Chapter 365

Sophia had always been drawn to juicy gossip, which gave her insider knowledge from multiple sources. She tapped the actress's image on the screen with her manicured nail.

"Don't you think she resembles you? There's something eerily familiar about her." Vivian's brows knitted slightly.

"I can't shake this feeling I've seen her before."

"You've got the memory of a goldfish." Sophia rolled her eyes dramatically. "This is the woman Nathaniel left the club with that night. The carbon copy of you!"

"Oh."

Recognition flashed across Vivian's face, followed by a bitter taste in her mouth. She'd assumed Nathaniel would remain drowning in remorse, never moving on.

Yet here he was, already with someone new.

Typical man.

Heartless to the core. "What's his game? Why pour so much money into chasing this lookalike?" Sophia studied Vivian's reaction while glancing at Cassandra's photo.

The resemblance was uncanny.

"Maybe he's still hung up on you? Found himself a replacement to fill the void?" Sophia ventured.

"Stop inventing fantasies." Vivian's gaze remained steady, her voice ice-cold.

"His feelings for me died long ago. Only hatred remains. I destroyed his child. Because of me, the woman he loved lost everything. He's merciful just letting me breathe..."

"Does he know about the twins? If he found out, maybe—"

"Enough!" Vivian cut her off sharply.

"If you're truly my friend, never mention him again. These children are mine alone. They belong to no one else. Push this nonsense again, and you'll regret it."

"My bad, Viv." Sophia raised her hands in surrender. "I wasn't thinking. I get it. No more talk about that bastard. Cross my heart."

She made an exaggerated vow gesture.

Though Sophia had watched Chasing My Lockhart, the storyline still unsettled her.

In this day and age, keeping the kids and ditching the man might be the ultimate power move.

As Vivian's ride-or-die, she'd back her play no matter what. Vivian turned toward Liam without another word.

"Study. Now. We need to talk privately."

They retreated to the beachfront study at Skyview Retreat.

Liam produced a flash drive, delivering a thorough update on Lockhart Enterprises' recent developments.

The bombshell? Plans for an in-house research facility were advancing rapidly.

Liam had opposed this from day one.

Even now, he couldn't resist one final attempt before contracts were signed.

"This venture is high-risk. The capital outlay alone is staggering. Worst of all? We lack the research talent. This could bankrupt us and leave us drowning in debt. We'll be laughingstocks!"

He leaned forward intently. "Downstream firms like ours focus on production and distribution. Research centers? Unnecessary. Take Blackwood Group—no in-house facility, just strategic partnerships. Yet they dominate through sheer manufacturing and sales prowess."

"Is that so?"

Vivian rested her chin on interlaced fingers, eyes gleaming with determination.

"Execute my orders. Leadership status is inevitable—it's just a matter of timing."