Chapter 548
The woman stood in front of the reporters. Although she had a small frame, she was imposing and tough. “My name is Vivian Cooper, one of the students funded by the Larson Group. This is the Larson Group’s property! How shameless are you? Look how you’ve scared the children! I’m calling the police now!”
Natalie’s eyes lit up. Vivian seemed really tough, and the reporters all seemed genuinely intimidated in response. “We work for the public interest, and it is our obligation to report the truth to the public! If the Larson Group has been mistreating the children, we will make it known to the world!” a reporter replied.
“You want answers, do you?” Vivian looked into his eyes sharply. “My education was funded by the Larson Group. I got to graduate from university because of the Larson Group. You can direct any of your questions at me rather than scaring the children here. They’re all just kids. Don’t you see how frightened they are?”
Indeed, the children seemed terrified. The reporters finally relented to Vivian and said, “Okay, we’ll wait for you outside, Miss Cooper.”
The reporters then left with their cameras. The staff did their best to comfort the frightened children.
After taking a deep breath, Natalie said with a smile, “Thank you for being here, Vivian.”
With a relaxed look on her face, Vivian flashed Natalie her most charming smile and said, “To tell you the truth, I was scared, too. These reporters are tough. I was worried they might make something out of what I said. I think they were intimidated because I threatened to sue them and because of you. You are Mrs. Larson, after all.”
Natalie laughed. After all, all she’d done was hide behind Vivian.
But what Vivian said to her was very kind.
“Let’s go to a place where there aren’t any reporters.” Natalie and Vivian left together.
After settling down the kids, Natalie started to chat with Vivian.
Natalie liked Vivian instantly. “So you said that you’re also one of the students funded by Brandon?”
“Of course, Mrs. Larson. I owe it to the Larson Group’s funding that I got to graduate from the university,” Vivian assured Natalie. “I am currently on a break from my studies abroad. It’s an honor to be able help with the charity event,” she added.
Even though Natalie had just met Vivian, she noticed her undeniable intelligence and kindness. She saw Vivian as a fearless lady who was ready to take on the world. She thought that with her personality, anyone would naturally gravitate towards her.
With a hint of admiration, she introduced herself, “I’m Natalie Larson, Brandon’s wife. We appreciate you coming back for the event. It’s a ple@sure to finally meet you.” Natalie graciously shook Vivian’s hand.
With a smile on her face, Vivian replied, “I know who you are, Mrs. Larson. I’m a fan of your work. I was fascinated when I saw the designs from W Marks Studio during the live broadcast of Iridescent Show. I never thought I’ll have the privilege to meet someone as exceptional as you are, Mrs. Larson.”
Natalie was used to being complimented, but she knew that Vivian spoke with sincerity. Her words were well- thought-out and they weren’t something one might hear every day.
She understood right then and there that Vivian was way ahead of her time.
The staff and volunteers distributed the snacks and candies as the children settled down. Everyone had calmed down except the one little boy who upsettingly threw his candies at Natalie.
Natalie wanted to approach the boy to talk to him, but she was worried that it would only make the situation worse. Vivian saw through Natalie’s struggle. Without missing a beat, she volunteered to talk to the boy. “Let me handle this, Mrs. Larson. Don’t worry, I have dealt with kids before,” she suggested with a confident smile.
“Thank you.” Natalie nodded with relief.
Vivian went over and approached the boy calmly. She went down on her knees to face the little boy. With a gentle voice, she asked, “Why were you upset just now, sweetie? You can tell me.”
His eyes were red from crying. He wiped his nose with his hands and confessed, “I saw the news saying that Charis was dead. I know that death means I will never see her again,” he continued while sobbing.
The children’s faces turned gloomy upon hearing his sentiment. Even though Charis was not the nicest person, the pain in the little boy’s eyes was enough to make Natalie feel disheartened. She understood how much the kids loved her.
Vivian sympathetically explained to the boy, “I understand that Charis was important to you, but she is not the only one who has been by your side. Look around you, sweetie. The Larson Group has been by your side all this time. You may not have realized this, but they are the ones providing you with food and shelter. It’s alright to be sad, but never forget that there are other people helping you without you knowing, okay?”
Even with his young age, the boy understood what Vivian meant. He realized what he did wrong as he tightened his grip on the corners of his clothes with his tiny hands. “What should I do now?” he remorsefully asked.
Vivian gently patted the dirt off the little boy’s blue clothes and with a soft voice, she said, “Mr. and Mrs. Larson are kind and understanding people. Why don’t you go apologize to Mrs. Larson?”
The boy nodded and shyly walked up to Natalie. “I’m sorry for hitting you, Mrs. Larson. I shouldn’t have done that. Will you forgive me?”
Natalie softly held the boy’s cheeks. “It’s impossible for me to be mad at someone as adorable as you are,” she said while greeting the boy’s shyness with a soothing smile. “Everything’s going to be alright, so you should stop crying now, okay?”
The little boy nodded while wiping his tears. He turned around and gave the children around them a look of comfort and approval.
With one look, they all understood. They ran over to Natalie showering her with tight hugs and sincere apologies.
With the kids still in her arms, Natalie looked at Vivian with a radiant smile and thanked her.
Vivian responded by shaking her head with a gentle smile written on her face. “You are welcome, Mrs. Larson.” Brandon arrived just in time to see his wife getting along with the kids.
With a sullen look on his face, Brandon held Natalie’s hand and carefully looked at her to check for any injuries. “Sean told me that some reporters made trouble here. Did you get hurt? I didn’t expect they’d be so bold to make trouble in Larson Group’s property.”
“I’m fine.” Natalie squeezed out a smile and comforted him, “You can let go of me now. We’re in public. People are looking at us.”
Brandon sighed in relief. “What happened anyway?”
Natalie glanced at Vivian and answered, “Thanks to this lady, the matter has been resolved.”
Vivian lowered her eyes. The truth was, she just happened to see a towering man striding toward them over a hundred meters away. His handsome face and powerful aura caught her eye.
Little did she know it was Brandon.
Vivian’s heart raced in her chest, and she tried her best to make her hands stop trembling.
She told herself over and over again not to be nervous.
As Brandon was unfamiliar with Vivian, Natalie tugged at his sleeve and introduced her to him. “Brandon, this is Vivian Cooper. She’s a student funded by the Larson Group.”
