and inviting, filled the silence. “I’ve been thinking about you.”

Vivienne snuggled deeper into her blanket, her smile fading as she noticed the weariness in his eyes. “You look tired; you should sleep.”

“Don’t you miss me?”

“Less than you might think,” she replied playfully, keeping her true feelings hidden. “After all, it hasn’t even been a full day since we last saw each other.”

“I thought about you only once today,” Derek said, “but it lasted the entire day.”

His words, casual yet intense, sent a thrill through her.

“How am I supposed to handle your flattery?” she whispered.

Derek’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “This isn’t mere flattery. These are sincere words from my heart.”

Caught off guard, Vivienne was left speechless by his declaration. In the ensuing silence, a distant plea for mercy was audible from Derek’s background. Vivienne’s expression grew concerned.