Chapter 9: Going to Save the Cat
Shelly Lowell’s words stirred a deep sense of guilt in Sharon Galahad.
’It was all my fault.’
’If I hadn’t mixed up my own child all those years ago, Shelly would have received a good education from a young age. She wouldn’t be so new to design now.’
Vivian Lowell was only so talented at design because she had taken painting, dance, and flower arranging classes since elementary school. Her artistic sensibilities had been cultivated, allowing her talent to flourish.
’If my dear Shelly had learned these things from a young age, she would definitely be no worse than Vivian Lowell!’
Having convinced herself, Sharon Galahad turned to look at Vivian Lowell.
Vivian Lowell had been sizing up this two-faced mother-daughter pair the whole time.
She knew Sharon Galahad all too well. The moment guilt appeared on Sharon’s face, Vivian understood everything.
"Mrs. Lowell."
Vivian put on a sincere expression at just the right moment. "Shelly’s progress is a bit slow. It’ll be difficult for her to catch up on the ’Swan Series.’ Let her just slowly practice what I taught her today."
"I also need to get back to my own design work. What do you think?"
Sharon Galahad hesitated for a moment but quickly agreed.
’Making money is more important!’
"You can go." Seeing Vivian Lowell’s friendly attitude, Sharon Galahad spoke politely as well. "Come home more often when you have time! Your dad and I worry about you living out on your own!"
’More like you can’t stop worrying about *my* design drafts, right?’
Vivian Lowell sneered inwardly but still nodded. "Okay, I’ll be going then."
「Outside the Lowell family’s villa.」
After Vivian Lowell left, Mason Grant made an excuse about an upset stomach and chased after her. Hearing the footsteps behind her, Vivian didn’t slow down at all. She opened the ride-hailing app on her phone, planning to get a car to Tanya’s Pet Hospital.
Before the car arrived, Mason Grant had already caught up.
"Vivian, it’s not what you think between Shelly and me!"
Mason Grant’s tone was urgent. After catching up, he moved directly in front of Vivian Lowell, his big head nearly blocking her entire view.
"..."
Vivian Lowell put her phone in her bag. She found his desperate attempt to explain himself amusing and asked, "So, are you saying you’re not planning to get engaged to her next month?"
Mason Grant was caught off guard. An awkward look crossed his face, and instead of answering her question directly, he continued to prevaricate. "You know..."
"I can’t refuse the marriage alliance between the Grant Family and the Lowell Family. Shelly came back, and you’re not the real Lowell heiress. There’s nothing I can do. But Vivian, in my heart, I’ll always remember the feelings we used to have for each other."
"That guy who dropped you off at the Lowell Family’s house today—I could tell he’s not a good person just by looking at him. You—"
"Sorry." Fighting back her disgust, Vivian Lowell cut Mason Grant off, not wanting to hear any more. She waved at the black Volkswagen pulling up in front of her.
The car quickly stopped in front of Vivian Lowell.
Vivian Lowell opened the rear passenger door and quickly slipped inside.
"Vivian, believe me! I—"
Mason Grant’s voice still carried from behind as the car started to move. Startled, Vivian Lowell quickly shut the window, and the world finally fell silent.
’You think Julian Faulkner isn’t a good person?’
’And what does that make you, Mason Grant? A good person?’
「Half an hour later.」
When Vivian Lowell arrived at Tanya’s Pet Hospital, Eleanor Rhodes was just coming out. With a cat trap in one hand and a teaser wand in the other, she looked like a swordswoman from an old martial-arts film.
"Tanya, with that getup, all the cats in Aethelburg must flee in terror at the sight of you."
Vivian Lowell couldn’t help but tease her.
Eleanor Rhodes laughed. She gave the teaser wand a stylish flick and declared in a bold tone, "Of course. I, Eleanor Rhodes, have sworn to protect the stray cats of Aethelburg!"
"Spay the queens, neuter the toms. Not a single one gets away!"
"Yes, yes." Vivian Lowell quickly played along. "Doing your part to reduce the city’s stray animal population, right?"
Eleanor Rhodes nodded in solemn agreement, led Vivian Lowell to her car, and started driving toward the building where the trapped cat was.
The pet hospital wasn’t far from the building.
It was only a fifteen-minute drive. While looking at the navigation, Vivian Lowell noticed that it was also quite close to Aethelburg University.
Both Vivian Lowell and Eleanor Rhodes were students at Aethelburg University.
It was after seeing the many stray cats at Aethelburg University, some of whom would disappear after a cold winter, that Eleanor Rhodes first had the idea to open a pet hospital.
She didn’t just rescue and spay or neuter strays; she also found adoptive homes for kittens, allowing them to live a life of "pampered luxury for the next fifteen years."
"Tanya."
Vivian Lowell looked at Aethelburg University on the map. Recalling a post she saw on the Aethelburg University Official Account last night, she said, "I remember Professor Sterling has a lecture at Aethelburg University today!"
"It happens to be related to a design I’m working on. Why don’t we go to the lecture after we rescue the kitten?"
!!
Upon hearing this, Eleanor Rhodes whipped her head around to look at Vivian Lowell with pleasant surprise, looking like she wanted to pounce on her and plant a kiss. Then she gave a shy little laugh. "Vivian."
"Actually, even if you hadn’t mentioned it, I was planning to go. I wanted to ask Professor Sterling if he’s free for dinner tonight! You’re his star student, so if you help..."
"Deal." Vivian Lowell agreed without a second thought.
After all, she and Eleanor Rhodes had been best friends through high school and four years of university—a friendship of over ten years now. Of course she wouldn’t refuse to help her best friend ask her crush out to dinner!
She just didn’t know if Professor Sterling would be free.
And also—
Eleanor Rhodes really hadn’t given up. Her best friend was truly that stubborn; once she set her mind on something, she would see it through to the end.
It was true for rescuing cats, and it was true for pursuing Professor Sterling.
And she did this despite knowing full well that Professor Sterling still held a torch for his ex-girlfriend who had gone abroad for further studies. She was still so persistent, believing she could win him over.
Vivian Lowell didn’t know if Eleanor Rhodes’s persistence was right or wrong.
But Eleanor Rhodes had told her, "Professor Sterling’s ex-girlfriend is in the past. They already broke up. So why can’t I be the one to proactively pursue him?"
"Professor Sterling is so outstanding—loyal, devoted, brilliant, and handsome. If I could be with him, I would definitely be so happy!"
Vivian Lowell couldn’t find any words to refute that.
She could only hope that everything would turn out just as Eleanor Rhodes imagined.
After a moment of thought.
The car had already pulled into the building’s parking garage.
Eleanor Rhodes had already contacted the person who had called her for help. The man had been waiting in the parking garage for a while, and when he saw Eleanor arrive, he hurried over.
"Miss Rhodes, I’m the one who contacted you. My name is Vance Wyatt! We discovered the trapped kitten this morning during a meeting. It’s been crying in the ventilation shaft!"
As Vance Wyatt led Vivian Lowell and Eleanor Rhodes into the elevator, he explained, "The kitten probably got trapped last night. It snowed, so it must have been seeking shelter from the wind and snow in the ventilation shaft!"
"But it’s been a whole night and a morning now, and the kitten’s cries are getting faint. Our CEO was very worried, so he had me contact you to see if you could find a way to rescue it!"
Vivian Lowell was a little surprised as she listened from the side.
’So Vance Wyatt only contacted Eleanor Rhodes because his CEO was worried about a cat!’
’Aren’t CEOs supposed to be busy with hundred-million-dollar deals every hour?’
’To think he’s so compassionate!’