The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne) novel Chapter 683

Night fell over the Brooks household.

Kala and Darren ambled into their home, exhausted from an evening event, too tired to even think about removing their makeup.

Ronald was lounging in the living room; upon seeing them, he greeted them with a grin. "You guys are back. There's some goodies in the kitchen."

Kala stretched languidly, about to respond, when a knock came at the door. "Who could that be at this hour?"

The door swung open to reveal a familiar figure, and Kala paused, blinking in disbelief.

Rubbing her eyes and looking again, she exclaimed, "Vivienne?"

She was utterly baffled!

Ever since the Brooks family had been rocked by the scandal involving Scott and Judith, Vivienne had become a stranger to their home.

Although Kala and Vivienne occasionally crossed paths, those instances were few and far between.

Vivienne was always so busy, hardly ever seen.

Kala recalled that the last time they had met was six months ago, a brief encounter en route to the office, nothing more than a hurried greeting before going separate ways.

But now, an uneasy premonition nagged at her – what could Vivienne's unexpected visit signify?

Since their grandmother's passing, Vivienne had moved out of the Brooks residence, and her last visit had been to confront Scott.

Without any apparent reason, Vivienne's sudden arrival couldn't help but stir fears of impending bad news.

Please, no more shocks – her fragile heart couldn’t take it!

Ronald, equally surprised by the late visit, managed to say, "Vivienne, what brings you here all of a sudden? Is there something wrong?"

Vivienne looked up at him, a slight smile gracing her lips. "Am I not welcomed?"

"How could you not be?" Ronald was quick to usher her inside, chuckling. "We're delighted to have you; of course, you're welcome! Please, have a seat!"

Vivienne settled onto the couch, turning to Kala. "How have you been lately?"

Relieved to see Vivienne's smiling face, which didn't seem to portend trouble, Kala felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

She grabbed a soda from the fridge for Vivienne, saying cheerfully, "I've been great, actually. Just snagged an award for Best Actress, and in a few days, I'm off to shoot a movie directed by a renowned filmmaker. It's a script I'm really excited about."

Vivienne nodded. "Sounds fantastic! Keep it up!"

Kala hummed in agreement, then asked, "And you? How have things been for you? I saw on your Facebook yesterday that you and Mr. Ellington got hitched?"

Kala had once harbored feelings for a man who had helped her, swearing she would marry him. But recently, she discovered that the man was none other than Percival!

Far from envying Vivienne's marriage to Percival, Kala was genuinely happy for her. To Kala, the man who had helped her was no more than a shadow. Until she had learned it was Percival, she didn't even know what he looked like. Had he been single, she would have pursued him without hesitation. But now, she graciously stepped aside, wishing Percival and Vivienne nothing but happiness.

"Yep." Vivienne replied with a soft smile.

The trio chatted casually until Vivienne turned to Ronald, her tone shifting. "I came to tell you that Carl's been found."

The curve of Vivienne's lips grew more pronounced. "Surprised?"

Ronald's eyes, deep and probing, sought some sign of uncertainty on Vivienne's face.

He found none.

Throughout their exchange, Vivienne's smile remained, serene yet chilling. And in those cool eyes, a frosty edge gleamed.

The better he knew her, the more Ronald understood: such smiles were harbingers of her fury.

Ronald gazed at Vivienne for a long while before slowly averting his eyes. He picked up the glass Kala had just filled for him and drained it in one gulp. Setting the empty glass down, he looked at Vivienne again. "Yeah, it's a shocker. When did you find out? I thought I had my act down pat!" After a brief pause, he added, "Was it just because of Carl's phone call?"

"When?" Vivienne leaned back on the couch, her pale, slender fingers pressing against her temples as if deep in thought.

"Maybe it was the day Scott got busted, your covert exchanges with him? Or was it the day Judith died, the drugs you pumped into her that sent her over the edge? Or even earlier?"

Ronald looked at her, his face a mask of shock, while his mind was in turmoil. She had known all along.

It took him a moment to collect himself before he spoke slowly. "If you knew all along, why didn't you expose me? Why let me beat Carl to a pulp and have him shipped off to M State in a coma?"

Vivienne's smile widened. "I thought someone as smart as you would have figured out why I haven't made my move against you yet!"

Almost instantly after Vivienne's words dropped, Ronald replied, "Because of F-Poison!"

Her smile grew even more radiant. "Ronald, you're truly worthy of being one of Scott's protégés, handpicked for F-Poison!"