"Sweetheart!"
Camila Hall rushed to her side the moment she saw her awake.
"Is there anything else that hurts? Does your body ache? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Cold? Do you need anything?"
As a mother herself, Camila couldn’t help but feel a strong maternal instinct toward Vivienne, especially after everything that had happened the night before.
Vivienne Blackwood stared at her in a daze for a long moment before finally remembering what had happened at the foot of the mountain.
"You’re finally awake."
The commotion had awakened Arthur Williams. He quickly walked over and gently placed a hand on her forehead.
"The fever’s gone."
Leo Thompson also reached out and checked her temperature twice without saying a word. Only then did the knot of anxiety in his chest finally loosen, and he let out a relieved sigh.
"Should we take her to the city hospital for a full examination?"
"We should," Oscar Jones replied immediately. "We absolutely should."
"But it’s still pouring outside. We can’t drive anywhere right now."
"That idiotic production crew secretly kept the cameras running all night. I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t checked my phone. Once filming is over, I’m going to have a serious talk with that bastard director."
Arthur angrily ran a hand through his curly hair.
Camila Hall shook her head helplessly.
"You need to calm down first. Stop trying to punch people every time you’re upset, or your fans will start criticizing you again."
"We should at least take Vivienne to the village clinic for an IV."
"Food first!" Camila insisted. "Feed Vivienne some porridge first."
Leo hummed in agreement and quietly sat back down on the couch without another word.
"Hurry up. Help me cook."
[She’s awake! She’s finally awake! Our precious Vivienne is finally awake! Oh my God, look at how pale she is. Her eyes are completely red from crying.]
[Don’t remind me. Didn’t you see how Vivienne cried and begged all night? I couldn’t stop crying myself. At the same time, I felt terrible for CEO Voss.]
[Seriously, don’t remind me. Didn’t that man claim he didn’t love Vivienne Blackwood? Then what was he doing hugging her, kissing her hand, and wiping away her tears? I really want to ask President Voss if his face hurts from all that hypocrisy.]
[Either way, I’m just grateful that nightmare of a night is finally over. It felt like the longest night of my life. I wanted to stop watching and go to sleep, but I couldn’t. I stayed awake until four in the morning because of that stupid production team.]
[The production crew was unbelievably reckless. They left the cameras running all night until Oscar Jones discovered it and raised hell to get them turned off.]
[Exactly. That’s our fantastic artist. His temper is still as explosive as ever.]
[No kidding. Honestly, I’m surprised the production team even dared turn the cameras back on now. Looks like they’ve reached some temporary ceasefire.]
The group chatted among themselves before everyone returned to their respective tasks.
Even Emma Walker quietly helped out in the kitchen. It seemed that after her recent setback, she had finally learned her lesson.
No one mentioned what had happened the previous night. Everyone acted as though everything were perfectly normal.
Vivienne Blackwood felt dizzy as fragmented memories of the previous night slowly resurfaced.
She remembered...
It seemed she had heard Adrian’s voice.
"Did... did Adrian come here last night?"
For a moment, the atmosphere froze.
An awkward silence filled the room.
"Well..."
Arthur Williams stammered, genuinely unsure how to answer.
The memories of the previous night flashed through his mind.
Adrian Voss had suddenly arrived, walked straight to the bed, and immediately gathered Vivienne into his arms.
Then Vivienne had broken down completely.
Vivienne slowly opened her eyes.
Her vision was blurred by tears, as though she were looking through a layer of mist. She couldn’t see clearly and could only vaguely make out black-and-white outlines.
In a weak voice, she called out,
"Ady...?"
"I want to go home."
"It hurts so much. I want to go home, Ady."
"Ady... they’re bullying me... help me... Ady..."
"Please come and take me home."
Her voice was so faint that it should have been nearly inaudible.
Yet every single person in the room heard it clearly.
Vivienne curled weakly into the pillow, the purple veins on the back of her hand clearly visible.
Her usually gentle eyes had turned dull and grayish-white. Her pupils were unfocused, filled with fear and confusion, while her expression looked fragile and broken.
An indescribable ache gripped everyone’s heart.
Adrian Voss immediately bent down and clasped the girl’s cold, sweat-soaked hand.
Then, without hesitation, he pressed a kiss against her slender white fingers and answered patiently,
"My little Vivi, I’m here."
"My sweetheart, don’t be afraid. I’m here."
"As long as I’m alive, I won’t let anyone bully you."
"I’ll protect you."
"So don’t cry anymore, okay?"
Vivienne cried, screamed, and murmured incoherent words throughout the entire night, endlessly pouring out her grievances to Adrian.
Adrian never closed his eyes for even a second.
He stayed by her side the entire night, speaking to her softly and reassuring her again and again.
He told her that he was here.
That he would protect her.
That he would make those who had wronged her pay.
His thoughts were a tangled mess, like a ball of steel wool scraping relentlessly against his mind, causing pain and confusion.
Adrian Voss bit down on his lip to keep himself from losing control.
Why do you keep playing with my emotions?
Why can’t I forget you even when I desperately want to?
Why are you so greedy?
Greedy...
Why did you betray my trust?
Why are you just like them?
Why?
Adrian Voss suddenly stopped moving.
His racing heart seemed to stop altogether.
His sharp, cold features looked as though they had been carved from ink, while the suppressed fury in his gray-blue eyes threatened to erupt at any moment.
Yet in the end, all he could do was lower his voice and whisper with unbearable tenderness,
"Vivi, I’m here."
"Get some sleep, okay?"
His voice sounded almost like a plea.
"Vivi..."
Adrian Voss snapped out of his thoughts and turned to his assistant.
"I want everything on Vivienne Blackwood."
His voice was cold and decisive.
"Everything she’s done, everyone she’s met, and how she’s lived over the past two months. I want the full report on my desk within an hour."
"Y-Yes, Boss."
The assistant stiffened and quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Good Lord.
Did Mr. Voss seriously think this kind of investigation could be completed in an hour?
An hour...
Mom, I want to resign.
But then he thought about his monthly salary.
And the generous bonuses.
...
Never mind.
He could endure a little longer.