Chapter 356 What a Coincidence
Right then, Susanna caught an awkward noise. She spun around to check the door behind her and, sure enough, saw a familiar face. Actually, make that two faces—one big, one small.
Susanna watched Vivian stroll into the restaurant, holding a little boy's hand. Judging by the kid's age, he was about the same as Lillian. Now, this was getting juicy.
She shot a glance at Aaron, curious about how he'd handle this curveball.
Aaron, holding Lillian, naturally noticed Vivian walking in with Ramond. He frowned, not expecting to bump into Vivian here.
Lillian clung tightly to his neck, like she was scared someone might snatch him away.
Vivian eyed Aaron holding Lillian, a flash of bitterness in her eyes. After all, Ramond never got that kind of treatment. Why did Nova's kid get all of Aaron's affection?
Swallowing her resentment, she walked over to Aaron with Ramond. She looked down at Ramond and said, "Ramond, say hi to Uncle Aaron."
Ramond peeked up at Aaron, a bit scared, and hid behind Vivian, mumbling, "Hi, Uncle Aaron."
Vivian looked at Ramond, disappointed. Why couldn't he be as bold as Lillian right now? He seemed so timid!
Aaron responded with a blank face and then said, "You brought Ramond here for a meal? I heard he was sick a few days ago."
Vivian's eyes lit up in surprise at Aaron's unexpected concern for Ramond's recent illness.
She explained, "Yeah, that lousy nanny wasn't doing her job, so Maud got someone reliable from the Abbott family. Now I can focus on my stuff, knowing he's in good hands."
Aaron frowned. "Taking care of Ramond is your job!"
Vivian's face froze for a moment, then she quickly said, "I know."
But deep down, she felt a pang of reluctance. She didn't want to be stuck playing nanny. This was why she'd been carefully plotting her next move for the past four years. Just as Maria's health declined, Nova's sudden arrival threw a wrench in her plans.
Susanna strutted over in high heels, smiling faintly. "Ms. Nguyen, is this your son? He looks about the same age as Lillian."
"Yeah, what a coincidence. Ramond, this is Aunt Nova, Uncle Aaron's girlfriend. Say hi," said Vivian.
Ramond's face was full of reluctance. Seeing this, Vivian secretly pinched Ramond's arm, her expression turning sour.
Noticing the tension, Susanna stepped in, saying, "Alright, don't force the kid. Ms. Nguyen, did you come here to meet someone for a meal?"
"No, Ramond just got better, so I thought of taking him out to eat something."
"Since it's such a lucky coincidence, why not eat together? Lillian might find it boring alone, and having a young buddy could be fun," Susanna suggested, casting a meaningful glance at Aaron. Lillian, nestled in his arms, nodded eagerly, "Okay."
Lillian was good at picking up hints. She didn't get why Susanna invited Vivian and Ramond, but she knew Susanna had her reasons.
When Lillian agreed, Aaron didn't say a word, but he gave Susanna a deep, puzzled look. He was surprised she suggested including Vivian in their dinner plans—definitely not something he saw coming!
The group headed to a private room.
Vivian followed with Ramond, eyeing Susanna's back. The unexpected invite to eat together threw her for a loop.
'What's her game? Doesn't matter. I'm here to show I'm with Ramond, period,' Vivian thought.
During the meal, everything seemed chill.
Lillian tried using a fork on her own, but she was a bit clumsy, and sometimes the food ended up on the table. Susanna just watched, not stepping in.
On the flip side, Vivian was all over Ramond, picking out his food, fussing over him, and giving him water, worried he wouldn't eat well. When Ramond refused to eat by himself, Vivian even fed him directly.
Aaron's eyes flicked between Lillian and Ramond. Seeing Vivian's actions, he frowned but kept quiet.
Vivian noticed Aaron's frown. She saw the mess Lillian was making with her food. Aaron, always a neat freak, surely wouldn't like this.
Thinking she had an opening, Vivian quickly said to Susanna, "Ms. Ramirez, Lillian is struggling with her food and hasn't eaten much. Aren't you going to help her?"
Susanna had been quietly eating. Hearing Vivian's comment, she calmly replied, "Don't worry about her."
"Ms. Ramirez, Lillian is still so young. As a mom, isn't it irresponsible to let her eat by herself?"
In wealthy families, servants usually handled meals and daily needs. How could Nova let Lillian eat by herself?
Hearing this, Susanna frowned and said, "I believe in teaching independence. I mean, if a three or four-year-old can't even feed themselves, that's a problem. We want them to grow up strong and capable, not reliant on others for everything."
Vivian's face twisted a bit. "She's just a kid. You gotta be nicer to her."
Aaron cut in coldly, "Let him eat by himself!"
Vivian was taken aback by Aaron's words, but seeing his displeased look, she quickly coaxed Ramond, "Ramond, Uncle Aaron wants to see you eat by yourself. Be good and eat the food on your plate."
"I don't want to eat by myself, I don't want to eat by myself!" Ramond suddenly threw a fit, tossing the spoon in his hand.
Vivian's face changed drastically. She tried to keep smiling while holding Ramond's arm. "Ramond, why are you throwing a tantrum? Are you trying to act up in front of Uncle Aaron? You eat well by yourself at home, why can't you do it now?"
"I don't want to. At home, the nanny always feeds me. I won't eat by myself!" Ramond's voice was sharp, clearly spoiled.
"Ramond!" Vivian felt a surge of frustration. She had hoped to impress Aaron, but now she felt like she was just making a scene.
Susanna looked over with a faint smile. "Ms. Nguyen, Ramond is about to cry. Don't force him to do something he's never done before."
Vivian's face turned sour. How dare Nova mock her?
