bChapter /bb296 /b

    Vivian answered her phone. It was someone from Nature Tech. They informed her that thepany had decided to partner with Alpite Group and asked if she could review the contract they’d already prepared.

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    She was typing a reply when Hugh walked out and nced at her phone. “Is that a contract?” he asked, “What kind of work are you doing these days? Looks like important stuff.”

    Vivian’s hand paused briefly as she subtly put away her phone. “Oh, it’s nothing important,” she said, “Just work stuff. How about you? Where have you been workingtely?”

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    Hugh gave a sheepish smile. “These days, I just dabble in art at home. After all, I’m getting on in years, not as energetic as I

    used to be.”

    Hugh hesitated, then continued, “I just heard a girl call you. Was that your daughter?”

    Vivian chuckled. “Sort of, a friend across the years.”

    Hugh nodded thoughtfully and didn’t press further.

    They chatted andughed all the way until they reached the subway station entrance, where they finally parted ways. After watching Hugh disappear into the crowd, Vivian took out her phone and dialed Lisa.

    First to appear on the screen was a pair of pink bunny ears. Jessica gave her head a yful shake and chirped in a sweet, clear voice, “Vivian, what do you think? Cute, right?”

    Vivian eximed with delight from the other end of the line, “That’s wonderful, sweetie! Where are you guys now? Should

    I go home first ore meet you?”

    Jessica looked up and said something to Maxine beside her, then turned back to the screen with a bright smile and said cheerfully, “Maxine says we’re heading home now. See you at home!”

    Seeing how adorable she looked, Vivian felt her heart melt. She couldn’t help but coo, “Alright then, see you at home!”

    She quickly forgot all about Hugh.

    Just as Hugh had mentioned, the two of them had nearly be a couple back then. In those days, he was a tall,

    handsome youth whose every movement carried that distinctive Hathndian grace.

    That memory naturally held a special ce in Vivian’s heart.

    But for reasons she couldn’t quite pinpoint, she felt Hugh wasn’t the same as he used to be. Maybe it was the middle–age spread, or perhaps life’s wear and tear had simply turned him into just another ordinary guy.

    In short, Vivian was a woman who always looked forward. She wasn’t the type to impulsively bare her heart to Hugh just because of some sweet memories from the bpast/b.

    Maxine and Lisa arrived home with Jessica to find Vivian had already bought a pile of delicious food and was now in the kitchen cooking steak. As soon as she saw them walk in, Vivian propped one hand on her hip, spat in the other, and called out, “What took iyou /iso long? I’ve been waiting forever!”

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    The three of them froze in surprise. Lisa was the first to break the silence, stammering, “Mom… what made you decide to

    cook all of a sudden?”

    Vivian shot her a mock–stern look. “What kind of question is that? A woman’s gotta practice her cooking skills once in a

    while.”

    Lisa couldn’t help but pull a face. She thought, ‘Who is she kidding? Vivian’s not practicing her cooking, she’s putting our taste buds through another test!‘

    Vivian said with a beaming smile, “I bought plenty of groceries today, so each of us can whip up a dish! But you’ll have to wait until I finish searing this steak.”

    As she spoke, she sniffed, her expression growing solemn.

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