Kicked Out, Flash-Married, and Now He Won't Let Me Go

The kitten turned its head, peering around as if interested in Vivian. It twitched its nose, sniffing her scent.

Cats distinguished people by scent.

It seemed the kitten wasn’t repelled by Vivian’s scent. The tips of her fingers brushed against its fine whiskers, feeling slightly ticklish.

"Hmm?" she wondered. "Is it because I just opened a can of cat food, so the scent rubbed off on me and made the kitten so interested in me?"

Vivian wasn’t entirely sure.

However, she continued to cautiously lure the kitten. Finding the right moment, she grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and lifted it into the air.

"MEOW!"

Suspended in the air, the kitten didn’t struggle at all. After a symbolic, milky-voiced squeak of protest, it obediently stayed still in her grasp.

"Vivian, did you get it?" Eleanor asked softly from below. She didn’t dare speak too loudly, afraid of startling the "naughty" little thing.

"I got it. Eleanor, get the cage and the canned food ready. This kitten must be starving—it even tried to eat some grapes earlier! It probably didn’t eat much, though, since it looks fine."

"On it!" Eleanor agreed immediately, quickly getting everything ready.

A few seconds later, Vivian safely descended to the ground with the kitten, placing it and the canned food into the trap cage.

The kitten didn’t seem to notice the change in environment. Upon seeing the food, it went crazy and started scarfing it down. It really was famished.

"Good kitty, eat slowly!" Vivian reached her finger into the cage and poked the kitten’s cheek. The kitten completely ignored her, continuing to devour the food!

At that moment, the nanny walked over. Seeing the adorable tabby cat in the cage, her eyes filled with affection. "You caught it? Is the kitten okay?"

"It looks fine." Vivian observed it carefully. "It’s clean, and there don’t seem to be any ear mites. Hmm... but it did eat some grapes earlier, so I’m not sure if it’ll feel sick later.

"How about this: Eleanor and I will take it back to the hospital for a checkup and give it some deworming medicine. If its condition allows, we’ll vaccinate it too.

"After all that’s done, I can bring the kitten back to you in a few days. Is that okay?"

Vivian was primarily worried that eating grapes might have damaged the kitten’s liver function! It might not show any symptoms just from a couple of bites right now, but it definitely needed to be observed.

Hearing this, the nanny had no objections. She nodded and asked, "Okay, I understand. How much will all this cost?"

"No, no need." Eleanor quickly waved her hand. "Our cat rescues are completely free. We have cat food investors who provide us with some funding, and our pet hospital’s own revenue can also subsidize some of the costs.

"So there’s no charge! Actually, the fact that you’re kind enough to adopt a stray kitten and help reduce the city’s stray animal population is already a wonderful thing!

"We can’t thank you enough. As long as you take good care of it from now on, that’s the best form of payment, isn’t it?"

The nanny smiled sincerely and nodded. "Yes, you’re right. The master and I will take good care of this little one. You can rest assured."

"Mhm!" Vivian and Eleanor agreed in unison. Since it was getting late and they had other plans, they headed back to the pet hospital together.

On the way back, Eleanor asked about the white Lion Cat.

"It’s grown a lot bigger than before. It’s been almost a month, and it looks chubby and healthy. Vivian, is Madam Faulkner still unwell? When do you plan to take the cat home?

"The hospital is expanding lately, and the two shops next door will be fully renovated soon. We’ll have a lot more cages then!

"It’s just that cage space is a bit tight right now! If my mom wasn’t allergic to cat hair, I would have taken the Lion Cat back to my place for you."

The white Lion Cat.

Thinking of the half-dead kitten she had snatched from the jaws of death, Vivian said, "Some things happened a few days ago. Didn’t I mention to you that Felix Faulkner is back in the country?

"It turns out that Rachel Faulkner’s return back then was orchestrated in collaboration with Felix. This father-daughter duo has always been plotting to seize the Faulkner Family’s fortune. Grandma Faulkner’s illness was also caused by them.

