Inside the house were Vincent's family, along with servants, maids, and cooks. Although his wife loved to cook, it was also the cook's duty to help. Viviana paid their salaries every month, and she paid well. What do you expect from the chairwoman of five subsidiaries?
Vincent Carsten was the complete opposite of Viviana. He and his family welcomed her at the front door. Even though it was late at night, they still greeted her warmly. The servants and other staff welcomed her too. It was a really warm welcome, but as always, Viviana didn't like it.
She threw her coat into the face of her nephew, Vincenzo. She walked upright and sat on their sofa like she owned the house. I mean, she did. Everything around this area was paid for by her money. Well, technically, it came from the Carsten family wealth, so it belonged to all of them.
But Vincenzo, Vincent's youngest son, was just like his father.
"Excuse me, Aunt. What was that for?"
His long, wavy hair was tied back with a simple hair tie. His strawberry blonde hair and emerald green eyes, just like his father's, stared at her, clearly a bit offended.
"I'm hungry after that long travel. Bring me food. Anything would be fine," she said, crossing her legs and lifting her chin.
Lilybeth, her sister-in-law and Vincent's wife, smiled warmly as she walked over, offering a tray with a bowl. A bowl of warm soup.
"At least you eat what we offer," she said kindly, placing it on the dining table.
Viviana walked into the dining room and sat on a chair.
"It's better than poison," she replied bluntly.
Her brother chuckled softly.
Lilybeth Carsten, her brother's wife and her sister-in-law, used to be Lilybeth Wilson before she married Vincent. Now 64 years old, she once had strawberry blonde hair, but it had all turned grey with age. Her face had wrinkles, but she still smiled. She didn't talk much, only to people close to her, like her family.
She and Vincent had two children. The first was Elizabeth, and the youngest was Vincenzo. Unlike Viviana, Lilybeth didn't like living in the city. She loved living in the mountains with her husband, their children, and her grandchildren.
Of course, Viviana didn't like that. She had always treated Lilybeth like a servant, like trash, whenever Vincent wasn't around. That's why Lilybeth's children didn't like their aunt, Viviana.
Lilybeth used to be a musical director in New York. She retired due to her age, but music was still her passion.
Sometimes, she would play the violin alone on the rooftop early in the morning. Her grey hair would hang down, shining softly in the dawn light. She passed down her musical talent to her two children.
No matter how badly Viviana treated her, Lilybeth still treated Viviana like a little sister and quietly looked after her. She didn't talk much to her, but she knew deep down that Viviana still had a soft heart when it came to family.
When Viviana drank the soup, she acted rude as usual, but Lilybeth always translated her words into something more positive.
"It's edible, I guess. You tried," Viviana said, sipping the soup as elegantly as possible.
Even though those were her words, Lilybeth's inner translation was: "The soup is good."
"Mom! Who's the guest?" asked a tall teenage girl in pajamas. Her platinum blonde hair was messy, and she yawned as she came down the stairs, clearly just woken up by the noise. Her footsteps echoed through the house.
Viviana glanced at the girl, then turned back to the soup.
"It's your grand-aunt, honey!" said Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Parker, 40 years old, was married to Derick Parker. She worked as a nurse downtown but still loved living in the mountains with her parents. That's why her husband and kids lived there too.
The girl who had just come downstairs gasped and ran toward Viviana, who was silently eating her soup. She plopped down beside her.
"I finished the novel," she said with a poker face, though everyone could sense her excitement.
Viviana finished her soup, set down her spoon, and wiped her mouth with a napkin. She closed her eyes.
"Good for you. Do you want a trophy or something?" she said dryly. "I'm tired now, Elyza. It's almost 10 p.m."
She yawned, but the girl suddenly grabbed her wrist, which made Viviana pause for a moment.
"You never told me it was a good novel, Grand Aunt Vivi!" Elyza beamed, despite her poker face.
"Don't call me that," Viviana snapped.
"Grandpa calls you that," Elyza pouted.
"That's because he's my older brother," Viviana said flatly, as if stating a basic fact.
Elyza Rose Parker was Elizabeth's eldest daughter and Vincent's eldest granddaughter. She was currently 17 and a student at one of the most prestigious high schools downtown. Of course, it was Viviana who paid the tuition. Even though Viviana always acted like she didn't care, she actually cared a lot, especially for Elyza, who reminded her so much of herself.
"I want you to sleep with me, Grand Aunt," Elyza said, still holding onto her wrist. "I have a lot of questions about the novel. Like, a lot." She beamed, though her face remained a perfect poker mask.
Elizabeth stepped closer, looking worried. "Elyza, you're not supposed to treat the Chairwoman like that!" she said, trying to gently pull her daughter away. "I'm sorry, Aunt Vivi. It's just... Elyza doesn't usually talk much. But when she does, it's always about you. Kind of... only you. She barely talks to anyone else."
She bowed slightly to apologize.
Elyza looked down, pouting in silence.
Viviana sighed. "Ha! That's because she's my granddaughter." She scoffed proudly.
From the hallway, Vincent's voice suddenly interrupted, "Vivi! She's my granddaughter!"
Startled, Elizabeth turned. "Father? I thought you went to bed."
"I almost did, until Vivi said that thing again," Vincent grumbled, frowning.
Viviana smirked and casually threw an arm around Elyza's shoulder. "Vin, she wants a sleepover with me. Let's go, Elyza."
Elyza lit up, still expressionless, but clearly thrilled. The two walked past Vincent and Elizabeth, Viviana grinning smugly as they passed.
To be continued...