Chapter 580:

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Although a mediated settlement—facilitated by Anna from KM Group—had been reached regarding the previous dispute between Light and Vivian’s studio, the damage hadn’t fully faded.

Many of the friends Vivian had originally invited from the industry declined, offering one excuse after another. The banquet hall, designed for more than two hundred guests, held fewer than fifty.

It was humiliating. Vivian looked strained and pale.

“Vivian, I heard Mr. King is in Livbon too,” Alma said, trying to comfort her. “He always came to your birthday celebrations in the past. He’ll definitely be here today.”

Only then did a smile appear on Vivian’s face.

To her, as long as Marcelo showed up, everyone else’s presence was irrelevant.

After a while, Vivian spotted a familiar figure approaching and greeted her with enthusiasm. “Joselyn!”

Despite her private reservations about Joselyn’s background, Vivian kept her expression pleasant. She knew Joselyn had close ties to Marcelo.

“Happy birthday, Miss Lambert,” Joselyn said, handing her two gifts. “The one on the left is from me. The one on the right was prepared by Sebastian before he passed away. I hope you like them.”

“Thank you, Joselyn!” Vivian replied eagerly. Then she asked at once, “Where’s Marcelo?”

𝗥𝗲𝘢𝘥 𝗳𝗿𝗈𝗺 у𝗼𝘂𝘳 𝗉ho𝘯𝘦 о𝗻 𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗇o𝘃𝖾𝘭s.сo𝗺

The question immediately drew the attention of the other guests.

Rumors about Vivian’s supposed affair with the CEO of KM Group had already spread among the attendees, making Marcelo’s absence impossible to ignore.

“He couldn’t make it,” Joselyn answered with a polite smile.

Vivian’s hopeful expression faltered.

The guests traded meaningful looks, understanding the implication.

Marcelo was a married man. He had deliberately stayed away from Vivian’s birthday celebration to avoid fueling even more speculation.

Several guests who had come hoping to learn something about Marcelo through Vivian quickly left, disappointed.

Vivian’s composure cracked. Her expression soured as she struggled to hide her frustration.

“Vivian…” Alma tried to console her. “It’s okay. I’m here with you, and you still have your family.”

Vivian shook her head, dejected. “My brothers and sisters won’t come either.”

The absence of the Lambert siblings—along with the lack of birthday gifts—felt like a blunt rejection, severing the already strained ties within her family.

Years of affection seemed to vanish in an instant.

And the question still lingered: was Renee truly Elsie?

“Is this because of what happened with Sarah last time? I’m sorry. You schemed against Sarah for me, and yet…”

“I’m not blaming you, Alma,” Vivian said, though she couldn’t shake the resentment. Alma had exposed her by accident, and it had led to this humiliating situation.

Vivian’s words moved Alma, but guilt still weighed heavily on her.

“Vivian, you’re so gracious,” Alma said quickly. “It’s Marcelo’s loss for choosing Renee over you!”

The birthday celebration ended early as guests began leaving one after another, abandoning Vivian to stew in her bitterness.

Her gaze fell on the gift boxes on the table, and her resentment flared.

Seizing the chance to vent, Vivian posted on social media, showing off the gifts Marcelo and Sebastian had given her in previous years. With a pointed caption, she wrote, “Loving today’s ruby! Thanks for the annual birthday spoils, Mr. King!”

Within minutes, the post spread. Influential women in Bellbanks noticed it and immediately forwarded screenshots to Renee, along with warnings about Vivian—serious, and not entirely subtle.

Renee, unmoved by the petty drama, forwarded the screenshots to Marcelo without a second thought. Only then did she realize he was still on her blocked list, so she promptly unblocked him.

Two hours later, Marcelo replied, “My brother prepared the ruby before he died, and Joselyn delivered it.”

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