"Right now... Grandma’s condition isn’t very good. She can’t take any more shocks. Julian has arranged for people to guard the hospital, hoping she’ll slowly recover."

Eleanor was shocked. "Oh my god, I can’t believe there are such shameless people! Does that mean, Vivian, that the few times you almost got hurt, and Robert Lowell kidnapping you, were all their doing?"

Vivian nodded, adding, "That’s what I suspect right now. Rachel has also admitted to a part of it, but we just don’t have concrete evidence yet.

"Julian is already investigating. He promised me that as long as we find the evidence, he will definitely send Rachel to prison."

Eleanor finally seemed a bit relieved.

Julian had always been very reliable. Eleanor had previously thought these troubles would pass quickly, but she hadn’t expected them to be so convoluted. It was truly frustrating!

Fortunately, Vivian looked well, which put Eleanor’s mind at ease.

By the time they returned to the pet hospital, it was nearly five o’clock. They had spent quite a bit of time at the villa, between gathering information from the nanny and flying the drone.

It felt like they hadn’t done much, but the time had slipped away nonetheless.

"Vivian, I can handle things here at the pet hospital, so you don’t need to worry too much."

Eleanor still hoped Vivian could focus on her own affairs. Vivian nodded. Just as she was about to speak, Eleanor’s phone rang with an incoming call.

Vivian immediately quieted down. Eleanor pulled her phone out of her bag and glanced at it. She had been about to answer, but upon seeing the caller ID, her hand froze.

"What’s wrong?" Vivian asked. She had initially thought it was a spam call, like someone trying to sell a credit card or a loan.

However, upon closer inspection, Vivian realized it wasn’t.

Displayed prominently on the screen was a name she was very familiar with—Henry Sterling.

Why was Henry suddenly calling Eleanor?

Vivian remembered that just moments ago, while she and Eleanor were talking about Caleb Quinn, they had briefly mentioned Henry.

Ever since Anna Adler had returned to the country, Henry and Eleanor had had less contact. Henry was still at Aethelburg University, and Eleanor would sometimes go back there too.

But the two of them had never met again, nor had they exchanged any messages. Their paths had completely diverged. Vivian hadn’t attended any more of Henry’s lectures, either.

"Eleanor..." Seeing the sudden change in Eleanor’s expression as she hesitated over whether to answer the call, Vivian probed, "How about you just ignore it?

"You’ve already made up your mind not to like him anymore anyway. If he were a stranger you’d never interact with again, you’d just delete his number, right?"

Vivian’s proposed solution seemed a bit heartless.

But she could see right through her friend. Eleanor hadn’t deleted his contact information herself, which meant she couldn’t bear to let it go.

Love had always been the most complicated thing in the world. Vivian didn’t know if Eleanor could take her words to heart right now.

As for Eleanor, she hesitated, staring at her phone. Eventually, perhaps because it had rung for too long, the call automatically disconnected.

In that instant, Eleanor felt a mix of relief and disappointment.

Vivian also breathed a sigh of relief, deciding that she should probably stay at the pet hospital to keep Eleanor company a little longer. She wanted to make sure Eleanor’s emotions were stable before leaving. Otherwise...

However, just as that thought crossed Vivian’s mind, Eleanor’s phone rang again.

It was Henry calling once more.

This time, Eleanor looked a bit flustered. She looked at Vivian and asked, "Vivian, what should I do? Could it be something urgent?"

Vivian didn’t know either.

But intuition told her that Henry, aside from being incredibly blind when it came to romance, was otherwise very rational. Could he really have a legitimate reason to contact Eleanor?

Considering this, Vivian offered a new suggestion. "If you haven’t decided, why don’t I answer it for you?"

Eleanor thought about it and found this indirect approach to be a good idea. Nodding, she handed her phone over to Vivian.

Vivian accepted the call. Before she could even say ’hello,’ a woman’s voice came through the receiver.

"Eleanor Rhodes? Does your family know any doctors at Concordia Hospital? Henry’s been in a car accident! He needs surgery, but I can’t find a doctor right now. Could you please help him?"

