After hearing Finnick's reassurances, Vivian managed to calm her nerves. She then followed the butler to the study on the second floor.
The elder Mr. Norton's study was decorated with a lot of antiques. The moment she entered, she could smell the scent of lighted sandalwood and felt as if she had stepped into another world.
He was sitting at his desk dressed in a long robe. From the very first second she entered, his gaze was fixated upon her.
Vivian tried her best to keep her nerves together and walked towards the front of the desk. She greeted politely, "Mr. Norton."
"What did you just call me?" He questioned her sternly.
Stunned, Vivian was uncertain as to what was going on.
"Since you are now married to Finnick, you should address me as Grandpa, just like how Finnick," the elder Mr. Norton explained patiently when he realized that she was clueless. Moreover, he didn't forget to sneer, "You and your sister, Ashley, are two polarizing extremes. One just can’t wait to address me as Great Grandpa while the other doesn’t do so when she should.”
Vivian turned pale when she realized the elder Mr. Norton knew that Ashley and she were sisters.
After giving it some thought, she realized it wasn't unexpected. After all, she had been married to Finnick for quite a while now so he would definitely have done a background check on her.
Anyway, since the elder Mr. Norton allowed her to address him as Grandpa, it meant that he acknowledged her as his granddaughter-in-law. Realizing that, Vivian heaved a sigh of relief and greeted softly, "Grandpa."
Only then did he gave her a satisfied nod and motioned her by thrusting his chin forward. "Have a seat."
After settling down obediently, Vivian heard him question her sternly, "What do you think I call you in here for?”
"I think it's because of the pictures that were screened at the dinner just now." Gathering her courage, Vivian raised her head as she wanted to seize upon the opportunity to explain. "Grandpa, those pictures are actually..."
Before she could begin to explain, the elder Mr. Norton raised his hand to cut her off.
"You don't have to explain." His tone was impatient. "Don't you think I would have investigated the matter thoroughly? After all, you have been married to Finnick for a long time."
He chose his words carefully. By using the words 'investigated thoroughly', he had conveyed his inner thoughts.
Not only had he checked what happened two years ago, but he also found out the truth and knew that Vivian was set up.
That was when Vivian understood why he wasn't surprised when he saw the pictures. In fact, he didn't even blame her for them.
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