Chapter 303: Banquet

Vivian Lowell looked at the ultrasound scan, unable to believe her eyes.

“Doctor, are you sure? Besides a slightly bigger belly, I don’t feel any different!”

Vivian didn’t even know what she was supposed to feel!

Anyway… It was simply unbelievable!

“It’s true.” The doctor beamed with a wide smile and repeated, “Congratulations, Mrs. Faulkner. However, carrying twins will be relatively more exhausting.

“You must keep up with your nutrition moving forward. At the same time, doing some exercise within your physical limits will be beneficial for your body. Of course, stick to gentle movements and avoid anything too strenuous.”

Vivian nodded vigorously, anticipation bubbling up inside her.

She had previously wondered whether it would be better to have a boy or a girl. She actually preferred a daughter. Little girls were so soft, sweet-smelling, and adorable!

But on second thought, a son didn’t seem bad either. A cool little boy, just like Julian Faulkner—she would love that too!

Now, perhaps she wouldn’t have to worry about choosing. If they were a boy and a girl, she felt like she would have hit the jackpot!

When they left the hospital, Vivian felt like skipping all the way home. Unfortunately, her somewhat heavy body didn’t permit her to bounce around like a grade schooler.

Julian, on the other hand, was a different story. The man who had been completely calm and nonchalant just yesterday couldn’t help but walk over to support her.

“Walk slowly.” Julian’s face was etched with worry, acting as if he were terrified she might bump into something or trip. “I’ll support you. Ms. Shaw, go bring the car around.”

“Yes, Sir,” Ms. Shaw agreed, shooting a slightly concerned glance at Vivian.

Vivian stopped in her tracks and gently pushed Julian’s hands away, speaking to him in earnest. “Julian, why are you treating me like a fragile porcelain doll again?

“I’m fine, really! Yesterday, you were the one telling me not to worry. But today, the moment you find out I’m perfectly healthy and normal, you’re the one who starts panicking!”

Yesterday, Julian had told her that as long as the doctor said everything was fine, she had no reason to fret. Today, the doctor confirmed she was perfectly fine, allowing Vivian to breathe a sigh of relief. Yet, ironically, it was Julian who tied himself in knots over it.

Hearing Vivian’s words, Julian could only sigh. “It’s my fault. I kept assuming everything was just normal. I never expected this kind of situation.

“Vivian, regardless, you have to be much more careful from now on. Are you still planning to attend the gala next Wednesday?”

Julian was growing increasingly uneasy. There would be so many people at the gala. What if something happened to her?

“I have to go.” Vivian thought for a moment before continuing, “Mr. Drake specifically said he has an old friend to introduce to us. How could we possibly decline?

“Oh, come on, Julian, stop worrying so much. Aren’t we going together? At worst, we can just bring Vance Wyatt and Finn along. With a bigger group, we can ensure my safety, right?”

Listening to her reasoning, Julian conceded that it was the only way. After all, Mr. Drake certainly wouldn’t put Vivian in harm’s way.

Wednesday arrived.

By six o’clock in the evening, thick, dark clouds had blanketed the sky. Vivian had just finished her work and was about to ask Julian when they should head to the Grand West Aethelburg Hotel when a RUMBLE of thunder echoed behind her. Since the thunder came from a distance, it didn’t startle her. Turning her head to look out the window, she realized a heavy downpour had already begun outside.

It just had to rain during the worst possible time for commuters.

Unable to hold back a sigh, Vivian sent a message to the company group chat. “There are communal umbrellas available in the office. If anyone didn’t bring one and needs it, feel free to grab one~ Just remember to bring it back tomorrow morning.

“If lost, you’ll have to compensate the company thirty yuan per umbrella.”

The moment the message was sent, a female employee immediately replied. “Boss, Boss, where are the umbrellas? Boohoo, I made plans to get dinner with my boyfriend today, and I was just wondering if I should cancel the date.

“With rain this heavy, I’ll definitely turn into a drowned rat out there, won’t I?”

Seeing the text, Vivian replied with the location and added, “There aren’t many umbrellas, so it’s first-come, first-served~ Those who don’t get one shouldn’t worry, either.

“Thunderstorms like this usually don’t last too long. You can wait in the office until the rain lightens up before heading home. Personal safety is the most important thing~”

Just as she finished sending her messages, Julian replied to her earlier text. “I’m almost done, just wrapping up a few final tasks. It’s pouring outside, and it looks like there’s a traffic jam. Let’s wait a bit before heading out.”

It was only six-twenty. The office wasn’t far from the Grand West Aethelburg Hotel, so there was no need for them to go out right now and squeeze through the crowds. With so many cars on the road, they wouldn’t be able to move anyway.

With that in mind, Vivian dug a small cookie out of her drawer to hold herself over. She was hungry, after all. For a pregnant woman carrying twins, replenishing her energy was absolutely necessary! Now, Vivian felt zero psychological burden when snacking. Knowing she was carrying two hungry babies in her belly gave her a sense of perfect justification whenever she ate.

