Chapter 554
Vivian Bennett watched Liam Sullivan approach.
He stood tall and straight, his features handsome.
Each step carried an imposing aura.
Her heart inexplicably beat a few beats faster.
Her fingertips curled slightly.
She took the initiative to meet him.
"What did... your uncle say to you?"
Her voice held a trace of barely perceptible tension.
Albert Sullivan's shocked look from earlier was like a thorn, piercing her heart.
A sense of unease quietly spread.
Liam looked down at her.
Her face was clean and bare, but her eyes were somewhat evasive.
He reached out and gently took her hand.
"He asked if we were getting married."
His tone was calm, revealing no emotion.
Vivian looked up at him.
"How did you answer?"
"The truth." Liam led her towards the private dining room. "I said the wedding is next month."
His palm was warm, his grip firm.
Vivian pressed her lips together.
Yes, their relationship had always been open and above board.
Since they had chosen each other, there was no reason to retreat.
She just... couldn't help worrying.
Albert Sullivan was a man of unpredictable thoughts.
What if he did something extreme...
She didn't dare think too deeply.
The door to the private room was pushed open.
It was already full of people.
Oliver Winston had a cigarette in his mouth, squinting as he looked them over.
"Liam, tone it down a bit, will you?" He clicked his tongue. "There are single people here."
Vivian's ears grew slightly warm.
Liam, however, gave him a cool glance.
"When you changed girlfriends more often than clothes back in the day, I didn't see you toning it down."
Ethan Roscente laughed beside them.
"Exactly. Oliver was way more outrageous than Liam back then."
Oliver glared at him.
"Ethan, eat your food."
He turned to Camila Rivera.
"Camila, control him."
Camila gave a gentle smile but didn't respond.
Ethan, however, instantly became well-behaved.
Everyone knew he listened to Camila the most.
The meal ended amidst laughter and banter.
When Vivian left with Liam, her mood felt considerably lighter.
The night grew deeper.
In the study of the Sullivan Family Estate, smoke swirled.
Albert Sullivan sat in the darkness, smoking one cigarette after another.
The image of Liam holding Vivian kept flashing in his mind.
A feeling of irritation coiled around him like vines.
He forcefully stubbed out his cigarette butt.
Some thoughts, once they surfaced, could no longer be suppressed.
He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Arrange it as soon as possible. I want a paternity test."
His voice was hoarse, carrying an undeniable resolve.
After hanging up, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
Vivian Bennett...
That face, those eyes...
He didn't dare think too deeply, yet he couldn't control himself from thinking.
A few days later.
The test report was delivered to him.
Albert stared at the few pages, his fingers trembling slightly.
Vivian... was truly his daughter.
His and Lina Qiu Yue's daughter.
The immense shock almost made him unsteady on his feet.
He actually had a daughter.
Half a lifetime had passed before he learned of the continuation of his bloodline.
After the wild joy came icy despair.
He remembered all the things he had done to Vivian.
Threats, intimidation, almost ruining her life.
How could she possibly acknowledge him?
Albert slumped into his chair, his whole body cold.
The night outside the window was thick and impenetrable.
Just like his mood at this moment.