Chapter 57

The tension in the room was palpable as Bianca Thornton leaned forward, her manicured nails tapping impatiently against the armrest. "Honestly, Margaret. When Adrian returns, you must speak with him. We're hemorrhaging resources supporting Vivian while she's off playing actress, making our family the laughingstock of Crestwood's elite!"

Three figures occupied the lavish sitting room of Seabreeze Villa - Bianca, her father Victor Thornton, and Margaret Blackwood, Adrian's mother. Margaret sat perfectly poised on the velvet sofa, her expression unreadable beneath her expertly applied makeup.

The Thornton family's once-thriving business empire had crumbled to near ruin, a far cry from its former glory. As a Thornton by birth, Margaret felt obligated to assist, though the Blackwoods had always maintained strict boundaries between family and business affairs.

Victor, with his limited education and questionable judgment, had proven disastrous in corporate matters. Neither Leonard Blackwood nor his grandson Adrian had any interest in involving Victor in Blackwood Group's operations. Margaret, unfamiliar with business intricacies, could only offer her brother occasional financial assistance for daily expenses.

Over time, Victor's ambitions shifted. Years ago, he began aggressively introducing potential brides to Adrian, hoping to secure a marriage that would benefit the Thornton family through powerful connections. Then, as if fate enjoyed mocking them, shortly after Serena Whitmore's departure, Vivian Hartley appeared!

This year had been particularly brutal. The Thorntons' investments collapsed spectacularly, leaving them drowning in debt. Unable to blame Adrian for refusing to bail them out, Victor and Bianca redirected their frustration toward Vivian.

When Vivian entered, she immediately noted Leonard and Beatrice's absence. Approaching the group with calculated grace, her greeting dripped with sarcasm. "Victor, Bianca, how touching that you'd concern yourselves with my career while your family teeters on bankruptcy's edge."

The old Vivian would have shrunk under their scrutiny, playing the meek pushover. This new version struck back with razor-sharp precision, leaving them momentarily speechless.

Victor recovered first with a hollow chuckle. "Vivian, you haven't even become famous yet, but your ego's already inflated."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Victor. I do intend to make quite the name for myself," Vivian countered with a saccharine smile.

She turned to Margaret, her smile dimming slightly. "Margaret."

Adorned in a couture silk gown from the latest Emerald Galleria collection, Margaret Blackwood was the picture of aristocratic elegance. At nearly fifty, she maintained her figure through rigorous discipline, her complexion flawless enough to pass for a woman fifteen years younger.

Margaret acknowledged Vivian with a curt nod. "Hmm."

Beside Margaret, Bianca sat dressed in a coordinating ensemble that created a mother-daughter illusion. She crossed her arms, smirking. "So where's Adrian? Off chasing Serena again while you're left behind?"

Unfazed, Vivian settled into an armchair with deliberate ease. "It doesn't trouble me. Adrian can spend time with whomever he chooses. Much like his friend Dominic, always seen with a different woman on each arm. Who could possibly manage that?"

Bianca's face contorted violently, her carefully constructed composure shattering. Her unrequited obsession with Dominic Sinclair was society's worst-kept secret, a constant source of humiliation among their peers. Unable to refute the undeniable truth, Bianca abruptly changed tactics, her voice sharp as broken glass.