Chapter 36: Do you love her?

Vanessa, holding her coffee cup, approached Louis and placed it on his table with a sly smile on her lips. Louis noticed her but opted for indifference. His mind was swamped with thoughts, and Vanessa’s presence felt utterly unnecessary.

“So, you finally proposed to Vivian, huh?” Vanessa spoke, her voice dripping with a sweetness that Louis instantly recognized as fake. He simply nodded, keeping his responses short and his emotions under control.

Undiscouraged by his lack of enthusiasm, Vanessa continued, “She must be on cloud nine, right? A wedding is every girl's dream. But she'll be disappointed soon enough."

Louis finally responded, “I’ve done everything according to the plan. What more do you want?”

The smile quickly faded from Vanessa’s face, her words now laced with sarcasm, “You love her? You’re having second thoughts, aren’t you? You’ve forgotten everything my sister went through, haven’t you? You’ve forgotten your promise, haven’t you, Louis...”

Louis locked his gaze on