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[Vivienne]The very next morning, I go to see my brother at his office.But the moment I tell him the reason for my visit, he frowns, hard.“You want to resign?” he asks, not quite able to believe it—well, probably.Maybe because this whole “working as a normal employee under him” was my idea in the first place. But I had my reasons. Before this, I didn’t have any job experience. And Dad always said that unless a person knows how to do the smallest tasks, they can never be a good boss.Since childhood, I admired the wisdom he imparted to both Harvey and me whenever he got the chance. In fact, before joining our business directly as president, Harvey worked in various lower positions until he earned the respect and admiration of his coworkers. I wanted to do something like that too. Earn the respect of my people.But turns out I don’t have that kind of time.Now that I’m pregnant, I need to have a solid foundation beneath me just as much as I need to be independent—enough to not only gi
[Vivienne]He’s probably right.But Harvey’s experience is completely different from mine. His ex-girlfriend wasn’t exactly a monster like my ex. They parted ways because they both thought it was best for them. Caden and I are divorced because he’s an asshole, a cheater, and a man who could never take my side, no matter the circumstances.Does he even deserve to be a father? That’s the question I’m most worried about. Would he even care?“Hey?” Harvey snaps his fingers in front of my face. “Where did you go?”I snap out of my thoughts. “Sorry. Where were we?”“Nowhere,” he chuckles, then stands up, adjusting his tie. “Well, I suppose a celebration is in order. Do Mom and Dad know? You must obviously tell them, right?”I shrug. “Well, I have plans.”He shakes his head, laughing. “You and your plans. Anyway, what’s next? Is resigning and starting anew the only thing you came to tell me about?”I lean forward, finally rolling my shoulders because now we’re talking business. “Not exactly.
[Vivienne]Kim’s eyes widen. “Right now? Shit!”She rushes out of her office so quickly that I wonder if it’s only going to take an hour before she confesses everything. Well, the sooner, the better.I take a deep breath and head back to my desk, only to bump into Claire the moment I step out of Kim’s office.Well, that’s weird. It’s almost like she was trying to overhear us. Was she?“Hey, Vivienne. I was just… you know… I mean,” she laughs awkwardly. “I… I came to ask Kim about something. Is she in the office? You know what? No worries. I can talk to her some other time. She seems busy.”I tilt my head to the side, finding it hard to believe her odd act of being nice to me. This woman has never been nice to me. If anything, she’s been jealous and a total bitch most days. “Sure,” I say, walking past her and heading to Harvey’s office.That’s where I told him I would be, waiting for everything to unfold.I make a few calls while we wait: one to Rosita, reminding her that we’re meeting
[Vivienne]I put down the phone and frown, staring at my lap.Claire? Claire is the one leaking designs to the rival company?I mean, I’m not surprised, but I was sure it was Kim. Harvey was too. So how did she turn out to be innocent? Why did she destroy my designs if she isn’t working for someone else?My head aches with all these unanswered questions. I can’t make sense of Kim’s strange behavior.Maybe that’s why, when she returns to the break room to check on me, I can’t help but confront her right away.“Why did you do it?” I ask. Now that the pain has dulled, I feel able to focus again, though I don’t dare stand. I still feel shaken from the whole ordeal. “Why did you destroy my designs that day?”My words catch Kim off guard. She stops dead in her tracks, her hands coming to a complete stop, as she gazes at me with a mix of surprise and bewilderment. The way she looks away makes me suspect she knows exactly what I’m talking about.“What… what do you mean?” Her gaze shifts to th
[Vivienne]Not sure if I should believe Kim or not, but I let it go for the time being.If she genuinely felt threatened by me because she has feelings for my brother, maybe I shouldn’t judge her too harshly for acting on impulse.I mean, nothing she says could ever justify what she did, but if anyone understands how foolish and unreasonable love can make a person, it’s me.I left my whole life behind when I fell in love with Caden. I left my family, my friends, my career—everything. The only person I wanted to make happy was him; my whole life revolved around him. But maybe he never loved me the way I loved him. Because if he did, he wouldn’t have broken my heart the way he did. Anyway, before I left to see Harvey, I made sure to let Kim know that I’d keep quiet for now, but if she ever pulled something like that again, she wouldn’t get another chance. Kim seemed to understand, and without another word, she left.Now that I was feeling a bit better, I went to see my brother.“I coul
[Vivienne]I leave Harvey’s office and take the elevator downstairs.But just when the doors are about to close, Lola Ramírez, the new store manager for the showroom on the first and second floors, rushes in, her breath ragged.I’ve seen her many times before. She was hired after the last manager was fired during my first visit to Harvey’s company. The only one who dared to accuse me of stealing when, in reality, he was the one stealing from the company.“Sorry,” she pants, pressing the button for the first floor. “Emergency.”I frown, unable to help myself. “What kind of emergency?”Lola takes a minute to catch her breath before responding. “Oh, it’s a long story. You don’t have to worry about it.”“Of course,” I nod and catch her reflection in the mirrored wall. She looks anxious as hell. “Still, wanna talk about it? Maybe I can help?”“Nah—well, okay, sure. Maybe you have a different perspective on this. Alright, fine,” she turns to face me. “So, since last week, there have been so
