Chapter 2

Later, his assistant was the one who brought her medicine and some food.

At the time, she even made excuses for him. Sebastian had always put his career first. She believed she should be more understanding.

The moment the plane landed, Vivian went straight back to the office. "Mr. Cole, I finalized the manu on Zenith Holdings investors’ alleged involvement in profit manipulation."

"Vivian?" Mr. Cole looked up from behind his computer, surprised. "You took a week off for your wedding. It was only your second day."

"Work came first." She placed another document on his desk. "This was my application for the UK assignment. The headquarters always had exchange opportunities available. I wanted to go."

Mr. Cole’s gaze fell onto the application. Then, eventually, onto her left hand resting against the edge of the desk.

Her ring finger was bare. The platinum couple’s ring that once belonged there was gone.

He understood at once. After a moment, he picked up the pen and signed his name.

"The company already considered sending you. With your talent, seeing more of the world will only help you. Someday, you will have a place among the best journalists in the industry."

Vivian put on a faint smile. "Thank you."

For the entire day, she buried herself beneath mountains of documents.

Only when the ache in her back from sitting too long became unbearable did she pull herself away from work.

Her phone screen was filled with unread notifications.

Her father’s missed calls were followed by a string of furious messages. Then there were messages from friends and Sebastian.

Vivian turned off the screen without opening them. She walked out of the newspaper office and stepped into the familiar alley next door.

The sign of Temple Street Noodle House glowed warmly beneath the night sky.

"Miss Carter, you are here." The lady owner wiped down a table. When she saw Vivian, she smiled and asked, "Just you today? Mr. Hayes is not coming with you?"

"He is busy." Vivian sat at their usual table. "One signature bowl please."

The restaurant was not crowded. Soon, a steaming bowl of noodles was placed in front of her. A veil of white steam rose before her and blurred her vision. For a fleeting moment, she almost saw Sebastian sitting across from her, the same way he had the first time she brought him here.

Back then, her plan to pursue him finally made real progress. He agreed to have dinner with her.

She spent months reserving a table at a scenic restaurant. However, a breaking news story came in that night. She stayed behind to cover it until midnight. By the time she arrived, the restaurant had already closed.

Disappointment and frustration swallowed her whole. She pulled out her phone helplessly, only to see his message appear first. "Done? Send me the location."

He had waited for her.

Still, it was already past midnight. The only place still open was this little noodle shop. Their first date was not perfect, yet it happened anyway.

Later, this became the place they returned to from time to time.

Back then, Vivian believed a man like Sebastian, someone from such an elite world, was willing to sit on a plastic stool and share a bowl of noodles with her. She believed he liked her a little.

It was only now she understood. The answer had always been written on the restaurant’s sign. It was not because of her. It was because the soup tasted exactly like the noodles from Temple Street in Harbor City, the place where he and another woman made their memories.

A wave of nausea rolled through her stomach. She forced herself to take a few bites.

The wooden door was kicked open with a violent crash. A gust of cold wind swept in, followed by several rough-looking men. Leading them was a blond-haired man.

"Your shop was the only one on this street that still refused to pay, huh?"

The scattered customers fled at once. Within seconds, Vivian was the only person left sitting.

The blond man lifted his chin and instructed, "Smash it."

Tables and chairs were overturned. Plates and bowls shattered across the floor. The owner and chef were shoved aside as the men surrounded them and prepared to start a fight.

"Stop." Vivian stood and pulled out her press badge. "I was a journalist. If you continued, your face would be on tomorrow’s front-page news."

"Another one who did not know when to be afraid?" The blond man narrowed his eyes. He stepped toward her slowly. His gaze crawled over her in a way that made her skin crawl. "Pretty face too, but before you stuck your nose into other people’s business, maybe you should think about whether you can protect yourself first."

"Stay away from me." Vivian’s expression turned cold.

"Feisty, huh?" The man reached toward her.

Vivian slapped his hand away. Smack. The entire noodle shop fell silent.

The blond man turned his head. A bright red mark appeared on his cheek.

"How dare you. You do not know what is good for you, do you?" His expression twisted. He raised his hand and prepared to strike back.

"That was enough."

A deep male voice came from the doorway. At the same time, the blond man’s wrist was caught midair. Two men in black suits appeared at the entrance. One of them held his arm firmly in place.

Between them walked a man wearing a long coat. It was Sebastian.

Sebastian’s gaze swept across the wrecked restaurant before landing on Vivian. For a brief moment, he froze.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the situation reversed. The blond man and his group were taken away by the police, while the owner supported the injured chef and repeatedly thanked Sebastian and Vivian.

Sebastian’s expression remained calm and he instructed, "Take them to the hospital for a checkup."

The noodle shop fell silent again. The cold night wind brushed against Vivian’s skin and she instinctively drew her shoulders in.

A coat carrying the warmth of another person settled over her shoulders. Sebastian stood beside her. His voice was softer than before. "Let me take you home."

Vivian did not move. She lowered her gaze to the shattered porcelain pieces scattered across the ground.

"Are you upset?" Sebastian asked in a quiet voice. "What happened at the wedding was my fault."

"I am not." Vivian cut him off. The words she kept buried in her heart for so long were finally about to leave her lips when a cold female voice interrupted.

"Sebastian, you rushed back here just to see her?"