Chapter 11

Vivienne's face was impassive. "Nothing you need to know about." Sebastian's voice was cold. "Vivienne, I've warned you. If you get caught in any scandals with other men during our marriage and damage the Holt Group's reputation, don't blame me for being ruthless." "Your dubious relationship with Ms. Schafer gets reported in the news every few days. You don't care about affecting the company's image yourself, so why should I?" Vivienne asked coolly. "Rules for me but not for thee, Sebastian? Don't be such a hypocrite." Sebastian bristled. "I've said this over and over. My relationship with Melanie is innocent. It's not what you think." "You sharing a room with a lone woman late at night is innocent?" Vivienne's eyes flared with scorn. "Do you actually believe what you're saying, Sebastian?" Having seemingly run out of words, Sebastian was silent for a long time. Then, he said, "We didn't cross any lines." Vivienne sneered disdainfully in reply. "Whether you crossed the line, whether anything happened or not—that has nothing to do with me. What I want to say, Mr. Holt, is that you should live by the standards you impose on others." Vivienne was getting tired of dealing with Sebastian. "If you ever change your mind about not wanting a divorce, feel free to contact me whenever you're ready." Then, she turned away without sparing him another glance. ... Not feeling like shopping anymore, Vivienne headed home. Running into Sebastian, Melanie, and Mia had left a bad taste in her mouth. Vivienne hadn't paid for the broken bracelet. She might have been left with nothing but her money, but she wasn't about to be a pushover. And since Mia had started the provocation, Sebastian should pay too. Vivienne had been too meek in the past, always trying to keep everyone around her happy. Because of that, she'd lost her baby and had her husband charmed away. Now, she would live only for herself. Before she reached her doorstep, Vivienne picked up a call from Regina. Regina snarled over the phone, "Vivienne, come back to the Holt residence right this instant!" Vivienne's expression shifted. Mia's tattling tongue sure was quick. Thinking of all the grievances she had suffered at Regina's hands, something cold glinted in Vivienne's eyes. "Okay," she said calmly. "I'll come right away." ... At the Holt residence, Mia was telling Regina about the earlier events, exaggerating the details as she went. "Oh, Mrs. Holt Senior, you wouldn't believe how reckless Vivienne is with money. She broke a 200-thousand-dollar bracelet just to show Melanie that she's the real Mrs. Holt!" Mia continued, "She also instigated other customers in the store not to buy things from the Holt Group and did all sorts of things to ruin Sebastian's image. She even threatened to make the Holt Group's stock price plummet tomorrow. That woman is vicious!" Regina trembled with anger at the very thought of Vivienne. "That troublemaking jinx! I always knew she was no good. She embarrassed us at the Goodhalls' banquet and made a laughingstock out of the Holts! And now she wants to go after the Holt Group... I won't let that bitch off so easily!" A sinister light flashed in Mia's eyes. She whispered, "Mrs. Holt Senior, have you noticed that Vivienne seems to have changed a lot recently? Could it be... that she dares talk back to you because she's gunning for your position as the lady of the house?" Regina was livid. "A vain gold-digger like her is unworthy of being the lady of this house! If she hadn't deceived Edwin, she never would've married into our family!" Regina's fury grew the more she spoke. "Did you know, Mia, that if it hadn't been for Vivienne's meddling, Sebastian would have married the heiress of the Lockhart family?" "The heiress of the Lockhart family?" Mia was stunned. "You mean that Lockhart family?" "That's right. The kingpins of the city, the Lockharts. They once sent someone to inquire about Sebastian. It seems they were interested in arranging a marriage with the Holts." Being the uninhibited chatterbox she was, Mia couldn't help asking, "Really? A family like the Lockharts agreeing to arrange a marriage with the Holts?" No sooner had she spoken, Mia suddenly realized her mistake and promptly shut up. The way she'd phrased it made it sound like she was deprecating the Holts. In a rare act of charity, Regina didn't nitpick Mia's words and instead raised her chin with pride. "Although we Holts aren't as powerful as the Lockharts, we're still one of the most influential families in Zerbania. And among the younger generation of our family, Sebastian is the cream of the crop. His capability is on par with that of Jason Lockhart." Regina continued, "When Sebastian first took over the Holt Group, it was in a terrible mess thanks to those leeches. It was on the verge of bankruptcy. But in the end, Sebastian was the one who turned the tides. The Holt Group has been growing steadily under his leadership ever since." She paused with satisfaction. "It's only a matter of time before the Holt Group surpasses the Lockhart Group. The Lockhart family must be seeking a marriage with us because they've taken a shine to Sebastian's capabilities." Mia nodded subconsciously, wholeheartedly agreeing with Regina. This wasn't the first time she'd heard Regina sing Sebastian's praises. "But didn't Sebastian want to marry Melanie at the time?" Mia asked. Regina snorted. "Melanie's better than Vivienne, but she's still no Lockhart. If it were between Vivienne and Melanie, naturally, I'd choose Melanie. But between Melanie and the heiress of the Lockhart family, I'd definitely pick the Lockhart heiress." Mia added, "I heard the Lockharts were once the victims of a kidnapping. They've been very protective of their daughter ever since. Not only have they kept her name a secret, they've never shown her face in public either. It's all very mysterious." Nodding, Regina said, "Yes, no one's ever seen their daughter. However..." She smiled mysteriously. "Some time ago, Jason Lockhart signed an important agreement with the Holt Group. One of our old shareholders told me that the so-called 'agreement' actually confers great benefits onto us. He also said that Mr. Lockhart personally acknowledged they only entered the agreement because of his sister." Mia was incredulous. "But Sebastian's been married for so long. The heiress of the Lockhart family is still obsessed with him?" Regina swelled with pride. "My eldest grandson is as dashing as he is capable. Forget the princes of the aristocracy—there aren't even that many celebrities who are as good-looking as he is." Sebastian did indeed have a handsome face. There was no question about that. Who knew how many women had been charmed by those very looks? Mia ventured cautiously, "But Sebastian still hasn't divorced..." "That won't be a problem." Regina sneered. "I have my own myriad ways of making them divorce!"