Chapter 25: Since That's the Case, She Will Take Them Back

"No, you can't call the police! What just happened was a misunderstanding. Please, everyone, don't call the police yet, let me explain..."

Vivian Hale raised an eyebrow, gradually reining in her frantic display of distress.

She looked at Chloe Jenkins with a look of leisure composure.

"I am the victim here, isn't it only natural to call the police? Besides, both involved parties have agreed to it, so why are you so unwilling? What does this have to do with you?"

Chloe Jenkins was instantly choked for words, utterly speechless.

Garrett Vance was someone sent directly from the headquarters; what was the difference between offending him and looking for death?

And the most critical issue at hand was not just losing her job, but a potential prison sentence!

Having run amok for so many years, Chloe Jenkins never expected to suffer such a massive setback here. She was sweating profusely from anxiety.

Yet Vivian remained relentless, dragging her toward the exit.

"Forget it, let's just go straight there. No point wasting time here."

Unable to wrench herself free and terrified to the point of tears, Chloe Jenkins had no choice but to deeply regret her actions, crying out at the top of her lungs.

"No! I made all of that up! I never saw Director Hale and Mr. Vance enter a hotel at all!"

The moment those words were uttered, the expressions of everyone present altered.

The looks they cast toward Chloe Jenkins shifted completely.

"Huh? This... a matter like this... can actually be made up?"

Vivian let out a cold sneer, "Oh, so you were spouting absolute nonsense. But Miss Jenkins, manufacturing illicit rumors about someone’s character already constitutes a crime. I think it’s still best to let the police handle this."

Chloe Jenkins panicked even further. In her desperation, she actually offered a rare apology, "I'm sorry, Director Hale, Mr. Vance. I... I was wrong. I will never say things like that again. I beg you, please spare me."

Gazing at her current subservient appearance, which lacked even a fraction of her previous arrogance, the coldness in the depths of Vivian's eyes intensified.

As expected, a kind person would only be taken advantage of by others.

"You know you're wrong now? What were you doing earlier? How many people have you spoken ill of behind their backs like this before, and how many have you harmed? We are both women, why is your malice toward other women so immense? Having a piece of rat feces like you in the company truly is revolting. It's useless to apologize to me; you'd better go explain it to the police."

With that, she placed the call to the police directly.

Chloe Jenkins stood frozen on the spot, her face deathly pale, but it wasn't over yet.

Garrett Vance added with a freezing tone, "Since you spread malicious rumors within the company, you don't need to come to work tomorrow. Consider yourself suspended pending further investigation."

Very soon, the wail of sirens echoed from below. Chloe Jenkins stood there with a ghostly pale face. As she was escorted away by the police, the look she cast toward Vivian was filled to the brim with burning resentment.

Vivian Hale, why is this person so utterly damnable?

...

Due to this delay, the sky was already completely pitch-black by the time Vivian returned home.

The massive villa was also blanketed in darkness.

It seemed Adrian Cross hadn't returned.

She didn't know if he was at the office or over at Tiffany Rose's place.

Vivian raised an eyebrow, checking her phone. On the screen was a message from the real estate agent, stating that a buyer had already been found for the properties and the paperwork was being processed rapidly.

She smiled to herself. Excellent.

Next, she needed to use this period at home to reclaim even more of what belonged to her.

Aside from these pieces of real estate shared with Adrian, she had sacrificed so much for the Cross family and for Eleanor Cross over the years; she was going to take all of it back before the divorce.

Aside from the Cross Group, the few commercial storefront properties that allowed her mother-in-law, Eleanor Cross, to consistently make passive income and live a life of leisure had all been personally selected, purchased, and processed by Vivian herself. Yet after her mother-in-law made money, far from remembering Vivian's kindness, she looked down on Vivian even more for being a housewife who didn't earn an income.

Since that was the case, she was going to take them back.

Furthermore, Adrian was currently using their marital assets to maintain his mistress. Given Adrian’s character, although this sum of money wasn't considered massive, she absolutely could not let Tiffany have it easy.

