Chapter 163: The seed of doubt
His words were so cold that Vivian’s smile stiffened. She felt humiliated. But she forced herself to remain calm.
"Fine..." she grumbled. "I admit I should meet her."
Then her expression softened again. "But I wanted to see you first. What’s wrong with that?"
Her lips formed a small pout. "We’ve known each other for so long. We grew up together, remember?"
Elias’s expression remained unchanged.
Vivian slowly walked around the edge of his desk, deliberately shortening the distance between them.
"We’ve practically been together our entire lives. You used to tell me everything. What’s wrong with you now? Why are you so cold to me?"
Vivian took another step. Now she was only a few inches away from him. Her eyes lingered on his face as though trying to remind him of their childhood friendship.
Elias frowned. He disliked having another woman stand so close to him.
The sharpness in his gaze made Vivian shrink back instinctively. She immediately looked away.
"Don’t look at me like that."
But when she looked back, the hesitation had disappeared. A coquettish smile spread across her lips.
"You used to be so nice to me." Her voice softened deliberately. "You, Eve, and I—we had so much fun together. You used to take us out all the time."
She gave a nostalgic sigh. "I thought we’d always be like that. But ever since Elena appeared, you’ve changed completely."
She looked at him accusingly. "You don’t even treat me like a friend anymore. You act as though I’m your enemy."
Her voice became almost childish. "You are so mean to me now. Did I do something wrong?"
Elias’s patience began to wear thin. He couldn’t understand how she could behave like this in his office.
This was a workplace, and she was there for a business meeting, not a childhood reunion.
"Vivian."
"I’m still your friend," she quickly interrupted, afraid he would ask her to leave again. She wasn’t finished.
"I’m the same Vivian you knew—the one who used to eat, play, and study with you." Her eyes pleaded with him. "I’m still the same. So why did you change?"
Elias finally couldn’t take it anymore. "I haven’t changed." His tone was flat. "You are simply expecting something from me that I can’t give you."
Vivian’s expression flickered. But she quickly smiled again.
"I don’t expect anything. I just want my old friend back."
Elias didn’t want to waste another minute on the conversation. "If you are here about the project, go speak to Elena."
Vivian’s smile disappeared. "Why are you chasing me away?"
She looked genuinely hurt. "Can’t you spend some time with me? At least have some coffee with me."
"I don’t have time," he snapped. "I’m busy. Can’t you see? If you want to work on this project, be professional. And if you can’t do that, I’ll remove you from the team."
Vivian froze. All the playfulness vanished from her face.
"What?" For a moment, she looked genuinely stunned. Then anger flashed across her eyes.
"How could you say that to me?" Her voice rose. "I’ve always been good to you. How can you talk to me like I’m some stranger?"
She slammed her palm against the desk. "I only wanted to have some coffee with you! Why can’t you just talk to me nicely?"
Elias’s brows furrowed. "This is an office, not a playground." His voice carried a clear warning. "And if you really want coffee, have it with Elena while discussing the work."
"Elena, Elena..." Vivian threw her arms into the air in exasperation. "I’m tired of hearing her name."
She looked at him with wounded eyes. "I know she is in charge of the project. I just wanted to see you before I started working."
Tears began gathering in her eyes. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to make him feel guilty for choosing Elena over her. Then a darker thought occurred to her.
"You think she is more deserving than me?"
Elias’s fingers tightened unconsciously around his pen.
"Do you really think she is with you because she loves you?"
Elias’s expression darkened. "Enough."
But Vivian wasn’t going to stop. "You are wrong. She doesn’t love you. She is still not over her ex-husband."
The room suddenly fell silent.
Elias stiffened. Although he had never doubted Elena, the mention of Noah always created an uncomfortable feeling in his chest.
He trusted his wife. But he knew Noah still had feelings for her. And that knowledge was enough to make him uneasy.
Vivian saw the change in his expression. She knew she had found the crack she was looking for.
"I saw Elena with Noah yesterday." She took out her phone and placed it on his desk. "I didn’t want to interfere. But I thought you should know."
She unlocked the screen.
Elias looked down. His eyes immediately fell on the photograph.
Elena was sitting across from Noah in a café. From the angle of the photograph, the meeting looked private and secretive.
Elias’s jaw tightened.
Vivian silently watched him.
His fingers slowly closed around the phone. His grip tightened until his knuckles turned pale. He stared at the photograph for several seconds.
Something dark flickered across his eyes.
Vivian’s lips almost curved into a smile.
’There it is.’
She had been waiting for this reaction. She lowered her voice, deliberately making it sound concerned.
"I didn’t want to say anything. But I think you should be careful."
Elias remained silent.
"Don’t put so much faith in her," Vivian continued. "She may hurt you someday."
Elias’s silence hid the turmoil building inside him. The thought of losing Elena sent a sharp pang through his chest.
’What if she really goes back to Noah someday?’
He immediately pushed the thought away.
’No. I trust Elena. She loves me. She will never leave me.’
But the photograph had still unsettled him.
Vivian saw the hesitation in his eyes and mistook it for doubt. Her confidence grew.
"Maybe she is planning to leave you. Maybe she is planning something with Noah to harm you and your business."
Elias’s expression became colder. But he didn’t respond.
Vivian took his silence as confirmation that her words had reached him. A sly smile appeared on her face.
’I’ve done it.’
She had accomplished exactly what she wanted. She hadn’t accused Elena of anything directly, but she had simply shown Elias a real photograph and connected it to a suggestion.
Vivian watched him for another moment. Then she took the phone from his hand.
"Anyway, I thought you deserved to know." She turned toward the door. But before leaving, she stopped. "Elias."
Vivian glanced back over her shoulder. "You should reconsider giving Elena so much authority. This is just friendly advice."
With that, she walked out. The moment the door closed behind her, a satisfied smile slowly spread across her face.
She had planted the seed of doubt. And now, all she had to do was let it grow.