"Hello, I’m Vivienne Blackwood."
For a second, silence enveloped the room.
Arthur Williams’ lips parted as though a stampede had run across his mind. He uncrossed his legs, ran a hand through the locks of his soft brown curls, and sat up straight in his chair.
Emma Walker’s eyes flickered to Vivienne, surprise shimmering there. That surprise turned to darkness for a second before she replaced it with a gentle, polished smile.
Oscar Jones cast a quick glance at Vivienne and just like that, turned back to the notebook in his hand. He brushed the moment aside as nothing important.
Leo Thompson on the other hand, for some reason, just kept staring at Vivienne without the faintest hint of hesitation or embarrassment.
After roaming across hundreds of worlds, donning a hundred different identities, and mastering countless skills, Vivienne Blackwood had long since honed an instinct for danger.
She could feel it now—a gaze lurking in the shadows, watching her with quiet menace.
Her eyes drifted toward the man only for a second, a casual, almost indifferent glance. Then, as if nothing had happened, she turned away and greeted Camila Hall and Emma Walker before taking a seat beside them.
Camila Hall cast a quick look at Vivienne’s pale, slender face, her brows knitting almost imperceptibly as she recalled the recent storm of rumors online.
[How amusing. I know Vivienne Blackwood’s personality is far from likable, but her appearance? Absolutely breathtaking—undeniably top-tier.]
[Exactly! Otherwise, how would she have become famous in the first place? Most of those criticizing her now are just bitter fans in disguise, haha. I almost feel sorry for her supporters... though, of course, there are plenty of jealous ones too.]
[Who wouldn’t be jealous? Just look at her figure... her face... is there even a single flaw? Today I helped a child out of kindness, and what did he say? "Thank you, grandma." Grandma?! I’m only twenty-five—I nearly cried.]
[By the way, has anyone noticed? Vivienne has lost quite a bit of weight.]
[Look at everyone’s reactions... I didn’t know even celebrities and the wealthy could be stunned by beauty.]
[Did you see how Arthur Williams sat up immediately? Hahaha, he even fixed his hair. Looks like this Playboy has found himself a new target.]
Arthur Williams moved quickly. Rising to his feet, he strode over to Vivienne and extended his hand toward her.
Under the soft lighting, his light brown curls framed his forehead, softening his already handsome features. Dressed in a crisp white shirt, he carried an effortlessly bright, charming smile.
"Hello! Hello! My name is Arthur Williams. I’m an actor. My family is fairly wealthy. I’m an only child—my parents live abroad most of the year. They’re very understanding and don’t interfere in my life. I’m not stingy—I’m very generous with my friends and the people I care about. And of course... I have plenty of other excellent qualities as well."
Vivienne was slightly taken aback by his enthusiasm—and even more so by his unusual introduction—but she still extended her hand to meet his, which hung expectantly in the air.
"Hello... Arthur?" she repeated, almost unconsciously.
"Oh—right, right! Arthur, or you can call me Will, hahaha."
Arthur’s gaze fell upon her slender, porcelain-white fingers. For a fleeting second, a series of inappropriate, unbidden images flashed through his mind, and a flush of red crept across his face.
He cleared his throat softly, offering an awkward smile as he averted his eyes from Vivienne’s direct gaze, guilt prickling at him.
"We’ll be roommates for the next month. I hope we can help each other out. If you need anything, just come to me."
Vivienne gave a small, polite nod and withdrew her hand without delay.
[Did Will think this was a date or something? What kind of introduction was that? I’m dying of laughter.]
[Hahaha, I can’t stop laughing! Will looks completely ridiculous!]
[Arthur Williams has always been a notorious playboy—he’s broken millions of hearts. Don’t ever trust that innocent appearance; when it comes to dating, he’s rotten to the core.]
[So what? His girlfriends have always been willing participants. He’s never committed any crimes or forced himself on anyone. And besides, didn’t Vivienne say she’s stopped chasing Mr. Voss? What’s wrong with her dating Arthur?]
[You actually believe her just because she said that? Haha. This isn’t her first time playing hard to get. You must be new if you don’t know who Vivienne Blackwood is.]
[A serial womanizer who changes partners as easily as clothes... but his wealth is absurd. Honestly, he seems like the perfect target for a gold digger like Vivienne.]
"Hello!" Emma Walker suddenly stood up and hurried toward Vivienne, her smile bright and radiant. "My name is Emma Walker. May I call you Vivi?"
"Vivi, my beautiful little girl... You must live happily. Mommy loves you."
"Vivi—run! Hurry, get out of here, the fuel is leaking—!"
...
Vivienne sank into distant memories she had once believed she’d buried.
Memories steeped in sorrow and pain—memories that repelled her, yet remained strangely precious, impossible to forget.
"Vivienne?" Emma Walker called out, her voice slightly louder this time.
The sound pulled Vivienne back to reality. She lifted her gaze to the beautiful girl standing before her.
Her lips parted, her voice quiet—yet absolute.
"You can’t."
Silence fell over the room once more, heavier than before.
Vivienne Blackwood’s words were cold. Final.
Emma stared at her for a few seconds, her eyes quickly reddening, like a wronged little rabbit refusing to cry out loud.
She turned and returned to her seat, sitting down quietly.
Deep inside, however, Emma smiled.
She had thought Vivienne’s bluntness was foolish—an opportunity. A perfect chance to paint her as the villain of the story.
She had been waiting for someone to comfort her, so she could begin her performance—tearfully insisting she hadn’t meant anything by it, that Vivienne must not have intended to hurt her... She had already crafted a flawless little narrative in her mind, vivid enough that she could almost see it unfolding.
But...
Who would have thought the people in this room could be this indifferent?
Camila Hall remained seated, her polite yet distant smile unchanged, her gaze calmly fixed ahead.
Oscar Jones and Leo Thompson, on the other side of the room, didn’t seem to have noticed anything at all.
As for Arthur Williams...
His eyes never left Vivienne’s face—his cheeks still faintly flushed.
Emma Walker: "..."