Chapter 3

That afternoon, Lucian and Vivian finalized the paperwork at the courthouse. Both signed the divorce papers, and everything was settled. There were no more ties left between them.

Five years of marriage, over just like that.

Walking out of the building, Lucian caught sight of a man sitting in the back seat of Vivian's car. Even through the tinted window, he could feel that man's stare, sharp as a needle, pointed straight at him.

The door opened slowly, and Caleb stepped out with an uneasy smile on his face.

"It's windy out here. Careful you don't catch a cold," Vivian said tenderly, rushing to his side to steady him.

"I'm fine, Vivian," Caleb answered softly.

He turned to Lucian and called out affectionately. Lucian frowned, but said nothing.

Caleb always came across as so gentle and sweet. His voice was soft and his eyes were always a little wet, the kind of person that made people want to protect him. But Lucian knew better. Caleb wasn't nearly as simple as he looked, and he definitely wasn't...

From the first day Caleb set foot in the Ashford household, everything had fallen exactly into place for him, like it was all part of some careful plan.

Lucian had already dug up most of the truth. But his life was almost over, and he didn't want to drag any of it into the light now. He couldn't bring himself to let Vivian know that the man she'd loved for years was nothing but a con artist.

She was so proud. Lucian didn't want to watch her break over something like that. Some truths were better buried along with him.

But she would never understand any of that. Watching Lucian ignore Caleb, her expression darkened.

"What, now that we're divorced, you don't care about anyone anymore? Can't even acknowledge your own brother?" she snapped, her tone growing colder with every word.

"Vivian, he's probably not in a good mood since he just got divorced. Don't be too hard on him," Caleb chimed in with an understanding smile.

The moment Vivian looked away, Caleb shot him a smug, knowing look and added, "Lucian, Vivian wants to take me to Grand Pavilion for dinner. Want to come with us?"

Lucian took a slow breath, forcing down the ache in his chest. "I have somewhere to be. I'll head out."

Even with his heart in pieces, he refused to let any of it show.

But he walked too fast, so fast he nearly forgot his body couldn't keep up anymore. Everything went black for a second, and he crashed into a flowerbed by the sidewalk, pain shooting through his leg. He gritted his teeth and forced himself toward the car, stubborn to the end.

Watching him stumble away, Vivian felt an odd urge rise up in her. She suddenly had the impulse to go help him. When had Lucian become so fragile?

Noticing the strange look on her face, Caleb quickly looped his arm through hers. "Vivian, let's go eat. You wouldn't believe how bad the hospital food's been lately."

She turned her attention back to the man at her side, running a hand through his hair as feelings she couldn't quite untangle swirled inside her.

"Alright. Let's celebrate my divorce, and the fact that we can finally be together without anyone questioning it," she said.

A hint of satisfaction colored Caleb's laugh, though his eyes drifted toward the spot where Lucian had disappeared. A cold glint flashed in his gaze. He'd been worried Lucian might expose the fact that he wasn't related to the Ashford family at all, and was simply a liar.

Why? For the first time, Caleb felt genuinely confused. Did Lucian really not love Vivian anymore? Was he really willing to give up his place as her husband and her love, just like that?

-

Two hours later, Lucian called a moving company and headed to Hawthorne Estate. It was the house he and Vivian had bought together when they got married, every detail chosen with care. He'd once foolishly believed that it would become their home.

But reality was crueler than any fantasy. All of it had just been wishful thinking on his part.

He packed everything into two moving trucks. When he finished, he left the house keys and a notebook on the dining table.

"Emma, I'm leaving. Please take good care of her from now on," he said, his voice carrying a trace of reluctance.

Emma nodded, confusion written all over her face. Just a few days ago, Lucian had been making breakfast for Vivian like always. How had they suddenly ended up divorced?

As Lucian was leaving, Vivian's car pulled into the driveway. The two cars slowed as they passed each other, close enough to almost touch, yet like two parallel lines that would never cross, each heading in the opposite direction.

Vivian stepped out of her car and watched Lucian's car disappear down the road until it was gone. She suddenly realized that something important was slipping away from her, little by little.

Back inside, she called out to Emma, asking, "Did he say anything before he left?"

"No, Ms. Lane. Mr. Ashford just asked me to take good care of you." Emma held out a small plate of dessert. "He made this chocolate mousse right before he left. Would you like to try it?"

In the past, Vivian wouldn't have given anything Lucian made a second glance. But today, for some reason, she took a small bite anyway.

She froze. The mousse tasted exactly like the one her mother used to make.

Emma set the plate down on the table and slipped back into the kitchen, leaving Vivian staring at the notebook Lucian left behind. She opened the first page and recognized his handwriting right away. The more she read, the darker her eyes grew.

The notebook listed everything she loved to eat, detailed recipes, and notes he had written to himself along the way. She closed the last page, her feelings a tangled mess inside her chest. She realized she'd never really known Lucian at all.