*Vivienne*It definitely had to be the incessant distant voices, and the gut wrenching pain that slowly drew me out of the darkness. I groggily peeled my eyes open as a dull ache crept over my body like a stealthy assassin. My head throbbed, a steady pounding that coursed through the entire length of my body. Each pound felt like tiny explosions that sent shockwaves of pain through my skull.I briefly closed my eyes against the harsh, bright light in the room that I was in. The light did nothing to lessen the throbbing pain in my head. The voices continued while I lay there, immobile on the bed, silently biding my time. Upon counting to ten in my head, I opened my eyes, already prepared for the light. I heaved a small sigh of relief when I realized the room was not as bright as I thought. I blinked trying to adjust my eyesight and as my vision slowly cleared, I found myself taking in the sterile white walls and the minor blend of soft, muted colors. The faint scent of antiseptic a
*Liam*Life these past few days has been tiring. From Vivienne's accident to having to shoot various photoshoots for many commercials while also fulfilling my duties as the foundation's executive director.Don't get me wrong though. I totally love my job and what I do at the foundation, acting and helping those in need is only time that I actually feel free… and happy. But sometimes, I actually do wish I didn't have to deal with impromptu board meetings as soon as I set foot in the building after meeting up with a donor. “I'm so sorry, Mr. Pryce,” Lexi apologized profusely, probably internally kicking herself for not being able to foresee and handle the meeting schedule.I paused in my strides and turned to face her. “Ms. James,” I called with a smile. “Can you stop beating yourself over this? I already told you it's fine.”She blinked, her head slightly bent in a meek posture. “But—”I raised a hand, efficiently putting a stop to her mumblings. “Ms. James.” I raised an eyebrow at h
*Vivienne*It has just been three days since I woke up.Three fucking days and I was already prepared to deck someone. My eyes narrowed on the said someone who just sat comfortably on the sofa, lazily thumbing through a magazine. He was dressed in another impeccable suit with a navy blue shirt. His jet black hair looked soft, tousled in that stylish way that emphasizes his eyes and screams ‘rich guy who doesn't give a shit about haircuts’. If not that he was already an actor, I would have suggested he ventured into the industry. I gritted my teeth, the soft tone of a song that he was humming under his breath inevitably getting on my nerves.“What the hell are you even doing here?” I blurted out, unable to hold it in any longer. The humming stopped, the magazine was lowered to his nose level and those magnificent green orbits stared at me. “What do you mean, what am I doing here?” he murmured, his eyes glinting with unbridled mirth.My eyes quickly snapped towards the young nurse
*Liam*I settled into the plush leather seat of my sleek, black Audi A8 limousine, feeling the soft cushioning envelop me. The sleek line and polished interior of the car felt luxurious, yet familiar. I brushed a hand over the leather seat and patted it softly, feeling a smile tug at my lips. “How are you doing, Nova,” I cooed at it. “Longest time, bet you missed me.”Ryder flashed me a look as he also slipped into the back seat beside me. “Please, don't tell me you were just talking to your car, Liam.” he groaned.“What?” I laughed and adjusted my jacket so it wouldn't crease. “I was saying hello to Nova since it has been a while.”Ryder sighed and shook his head in pity. “Your fans are not going to believe that you actually talk to your cars,” he tsked. “Who even names a car in this age and time?”“I do,” I retorted with a smirk. I ran a quick look over him, looking for the flask. “Where is it? Don't tell me you forgot it.”He just casually produced the flask from beside him and pa
*Vivienne*I exhaled and glanced down at my arm which was currently in a sling—it was changed yesterday. The pain and swelling has gone down a bit but I'm still unable to make any movement that will strain it. I pressed a finger to my sides, trying to access the amount of damage done to my ribs and only let out a tiny wince. Somehow, staying at this hospital for a week has aided in my speedy recovery. The sound of the door opening made me raise my head in that direction just as Liam and Dr. Wilton walked in with Nurse Salinger trailing behind them. “Hey there, Angel eyes,” Liam uttered with a chipper tone, his trademark smile on his lips. My immediate response was to roll my eyes. “What are you still doing here?” I muttered dryly even as I felt myself relaxing under his playful stare. Something about him puts me at ease just by being in his presence but hell is gonna freeze over before I tell him that. “Why? Did you miss me?” he said and pressed a hand to his chest. He walked ove
*Vivienne*It has been over three hours since I spotted the bracelet in the picture and my mind has been racing with thoughts ever since. Liam, on the other hand, seemed like he had not noticed the bracelet and I could understand why.The bracelet was tightly clenched in the driver's hand and it could go unnoticed if you just took a swift glance at the picture. But I had spotted it first and I couldn't even wrap my head around what was going on. What was the bracelet doing there in the driver's apartment in the first place?Why would…“No, no,” I muttered slowly to myself ,and shook my head to get rid of the speculations brewing in my mind. For what reason would she do that in the first place? And to me?I stole a quick peek at Liam where he sat lounging in his normal position on the sofa, and I sighed. Should I tell him or not?I opened my mouth to call him but at the last moment, my gaze fell on my sprained right hand and I promptly closed my mouth. No, I have to approach this
*Vivienne*The car finally came to a stop in front of my apartment building and I quickly took a scan of the environment. Nothing much had changed. The building still looked the same. My neighborhood wasn't Beverly hills nor Malibu but it was mostly crime free… Well, not until I was ran into a week ago.“This is where you live?” Liam asked, there was no hint of disgust in his voice, just genuine curiosity.“Yup,” I replied, popping the ‘P’ at the end. “This is me.”“I have never been to this side of the county. It looks… different,” he commented, his eyes dancing from one structure to the other.I scoffed out a laugh. “From Beverly hills and the rest? Yes I know. Not everyone can afford Beverly Hills or Malibu.”He turned to look at me, his eyes gleaming. “I didn't mean that in a condescending way,” he clarified, his voice steady. “I have been to places worse than this. I run a foundation, remember?”I broke eye contact with him and focused it instead on the building outside. Being
*Vivienne*The silence in the car was killing me but I still pressed my lips shut and continued to look out the window as we sped past gigantic buildings.“Are you okay?” Liam asked, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.“Hmm,” I murmured, and finished it off with a tiny nod.“Should we drop by at the hospital?” he continued.I scoffed. “Why would I need to drop by at the hospital?” I countered. “It's not like I was attacked or even worst, ran over by another car.”“Your arm,” he responded. “You threw it around my neck like it wasn't injured. We should go and check it up at the hospital.”I looked down at the said arm. I'd almost forgotten about the sling. “I'm fine. My arm is fine too. The pain has reduced considerably so I'm even thinking about taking it off tomorrow.”For some minutes, no response came from Liam. I was tempted to at least glance at him but I gritted my teeth and fixated my gaze out the window.“Are you not going to look at me?” he muttered. “It's kind of weir