Just as Vivian opened her mouth to assure Veronica she was fine, Huxley stormed into the boutique with a scowl on her face.
"What do you think you're doing wandering around?" she snapped at Vivian, her voice sharp with irritation. "I've been searching everywhere for you! Why aren't you answering your phone—"
Her words died abruptly when her gaze fell on Veronica's back. Her expression transformed instantly, warmth freezing into ice.
A boutique assistant approached Veronica with professional poise. "Ms. Murray, we've packaged all your selections as requested. Here's your receipt. The total comes to 5,897,644 dollars. Please verify the amount."
Veronica accepted the receipt with casual grace, nodding after a brief review. The merchandise from Kellan was meticulously arranged on the floor—over thirty shopping bags lined up in perfect order, each containing high-end designer pieces.
Satisfied with the calculation, Veronica handed her card to the waiting clerk without hesitation.
Vivian and Huxley stood transfixed. Nearly six million dollars on clothing in one shopping spree?
Huxley recovered quickly, her lips curling into a smirk. She clearly believed this was merely a performance—Veronica putting on airs, pretending to have wealth she couldn't possibly possess.
After all, given the Crystal family's financial situation before Cullen's involvement, even Niall couldn't have afforded such an extravagant shopping trip. With the Murray enterprises reportedly operating at a loss and Veronica lacking any notable business acumen, where could such money possibly come from?
Vivian, however, felt a twinge of concern. While she'd heard the Murray family hadn't completely collapsed, their businesses were certainly struggling. Spending millions so carelessly on clothing seemed reckless at best.
Huxley made a dismissive sound before turning to Vivian. "Uncle Isaac's nearly finished preparing dinner. Are you planning to keep everyone waiting? Let's go."
Vivian exchanged a brief nod with Veronica before hurrying after Huxley.
As they walked, Vivian recalled what she'd heard about the Crystal family's current residence—a magnificent property reportedly purchased by Cullen for Penny at over 600 million dollars, not including the lavish furnishings that filled the space.
According to Huxley, the ornate vase displayed prominently in the living room alone had cost tens of millions—a housewarming gift from Cullen to Niall. Throughout the home, similar high-value pieces were displayed with casual opulence.
Despite growing up in privilege herself, Vivian had never experienced such concentrated wealth. She moved through the house with extreme caution, terrified of accidentally damaging something worth more than her entire net worth.
Bonnie lounged comfortably on a plush sofa, casually eating nuts as she observed Vivian's wide-eyed caution with evident amusement.
Niall descended the staircase with effortless elegance. Noticing Vivian's tension, she commented coolly, "They're merely decorative objects. There's no need for such anxiety. If something breaks, we simply replace it."
Her tone conveyed absolute indifference toward the astronomical value surrounding them.
Vivian could barely process this transformation. How had Niall adapted so quickly to this level of extravagance?
Bonnie grinned proudly. "Cullen has more wealth than he could spend in ten lifetimes, and he's incredibly generous with Niall. She could smash every valuable in this house daily, and he'd happily replace them just to see her smile."
Vivian struggled to reconcile what she was witnessing with what she knew. She'd heard rumors about Cullen's exceptional treatment of Niall—financial support, business shares, valuable connections, and helping elevate the Crystal family's standing in the capital. But hearing about such preferential treatment paled in comparison to seeing its reality.
What made the situation even more difficult to stomach was the stark contrast with how Cullen reportedly treated Veronica. When the Murray family faced financial crisis, he had allegedly refused to offer any assistance whatsoever.
Yet with Niall, his generosity appeared limitless.