Chapter 288 Vivian Is a Good Actress

Chapter 288 Vivian Is a Good Actress

As the recording played on, cold sweat broke out across the foreheads of everyone in the Fisher Family.

They genuinely hadn't seen this coming. He had actually managed to be this stupid.

Blowing a small fortune on a vicious woman was bad enough — but committing crimes for her? That was practically a death wish.

"You idiot! You absolute fool!"

The moment the recording ended, Nathan grabbed a teacup off the nearest surface and hurled it straight at Mason's head.

"Listen to me carefully. Tonight, you pack your things and get out of this house. First thing tomorrow morning, I'm having every official account under the Fisher Family's companies put out a statement cutting all ties with you. From that point on, you have nothing to do with the Fisher Family — not with us, not with any of our businesses. Nothing."

"And you —"

Done with Mason, Nathan turned, his gaze shifting to Mason's mother.

"I know Mason is your only biological son, and I know you've always covered for him. While I had him banned from this house, you were sneaking him money behind my back. If you want to stay in this family, that stops now."

"Yes. I understand."

Mason's mother flinched, then quickly gave her word.

She loved her son. But she also knew how to read a room.

The way things stood, everything Mason had done for Vivian had clearly crossed a line with Charles — and that line was not coming back. It didn't matter that Mason had once saved Charles's life. Charles was not going to let this go.

If the Fisher Family failed to distance themselves from Mason right now, whatever punishment Charles brought down on Mason would land squarely on them too.

"No. Dad, you can't do this to me."

Mason had already done what Charles asked — handed over the evidence against Vivian. And now Nathan was still going to punish him? He couldn't wrap his head around it.

Out of habit, he looked to Charles, hoping to use him as leverage against his father.

"Charles, say something. I saved your life. Are you really going to just stand there and let my dad strip me of my inheritance?"

Mason shouldn't have brought that up.

The moment he did, Charles's expression went cold.

He stepped away from Sean and walked toward Mason at an unhurried pace — then drove his foot into Mason's chest, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Mason. I treated you like the man who saved my life. So what did you treat me as? A joke? Haven't I been good to you all these years? I was willing to divorce my own wife for you. And this is how you repay me?"

Mason's face drained of color. He realized immediately he'd said exactly the wrong thing. He scrambled forward on his hands and knees.

"Charles, I was wrong. I know I was wrong. It was Vivian — she got into my head, she made me lose all sense of judgment. Please forgive me. I swear to you, I will never lift a finger to help her again."

"If you want, I'll go to Seraphine and apologize in person. I'll get on my knees if that's what it takes. Whatever she needs to hear."

Charles pressed his lips together. Some of the ice in his eyes thawed — just barely.

"All right. I'll give you three days. If Seraphine forgives you within that time — if she reaches out to me on your behalf — I won't come after you."

"But if three days pass and I don't hear from her, then you walk yourself into the nearest police station and turn yourself in. At the very least, that protects the Fisher Family."

He didn't wait for Mason or anyone else to respond. Charles took Sean and every piece of evidence against Vivian and left the Fisher estate at a pace that made clear the conversation was over, heading back to the villa where he'd been staying.

---

"You useless trash. You can't even handle something this simple. What right do you have calling yourself a Stuart Family servant? Just you wait — the moment I become Mrs. Stuart, the very first thing I'm going to do is fire every single one of you."

"What are you standing there staring at? Go rewash my clothes. Now."

Charles had barely stepped through the front door before Vivian's shrill voice hit him.

He looked up slowly.

Vivian stood with her back to him, hands planted on her hips, tearing into the villa's household staff.

Unbidden, her voice brought Seraphine's words back to him.

"Maybe you're about to tell me you finally found proof that Vivian was scheming against me from the beginning. But what does that change?"

"Charles, Vivian isn't even a convincing actress. If you'd ever stopped to actually watch her, you would've seen it — she's been going after me on purpose, every single time."

"But what did you do? Every time she played the victim in front of you, you took her side without question. No matter how hard I tried to defend myself, you refused to believe me."

"So what exactly does finding the truth now accomplish?"

Seraphine had been right. He really had been that blind.

Vivian's act was full of cracks. If he'd ever looked at her with clear eyes, he would have seen it — so many things she did that no terminal cancer patient would ever do. And he had never once noticed.

Thinking about it now, he couldn't exactly blame Seraphine for not forgiving him.

Because more than once, the only reason Vivian had been able to hurt Seraphine was that he had stood behind her — without question, without hesitation.

---

Eli and the villa's head housekeeper stood just behind Charles. He'd been watching Vivian in silence for a while now, and Vivian still hadn't noticed anyone behind her. The housekeeper's expression flickered. He cleared his throat softly.

"Charles — you're back. When did you get in?"

Only then did Vivian turn around, reluctantly.

The moment she saw Charles, the color vanished from her face.

Two seconds. That was all she needed.

She smoothed herself over and walked toward him, offering a fragile, carefully composed smile.

"Charles, let me explain. I wasn't trying to take my frustrations out on the staff. It's just — you've been away, and they've been getting sloppy. I was worried that if they treated me carelessly now, they'd do the same to you and Sean later."

"I was only trying to look out for you and Sean. I had to be the bad guy so they'd stay sharp."

Charles looked at her — a long, steady look — and said nothing. Then he turned past her to the staff standing at her back.

"All of you, you're dismissed. I'm aware this has been a difficult stretch for you. Starting this month, your salaries are doubled." He paused. "And I promise you — none of this goes unanswered. The person who treated you this way will answer for it."