The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne) novel Chapter 291

In front of Richard, she could not show any discontent. She put on a forced smile and said, "I must have been mistaken. Vivienne's medical skills are indeed beyond common reach."

Even she would have to weigh her options about whether she could complete this operation.

"Of course." Richard snorted as he cast a sidelong glance at her. "Don't you see how excellent our Vivienne is? There's nothing she can't do!"

She was the youngest to ever top the college entrance test, a dual PhD holder, a master in fragrance creation, a design genius, and a medical prodigy. Calista felt blinded by the numerous accolades Vivienne had.

Calista's envy was so intense that she could barely maintain her smile. She was struggling to suppress her anger. "Since Vivienne is so capable, why not join me at the medical conference at the end of the month?"

Why did Vivienne have to excel at everything and garner all the praise and honors?

She was determined to not let Vivienne have her way.

Medicine was her field, and she had the backing of her prestigious family background, something Vivienne could never compete with.

Moreover, she had published numerous medical papers and had established a name for herself in the industry, yet she had never heard of Vivienne.

If Richard's surgery was successful, it was all thanks to Vivienne's luck. Once research projects were involved, Calista was confident that she could secure a resounding victory.

"I won't go." Vivienne replied, showing no emotion.

"You don't have to be polite with me." Calista thought she was feigning refusal, so she warmly tried to persuade her. "This conference has a high threshold; not everyone can participate. For Mr. Ellington's sake, I can secure a slot for you, Vivienne."

"Is that so?" Vivienne lightly nodded, showing an indifferent reaction. "It's a shame I'm not interested."

Did she think she would care about a medical conference? Such an opportunity might be precious to Calista, but to her, it wasn't a big deal.

"That's right. Vivienne isn’t interested, and neither are we.” Richard unconditionally sided with Vivienne. “Calista, don’t waste your time here. You’d better focus on your project and not delay the progress.”

“And you two.” Richard’s tone shifted. He turned to Ryan and Cathy, who had been silent all this time. “Stop picking on Vivienne! As long as I’m alive for one more day, I won’t let you bully Vivienne!”

“Dad.” Cathy protested. “We’re just worried about your health, in case...”

Richard didn’t let her finish. “There’s no ‘in case.’ With Vivienne here, my health won’t be an issue. If you have a problem with Vivienne, then you have a problem with me! If you want me to throw you out of the house, feel free to target Vivienne!”

Having been addressed so bluntly by Richard, Ryan and Cathy had nothing to say.

Fearing that he would be kicked out if he said anything more, Ryan quickly left, dragging Cathy with him.

Calista couldn’t believe that Richard trusted Vivienne this much, but the facts were in front of her, and she had to accept it.

“Calista.” Richard lifted his eyes to look at her before closing them again. “You’re not welcome here. Please leave!”

Calista was always well-received, especially among elders.

Now that Richard was treating her this way, she couldn’t help but feel a bit miffed.

“Well then, Richard, I’ll leave you to rest.” Calista suppressed her anger and spoke in a calm tone. “I’ll come to see you another day.”

She couldn’t show weakness in front of Vivienne. She couldn’t let her see the jealousy that was itching away at her confidence.

However, she didn’t realize that Richard and Vivienne didn’t think much of her. They felt that even one extra glance at her was a waste of time. They even cared less about her feelings.

Calista left the room in a daze and ran into Percival, who was returning.

Percival's face darkened. Why was she still here?

His dear Vivienne seemed to be upset, but he couldn't tell what was bothering her.

"Vivienne." Percival sidled up to her, pulling her into a comforting embrace. "What's the matter?"

Vivienne wasn't one for beating around the bush. She asked him outright. "Did you give my mother's research to Calista?"

She had heard rumors but couldn't confirm them. Although a simple investigation would reveal the truth, she wanted to hear it from Percival himself.

"Yes." Percival admitted, noticing her displeasure. "If it upsets you, I can take the project back."

The reason he had chosen Calista in the first place was merely because she was a young member of the Pendleton clan who had a decent background in medicine.

If his Vivienne was upset over this, he wouldn't hesitate to drop Calista.

"It's fine." Vivienne leaned into Percival’s embrace, feeling his warmth envelope her. "Let her continue with the research."

Vivienne had long since completed her mother's work and had even expanded upon it.

Whatever results Calista might produce would be irrelevant to her. She was already miles ahead.

Percival bent down to kiss her forehead. "Whatever you say, goes." He said with a tone full of tenderness.

Just as the two were enjoying their rare moment of solitude, the hospital room door was abruptly pushed open.

Her eight disciples, all but Leopold, marched in. After seeing Vivienne nestled in Percival's arms, they became livid. Their faces turned a deep shade of red; they were practically foaming at the mouth.

"What do you think you're doing?! Release Vivienne immediately!"