Chapter 437

"Absolutely!" Vivian nodded eagerly. "My friends are all eccentric - we even call each other Mama in private!"

"What on earth... Your friends are just as strange as you!" Eleanor exclaimed. Though she found it bizarre, she didn't push further. This wasn't why she'd come anyway.

Her eyes lingered on the exquisite lily bouquet resting on Vivian's bedside table before pulling up a chair. Her casual movements suggested an intimate familiarity with the injured woman.

"Tell me. Where have you been hiding after that disastrous mistake? Did you remarry? Any children?" Eleanor carried herself like aristocratic royalty, each question dripping with interrogation.

She knew her foolish son would never ask such things, not with his prideful nature. Someone had to do his dirty work.

Vivian's lips curled into a frosty smile. "Mrs. Whitmore, why should I answer you? Are we suddenly close?"

Four years had passed, yet her former mother-in-law remained just as domineering. 'Like mother, like son,' Vivian thought wryly.

Surprisingly, Eleanor didn't erupt this time. "Your evasiveness tells me you're still single. That means you owe Nathaniel compensation!"

"Excuse me? Compensate Nathaniel Blackwood?" Vivian's brow furrowed.

She couldn't decipher the older woman's motives. What game was she playing?

"Naturally!" Eleanor declared righteously. "Four years ago, intentional or not, you cost my son his child."

"Now that you've dared return, you should be prepared to give him another. Get pregnant, and we'll ensure your comfort. Refuse..." Eleanor's eyes turned icy. "The Blackwoods won't be so forgiving."

The woman looked smug. Guilt and threats - the perfect recipe for securing both a grandchild and her son's happiness.

Vivian burst into incredulous laughter. A life for a life might sound fair, but people weren't machines! "Fine, I'll play along. But does Nathaniel agree? What about his precious Cassandra?"

"You'll really do it?" Eleanor's eyes lit up, unprepared for such quick compliance. She'd even brought blank checks as leverage. "Marvelous! Now look here and declare you'll bear Nathaniel's child willingly."

She whipped out her phone, determined to capture Vivian's consent on video.

"Aren't you concerned about Cassandra's feelings? She's Nathaniel's beloved, isn't she?" Vivian gestured toward the silently fuming woman in the corner.

Cassandra stood trembling, lips pressed into a bloodless line.

Though puzzled why Cassandra had helped conceal Abigail's identity, Vivian knew her "mental breakdowns" were merely manipulation tactics.

"Her opinion is irrelevant!" Eleanor waved dismissively, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You're missing the bigger picture, dear. Who told you Nathaniel loves her most?"