Chapter 46: "Why do you love me?"

"I will never leave you alone." Louis assured her, the corners of his mouth lifting into a reassuring smile.

His assistant made arrangements to move them to the hospital's most luxurious suite—a room that felt almost like home and had space for him to remain by her side.

Before granting them privacy, Kristen shared a secret with Louis, her eyes clouded with sadness. "When she was fifteen, a burglar broke into her house on a night she was alone," Kristen confided. "Ever since, Vivian has been terrified of sleeping alone. It took years for her to overcome that fear. Please be patient with her."

Louis nodded in understanding. "I will," he promised, a solemn vow made to both Kristen and himself. For the first time, he was privy to the shadows that lingered in Vivian's past.

That night, as Vivian lay beside him, her breaths deep and even, her brow would occasionally furrow in her sleep, as if she were fending off nightmares. Louis watched over her, a silent guardian against the darkness of