The woman’s voice was extremely familiar to Vivian as well.

Anna Adler.

Was it Anna Adler calling Eleanor? Asking Eleanor to use her family connections to find a surgeon for Henry?

Vivian found this ridiculous.

Who was Henry? He was the young master of the Sterling Group. His family was involved in both commerce and scientific research. They were a very low-key but profoundly influential family with deep roots.

If Henry got into a car crash, contacting the Sterlings wouldn’t just get him a doctor at Concordia Hospital; they could easily arrange a private jet to fly him abroad to be treated by the world’s best specialists. Why would she need to call Eleanor?

Vivian remained perfectly calm and countered, "Anna, what kind of trick are you trying to play now?

"I’m warning you, stop harassing Eleanor. Otherwise... I don’t care if you’re some elite woman who just returned from abroad. Your status means nothing to me!"

Vivian had every right to be confident.

Not only was her husband Julian Faulkner, but she also had her own reputation and status. She was a member of the International Designers Association, and her company had recently acquired the remaining assets of the Lowell Group, completing a merger and reorganization.

Now, Vivian’s company was considered quite large even within the industry. With her at the helm, she and Julian were an alliance of powerhouses.

No one would ever think that Vivian had married Julian purely for the Faulkner Family’s fortune!

On the other end of the line, the moment Vivian spoke, the other party fell silent and promptly hung up.

Listening to the BEEP BEEP of the disconnected line, Vivian shot the phone a cold glance. Only after confirming the call had truly ended did she hand it back to Eleanor.

Eleanor’s face was pale. It seemed she had also heard that the caller was Anna Adler. "Vivian, what’s going on?" she asked. "Was it Anna Adler who used Henry’s phone to call me? Why would she do that?"

Seeing Eleanor’s distress, Vivian thought for a moment before deciding to explain the situation, adding her own analysis of Anna’s malicious intentions.

"In short, I have no idea what she’s plotting. I think that once the Sterlings find out, they will definitely ensure Henry gets the proper care."

Vivian had recently collaborated with the Sterlings on business matters, so it would be very easy for her to contact Henry’s parents through those channels.

Eleanor fell silent for a moment, looking as if a heavy burden had been placed on her shoulders, causing her immense pressure. Finally, she said, "All right, Vivian.

"I think you’re right. That woman, Anna, has issues. She must be out of her mind to seek me out for this. Anyway, don’t worry. If she calls again later, I’ll curse her out."

"Mhm." Vivian nodded and gently patted Eleanor’s shoulder. Considering Eleanor’s feelings for Henry, she still had to ask, "Eleanor. If... If Henry really is hospitalized at Concordia, will you go see him?"

Hearing this, Eleanor stiffened.

Clearly, she had already thought about this, and her answer was almost certainly yes.

Vivian noticed this too and sighed helplessly. Meeting Eleanor’s bewildered gaze—likely stemming from a fear of being judged—she listened as Eleanor said, "Vivian, if you think it’s a bad idea, maybe I just shouldn’t go.

"I’m so stupid, Vivian. It’s been so long, but I still can’t let him go. The moment I heard he was in an accident, I desperately wanted to know if he was okay. Vivian, I..."

"It’s okay." Vivian pulled Eleanor into a hug, gently rubbing her back. "Everyone gets trapped by love sometimes. I used to be blinded by my own family ties, too.

"You don’t need to beat yourself up over this. If you want to see him, just go. But when you do, I’ll go with you, okay?"

Vivian knew very well in her heart that for some things, blindly running away wouldn’t work. By facing them head-on, perhaps things would slowly get better.

Besides, Anna Adler would definitely be staying by Henry’s side. If Eleanor went and saw Anna, it would naturally disgust her. After being disgusted enough times, maybe she would slowly learn to let go.

"Mhm, okay. You’re the best, Vivian. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything rash. Later... I’ll ask around for information first. Once I find anything out, I’ll let you know immediately."

"Sounds good," Vivian agreed, then stayed by Eleanor’s side to help clean the cat room.