Chapter 173: Anomaly

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Anomaly

Felix Faulkner and Julian Faulkner locked eyes.

Off to the side, President Zane noticed the tension but merely chuckled. "Oh, President Faulkner, both Presidents Faulkner! If we’re going to talk, let’s go inside!

"There are still a few minutes before the banquet begins. No rush! We have plenty of time to chat and catch up, right?"

President Zane seemed to be smoothing things over, but he was actually just muddying the waters. He knew the father and son had a terrible relationship; spouting these platitudes from the sidelines was nothing more than empty talk from someone with no skin in the game.

Julian shot President Zane a cold glance.

This man was Mr. Zane’s son. Mr. Zane had been a formidable figure his entire life, holding the word "loyalty" above all else. He and Julian’s grandfather had gone through life and death together; despite a ten-year age gap, they had been as close as brothers.

And President Zane was Mr. Zane’s youngest, born in his twilight years. Times had been tough back then. Mr. Zane’s two eldest sons had joined the army and perished. Only this third son, who had a weak constitution and thus never enlisted, managed to survive.

Mr. Zane hadn’t exactly spoiled him, but as the saying goes, a father can have many children and no two will be alike. This third son of the Zane family was simply a bad lot. He hadn’t inherited an ounce of the bravery or patriotism of his two older brothers. Instead, he had picked up a thuggish streak, preferring to slack off, play dirty, and act like a smart-aleck.

If he wasn’t Mr. Zane’s son—and the sole heir to Mr. Zane’s vast fortune—Julian wouldn’t have given a man like him the time of day.

Julian had previously tossed him a few projects purely out of respect for Mr. Zane. Who could have known President Zane would take a mile after being given an inch? Somehow, he had secretly contacted Felix. He had even used a private jet to bring Felix back to the country, and now the two of them were here putting on a grand show!

However, Felix was right about one thing. Airing the Faulkner Group’s internal affairs out in public was indeed a bad idea. It was better to talk inside.

Julian didn’t utter a word, silently agreeing with President Zane, and strode into the banquet hall.

The banquet hall wasn’t open to guests yet, though the interior was fully set up. Vivian roughly scanned the room; it looked like any ordinary gala, except that an auction would be held halfway through the evening.

Following them inside, Felix stole a covert glance at Grandma Faulkner, who was walking behind Julian.

Her eyes were ice-cold. Ever since she arrived and laid eyes on Felix, her expression hadn’t wavered once. It was as if she didn’t recognize her own son at all.

Looking at the Dragon Head Walking Stick in Grandma Faulkner’s grip, a lingering fear sent chills down Felix’s spine. He didn’t dare speak out of turn.

After observing his mother, Felix swept his gaze over Vance Wyatt and President Ward. His eyes brimmed with contempt, clearly viewing them as entirely beneath his notice. Finally, his gaze landed on Vivian.

Vivian had initially assumed Felix would look at her the same way he looked at Vance and President Ward. Although she had grown up in the Lowell family and received extensive training in aristocratic etiquette since childhood, granting her an exceptionally graceful demeanor, the reality was clear. Given the hostile relationship between Julian and Felix, Felix was bound to loathe whatever Julian liked.

Vivian had already braced herself for his disdain.

Surprisingly, the moment Felix saw her, he froze. His footsteps stuttered to a halt, and he completely forgot to keep moving forward.

Vivian was naturally bewildered to see him stop so abruptly. She wasn’t the only one; several people nearby also noticed Felix’s abnormal reaction.

Not understanding the situation, President Zane subconsciously cleared his throat. "Mr. Faulkner, is something wrong? That lady... appears to be your daughter-in-law!

"Robert Lowell’s daughter. Uh, actually, that’s not quite right. Robert Lowell has already found his biological daughter. She used to belong to Robert Lowell’s household. I believe her name is Vivian!"

President Zane deliberately made a point of introducing Vivian’s background, his words directly exposing the fact that she was a "fake heiress." Heaven only knew what wicked scheme he was plotting!

Snapping out of his daze, Felix seemed completely deaf to President Zane’s remarks. He muttered slowly, "Oh, her name is Vivian. Vivian. Vivian."

He repeated the name quietly to himself, lost in some unknown thought. His complexion remained rather ghastly. When he finally turned to continue walking, he nearly crashed into a nearby chair.

Vivian truly didn’t understand why Felix was acting this way. She just felt that the look he had given her a moment ago was deeply peculiar.

Unable to make sense of it after a moment of pondering, and unwilling to ask the man directly, she simply followed closely at Julian’s side until they settled into the banquet hall.

The large group of people took their seats.

Grandma Faulkner cut straight to the chase. Staring at Felix, she said coldly, "Go back. This country is not your place. We had an agreement that you would never return.

"By coming back now, you have already breached our contract. Considering you’ve abided by the terms thus far, I can overlook this transgression—provided you pack your things immediately and leave right this instant.

"I’ll have Julian arrange your plane ticket. You will go back to living in your manor."

Grandma Faulkner’s tone brokered no argument, leaving no room for Felix to refute her.

Felix looked at her intently, chuckling as he shook his head. "Mom," he said earnestly. "You know me. Let’s let the past be the past.

"I admit I’ve made some mistakes, and it’s true the Faulkner Group owes its current success to Julian. He was willing to give me money, provide for me, and let me live my own life abroad. I was very happy with that.

"However, after idling away all these years and seeing the vibrant youth abroad, I feel that their world is simply much more interesting. I want to step back out and make my mark again!

"I hold shares in the Faulkner Group. If I sell those shares, I can accomplish a great many things. And while I’m at it, I also want to resolve the matter regarding Annie.

"Mom. Annie did harm *her*, but... at the end of the day, I still owe Annie. She lost both of her children, and that was entirely my fault. I want to compensate her.

"In your eyes, Annie might not be a good woman. We met when she was in poor health, but honestly, I exercised great restraint back then.

"I only had *her* in my heart. I wasn’t involved with Annie at all. It was only later... when she misunderstood my relationship with Annie, and in her agitation, she...

"It was only after she passed away that I got together with Annie. She was gone; I was a widower. Given that, what is so wrong with me remarrying?

"There’s no law stating a man can’t remarry after his wife dies! Mom, you truly have too much prejudice against Annie. She really isn’t as wicked as you all think she is!

"She’s very well-behaved in front of me. She—"

"Bullshit!"

Julian sprang to his feet. Refusing to tolerate another second of this, he snatched up a notebook from the table and hurled it straight at Felix’s head.

"Listen to the garbage spewing from your mouth! How dare you keep defending Annie! Are you trying to anger Grandma to death?! Felix, get the hell back overseas!"