[Vivienne]I don’t know what to say to that.I mean, I can. There’s so much I can say, blame him back for this or that, or maybe hurl the insults back at him. Because that seems like the only thing we both seemed to be good at, now that there’s no relationship left between us.But I press my lips together and look away, refusing to get sucked into this vicious cycle of accusations being thrown around. I know that at the end of the day, I’ll be the one who’s hurt. Caden? He’ll just walk away, head held high, like he always does.“What? Nothing left to say? No comebacks?” he taunts, and if he thinks I don’t know what he’s trying to do, he’s dead wrong.But I’m not taking the bait. I’m not going to lose my temper more than I already have. Instead, I need to focus on getting out of this situation—that should be my number one priority right now.He scoffs. “Fine by me.”Silence follows.He places a plate in front of me, then another in front of himself, and we eat, as civilly as possible,
[Vivienne]“Fuck!” Caden limps toward the bed, sitting down with a groan. “Are you crazy?”I roll my eyes, wanting to do so much more than just crush his foot. “Well, two can play this game. Besides, what did you say earlier? You’re having quite a bit of fun, right? Well, this is me having fun too. And guess what? I’m just getting started.”His eyes widen at my words, but before he can even ‘think’ about ignoring his aching foot and rushing across the room to stop me, I’m already grabbing the showpiece to my right and hurling it to the floor. The china shatters completely, scattering broken pieces everywhere.Then, I just grab whatever I can reach and throw it either at the floor or against the nearest wall.Caden just watches, not saying a word, not even reacting.Though he’s definitely thinking something. Maybe he thinks I’ve gone crazy. And maybe that’s exactly what I need to be for him to get off my back.After I have successfully destroyed the whole room, I finally take a deep br
[Vivienne]“Why do you even care what man I’m with or not with?” I ask after he oh-so-casually tells me to stay away from ‘that’ man.I’m not going to pretend I don’t know who he’s talking about. There’s only one person he could mean, and that man happens to be Alexander Bane. I haven’t forgotten the way he kept glaring at him in that conference room, as if he wanted nothing more than to eat him alive.Then again, Caden always looks at everyone as if he couldn’t be more pissed off. He’s just not a very happy man.“I don’t care,” he shrugs as if that should be obvious. “I just don’t want you to regret it.”“And you know I’ll regret it because…?”“Because you’re not a very good decision-maker.”My eyes widen. “Are you serious right now? You’re telling me I’m bad at making decisions? Who the hell are you to say that?” I scoff. “Says the man who bangs his assistant behind his wife’s back. You know what? I don’t think you have the right to say anything at all. So maybe you should just shut
[Vivienne]This time when he gets off me and moves away, I feel so damn relieved, I don’t have words to express it. I feel like someone suddenly lifted a heavy weight off my chest, as if I can suddenly breathe.I sit up as soon as I can, pushing my stray hair into place.Caden opens the door and reveals his new assistant.She hands him something. “Got a room on the seventh floor. You can move whenever you’re ready, sir.”I roll my eyes. There’s no way I’m leaving this room and getting into another one with this man. I don’t know how, but I’ll find my way out.Caden shuts the door and turns to face me. “Come on, we are leaving.”He grabs something from the nightstand and shoves it into his pants pocket, before looking around, as if trying to make sure he didn’t forget anything.If only I had a phone right now. I could call my Rosita or my brother or even Alexander for help.Speaking of Rosita—shit! I still don’t know where she is. Alexander did tell me on the flight that she would be w
[Vivienne]Before I even turn around to see who it is, I feel a huge sense of relief in my heart.“Rosita!” I gasp, nearly running to her and throwing my arms around her. She hugs me back just as tightly, and we both start crying, maybe because, for a moment, we thought we might never see each other again.An irrational fear, but a fear all the same.She pulls away first. “How are you? Oh my God, I was so damn worried. I’m so glad you’re okay. You are okay, right? Did he hurt you? Anywhere? You need to tell me if that’s the case. I’ll slit his—”“I’m fine,” I assure her, and she takes a deep breath.“For now, I’m taking your word for it, but later, I’ll want proof.” She says this, but I have no idea what she means.Did she mean she’ll—“What’s going on here?” she asks, and I follow her gaze, only to realize I completely forgot about the audience I gathered to humiliate Caden.But now it’s my turn to frown, because Caden and his assistant are nowhere to be seen.As if sensing my confusi
