Chapter 136: Annie’s Ambition
Outside the ward.
As Vivian Lowell walked past Lawyer Donovan, she still felt a tiny bit nervous. After all, when Lawyer Donovan was just speaking with Julian Faulkner, Vivian was standing not too far away. If Lawyer Donovan recognized her, it would be really hard to explain. Fortunately, she had come well-prepared. Wearing a face mask and non-prescription glasses, it wouldn’t be easy for someone unfamiliar with her to recognize who she was.
"You..." Lawyer Donovan took a second look at Vivian, seemingly sensing something amiss.
Vivian’s heart beat a little faster, her nerves flaring up.
"Lawyer Donovan." Just then, Annie called out from inside the ward. Lawyer Donovan glanced at Vivian one last time before heading inside, apparently not spotting any issues.
Once the door clicked shut, Vivian hid in a corner behind it, ready to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"What did the Faulkner family say? Did you bring up my demands? Ten million, and not a penny less."
"Ms. Adler, I’m afraid President Faulkner of the Faulkner Group is extremely difficult to deal with. Just now..." Lawyer Donovan recounted what had just happened to Annie.
Hearing the words "ten million, and not a penny less," Vivian was absolutely flabbergasted. This Annie was truly as greedy as a lion. Setting aside whether Grandma Faulkner actually had anything to do with the incident, if a miscarriage alone could net Annie a ten million settlement... then Vivian was certain that by tomorrow, the scammers staging accidents at the Faulkner Group’s entrance would line up all the way down the block from Chaoyang to Qianmen Street. It was utterly absurd.
Inside, Annie flew into a rage after hearing what Julian had said to Lawyer Donovan.
"This Julian Faulkner is just as difficult as they say! Hmph, I underestimated him!" Annie sounded furious. She spat out a few English curses before continuing, "When his legal team comes, stick to my demands. Ten million, not a penny less. Otherwise, I will..."
Vivian strained her ears, eager to catch every word. Unfortunately, Annie seemed to be extremely cautious. She stopped right there, and the conversation between her and Lawyer Donovan died down.
Vivian felt a wave of regret at missing the crucial piece of information. Annie’s "otherwise, I will..." sounded like she was hiding an ace up her sleeve. She wondered what that trump card could be.
Vivian was completely clueless. Hearing approaching footsteps from within the ward—which meant Lawyer Donovan was about to come out—she didn’t dare linger and hurried away.
When she returned to Grandma Faulkner’s room, Vance Wyatt had already arrived with the care workers. Two towering bodyguards, both standing at one point nine meters tall, stood guard at the door. With their hands clasped behind their backs and holding stun batons, their imposing presence made Vivian shudder. She thought to herself that these guys looked even more intimidating than armed police officers. Only Vance could have managed to find people like this to protect Grandma Faulkner.
However, seeing them gave Vivian a strong sense of security. Just one look at these men made it clear they weren’t to be trifled with, which would deter anyone from coming around to cause trouble.
Stepping up to the ward door, Vivian was just about to knock when the two stoic bodyguards simultaneously bowed ninety degrees and greeted her respectfully. "Good day, Madam."
Vivian jolted in surprise once again. She cleared her throat awkwardly. She could tell that the two musclemen were trying their best to keep their voices down so as not to disturb Grandma Faulkner inside, but they had still nearly scared the life out of her.
Vivian was one point seven meters tall herself, but standing in front of these two giants, she felt incredibly petite. She wasn’t used to this at all. Offering them an awkward smile and a nod, she said, "You’re too polite. You don’t need to greet me like this next time."
"Yes, Madam!" The two hulking men bowed respectfully once again.
Vivian shot them a speechless glance. It felt like they hadn’t understood a word she said, but at least they didn’t bow again, keeping it from being overly dramatic. She was certain Vance was the one who had taught them to do that, and she made a mental note to interrogate him about it the next time she saw him.
As she was thinking this, Grandma Faulkner’s soft, gentle voice drifted out from behind the door. "Is Vivian back?"
Realizing that Grandma was awake, Vivian tossed her random thoughts aside and quickly entered the room.
Grandma Faulkner had already been helped up by Julian. Propped up against the pillows, she was eating porridge—meat porridge, it seemed, judging by the savory aroma wafting through the air. It smelled very similar to the lunch Julian had prepared for her earlier. It was highly nutritious and perfect for an elderly person with a fragile constitution, rich enough to nourish without being too heavy for her weak stomach to handle.
"Grandma, I just stepped out for a bit, but I’m back to keep you company now! Why aren’t you sleeping? Are you all rested up?" Upholding her duties as the granddaughter-in-law, Vivian approached with considerate warmth. "I just saw the flowers blooming downstairs earlier. They’re big and red, kind of like Chinese roses. Grandma, would you like to see some flowers? Should I go to the florist later and buy a basket to put in the room? That way, the smell of disinfectant won’t be so overwhelming!"
Grandma Faulkner smiled at her words. Setting down her bowl and spoon, she looked at Vivian happily. "That sounds lovely. I just know our Vivian is the best. But let Julian handle buying the flowers! Grandma wants you to stay with me!"
Julian’s eyes twitched slightly in confusion. He suddenly felt like his own grandmother was giving him the cold shoulder. Was it just because he had made her take her medicine? Grandma didn’t like taking bitter medicine. Julian had urged her to take it, insisting it was good for her health, and now she was upset. She was acting exactly like a petulant child.
Helpless against both his grandmother and Vivian, Julian could only sigh in resignation. "Alright. I’ll buy whatever kind of flowers you like, Grandma."
Later that afternoon in Aethelburg, the sun broke through the clouds. The warm rays felt incredibly comfortable against the skin, carrying the crisp scent of spring.
Vivian and Julian went out together to buy flowers. Grandma had fallen back asleep. With Ms. Shaw and a female care worker watching over her in the room, Vivian and Julian felt perfectly at ease leaving her side.
Just then, Vivian’s phone rang.
She pulled it out and frowned when she saw "Rachel Faulkner" flashing on the screen. Instinctively, she held the phone out to Julian. She wondered why Rachel was calling her.
Vivian’s intuition told her that Rachel was definitely displeased about being sent home by Julian that morning. Knowing Rachel’s personality, whether she truly cared about Grandma Faulkner or had ulterior motives, she would undoubtedly want to come back to the hospital.
Rachel had chosen not to call Julian because she knew he was unyielding; once he made a decision, it was nearly impossible for anyone to change his mind. Vivian, however, was a different story. Rachel probably thought Vivian would be much easier to deal with.