The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)
Chapter 274

The room was buzzing with conversation. The scales were tipping dramatically against Vivienne.

The people at this banquet were influential figures in Rivenwood. They were unaccustomed to such humiliation.

Percival surveyed the room as a storm brewed in the depths of his eyes.

Just as he was about to make a scene, a calm voice echoed from the staircase. "What exactly did I do to deserve this disrespect?"

All eyes were drawn to Vivienne. She was still in her casual attire and was strolling nonchalantly into the spotlight.

She glanced around the room. "Did I miss some sort of spectacle?"

Her appearance was like a thunderbolt. The crowd was left stunned.

She was clearly in the live video earlier, yet here she was, acting as if nothing was amiss, leaving everyone in a daze.

Before anyone could voice their confusion, the video feed shifted again.

The camera swung to the lounge, where Eddy was dressed in a designer dress. He was flushed and incoherent while seated in a chair. Suddenly, someone burst into the room and grabbed Eddy, leading him away.

The crowd was utterly baffled.

What was happening?

Was that a kidnapping?

Why would anyone kidnap Eddy?

He was a spoiled rich kid with no money, and he certainly wasn't his father, Mark's favorite.

Even if they wanted to ransom him to Mark, he probably wouldn't pay.

"Wait! Isn't Eddy wearing Ms. Vivienne's dress?"

Finally, someone realized the anomaly and shouted it out.

Only then did everyone recall that, when Eddy was taken away, he was wearing a dress.

That dress had been showcased on the social media of the designer that the Brooks family had hired for this special occasion, generating a lot of envy.

So, everyone immediately recognized that Eddy was wearing the same dress from the designer's post.

Everybody was dumbfounded, and then someone finally shouted, "So, the kidnappers were actually after Ms. Vivienne? Eddy just got caught in the crossfire?" "Is Vivienne cursed or something? How could Eddy come to a party and end up getting kidnapped?"

The Brooks family looked on as their faces turned ashen as the murmurs continued.

Suddenly, a disgruntled voice broke through the noise.

"What the hell does Eddy getting kidnapped have to do with Vivienne? Are you people just bored?"

Everyone turned towards the source of the voice to see three girls and two boys, all around eighteen or nineteen, coming in through the door.

They gave the crowd a scathing look before heading towards Vivienne, calling out in unison, "Ms. Vivienne!"

Vivienne paused. "I thought you weren't coming?"

For her banquet, the Brooks family had allowed her to invite her friends.

Considering her students from Class Eighteen had all performed well in their finals, she had promised to arrange a dinner with Stephen for them and invited them all to come to the banquet. Since the new school year was about to start, the students would be in Rivenwood anyway.

But all the students from Class Eighteen were tied up and couldn't make it.

"It's your reunion banquet, Vivienne. How could we possibly not come?" Faye said with a smile, "We all wanted to surprise you, but there were too many of us, so we decided to send the five of us to congratulate you."

Vivienne looked at the five in front of her.

Charlotte, Faye, Coral, Logan, and Oberon.

Her normally indifferent heart softened slightly.

"Vivienne, congratulations on replaceing your birth family." Charlotte smiled. "My grandma and parents asked me to congratulate you on their behalf. My dad still says he owes you a meal. Once he's in Rivenwood he promises to make it up to you."

Vivienne smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."

Just then, Doreen Baker and Egbert Churchill approached.

Egbert was the heir to the Churchill family.

Since the family patriarch was still in charge, Egbert hadn't taken on the role of head of the family.

The almost fifty-year-old Egbert, dressed in a tailored suit and gold-rimmed glasses, didn't have the sharp edge of a seasoned businessman like Scott.

Instead, he had the air of a refined gentleman.

Doreen, dressed in a high-end designer dress, looked even more elegant.

When they stopped in front of Vivienne, Doreen began speaking with a beaming smile on her face. "Ms. Vivienne, we apologize for being late. Congratulations on replaceing your biological father." Although the Churchill family wasn't one of the four major families, they held significant influence in Rivenwood.

Therefore, they had been invited to Vivienne's banquet.

However, since their daughter, Faye, had also received an invitation from Vivienne and wanted to attend, they had to pick her up first. They ran into traffic on their way, which made them late. "Thank you." Vivienne replied with a polite smile.

Her smile was like a myriad of blossoms bursting into full bloom, stunning everyone present.

Who was it that said Ms. Vivienne was a country bumpkin? Did she look uncouth and clueless about etiquette?

Just from her casual conversation with Egbert and Doreen, one could see she was anything but.

"Ms. Vivienne cured my daughter.” Egbert adjusted his glasses as a smile played on his lips. "I've been wanting to thank her in person but never found the right moment. Maybe we could grab a burger sometime when you're free?"

"Sure."

After some light chit-chat, Vivienne excused herself to attend to some matters, telling them to make themselves at home.

Suddenly, Charlotte, her face turning icy, broke the friendly atmosphere. "Who was it that said Eddy's kidnapping had to do with Ms. Vivienne? Stand up! Let me see if you have maggots or crap for brains." Charlotte had been a troublemaker for years. Her sharp tongue was always ready to cut at someone's dignity.

Faces around the room instantly darkened.

Unfazed by the crowd's reaction, Charlotte continued coldly, "That dressing room is Ms. Vivienne's. Eddy, her cousin, not only intruded but also tried on her gown. Is he some sort of pervert who gets off by wearing women's clothes? How did he even squeeze into it without ripping it?”

"If he hadn't intruded into Ms. Vivienne's room, would he have been kidnapped? Can't you people even think straight?"

"Earlier, Ms. Vivienne was falsely accused of misconduct on the live stream, and then Eddy showed up. Which of you half-wits came up with the idea that Ms. Vivienne kidnapped him? And what's with calling her 'cursed'? The only ones cursed here are you lot! Can't you tell right from wrong?!"

Charlotte's tirade stung, leaving many in the room visibly uncomfortable.

Paul, standing at the back, bore the brunt of it. He was one of those with ill intentions. He was planning to kidnap Vivienne amid the chaos, only for Eddy to make a complete fool of himself. Worse still, his men had mistakenly kidnapped Eddy instead.

The nerve of that guy!