The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)
Chapter 339

The International Mathematics Olympiad tests might not have tons of problems, but each one is devilishly difficult.

They were fraught with traps and quirks, requiring the solver to patiently unravel them.

One misstep, and you'd be lost in the fog. Your calculations would lead nowhere.

Yet, Vivienne claimed to have solved everything in just fifteen minutes.

How was that possible?

Mila looked at Vivienne in disbelief, while Calista's heart was in turmoil.

This was her second attempt at the problem set, and she was not even halfway through.

How could Vivienne have done it so quickly? She must have just scribbled down answers without even reading the questions.

"Vivienne, problem-solving isn't just about speed; it's also about accuracy." Mila cast a glance at Judith, who was waiting for the results. "What does it prove if you write quickly but don't answer correctly? It's better to take your time and produce a flawless paper."

Vivienne raised an eyebrow as if she'd heard a joke. "Waste of time."

"What did you say?" Mila was taken aback.

Vivienne tossed her paper to Mila. "I can do five sets of these problems in an hour."

"You..." Mila suppressed her anger. "Do you know that these are problems from the International Mathematics Olympiad? They were designed by math experts! Anyone who scores above 90 is considered exceptional!"

She was continuously praising Calista's skills, hoping to impress the Brooks family.

However, Vivienne was unfazed, and her expression remained unchanged.

"Hmm!" Vivienne scoffed. "Your daughter took so long to solve one set. What makes her qualified to tutor my brother?"

Mila was indignant. But she could replace no words to counter.

At this point, Calista had finally completed her paper.

She had given it her all, but she had no idea if she stood a chance.

After seeing Mila about to check the answers, Kala interjected. "For fairness, let's let Grandma check them."

Upon hearing this, Mila and Calista were taken aback.

Mila had originally planned to cover up any errors Calista might have made while checking, but she didn't expect her plans to be thwarted by Kala's sudden interruption.

"There's no need to trouble Grandma with such trivial matters. I can handle it." Mila said.

Kala chuckled. "Don't you trust Grandma to be fair? Or do you think she can't handle such a small task?"

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Mila could only hand the papers to Judith.

Judith was eager to see the results of the contest. She wanted to see whether Calista or her own granddaughter was the better.

She first corrected Calista's paper and praised her. "Not bad. Got 98 questions right!"

This score was an improvement over Calista's first attempt. A reflection that she had indeed been revising.

Mila also quickly added, "Calista's level is something many graduate students can't match!"

How could Vivienne possibly outperform her daughter? Even if she was a double doctoral student, it didn't matter.

Her Calista wasn't inferior.

In terms of intelligence, Vivienne was certainly no match for Calista.

Judith immediately began checking the next paper. Her expression grew brighter as she progressed, unable to hide her delight by the end.

"Full marks! Full marks! Vivienne didn't make a single mistake!"

Mila and Calista exchanged stunned looks.

How was that possible?

"I knew my cousin wouldn't be outdone by anyone else!" Carl acted as if he had won the competition himself. He was both proud and elated. "It seems Ms. Pendleton's skills are mediocre. I wonder if she really is capable of tutoring Thaddeus."

Calista felt as if she had been slapped across the face. She could genuinely feel the sting in her cheek.

If it weren't for Judith's presence, she would have lost her temper right then.

"Vivienne is indeed impressive." Calista grudgingly admitted, although she was seething inside. "But I'm more than capable of tutoring Thaddeus."

"Really?" Vivienne looked at her, then walked over to Thaddeus and gently patted his head. "Thaddeus, tell your sister, do you want her to tutor you?"

Thaddeus bit his lip and didn't dare speak. He was just staring at the ground.

He hadn't forgotten the harsh words Calista had said to him. He feared her punishment.

"Don't be scared." Vivienne softly caressed his head as her voice soothed his scared heart. "I promised to protect you. I'll make sure anyone who bullies you gets their comeuppance."

Thaddeus looked up at Vivienne. After looking into her loving eyes, he felt inexplicably calm.

After hesitating for a moment, he said, "I... I don't like Calista..."

"Thaddeus, how could you say such a thing? It breaks my heart to hear that!" Calista's face changed as she heard this. She forced a smile and said, "I've been doing my best to help you so you wouldn't fall behind in your studies. Even if I was a bit harsh on you, it doesn't mean you should dislike me."

Judith watched the scene in confusion. She was unaware of what had transpired.

"Thaddeus, speak up if you've been wronged!" Carl encouraged him while standing beside Thaddeus. "If you've been treated unfairly, Grandma will definitely stand up for you!"

With the support of the Brooks family, Thaddeus felt somewhat reassured.

"Calista doesn't teach me. She just gives me problems to solve. If I can't solve them, she hits me, yells at me, and pinches me."

Thaddeus timidly replied as he rolled up his sleeves to reveal his bruised arms from Calista's pinches.

"What?!" Judith stood up in a huff from the sofa.

Vivienne's eyes narrowed. Her gaze turned to Calista with a burning intensity that could tear her to shreds.

"No, no!" Calista quickly defended herself. "Why would I harm a child? Thaddeus, did you just fall and get that bruise?"

She shot Thaddeus a warning look, cautioning him to remain quiet.

Kala, catching sight of Thaddeus's injury, was seething with rage. She blurted out, "You dare deny it?! You say a fall caused this?! Then why don't you fall and show me how it's done?! This is obviously a finger shaped bruise!"

Carl chimed in. "We can have the injury examined. The examination will reveal whether he fell or was beaten. We can replace the truth!"

A sudden fear gripped Calista.

An examination was out of the question.

If they conducted one, everyone would know about her disciplining Thaddeus.

With that thought, she quickly said, "This is all a misunderstanding. I was just... being hard on him because I care..."

"Yes, that's right!" Mila joined in, defending her daughter. "How else do you get a child to behave? A little spanking always does the trick!"

"Absurd!" Judith slammed her hand on the table as her whole body shook with anger. "You dare call hurting Thaddeus a misunderstanding?! You've inflicted harm and left him with emotional scars! Can you bear that responsibility?!"

As Judith's words hung in the air, Vivienne spoke in a calm tone. "Judith, you're saying too much."