Chapter 138: Annie’s Move
Vivian Lowell didn’t recognize the lawyer. However, she could tell that Julian Faulkner’s expression shifted slightly the moment he saw the man. He clearly knew him. Moreover, the lawyer’s hurried demeanor gave off an ominous feeling. Vivian wondered if there was some unexpected development.
Lawyer Zane walked over and said, "Annie has produced a piece of evidence that is somewhat detrimental to us. After reviewing it, we felt... it would be best to inform you, President Faulkner."
With that, Lawyer Zane took out his laptop and played an audio clip. The recording was quite long. Vivian recognized the voices of Annie and Grandma Faulkner. It sounded like an argument between the two of them, mentioning Julian’s father, Felix Faulkner, and some events from the past.
Grandma Faulkner was visibly agitated and furious. Despite her usually impeccable manners, she even scolded Annie a few times. Of course, she didn’t use any profanity; instead, she accused Annie of being a homewrecker who destroyed someone else’s family and lacked basic morals.
As for Annie... she was equally formidable. Perhaps she had anticipated running into Grandma Faulkner here, because everything she brought up was perfectly calculated to instantly enrage the older woman. In short, the audio made it abundantly clear that the two were locked in a bitter conflict.
Following that, there was some rustling noise, the sound of Annie falling down the stairs, and her agonized screams. It could certainly be considered evidence, but Vivian felt it was far from enough to prove that Grandma Faulkner had pushed Annie. After all, it wasn’t a video; there was no visual proof of Grandma Faulkner’s actions. Between a pregnant woman and an elderly lady—neither of whom had much physical strength—it was really anyone’s guess who could have pushed whom. However, Vivian kept her opinions to herself. She could see the bigger picture.
If this matter leaked to the public, it would tarnish the Faulkner Family’s reputation. It was a scandal, after all, and Annie was likely using this recording as leverage to negotiate. Julian shared Vivian’s line of thought. He looked at Lawyer Zane and asked, "So, she only produced this recording after you rejected her demand for ten million?"
Lawyer Zane nodded. "After listening to it, I felt I should consult you, President Faulkner. If this blows up, it will have a massive impact on the Faulkner Group’s stock prices.
"Even though these are matters from the previous generation, the elder Mr. Faulkner is currently abroad. He had previously negotiated with the company’s board of directors, stating that he wanted to return.
"However, because you have been continuously suppressing him, President Faulkner, he hasn’t succeeded."
Julian furrowed his brows, clearly in a bad mood. "I understand," he said. "As for this recording... we..."
Just as Julian was about to make a decision, Grandma Faulkner emerged from the room. No one knew when she had come out, but her eyes were resolute. "We cannot yield! The moment we compromise, that woman Annie will latch onto us like a rabid leech!
"She chose to be a homewrecker—does she actually think it’s something to be proud of? Those shameful affairs of the Faulkner Family already caused quite a stir abroad back in the day.
"I may be an old bag of bones who values my reputation, and I certainly won’t stand by and watch someone sling mud at the Faulkner Family. But Annie? She isn’t qualified to threaten us!"
At this point, Grandma Faulkner grew visibly agitated. A look of discomfort crossed her face, and she clutched her chest, clearly feeling unwell.
"Grandma, why did you come out?"
Vivian hurried over to support her. Ms. Shaw followed close behind, holding Grandma Faulkner from the other side.
"The Old Madam heard the commotion at the door," Ms. Shaw explained. "She was a little worried and wanted to come over to see what was going on. Then... she overheard some of it. It’s all my fault. I couldn’t stop her."
Gently tugging at Grandma Faulkner’s arm, Ms. Shaw continued, "Old Madam, the Young Master will handle these matters. You just need to focus on resting and recovering!
"You said it yourself—that Annie has a guilty conscience and is up to no good. It’s not worth ruining your health by getting angry over her, is it?"
Grandma Faulkner kept a dark expression and remained noncommittal. Logic was one thing—understanding it was easy, but putting it into practice was much harder.
After a brief silence, Vivian joined in to persuade her. Only then did Grandma Faulkner finally drop the subject and turn back to her hospital room.
Worried about her unstable emotions, Vivian had no choice but to stay by Grandma Faulkner’s side for now. Before leaving the hallway, she cast a glance at Julian.
Julian returned a reassuring look. Vivian understood his silent message: he was telling her not to worry about Annie’s situation and that he would take care of it. The two of them shared a profound tacit understanding; without a single spoken word, they could completely grasp each other’s intentions. With a subtle gaze, Vivian signaled back that she would take good care of Grandma Faulkner.
Vivian stayed by Grandma Faulkner’s side until evening, when Vance Wyatt brought dinner in from outside. Julian, Vivian, and Grandma Faulkner ate together, while the two bodyguards stationed at the door shared a meal with Ms. Shaw and the night-shift caregiver who had just arrived. Everyone stayed to keep Grandma Faulkner company. Even when it came to wiping her mouth, Vivian personally washed the handkerchief and carefully dabbed it clean for her.
Surrounded by so many people, Grandma Faulkner smiled and joked, "Seeing how all of you are keeping me company and looking after me, I feel like an Empress Dowager.
"Who knows, I might even gain some weight after staying in the hospital for a few days."
As she spoke, her thoughts drifted to the golden retriever back at the villa. With her away, there was no one to walk the dog, and she wondered if the little golden retriever was missing her. Ms. Shaw offered her a few more words of comfort.
Right then, Vance glanced at his phone. It seemed something had happened. He handed his phone to Julian and whispered a few words to him. For a split second, Julian’s expression seemed to freeze. He then turned to his grandmother and said, "Grandma, something’s come up. I need to step out and handle it for a moment.
"Vivian and I will stay here with you a little longer tonight. Once you go to sleep around nine o’clock, we’ll head home to rest, alright?"
Grandma Faulkner had no objections, only reminding him, "Don’t worry about my affairs. It’s not a big deal. The two of you just need to take good care of yourselves, and don’t let company matters fall behind.
"Go do what you need to do. I’m fine."
"Okay," Julian agreed, before stepping out.
Although Vivian sensed that something had definitely happened, now wasn’t the time to ask. She decided it was better to simply stay and watch TV with Grandma Faulkner. It was just that... watching Peking opera was genuinely a bit boring!
After watching for a while longer, Vivian felt like she was going to yawn herself to sleep.
It was past nine o’clock.
It wasn’t until Vivian followed Julian home that he finally told her what had transpired. As she had suspected, that restless Annie had stirred up trouble again.