Shannon didn’t want everyone asking her where Vivian went, so she hid here. She planned to go back a little later. This way, if anyone asked, she could say that she and Vivian had split up to search for Sarah. She would explain that she couldn’t find Vivian after being separated, so she came back on her own.
However, she didn’t expect that Finnick would find her so quickly. It threw her off guard and made her too flustered to react normally.
Shannon’s incoherent story made Finnick more suspicious of her. If she really got separated from Vivian, then she should be happy to be found and rescued. Why was she so nervous and afraid?
Five years ago, before their divorce, Vivian mentioned that she didn’t get along with Shannon from the magazine company. She said that there was always animosity between the two of them. And now, Shannon reacted so suspiciously. Could it be that she did something bad to Vivian?
The thought of this boiled anger in Finnick. He pounced towards Shannon and snarled, “You really don’t know where Vivian went? How did you two get separated?”
“W-we couldn’t find Sarah. Vivian got worried and said we’d have better chances of finding her by splitting up. So we did that. Then… then I lost sight of her. All I could do was wait here.”
Finnick’s rough tone made Shannon, who already had a guilty conscience, even more panicked. She was a bundle of nerves, and her words came out all jumbled. There was no way she could fool Finnick.
“Spit it out! Do you really not know where Vivian is?” Finnick raised his voice. His brows furrowed tautly as he roared, “I’m warning you, best not lie. Otherwise, I’ll make you pay the price of lying to me.”
Finnick’s superiority had always been eminent; now, hostility coursed from his body, dangerously seeping into the air around them. It threatened Shannon, making it impossible for someone meager like her to withstand.
For a moment, she was so frightened that she couldn’t think straight. She yelled frustratedly, “She was so ruthless to you before! Why do you still care so much about her?”
Shannon’s response confirmed Finnick’s suspicion. She definitely knew where Vivian was.
Sarah said that she hadn’t cried for help at all. So how could Shannon have heard someone’s cries? She probably said that to lure Vivian out here.
A murderous glare shot from Finnick’s eyes. He jolted forward to grab Shannon by the collar. “Where the hell did you leave her? Tell me the truth! If anything happens to her, I’ll make sure the rest of your days are miserable. Trust me when I say that I’m a man of my word!”
A shiver ran down Shannon’s spine. Witnessing Finnick’s blazing anger at such close proximity made her tremble uncontrollably. She couldn’t withstand his pressuring any longer.
“Fine. I’ll tell you,” Shannon sobbed. She pointed a shaky finger and said, “Vivian’s in a pit over there. You’ll see it when you get closer.”
“You pushed her down?” Finnick’s mouth ran dry. A fresh swell of rage rose in him.
“I-I…” Shannon wanted to deny it, but Finnick’s stern expression made it impossible to lie. Her teeth chattered ever so slightly. It was like the words refused to leave her mouth.
Shoving Shannon aside, Finnick pointed at her and said, “I’ll deal with you when we get back to the camp!”
Finnick sprinted in the direction that Shannon pointed to. He feared that he was already too late, that Vivian had already suffered unspeakable injuries.
Meanwhile, a shiver rattled in Shannon’s chest as she thought of Finnick’s promise to deal with her later. Finnick’s powerful status and his promise to make me pay for lying… can I even keep my position in the magazine company?
Moreover, if Vivian makes it out alive, she’ll surely fire me. She might even sue me and take this whole incident to court. People go to jail for intentional assault, don’t they?
At this, Shannon staggered furiously towards the campsite. She couldn’t stay here anymore. She had to leave quickly before the two of them make their way back to the camp.
Meanwhile, Vivian was trying her best to climb out of the pit; the sides of the pit were sky-high, and no matter how much she tried to climb, there just was no getting out.