[Vivienne]I call Rosita right away.She picks up on the first ring.“Hey, Viv. You okay, right?” she says hurriedly, as if she’s been waiting anxiously for the answer.“I am. What’s going on with you? What’s with the cryptic text? Is everything okay?”“Uh… I don’t know how to say this,” she sounds stressed. “Why don’t you come to my office so we can talk about it?”“Ro, you’re scaring me now. Just tell me what’s going on.”“I want to. But I probably shouldn’t. Just get here, and we can talk all about it.”“Ro—”“Please, Viv. Just listen to me this once. I promise I have a very good reason.”I take a deep breath and decide to trust her. “Fine. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”The drive to Rosita’s store is nerve-wracking. The knots in my stomach keep tightening and tightening. The moment Marcus pulls over in front of her store, I’m out of the car like a shot, eager to make sure she’s alright.When I reach the front desk, Gigi guides me to Rosita’s office. I open the glass door and
[Vivienne]I’m pacing the room like crazy, having no idea what else to do. It’s as if my brain is on fire, and my feet need to keep moving. If not, I’ll go crazy for real. I shake my head.“Who would do such a thing? This… disgusting… act of… what? Ridiculing me? Hurting me? Demeaning me? What’s the motive here?”“Well, with the kind of comments coming in, it’s obvious whatever the motive was, they’ve certainly achieved it. And I can’t believe this post already has more than a million views and has been shared by another million. This is ridiculous.” She glares at the screen, still scrolling through social media to keep me updated.I turn to face her, anxious. “Are the comments still coming?”“Yes,” she sighs, running a hand through her hair. “And they’re getting worse. I’m so sorry, Viv. You don’t deserve this.”I know I don’t. In fact, no one deserves this. But that’s the question I need to answer: who would do such a thing? I have to find out the truth and put an end to this madnes
[Astrid]I stare at the mess in my room.The shattered vase. The broken laptop. The pieces of other furniture overturned and out of place.But even with all this destruction, I feel nothing but rage.Pure, white rage. The kind that makes me want to rip someone’s throat out. Especially that of Vivienne. And her fucking son.I ball my fists, the veins in my hands popping as I fight to keep my control. But it's slipping, fast. I want to scream, to break every damn thing in sight until there’s nothing left. Until I feel something other than this boiling fury that’s choking me from the inside out.How dare she? How dare she take what’s mine? How dare she get so close to Caden? And go on that vacation with him?Did she learn nothing from the past? Is she not afraid that the way she’s going, she’s making an enemy out of me? Out of Astrid? Does she even know whom she’s messing with?I curl my fingers around the glass of water on the table, before tossing it away against the wall too.It shatt
[Vivienne]I have to say, Caden has a way of doing things that not only gets his work done, but also leaves the other party too confused yet satisfied for their own good.Now, I’m not saying that being shoved against the door and having his face so ridiculously close to mine is satisfying in some weird kind of way, but it surely is leaving me confused for sure.“What are you doing, Caden?” I cannot help but ask, finally able to find my voice after a minute of intimate staring and a confusingly beating heart.I know being jealous has always been Caden’s strongest streak, but I never thought he was jealous because of me. Not that I have deliberately tried to make him feel that way. Ever. It was always him, surrounded by Sasha and her dramatic ways, making me feel like a third wheel of sorts.I try to push him away, but he doesn’t dare budge. His dark eyes remain stuck on mine, his hands clasped around my waist.“Whatever you think.”I sigh, reminding myself once again how wrong everythi
[Caden]After spending almost the entire day at the clinic, when we return to our hotel suite, Ben and Axel drop dead the second their heads hit the pillow.Vivienne, on the other hand, excuses herself for a quick shower and a change of clothes, while I decide to do the same.However, before I pick out my clothes from the wardrobe, my phone starts to ring.Astrid’s name flashes on the screen, and I almost roll my eyes.Almost. Instead, I answer. “Speak.”"Are you serious, Caden?" she asks, so loudly that I have to pull the phone away from my ear a little."What's the matter?""What's the matter?" she repeats, as if she can't quite believe I asked her something so boldly. "What isn't the matter? When the hell were you going to tell me that you were going to Japan with that ex of yours? When, huh? Is this how you treat me now? Keeping me in the dark while having a vacation at some royal hotel suite?"I pinch the bridge of my nose, already feeling a headache brewing. "It's not a vacation
