Chapter 5

In her panic, Vivian finally dialed her grandmother's number.

Her voice was hollow, and her overwhelming anxiety made it tremble faintly. "Grandma… do you know where Logan went?"

Grace hadn't expected her granddaughter to ever show concern for Logan.

She was ready to scold her, but in the end, she swallowed her words.

"I don't know."

A deliberate evasion—her way of protecting Logan.

Three years had passed. Whether it was regret or remorse, Vivian had to own the consequences of her choices. She had no right to disturb his life anymore.

Yet Vivian heard the hesitation between the lines.

Eyes bloodshot with desperation, she floored the accelerator and sped to the Brooks estate in her red convertible. The moment she arrived, she dropped to her knees before her grandmother.

"Grandma… I've made a mess."

It was the first time since taking over the Brooks Corporation that Vivian had looked this shaken.

Only then did Grace realize the severity of the situation.

"What happened?"

"Logan resigned," Vivian said, her voice cracking. "And now the partner he'd been handling wants to cancel the contract. The company is looking at a seven-figure loss!

"To secure that project, I pushed aside every other partnership for the second half of the year. If we can't lock this in now, the company's going to bleed half a year's profits. I'm afraid..."

She couldn't even finish her sentence.

Yes, she was the official heir to the Brooks Corporation, but the board was filled with shrewd old men—none of them easy to deal with.

If they got wind of this blunder, if they saw her fumble at such a critical moment… they would seize the opportunity to pull her down from the top.

Years of her grandmother's grooming and support would be gone in a flash.

"You—you!" Grace was so furious her hands trembled. "How many times have I told you that Logan was your greatest asset? But you had to keep chasing that pretty boy Julian like some love-struck fool. And now, when everything falls apart, it's him you run back to? When he gave you his whole heart, did you value it?"

She scolded bitterly, disappointed beyond words.

Vivian stayed kneeling, not daring to breathe too loudly.

Her phone buzzed non-stop, but she couldn't bring herself to answer. She finally powered it off.

There was only one way to fix this now—she had to find Logan.

"Fine," Grace sighed after a long pause. "For your sake… even if it costs me my dignity."

She scribbled down an address and handed it to Vivian.

Before she let her go, she added one final reminder.

"He has nothing to do with you anymore. So mind your attitude. Speak nicely, and ask for help—beg, if you must. He loved you once. He won't be that cruel."

Vivian bit her lip and nodded.

…

At the hotel, a sharp knock sounded at the door.

Wrapped in a bath towel, Logan answered slowly. He had been in the middle of a shower, his dark hair still dripping wet.

His firm, sculpted abs and V-shaped torso glistened under the doorway light.

When he saw Vivian standing outside, he froze for a second.

Then, wordlessly, he turned to shut the door.

"Wait... Logan."

He paused.

"I… I need to talk to you. Can I come in?"

She didn't dare meet his eyes, let alone look at his body.

Even after three years of marriage, this was the first time she had seen him like this—bare, up close.

He had always been the man who slept beside her. And yet… she had never known his body looked this good.

Logan hadn't planned to entertain her.

But only Grace knew where he was staying.

Which could only mean—Vivian was in real trouble.

"Come in," he said at last.

After loving her for so many years, no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't bring himself to be truly heartless.

With a calm expression, Logan changed clothes right in front of her.

The crisp white shirt hung open casually on his body as he leaned against the minibar, pouring her a cup of tea. His laid-back manner carried a roguish charm and an unexpected sensuality—completely different from the man she used to know.

Gone was the Logan who staggered home drunk every night, desperate to please her. This man was unbothered and self-assured.

Vivian found herself staring, momentarily lost.

"So?" he asked, snapping her back to reality. "What do you want? I don't have all day."

His indifference jarred her. The contrast between who he used to be and who stood before her now left a strange feeling.

Clenching her fists, she lowered her head.

"The clients said they'll only continue the deal if you're the one handling it. There's a dinner tonight. Can you… can you come?"

She rushed to add, "I'll go with you."

"Go with me?" Logan echoed, laughing coldly.

Coming from her, the offer felt more like a favor than a request.

Was he supposed to be grateful?

For the past three years, he'd handled every business negotiation and social dinner all alone.

Even when the drinking pushed him to the brink of a bleeding ulcer, Vivian had never once shown concern, let alone accompany him to one.

She thought those men were beneath her.

He… had simply never been able to say no to her.

As he took a sip of water, his gaze drifted—then landed on something.

A faint mark on her chest. A kiss mark.

His back went rigid.

The glass trembled in his hand.

He had been gone just one day, and she couldn't wait?

"Don't you have a new boyfriend now?" His voice dropped, razor-sharp. "Why not ask him to accompany you?"

His sarcasm was brutal, each word like a slap.

He slammed the glass down.

"I'm sorry, my place is too small for a woman who can't choose which bed to sleep in. Get out."

In three years of marriage, it was the first time Logan had spoken to her with such venom.

Vivian froze, stunned. Her eyes reddened with disbelief.

"Logan, was that really necessary? When we got married, didn't the Brooks family solve your biggest crisis? If I hadn't needed something, do you think Grandma would've even approached you? That I would've married you?"

The fury she had tried to suppress burst out all at once.

The room snapped into a standstill—tension thick and choking.

"Don't think I don't know about the contract you signed with my grandmother. You were only supposed to stay for three years. That was the deal, wasn't it?"

Her words struck him silent.

Yes. Back then, he hadn't dared to hope for more.

So when Grace proposed a three-year arrangement, he had agreed without hesitation.

But he had never planned on leaving. He had never wanted a divorce, not unless Vivian made it clear she would never love him, that she had no intention of ever seeing him as anything more than a placeholder.

His breath quickened.

He looked at the woman before him—so aggressive, so certain. And then at the fading imprint of someone else's lips on her chest.

The woman he had protected for three years, cherished, respected, never once dared to touch without her consent, was now marked by the man who had once abandoned her.

It made Logan want to lose control. He wasn't that noble after all.

"You brought this on yourself, Vivian."

In one swift motion, Logan yanked off his open shirt and pushed her back onto the bed.

He straddled her, his breath heavy, his expression filled with pity—and something darker.

"If you're asking for help, then act like it. I served you like a slave for three years. Tonight, let's switch. You make me happy," he whispered, leaning in close, "and I'll get the Brooks Corporation through the next six months without a hitch. How about that?"

It was a transaction—fair and simple.

Just a bit of initiative from her, and she could keep everything she cared about.

Her CEO title, her pride, her company's future.

Logan's body was already responding.

Vivian's face turned crimson with shame.