Half an hour later, Julian came looking for Vivian. Unfortunately, the rain outside showed no signs of letting up.

When Vivian prepared to leave the office, Finn was still there, gazing mournfully out the window with a heavy sigh.

“Finn, aren’t you taking the subway home?” Vivian asked. She thought for a second before offering, “Why don’t you come with us? We have to pass by the subway station anyway, so we can just drop you off there.

“That way, you won’t have to keep waiting.”

Finn had a heavy workload today. By the time she was ready to clock out, all the communal umbrellas had already been borrowed. Furthermore, she lived rather far away; the subway ride alone took forty minutes. It was almost seven o’clock now! If she delayed any longer, she wouldn’t get home until eight! She’d be starving to the point where her stomach would be touching her spine!

“Thank you so much, Boss!” Finn was incredibly grateful.

Ten minutes ago, Finn’s mother had texted her to ask if she was on the subway yet and whether she should ask Finn’s younger sister, who was at school, to bring her an umbrella.

Finn had thought about it but declined. Her sister still had to study in the library tonight. Making the round trip would be too exhausting for her, and she would undoubtedly get drenched delivering an umbrella in this torrential rain.

With no other options, her mother merely mentioned that dinner was almost ready and they were just waiting for her to get home to eat. Finn loved her mother’s cooking more than anything. If she missed out on a hot meal, she felt like all her hard work today would lose its meaning!

Thankfully, her boss had come to the rescue!

As the car drove out of the underground garage and exited the building, Vivian immediately heard the loud SPLASH and chatter of the rain battering the windows. She hadn’t noticed it while inside the office building, but hearing the sheer volume of the water now made her truly grasp how massive today’s storm was.

It was as heavy as… Well, like the torrential storm the night Cosette was sent out into the dark to fetch water?

That bizarre thought flashed through her mind right as the car came to a halt at the intersection just before the subway station.

There was a traffic jam ahead. Because of the rain, the roads were slick, and it appeared there had been a car accident a short distance ahead, paralyzing the traffic in the entire area.

In Aethelburg, you never knew how long a traffic jam would last. Vivian was feeling the profound truth of that statement. They waited in the exact same spot for ten minutes, entirely motionless, unable to move forward even an inch.

Finn’s stomach gave a loud growl.

Vivian turned around and glanced at her. She initially wanted to pull out a small cookie to hand to her, only to realize she seemed to have eaten them all.

“Boss,” Finn said, casting a depressed look at the subway station that was so tantalizingly close. She asked tentatively, “Why don’t you just drop me off here? If I make a run for it, it’s only a few steps away.

“I probably won’t get too wet. Besides, with the traffic conditions like this, it won’t be easy for you to pull over and drop me off later…”

Vivian peered outside. Finn’s logic was sound, so she had no choice but to agree. “All right, go ahead then. Vance, could you pop the door open?

“Finn, look carefully when you get out. There might be people riding bicycles past the curb.”

“Got it, Boss,” Finn replied. Once Vance Wyatt opened the car door, she stepped out and sprinted straight toward the subway station.

Fortunately, it went smoothly. Although there were bicycles and electric scooters on the side of the road, Finn didn’t encounter any accidents. After ducking into the subway station, she turned around and waved at Vivian.

Vivian wanted to wave back, but realizing the window was rolled up and obscured by the torrential rain, she knew Finn wouldn’t be able to see her anyway and gave up on the idea.

“Julian, there’s actually a side entrance to the Grand West Aethelburg Hotel near here. How about we get out and walk over? It’s so close, and who knows how long this traffic will last. It’s already seven o’clock.”

They had originally agreed to meet Mr. Drake at seven o’clock. They were already late.

Julian refused the proposal. His reasoning was that the rain was far too heavy; even with an umbrella, they would get soaked if they stepped out now, not to mention the puddles accumulating on the ground. Vivian’s shoes weren’t waterproof. If they got wet, walking would be incredibly uncomfortable for her.

Vivian couldn’t argue with that. Julian was firmly against it, and his logic made perfect sense, so she could only silently acquiesce.

Fortunately, luck was on their side. Though there was an accident ahead, it was likely just a minor fender bender. After mediation, the vehicles had been towed away, and the road was clear once more.

More than ten minutes later, Vivian and Julian arrived at the Grand West Aethelburg Hotel.

Entering the first-floor lobby, Vivian immediately spotted Joy Drake standing at the entrance of the banquet hall.

It was her again, busy entertaining the coming and going guests. Watching Joy enthusiastically greet and see off the attendees, Vivian suddenly paused as a rather malicious thought popped into her head.

Behaving like this… Joy truly resembled a hostess beckoning customers outside an ancient bawdy house.

The thought was fleeting, and Vivian quickly shook her head.

Honestly. She wondered if interacting with bad people for so long had caused her to start harboring such “dirty” thoughts herself.

As she internally chided herself, Joy noticed Vivian and Julian and walked over to them.

“President Faulkner, Mrs. Faulkner.”