Chapter 119 Exposing One's Thoughts

Chapter 119 Exposing One's Thoughts

Vivian snapped back to reality and stammered, "Ruth, I was just passing by and saw the door open. I thought I'd close it for you, nothing more..."

She inched toward the doorway as she spoke, as if staying even one second longer would expose her true intentions. "Since you're both back now, I'll just go."

The moment the words left her mouth, Vivian practically sprinted out of the room without daring to look back.

Now only Ruth and William remained in the room.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke, his tone guilty and eager to please. "Babe, don't overthink this. There's really nothing between me and Vivian. I just got here, look, my clothes are perfectly fine..."

Ruth watched William's desperate attempts to explain and felt nothing but weariness. Still, she kept her voice gentle. "You don't need to explain. I believe you."

With that, Ruth walked to the cabinet, opened it, and carefully lifted out the wooden box. She inspected it thoroughly, and only after confirming the ancient painting remained undisturbed did she relax.

Meanwhile, back in her own room, Vivian locked the door behind her and began hurling everything within reach.

Vases, cosmetics, all of it crashed to the floor in a chaotic mess.

But even that couldn't extinguish the fury burning inside her. She collapsed onto the sofa, chest heaving violently, tears streaming silently down her face.

Why?

She'd bent over backward trying to please Shawn, only to be told she was nothing but a 'toy'... Yet the moment he became Mr. Crompton, he treated Ruth like she mattered.

Why did nothing ever go her way?

Before she could make sense of any of it, a knock sounded at the door.

Vivian roughly wiped her face and opened it to find Shawn standing outside, his expression dark.

"Shawn..." She'd barely begun when his cold voice cut her off.

"Vivian, tell me, were you trying to destroy that painting?"

Her heart seized. Instinctively, she wanted to deny it, but when she met those emotionless eyes, lying suddenly seemed impossible.

Seeing her silence, Shawn stepped forward. "I don't care what's going through your head, but from now on, you'd better stay away from Ruth. If I catch you pulling anything like this again, you won't need to stay in New York anymore."

Without another word, not even a token attempt at comfort, Shawn turned and walked away.

Vivian stood there, watching his retreating figure, suddenly feeling like the punchline of some cruel joke.

Over the next two days, Ruth barely left her room.

She locked herself in Suite 1208 with the ancient painting spread across the table, surrounded by various restoration tools. Even Shawn didn't dare disturb her.

After two days of continuous work, on the second evening, she finally set down her brush and exhaled deeply.

The damaged section in the lower right corner had been fully restored. At a glance, the repaired area blended seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, the repair was virtually invisible.

She studied it for a while longer before carefully placing the painting back in its wooden box. Seeing it was still relatively early, she decided to find Mrs. Crompton.

Mrs. Crompton was chatting with several society ladies when Ruth arrived carrying the wooden box. She smiled. "Mrs. Grey, do you have good news for me?"

Ruth set the box on a nearby table and got straight to the point. "Mrs. Crompton, the painting is fully restored. I hope you're satisfied."

Mrs. Crompton hadn't expected Ruth to work so quickly. She removed the painting and held it up to the light for careful inspection.

First she examined the overall composition, then scrutinized the restored sections more closely. A satisfied smile crossed her face.

"Mrs. Grey, this restoration exceeds even my expectations. Unless you look extremely carefully, there's absolutely no trace of repair work. I certainly didn't misjudge you."

Ruth smiled. "As long as you're satisfied, Mrs. Crompton."

Mrs. Crompton carefully returned the painting to its box, then looked at Ruth with genuine sincerity. "Mrs. Grey, I told you before, if you accepted this commission, I would take you as my goddaughter. Now that the painting is restored, I should honor that promise. If you don't mind, from today forward, you're my goddaughter."

The surrounding ladies immediately chimed in with their approval.

"Mrs. Crompton has such excellent judgment. Mrs. Grey is young, accomplished, and so meticulous, this painting looks brand new."

"Absolutely. People who put this kind of care into their work are rare these days."

Mrs. Crompton waved off their praise with a smile, then turned back to Ruth. "Mrs. Grey, what do you say?"

Ruth had assumed Mrs. Crompton's earlier offer was just polite talk. She hadn't expected it to be genuine.

Becoming her goddaughter would certainly make many things much more convenient.

Just as Ruth was about to respond, a disbelieving voice came from the left.

Everyone turned to see Vivian standing there, shock written all over her face. "You're taking Ruth as your goddaughter? But you already have me, don't you?"

Mrs. Crompton's expression remained composed. "Vivian, there's no limit to how many goddaughters one can have. Besides, Mrs. Grey is exceptionally capable and reliable. I see no problem with taking her as my goddaughter."

Vivian's lips parted, words forming, but under Mrs. Crompton's cool, measured gaze, they died in her throat.

She forced a smile. "Ruth is indeed very talented."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Vivian walked over and linked her arm through Ruth's. "Ruth, we sisters really are fated, aren't we? Who would've thought we'd end up with the same godmother."

Ruth looked at Vivian's strained smile, knowing full well that right now, she probably wanted nothing more than to tear her apart.

Ruth smiled serenely. "You're right. It really is fate." She even patted the hand Vivian had wrapped around her arm.

Mrs. Crompton, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrent of tension between them, smiled at Ruth. "Ruth, may I call you that from now on?"

Ruth nodded. "Mother, now that I'm your goddaughter, we're family. Of course you can call me that."

Watching the two of them interact, Vivian wanted nothing more than to rip Ruth to shreds.

But she couldn't.

The cruise ship sailed for two more days before finally gliding back into New York Harbor.

After returning to Rosewood Estates, Ruth unpacked briefly before diving back into her company's daily operations.

After Vivian got back, she mulled things over and decided she needed to win back Mrs. Crompton's favor.

She made a special trip to a church on the outskirts of New York. Supposedly, a father there could bestow blessed items symbolizing devotion and protection upon believers, but only those who passed certain trials could receive them.

Vivian spent most of the day at the church, praying devoutly and making offerings. Finally, she was granted a cross pendant. The moment she received it, her eyes shone with undisguised delight. She immediately turned and headed for Mrs. Crompton's residence.