Chapter 145: Loving Couple
After Vivian finished speaking, she gave everyone an apologetic smile.
"Mmm... I’m really sorry for keeping this a secret until now. But since Designer Jacobs has already found the ’Easter egg’ in my work and still refuses to admit he plagiarized..."
"Well, I guess it’s time I gave him a little surprise of his own, isn’t it?"
Leo stood up.
She walked over to Vivian, patted her on the shoulder, and said earnestly, "Vivian. I’ve always wondered why you were so much better than me."
"Besides your undeniable talent for design, you’re also incredibly diligent. But I always felt like I worked just as hard, and that I could eventually surpass you."
"But now... I guess sometimes, talent is more important than hard work, isn’t it?"
The world is full of talented people.
Sometimes, accepting your own limitations is a strength in itself.
"Leo..."
Vivian saw the serious look in Leo’s eyes and, fearing she was getting discouraged, gently reassured her, "I was just talking about my identity. All this..."
"Don’t worry about it."
Leo flashed Vivian a cheerful smile. "I’m fine. Vivian, you’re amazing. I’ve always known that. Hmm..."
"In fact, now that I think about it, getting to work with the one and only Miss Nox... I feel more motivated than ever!"
Leo thought back to some of her former colleagues.
When she left the Lowell Group, she had received quite a few job offers, but she’d turned them all down to stick with Vivian.
Those people had even laughed at her for it.
They said that Vivian was nothing without the Lowell Family and that Leo was ruining her future.
But now, Leo wanted to tell them all that she had made the absolute right choice!
Vivian is Nox, an incredible designer. Their company was destined to become one of the top design firms in the industry!
Leo was proud. She would keep working hard, hoping that one day, she could achieve the same level of success as Vivian.
"Leo, thank you."
Vivian looked into Leo’s determined eyes and understood exactly what she meant.
Leo sat back down, glanced at her watch, and said to Vivian, "Vivian, it’s getting late. The press conference should be starting. You should head out."
"If anything comes up, we’ve got your back!"
"Okay." Vivian smiled at everyone in the office. Even the young receptionist was looking at her with an encouraging, happy expression.
’This is nice.’
’Most of the people in her company were recent college graduates, just starting out in the professional world, but that was exactly why they were so bright, positive, and optimistic.’
’Vivian hoped her company would be free of the usual office politics and backstabbing, a place where everyone could be happy and feel like the company was a second home.’
...
In the banquet hall of the Grand West Aethelburg Hotel.
The press conference was only five minutes away.
All the media outlets and invited brand representatives had arrived.
They were whispering amongst themselves, all the talk centered on "Miss Nox." They seemed to have forgotten that the main purpose of Vivian’s press conference today was to clear the air regarding the Lowell Family.
It was also to set the record straight about Designer Jacobs plagiarizing her work and then turning around to slanderously accuse *her* of plagiarizing Miss Nox.
"Is Miss Nox really going to show up today? She’s the only designer from Veridia in the International Designers Association. I wonder what she’s like."
"I bet she’s on the older side. How else could she have that kind of experience?"
"It’s hard to say. The International Designers Association’s selection criteria have always been vague. I heard you need approval from over seventy percent of the existing members. That’s incredibly difficult."
"Tell me about it! That designer who did work for X Jewelry Co. was a big name on the international scene, and even they couldn’t get in!"
"Hey! Quiet down, Vivian Lowell is coming out!"
The moment Vivian emerged from behind the curtain, a barrage of cameras turned toward her, their flashes blinking incessantly.
Vivian closed her eyes for a second, shielding them slightly with her hand.
At that moment, Vance Wyatt, who had been maintaining order on the sidelines, stepped forward to address the media. "A little consideration, please," he said sternly.
"This is a relatively small indoor space. Could we refrain from using flash photography for Miss Lowell?"
Though phrased as a question, his tone left no room for argument. When he was serious like this, he bore a striking resemblance to Julian Faulkner in one of his stern moods.
Vivian glanced at Vance Wyatt and gave him a grateful smile.
Vance Wyatt nodded back.
A reporter, catching the small exchange between them, couldn’t resist asking, "We hear that Miss Lowell and the President of the Faulkner Group, Mr. Julian Faulkner, are married."
"And this gentleman maintaining order today must be President Faulkner’s special assistant, Mr. Vance Wyatt?"
"Will President Faulkner be attending today’s press conference? And Special Assistant Wyatt being here to help—was that also on President Faulkner’s orders?"
Vivian heard the question and looked toward the reporter.
The reporter had a ravenous look on her face, her pen already flying across her notebook.
No matter what, Vivian’s press conference tonight was a major event, guaranteed to be a hot topic for days. Any extra bit of information she could dig up was a win.
Vivian pursed her lips into a small smile.
Under the watchful gaze of the entire room, she sat down in the chair marked with the "Nox" nameplate and replied, "President Faulkner is my husband."
"I mentioned today’s event to him, and he said he’d send someone to help. Then Vance Wyatt showed up. As for whether it was his specific order, I didn’t ask."
Vivian didn’t answer the question directly.
But the smile on her face said it all.
’It’s true!’
’It seems that when Julian Faulkner announced his marriage to Vivian on X and defended her, it really was out of love.’
’She just mentioned it, and he sent someone. Vance Wyatt just *showed up*. And she claims not to know if it was his order?’
’How could she possibly not know!?’
’Vance Wyatt had never helped anyone else like this before.’
’Vivian was the first!’
’It seemed the rumors about President Faulkner and Miss Lowell being a deeply devoted couple were all true!’
The reporter was deeply satisfied. As someone who specialized in gossip, she was thrilled to have unearthed this tidbit. She would have to write a great story when she got back.
’Hah.’
’She knew it.’
’She’d been out grocery shopping once and thought she’d spotted Vivian and Julian Faulkner at the supermarket. They were both in disguise, but her reporter’s intuition told her it was them!’
’Unfortunately, her hands had been so full of groceries that she couldn’t even sneak a photo!’
’Later, when she told her colleagues about it and asked them to keep an eye out, they didn’t even believe her!’
’Then, not long after, President Faulkner announced his marriage to Vivian.’
’Her colleagues were stunned when they heard. They were completely floored, insisting it couldn’t be possible!’
’Now... facts had proven her right.’
’Heh heh.’
’She knew it! The two people she’d seen in the supermarket had to be them. That was definitely the kind of lovey-dovey aura you only see between a devoted couple.’
’And now, her favorite ship was feeding her again!’