[Vivienne]I sink to the floor, staring at the result, unable to believe my eyes. My fate. My luck.I can’t help but scoff at the irony of it all.For three years, I did everything to get pregnant. Everything. I kept logs of my days and nights, of my routine, of my cycle—everything. But not even by accident did I ever get pregnant.And now? When I’ve finally decided to move on—I am moving on—I get pregnant after one night of drunk sex.“Viv?” Rosita calls from outside.I don’t even have the strength to hide my emotions. “Y-yes?”“Uh… I was… I was leaving. You okay?” Her voice grows closer to the door. “You sound a bit… different.”I touch my face and notice the tears glistening on the tips of my fingers.I laugh through them. “Yes, yes. I’m fine.”“Ooookay! Are you saying that just so I don’t worry?”“Yes! I mean, no. I—I don’t know?”“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Alright, the plan’s changed. I’m here now. Tell me what’s going on. I’m all ears.”I check the result one more time—I don’t
[Vivienne]I don’t know what to say.Seeing Alexander at the clinic wasn’t exactly something I expected.But strangely, he doesn’t look that surprised. He smiles at us, looking as insanely handsome as ever. I mean, why does this guy always look like he’s having a good day? Like he woke up on the right side of the bed, and his coffee never tasted like crap, not even once.He approaches us and greets Rosita with a nod.“I think we need to stop meeting like this.” He looks around, clearly trying to signal that our recent meetups haven’t exactly been…normal.I agree. The last time we met, he was trying to escape men who were trying to kill him, and today, of all places, we bump into each other at a clinic.I really hope he doesn’t ask why I’m here. Something tells me I won’t be able to lie or make it any less awkward. I’m really excited, I guess.“Right,” I say, and Rosita gently nudges me with her elbow. I quickly take the cue. “Oh, and this is my best friend, Rosita—the famous designer t
[Vivienne]After our flight back to New York, I spent the next three days doing nothing but staying at home.My pregnancy has been re-confirmed, and now I need to figure out what to do next.Should I tell Caden about this?I mean, it’s not like he’d care. He never wanted a baby in the first place. He made that pretty clear whenever I tried to convince him to have sex without protection.Back then, I used to think maybe he just didn’t like babies. I mean, some people don’t, and I tried to understand. But if only I had known the whole truth. It’s not that Caden doesn’t like babies—he just didn’t want to have them with me.After all, he did not wait to get that Sasha pregnant.I roll my eyes and try to focus back on the show playing on TV. But nothing seems interesting—not when I’m aware of everything happening inside me right now.I wrap my arms around my stomach and smile. “We’re gonna be fine. Don’t you worry about anything, okay? Just focus on growing so Mumma can see you soon.”The d
[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
[Vivienne]When I open my eyes, I don’t expect anything out of the ordinary.Like all my mornings, I expect to wake up staring at the ceiling, followed by my phone screen, and then realizing I have only half an hour to get ready or risk being late.But none of that happens this time.This time, when I wake up, I feel like I’ve been crushed by a train or something of that sort. My heart hurts, and when I try to turn or lift my arm to rub my face, it takes an immense amount of strength to do that.“Ughhhh!” I groan, blinking a few times to make sure I woke up in the same dimension I slept in—and not the other way around.“Hey, it’s okay,” a deep voice says, too faint for my ears to pick up clearly. Or maybe I’m just too drowsy to catch it. It’s only when I look to my side that I realize it belongs to the only man I have no desire to face first thing in the morning.“What the hell are you doing here?” I snap—or at least I try—only to feel like my throat is closing up on me, warning me no