Vivian wasnโt too concerned when she found out that this had only happened last year. She absentmindedly glanced at the look on Claudeโs face, then realized that this young man had revealed this to her with some hidden intentions in mind. She chuckled and said, โIโve just returned from abroad. A lot of matters arenโt settled yet. Iโll give you my contact details once Iโve settled everything.โClaude couldnโt help feeling embarrassed after realizing that she saw through his intentions. He let ou
Nevertheless, he didnโt want her to find out about these things. Therefore, Edward simply smiled and reached out to pinch her ear out of habit. โItโs alright,โ he replied. However, Vivian saw right through him. She cast him a sidelong glance with a half-smile on her face. Then, as she continued sorting out the items in her cardboard box, she said, โIf itโs exhausting, just say so. Why keep it a secret? Even that well-known โgeniusโ couldnโt shoulder both legal and shady matters at the same tim
Vivian shot him a look. โDonโt change the topic.โShe saw right through Edwardโs intentions, so he stood up, feeling embarrassed, then headed towards the bathroom. โIโm a little tired today. Iโm going to take a shower and get an early nightโs rest,โ he said. Then, he nonchalantly turned around, smiled at her, and asked, โWanna shower together?โShe had just pulled out a tiny decorative figurine. When she heard this, she could no longer remain calm. She threw the figure at him and snapped hatef
โYouโre most welcome,โ he replied with a smile.Renne choked on her words in her fury. She shot him a hateful glare and snarled, โJust you wait, Levin.โShe left him with a childish threat, then angrily stormed off.Edward chuckled nonchalantly, pulled out his wallet, and left two large banknotes on the table. Then, he got up and left. He did not go back to the office but went back to his condominium straightaway. Vivian was on the second floor, nestled in a bean bag by the window while readi
Vivian paused thoughtfully. โSheโs looking for me,โ she replied.Indeed, as expected, Renne was looking for Vivian. Once the phone was answered, she shirked off all niceties and bluntly said to Edward, โI want to see Vivian.โEdward didnโt answer. He smiled and handed the phone over to Vivian who had barely said โhelloโ when Renne exploded into the receiver, โAre you with that b*stard, Edward? Vivian Carraway, what on earth are you doing? Giving me that strange call, then disappearing without
Vivianโs heart ached too, but she couldnโt cry. Not only was she not allowed to cry, but she also had to maintain feigning indifference. She pulled out a piece of tissue paper and handed it over to Renne. โThis was just a misunderstanding,โ she explained calmly, โNo one expected for it to turn out this way. Edward had no idea that you and I were acquainted when he wanted to marry you. Likewise, I didnโt know that you were his fiancรฉe until you were about to make it official.โโMm, you are all i
โYouโve got the wrong person!โ Vivian snarled. After turning her body sideways to avoid the manโs grubby hands, she leaned against the wall and tried to get away. However, the man refused to let her go. He took a step forward and grabbed her arm to pull her back. As he placed his hand around her shoulders, a lecherous grin spread across his face and he said, โItโs impossible for me to be mistaken. Youโre Miss Carraway. Iโve been thinking about you all the time, so donโt be so cold to me.โ Vi
By the time she came around, she found herself in a room without any windows. The room was lavishly decorated, and even the walls and the door were padded. With her head still swimming, she forced herself to get down from the bed and went to open the door. Then, her heart sank. The door would not budge, and it appeared to her that it was locked from the outside. She reckoned that this must be Mr. Bakerโs doing. Other than him, she could not think of anyone else who would abduct her at this mom
Did you know, Vee?Iโve thought of this more than once. If only our beginning from that night wasnโt so unbearable, how wonderful would it be?โฆ The light from the setting sun spilled towards her from the side, casting a glow on the piece of paper, illuminating the words on it, and giving them a slight shimmer. Just like last year, when she emerged from the ultrasound room in the maternity hospital, weak after a mere two steps, she had to lean against the corridor. She covered her mouth with
Vivian arrived home a little late. She parked the car at the side of the road first, then collected her subscribed newspapers and magazines from the mailbox at her gate. She flipped through the mail as she walked in. To her surprise, she found a letter. It was an envelope made from kraft paper with her name on it.It was a rare handwritten letter with the faint print of a bamboo tree, drawn with Chinese calligraphy ink. The bamboo was tall, straight, and fierce just like the script on the lette
โItโs been three months now, why isnโt the little one moving? When will the baby quicken?โ he asked her, โCan it hear me? Will it remember my voice?โHe even asked, โWho do you think itโll look like, Vee? Will it be a girl or a boy?โShe knew very well that he was harboring evil intentions, but she gave into him and crumbled anyway. She sobbed and screamed, โKill me, Sean Jackson. Kill me. I will never give birth to this child even if I die! Never!โHe soothed her, โAlright. Donโt give birth
His lower jaw tightened. The lines on his face stiffened icily like the cold edges of a knife. In reality, he had given up long ago. His heart was as dead as ash. However, refusing to accept this, he grasped at everything, hoping to find a straw that could save a life, not to save himself but to save his childโs life. That was how well he knew her. He knew that once she escaped, she would never spare his child. Did he hate her? Yes. He hated how he couldnโt shoot her dead. Love triumphed over ha
โThen, what should we do?โ his aide asked.A heroโs end was, inevitably, death. He wasnโt afraid of death, but he was simply plagued with remaining grievances. After a bout of silence, Edward calmly said, โDo something for me. Once thatโs done, just slip away. There are no lives in your hands and you arenโt in the copsโ database. No one will notice you.โThis aide had received a great debt of gratitude from Edward once, so he was solely loyal to him. He became distressed when he heard this, so
โYou deserve it for all of the crimes youโve committed!โ Vivian screamed, losing control. Her emotions felt strangely steady after that scream. She threw the gun away as her sparkling, dark eyes were filled with renewed determination. She stared at him and spoke, enunciating every word, โSean Jackson and those brothers of yours, youโve all got your justice. Beaten to death, right? Arrested, was it? But when you willfully hurt others and view their lives as nothing more than weeds, you should hav
She hadnโt slept the entire night, and she was extremely high-strung. However, she was feeling slightly fatigued. Perhaps because of the comforting glow from the brightening day outside, she lay down on the bed with her clothes on after a bout of hesitation. She had only intended on taking a nap but unexpectedly fell into a deep sleep.Vivian suddenly woke up, startled. She had lost track of how long she had been asleep. She found a figure standing in front of her bed when she awoke and was gre
Vivian was taken aback by his question. โYou havenโt caught him?โ she exclaimed in astonishment. She thought that they had already apprehended Edward based on the expression on Jakeโs face.โOur men have surrounded the condominium,โ he answered simply, โHe and Wade seized a hostage and hid inside the study. Both sides were caught in a deadlock for a while, but when they burst the study door open, they only found Wade and that hostage inside.โVivian trembled uncontrollably as she listened to h
The wedding day was drawing to a close. Vivian stayed at the condominium until the day before the wedding. Then, she moved to Edwardโs villa by the lake to wait for the wedding ceremony. Edward drove her there himself, feeling reluctant before he left. He turned around and looked at her, then softly said, โWait for me. Iโll come for you tomorrow, first thing in the morning.โVivian didnโt respond and simply stood at the doorway, quietly watching him.For some reason, the sight of her like this