Chapter 341: house party XI

Chapter 341: Chapter 341: house party XI

Vivienne walked back toward the group with Christopher beside her.

Their hands were still intertwined.

She was smiling.

Christopher looked perfectly composed.

As they approached, the conversation around the group gradually quieted.

Everyone had already been watching them.

Now they were coming back.

Together.

William noticed their hands first.

His eyebrows rose.

Oh.

Well.

That was interesting.

He glanced at Anthony.

And immediately, William knew this was going to be entertaining.

Anthony was staring at their hands.

He didn’t say anything.

Neither did William.

Not yet.

Vivienne stopped in front of them.

Claire, Eleanor, and Amelia were not really sure how to react.

They knew Vivienne’s complicated history here.

Anthony was her ex-fiancé.

Damian was her friends-with-benefits arrangement.

And Christopher was now her boyfriend.

All three were standing there.

And Vivienne had deliberately brought Christopher back with her, holding his hand.

They knew she understood exactly what she was doing.

That was what made it difficult.

It wasn’t a lack of awareness.

Vivienne knew this would probably hurt Damian.

She simply seemed to have decided that making things clear was more important.

The three exchanged glances.

They weren’t sure whether to applaud her for being so direct or quietly face-palm at her lack of sensitivity.

In the end, all they could do was watch.

William, however, was looking at Christopher.

He smiled.

"Archibald."

He stepped forward.

"Glad you could make it."

Christopher returned the smile.

"Yes. Thanks for the invitation."

William shook his hand.

"Of course."

Then William glanced at Vivienne.

Then back at Christopher.

Then at their hands.

His smile became slightly wider.

He looked toward Anthony.

Just for a moment.

Anthony noticed.

Of course he noticed.

William said nothing.

He didn’t need to.

Anthony looked back at Vivienne.

She was still smiling.

She looked completely comfortable standing beside Christopher.

Holding his hand.

In front of everyone.

Anthony’s expression remained composed.

But something about the sight still felt difficult to process.

Only the other day—

He had stopped Vivienne at the restaurant.

He had asked her to reconsider their engagement.

And she had looked at him and told him—

She liked someone else.

Christopher.

She wanted to see where things went with him.

Anthony had understood that there was nothing he could do.

He had accepted it.

Or at least, he had told himself he had.

But apparently—

Things had already gone somewhere.

Very quickly.

His eyes moved to Christopher.

Christopher looked back at him.

They had worked together in the Student Council for two years.

They had a good rapport.

Anthony respected him.

Which somehow made this even stranger.

Anthony looked back at Vivienne.

Then at their hands.

He was quiet for another moment.

Then—

"So..."

Vivienne looked at him.

Anthony’s eyes remained on her.

"You two are together?"

Vivienne blinked.

Then she smiled.

"Yes."

Simple.

No hesitation.

Anthony stared at her for a moment.

"I see."

William’s mouth twitched.

He looked down briefly, hiding his amusement.

This was much better than he had expected.

Anthony glanced at Vivienne again.

Then at Christopher.

Then back at her.

"And when did this happen?"

"Ah... just yesterday."

Anthony went still, though his expression barely changed.

But William could see it.

That tiny pause.

That slight tightening around his eyes.

William was enjoying himself immensely.

"Yesterday?" Anthony repeated.

Vivienne nodded.

"Yes."

She said it so casually.

As though there were nothing particularly remarkable about it.

Anthony took a slow breath.

Then his eyes moved toward Christopher.

Christopher remained composed.

Anthony looked back at Vivienne.

"And does your family know?"

Their engagement had not even been formally addressed with their families.

But now—

Vivienne was publicly holding another man’s hand.

The question made Vivienne pause.

She hadn’t expected that.

"Oh..."

She glanced briefly at Christopher.

Then back at Anthony.

"Not yet, but I will inform them soon."

Anthony’s jaw clenched.

He looked at Christopher again.

Christopher met his gaze calmly.

There was no challenge in his expression.

No provocation.

Nothing Anthony could object to.

That somehow made the situation even harder to argue with.

Anthony finally looked away.

"I see."

William couldn’t help but snort.

Anthony looked at him.

William’s expression went perfectly innocent.

Anthony’s eyes narrowed slightly.

William smiled wider.

He had been waiting for an opportunity to irritate him all evening.

And apparently, the party had decided to give him one.

Anthony said nothing.

He simply looked back at Vivienne.

She was still holding Christopher’s hand.

And she looked happy.

There was nothing more he could say.

--

Across the group, Evelyn had been watching everything.

Her eyes moved from Anthony to Vivienne.

Then to Christopher.

So Vivienne was dating Christopher now.

And Anthony—

Evelyn looked at him again.

He was trying very hard not to show anything.

But she could see the faint anger he was masking behind his composure.

She looked at Vivienne.

Vivienne was smiling at Christopher.

Evelyn felt a familiar irritation.

What did they even see in Vivienne?

Yes, she was beautiful.

But other than that?

She was fickle.

A flirt.

And, in Evelyn’s mind, hardly better than a slut.

Evelyn wanted nothing more than to rip off Vivienne’s facade and expose what she believed was the bitter truth: behind her pretty face, there was nothing of value to offer.

Though, of course, Evelyn knew better than to act on any of that now.

Not with Christopher standing there.

Whatever else she thought of Vivienne, Christopher Archibald was not someone she wanted to offend.

For all the things Evelyn disliked about Vivienne, she couldn’t deny that Vivienne’s taste in men was impeccable.

And, more annoyingly, these men were stupid enough to want Vivienne.

Her irritation only deepened.

--

Damian, on the other hand, stood there quietly.

Watching.

He had known.

But hearing Vivienne say that it had happened yesterday—

After he had told her he wanted more.

After she had told him she would think about it.

After everything that had happened between them—

It took all his control to keep his expression unchanged.

For one brief moment, he almost wanted to say something.

Anything.

He could expose the fact that there was more between him and Vivienne than everyone here realized.

He could make things uncomfortable.

He could make Christopher understand that the rumors about them had not simply appeared out of nowhere.

But then what?

What would that accomplish?

Anthony had been Vivienne’s fiancé.

He could ask when it happened.

He could ask whether her family knew.

He could show surprise.

He could stand there and have some claim to the shock of it.

But Damian?

What was he supposed to say?

You told me you would think about what I wanted.

That was true.

We were friends with benefits.

That was also true.

And that was precisely the problem.

He was hurt.

Humiliated.

Angry.

But there was nothing he could say that wouldn’t make him look like a bitter man who was upset because the woman he slept with had chosen someone else.

Vivienne hadn’t promised him anything.

She hadn’t broken any promise.

She hadn’t betrayed him.

She had simply chosen someone else.

Damian looked at Vivienne.

Then she caught his eyes.

For a second, her expression changed.

As if she had just realized again that he was there.

And that she felt a little guilty.

She gave him a small, apologetic smile.

Damian looked at her.

At this point, he couldn’t even pretend that it didn’t matter.

That it didn’t affect him in any way.

He didn’t want to comfort her, nor did he want to reassure her.

However, he still had enough dignity not to make a spectacle of himself.

So he did the most reasonable thing he could do at that moment.

He simply turned away.

--

Tbc