[Vivienne]Caden was right when he told me that Dr. Kaito is not just another doctor in a lab coat with a stethoscope looped around his neck.Oh, no. He’s so much more than that.To be honest, I have never seen a professional doctor quite like him.First of all, he’s not dressed like one.Secondly, he doesn’t talk like one either. No complicated medical words with him. No unnecessary attempt to appease us or assure us. And certainly not interested in the fact that Caden and I are among the richest people in the world.The moment we stepped into his cabin, his entire attention has been on Axel only.Which, of course, I’m glad for, but still. He really asked us nothing. Not his medical history. Not his symptoms. Not even his age, or how long he has been like this.The only thing I have done since we took seats on the couch across from his long desk is hold my breath and keep my mouth shut.Now, almost an hour has passed, and Dr. Kaito and Axel finally return their attention to us.Dr. K
[Vivienne]“Dr. Kaito will see you now,” the receptionist announced.I look up from my lap and glance around for the hundredth time.Ever since we walked into the building, I have been nervous as hell—and for all the right reasons, I would like to say.For the first time, Dr. Kaito will see Axel, and my son will get to know if he’ll ever get to see like normal kids out there. And that thought alone makes me feel all kinds of anxious. Never in my life have I been this nervous. My palms are sweating, my legs are shaking, and my throat feels dry beyond rationality. My brain is a complex mishmash of positivity and negativity. It’s not like I want to think of the worst, but my heart doesn’t know how to handle this situation without taking everything into account.I need to know how this meeting can go. I need to know so I will be ready for whatever the outcome might be.“Are you alright?” Caden’s familiar deep voice arrives from next to me. He’s probably wondering why I haven’t moved from
[Vivienne]Caden’s about to press his lips to mine, and I’m about to allow it, when something growls so loudly in the room, we both pause, turn stiff, and stare at each other for one long moment.Then, we both burst into laughter.Caden’s face dips into the crook of my neck while I feel embarrassed and giddy at the same time.The thing that growled?My stomach.Caden finally lifts his head, dark eyes crinkling with all the lightheartedness in the world. “You’re hungry.”“Yup,” I mumble, trying to look away but can’t. It’s as if I’m still in some kind of trance, and looking away will break it. “Did I forget to mention?”He shakes his head, and then, thankfully, gets up. Back on his feet, he helps me sit up and then runs a hand through his dark hair. “I’ll order something for you.”“It’s okay.” I try to stand up too, but he grabs me by the shoulders and gently pushes me back on the couch.“No. I’ll order. Just tell me what you need.”I could easily argue with him there, but something in
[Caden]I haven’t even told her everything yet, and I already feel like so much weight has been lifted off my shoulders.Makes me wonder: why didn’t I do it before? What was I waiting for? What worse could have happened if I had taken that kind of risk?But I can’t rebuff my fears either.It’s hard for me to accept—or confess—but my fears weren’t exactly baseless.When you’ve faced disappointment and betrayal so early in life, it makes you wary of trusting literally anyone—sometimes even your own judgment. And that’s what happened to us. Even though everything inside me approved of Vivienne and we ended up getting married, I still couldn’t get rid of this constant fear and suspicion that somehow she would betray me too—that she would leave me when I was at my lowest, and I’d be able to do nothing but hold myself responsible for letting another person get close to my heart.I’m about to question if my attempt to open up right now is even worth the effort when I finally look up and find
[Vivienne]“Why are you telling me this?”I don’t know how else to put my bafflement into words if not by being straightforward.No matter how difficult this man can be sometimes, I can’t deny that the man in front of me is known for his straightforwardness when it comes to business. His opinions on matters are never all over the place. Absolutely not. In fact, despite his aloof persona, he always has strong opinions about everything.Simply put, he’s not one to talk in circles, and right now, I plan to do the same.At first, he stays quiet, still sitting on the floor, picking at some invisible thread on my dress. His eyes are lowered, never meeting mine, as if he’s neither done nor ready to end this conversation.“I don’t know,” he says then, quietly as usual. “Maybe I think you should know. Or maybe because I’ve been keeping these things to myself for so long that now I can’t keep them in any longer. If I did, I might explode, and I don’t want that.”I don’t know what to say. Should
[Vivienne]I shouldn’t be having such thoughts right now.Especially when I’m engaged to someone else and the thoughts I’m having involve my ex-husband in the most outrageous manner.Like really. Why would I suddenly think of his lips on mine, his hands on the most secretive and sacred places of my body, and something absolutely unholy that has something to do with his mouth and my…Shit.This is probably the fever talking.Because as far as I know myself, I can’t be that horny for a man. And that too, for a man like Caden.The guy is literally and solely responsible for some of the worst years of my life. Not only did he embarrass me, disappoint me time and again, but he humiliated me whenever he got the chance. He broke my heart in the worst ways possible, even though he knew how terribly and deeply I was in love with him. He didn’t appreciate me when he had the chance, so why—why would my brain force such images into my head?Instead of these steamy encounters, my brain should put