Chapter 128
“I want a photo too, Sean!” Vivian called out, forcing her voice into a sugary tone as she walked over and wedged herself between Charlotte and Sean.
“Whoa!” Mia suddenly yelped.
Jan turned around in concern.
“Mia, what happened?”
Mia put on a dramatic face.
“Massive photobomb alert. I think I just went blind.”
Vivian clearly heard her, but she didn’t move an inch. She stood her ground right between Charlotte and Sean like she didn’t even care.
When Mia saw she had no intention of leaving, she slowly retracted her selfie stick and gave Vivian a wide, fake smile.
“Oops, sorry, Miss Xander. We’re done taking photos. If you want a group shot, maybe ask your dear Zac or your little clique.”
Vivian clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to snap. She forced a smile and linked her arm with Sean’s.
“Then I’ll just take a few with my brother.”
Charlotte’s eyes dropped slightly, landing on Vivian’s hand.
But Sean pulled his arm away and looked down at her coldly.
“Aren’t you a little too old to be clinging to your brother? Maybe it’s time you got yourself a boyfriend.”
Even Vivian, master of playing innocent, couldn’t keep the cracks from showing. Her smile faltered. The hurt in her eyes slipped through her mask.
“But why can’t I be close to you just because we’re older now? You used to dote on me all the time…”
Sean’s voice stayed distant.
“That was then. This is now. Vivian, you need to learn boundaries.”
Her behavior just now had made Sean see through her clearly. He didn’t call her out in front of everyone as she was family, after all. But he wasn’t going to indulge her anymore.
He had also noticed her clear jealousy and hostility toward Charlotte. Since Charlotte didn’t like Vivian, then as her boyfriend, it was time he made his position clear. She needed to feel secure.
Vivian froze,
“Eoundaries? We’re siblings. What kind of boundaries?”
Mia scoffed.
“What, you really think you’re a proper heiress now? You’re not even blood–related. A grown man and woman pretending to be clingy siblings–how’s that not suspicious?”
Tears welled up in Vivian’s eyes as she looked up at Sean with a pitiful expression.
But Sean didn’t waver. His voice was calm, even distant.
“Mia’s right. We may call each other brother and sister, but there’s no blood relation. Let’s not do things that can be easily misunderstood.”
Vivian opened her mouth to say more, but Sean had already stepped past her and reached for Charlotte’s hand. His dark eyes were calm but full of focus.
“Charlotte, we’re done with photos. Let’s go.”
Charlotte smiled, then glanced at Vivian with a look that was all soft mockery.
“You go ahead and take your photos. I’ll be leaving with your brother.”
Inwardly, Charlotte snorted, “Wow You really mastered the art of playing sweet. A true green tea queen. Too bad your brother’s a pro at spotting fakes.”
After sunset, the temperature dropped quickly. The breeze from the mountain stream made the air colder and more humid, and the chill began to seep into their
bones.
Sean pulled a thick jacket from his backpack.
“Here. Put this on.”
Charlotte took the jacket and slipped it on. Meametule, Vivian stood nearby shivering in her than hiking jacket, clueless about the drastic temperature drop in the mountains.
Chapter 126
Seeing Sean giving his jacket to Charlotte only made the jealousy in Vivian’s heart flare even more.
They had only walked a little farther when suddenly someone screamed behind them.
Charlotte instinctively turned around, but the mountain path wound through trees and turns. It was hard to see what had happened.
Moments later, Mandy came running up in a panic.
“Mr. Jasper! Vivian twisted her ankle!”
D
