Chapter 446

Vivian's lips parted to reply, but her eyes suddenly focused on something behind Bianca. The words died in her throat.

Bianca staggered backward, colliding with a solid chest. Whirling around, she gasped to find Adrian standing inches away. Blind to the storm in his gaze, Bianca jutted out her lower lip. "Adrian, your wife assaulted my friends and humiliated us. And now her plagiarism scandal is dragging the Blackwood name through the mud. You should divorce her."

The sharp crack of Adrian's palm meeting her cheek echoed before she finished speaking. His voice was glacial. "Vivian won't deal with this. I'll handle your discipline myself."

Bianca clutched her stinging face, disbelief widening her eyes. "Adrian—" His withering glare silenced her instantly. Tears of fury gathered as she shot Vivian a venomous look.

Adrian strode past the gathering crowd and took Vivian's hand. Their eyes locked, his icy demeanor thawing into quiet warmth. Though summer heat lingered in the evening air, her fingers felt like ice. He squeezed them briefly, but the chill remained.

"I know about the script. I'll speak to Katrina. Don't worry," Adrian murmured, his thumb brushing her knuckles.

His gaze flicked to Bianca's entourage—privileged girls barely out of college, using family money as weapons. Though only slightly older, they regarded Adrian with the fearful respect reserved for elders. Even their parents spoke his name with reverence.

Adrian's tone turned businesslike. "Insulting my wife means insulting Blackwood Group. Consider all your family contracts terminated effective immediately."

The color drained from their faces. Their pampered lifestyles—funded by Blackwood deals secured through Bianca's father—vanished with those words. The slap had stung, but this humiliation cut deeper.

Bianca rallied weakly. "Aunt Margaret approved those projects! You can't cancel them!"

Adrian ignored her, guiding Vivian toward their waiting car. After settling her inside, he turned back, his voice arctic. "Tell Victor he's a Thornton, not a Blackwood. If I hear he's using our name for business again, I'll reclaim every cent my mother gave you."

Bianca paled. The finality in Adrian's tone struck like a physical blow. Never had she imagined he'd sever ties over Vivian.

Exhausted, Vivian kicked off her heels and curled into the leather seat. As she shifted, something sharp jabbed her back. With a sigh, she reached beneath herself and pulled out a book.