Chapter 123
As Winifred made her way downstairs, she noticed Vivian surrounded by a crowd. She only spared her a quick glance before looking away, not lingering for even a second.
Vivian, as if she could sense something, looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of Winifred’s turned face. That strange yet familiar feeling made her heart skip a beat with anticipation. She started weaving through the crowd, heading straight for her.
But in the blink of an eye, Winifred had already vanished without a trace. For a moment, Vivian wondered if she’d just imagined the whole thing.
Sienna noticed Vivian glancing around, as if searching for someone.
She asked, “What’s wrong?”
Vivian shook her head. “N–Nothing, Sis.”
She almost said what was on her mind but swallowed the words. It was just a glimpse of a figure – maybe she was just seeing things.
Besides, after all these years, they’d never even met before. She couldn’t be sure it was really her.
The Winslow family had targeted the Hart family before, and now they didn’t know how to smooth things over. Every single one of them cursed at Sheryl, calling her an ungrateful brat who was always messing things up and never did anything right.
Sheryl’s older brother, Nathan, a notorious playboy with a reputation for being a ladies’ man, was dragged here by Henry, and he wasn’t happy about it at all.
What’s so great about this place? There aren’t even any pretty girls around, he thought. But then Henry pulled him over to chat with some people from Hart Corporation, and that was when he saw Vivian. She looked just like the girl he’d always imagined–soft features, an air of quiet innocence, radiating the kind of gentle grace that made him think of fresh-picked lilies.
He tried to strike up a conversation with her, but Vivian only gave him a perfunctory reply. Not willing to give up, he continued to try to get her to notice him and couldn’t take his eyes off her.
When Sienna descended the stairs and locked eyes with him—that piercing, glacial stare—Nathan’s blood seemed to turn to ice. A visceral chill crawled down his back, freezing him in place.
He quickly looked away, thinking her glare was too terrifying.
When Henry found how Sienna and Vivian were barely giving Nathan the time of day, he fumed.
Who do they think they are! Just a couple of women in dresses, strutting around instead of staying at home where they belong – what a disgrace. And they even had the nerve to turn down his business proposal!
Seriously, do they really think they can get a foothold in Vallari? They don’t know what’s good for them. Give them an inch and they want a mile – so shameless, he grumbled.
Winifred sat motionless in the car, her task complete but her mind clearly elsewhere. Ryan called her name several times, yet she remained lost in thought, oblivious to his voice.
“Huh? Were you talking to me?” she finally asked.
Ryan nodded. “Yeah, Winifred, I’ve called you three times already. What’s up? Did someone spot you back there?”
Winifred shook her head and turned to look out the window. “No, I was just thinking about something. Let’s go home.”
“Okay,” Ryan nodded.
When they got back, she checked the surveillance footage of Jocelyn, who was so terrified she’d wet herself and was completely losing her mind. Winifred waved her hand in disgust. “Send her back.”
“Okay,” Ryan immediately executed her order.
Linda had conducted an exhaustive search for Jocelyn, yet the only information she uncovered was an implausible claim about her daughter traveling abroad – a notion Linda immediately dismissed. Given their dire financial circumstances, such extravagant travel was utterly inconceivable.
The discovery of ten million dollars deposited in Jocelyn’s account struck Linda with profound shock. This staggering sum raised disturbing questions about its origins and her daughter’s sudden disappearance.
With no leads and no communication, Linda found herself confronting a painful possibility, “Has Jocelyn deliberately abandoned her to pursue a life of luxury alone?”
Linda nearly walked right past the trash bin before recognizing the hunched figure beside it. Jocelyn–her bright, beautiful daughter–sat curled in on herself, eyes vacant and clothes filthy.
“My daughter! My poor daughter!” she cried out.