Vivienne held her cup of coffee and took a slow sip with an inscrutable expression on her face.
After what seemed like a contemplative pause, she lifted her gaze and spoke softly, "Alright."
Dorian was visibly elated when she agreed. Cordelia patted his hand and chuckled. "See, Vivienne always has our backs. No matter what we ask, she will never refuse us."
As they spoke, their ordered meals gradually arrived.
Dorian and Cordelia specifically placed Vivienne's favorite spicy ribs and mango cake in front of her. "These are your favorites, Vivienne. Dig in; don't be shy."
Vivienne remained silent. She simply offered them a meaningful glance before reaching for her fork.
The meal went smoothly, and afterwards, Vivienne offered to drive them back.
"You're still staying in a hotel now, right?" Vivienne turned to look at Dorian and Cordelia. "Which one? Let me drop you off."
"No, no, no!" Cordelia quickly waved her hands as she laughed. "You've already treated us to dinner, so we can't possibly ask you to drive us back as well."
This private restaurant, despite its unassuming appearance, was infamous for its extravagant prices. Some of their dishes even cost thousands of dollars.
Even though Vivienne was now the heiress of the Brooks family, they had no intention of exploiting her generosity.
"Being part of the Brooks family isn’t easy. Just take good care of yourself, and we'll be content." Dorian shared the sentiment and patted Vivienne's shoulder lovingly. "As parents, seeing our children doing well is all we could ask for."
Vivienne gazed back at them, then suddenly asked, "How is Thaddeus doing? Why didn't he come along?"
Dorian and Cordelia were momentarily taken aback. "Poor Thaddeus caught a cold. He's been unwell for a few days now, so we left him with his aunt." They said while sighing helplessly.
"Yeah, he was still coughing when we called him the other day. We'll have him visit Rivenwood once he's better."
Astrid chuckled nostalgically. "Vivienne always becomes protective when it comes to Thaddeus."
Vivienne responded with a cool acknowledgment, bid them farewell, and got into her car.
Once in the car, she pulled out her phone, watching the retreating figures of the trio as she dialed Matthew's number.
"About the family reunion banquet that my foster parents didn't attend. I asked you to investigate what they were doing, so what have you found?"
She was direct and to the point.
Matthew was momentarily taken aback before answering, "After receiving the invitation, Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorn bought tickets to Rivenwood. Upon their arrival, they went to visit a friend at First Care Hospital."
Vivienne knew Matthew was reliable, and his information matched what Dorian and Cordelia had told her.
"Alright, noted."
Matthew discerned something deeper in her tone and cautiously asked, "Vivienne, are you suspecting something?"
Vivienne didn't answer, and she simply gave him a few orders. "Investigate their every move since they arrived in Rivenwood."
"Do you need 24-hour surveillance on them?" Matthew didn't quite understand why Vivienne needed this, but he trusted her judgement.
Vivienne held her phone as she watched the figures gradually disappear into the distance and said calmly, "No need."
After the meal with Dorian's family, the Brooks family quickly learned about their presence in Rivenwood.
Judith suggested inviting them over for a home-cooked meal.
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