Chapter 4

He hugged me and shook his head.

“I’m not afraid. Adrian, you’re the best person in the world to me.”

Tears fell from his eyes as his voice choked.

“It’s not worth throwing your life away over a bunch of animals.”

He said my future was supposed to be bright.

Brilliant.

Whenever I ran into trouble or danger, he always appeared just in time.

With his help, I climbed all the way to the top.

I even married Vivian, whose eyes and heart seemed to hold only me.

Nathan should have left after that.

But he fell in love with Maya, Vivian’s best friend, and finally married the woman he wanted.

I was happy for him.

Because that meant he wouldn’t leave.

But I was also worried.

I had heard too many stories about Maya and Ethan.

Again and again, Maya promised me she would only love Nathan for the rest of her life.

When I saw the happiness on his face, I thought we would both finally have our happy endings.

But the happier Nathan had been back then, the more hopeless he must have felt at the end.

“No one is taking Nathan away.”

A sob pulled me back to the present.

When Maya saw the bodyguards about to take Nathan away, she finally snapped out of her daze.

She burst into tears, shoved the bodyguards aside, and threw herself over Nathan’s body.

“He’s my husband. I love him. What right do you have to take him away?”

The bodyguards hesitated.

After all, Maya was Vivian’s best friend.

And Vivian was my wife.

They didn’t dare go too far.

But I did.

Aside from Nathan, I didn’t care about anything.

I pulled the signed pen from my bag and fixed my gaze on Maya’s neck as I strode toward her.

Just as I brought the pen down, Ethan rushed over and blocked it with his back.

Blood spread across his suit in an instant.

Vivian rushed over and shoved me hard.

“Adrian Hayes, you really have lost your mind.”

I stumbled backward, and my head slammed into the wall.

The world spun around me.

Through the haze, I saw Vivian supporting Ethan as she rushed out, screaming for a doctor.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital room.

Only my bodyguard was there.

I went straight to Ethan’s private VIP room.

“I’m sorry, Ethan. Adrian was locked in a pigpen when he was little, so his emotions are easily triggered. When he wakes up, I’ll make him come apologize to you properly.”

Listening to the woman who kept claiming she loved me, my hand clenched hard.

“It’s my fault,” Ethan said softly. “I cared about you too much and upset him. I’m sorry.”

As he spoke, Vivian cooled the oatmeal in her hand and fed it to him.

“Maya, you too. Why didn’t you keep a better eye on Nathan?”

Maya held Ethan’s hand and lowered her head.

“Ethan is weak. Oliver and I only asked Nathan to donate a kidney and give Ethan blood for a few days. We only kept him confined for a few days. Who knew he’d take it so badly over something so small?”

“Small?” Vivian’s voice sharpened. “Do you know that the video of you and Ethan at the hotel was sent to Nathan’s phone?”

“How could that be? I was always so careful.” Maya looked shocked.

Then a bitter smile tugged at her lips.

“Why was he so narrow-minded? I only made the same mistake any woman could make. The one I loved most was still him.”

Then she seemed to remember something and asked, “Vivian, does Adrian know about this?”

“If he knew, do you think you’d still be sitting here? I already had someone destroy the video on Nathan’s phone. Don’t worry.”

“Vivian, thank you.”

“If this weren’t for Ethan, I never would’ve helped you hide this from Adrian.”

My nails dug into my palm.

My stomach churned, and nausea rose in my throat.

Ethan lowered his head and sobbed softly.

“I’m sorry, Vivian. Maya. I made things hard for both of you.”

“Silly. It’s not your fault.”

“But what if Adrian stays angry with you? Will the Chancer family and Winter family be okay?”

Vivian laughed lightly.

“Adrian loves me. He can’t live without me. I just need to coax him a little, and he’ll be fine.”

Tears slid down my face.

But I started laughing.

So Vivian had known everything.

She had helped kill my brother too.

Now, I had nothing left to hold me back.

All of you are going to pay.