He Tried to Keep Me, But Another Man Won My Heart

Chapter 4

When Vivian came out of the bathroom, the hotel butler brought her fresh clothes and breakfast. All of it had been arranged by Brandon. He had taken care of every little detail, even preparing all the famous dishes from Blueharbor City for her.

After she finished eating, the doorbell rang.

Vivian assumed the female staff member from earlier had returned with her personal items, so she opened the door without thinking.

But the person standing outside was Brandon.

His suit jacket was casually draped over his arm. The top button of his white shirt was fastened, making him look even more refined and untouchable than the tired man she saw the night before.

Brandon's eyes landed on Vivian.

She had just stepped out of the shower. Her soft hair fell over the white bathrobe, the belt around her waist tied loosely, and the neckline revealed a hint of skin.

The sight was dangerously captivating.

Brandon's gaze deepened as it paused briefly on her.

"Sorry, I forgot to mention it yesterday. We have an appointment with someone today."

He turned around like a gentleman, leaving her with the sight of his broad shoulders and straight back.

"You should change first."

Vivian said, "Give me 10 minutes."

Ten minutes later, she walked out wearing the clothes the butler had prepared.

Brandon turned around, and his gaze swept over her graceful figure. After all these years, she was still just as breathtaking as he remembered.

He swallowed.

"I'm here to take you to see someone."

Vivian looked at him in surprise.

"Who?"

Brandon replied, "Director Sinclair."

He explained, "I didn't tell you yesterday because I needed to coordinate with the hospital first. Director Sinclair is feeling better today and can meet with us."

Lily Sinclair had been the director of the movie they worked on together years ago. Vivian had left the industry for so long that she never knew Lily had fallen ill.

Worry immediately filled her heart, and she followed Brandon to the hospital.

When she stepped into the hospital room and saw the frail woman who had become so thin, Vivian's eyes instantly turned red.

Only three years had passed. How had Lily's condition become this serious?

When Lily saw them, a trace of comfort appeared on her aged face.

"So you finally came back? Brandon has been waiting for you all these years."

Vivian was too consumed by grief to notice the hidden meaning behind Lily's words.

"I'm sorry, Director Sinclair. I regret leaving."

Standing behind her, Brandon looked at her trembling shoulders. He wanted to know whether she regretted that marriage, or whether she regretted abandoning her career.

Lily took out a script.

"When the movie became a huge success back then, I wrote the sequel. Who would've thought you would leave the industry because of a man?"

Lily held her hand and talked with her for a long time, full of concern and warmth. Vivian stayed with her until after lunch before finally leaving.

Before she left, she took the script Lily had personally written for her.

With the success of the first movie and the sequel ready, as long as Brandon agreed, her comeback could happen immediately.

Yet after returning to the car, Vivian still felt a little down.

If she hadn't been so headstrong back then, would everything that happened now have been different?

After Brandon got into the car, he didn't start driving right away. After sitting in silence for a moment, he asked,

"You okay?"

Vivian closed the script in her hands.

"Director Sinclair got that sick, and I didn't know a thing. These past three years, I lived like I was completely in the dark."

Brandon didn't answer.

After a brief silence, he said,

"I'll take you somewhere."

Brandon drove her away from the hospital, but instead of returning to the hotel, he brought her to another building.

She followed him into the elevator and watched as he pressed the button for the highest floor.

Still confused, she followed him upstairs.

A helicopter was waiting on the rooftop.

Brandon walked toward it. Vivian looked at him cautiously.

"Where are we going?"

Brandon's figure was already tall and striking. The rooftop was dimly lit, and as he stood in the helicopter doorway, his handsome features were hidden in the shadows. Only the sharp outline of his jaw could be seen.

The night wind brushed past them, lifting Vivian's skirt and revealing her legs.

In the darkness, Brandon's voice was cool and emotionless.

"I'm taking you to the real top."

He paused briefly before adding in a gentler tone,

"To take in the night view."

Vivian was stunned. She hadn't expected him to remember what she mentioned the previous night.

Looking at his increasingly striking and determined features up close, she slowly realized he was only trying to cheer her up. After a brief hesitation, she lifted her hand and placed it in his.

The helicopter swept over the busiest part of Blueharbor City. At the place where the two rivers met, rows of towering buildings glittered beneath the lights. Behind them, countless illuminated windows looked like a sky full of scattered stars.

It was breathtaking.

The dazzling scenery washed away the sadness weighing on Vivian's heart. She leaned against the window and couldn't help but exclaim,

"Brandon, look!"

Hearing her call his name, Brandon leaned in. One hand rested against the glass, quietly enclosing her within the space between him and the window.

The faint scent of sandalwood enveloped her, as if his presence had wrapped around her from all sides.

His warm breath brushed against her ear.

"You seem to be in a much better mood now."

His deep voice sounded beside her ear. Wrapped in the unfamiliar scent of another man, Vivian instinctively moved back.

But her soft body only pressed against Brandon's firm chest.

Caught completely off guard, she turned her head. Her lips nearly brushed the edge of his ear.

At such a close distance, his breath fell against her neck. It was faint, yet it carried an almost unbearable heat.

Vivian was completely flustered.

"Brandon..."

Brandon didn't step away. He remained in the same position, holding her within his embrace.

Vivian's mind went blank. Then she heard his quiet, detached voice beside her.

"Ms. Moore, are you really content to stay trapped in a cage, singing for someone else like a songbird?"