Chapter 18
He waved her off dismissively, letting her leave without another word, but the glass of milk remained on the table.
Once she was completely gone, Alistair gazed thoughtfully toward the door, gently stirring the milk with an introspective look in his eyes.
“Vivian, who are you really, and why are you here?” he mused aloud.
In front of him lay a dossier, delivered by his assistant half an hour ago. He opened it to reveal Vivian’s resume, submitted when she first joined the company.
A master’s degree from Ivoryridge University should have secured her a job easily, yet she had no prior work experience. This position at Nollan Corporation was her first.
Looking further back, her academic record at Ivoryridge was stellar. Even while dating, she and her boyfriend had won numerous awards together, indicating her competence was genuine.
But… a boyfriend?
Alistair’s attention focused on the single name in the file: Lucian. He couldn’t recall anyone by that name. Such a remarkable talent shouldn’t have gone unnoticed.
He pondered for a moment before picking up the internal phone. “Look into this Lucian fellow, and find out his connection to Vivian.”
“Yes, Mr. Nollan.”
The assistant worked swiftly, delivering another dossier to his desk shortly after.
Alistair opened it, his gaze freezing on the small print below a photograph-“Deceased four years ago.”
For a long while, he stared at the information before finally tearing his eyes away to glance back at Vivian’s file. Could someone who once loved so deeply truly fall in love with someone else so soon after their partner’s death, going so far as to pursue marriage with such fervor? And if it was passionate love that made her forget her past, what explained the divorce four years later and her sudden interest in him?
Alistair couldn’t fathom loving someone so intensely that even after their death, everything they left behind became an obsession to pursue.
Yet, Vivian managed to stay at Nollan Corporation past the three–month probation period.
He kept her close, hoping to uncover her true motives, always bringing her to various events, looking for any misstep.
Finally, at a party four months later, he encountered her ex–husband, Sebastian.
After six months apart, Sebastian had regained his former commanding presence, though those around him noticed an even sharper edge to his demeanor.
The usual entourage of friends was noticeably absent, and when his gaze passed over Vivian, trailing closely behind Alistair, he paused for a moment but quickly regained his composure, acting as if he hadn’t seen anything.
Sebastian’s indifference was a relief to Vivian.
Alistair always traveled with one secretary and one assistant. While assistants came and went, Vivian remained his secretary since her arrival. He rarely tasked her with work, leaving office duties and social obligations to the assistant. For Vivian, it felt more like she was accompanying him on leisure outings rather than professional ones.
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She didn’t delude herself into thinking Alistair valued her highly. She knew he was wary of her, but she didn’t mind.
If Alistair fell for her according to her plan, that would be ideal. If not… She paused, leaning against the railing, watching him inside the ballroom, cheerfully toasting and chatting with others over a glass of juice.
It didn’t matter; she had patience.
Winning his affection would be perfect, but staying by his side would suffice. At the very least, she wouldn’t allow him to love someone else.
A shadow approached from behind, and she turned warily to find Sebastian.
“Six months in, and it seems your progress isn’t going smoothly.”
She turned back, annoyed, but fearing he might pester her like last time, she responded, “Whether it’s smooth or not, I don’t see how it concerns Mr. Balfour.”
Chapter 19
Chapter 19
