The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne) novel Chapter 132

In the case against Dorian, Arabella's accusations weren't the most lethal blow. It was Beatrice coming forward as a false witness that truly turned the tide.

She spun an elaborate tale, down to the specific day and setting of the supposed event. To any reasonable person, it was absurd to believe a mother would falsely accuse her son of such heinous crimes without reason. Unless, of course, it was true.

This logic had swayed public opinion heavily against Dorian. His employer, the prosperous Vanwright Corporation, and even the future in-laws, the Ellington Group, suffered a hit in their stock prices due to the scandal.

Online, there were numerous people stirring up trouble for Vivienne. Whether these were paid trolls or not, it was hard to tell.

"You all know what kind of person Beatrice is, right?" Vivienne's voice was flat.

Beatrice was willing to sever ties with her own son just to get her hands on a perfume formula. She was hardly a saint. But Vivienne didn't believe Beatrice, a woman known for her self-interest, would go so far as to help Arabella frame her own son for no reason.

She also didn't believe that Arabella was reckless enough to destroy her own reputation out of spite, without any ulterior motives. They were likely driven by some kind of gain.

But who could be backing them?

"What do we do now? I went to the police station, but they wouldn't let me see your father." Cordelia choked out.

During an investigation, suspects weren't allowed to see their families.

"I'll handle this." Vivienne said. "You are not to meet with Arabella or anyone from the Hawthorn family."

This matter was highly publicized, so she couldn't use her connections to force the police to release Dorian. She needed to hire a lawyer and follow the legal procedures.

Cordelia was silent for a moment before saying, "I got a call from Michael today. He wants to meet and discuss the situation."

"Did you agree?" Vivienne's voice dropped a notch.

"Yes."

Vivienne frowned.

Cordelia was desperate, and Vivienne could understand that. If they could convince Beatrice to recant her statement, things would be much easier.

"Cordelia, you don't need to worry about anything. Just stay at home and take care of Thaddeus. Leave everything else to me."

For some reason, Vivienne's calm and collected voice was a great comfort to Cordelia. Slowly, she began to calm down.

With the support of Percival, maybe everything would be alright. It was not their intention to take advantage of their ties with the Ellington family, but sometimes, when things were dire, you had no choice but to rely on family.

"Alright, Vivienne. I'll listen to you."

After comforting Cordelia, Vivienne received a call from Draven before she could even reach out to him.

She exchanged a glance with Percival, who was quietly observing her. With a slight nod, she moved away from him to answer the call by the window.

"We failed." Draven's voice was filled with regret. "We saw only Arabella in the room at the time, so we didn't guard against her, and then this happened."