Chapter 57

The encounter with Ethan and those two venomous women had drained Vivian's desire to shop. She left the mall immediately and headed straight home.

The next morning, she rose early. Dressed in a sleek black dress, her hair tied back, she stopped by a florist for a bouquet of daisies before driving to the cemetery.

March third. The anniversary of her parents' deaths.

Four years had passed since their suicide. She hadn’t visited them once. People called her heartless, ungrateful—a traitor who abandoned her family to please the Blackwoods.

But no one knew how much she loved them.

She was furious. Furious at their cowardice, their stubborn refusal to keep living, their choice to leave her alone in this world.

For years, she couldn’t bring herself to face their graves. But now, everything was different. The two tiny lives growing inside her had given her the strength to confront the past.

This might be her last visit before leaving Newport City. She didn’t know when—or if—she’d ever return.

Yet when she reached the grave, she froze.

A lavish bouquet lay before the headstone, its petals still fresh, its arrangement exquisitely crafted.

No one had visited her family in years. After the tragedy, relatives had distanced themselves, afraid of being dragged into the scandal.

So who left these flowers?

Puzzled, Vivian paid her respects and turned to leave—until something glinting beside the bouquet caught her eye.

An amber pendant.

She picked it up carefully, studying the intricate carvings inside. It felt familiar, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall where she’d seen it before.

Tucking it into her pocket, she decided to return it to its owner someday.

As she walked back to her car, she didn’t notice the man creeping up behind her.

Just as she opened the door, he lunged forward, arms spread wide.

Walter Reynolds.

"Darling niece!" he exclaimed, beaming. "I’ve finally found you! I’ve missed you so much!"

A reunion after four years should have been touching. But Vivian’s expression turned icy.

"Walter, I haven’t forgotten how you turned your back on us when we needed you most. Stop pretending."

He flinched, avoiding her gaze. "You have to understand, Vivian. Your aunt and I had no choice—we were just trying to survive! Deep down, I still care about you and your mother—"

She cut him off. "Spare me the act. What do you want?"

His eyes gleamed with greed as he rubbed his hands together. "I heard you’re divorcing Nathaniel. The Blackwoods are filthy rich—you must have gotten a hefty settlement, right? How about helping your dear uncle out?"

Amused, Vivian decided to humor him. "What kind of help?"

"Just a small loan. A few million, nothing major! I’m in desperate need!"

She smirked. "I didn’t get a cent from the Blackwoods. Just a law firm."

His face twisted in disbelief. "What? That stingy bastard gave you nothing but a worthless firm?"

"Not a dime."

Then she remembered. "Did you leave those flowers on my parents’ grave?"

He hesitated before forcing a smile. "Of course! Your mother loved flowers. As her brother, it was the least I could do."

Vivian almost laughed. There was no way her cheap uncle had bought those expensive flowers—or dropped that pendant.

Still, he was her mother’s brother. She wouldn’t be cruel.

"If you’re really struggling, I can get you a job once the firm’s under my control."

Without waiting for a response, she rolled up her window and sped off, leaving Walter coughing in the exhaust fumes.

"Ungrateful brat!" he shouted after her. "Who do you think you are?"

But as her car disappeared, his expression darkened.

The Blackwoods wouldn’t let her walk away empty-handed… would they?

Rubbing his chin, a plan began to form in his mind.