Chapter 476 Vivian, How Did You Get Out?
Susanna's jaw practically hit the floor when she saw Vivian.
'Wait, isn't she supposed to be in jail?' Susanna thought, totally floored.
She remembered it clear as day. After that whole bone marrow fiasco, she had her lawyer nail Vivian to the wall. Vivian got slapped with a one-year sentence.
Vivian had convinced Maud to swap the bone marrow, almost killing Charles. Susanna wasn't about to let that slide, so she made sure Vivian ended up behind bars.
But now, here was Vivian, right in front of her.
Was she seeing things, or did this chick just look a lot like Vivian?
But that voice—no mistaking it. That was 100% Vivian, same tone, same attitude.
Susanna spun around to Aaron and demanded, "Care to explain why she's here?"
Susanna's mind raced. Did Aaron pull some strings to spring Vivian?
Aaron looked just as shocked. He knew Vivian was supposed to be locked up. She should be in jail, not chilling in the Owen Suite in Philly.
Vivian smirked at them from the doorway. "Surprised to see me?"
Aaron shot back, "Vivian, what the hell are you doing here?"
Vivian's grin turned wicked. "Where else would I be? In prison? When Susanna, that witch, sent me away, I begged you for help, but you just watched. So, I had to save myself."
Vivian had learned the hard way: you can only count on yourself. Men? Totally unreliable.
Susanna eyed Vivian and said, "Didn't know you were so tight with Mr. Richardson."
Vivian's face lit up with pride. Finally, she could show Susanna she wasn't some nobody.
Susanna turned to Owen. "You two got something special going on?"
When did Vivian get mixed up with Owen?
Owen took a step back. "Why don't you both come in first?" He didn't want this scene to go public. Normally, he'd have his bodyguards toss them out, but this was Susanna and Aaron.
Susanna didn't hesitate and marched right in.
She was dead set on figuring out what was going on between Vivian and Owen, and if Ramond was really Owen's kid.
This could actually work in her favor. Owen wanted to get re-elected, and a scandal would wreck his chances. No way he'd get any votes.
Owen moved to the side. "Take a seat. What brings you here?"
Susanna cut to the chase. "I came to talk about that project, but now it seems like bad timing."
Vivian sneered, "Susanna, you think you're getting that project? Dream on."
As long as Vivian was around, she'd make sure Susanna got nothing.
Susanna didn't even flinch. She looked at Owen with a sly smile. "Mr. Richardson, what's your deal with Vivian? If this gets out, it's gonna be a mess. The public won't be happy."
Owen's face tightened. "My relationship with her is private. Not something I can just spill."
"Sure, it's private," Susanna shot back. "But you're up for re-election next year. You really wanna risk a scandal tanking your approval ratings? The Jones family has had your back for years. We don't want any drama messing up your campaign."
She said it to rattle Vivian, and it worked. Vivian's face went pale.
Owen's expression darkened. "I'll handle this. Just keep it under wraps for now. No need to drag Edward into it. I got this."
Susanna nodded, smirking. "Of course, I trust you. If you couldn't handle this, you wouldn't be where you are today."
Vivian glared at Owen. "What, you're ditching me again?"
Owen sighed. "You know I can't afford a scandal. If this gets out, I'm done for, and you won't gain anything either."
Vivian scoffed. "You just want the Jones family's support. What about the Abbott family? They're just as powerful."
Susanna turned to Aaron. "So, what's your deal with Vivian? Is Ramond yours?"
Aaron had always denied any romantic ties with Vivian.
If Ramond wasn't Aaron's, why was Vivian so confident about the Abbott family's support?
Aaron frowned at Vivian. "Since when do you speak for the Abbott family?"
Vivian laughed coldly. "I don't, but you owe me. Remember your promise? You said you'd take care of me and Ramond forever. But you let Susanna throw me in jail and did nothing. You broke your word."
Susanna leaned in, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. From Vivian's words, it was clear her relationship with Aaron ran deep.
Aaron wasn't the type to make promises lightly, especially to a woman. This made Susanna even more intrigued about Vivian's ties to the Abbott family.
Owen cut in, "Stop talking like that. You're embarrassing yourself."
Vivian snapped, "You ditched me when I was a kid. I've had a rough life, no fancy education. So yeah, I'm embarrassing you. That's on you."
Owen looked down, silent. Susanna's eyes widened. "Wait, are you Mr. Richardson's illegitimate daughter?"
Vivian sneered. "Not illegitimate! He dumped my mom to marry some rich lady. Then my mom found out she was pregnant and had me."
Susanna raised an eyebrow. What a soap opera.
She couldn't help but be fascinated by the drama unfolding before her.
