Chapter 4

Two voices, separated by time and space, overlapped in that moment. Together, they struck Vivian’s heart like thunder.

She finally had no choice but to admit the truth. She had only ever been a replacement in Sebastian’s heart. Even the moment he fell for her had been nothing more than a perfect imitation of his feelings for Evelyn.

Her chest felt unbearably tight. Yet there was nowhere she could say it.

Her phone vibrated. It was a voice message from her mother.

"Vivian, come home for dinner tonight, okay? Come back and apologize to your father. His temper is a little harsh, but he only reacted that way because he was worried about you."

Her mother’s voice carried the same timid, apologetic tone it always had. Vivian’s chest tightened. She thought of the woman who spent a lifetime walking on eggshells around her father and never once stood tall. After a long silence, she heaved a sigh.

"Okay."

She could ignore James Carter’s rage. However, she could never ignore the mother who gave her every bit of warmth she could.

Vivian carried the gifts and opened the door to her family home. The moment she stepped inside, her father’s furious voice rang out. "Who told you to come back?"

Her mother walked out of the kitchen carrying freshly cooked dishes and forced an awkward smile. "You are back just in time. Wash your hands. Dinner is ready."

Those words only shifted James’ anger. He raised his hand and knocked the plate from her hands.

"It is all because you spoiled her. I should never have brought you two back in the first place. Then at least you would not have come back to embarrass me."

Vivian stared at her mother. Her clothes were stained with food. Yet she only lowered her head and stood there helplessly, not daring to fight back. Anger surged through Vivian so violently that even her breathing quickened. She stepped forward and stood in front of her.

Her mother hurriedly grabbed her arm and shook her head pleadingly.

"Why are you stopping her? Let her speak." James’ veins bulged with fury. "She caused this whole mess, and she still thinks she is right."

Vivian looked straight into her father’s twisted face.

"Our family being humiliated is nothing compared to what you have done. For over ten years, you abandoned your wife and your own daughter. You lived freely in Harbor City with your mistress. When you grew old and were finally abandoned by her, you suddenly remembered that there was a wife at home who waited for you all these years. You brought her back like you were giving her charity.

"The Carter family’s reputation was already destroyed the moment you abandoned your wife and daughter."

"How dare you." James trembled with rage. He raised his hand and swung it toward her face.

Vivian did not move. She did not even flinch.

"Father." A familiar, calm voice sounded from the doorway.

Vivian was startled for a moment.

Sebastian stood there. She had no idea when he arrived. His expression was composed and his eyes were cold. The moment he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, his expression softened slightly.

"The postponed wedding was my fault. That was why Vivian and I agreed to come back and apologize to both of you today. I only took a detour to pick up the gifts I prepared for you and Mother, so I asked Vivian to come ahead first."

James paused. His gaze swept across the mess in the room. "Did you and Vivian have some kind of misunderstanding?"

When James heard Sebastian call him father twice, his expression softened and his smile deepened. "We are family. What misunderstanding could there be? Come in, come in."

"Good. This was a small gesture from me." Sebastian gave a slight nod. His assistant stepped forward and handed over a document.

James opened it. His eyes lit up at once. It was a piece of land in the eastern district, the very property he wanted for years but had been forced to give up because of financial limitations. The Hayes family truly was as powerful as everyone said.

Vivian lowered her gaze. Sebastian helped her again. It was almost always like this. He showed up whenever she was at her most helpless. With a single gesture, he could solve every problem she faced.

A memory surfaced at the most inappropriate time. The answer she gave during the interview about the moment she first fell for Sebastian.

Sebastian said their moments of falling in love were different, yet they were not. They were the same.

That day, when she was threatened, Vivian truly thought she was finished. Even though she secretly sent a distress message to Mr. Cole long before, she had no idea when help would arrive.

Just as the blade pressed against her face again, someone burst into the room. Someone saved her.

As she was being taken away from the private room, she saw his back. That was the moment she fell for him.

A hand around her waist pulled her thoughts back. Sebastian leaned close and whispered, "Dinner is ready."

The dinner ended on a pleasant note because of Sebastian’s arrival. Her father was satisfied. Her mother was grateful.

Vivian was the only one who found every bite impossible to swallow.

After dinner, the two walked out of the villa. Vivian stopped.

She turned around. Under the dim streetlight, she quietly looked at him from head to toe.

This was Sebastian, the man she knew for three years, and the man she once believed she would spend the rest of her life with.

A faint smile appeared on her lips. Then she took a step back.

"Mr. Hayes, thank you for helping me today. As for what we discussed at the table, the wedding arrangements should be forgotten."

Sebastian frowned slightly as a hint of confusion flashed across his face.