Vivica had been swamped with work and hadn't had a chance to check her phone.
It wasn't until her lunch break that she pulled it out and saw Joseph's message.
He had gone to the hospital, seen her parents, and now they were all having lunch together.
That was nice.
A small smile touched her lips, and she immediately dialed Joseph's number.
He picked up on the first ring.
"Hey, did you just finish up?" Joseph asked. He was already seated at the restaurant.
Seeing his wife calling back so late, he knew she must have just gotten a break.
"Yeah," Vivica replied, opening her lunchbox and starting to eat. "I had two meetings this morning. I'm starting to lead projects now, so things are getting pretty busy."
Hearing that her career was taking off, Joseph was genuinely happy for her.
But thinking about the situation unfolding in Sydville City, he realized her current job might not last much longer.
Once Sullivan and Sean Chase were convicted and locked away, the company would legally return to Hayes and Hillary.
However, neither of them had the physical health to endure the grueling demands of running an empire.
As their only daughter, Vivica would naturally inherit the business.
Logically speaking, she was going to have to step up as a CEO eventually. She wouldn't have time to work for someone else.
But since nothing was finalized yet, Joseph kept the thought to himself.
It was a conversation they needed to have in person when he got home, not something to quickly brush over on a phone call.
When Vivica finished speaking, Joseph didn't immediately reply, but she could hear the background chatter of people eating and talking.
"Are you guys eating right now?" she asked.
"Yeah. Your aunt practically dragged us out to celebrate the bad guys getting caught, and she insisted on thanking me again," Joseph replied softly.
Vivica smiled. "Of course, it's definitely worth celebrating! Did everyone go?"
"Everyone except your father, since it's hard for him to leave the hospital." Joseph was now speaking about his in-laws with complete natural ease.
Vivica was a bit surprised. "My mother went too?"
She remembered how weak and unwell her mother had looked during the family dinner at her aunt's house, practically struggling just to stay upright.
"Yeah, her health has improved a lot recently," Joseph said, before casually asking, "Do you want to say hi?"
Vivica panicked immediately. "No, no, that's okay."
She had no idea what to say to her.
But Hillary had overheard the question. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Joseph. "Is that Vivica?"
Since his mother-in-law had asked directly, Joseph couldn't lie. He spoke into the phone. "Your mother wants to talk to you. Is that okay?"
Vivica instantly stiffened.

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