Chapter 5
1615 Words
Vivian had left the industry willingly back then. But the bitterness she felt now was just as real.
Facing Brandon's cold, unreadable eyes, she found herself tightening her grip on his shirt.
Vivian said, "I used to believe that was love. But now I know better."
After a brief pause, she added,
"That's why I came to you."
She and Brandon had worked together for years, and their chemistry had always been exceptional. Whenever she was with him, she could feel an unrelenting surge of energy and drive that made her feel less fragile.
She wasn't the woman who revolved her entire life around a family until she lost herself.
Vivian took a deep breath and continued.
"Brandon, I need your help—"
Before she could finish, Brandon interrupted her.
"As you wish."
Vivian froze slightly.
So he had agreed?
Brandon's eyes reflected her stubborn face. He didn't move away. Instead, he raised his hand and placed it over the hand that had worn her wedding ring for years.
It reminded Vivian of what he had said when they first met.
He had promised her a career—and a ring.
God, she couldn't believe this.
She had come here to discuss a partnership. How had things somehow turned into this?
What was even more shocking was that she didn't feel repelled by it.
After they finished watching the fireworks, Brandon once again escorted Vivian back to the hotel with perfect manners, as if everything that happened on the helicopter had only been an illusion.
But that night, the night Brandon gave her an answer, left Vivian unable to settle her thoughts.
Standing by the hotel window looking out at the endless city lights below, she made her decision.
She needed to end everything with Julian.
Julian had used love as a reason to keep her trapped inside the prison called marriage. But he had never cared about what she truly wanted.
He bought her the most beautiful dresses and jewelry, yet she had long since stopped wearing them anywhere. She had overlooked that possessive glint buried deep in Julian's eyes.
Maybe it had been his plan from the beginning. Little by little, he had broken her wings and taken away her freedom, leaving her with no choice but to rely on him. In his eyes, she wasn't supposed to have thoughts or dreams of her own. She only needed to stay beside him and be his.
Thinking about it, Vivian felt a cold shiver run through her.
Julian's love had been far too possessive.
Vivian forced herself to calm down, freshened up, and went to sleep.
That night, she dreamed of the past.
She dreamed of the day they first met, the days they fell in love, and the moment they said "I do."
She dreamed of Vanessa holding up the pregnancy report and telling everyone she was pregnant.
She dreamed of Julian saying he wanted a baby so badly that he insisted on keeping the baby he had with his mistress, even asking Vivian to raise it.
Vivian suddenly woke up, drenched in cold sweat. The suffocating feeling from the dream still wrapped around her, making it difficult to breathe.
Her phone on the bedside table kept ringing. She picked it up and saw countless messages from Julian, every single one filled with longing.
This version of Julian would never agree to divorce easily.
What should she do?
A new production required months of preparation before filming could begin. How could she keep her plans hidden from Julian for now, appease him, and still complete the divorce?
Vivian sat beside the bed for a long time, thinking until the sky gradually brightened.
She decided to go back first.
That way, Julian wouldn't become suspicious, and she would have enough time to navigate the divorce and map out her future.
So she booked the earliest flight and planned to leave as soon as morning came.
But there was another reason too.
She didn't want to impose on Brandon anymore. This time, she wanted to rely on herself and stand back up.
Vivian wanted to send Brandon a message thanking him before leaving, but when she walked out of the hotel, she found Sam already waiting at the entrance.
Vivian walked over.
"You don't have to trouble yourself with taking me today. I'm going back to Crown City first to deal with the divorce."
Sam replied, "Then, Ms. Moore, I'll take you to the airport. Please get in the car."
These past few days, Brandon had done more than enough for her. Now he was even arranging a car to take her to the airport. Vivian had no idea how she could ever repay him.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sam holding the car door open for her. She didn't want to turn down his thoughtful gesture, so she decided to wait until she reached the airport before sending Brandon a thank-you message.
She stepped into the car and sat down without even looking around.
The next second, she landed on a man's solid lap.
Vivian's thoughts completely froze.
She slowly turned her head and found herself looking straight into a pair of cold, unreadable eyes.
Why was Brandon in the car?
And why was he sitting so far over?
This was the most embarrassing moment she had ever experienced.
"Sorry—I was just about to text you."
Vivian immediately got up and moved to the side, bending forward as she shifted away.
She wasn't sure if she imagined it, but Brandon's eyes seemed to pause briefly at her waist.
When she finally settled into her seat and looked back at him, his expression had already returned to its usual cool detachment.
His hand rested loosely on the armrest. His long fingers and the faintly visible veins on the back of his hand gave him an understated masculinity.
His deep voice broke the silence.
"I was going to get out and help you with your luggage."
"It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."
Vivian fidgeted with her skirt.
Brandon looked at her.
"What were you going to message me?"
His hand remained near her waist, as if he wanted to make sure she was sitting steadily before moving away. Seeing how considerate he was, Vivian didn't know what else she could say.
Her cheeks warmed slightly as she answered,
"I wanted to thank you. You've helped me so much these past two days. I hope I haven't been too much trouble."
After meeting Brandon again this time, Vivian couldn't shake the feeling that something between them had changed.
The man who had always been composed now seemed to carry a faint hint of something unspoken. Even the air between them felt charged.
The corner of Brandon's lips curved upward slightly.
"I don't think it's trouble."
The car soon arrived at the airport. Vivian stepped out and thanked him politely.
"Thank you."
The car window lowered, and Brandon's voice came from behind her.
"Vivian."
Her steps paused. She turned around and met his eyes.
"We'll see each other again soon."
She nodded.
"Okay."
Vivian turned away and walked forward, just like she had done countless times before.
The chauffeur carefully asked,
"Mr. Hall, can we leave now? The board members have already arrived."
In the rearview mirror, Brandon's usually calm eyes held a deep, unreadable emotion. A fierce possessiveness swirled beneath them, as if his gaze alone wanted to pull Vivian back and claim her completely.
That dangerously unrestrained look made the chauffeur's heart tighten.
*****
The plane touched down, and the moment Vivian stepped back onto familiar ground, she felt much lighter.
There was still so much life ahead of her. Looking back, she had spent nearly three quarters of it tied to the same man.
Only now did she realize that the cracks in their marriage had never been caused by Vanessa's baby alone.
She wanted to tear down the walls that had confined her for years and finally walk toward a life of her own.
The moment she stepped out of the arrival hall, she spotted Julian waiting there. He stood in a perfectly tailored suit, holding a bouquet of roses.
Just as she expected, he had been keeping track of her whereabouts. He knew her flight details down to the minute and had even arrived early to wait for her.
Vivian pulled her hat lower and adjusted her mask, hoping to avoid the media's attention. When they got married, Julian had kept her identity hidden from the public to protect her, and she had never revealed who her husband was either.
If their marriage became public now, divorcing him would only become more complicated. Julian would surely use it to pressure her.
With countless eyes watching them, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.
"Honey, you're finally home."
To Julian, those three days apart had felt like three years. Only when he held Vivian again did he finally feel at peace.
He lowered his head and pressed his face into her neck, greedily taking in her familiar scent.
"Honey, I missed you so much."
But in the next moment, he noticed a faint trace of sandalwood lingering on her.
That scent didn't belong to her.
Who had she met in Blueharbor City?
Julian realized his wife carried the scent of another man.
The Vivian standing before him was completely different from the woman who had walked out a few days ago. The light had returned to her eyes.
It was the side of her he loved the most—and the side that frightened him most.
She looked exhausted. "Julian, we need to talk."
- Writer