Whatever belonged to her, not a single cent could be missing.

The industry summit was approaching rapidly, which presented a golden opportunity. She first sent a text message to Pearl: "I need you to do me a favor..."

The phone call came back almost instantly, "Babe, whatever it is, I will lay down my life for you."

Vivian let out a low laugh, "It's not that big of a deal. About the summit I mentioned to you before... at the summit, when you see Tiffany, do this..."

Because she had dumped all the Cross family responsibilities onto her, Tiffany had surely been having a miserable time under Eleanor Cross these past few days.

At the summit in a couple of days, Tiffany would undoubtedly flaunt her new technology, hoping to hold her head high.

All of these would serve as evidence of Tiffany’s plagiarism, which naturally needed to be preserved meticulously.

Of course, she would give Tiffany plenty of face during the summit.

Only when a person is flying high will they lower their guard.

She was going to use this chance to cause a complete falling out between Eleanor and Tiffany. Only then could she rightfully reclaim the things she had previously handed over to Eleanor on a silver platter.

Next, she pulled out her phone again and dialed another number, "Pearl, I remember that the employee cards and membership cards at your boutique don't have any special markings on them, right? I want to borrow an employee card from you..."

...

Very soon, the day of the industry summit arrived.

Vivian arranged the branch office matters ahead of schedule. Rising early and heading downstairs, she spotted Adrian Cross and Tiffany Rose sitting together on the living room sofa—a sight she hadn't seen in days.

The two of them sat with their backs turned toward her, their shoulders extremely close as they looked over the documents in their hands.

A glint flashed through Vivian’s eyes, and she walked over to Adrian with a smile.

"Honey, you're back? All the company matters have been handled, right?"

Following that, she turned her gaze toward Tiffany.

The smile on her face stiffened intentionally, appearing as though she minded Adrian’s actions, yet showing a perfectly measured amount of sensibility.

"Miss Rose is here too. What happened last time was a misunderstanding on my part; it didn't cause you too much trouble, did it?"

Upon seeing Vivian, Tiffany was already gritting her teeth with hidden rage. What do you mean 'didn't cause too much trouble?' These past few days, she had been driven practically to her wits' end by Adrian, yet she didn't dare unleash her frustration.

She could only force out a strained smile, replying, "Mrs. Cross was just acting out of deep concern. As long as it's explained clearly, it's fine. I certainly wouldn't want... to cause a divorce between you and Mr. Cross."

Those final words were spoken almost through clenched teeth.

Vivian didn't expose her, naturally going along with it with a smile.

Adrian, however, had no time to listen to their pleasantries.

He lifted his hand to check his wristwatch, urging, "It's getting late. Let's head to the venue first before talking."

"Okay."

Tiffany was the first to respond, following closely behind Adrian’s footsteps.

The three arrived at the venue in such a bizarre combination.

The oval, egg-shaped venue had already gathered a substantial crowd of people.

Most were prominent figures from the fields of new energy scientific research or AI technology.

As a speaker, Tiffany went directly to the backstage area to prepare, while Vivian took her seat alongside Adrian.

As one of the few females in attendance and possessing striking looks, Vivian naturally attracted numerous gazes.

Among them, quite a few old acquaintances who knew of her reputation stepped forward to greet her, and she responded to each of them with a smile.

After all, working in the same industry made them a valuable resource.

Sitting beside her, Adrian became rather displeased.

Waiting until Vivian escorted the last person who came over to chat away, he asked with feigned casualness.

"You haven't shown your face in so many years, yet people still remember you?"

The corners of Vivian’s mouth carried a faint smile, her gaze clear as if hiding absolutely nothing.

"They only know me because of the Cross Group. When it comes down to it, I am still basking in my husband's glory."

Adrian was highly receptive to her flattery, though he wouldn't display it openly on his face.

He let out a hum of a laugh, "True. Our company is indeed very famous right now."

Gazing at his confident appearance, a few traces of mockery drifted through the depths of Vivian's eyes.

She didn't expose him, obediently murmuring an agreement as she sat straight and peacefully by his side.