Chapter 5: The Wedding Is Still Waiting For Me To Witness

Vivian’s POV:

A loud bang echoed. The door was kicked open, and a blinding light flooded in.

The person I had been waiting for... had finally arrived.

But his gaze never once lingered on me. It was fixed entirely on Lilian, filled with worry.

“I’ve brought the two million dollars. Release them.”

Setting the suitcases down, Alexander swept a cold gaze over the kidnappers, his voice low and threatening. Meanwhile, Lilian’s eyes brimmed with tears, her voice trembling with emotion.

“Alex... you finally came. I was so scared.”

As she spoke, Lilian broke into sobs, looking pitiful and fragile. Alexander stepped forward in anguish, only to be stopped by one of the kidnappers.

“Mr. Drake, two million dollars is the price to save one person only.”

“To save both... that’s a different price.”

The man’s voice was low and hoarse, laced with a sinister chuckle. 

My breath seemed to stop. In that instant, I understood the smugness on Lilian’s face earlier, as well as her curse.

She was truly vicious.

“You bastard.”

“You didn’t say that on the phone...”

Alexander’s eyes reddened with fury, and he lost control, shouting.

However, that man burst into laughter and shrugged indifferently.

“So what? The rules of the game have changed. If you don’t want to play, just leave.”

“And say your final goodbye to the two women you love most in this life.”

His laughter was cold to the bone.

“Otherwise, behave well and choose one person to save.”

“I’ll give you two minutes to think.”

Alexander’s eyes burned with fury as his fists clenched tightly. Then he looked at me. There was no worry or pain in his gaze, only disgust.

“Vivian, do you really have to go this far?”

“Because I left you on the snowy mountain, you have to force me to choose between you and Lilian again?”

His voice carried sheer revulsion, leaving my mind blank for a few seconds.

“What do you mean?”

The hoarse words barely escaped my lips as Alexander stepped forward, finally stopping in front of me.

“Don’t think I don’t know the despicable trick you pulled.”

His gaze was as cold as ice, filled with contempt.

“Hiring people to kidnap you and Lilian, then putting on a show to force me to choose between the two of you..."

“Vivian, you truly disgust me.”

Every word was like a blade slicing into my heart, making my lips tremble. 

“Alexander, in your eyes... am I really that kind of person?”

Alexander did not answer. He looked at me as if I were a stranger. Then, he spoke slowly.

“I choose Lilian." 

"As for Vivian... do whatever you want with her.”

The moment his words fell, my world shattered.

The ropes binding Lilian were untied, and she collapsed into Alexander’s arms, her body trembling with sobs.

“Alex… I was so scared…”

Her lips quivered as tears streamed down her face, as if she had suffered terribly. Meanwhile, Alexander held her tightly, patting her back gently to comfort her.

The scene was so familiar that it made my eyes burn.

Only then did I realize I had never been the one chosen. Even though my heart had long gone numb, at this moment, I still couldn’t stop myself from clenching my fists tightly, biting my lip until it bled.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

Alexander gently stroked Lilian’s hair and carefully lifted her into his arms. However, Lilian clutched at his sleeve, whispering through her sobs.

“No, Alex... save Vivian too.”

“Don’t leave her behind.”

Lilian spoke weakly between choked breaths. Alexander cast me a glance, his eyes narrowing coldly.

“There’s no need to worry about her.”

“These are people Vivian hired, they won’t harm her.”

Then, Alexander looked straight into my eyes and said each word clearly.

“Come back early. The wedding is tomorrow morning.”

With that, he turned around without hesitation, carrying Lilian as he left.

And I... was left.

“Oh, your future husband just threw you away like trash.”

“But don’t worry, we’ll take good care of you. Make sure you’re satisfied.”

The ropes binding me were untied, and then punches rained down on me, sending me crashing onto the cold ground. 

Pain surged again, blow after blow, kick after kick, until all I could do was curl up in agony, unable to resist. Grinding my teeth so hard they clashed sharply, I could taste the thick metallic tang in my mouth.

At last, I endured it until something warm began to flow down between my legs.

“Damn it, Lilian said not to hit her stomach! What the fuck are you doing?"

One of the kidnappers shouted, and the blows immediately stopped. My trembling hand reached down, and the sight of that vivid red made me freeze.

The baby...

Chaos broke out. 

The kidnappers hurriedly fled the scene. I lay there, not even having the strength to stand, my body numb and aching.

It seemed... the child had already left my body.

A bitter laugh escaped me. Perhaps it was for the best. 

The child of Alexander and Lilian had been destroyed by their own hands, and I no longer needed to go to the hospital to commit that sin.

Even so, my heart still clenched painfully, so numb I could barely breathe.

Bang.

The door was kicked open again.

“Vivian! Vivian!”

At last, before I lost consciousness, a frantic voice rang out.

The final thing I saw was Julian rushing in against the light, his expression changing instantly at the sight of my blood-covered body.

But my consciousness had already sunk into darkness.

...

At dawn the next morning, I stirred awake, still half-conscious.

The sharp scent of antiseptic flooded my senses, leaving my gaze dull and unfocused. As I blinked, a wave of pain spread from my abdomen throughout my entire body, dragging me back to the brutal blows from last night.

And... the baby.

“You’re awake, Vivian.”

A low, steady male voice sounded. 

I lifted my head, meeting Julian’s gaze, gentle yet laced with concern. He sat beside the bed, his white shirt stained with a few dried patches of blood, looking somewhat disheveled.

It had been a long time since we last met. For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. 

I could only look at him with hollow eyes.

“The doctor said you’re out of danger, but you’ll need plenty of rest. Your body has suffered too many injuries.”

Julian lowered his voice, then fell silent for a few seconds.

“As for the baby... it couldn’t be saved.”

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

I wasn’t particularly surprised. I simply closed my eyes slowly. No tears, no hysteria, just quiet acceptance.

“I know.”

My voice was hoarse, drained of strength.

“As for your mom...”

Before the silence could settle again, Julian continued slowly.

“I rescued your mom last night and had her transferred to Australia. She’s now in the best hospital there.”

“Once we arrive in Australia, I’ll take you to see her. The private jet is ready. We can leave at any time.”

I let out a quiet breath of relief. The burden I had carried these past few days finally lifted. 

At least... there was still something that hadn’t been destroyed by Alexander.

Opening my eyes again, a faint, rare smile touched my lips.

“Thank you, Julian.”

“This time… I owe you a favor. From now on, if you ever need anything, just tell me. I’ll definitely repay you.”

"After the wedding, we’ll leave immediately."

I spoke sincerely.

"One more thing..."

Struggling to push myself up, I spoke in a weak, hoarse voice.

"Please take me to the hotel where the wedding is being held. The best part of the wedding... is still waiting for me to witness it."

I still had to be there to witness everything Alexander had prepared to destroy me, destroy him instead.