Chapter 924

Tears streamed down Vivian Dempsey's face.

"I feel like I've failed their expectations..." Her voice trembled as she recounted recent events.

"My father never discusses company matters with Grandma. She had no idea the Dempsey Group almost collapsed." She wiped her eyes. "Yesterday she held my hand and said while she hopes I marry, she'd rather see me happy and single forever."

Evelyn Carter knew Mrs. Dempsey was progressive, but this surprised her. "Do you think Grandma... suspects something?"

Vivian shook her head, smudging her mascara.

"I'm not sure. We kept the crisis from her completely, even at the worst moments." She gave a watery smile. "Maybe it's that unspoken bond between family."

The Dempsey Group was Mrs. Dempsey's life's work with her late husband. Her intuition wasn't surprising.

Evelyn gently dabbed Vivian's cheeks with a tissue. "If she asks, tell her the truth. The company isn't fully recovered, but you've done brilliantly. The loans are nearly repaid."

When Vivian's father took his mother abroad for treatment, the company had teetered on bankruptcy. Banks hounded them daily, certain Vivian would flee. No one expected her to persevere.

Vivian took a steadying breath. "Looking back, it feels like another lifetime. You're right—I've nothing to be ashamed of. If Grandma asks, I'll explain everything. She might even have advice."

Her mood shifted rapidly, tears replaced by sparkling curiosity. "So... how was the movie? I haven't had time to see it."

Evelyn's temple throbbed at the memory. "Avoid the couples' theater."

"Why?" Vivian leaned in eagerly.

Evelyn described the incident with clinical detachment before concluding, "I wanted to remind those couples the theater has night-vision cameras."

Rumors claimed cinema surveillance captured everything, even in darkness.

Vivian's eyes widened. "That wild?"

"Wild enough to make me want to vanish. I'd rather risk questionable hygiene at a private cinema." Only with her best friend would Evelyn voice such thoughts.

Vivian bit her lip. "Did you two... you know..."

She made an exaggerated kissing noise while miming an embrace.

Evelyn rolled her eyes, swatting her hand away. "Had that happened, would I have allowed him to come? I said we're maintaining boundaries. One overstep, and I'm taking our child elsewhere."

Hudson City offered endless options—new apartments, different neighborhoods, even other cities.

True to her word, Evelyn kept Alexander Hamilton at arm's length. Beyond attentive care, he dared not cross the line.

Seeing her resolve, Vivian dropped the teasing. "Good. Alexander used to look at you like a starved wolf eyeing prey—ready to drag you to his den." The crude analogy was uncomfortably accurate.

Evelyn choked on laughter. "Since when am I meat? He's been impeccably behaved lately—separate bedrooms unless tending to the baby, separate blankets when sharing a bed."

Their conversations revolved around nursery designs and parenting tips. Evelyn maintained a dedicated memo for these discussions.

Vivian scanned the notes with admiration. "He's shockingly invested in parenting. But if men's promises were reliable, pigs would fly." She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Either he's faking, or..."

Her whisper made Evelyn snort. Years in obstetrics plus marriage gave her zero prudishness. "No urology consult needed. All systems were functional." She added dryly, "As of four months ago."

"Your professional detachment is showing!" Vivian groaned before launching into unsolicited advice. "Functionality isn't enough. After how he wronged you—and with no basis for comparison—you deserve better. Younger men outperform those past thirty."

Though inexperienced, Vivian moved in social circles ripe with gossip. "At last month's gala, someone mentioned a brand heir discovered his 'son' wasn't biological. The man dumped his age-appropriate wife—who'd gotten sterilized per their childfree pact—to marry some twenty-something."

Evelyn gasped. "The ex-wife warned him after the divorce settlement? That's astonishing grace after such betrayal."

Vivian threw up her hands. "Everyone praises her 'magnanimity'—except you should! Your divorce reaction was the epitome of grace. Remembering that bastard still makes me want to dismember him!"