Chapter 517
The scene was utter chaos. Gillian did not even see who yanked her away, and Patrick was besieged
by a mob of angry parents demanding exnations.
Even the Boyds were not spared, with numerous hot-headedds demanding to know why their
sweethearts were suddenly engaged to someone else.
Amid the turmoil, Vivienne and Percival exchanged a knowing nce and could not help but chuckle.
Vivienne turned her head to Percival with a smile, "Mr. Wolf, is it just me, or do our engagement parties
always seem to end in a ruckus?"
Percival took Vivienne''s hand, and they walked down from the stage side by side, "It seems the
heavens are telling us we should marry sooner rather thanter."
Vivienne rested her head on Percival''s shoulder. "Is the betrothal gifts ready?"
Percival lightly tapped her nose. "Don''t worry, you''ve got me, lock, stock, and barrel!"
Patrick had to fight through the crowd to rescue Gillian from those who had lost their senses, and with
the help of the bodyguards, they made it to the safety of the parking lot and away from the scene.
Safety, however, was a rtive term. Gillian''s face bore the marks of ps, her princess-like coiffure
was a tangled mess resembling a bird''s nest, and her gown took the prints of several shoes, clear
evidence of being trampled on.
Gillian had never imagined such a scenario. Although she had many men around her, none were
boyfriends, and any talk of love or affection was just lip service.
She had them all under her thumb and had even fabricated excuses to prevent them from attending the
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engagement party with their parents.
How on earth did they all end up here?
And that video - who dug it out?
It was just a night at the bar ying games with some good-looking guys. How did ite to this?
"It had to be that Vivienne behind this. Dad, I swear I''ll destroy her!" Gillian shouted at the top of her
lungs.
Patrick looked at his daughter and, in a fit of rage, pped her across the face. His eyes were sharp as
a hawk''s.
"Dad... You hit me?" Gillian looked at Patrick in disbelief.
Patrick had never hit her before, not even a poke, let alone a p...
"That''s right, I hit you!" Patrick''s face turned red with anger. "Tell me, who exactly is this Vivienne?"
He saw a striking resemnce.
When he got a clear look at Vivienne, he thought he was seeing his boss for a moment. She had to be
the missing daughter of his boss!
Gillian was even more shocked to realize that her father was more concerned about Vivienne''s identity
than her rough treatment.
"Dad, she''s just some country bumpkin. Why do you care who she is? Just get rid of her. I don''t want to
see her face again!"
"Shut your mouth!" Patrick massaged his temples, "Do you have any idea who you''ve crossed? If
Vivienne really is her daughter, our family, the Ashfords, are done for."
Gillian, of course, was clueless. She could not understand what her father was going on about, "Whose
daughter could she be that''s so important? Why are you afraid of her? Even the Boyds wouldn’t bat an
eye!"
"You wouldn’t understand. Go home and forget about Percival. If you dare touch Vivienne again, you''ll
answer to me!" With that, Patrick stepped out of the car and instructed the driver to take Gillian home.
Meanwhile, Patrick switched cars to head directly to Vivienne''s vi.
It was not surprising that Patrick could find Vivienne''s address since she did not hide it.
After waiting four hours outside the vi, Patrick saw Vivienne and Percival return, hand in hand and
carrying a plethora of snacks.
Vivienne''s lips curved into a smirk as a cold glint passed through her captivating eyes.
"I''ll go inside," Percival said as he draped his jacket over Vivienne''s shoulders, knowing it was not the
right moment for him to intervene.
Once Percival left, Patrick knelt on the ground before her. "Madam."
Vivienne looked down at the figure kneeling before her, her gaze indifferent. "Mr. Ashford, seems like
you''ve got the wrong name."
"No, it''s correct! Boss once instructed that if anything happened to her, we were to follow your orders.
My daughter is young and foolish; I beg your forgiveness. I, Patrick, am willing to take full responsibility
for all her wrongdoings, Madam."
Vivienne''s hands were in her pockets as she loomed over the kneeling Patrick, "Is that so?"
She had never met Patrick before. In fact, aside from her mentor and Dorian’s family, she had never
encountered anyone rted to her mother before she left the mountains. Those people certainly had
not met her either.
Percival had searched for ten years to find her, and neither the Pendleton nor the Churchill families had
recognized her.
Only Patrick had identified her at first nce.
The Ashford family was indeed full of surprises.
Patrick pressed his lips. "Had it not been for Boss, there would be no Ashford family today. Not just us,
but the Pendletons and the Churchills within Rivenwood all owed allegiance to Boss. But after she
passed, we never saw each other again."
Vivienne remained silent.
The Pendleton and Churchill families were her mother''s allies, a fact she only learned after arriving in
Havenwood when Matthew uncovered that there had been four families who had lost touch after her
mother''s death.
William had learned of her mother''s passing and set out to find her only daughter, determined to protect
her. But by the time he arrived, Vivienne had already been taken in by her mentor, and William''s
journey was in vain. Later, after leaving her mentor''s care, she saved William''s life, and in gratitude, he
became her apprentice.
At the time, she did not know William’s connection to her mother. Not until they went to Havenwood
and had Matthew dig into the past did she learn of their shared history.
Vivienne’s reason for saving Faye was not solely at ra''s request. She was also curious about what
the Churchill family was really after. Faye''s father and William shared amon goal: to find and
protect Vivienne.
The Ashford family was the one group she had yet to make contact with.
Vivienne looked up, eyeing Patrick intently, a flicker of something unreadable passing through her
gaze.
"What brings you to me?" Vivienne asked, her tone neither warm nor cold.
Patrick moistened his lips nervously. "I''vee to apologize, Madam, and to ask for your continued
support of the Ashford family. We are willing to go through hell and high water for you. No task too
daunting!"
Vivienne''s lips curled slightly. "You''re quite forward with your intentions."
"The Ashford family has been surviving on the technology left by Boss. My abilities are limited, and
progress has stalled. Seeing you, Madam, is like seeing hope, and I dare not hide anything from you."
Vivienne raised an eyebrow. "What''s this deal you''re making with the Boyd family?"
Patrick''s legs tingled with numbness, yet he dared not move. "Bionics."
Bionics was also part of a project that Karen, Patrick’s boss, had worked on. After a failed mission,
Karen secretly established the YQ Laboratory. Only Percival, Daphne, andter Anna knew that YQ
was Karen''s operation. Draмanоvеls
Therefore, Karen kept the technology private and under her control. Unexpectedly, the Ashford family
was also involved.
"How did this technology end up in your hands?" Vivienne asked, her brow furrowed.
"Boss entrusted me with the unfinished tech for safekeeping. I was to derive products from it to
establish a foundation for the Ashford family and clinical trials. But after Boss died, there was no further
word."
Vivienne eyed Patrick sharply. "And how did the Boyd familye to know of it?"
I just wanted to learn how the Boyd family got wind of it. I never intended to truly cooperate with them.
I''m telling the truth."