8: Keeping up charade

“Vivi?” Susan called softly, reaching toward her shoulder.

Vivi instinctively slapped her hand away.

Susan gasped, staring at her in disbelief.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Ward barked, his voice rising with anger. “It’s like you’ve grown two horns overnight! Listen to me, things are changing. The world is about to change completely, and this isn’t just happening here in Rostia. It’s a global event!”

He stepped closer, his expression turning serious.

“Something is happening to the entire world, Vivi. You need me by your side if you want to survive. You need me to protect you. There’s nothing you can do on your own without me!”

Vivi met his gaze without flinching.

‘You? Protect me? After today, I won’t need anyone’s protection ever again.’

Unfortunately, she couldn’t simply tell him to leave and expect him to obey.

Ward had always been the sort of person who forced his way into other people’s lives and refused to leave when he was no longer welcome. Just the other day, it had taken the intervention of her neighbors to get him out of her apartment.

But with the commotion outside, those same neighbors had likely gone downstairs to see what was happening.

That meant Vivi was alone with Ward and Susan, without anyone nearby to intervene if things turned ugly.

She couldn’t afford to let the situation spiral out of control. She needed to reach her bunker, and she needed to do it before either of them discovered what she was planning.

Taking a quiet breath, she deliberately softened her expression.

“It’s fine, Ward. Like I said, we’re over. I don’t intend to interfere in your relationship, either. It would only make things awkward for all of us, wouldn’t it, Susan?”

Susan tried to speak, but she ended up speechless, glancing at Ward with a frown.

“I never said I was dating Susan, Vivi,” Ward lied smoothly, his eyes darting. “You’re the only one I want.”

Vivi caught the flash of bitterness across Susan’s face.

“Really?” she asked innocently. “So you have nothing going on with Susan?”

Ward discreetly nudged Susan with his elbow, prompting her to speak.

“W-We’re just friends, Vivi,” Susan stammered. “I could never betray you like that.”

Vivi stared at the pathetic display, a deep sense of disgust washing over her. She could never wrap her head around why they refused to leave her alone, keeping up their manipulative charade right up until the moment they decided to murder her in the old timeline.

What perverse obsession did they have with her?

What was so special about her that they kept clinging to? She had no idea and she couldn't really ask.

Regardless of their motives, she had more pressing concerns.

‘What do I do now?’ she thought anxiously. ‘I need to get to the bunker immediately, and I cannot let them tail me.’

She deliberately allowed her shoulders to slump, adopting the appearance of a woman who had finally run out of strength to argue.

“Give me some time to think about everything,” she said quietly. “You know what? You can both come back tomorrow. I’ll clear out some space in the apartment so you can stay here for a while. Right now, it’s just not a good time.”

Susan sneered maliciously at the concession, clearly thinking she had won.

Ward, however, wasn’t so easily convinced.

“Do we look like we have until tomorrow?” he demanded, crossing his arms. “Do you have any idea how miserable our night was?”

Vivi narrowed her eyes, letting a sharp edge slip back into her voice. “You really need to watch your tone with me, Ward. You’re the one begging for a place to stay, not the other way around. Now leave my house before I change my mind completely."

Ward gritted his teeth, visibly displeased by her attitude. After a moment, however, he relented.

“Fine. We’ll come back first thing tomorrow morning. But we’re not going far. We’ll be close.”

He turned toward Susan.

“Let’s go.”

Vivi watched them walk away, relief washing over her. At least she had managed to get them out of her apartment without another confrontation.

However, Ward’s parting words left her feeling uneasy.

‘Close? How close?’ she thought, her brows knitting together in panic. ‘Does someone we know live in this complex? Someone who wouldn’t mind letting Ward and Susan stay with them?’

She quickly locked the door and hurried to the window, peering down at the crowded street below.

Sure enough, she spotted Ward and Susan among the frightened residents gathered outside. They were speaking with a familiar face, one of Ward’s closest cronies.

“Damn it,” Vivi hissed under her breath. “If Ward camps out nearby, he’s going to watch my every move. There’s no way I can slip away to the bunker without him following me.”

She had already lost enough in her previous life. There was no way she would let the same people ruin her second chance.

A hard, determined glint entered her eyes.

“I have to leave right now before the earthquake. This exact second. I’ll just have to make sure I completely disappear into the crowd.”

With a final, scornful scoff at the street below, Vivi turned away from the window and rushed back to finish preparing.