"Vivienne!"
Adrian Voss shouted the moment his eyes landed on the slender, trembling neck visible beneath the blankets.
A storm crashed through his entire being, and he could barely keep his feet planted on the floor.
It felt as though an invisible hand had wrapped itself around his heart and was squeezing mercilessly.
The entire way here, he had been consumed by anger, worry, and emotions he couldn’t even identify.
He had also been determined to give Vivienne a harsh scolding and put an end to her foolish games once and for all.
But...
What had he seen the moment he entered the room?
A girl trembling in terror.
A girl barely clinging to life, curled up in the corner.
The instant his gaze met her empty eyes, panic seized him, and he called out her name without thinking.
He felt that if he didn’t, he would lose her.
And indeed, the girl’s eyes flickered, if only for a brief moment. She reacted to him. She looked at him through her tears and confusion.
[Oh my God. My mother saw me crying and came to check on me. Then we both ended up crying so hard we nearly passed out. Mom even asked me who this poor child was. My hands are still shaking as I type this. My heart hurts so much.]
[I almost dropped my phone too when I heard Vivienne’s screams. What happened to this poor girl?]
[Someone save me, I’m literally shaking with fear. Why does Vivienne’s voice sound so heartbreaking? And why aren’t the brothers doing anything? Watching her suffer like this is killing me. Please, someone save her from this nightmare.]
[What’s wrong with the production team? Why are they still broadcasting after all this? Doesn’t Vivienne deserve even a little respect? Filming her while she’s unconscious and completely broken... I can’t imagine how she’ll feel when she sees this later.]
[Ahhh... Look! It’s Adrian Voss! The CEO of Voss Corporation actually came!]
[Wait, wait! What’s wrong with this man? Didn’t he say he and Vivienne could never be together? Then why the hell is he here? Stay away from our Vivienne, you bastard!]
[No... What’s wrong with the CEO? He looks... he looks... completely disheveled, doesn’t he?]
Inside the room, everyone stared blankly at the unexpected guest, each lost in their own thoughts.
Camila Hall was the first to speak. She stepped toward Adrian and asked cautiously,
"Mr. Voss, what brings you here?"
Seeing him stare at Vivienne without blinking, she let out a heavy sigh.
"I don’t know what this child has been through, but she’s in a terrible state. We’re waiting for the doctor to arrive and give her a sedative."
Adrian snapped out of his daze. He responded with a quiet hum before striding toward the bed.
Before he could reach it, Leo stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
The two men locked eyes.
Daggers seemed to fly between their gazes.
Neither moved an inch.
"Move."
The word finally left Adrian Voss’s lips, cold as ice. The rims of his eyes were visibly red.
Leo was about to curse at him when a faint whisper came from behind.
The voice was barely audible, soft and fragile.
"Ade..."
The moment Vivienne Blackwood spoke that name, Adrian ignored everything in front of him. With a forceful shove, he pushed the man blocking his way aside and strode toward the bed.
Sitting down beside her, Adrian slowly reached out a hand.
"Vivienne, come here."
His voice was gentle and tender in a way even he didn’t notice.
Yet there was an undeniable command hidden within those words.
"Stop. Don’t touch her, or her condition will only get worse—"
Arthur’s words died in his throat when he saw the curled-up girl slowly crawl toward the hand Adrian had extended.
Everyone swallowed their objections.
Silence fell over the room as they stared blankly at the man and woman on the bed.
Vivienne Blackwood wasn’t aware of what was happening around her.
The fever burning through her brain and the chaos of fragmented memories had left her far from rational. Had she possessed even a little more strength, she would have run away in hysterical terror.
But as she accepted her impending death once again...
Just like every time her role in a world came to an end, a painful and terrifying death always awaited her.
No matter how much she resisted, begged, or cried...
She could never escape the ending written for her.
Not in her original world.
And not in the hundred worlds she had visited.
Only when the light in her eyes began to fade did she hear someone calling her name.
It was a familiar voice.
A gentle, comforting voice.
A voice she had dreamed of countless times.
A voice that had always been her anchor during hardship and despair.
It had accompanied her, soothed her, and reassured her.
Then she caught the scent of sandalwood, touched by the faint freshness of rain after a storm.
After hundreds of years...
After a hundred lives and deaths...
Vivienne Blackwood had never forgotten that scent.
And of course—
She could never forget its owner.
It was Adrian Voss.
The protagonist of her world.
The man she had hurt and endlessly regretted hurting.
The man who had once been her only friend and companion.
The man she had dreamed of night after night, longing for his company, his voice, and his scent.
The man for whom she had wished a beautiful life and a happy ending, like the heroes of tragic novels.
And at the same time—
The man with whom she no longer shared any connection.
"Ad...y..."
The fog in Vivienne’s eyes began to clear.
A fragment of reason returned to her.
When she heard his command, she obeyed without thinking.
Something deep inside her urged her to go to him.
As long as he was there, she would be safe.
He would protect her.
Adrian reached out, wrapping an arm around her slender body as she crawled toward him.
His emotions surged violently as he held Vivienne Blackwood.
Then, using both arms, he pulled her firmly against his chest, burying her face in the curve of his strong neck.
"Vivienne..."
Vivienne couldn’t hear whatever it was he whispered above her head.
The moment she felt safe and warm in his embrace, breathing in his familiar scent, exhaustion overtook her.
She fell asleep clutching his clothes tightly.
Afraid that her only home...
And her only safe haven...
Would leave her behind.
Vivienne’s entire body was covered in cold, sticky sweat.
Slowly, Vivienne Blackwood opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was a strong, sharply sculpted jawline.
Her mind remained sluggish for a long moment.
Her thoughts moved painfully slowly.
What was happening?
"Sweetheart!"