Chapter 913

Simon Eisner's text arrived on Vivian Laurent's phone at three in the morning.

"Ms. Laurent, you should see this video."

The footage showed Ethan Roscente slumped over a bar counter, his suit disheveled and tie loose. He kept murmuring Vivian's name with a voice roughened by alcohol.

Her fingers trembled before she quickly locked the screen.

Moonlight streamed through the window, turning her hands ice-cold. She tossed the phone to the foot of the bed, only to retrieve it five minutes later.

"Not my problem," she said to the empty room.

The next morning at Roscente Group's headquarters, Ethan walked into the boardroom impeccably dressed, as if last night's drunken episode never happened.

Two weeks later, Fiona Grandelle and Emily Garnache appeared at Vivian's villa doorstep with suitcases in tow.

"Viv!" Emily threw her arms around Vivian. "This place is even prettier than the photos!"

Sunlight filtered through palm leaves, casting golden ripples across the pool. Fiona removed her sunglasses, marveling at the three-story glass greenhouse.

"How long are you staying?" Vivian took their luggage.

"Until my dad begs me to come home!" Emily twirled with a grin. "He said one month with you beats half a year at business school."

Fiona traced her fingers along an antique vase in the foyer. "Mom insisted I learn perfumery from you. She says even royal perfumers rave about your 'Snowfall' fragrance."

As Vivian showed them the guest rooms, Emily suddenly leaned against the doorframe. "So...about Mr. Roscente—"

"The study has all your required textbooks." Vivian cut her off smoothly. "Emily, start with Corporate Finance. Fiona, the perfumery lab is ready for you to familiarize yourself with the ingredients."

At dusk, Vivian found Fiona watching the sunset on the terrace.

"Your mother's due soon?"

Fiona nodded, absently stroking her phone's lockscreen—a family photo. "The doctor thinks it might be twins."

Vivian gazed at the distant horizon where a yacht slowly approached the harbor, its deck dotted with waving figures. She abruptly turned and drew the sheer curtains shut.

"Finance lessons in the morning, perfumery in the afternoon." Her voice carried on the sea breeze. "Get some rest tonight."