Chapter 75: Mason Grant is Here
Julian Faulkner hadn’t publicly announced their relationship.
Vivian Lowell glanced at Julian Faulkner, unsure if she was relieved or felt something else entirely.
’This is fine, too,’ she thought.
Only the Faulkner family knew about their marriage. Even the Lowell Family only had their suspicions.
The entire Lowell Family was currently in the eye of the storm, under everyone’s scrutiny. If they were to announce their relationship now, the public would start speculating about them as well.
’It might even affect the Faulkner Group, right?’
It was indeed a smart answer.
Vivian Lowell was convinced of Julian Faulkner’s intelligence, so she naturally didn’t mind as much anymore.
Just then,
From not far away, Rachel Faulkner entered, clad in a stunning red backless evening gown. She called out to Julian Faulkner and Vivian Lowell.
Vivian Lowell and Julian Faulkner both turned to see that Rachel Faulkner hadn’t come alone.
It was Mason Grant!?
Vivian Lowell was surprised to see him.
While the Grant Family was considered wealthy in Aethelburg, they were second-rate at best, a far cry from the Faulkner Family.
Naturally, a family of the Grants’ standing wouldn’t have been able to attend a banquet like this.
And yet, Mason Grant was here.
’How did he get here?’
Vivian Lowell’s hand tightened slightly. She turned to Rachel Faulkner with a smile and said, "Rachel, you’re here too."
"Of course."
Rachel Faulkner beamed at Vivian Lowell as if they were the best of friends, then pointed to Mason Grant beside her. "I ran into Mr. Grant outside."
"It seems he was looking for you, Vivian. I heard you two have been friends for years, so I was worried it might be something urgent and brought him in."
Putting on a show of being kind-hearted, Rachel Faulkner then went off to chat with Miss Sterling.
Miss Sterling was delighted to see Rachel Faulkner. The two linked arms and walked off, whispering to each other.
Mason Grant, however, remained where he was.
His expression was dark. His gaze swept over Vivian Lowell and Julian Faulkner before settling on Vivian.
"Vivian, I need to talk to you."
Mason Grant reached out to grab Vivian Lowell.
But Julian Faulkner stepped forward, blocking him from Vivian. "She has nothing to say to you," he said to Mason.
"The Lowell Family is in trouble. Shouldn’t you, their future son-in-law, be trying to save your mother-in-law? What are you doing here?"
It was rare for Julian Faulkner to say so much to someone so "irrelevant."
His tone was icy, and he even glanced at Vance Wyatt beside him, likely intending to have him call security to get rid of Mason Grant.
"Get out of the way!"
Seeing Julian Faulkner blocking him, Mason Grant grew angry and recklessly tried to shove him aside.
Mason pushed, but Julian Faulkner didn’t budge an inch. He just stood there, watching Mason with a mocking and derisive gaze, as if he were looking at a laughable clown.
This enraged Mason even more.
He flew into a rage out of humiliation, pointing a finger at Julian Faulkner and lashing out, "Julian Faulkner, are you the one pulling the strings behind the scenes?"
"It must have been your idea for Vivian to leave the Lowell Family and turn against them, wasn’t it? She used to be so obedient and filial; she would never do something like this!"
After yelling at Julian Faulkner, Mason turned to Vivian Lowell. "Vivian, don’t be fooled by this man! What’s so great about him?"
"Anything he can give you, I can give you too! Don’t stay by his side anymore! The Lowell Family is in trouble now; I can break off my engagement with Shelly Lowell."
"As long as you agree to get back together with me, I’ll go to the Lowell Family right now and tell Robert Lowell."
"..."
Standing behind Julian Faulkner, Vivian Lowell couldn’t see the expression on Mason Grant’s face clearly, but even so...
...she could hear his shamelessness.
She had long known that Mason was self-centered and thought the world revolved around him. Everything should be his for the taking. The things he wanted, he got. The things he didn’t want... well, that was Vivian, wasn’t it?
He was marrying Shelly Lowell, yet he still wanted Vivian to be in love with him.
’What a two-faced hypocrite.’
Vivian Lowell felt nauseated. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, and suddenly pulled out her phone.
It was a video recording.
It had captured the exact moment Mason Grant had made his self-righteous speech.
"Vivian, don’t be fooled by this man..."
"As long as you agree to get back together with me, I’ll go to the Lowell Family right now and tell Robert Lowell."
The video finished playing.
Vivian Lowell peeked her head out from behind Julian Faulkner, tilting it as she spoke to Mason Grant. "Um, Mason. I accidentally recorded everything you just said."
"Now... I think even if you do nothing, if I just send this video to Sharon Galahad or Robert Lowell, they’ll definitely be very unhappy."
"If you leave now, you might be able to save some face. But if you don’t..."
Vivian Lowell poked Julian Faulkner’s arm and whispered, "If he still won’t go, Julian, just call security."
"If he gets thrown out, he won’t have a single shred of dignity left."
!!
Mason Grant stared at Vivian Lowell in shock. He stumbled back two steps, his eyes wide with disbelief, as if he couldn’t comprehend how she had become this person.
’She was never like this before!’
’She used to be so docile and obedient, always going along with whatever I wanted. When we went shopping together, she’d eat whatever I wanted to eat. She would even order my favorite drink!’
He had never imagined that one day she would stand behind another man, saying such things to him, doing something like this!
Vivian Lowell remained perfectly calm, her gaze deep as she watched Mason Grant.
She knew what he was thinking.
Her past compliance was simply what she felt she ought to do as a "girlfriend"; it didn’t mean she had any deep feelings for him.
But she never thought he would actually take it for granted and assume that she should always be that way with him.
’How delusional.’
Vivian Lowell sighed. Seeing that Mason Grant still wasn’t moving, she poked Julian Faulkner’s arm again and whispered, "Julian, call security."
"Mm."
Julian Faulkner agreed quietly, completely dismissing Mason Grant. But just as he turned to call for Vance Wyatt, Rachel Faulkner returned.
"Julian, Vivian, what’s going on? Isn’t he... your friend, Vivian?"
Rachel Faulkner wore a puzzled expression, as if she couldn’t believe the person she had brought was now causing a scene.
"No, we stopped being friends a long time ago, Rachel. I’m sorry. He’s done some unpleasant things, and Julian was just about to have security throw him out."
Vivian Lowell’s expression was placid. After she finished speaking, she turned away, not intending to look at Mason Grant again.
Rachel Faulkner looked a little awkward.
She glanced at the turned back of Vivian Lowell, then at Julian Faulkner’s displeased face, and said, "I’m sorry, Julian. I didn’t realize he wasn’t your friend."
"I’ve caused you trouble. Since... security hasn’t arrived yet, why don’t I just take him outside?"
Julian Faulkner didn’t say a word, which was taken as tacit approval.
Over on her end, Rachel Faulkner went to pull Mason Grant’s arm. After whispering something in his ear, he finally moved and allowed himself to be led away by her.